to say that jeon jungkook was handsome was an understatement.

after begging him to fake their relationship, kim taehyung never got the chance to answer jungkook's question; for the moment he opened his mouth, he was already dragged inside the fancy-looking restaurant with menus that none of them could even pronounce. contrasted to taehyung's traditional choice of clothing, jungkook opted on a simple black shirt with matching ripped jeans, nervous sweat dripping down his face and yet still maintaining his image.

it was safe to say that all the older wanted to do was to hug and drown himself in the younger's arms.

wait, oh my god, what am i thinking? taehyung panicked as they neared one of the tables, soon realising that he had been trapped between a lovers' quarrel. erase, erase, erase!

stopping in front of a white-clothed table with two wine glasses and assorted cheese, jungkook tightened his hold on taehyung's hand as the girl who was supposed to be his date looked up with immediate regret. in all honesty, for the past twenty one years of his life, jungkook was never really one to break a girl's heart, but thanks to jimin's horrible choice of women (maybe, it was because he wasn't interested in women in the first place), he just had to do it.

"jungkook?" after placing down her glass in hurry, the petite brown-haired girl who taehyung reckoned was one of the prettiest women he had ever laid his eyes upon stood up from her seat. it was obvious that her eyes were focused on their intertwined hands a little bit longer than they should. "who the hell is he?"

at this point of time, taehyung wasn't sure if he should feel embarrassed or offended by the emphasis of her sentence.

as if satisfied by her response, jungkook brought their hands in front of her face and plastered a winning smirk. "i'm sorry to ruin our date, yoon mina; i know that this isn't supposed to happen and that my friend, jimin, might not have informed you about this, but let me introduce you to my boyfriend . . ."

jungkook nudged his arm in panic, mouthing, "what's your name, hanbok man?"

"k-kim taehyung," taehyung stumbled forward and let go of his hand, trying to make amends by bowing down to whoever this girl was. "my name is kim taehyung. it's very nice to meet you."

mina rolled her eyes in anger.

"w-we've been together for awhile," jungkook continued to blabber as he finally realised that she had been looking on taehyung's robes in bewilderment. "he- um, he's an acting student from our school, you see, which explains why he's still wearing a costume for plays," he paused to nudge again. "r-right?"

there was nothing else taehyung wished more than to leave this awkward interaction. he had always been an avid believer that every action has a reaction, just like what he once learned in physics, and thinking that someday they would receive backlash for hurting an innocent girl's feelings was something he wouldn't want to imagine.

just why did he even let a stranger violate his rights in the first place?

for god's sake, he could already feel mina giving him the you-stole-my-man intense stare.

"y-yes . . ."

to end the night in a bitter tone, as if putting cherries after cherries on top, jeon jungkook's disastrous blind date was poorly epilogued with mina splashing the expensive wine all over his face, with taehyung watching in absolute disgust and the rest of the customers hoping that this trio would soon get out of their sight.

;

kim taehyung still remembered the last thing his father said to him before he passed.

"i want you to have a little something of mine," ushering taehyung to move his body closer, the king removed a small necklace from his collar and wrap it around his son's. it was a beautiful pendant, indeed - with pure gold coating its surface, and a black stone in the middle to keep it sacred - perfect for a lifetime accessory. "and i need you to never let this go."

"oh, this is such a beautiful piece," his vision was fixed on the locket, not realising that the king was already in the verge of breaking down.

"it's more than just a locket."

"i beg you my pardon, father?"

letting go of the breath he didn't know was holding, the king was hurried to retract to his seat, eyes fluttering shut as he wished to spill the truth at the right time . . . which eventually never came. "this necklace holds a very special power - something that only us rulers of silla know exist. and because you are my son, my one and only successor, then i want you to understand that sometimes, it's better to left things unsaid and let it unravel on itself."

"w-what?"

"this might sound like a rambling," taehyung's father shifted his gaze toward the tea his servant just brought, as if knowing the kind of danger that lied within the liquid. "just put your trust in me, as you and your mother always do, because everything will be crystal clear in a matter of instance."

walking past shops, buildings and all those futuristic goodness, kim taehyung momentarily blocked jungkook's wails of his name as he dragged his feet slower, wishing to recall every single detail about what had happened before he unknowingly traveled to the future.

"my father knew that he was going to die, that someone inside the palace was trying to kill him," he suddenly stopped on his track. "but why did he drink it, anyway?"

unaware from taehyung's change of movement, it didn't take long until jungkook - who had been trailing from behind like a lost puppy - bumped his head against the older's broad back, his eyes spotting stars by the second he groaned. just why did hanbok man leave the restaurant without waiting for me?

"hey!" jungkook screeched like a school girl, hands rubbing his forehead in a violent manner.

shifting his head to met the sound of jungkook's faint scream, taehyung immediately gasped at the sight of his newfound friend who was already crouching down the pavement.

"a-albeit my apology!" he grinned like a little boy, lips turning into a rectangular shape. "i didn't know you're still here."

fuck, he's cute.

"it's fine," he stood up, pausing to brush the dirt on his jeans. "of course, i'm still here - i promised you food and arcades earlier, hmm?"

"you don't have to if they're not something you desire," taehyung shrugged. "believe me, what i did for you and mina was purely sincere."

hearing his indirect rejection, a petrified jungkook could only laugh to himself. "you know, kim taehyung, i've been observing you this whole night, and i gotta say, you have quite a peculiar taste in wordings."

maybe it was because taehyung was born centuries before him.

as they continued scanning through the lively neighbourhood, none of them realised that the palms of their hands had been brushing the whole time - as if it was a subconscious act of reassurance that they wouldn't leave each other's sight.

because at the end of the day, kim taehyung and jeon jungkook were more than just a string of silver linings. they were two dreams of the same horizon - something that the gods above had destined, no matter how illogical did it sound - for in two dimensions separated by the past, future and countless of people in between, there was only one person who could unlock the key to taehyung's heart.

and that person was jungkook.

"well, alright, let me rephrase my promise," jungkook began again, his calloused fingers slipping betwixt taehyung's softer ones, as if it was the right thing to do. "kim taehyung, hanbok man, will you let me fulfil this promise of mine to return my previous favour?"

hope you enjoyed reading chapter two, don't forget to vote & comment! i really, really, really want to hear your thoughts & constructive criticism about this story ♡