Chapter Text
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
영원 (yeongwon)
(n.) Eternity, forever.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
PART - I
⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚
It's not even autumn yet, just the end of summer – and somehow, it's still incredibly cold.
The wind is icy, and it's probably going to rain, from how the dark clouds have covered the entire sky, almost making it look like nightfall despite it still being the afternoon.
The waves crash against the rocky shore a little more aggressively than usual, as if the ocean is howling in anger. Water drops hit his face continuously, but Jungkook still lies there like a lifeless body. There’s no apparent movement in him apart from the soft, strained breathing in small instalments. But even that looks like it must be paining him.
A couple of hours have passed already since he's been here, and finally, he slowly begins to regain consciousness. First, his brain registers the immense, excruciating pain that eats up every part of his body. Be it the strain in his muscles or the stinging wherever there are open wounds, they make Jungkook wince softly but also make him remember what went down before he blacked out. The next thing his senses pick up is the sound of the waves colliding with the shore. Jungkook opens his eyes slowly, and the sight should scare him, but he just takes it in calmly as if he has resigned himself to his fate.
As if he’s accepted the state of things.
Despite the wind grazing his skin to make goosebumps erupt all over, Jungkook stays like that for a while. He licks his lips that hurt from being dry and chapped, but all he gets is the metallic taste of blood because of how many places the skin on them has broken. Jungkook wonders if sny of his piercings came off during the altercation, or if they ripped his skin. All bloodied and bruised, Jungkook stays lying there even after he’s gained consciousness. A tear pools in the corner of his eyes and falls, streaming down the contours of his nose and onto the sand.
Everything is fucked.
Jungkook squeezes his eyes shut, and curses under his breath, but it only comes out as a weak whisper. “Fuck.”
And fuck, indeed.
He feels hungry, thirsty and nauseous, and he's in pain all over. Every part of him hurts.
All of it comes crashing back to him. How they beat him up until Jungkook felt like he wouldn’t make it, how they tried to break his bones, and how they kept hitting him until Jungkook lost consciousness. He remembers being in the city still, but he has no recollection of how he ended up here, by the sea.
Maybe they drove him far, far away and disposed of him on the shore like a sack of trash. That's what they think of him, anyway. They know Jungkook won’t fight back, no matter what. He never has so far. Jungkook has known it too, all this time.
After all, what or who does he have to back him or to fall back on? He's all on his own, always has been.
But what he can’t wrap his mind around is how he’s still breathing. How his body didn’t give up even after how badly they assaulted him. Jungkook knows he’s always been resilient, but this wasn’t a normal amount of physical violence he was on the receiving end of.
And once that sinks in, it sets something off in his brain. Jungkook's body made it through this – he's meant to live. He should live.
The adrenaline kicks in immediately after that. Jungkook’s breathing gets faster, and his heart starts to race against his ribcage. Jungkook exerts force against the ground, and pushes himself up to sit up first. His bones feel like they're all broken, but he takes his own time and stands up on his own two legs.
He must live.
⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚
After standing up and trying to properly feel his limbs for a few minutes, Jungkook reaches into his pocket, and is relieved to still find his phone inside. But when he pulls it out, he realises that the screen is even more cracked than it was before, and that there is absolutely no reception here.
Zero bars.
Sighing, he puts it back in, and then remembers that he also had his bag with him. His one bag that fits all of his belongings – it's the one thing he always carries.
Frantically, he starts to look around for it. Surely, they didn't take that. It doesn't have any item of value or importance to them. Just some stuff Jungkook uses, a couple of his clothes, and some money.
There are a lot of wild shrubs growing at this beach, and with the sun setting, it's already hard to see clearly. But while he's looking around, limping because of how much one of his legs hurt, his foot runs into something, and when he stops and bends to see it, he's relieved to see that his bag is still there.
Jungkook grabs it and quickly rummages through it to make sure it still has all of his things – and thankfully, it does. But to be honest, even if they threw his bag away, Jungkook wouldn't be surprised.
Jungkook slings it on diagonally across his chest, and pants as he tries to catch his breath. Then, he looks up, and tries to gauge the landscape as his eyes take in the scenes in front of him.
It doesn't take him long to figure out that he isn't at one of the more familiar beaches that one might find a few hours away from Seoul. Dread begins to fill his chest when he realises that it's getting darker, and yet, not a single part of this stretch of land is being lit up.
