Exchange student - one year ᵗᵃᵉᵏᵒᵒᵏ

19

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As Jungkook closed the door behind him, he felt a wide grin on his face that reached his eyes and made them sparkle. The rest of the evening with his ex-boyfriend had been nothing less than wonderful. It felt like he had been on a date for the first time in his life, he was so excited and nervous. The memory of Taemin's charming smile, his soft voice, his gentle touches, all made Jungkook's heart race in his chest and his thoughts swirl.
He couldn't deny that this evening had triggered something in him, something he hadn't felt in a long time - a mixture of excitement, happiness and a hint of longing that brought his ex back to the surface. The longing for Taemin's closeness, for his warmth and security.
He felt his cheeks flush as he thought of Taemin sitting opposite him and looking deep into his soul with his dark eyes. He felt his heart skip a beat when he thought of Taemin gently stroking his cheek as he said goodbye and giving him a kiss that made him long for more.

Jungkook couldn't help but long for Taemin. He felt his fingers searching for the other's hand, his lips craving Taemin's kisses. He felt a wave of euphoria roll through him, taking his breath away. He knew he had to be careful, that he shouldn't expect too much, but he couldn't help wishing that this evening was the start of something new, something beautiful, something that would make his heart fall in love.
But at the same time, he also felt a certain fear rising within him. The fear of being hurt, the fear of being disappointed, the fear that it was all just a dream that would end in a painful awakening. He felt his thoughts dragging him into a downward spiral of doubt and uncertainty, but he forced himself to banish these thoughts and instead remember the beauty of the evening, the warmth of Taemin's smile and the feeling of happiness and excitement that flooded through him.

When Jungkook finally woke up from his reverie and found himself back in reality, he slowly began to take off his heavy, dark shoes. At that moment, soft piano sounds from the living room reached his ears. Curious and at the same time careful not to be noticed, he crept to the door and peeked in. There he saw his roommate sitting at the piano. Jungkook looked at the back profile of his roommate as he sat there, completely absorbed in the music.
In that moment, as he watched Taehyung, he felt something unfamiliar rise within him, something he couldn't immediately put his finger on. It was a feeling that made his heart beat faster as he watched Taehyung play the keys with dedication and passion. This racing heart was different from the one Taemin triggered in him. It was softer, deeper, somehow more emotional.
The blond leaned against the door frame and closed his eyes. He didn't know the melody, but it was beautiful and soothed him in a strange way. It spoke directly to his soul and made him forget for a moment all the worries and fears that his ex triggered in him. He had always loved the sound of a piano, which is why he had wanted to learn it as a child. But he had given up relatively quickly as he considered himself too untalented and the fear of failure prevented him from continuing.

Suddenly, the music stopped after a few bars and Jungkook opened his eyes. He saw Taehyung turn away from the piano and look at him with his dark, almost piercing eyes. "I um...," Jungkook began to stammer, waving his hands around nervously. "You don't have to stop because of me! That sounds really nice," he said quietly, his voice almost trembling with embarrassment.
The younger one hesitantly stepped closer to Taehyung and stood at a certain distance from him, but still close enough to look at the keys of the piano. "Do you write yourself?" the blond suddenly asked, his voice filled with surprise and admiration. His gaze fell on a sheet of music that had been started, littered with notes and crossed-out notes that had been replaced by new ones.
Taehyung sighed and turned back to the piano, turning his back to Jungkook. "If there's such a thing sitting around, I might as well use it," Taehyung muttered, packing up his notes, his voice sounding a little annoyed and distant.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you," Jungkook said softly, his voice full of remorse and a desire to know more about his roommate's music. "But it sounded really beautiful," he added. "Can I hear it?" asked Jungkook softly, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and anticipation. "Your song, I mean... I'd like to know what it sounds like. At least as much as you already have?" the blonde then asked boldly as he swallowed and waited for an answer.
He was already expecting a rebuff or a stupid comment, as he simply couldn't get on the same wavelength with Taehyung, no matter how hard he tried. But he was all the more surprised by the answer, or rather the barely noticeable nod from his roommate.

