TO A NEW NATION
Kim Youngdae | @toojazzy25 | 2019 May 26

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Eight months ago, newlywed Kim Seokjin, winner of the competition that took South Korea by storm as its king searched for a spouse, announced what was thought to be the impossible.

As the royal wedding hysteria reached fever pitch, many citizens of South Korea tuned in to what was the first official royal wedding between two men and for the first time in history, a country had two kings.

Both kings had given a speech to their subjects, but that day the speech that made every citizen freeze on the spot in front of our televisions, cellphones, and laptops was that of the King Kim Seokjin. So that I don't bore you with the specific details, the King had announced their plans of abolishing South Korea's monarchy.

It goes without saying that there were protests against this idea, specifically from Court Officials and advisers of the court who apparently had no idea of this even taking place.

"We will try to talk to the kings," one adviser had stated to us, "Our country prides itself on being a monarchy."

"Our country should not pride itself on being a monarchy," King Kim Namjoon had stated during a press conference. "We should pride ourselves in our people, our culture, our resources, not whether there is a king on the throne or not. I like to believe that the people of this country are smart enough to know what they need and to choose a leader who will listen to them. Due to this, we are shifting over to a new form of government."

Another loss hit the royal family as our beloved Royal Queen Dowager passed away a month after the wedding. The two kings held her funeral privately, similar to how they did with the funeral of the Princess Geongmin back in 2018. Neither kings nor the prince wanted to make a comment regarding either funeral.

Regarding the change from a monarchy to a republic, the change was officially made on March 27th 2019, finally abolishing the monarchy of Korea and the two kings now being temporary heads of state while parties prepare for a presidential election coming up in two years.

Many people are wondering: What about the palaces? The two heads of state have decided to declare all five palaces as national monuments and are to build a new estate in the Jongno District of Seoul to signal a new era of government. The time estimated to finish the construction of the famous Presidential "Blue House" is two years. In the meantime, the two kings and the prince will remain at Gyeongbokgung Palace since "There are too many memories there to leave behind so quickly," stated South Korea's first Head of State, Kim Namjoon.

In another news Ex-Minister Lee Byunghun's trial was held today, where he was charged a life sentence for faking the death of the candidate Kim Seokjin and was also charged for attempted murder on the King's life and homicide for the life of Princess Geongmin back in...

Liberal Moon Jae-in wins South Korea's presidential election

|Kim Youngdae | @toojazzy25 | 2021 May 10
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Liberal politician, and former official of the palace court, Moon Jae-in decisively won South Korea's presidential election on Tuesday, television networks declared, an expected victory ending nearly a decade of conservative rule and bringing a more conciliatory approach toward North Korea.

"I will make a just, united country," he told a crowd gathered to see the former human rights lawyer who entered politics just five years ago. "I will be a president who also serves all the people who did not support me."

There was no transition period between the election and inauguration. Ultimately, this means that our two current Heads of State, former Kings Kim Namjoon and Kim Seokjin are now out of office and will move out of the country's palace, their new place of residence is currently unknown...

"Place that over there," Seokjin orders, he himself settling a box down and then whipping his hands on his clothes. "Wow, that's a lot of dust."

"I kept telling you to get someone to clean the place," Soobin mumbles, placing his box right where Jin told him to. "An empty house doesn't clean itself."

"Which is exactly why you're going to help me clean it," Seokjin winks, handing the younger boy a duster and then signaling to the living room. "You can start by dusting. Let me know when you're done so I can hand you the broom."

"What can we do, Hyung-nim?" Hueningkai asks as he places the box he carries on the floor. Taehyun, Beomgyu and Yeonjun are right behind him, also carrying things in. They drop it off and leave to bring in some more.

"Just keep bringing those boxes in," Seokjin tells them, "Oh, but Jungkook and Yeonjun are in charge of cleaning."

"Okay!" the younger male says before running out of the house, leaving Seokjin in the living room to scan the place from where he stood.

His home is just how he left it last time he was there. Only that dust had accumulated since the last time he and Namjoon had run away to have their date in secret. Now, with the palace being a monument and a new government being set with a new leader, this was his home again.

Being king was quite the task, being Head of State wasn't that easy either, but he and Namjoon had managed and now they were free. The lucky thing about being former kings and Head of State? They basically had a great amount of retirement funds set for their future. Of course, Jin would rather live comfortably rather than expensively, so the funds were stored away and they decided it was best to just keep them for emergencies and Jungkook's and Taehyung's studies.

"Standing around isn't going to get the place clean," someone mumbles behind him. Seokjin rolls his eyes as Yoongi steps inside the house, holding a broom. "Can't believe you and Joon are making me help out."

"Well you didn't exactly say no," Jin points out, heading over to open one of the boxes that Soobin brought in. "I know you secretly wanted to help," he teases, "And I have a whole bunch of furniture that I'd love for you to piece together since I know Namjoon can't really do it."