Not just that, there are no people, or shacks, or shops. It's just the sea, the sand, and an endless stretch of trees parallel to the shore. Jungkook's heart pounds against his chest, but he isn't ready to back down or give up just yet.
Jungkook is scared, if he's being honest. Absolutely terrified, because he's stuck in the middle of nowhere with no clue as to how to escape. He turns to look at the endless chain of clusters and clusters of trees, and wonders if crossing over to the other side would do him any good.
The sound of thunder startles him, and makes him dash forward without wasting any time. Jungkook walks as fast as his legs take him, breathing heavily as he approaches the trees.
It takes a few minutes to actually get to them, and Jungkook wearily leans against the trunk of the first tree he comes across. He tries to look through the area to figure out how dense it is, but it seems like there's something on the other side.
Jungkook braces himself, and steps into the thick forest. His feet crush twigs and dry leaves with every step, and the wind makes an eerie sound echo throughout the area. Jungkook can't wait to reach the other side, and so he hurries, even running at times as he sees necessary.
It feels like he's close to crossing over to the other side and out of the forest, so Jungkook picks up speed, despite the excruciating pain in his legs and the rest of his body.
And in a couple of minutes, he does step out of the forest. But the sight he's met with only throws him into more trepidation and fear.
Instead of seeing an area that's inland, Jungkook finds the sea again. And it's when he realises, he's not just at the beach on some far edge of the country.
He's on an island.
A deserted one, at that. Jungkook feels his chest clog up and his head spin a little, upon which he leans back against another tree trunk and just tries to think. Mind fogged with anxiety, Jungkook tries to look around and spot anything that might be of help.
And just then, like light at the end of a tunnel, he finds it.
Jungkook scrambles forward, part in disbelief, and part in hopefulness. Jungkook picks up pace in that direction, and doesn't stop until he reaches it.
And indeed… there is a boat. His eyes weren't lying. Jungkook looks around to see if anyone else shares the same rotten luck as him and has ended up here — but there's not a single person as far as his eyes can see.
Finally, he wipes his sweaty hands against his jeans, and steps inside the boat. It's not too big, and looks quite shabby and old. But in this moment, it's nothing short of a treasure made of gold and diamonds to Jungkook. The adrenaline is still coursing through him as he grabs the boat by the edges, and pushes it into the water. It was only lodged by the sand, with no rope anchoring it to land.
Jungkook then runs into the water, climbs in and sits down, grabbing the oar lying flat on the floor of the boat. He's eager to row away from here and towards any place that has some trace of life.
Any place but here.
He leans to the side, over the edge of the boat, and stares at the water. Chest heaving up and down, Jungkook sighs before he reaches down, cups some up with his hands, and drinks.
The water is salty and makes his lips sting where they're bleeding, but Jungkook is too thirsty to care. He drinks some more and splashes it onto his face, hissing when his cuts burn because of the seawater — but Jungkook wants to wash the blood off.
Every splash that hits his face feels soothing at the same time as making his wounds sting, and Jungkook only stops when he's convinced that his face might bear semblance of normalcy. He tries to check his reflection in the water, but it's dark and he can't really make anything out.
Jungkook then takes a deep breath, sits straight, and reaches for the oar again. Jungkook shoves it into the water, and starts to row, despite the ache in his arms. His desperation outpowers the weariness of his body.
And off he goes into the depths of the ocean. Jungkook rows and rows, trying to find land where he could find food and perhaps, shelter. Maybe some reception on his phone – so that he can call some of his acquaintances back home, and let them know.
If they receive his calls, after all.
Jungkook keeps going with everything he has, and the minutes turn into hours. The weather worsens, and it gets darker, the sky growling as the evening progresses. There's some light drizzling every now and then, but thankfully, it doesn't rain hard.
However, somewhere midway along his journey, the ocean suddenly turns very turbulent. Jungkook panics, wondering how his boat is going to brave this weather. At one point, the waves take on such a horrifying form, that they throw the boat off balance.
Jungkook keeps holding on, and a voice inside his head keeps telling him that he has to make it through this.
The ocean calms down within the next few minutes, and the waves return to normal. Jungkook still breathes heavily, shaking from the experience he just had. His fingers tremble as he starts rowing again, and it's right after the sudden turbulence that Jungkook spots land.
After hours of tirelessly rowing, after facing problems one after the other, Jungkook finally spots land and he wants to cry. It appears to be a large area, spreading as far as Jungkook can see on the other side of the ocean, but right now Jungkook doesn't busy himself with wondering which island it is.