The blond sank down onto the soft sofa and listened intently as Taehyung touched the piano keys again. The melody that the dark-haired man played was deeply moving, a sad but beautiful symphony that was bursting with emotion and passion. It was as if Taehyung put his soul into every single note, even though he seemed so aloof and cool on the outside.
Jungkook closed his eyes and let himself be seduced by the music, by Taehyung's talent and his unique ability to transform emotions into music. He felt how the music touched him deep inside. The younger boy couldn't help but be carried away by it. He noticed how it calmed his thoughts, how it wiped away his worries and fears with his ex and gently stroked his soul like a warm summer breeze.
Slowly, Jungkook opened his eyes again and looked over at Taehyung, who was completely absorbed in his music. His eyes were closed and his fingers danced skillfully over the keys as if they were a part of him. In that moment, Jungkook saw something in Taehyung that he had never noticed before - an incredible passion, a deep emotionality, a vulnerable beauty hidden behind his cool façade.

When the last note faded away and the song ended abruptly, the room fell silent for a moment. Jungkook looked over at Taehyung, who was still sitting with his back to him, his fingers still resting on the black and white keys.
The younger man was the first to finally move. He got up from the sofa and walked slowly towards Taehyung. The wooden floorboards creaked softly under his feet as he sat down on the piano stool next to his roommate. His eyes sparkled with admiration as he said, "It was... incredible." His voice sounded reverent and full of sincerity. "Can you teach me?"
Taehyung slowly opened his eyes and looked at Jungkook as if he was really seeing him for the first time. His blonde strands falling into his face, the closeness and the delicate makeup he wore as a man didn't bother him at that moment. On the contrary, he actually thought it made him look even more beautiful. Those dark, pure eyes, which seemed almost childlike and radiated honesty, were unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was genuine interest that emanated from the younger man.

He looked deep into the younger man's eyes, which shone with curiosity and enthusiasm. The dark-haired man felt a wave of sadness rise within him. It was rare for someone to react to him so genuinely and honestly, even though he had acted like a homophobic asshole towards Jungkook. This sincere reaction touched him and made him forget his hard shell for a moment.
He wasn't used to being confronted with such undisguised openness, with this honest interest shining out of Jungkook's eyes. He had learned to live behind a mask, to hide his true feelings and protect himself from the world, to always be skeptical of everyone.
Taehyung lowered his eyes and let his fingers glide aimlessly over the black and white keys without making a single sound. He suddenly felt sad, sad that he wasn't able to reciprocate Jungkook's genuine interest without the ulterior motive that Jungkook was faking it.
He tried to organize his thoughts and suppress the emotions that were stirred up. But the more he tried to ignore them, the more they forced their way into his consciousness.

With a deep sigh, he raised his eyes and looked Jungkook directly in the eyes. He saw the confusion and quiet questioning in them. "Learn it yourself," he finally replied, his voice cool and distant. He rose from the stool, which creaked softly under his weight, and grabbed his crumpled sheet music. Without another glance at Jungkook, he disappeared from the cozy living room, which was now filled with an uncomfortable silence.
Jungkook stayed behind and a depressed sigh escaped him as he realized that he would probably never learn how to play the piano properly. "Would have been too nice," the blond mumbled, a hint of bitterness in his voice. He pressed a few keys on the piano, which produced no melody, just a sad, discordant sound that perfectly reflected his feelings. Every note he played sounded wrong, every note was further proof of his inability.
Jungkook's thoughts began to circle, always revolving around Taehyung and his strange reactions. He didn't know what he had done wrong, why Taehyung was always so dismissive and cold. He felt hurt and confused, but also angry and disappointed. He tried so hard to make his exchange partner have a good time, had even pretended just to make it more pleasant for the older one, even though he didn't have to. And yet Taehyung keeps pushing him away.

