Our Memories of The Past | Taekook ✔️

Chapter One: A Mind Like Mine

Being in the group BTS has never been easy ever since the beginning and even now.

Taehyung had never even meant to audition to be in the group, but he did. It was after he became a trainee that the journey started; the effort, the training, the worries, and everything that came with it. After debuting, the worries grew stronger and the effort became much harder to bear.

He'd never regret this journey, though.

The members he'd gotten to know for so long, the number of things he got to experience, the endless love he gets, the kind people he'd met— everything was all worth it. He was thankful for their Army and for his family of BTS members.

"COVID is such a bitch." It was Namjoon who was speaking, sighing out into his hands.

Right. It was the beginning of 2020 and everything was going so well to begin with. Their album had become a huge hit, they had an entire tour scheduled for the year, and things were supposed to be good. But the unimaginable hit them before they knew it— nobody expected it at all; COVID-19.

BTS had to cancel their tour and plans for the year, and they were unable to see ARMY like they wished for. They didn't expect such a thing to keep them apart. Taehyung could hardly take it well, so he knew that the others were feeling just as shitty. He missed when things were normal.

He didn't want free time.

Taehyung missed their fans' smiles, the excitement of each concert, the fun of meeting people at award shows. Covid fucked them over hard— fucked the entire world over. He tried to keep busy, but it was no help. He still couldn't stop thinking about how shitty it was.

They couldn't really film Run BTS or Bon Voyage, so their company introduced something new to them; In The Soop. It would be a nice getaway where the members could simply relax and heal together, nothing too complicated or stress-worthy about it.

Taehyung wondered if ARMYs would like to watch them doing nothing but being themselves for content. He'd been on Weverse to try and remind himself that their fans are still with them, but after months of not seeing them face-to-face, he couldn't help but think that maybe they'd slowly disappear and he'd be left all alone.

He knew he wasn't alone. Still...

"Will they even like this show?"

Taehyung glanced in the direction he heard the soft, familiar voice speaking. His voice was low as if he was speaking to himself, but Taehyung knew immediately that it was Jungkook speaking; like he had read his mind and spoke it out.

They were filling the vehicles with their luggage for the week and Jungkook was shoving a guitar in the back, most likely not expecting anyone to hear. Even though Taehyung did hear, he turned back to his own luggage, dismissing the youngest.

Jungkook was the member that Taehyung hardly ever spoke to as often as he does the others. Used to, before and during their debut, Taehyung and Jungkook were inseparable. Maybe that was the problem.

Maybe it was their fault, but...

They'd hung out a lot back then. They used to get into trouble together, used to goof around together, used to go around with Jimin as well just doing whatever the hell they wanted to. But there were moments where it was jut the two high schoolers together, excluding the rest of the members. There were many times, actually.

Back then, it felt like a crush. That's what it was.

They were young and never had time for dating because school and work was more important; that's what they'd been told many times. Since they had no time for relationships outside of work, Taehyung and Jungkook spent a lot of alone time together. From shy smiles, brushing fingers together, and lingering looks... it was Jungkook who told Taehyung he'd like to try something different.

Without anyone knowing, including the other members, the two youngest did the unthinkable.

Sweet little pecks, holding hands under the table, cuddling to sleep, and waking up to Jimin's constant nagging for them to get up for school— it was just puppy love and though it was sweet, it eventually had to come to an end, mutually.

It was cute and all, but it didn't take long before the stress of debuting and becoming idols got the best of them. It didn't take long for them to realize that maybe they didn't have the time for such things.

But even though it was mutual and they agreed to be friends forever, when their little relationship ended, so did their close-ness. They took ending things a little too well.

Now, after seven years since that'd happened, Taehyung and Jungkook still hardly talk anymore. They hadn't been close since high school and Taehyung would be lying to say that it didn't suck. Jungkook was supposed to be his friend, yet he finds himself way too shy or scared to speak to him like he used to. He felt like he was stepping on thin ice when it came to the maknae.

That's why he dismissed Jungkook's words just then, even if he had the same worry. He was afraid to speak.

It'd been like that for years now and to some extent, Jungkook even seems like a different person than he was years ago. It would feel strange to pretend it was all normal. Instead, he'd rather live life the way they'd been doing it for years. Just for now.

——

The entire ride to the place they were going to spend the week at for In The Soop, Taehyung kept thinking about what Jungkook had said and about how much he'd like to talk to Jungkook about it. They aren't the same as they were and Taehyung sort of wished that he'd never given into the puppy love years ago for that reason. He just wanted things to be normal between them, but... how?

How could he possibly fix something that had been mutual for almost eight years now? The mutual silence is deafening. He wanted it to be gone. He just wanted to be close friends with Jungkook again.

There's always someone like that in someone's life; a friend that they'd known for so long, just suddenly stopped talking to them and never seen for so long. That longing in Taehyung's heart screamed the same feeling, that Jungkook was a friend he'd lost years ago— except Jungkook hadn't ever left. He's still there.

It took a few days for Taehyung to figure out what to do. He had endless thoughts of how it would go— talking to Jungkook after so long. Should he even go through with asking him? What would Jungkook say?

He peeked over at Jungkook, who was outside box punching the punching bag he'd asked for. After such a long time out there, he eventually gave up, panting as he walked back inside the main house to rest some.

Maybe he just... shouldn't ask.

"What're you doing?"

Taehyung jumped at Jimin's voice. He looked up at the older, who stepped forward and poked at the fire Taehyung had made. It was then that an idea popped into Taehyung's head. Maybe he doesn't have to ask.

"Jimin," he called out. The older met eyes with him, a small yes? leaving his lips. "Could you maybe help me with something?"

Jimin tilted his head. "With what?"

~

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