Arms crossed, the raven-haired male sighs, knowing that Seokjin hit him right at his weakness. Yoongi had a thing for fixing and building things. "Fine," he mutters. "What do I start with?"

"Hey hyung?" Jungkook interrupts just as Seokjin opened his mouth to respond. The young brunette was carrying in a coffee table with Taehyung helping him and carrying it from its other end. "Where do you want this?"

"Where else would a coffee table go?" Yoongi grumbles, "Just put it in the living room."

Jungkook frowns, "Wow you're really extra grumpy today Hyung."

"He's probably just angry cause Hoseokie-hyung was too busy to come help," Taehyung teases. Yoongi throws the young brunette a glare, to which Taehyung just innocently grins.

"You know," Jin drawls out, brows wiggling, "may I remind you that Hoseok lives just a few houses down..."

Yoongi just stares at him with a certain blank look to his face, pretending to seem uninterested, but Seokjin could clearly see the blush that was forming on the smaller man's cheeks. "So?"

"Aw come on, Yoongi-chi," Seokjin teases, loving to call him by that cause it made him flustered. "I know you don't really know how to communicate like a functioning human being, but you're pretty direct about certain things, so why not be blunt about this?"

"Yeah Hyung," Jungkook pipes up from the living room. "You've decided to retire from your old job anyway. You'll have more time on your hands, so why not date a bit?"

Jin raises a brow at that. "You resigned being general?" He hadn't heard about that at all.

The now ex-general shrugs, sticks his hands in his pockets. "I only accepted the position to protect Namjoon, Jungkook, and Geongmin. No point in continuing that job now that they're no longer at the palace."

Nodding in understanding, Seokjin asks, "And what are you planning on doing now?"

Another shrug. "I don't know. Kind of just wanted to rest a bit then see where I go from there."

Yoongi's train of thought was somewhat similar to Namjoon and Jungkook's. It must be strange for them. Suddenly your purpose in life has vanished and you, a person once considered above average men, were suddenly just like everyone else. Namjoon's legacy involved being king. Jungkook's involved bringing forth an heir and Yoongi to protect the royal family. With the way things were now, there was no royal family to protect, no heir needed and no role of king. How does one just suddenly find a new purpose?

Seokjin knew that at least he would be going back to classes as an acting major. He knew that he would still be married to Namjoon and that Kookie would be staying with them. But other than that? Nothing was set in stone.

It was all part of the journey of life, he guessed.

Night falls upon them when they finally finish cleaning the place. All of them are tired and are now lying on the newly polished floor in the living room. The kids all bunched up in a corner and Seokjin on one couch and Yoongi on the other.

The door beeps and opens, Namjoon suddenly enters the house. Blinking, he scans the place, notices how much cleaner it was then before. "Oh," he states, "Looks like you all finished."

"Yeah. No thanks to you," Yoongi grumbles.

"I was going through the things that were going to be left behind at the palace," Namjoon reminds them sheepishly. "It just took a bit longer than I thought it did." He glances at the pile of young ones in the corner. "Um, do you five need a ride back home?" he asks, pointing to the car in the driveway. "I can have the driver take you if you need it."

"No need," Yeonjun replies, getting up to his feet and digging into his pocket. "I brought my car." He motions to the other four, telling them to get up which they do so with loud complaints.

Despite how tired he was, Seokjin lifts his head from the comfort of the pillow on the couch. "Thanks for the help!" he shouts at them as they start heading out the door. "Train well and be sure to make Donghyuk's life miserable while you're there!"

"Sure will!" they shout back before they're gone. Seokjin nods to himself, proud of how he's raised them.

"You're evil," Namjoon grins, leaning over the couch to peck him on the forehead. Seokjin pouts at him.

"He deserves it. He's an ass."

"If you say so," Namjoon smiles. Stepping into the living room, he takes a seat on the couch right at Seokjin's feet. Seokjin moves around till his head is nicely on Namjoon's thigh.

From the floor, Taehyung groans. "Well, I should get going now." He stands, shakes some dust off of his pants. "Jiminie should be back from his therapy session soon."

"How is he by the way?" Jungkook asks from the floor, sprawled out on the ground like a starfish.

"Better," Tae says. "He goes out with others. He's more open about his feelings, trying out other things. He also stopped going on those extreme diets. His group of friends from his major are nice."

From the couch, Seokjin smiles. "That's good to hear."

Taehyung smiles back. "Yeah. He's getting there." Pulling out his phone, he frowns before adding, "Hoseokie-hyung is almost there, I'll go now."

"Wait!" Seokjin suddenly cries out, jerking his body to sit up and almost giving Namjoon a heart attack. "It's dark out, have Yoongi accompany you."

"What?" the ex-general spats from where he lies on the couch. Seokjin ignores him and remains firm in his decision.

