Dimensions || taekook

Chapter 32

"Wait... Prince Taehyung..?"

The blueberry-haired boy immediately froze on the spot. That sudden moment, it all hit him like a huge pile of rocks raining from above.

That was why the boy looked so familiar. That was why Jungkook had looked so uncomfortable even before the boy started speaking. It wasn't an actual stranger, he knew the boy. From Elysium.

It was the Duke and Duchess' son, Jung Hoseok. The boy that had turned into a legend, a myth. A tragedy, even. Taehyung, after briefly having met Hoseok when he had visited for tea, knew him to be dead, lost in the woods and fallen victim to some evil force. After having learned about the mysterious lost Duke's son, he had drawn all sorts of conclusions to fulfill his romanticized, literature-based fantasies, ranging from evil, bloodthirsty beasts to magic fairies. Until Jungkook had told him he actually visited his high school, of course. But what were the odds?

He had completely forgotten about Jung Hoseok, that was, until now. All he could do is simply stare with a racing heart beating loudly out of anxiety. What if Hoseok would expose all of Elysium's existence to this world? It would be like playing with fire, risking all sorts of horrible, horrible outcomes.

So, all he could do was appear to look confused and raise a brow. "I beg your pardon?"
The orange-haired boy quickly shook his head, two halves of his brain seemingly fighting each other as he kept staring at the prince in utter disbelief. "Sorry, I thought I recognized someone," he quickly mumbled, which was quite unlike his usual pompous and blaring self. And just like that, he turned on his heel and rushed away.

"God, I completely forgot about him. He's really him, is he? The Duke's son who went missing in Elysium?," Jungkook inquired, the older nodding gravely at that. What would be smarter, gain Hoseok's trust and make sure he wouldn't utter a single word about Elysium to his friends or simply do nothing and hope for the best? Both options could end catastrophically.

Luckily, both boys were shaken out of their trains of thoughts.

"Hey, Taehyung." Surprisingly enough, it was Min Yoongi, standing there with his hands in his pockets, almost appearing nervous.
"Look, I just had a talk with my little brother. He goes to the elementary school just over there. He fell off the climbing wall today and he got hurt, mom almost went nuts out of worry. But he was much calmer than we expected at the doctor's, and he told us you helped him."

"He seems to really like you and he can't wait to meet you again." Yoongi smiled a little, which made Taehyung's eyes light up in delight. "You're like, his hero now. He's absolutely obsessed with your hair colour. And speaking of, how come your hair is blue? Don't tell me you don't even have plumbing or electricity in your secret kingdom but perfectly functioning hair dye?"

The prince shrugged playfully. "Our very own secret. Tell your little brother I would be delighted to spend time with him. Little children are just the most endearing creatures!" The other chuckled.
"Wait until you spend a week with them. You can have Ki-joon if you like, he's a pain. Especially when mom forces him to eat his vegetables." Taehyung and Jungkook joined the laughter.

"What's so funny?" Yugyeom joined them momentarily, looking puzzled and a little emotionally distant. "Haven't seen you laugh like this in a while, Yoongs."

"We were just talking about Taehyung helping my little brother when he was injured. He just jumped into the elementary school's patio to treat his wounds without hesitation. What an icon, honestly." Yoongi started laughing again, but the dirty blonde didn't join him.

"How unprofessional." An uncomfortable silence took place, in which Jungkook gave him a reproachful look at his friend's rude tone.
"I mean, we're not allowed over there like, ever. But I guess you succeeded in getting lots of attention." Yugyeom shrugged.