All he cares about, is that he might finally find the help he's looking for, that he might finally find some respite.
⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚
He finally reaches the shore after rowing for some more minutes, going as fast as he can. As soon as the boat hits the shallow waters, Jungkook climbs out of it and onto the sand, carefully anchoring his boat by the beach using some torn pieces of rope that he finds lying around.
Jungkook hurries into the mainland, and he's relived to finally spot settlements. There are lights, there are people and it is not, in fact, a deserted place. Relief fills Jungkook.
He rushes to the nearest shop he can find, but Jungkook slows down as soon as he makes eye contact with the first person.
Cold, icy, like knives.
He looks at another person, and it's the same. They glare at him, like he shouldn't be here. Jungkook feels uneasy again, and just keeps his eyes averted as he looks for any place that sells food and water.
The first shop he finds has a signboard, and the only thing on the list he can afford is water. Sighing, Jungkook fishes out his wallet from his bag, and takes out the few coins he has. Sliding it across the counter, Jungkook doesn't even make eye contact with the shopkeeper.
“Water… please.” He says. “One small bottle.”
The shopkeeper looks at him strangely, eyeing him with contempt as he accepts the money and slides back the bottle with force, such that it goes and hits Jungkook's chest.
Jungkook is shocked at that kind of behavior, and looks up in horror. The glare the shopkeeper sends at him makes Jungkook cower a little and turn away.
Jungkook quickly screws the cap open, and downs the water in one go. The water wets his parched throat, and fills his empty stomach a little. Jungkook doesn't feel nauseous anymore, though. He saves some water and puts the bottle into his bag before walking around a little more.
Jungkook notices how the people here don't just appear to be of Korean descent — there seem to be people of Chinese and Japanese descent too, along with some people of other races, although low in number. Jungkook scratches the back of his head, and wanders around, hoping to find some help.
Although honestly, it feels a little unlikely at this point.
Jungkook clutches his tattered bag to his chest, and navigates the roads of this unfamiliar land. The alleys are strange, well-lit but somehow still daunting. The streets are bustling with people, but something is really off.
Nobody's really talking like they do back home, or exchanging greetings or even behaving like normal people should. Jungkook feels like a fish out of water as he walks through the streets, and it's obvious that people are staring.
As if it's obvious that he's an outsider — that he isn't supposed to be here at all. But Jungkook doesn't even know where he is, or how he got here. Jungkook doesn't want to be here.
He tries to find someone to ask, a face that looks at least a little approachable or friendly, but every single person looks cold and judgemental as they stare him down, and Jungkook feels small in front of them.
His stomach grumbles as he walks, and Jungkook sighs because he doesn't have enough money to even buy himself food. He wants to look for water, but then again — the people here look like they'd rather pour water onto the ground as he watches, just for the sheer pleasure of it.
Jungkook isn't the best at explicitly asking for things, anyway.
⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚
Jungkook tries really hard not to break down – but his mind and body are both giving out. It's been a long day and a longer night, it feels like, and Jungkook just cannot take it anymore.
The exhaustion begins to catch up to him, and little by little, he starts breaking. It feels like there's a crack first somewhere on the inside, which spreads through his body slowly, reaching the surface and breaking it open. The first tear falls then, and Jungkook isn't ashamed of crying anymore. He's had enough.
He lets himself cry.
The tears keep falling, streaming down both of his cheeks as he sobs, shoulders shaking and his throat choking up. Jungkook absentmindedly sits down on the side of the pavement, arms tightly wrapped around his bag, but his mind is stuck somewhere back at home.
Even if there's nothing back there for him, that place is still familiar to him. It's comforting, and it doesn't make Jungkook feel like he's walking on eggshells the entire time. He would do anything to go back.
This place is terrifying, like a thick black cloud looming over him and cutting him off from everything he has ever known. It is unfamiliar, scary, and Jungkook feels so out of place.
The sobs become more intense, and he buries his face into his palms. And just when he thinks it can't get any worse, the rain starts pouring. It's a few drops at first, randomly hitting him on the shoulders and his head, but soon it's turning into a heavy downpour, swiftly drenching Jungkook from the head down.
Jungkook is so exhausted and so done with everything, that he doesn't even quickly spring into action to move away or to seek shelter. He slowly gets up, runs his fingers through his hair, and wills himself to start walking.