"Hyung," Taehyung says with a confused look to his face, "It's literally three houses down—"

"Never know what could happen," Seokjin interrupts, practically jumping up from the couch and pulling Yoongi by the arm. "Go," he orders, "I will make your life miserable if anything happens to him because you decided not to watch him." He pushes both of them out the door and closes it in their faces.

From the couch, Namjoon tries hard not to snort. "Hyung, you couldn't be more obvious."

"Don't care," Jin states. "Someone needs to make the first move and since neither of them are doing it, then I will."

Taking and picking Jimin up from therapy was by now a weekly routine for Hoseok and despite what anyone could think, he really didn't mind doing it. To him, it was a way to 1) make sure Jimin was attending and 2) see the progress after every session.

"How'd it go?" he asks as he drives them back to Jimin and Taehyung's place.

"It's getting better, I guess," the blonde male replies. "We did some exercises in front of the mirror where I had to say good things about myself. I also kind of wrote a song." He fumbles with a sheet of paper in his hands.

"Really?" Hoseok says, impressed. "That sounds cool. I'd like to hear it one day."

"When I'm ready," Jimin says. Hoseok nods at him with a smile and continues driving. Jimin stares out the window.

For Jimin, it's been a difficult journey. At one point he reached the conclusion that he needed help. Not just from his friends, but from an actual professional. It had been difficult to swallow, almost like accepting that there was something wrong with him. It hurt.

Of course, Taehyung and Hoseok were supportive. Seokjin would also send messages encouraging him. Jimin couldn't swallow their support. He felt like he was a burden on them. And that was one of the first things he knew he had to fix of himself.

"There is nothing wrong in letting the ones who love you help you," his therapist had told him. "It's important to always believe in one's self and learn to love it, a bit of help from others is also a blessing. You don't have to go through it alone."

Words like those were hard on him. How can he just accept help from others without giving them anything in return? But then again, that was very like him. He had always thought that something given had to be given back. Yet what could he give back?

"Hey Hyung?"

Hoseok hums.

"You can stop taking me to my sessions now." He's looking down at the sheet of paper in his hands. "I think I can go on my own."

Glancing at him from the corner of his eyes, Hoseok raises a brow. "Really?"

Jimin nods. "Yeah." He pauses for a second, as if debating something. "I sort of made a promise to myself." He tightens his grip on the paper. "I also want to talk to Taehyung today."

"I see," Hoseok muses. His eyes flicker to him. "Okay."

They say nothing else to each other. Hoseok just drives and Jimin just continues clutching at the paper in his hands as he stares out the window.

As he parks into the driveway, Hoseok gets a message from Tae, telling him to come inside. Brows pressed together in confusion, Hoseok steps out of the car and follows Jimin inside.

"Hey Tae," he greets as he steps into the foyer and removes his shoes, putting on some slippers from the shoebox at the entrance before walking in, "You said you had something for m—" He stops, freezes really, when he catches sight of the guest in the living room playing with Taehyung's dog.

Min Yoongi is also frozen, mug in midair, his other hand on the dog's belly and eyes ridiculously wide. Then suddenly the surprise from his face is gone and Hoseok can't really pinpoint what it is that his expression changed into.

From the kitchen, Taehyung pokes his head into the living room, beaming from ear to ear like a mischevious brat. "Hi, Hoseokie-hyung," he greets. "How was your day?"

"Fine," Hoseok answers slowly, eyes still on the general.

"Your thighs are looking thicker in those leather pants you're wearing, Hyung," the brunette comments nonchalantly, "have you been working out?"

A small choking sound is heard from the couch, the general's coffee going down the wrong pipe. Hoseok frowns at Tae, confused at the sudden attention he's receiving. Taehyung, however, is relentless.

"Such a shame that you're still single, Hyung," the young brunet continues, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. "I know a few guys who like a nice pair of legs wrapped arou—"

"Where'd Jimin go?" Hoseok frantically interrupts, not wanting to hear the rest of that sentence.

Taehyung blinks, almost as if he's unaware of the reason behind the interruption. "He went to go shower," he responds, then a smirk forms at his lips. "Want to join him?"

Yoongi clears his throat and fidgets on the couch. "I should get going," he mumbles, chugging down the last of his coffee and placing the dog on the floor.

"Already?" Taehyung whines. "You should stay a bit longer. Yeontan looks like he wants to play with you some more."

There is no way to miss the tone the younger is using. It's teasing and Yoongi doesn't like it one bit. Also, it doesn't take a genius to realize what's going on here and Yoongi would make sure that Namjoon would hear out the list of complaints he has about the other's husband, especially starting with this.

"Got to go catch my bus," Yoongi mutters, already getting up to go drop off the mug in the kitchen, Yeontan is following him as he walks.

A lightbulb suddenly goes off in Taehyung's head. Yoongi can practically see it light up and suddenly he knows exactly what the other is thinking and he's ready to protest when—

"Oh, do you need a ride?" Hoseok inquires suddenly, much to Yoongi's disdain and Taehyung's delight.