The blond strummed the notes on the piano for a while before looking at the clock and realizing with a slight shock that it was almost midnight. With a sigh, he closed the flap that protected the keys from dust and got up to go to his room.
Once upstairs, he noticed that the light in the room was on, which confused him. He looked around searchingly and then noticed the closed bathroom door. A smile flitted across his face when he realized that his roommate was still awake and that he didn't have to be quiet. He sat down at his dressing table and took his make-up remover wipes from one of the drawers to remove the make-up from his face.
After a while, Taehyung came out of the bathroom, covered only by a towel wrapped around his hips. The older one didn't really pay attention to Jungkook, but headed straight for the closet to pick out his clothes that he had forgotten to take with him.
Jungkook, who wasn't left cold by the sight, swallowed hard and forced himself not to stare after his roommate. Nevertheless, he kept squinting through the mirror at the dark-haired man. How his still damp, long hair hung over his shoulders, how the drops of water ran over his bare skin and how the tattoo, which he saw in its entirety for the first time, moved from his neck across his upper body with subtle muscles. All of this made Jungkook's heart beat faster and his hands tremble, causing him to clutch the make-up remover cloth tightly. He tried really hard not to stare at the older man through the mirror, but he just couldn't manage it. The sight simply captivated him too much.

Taehyung noticed the staring, of course, since Jungkook wasn't exactly hiding it. When he had gathered all the things from his closet, he approached the blond boy and stopped right behind him. Propping one arm against Jungkook's head with his forearm, the older boy looked at him through the mirror. "You shouldn't stare like that, I'm sure your friend doesn't like it when you stare at someone else like that," Taehyung said relatively calmly, but with a slight sternness in his voice, without taking his eyes off the younger boy.
Jungkook tensed up his whole body and also looked at Taehyung through the mirror, as he couldn't avert his gaze anyway. Neither could he calm his racing heart, which started to beat faster when he felt Taehyung's touch, even though he was only leaning on his head. "He's not my boyfriend," Jungkook mumbled softly. He grabbed another makeup remover wipe and started wiping his face again, even though all the makeup was already removed, just because he was nervous and needed to do something to keep his hands busy.

Taehyung raised an eyebrow in confusion, not taking his eyes off the shorter one. "That was the same guy who showed up on campus too, wasn't it?" asked Taehyung with further interest. In response, Jungkook nodded and averted his eyes for the first time to hide his confusion and feelings. "So, if this guy who comes to campus specifically to see you and stick his tongue down your throat isn't your boyfriend, then what is he?" the older continued to ask.
Jungkook could feel his cheeks starting to glow and he desperately tried to avoid Taehyung's piercing gaze. "I...I don't know," he stammered, looking down at his hands, which were clutching the make-up remover cloth convulsively. "We're... complicated." The blond's eyes traveled across his desk until they looked back through the mirror into the older man's eyes. "He's my ex-boyfriend," Jungkook admitted hesitantly.
Taehyung, whose gaze wandered over Jungkook's face the whole time, finally sighed. "I really don't want to get involved," he began, "but there are usually reasons why an ex is an ex." He raised an eyebrow and continued to scrutinize Jungkook carefully. "But apparently it's an American thing," he added, breaking away from the younger man again.
Jungkook turned slowly in his chair and looked directly at his roommate. His gaze didn't fall on the older man's face, but wandered over his naked upper body, which was far too distracting. "It's not an America thing..." Jungkook began distractedly, "it's more of a Jungkook thing."

Taehyung looked at the younger man silently for a moment before slowly walking towards him and placing his finger under Jungkook's chin. He lifted his face, forcing him to look him in the eye. "My face is up here, so look at me," Taehyung said firmly. "So don't make me regret showing interest."
Jungkook's eyes widened when he heard his exchange partner's words. On the one hand, the touch sent a wave of redness to his face and a tingle through his whole body, but on the other, it surprised him to hear such words from the older man. The blond was so distracted by the older man's body that he didn't really notice that Taehyung was actually trying to have a conversation with him.

For what felt like an eternity, the two just looked at each other before Taehyung slowly removed his hand from Jungkook's chin and took a step back. "I don't really give a shit what you do," Taehyung began, already pulling his shirt over his head, "but don't do anything that will make you sad and break your heart in the end."

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