Jungkook moves, his feet pick up speed, and he begins running to look for someplace to hide from the rain. Every shop at every nook and corner is closed, and the only illumination comes from the occasional street light present at every few meters.
Jungkook still keeps running, hoping against hope that he'll find someone in this strange, absurd place who'll be kind enough to him and not look at him like they want him gone – and that they'll help him out.
He's thinking these thoughts when out of nowhere, Jungkook finally notices one little speck of light. Jungkook tries to get closer and closer, and the more he approaches it, the more he realises that it's a mansion of some kind. More and more dots of light come into view, and Jungkook stops when he's met with a massive wrought iron gate that guards the estate.
Jungkook looks around, hoping to find a guard or at least some way to communicate with the owner, but in vain. And he starts to feel helpless, losing all hope, when the lights are switched on somewhere inside the mansion.
Jungkook tries to focus his eyes despite the rainwater trickling down his forehead and lashes. A door opens, and the silhouette of a person comes into view.
It's a man, slowly walking out of the door and towards Jungkook – he carries what appears to be a lantern in one hand, swinging it by his side, while the other flies up with an umbrella. The man takes slow, calculated steps until he stops a few inches behind the gate, and just stands there.
“I'm… sorry.” Jungkook immediately says, and then begins to turn around, feeling like he's in the wrong place.
However, he stops in his tracks when he hears the deep, honey-like voice reach him over the loud sound of the raindrops crashing against the earth.
“Wait.”
Confused, Jungkook turns back around, and tries to get a better look. The man is around his height, perhaps an inch taller, and has a similar build to him. He's holding up a black umbrella to shield himself against the rain, and his face is still shrouded in darkness behind the gate.
Jungkook blinks a few times, trying to prevent the water from entering his eyes while at the same time, he tries to make out who this person even is.
“Do you need something?” The man asks.
Jungkook gulps. He has answers to the question, but words refuse to come out first because there's something about this man’s aura that has Jungkook a little tongue tied.
“How did you get here?” The man asks.
“Crossed the waters.” Jungkook gulps, his throat feeling parched. “The sea. I… don't know where I am.”
“And why are you standing in the rain, getting drenched?” The man continues interrogating him, and he sounds like he's trying to figure something out as well.
Jungkook sighs. “I don't… have an umbrella.”
The man steps closer, and his breathing is somehow audible over the rain. “Do you have a place to stay?”
Jungkook shakes his head, a little wary. Just then, the man comes and stands right in front of him, and the only thing between them is the iron gate. The proximity, despite the barrier between them, makes something strange wash over Jungkook's chest. Then, unexpectedly, he unlocks the gate with one swift maneuver of his hand, pulls it open, and steps out.
Jungkook's heart lodges in his throat for some reason, but the man only leans his umbrella towards Jungkook, and shares it between the two of them. The raindrops suddenly disappear from over his head, and Jungkook glances up.
“Th-thank you.” Jungkook says, voice almost broken.
The man then suddenly holds up the lantern he’s been carrying in his other hand, which now throws light over and illuminates his face as well as Jungkook's. It's unexpected, and Jungkook's eyes squeeze shut from the sudden burst of bright light, but then he slowly opens them again. And it's when Jungkook finally gets a good look at him.
It's when Jungkook's heart skips a beat despite himself.
He gulps, and takes a step back because that's quite literally the effect getting to see the other's face has on him. The man stares back at him with eyes that pierce Jungkook's soul, and he's got a face which Jungkook could swear belongs in the movies or some high end fashion magazine. The slope of his nose, his beautifully shaped lips and his incredibly alluring eyes all come together perfectly to make him look like he's not even human.
Like he's from another world altogether. He looks perfect. Ridiculously handsome. And Jungkook is distracted from his troubles for a few seconds.
And even though he's not much taller, and especially now that Jungkook can see his face, this man carries an aura that somehow multiplies his presence tenfold. It's a little insane.
The man looks like he's studying Jungkook's face with great curiosity, as if he's trying to put puzzle pieces together. Jungkook isn't sure why, but he utilises the time to admire his features further.
Jungkook's thoughts are interrupted when the man speaks again, voice cutting through the small distance between them.
“What happened to you?” He asks, thick brows furrowing together as he frowns, eyes roaming all over Jungkook's face.
Jungkook doesn't understand at first, and just stares at him with his eyes wide. “What do you mean?”