Shit. It was one thing for Taehyung to tease him about it but it was completely another matter if Hoseok offers, especially when he offers it so casually. Damn. Yoongi really should've just brought his car. How the hell did Seokjin convince him to leave it back at the hotel?

"No thank you," he says automatically, a force of habit. He silently curses himself. Hoseok's lips suddenly fall and form a frown. Yeontan lets out a small yawn from the floor.

"The streets are dangerous, General," Taehyung claims dramatically, chipping in, walking over and suddenly making a v shape with his hands and tucking it under the raven-haired man's chin. "It's not safe for a twink such as yourself."

Yoongi turns on him. "What did you call m—"

"Tae," Hoseok intervenes with a warning tone, "leave him alone. He doesn't want to. No need to force him."

"It's not forcing him if he secretly wants it—"

"Taehyung!" Hoseok shouts, making both males jump. Hoseok catches his own tone of voice and instantly calms down, taking in a deep breath. "Drop it."

The younger male seems a bit taken aback for a moment. He takes a moment to glance between the two of them for a moment before he sighs.

"Come on Tannie," he huffs, picking the dog up from the floor and practically stomping out of the living room, "Let's leave these two to just eternally cock block each other." Yeontan lets out a tiny bark as they leave.

Both Hoseok and Yoongi go to the foyer to change into their shoes, an awkward silence between them.

"Were you helping Jin-hyung and Namjoon move in?" the taller male inquires for a moment, tying the laces of his shoes.

Yoongi nods, he himself slipping his foot into his shoes. "Yeah. There was a lot to do."

"Kind of feel bad for not going to help."

"They didn't mind," Yoongi assures him. "They had enough people to help anyway."

Hoseok hums in response.

They're both slipping into their last shoe, the action itself feeling like it's taking forever. Hoseok stands and opens his mouth to say his goodbyes but before he can do so, a loud crash interrupts him, making him yelp and jump in place.

He's there frozen with his hand over his chest from the fright when he hears it. It starts out with small thuds above them before it sounds like a cascade is pouring down over them. Both males stare at each other before Hoseok moves to open the door.

Yup. It was a sudden downpour. Yoongi curses to himself. Of course, it would start raining, that was just his luck.

"Just so you know," Taehyung says from the kitchen entrance, both males turning to him. The young brunet has a sly grin on his face as he pets Yeontan in the smuggest manner. "We don't have any umbrellas that you can borrow."

Yoongi wants to kill him, knowing full well that the other was doing this on purpose. Why the hell were both Kim brothers so meddling? The ex-general bites his lip, debating. His eyes flicker to Hoseok for a moment before he lowers his head in defeat. "Is that offer from before still available?" he mumbles.

Hoseok snorts. "Not a fan of rain?"

"Only when I don't have to go anywhere."

He laughs, reaches into his pocket and pulls out his keys. "I'll bring the car closer," he says. And before Yoongi can even protest, he's already running out into the ran to get his car.

The other male currently out of sight, Yoongi turns and snaps, "You," he points to Taehyung, "I'm going to kill you."

Taehyung's grin doesn't waver. "You'll thank me later," he states confidently. Yoongi is about to protest when Hoseok's suddenly car is at the front gate, waiting. Yoongi shoots Taehyung one last glare before running out to the porch, crossing the gate and getting into the car.

"Have fun you two!" they both hear Taehyung shout, causing Yoongi to roll his eyes and Hoseok to chuckle.

"He's a good guy," Hoseok assures him, even though Yoongi doesn't believe it for one moment. "So," he says, moving the shift, "where to?"

Yoongi tells him the address. Hoseok nods and starts heading in the required direction.

"You seemed to like Tae's dog a lot," Hoseok comments in an attempt to make some small talk.

"He reminds me of my dog."

"Oh, you have a dog?" he asks, surprised. "What's its name?"

"Min Holly. It's a he," he adds.

"Oh, cute."

"He is," Yoongi smiles, heart suddenly warm at the thought of his adorable poodle. He leans back in his seat, sighs. "He hurts my heart. Makes it warm." He squirms a bit, thinking about it, smile growing bigger. "He walks all over me, brings these toys and growls when I try to take them away." He sighs. "So cute."

There's silence in the car and Yoongi gradually feels his ears burn. He dares to look to his left. Hoseok is staring at him and instinctively, Yoongi drops his smile. Shit, he led his guard down. Got too caught up thinking about Holly.

He jerks his head to look out the window, avoiding the other's gaze. How embarrassing. He's usually not one to put down his wall so easily around others. Hoseok must be pretty taken aback. He holds back the desire to smack himself.

Most people are always wrong about him anyway. At least in the sense of how they view him, they picture him to be some badass and heartless bad boy. When in reality Yoongi liked simple things like hugs and holding hands. Most people ended up disappointed, thinking he was 'cool' and had some weird kinks when in reality he's more of a vanilla guy.

