Remnants of the Heart | Kim Taehyung

01: voit

ACT. 1 — SCENE 1.
SHE SEES.

SUMMER 2014

      THIS IS how the opening scene of Seojung and Taehyung's disastrous tale takes place.

The afternoon sun glows and baths the school's courtyard in a warmth that also radiates from the faces of the students. It's the last day of high school for most. Happy smiles and the chitter chatter of the seniors––now graudates––loiters the area. In the midst of it all is Seojung, who is waiting for her mother to pick her up as she admires the scene before her. She still has two years left to endure before the grasp on her neck (which is high school) can finally be gone. It's glee, relief, some are even crying. Seojung doesn't know if it's tears of joy or sadness, but it's both a refreshing and envious sight. The things she would do just to have herself switch places with her brother who doesn't have to return the upcoming year.

It's starting to get too warm, so Seojung shrugs her school blazer off, wondering where her brother is. She hasn't gotten the chance to congratulate him on his graduation, and it only struck her now that Jimin's moving out soon.

It's more than often that the park siblings fought, sometimes over things that were barely of importance, but Seojung would be lying if she said she isn't going to miss him. Her pride would deny this, but she relied on Jimin a lot growing up. Even if they don't spend every hour of the day together, Jimin has always been there whenever she needed him the most. He was there for her first heartbreak (and even went as far as beating the asshole up the next day), was there when the girls in her class kept messing with her during her freshman year, was there during the moments before her first piano recital when Seojung was close to having a mental breakdown from being nervous.

No, Jimin's not the best brother figure. Sometimes he's mean, annoying, too overprotective to the point where Seojung felt like beating him up, but he's still the shadow that keeps her from having sticks and stones thrown her way. She promised herself to not cry when Jimin finally leaves, but this is one of the occasions where Seojung knows she can't stay true to her words.

She shoots a smile at a few of her classmates, bidding them goodbye and wishing them a great holiday. The girl taps her foot impatiently and wonders where her brother is and why her mother is taking so long. A person walks past her and bumps her shoulder hard.

It's her brother, she realizes, knows just from looking at the back of his head. The girl calls out for him but not once does the older sibling turn back. Jimin takes long strides, arms swinging at his sides and marches across the courtyard like he meant business. Seojung only watches, an eyebrow raised as her brother walks over to where his best friend is standing, surrounded by a few girls.

The peace is broken with a furious yell and fist colliding with a face. The girls step back as her brother launches on the boy. Someone screams, and it takes a second too long before Seojung realizes that it's her, she's the one with wide eyes and hand now covering her mouth. But no one paid any attention to the younger park sibling, all eyes are on the pair of best friends—the package deal of the school—and the now split lip of the taller boy.

Seojung stands frozen on her spot as Jimin grabs Taehyung by the collar. Her brother was smaller, shorter, but his grasp on Taehyung was anything but. Seojung isn't the only one in shock, everyone else around is gawking and trying to get a front seat view of the disruption. Her feet take small and careful steps towards her brother and Taehyung without her consent. Seojung lingers behind, in the small circle that had formed around the two.