Then, the man brings a hand up, and points very closely to a bruise running across Jungkook's lip. “Did you get in a fight?”
And then it dawns upon Jungkook. His face must be battered. Perhaps, one of his eyes is blackened – Jungkook isn't sure. He looks down, because he's suddenly conscious of his appearance and doesn't want to be perceived in such a state by this stranger, whoever he is.
Sensing that Jungkook perhaps doesn't want to answer, the man doesn't push the topic any further. Instead, he asks something else altogether.
“Would you like to come inside?” The deep voice, and the way he gently asks it makes Jungkook's heart skip another beat. “Stay at my place?”
Jungkook is a little surprised, because he isn't used to such kindness. But still, this is a stranger, and Jungkook knows better than to trust people easily.
“Would you… do that for me?” Jungkook asks, tearing his gaze away as he chokes back a sob. “I… don't even know you.”
The fact that this man is so readily helping him out makes Jungkook a little suspicious. For all he knows, this person could be a criminal. A murderer. Jungkook hadn't even explicitly asked for a place to stay yet.
The man, however, keeps searching for something in Jungkook's face as he keeps the conversation going. And then, Jungkook watches as the man's lips stretch into a small smile.
“You're here, getting drenched in the rain without an umbrella or a place to go.” His voice is even gentler now, even deeper somehow. “Give me one reason to not help you.”
Jungkook tightens his hold around his bag, looking down and contemplating. The man notices his bag too, which makes Jungkook conscious again, and then looks back up at Jungkook's face.
“I can brew you a good cup of coffee.” The man says. “If you’d like one.”
Jungkook really thinks about it — he doesn't have much to lose, frankly. If this man is offering him a place to stay with genuine intentions, good. If not, well… Jungkook does know how to fight, although he isn't too experienced and doesn't like to. He also has a small swiss knife somewhere in his bag. It's just one man, not a group after all, and maybe Jungkook can manage if the need arises.
And most importantly, Jungkook is tired. His body desperately needs rest, his mind is in dire need of shutting off and his eyes could use a few hours of closing on the world around him. After all the contretemps Jungkook has faced in the past day, it's a miracle that he's still up on his feet.
“Can I… can I trust you?” Jungkook asks, still a little hesitant, but leaning towards giving in.
The man's lips pull up at one corner, and he draws a long sigh. Eyes tracing a circle around Jungkook's head, as if he's trying to avoid rolling his eyes, the man speaks.
“You're the one who came here, remember?” The man leans closer, and reminds him, but there's no bite to his words. “I didn't call for you.”
Jungkook feels a little embarrassed, crawling in on himself, and it's why he doesn't notice how the other's eyes soften.
“You could, though, if you want to. If you don't want to, I probably can't change your mind.” The man says, looking at Jungkook's eyes even if Jungkook doesn't make eye contact. “But I can promise you, I won't do anything to make you regret it if you decide to come inside.”
Jungkook gulps, and turns to look at him again charily. “I do not have money, or any valuable possessions.”
The man's smile only grows, and he bites down on his lip, shaking his head in disbelief. “Okay. I hear you. You can still come in if you want.”
Jungkook sneaks a glance at his smile, and blushes because like this, the man looks even more enticing. He quickly averts his gaze, throws all caution to the wind and nods.
“Okay.” He looks back into the stranger's eyes, even if his eyes are intimidating. “Okay. I'll go inside with you.”
The man smiles some more, and steps aside to allow Jungkook some space to walk in. Jungkook takes unsure steps through the gate and towards the mansion.
Jungkook hears the iron gates being locked behind him, before heavy footsteps follow. The man smells really nice, like musk, and the scent reaches him over the earthy scent the rain has scattered all over.
He stares at Jungkook's back intently, a pleased smile forming over his lips while a strange kind of happiness settles in his chest.
“You're in Hyeolwangji.” The man tells him. “This place. It's called Hyeolwangji.”
“Hyeolwangji?” Jungkook asks, because… the name is rather strange. But Jungkook doesn't fixate upon it, and instead, focuses on something else. “I'm… Jungkook.” Jungkook informs him, biting on his lips. “Jeon Jungkook. From Seoul. And you are…?”
Little does Jungkook know, he isn't supposed to ask so many questions to this man. Nobody is. And yet, the stranger only smiles fondly, and speaks in a confident, relaxed voice.
“I'm Kim Taehyung. Welcome to my home, Jeon Jungkook.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───