Yoongi steals a look at Hoseok who's now focusing on the road again. He must've been weirded out by the sudden change. It's pretty unusual to him smile after all. Most people were freaked out by it. He was a big bad general, how could he be taken seriously when he looked so childish when he smiled?

Neither of them says another word to each other. Yoongi is somewhat thankful for the silence, not wanting to make things any more awkward then they were.

After what seems to be an eternity

"Nice place," Hoseok comments.

"It's a friend's," Yoongi comments for no particular reason. "He's letting me stay here till I find a place of my own." Everyone else who previously lived at the palace got relocated to new homes, some were even transfered to the Blue House. Yoongi? He has to find his own place since he resigned.

"Oh, that's nice of your friend."

"Yeah." Tablo was basically doing him a huge favor by allowing him to stay here. His friend was currently off working in Canada and let Yoongi crash here for 'as long as he needed'.

The awkward silence is back between them. The rain has died down now and Yoongi doesn't really know what to say at this moment other than, "Thanks for the ride," he mutters before unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the door.

Hoseok watches him get out. Yoongi isn't really sure what kind of expression the other is wearing at the moment, all he hears is Hoseok mutter a, "Nice seeing you again, General."

Nodding in response, Yoongi turns and walks towards the front gate, stepping in and closing it behind him. He doesn't bother looking back, there's really no point. He doesn't find himself capable of being able to actually keep a steady relationship. It's why he never paid much attention to all those confessions from Namjoon, Geongmin and Jungkook in the past. He was fine with friendship, it kept people close.

Sighing, he slips the keys into his pocket and heads towards the house. He hadn't even made it two steps forward when someone is banging at the metal gate door. Raising a brow, Yoongi turns around and opens it.

Hoseok is standing there, arms crossed. Yoongi frowns, confused. "Um—"

"Are you really not going to ask for my number?" the taller male interrupts before he can get another word in. "Cause I don't know if I'm reading into this the wrong way. So I kind of need to now, before I get my hopes up again."

"Uh," Yoongi's heart starts pounding against his chest, hands getting a bit sweaty. What should he say? Just a few seconds ago he had convinced himself that he was fine with how things were. It's been years since he's actually tried anything with anyone. Not since that girl who broke up with him back in middle school. Honestly, Yoongi's been kind of hesitant since then. His ex had claimed him to be too indifferent, even though he actually did care but just didn't know how to show it.

How was he supposed to start something with another person if he hasn't really healed that yet?

The other's cheeks turn red as Yoongi takes too long to answer. "Right," Hoseok states, evidently embarrassed at the situation. "So I read into it wrong. Got it. I was being silly."

Damn it. He can heal later, let's get this out of the way.

"I already have it," the smaller male mumbles softly, eyes to the ground and not really focusing on anything in particular.

Hoseok stops for a moment, turns on his feet and blinks owlishly, clearly confused. "What?"

Sighing, Yoongi looks up at him. "Your contact information from the competition," he answers softly, dropping his gaze and suddenly looking like a small child again. "I've had it all this time so..."

Brows shoot up as Hoseok gets where he's going with this. At what this implies. "You've had my number for two years," he drawls out, "but you've never messaged me."

Yoongi gnaws at his lower lip, clearly embarrassed with his pink cheeks. "...yeah." This was the kind of person he was. Shy, hesitant. An overthinker. A coward.

"But you've wanted to?" Hoseok asks uncertainly, finding the whole interaction strange to begin with.

Ugh, this was embarrassing. "Look, can you please just reject me already so I can just go home?" Yoongi snaps suddenly, causing Hoseok to jump back in fright. He was pretty sure that the other was probably disappointed by now. The big bad general wasn't so big and bad.

The taller male blinks, processing the words. "I'm not going to reject you," he states. Yoongi's head jerks up to look at him, eyes comically wide.

"What?"

Reaching into his pocket, Hoseok tries not to laugh. "Don't think I didn't notice how often you would check out my ass back during the competition." He winks, pulls out his phone, then looks down at the raven-haired male. "Call me."

Yoongi isn't following. "What?"

Hoseok sighs. "Take out your phone and call me right now."

Deciding not to question it, Yoongi takes out his phone and does as he's told. He presses the call button on Hoseok's contact info, Hoseok's phone rings and the tall male hits the red button before he unlocks it and starts typing into his phone.

"There," he says after a moment, then glances up and smiles at Yoongi

The raven-haired male is unsure of what to say. "I'm confused," he states after a brief pause.

"I just saved your number," Hoseok explains, mockingly slow, eyes seeming amused. "I'm doing this because I'm interested in you." He stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

Doubtful, Yoongi dares to ask, "Why?"

He shrugs. "You're nice although you pretend not to be. You're caring even though you come off as uninterested. Not to mention you're actually shy when others just think you're indifferent." He smiles. "I think that's cute."

Yoongi is still confused. "Uh..."

"All things considered," Hoseok continues, "clearly I have to be the one to take the first step here." His amused eyes flicker to stare into Yoongi's. "How about a date?"

It appears as though Yoongi's brain is short-circuiting today. Maybe he inhaled too much dust while cleaning Seokjin's house, his heart seems to be thumping to fast as well.

From what his brain is slowly processing, Hoseok seems...into him? Like, actually considering going on a date with him? Maybe he heard wrong? Yoongi doesn't really know how to approach this. Hoseok doesn't know him well enough to actually like him. "We don't really know much about each other aside from our small interactions at the competition." His eyes flicked away to the side. "And those aren't really memorable."

"I find them pretty funny," Hoseok comments.

Feeling his cheeks burn as he recalls not only getting drunk around the taller male, but also insulting him and getting chased and tackled by him. "I don't," he bluntly admits.

"So what do you suggest, General?" Hoseok asks, suddenly getting very close to him, making Yoongi's brain blank for a few seconds.

He clears his throat, looks away when he catches Hoseok staring at his lips. "We should start anew."

A smile tugs at the corners of Hoseok's lips. "New memories sound nice," he agrees.

"Yeah," Yoongi meekly agrees. This, this he could do. Before he can chicken out, he adds, "Maybe we can start right now? It's not too late to go out to eat."

"Mhm, or kiss."

The shorter male yanks his head in his direction. "What?"

"Nothing," Hoseok dismisses quickly, a mischevious glint in his eyes. "A bite to eat sounds nice."

"Taetae, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Looking up from the screen in front of him, Taehyung catches sight of the serious look on Jimin's face. He grabs his headset. "Hyungsik-hyung, I have to go," he says into the mic. "Yeah, I'll log on tomorrow." Removing his headset and pausing the game on his computer, Tae turns in his chair to face his friend. "Something wrong?"

Jimin is fidgeting with his fingers at the doorway, his eyes looking everywhere in the room but at Tae. "Can I come in?" he asks after a few moments of silence. Taehyung nods.

He chooses to sit on the bed, directly across from Taehyung on the chair. He doesn't say anything. Neither does Tae who waits on him.

"Taehyungie," Jimin begins slowly, "You're really something else."

Tae raises a brow. "Thank you?"

Jimin doesn't stop there. "You're kind and you're my best friend, someone very special and I've always considered you my soulmate." He pauses, bites down on his lip. "But I think you should let me go now."

Brows coming together, Taehyung doesn't say anything, just lets Jimin continue.

"It's been two years," he continues, "And I'm ready to talk now. To talk about what happened that day."

Something passes through Taehyung's eyes, something unreadable. He lifts his feet, crosses them on the seat and gives Jimin his undivided attention. "Okay," he whispers, "Let's talk."

Hesitant, Jimin takes a deep breath. "From the very beginning, you were better off without me. I— I'm selfish. I've been selfish. And I realized it one that day when you looked me in the eyes and begged me to stop. Never once did you ever question what I did, nor what I said. But that day you not only told me to stop. You let go of my hand."

Other than the light sound of their breathing, a clock ticks on the wall, other than that there's just silence, except Jimin hears the pounding of his heart in his ears.

Licking his dry lips, he continues. "I was scared. I was hurt. Jin-hyung was getting married. Hoseokie-hyung was busy elsewhere and my dad had died. And you, you let go of my hand." Once again he licks his lips. "But at that moment I understood why you did it and the only thing that went through my head was that I wasn't needed."

He glances up at the ceiling, blinking back tears. "There are other reasons of course. You liked someone else. I was in the way. As long as I was alive I knew I would be in the way. A burden. I didn't want to be a burden. To you nor anyone. So I did that."

Fidgeting on the bed, his eyes move and focus on Tae's. "I'm better now. You're better now. You have no reason to force yourself to stay by my side anymore. Especially when staying with me means I'll never get over you. But I don't want my condition to hold you back, nor my feelings. Even if you choose to go I won't let it get to me."

For a moment, Taehyung doesn't say anything. Jimin grows worried. Would he be relieved? Would he mumble a 'thank god' because he was finally free?

No. Taehyung just sighs. Jimin's heart stops.

"Jimin, have I ever lied to you?" is what he asks after a pause. Jimin takes in a breath, thinks for a moment then shakes his head. "Okay, then you know I'm being honest with you when I say that I love you right?"

A breath gets caught in the blonde's throat. He stutters. "Y—yeah, but it's not—"

"Not the same, I know," Tae interrupts. "Which is why we're not dating. I'd never play with your feelings like that."

He knows. He knows that Tae isn't that kind of person. But still, "What about Jungkook?"

Frowning, Taehyung answers. "Yah, what kind of friend would I be if I abandoned you for a guy I was just crushing on?"

"But you also haven't dated anyone in the last two years."

Taehyung leans back on his chair, crosses his arms behind his head. "I know. Haven't really found anyone interesting is all. I have gone out on dates though," he reminds him. "Seojoon-hyung and Hyungsik-hyung are nice but I'd rather have them as friends." He pauses for a moment, eyes grow wide. "Wait, could that be a thing?"

Quickly he turns his back on Jimin for a moment to type something up on his computer, searching up on Naver, brows pressing together as he focuses. "'Aromantic;'" he reads aloud, "'a person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others'." He swings his chair back. "Jiminie, what if I'm an Aromantic?"

It takes Jimin a few seconds to realize that Taehyung isn't joking right now nor saying something to lighten the mood. Still, Jimin is a bit taken aback, brain going through so many things at once. "Um."

"Right, sorry," Tae says, "Let's focus for a moment." He clears his throat, takes in a deep breath before his eyes turn serious again. "Since my family moved here, you and I, we've basically woken up together, put on our school uniforms and attended the same school. We ate together, played together and then we would talk all night. After years like that, you are now my dearest friend. So I thought it would be good if such a good friend could always be with me. But that's selfish of me. So you're not the only one who's been selfish."

Jimin feels a lump forming at his throat, tries gulping it down but it isn't working. Taehyung doesn't stop.

"You were there for me through the ups and downs, you were the one who laughed and cried with me. When my mom was killed you comforted me. When we thought Jin-hyung was dead, you never left my side. You didn't know what to do, but you were there. You work hard for me and you understand me."

"This is all partly my fault too," he continues, throat tightening. "I knew your feelings. For years. But I didn't want things to change. Which is why even after rejecting you multiple times, I didn't change the way I was around you. So it wasn't just you hurting me, I was also hurting you."

"Even now, I'm still a bit selfish." He glances down at his hands, rubbing them together. "I basically forced you to let me be by your side. It's because I want to see you happy. Because seeing the ones I love be happy, makes me happy."

They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for. What if that something you do is to hope for the happiness of the person you love?

"Taehyungie," Jimin begins protesting. "I am a person that can't be reasoned with. I'm illogical and I'm really self-centered."

"I know," Taehyung sniffles. Then adds, "I think though, that even when people are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered, we should love them anyway. Because they need it the most."

Jimin opens his mouth to say something, closes it, only to frown and grab a pillow and hug it. "I hate you," he mumbles into it, "I really hate you."

"I don't," Taehyung smiles widely. "I love you."

Jimin's heart is thumping, covers his face with his hands, a smile on his face. "Shut up," he laughs.

"Accept my love Jiminie," Taehyung exclaims as he suddenly jumps onto the bed, bringing Jimin down with him, hugging him and resting his head on his shoulders and grinning. "You know, Jiminie," he says suddenly, "I love you more than yesterday, but less than tomorrow. Doesn't that mean I haven't loved you to the best of my capabilities?" He giggles, it's a small 'hehe' that comes with his boxy grin.

Heart fluttering, Jimin stops and thinks while Taehyung somehow manages to quickly fall asleep in their tangled mess.

There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you, help you. He reminds himself. While it is always best to believe in one's self, a little help from others can be a great blessing.

Recalling Taehyung's words, Jimin smiles to himself. Now aware of himself, he does realize how important Taehyung is to him. More so than some feelings. It'll take time, it'll take effort, but if he really does love Tae, then letting go a bit is fine too.

Yeah, this too is love.

"Need anything?" Namjoon asks, "Another pillow? A blanket? A plushie? Jin-hyung has lots of plushies."

From his new bed, Jungkook shakes his head underneath the ironman covers that Jin found laying around. "I'm good like this Hyung, really." He grins. "Also you have a lot of plushies too you know."

"Not as much as him," Namjoon defends.

"Pretty sure you two are tied."

Chuckling, Namjoon moves to sit at the edge of the bed, face suddenly getting serious. "You're really okay with this?" he asks suddenly, Jungkook knowing exactly what he's referring to.

The younger male groans. "Hyung, we've talked about this. Yes, I'm fine. I'm thrilled that you two found a way to get me out of that mess and I don't mind living with you and Jin-hyung."

Namjoon isn't fully convinced. It's not easy for him, so he knows that Jungkook must also be having a hard time. Maybe his little brother just doesn't want him to worry. He's selfless like that.

"Namjoon-hyung," Jungook says, peeking over the blankets, "please just go to sleep. It's late. I'd rather hear you snoring than hear the gears in your head turning."

Fine. He'll ask again tomorrow. He huffs out a breath. "If you need anything just yell, okay?" Junkook hums in response.

"Love you, Hyung."

Restraining a smile, Namjoon mutters an "I love you," back and heads out, closing the door behind him and crossing the hall to his and Jin's room.

"Is JK being a brat again?" Jin asks from where he's at his computer desktop, playing a game. Maplestory was the one he was currently addicted to if Namjoon recalls correctly. Namjoon smiles at the sight. Seokjin is in a nice light blue sweatshirt that Joon had bought him for his birthday. The color looked nice on him and the shirt itself made Joon want to just hug him to death.

"Nah, I was just overthinking things again," Joon says truthfully. Seokjin hums.

"Well, come bring that sexy brain over here at watch me go up to the top of this server," the older practically orders.

Chuckling, Namjoon does as he's told, walking up behind the elder and leaning in to watch him play in silence. It's quite entertaining, considering how Seokjin's avatar kept falling constantly and Jin would just wail and kick around for a bit before he composed himself and tried again.

Cute. His husband is cute.

Namjoon leaves for a moment to take a quick shower, switching into a hoodie and some sweatpants. When he walks back into the room, Seokjin is still there playing. Namjoon shakes his head and goes over to him, hands grabbing the elder's shoulders and squeezing.

"Come to bed, Hyung," he whispers into Jin's ear. Seokjin's ears go red but his eyes don't move from the screen.

"Not till I reach the top," he announces.

But Namjoon doesn't give up easily. A smug look on his face, he goes over and rests his head on Seokjin's shoulder. "But I want to cuddle and be the little spoon," he whines in a tone that he knows Seokjin can't resist.

The typing ceases. Seokjin remains still for a few moments before he turns in his chair, cheeks now just as red as his ear. Namjoon gives him a beaming smile, dimples and all. Seokjin can't hold back a smile of his own.

"You're lucky you're cute," he says and turns off his game and heads on over to a chagrin Namjoon.

It's a while later that they're both just there in bed, eyes drooping and Seokjin is sitting up, back against the headboard and Namjoon is laying on him, face nuzzling into his stomach. Both are silent and only hear the clacking of the fan above them.

"Hyung," Namjoon speaks up after a moment, "you don't regret it do you?"

Seokjin glances down at him. In a very tired state Namjoon tended to think a lot. Most of it too psychologically for these hours in the night. "Regret what Joonie?"

"Marrying me," he mumbles. "I'm no longer a king. I'm not even a Head of State anymore."

"I didn't fall in love with the king or Head of State," Seokjin replies, "I fell in love with Kim Namjoon."

"Yeah, but those roles were a part of me," he mumbles. "Now, what am I? Who am I? How do I just abandon something that I thought I would be for my whole life?"

Seokjin doesn't really have an answer for that. Just like he doesn't have the answer for a lot of the things he would like to know. Life was like that, full of unanswered questions.

"Let's sleep," the elder says, now letting out a yawn. "And actually sleep please," he adds, "Not like that time you couldn't fall asleep so you started shining the flashlight of your phone in my face. Who does that by the way?"

Namjoon chuckles, squirms up to where he starts pecking kisses on the elder's neck.

"I'm not laughing," Seokjin claims. "And your excuse to 'scare away the flies' made no sense either. I demand an explanation."

"Wanted to make sure you were real," Namjoon comments, pulling back to look at Seokjin with those warm eyes. "That you wouldn't disappear." Jin already feels the tips of his ears burning. Ugh, how can this man be so smooth?

"Learned from the best," Namjoon answers him with a grin, making Jin realize that he did indeed ask that out loud.

Instead of blushing, Seokjin smiles at him. One all soft and gentle. One that makes Namjoon's heart flutter and do summersaults in his chest. Slowly, Namjoon moves up and places lips on Jin, kissing him gently. The elder kisses him back and then moves his lips to peck down Namjoon's jaw and then place a final kiss to his left dimple.

Namjoon smiles and wraps his arms underneath Jin to hug him tightly. To drift off to sleep.

They say you can take the boy out of the jungle, but never the jungle never leaves the boy. In the same way, you can say that you could've taken Namjoon out of a leadership role but the leader in him still remains.

Namjoon retook politics. Seokjin began acting. Even though they were no longer the royal couple, they were called 'The Nation's Couple.' Said couple was the talk of the parties whenever the president or some fancy politician held an event. Foreigners were the first to approach them. Apparently, word of the competition years back had also reached countries overseas.

"Oh," someone would say when they recognized Namjoon, "You're that king, right? The one that likes men?"

Chuckling at the comment, Namjoon counts two seconds and, as if on call, Seokjin would then appear from wherever he could've been hiding at that moment, taking Namjoon by the hand and smiling sweetly at whoever had asked, replying, "No, he isn't." Then proceed to haul him away and keep him to himself for the rest of the evening. Leaving whoever had asked baffled.

Seokjin finds it funny and entertaining, a way to mess with 'these politicians with sticks shoved up their ass'. Namjoon, of course, lets him. Not just because he's whipped for the man but because in all honesty, there were no lies to Seokjin's words. The king doesn't like men.

The king loves one man.