ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴘᴜʀᴘʟᴇ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ || ᴋ.ᴛʜ + ᴊ.ᴊᴋ ✔️

twelve: false

Once again, thanks to Jungkook, Taehyung was able to fall back into a calmer, manageable pace. The panic from his encounter with Daewon dissipated, at least for now, and that was all the mattered. He needed that peace even if but temporary.

He owed Jungkook. Hated to admit it, but he did.

Late afternoon came around and Taehyung walked into work feeling a lot better than he did roughly an hour ago. He could breathe. He felt okay. And okay was enough.

Although, as they often did, Jungkook's words lingered in his brain in that way he wished he could shake off. Except these ones, these words burned more vividly than anything else that boy had said to him.

"You're not a freak, Taehyung."

He had sounded so sure. So convinced, as though getting his point through to Taehyung was the only thing that mattered to him.

"And there's nothing you can say that will ever convince me otherwise."

For whatever reason he believed this so strongly bewildered Tae. It was one thing Jungkook didn't look at the other boy oddly for being the way that he was, but to hold such a high viewpoint of him seemed beyond bizarre. Then again, Taehyung was well aware of his own dislike towards himself and his behavior, so maybe it wasn't as weird as he thought.

But that didn't explain why Jungkook thought this way and nobody else did.

He's different...

It bothered him, but not in a headache-inducing way.

Taehyung walked into the Fermata Pavilion that day with a desire to relax behind piano keys and a microphone. As usual, he greeted the employees he met upon entrance, which today, as often was the case, happened to be Hoseok.

"Hey, Tae!" The boy greeted happily. "Taekwoon just left, the stage is all yours."

"Thanks, Hoseok."

He forced the faintest smile and made his way over to the stage, sliding across the bench of the piano and hovering his fingers over the keys as he pondered for a moment what to perform. After about twenty seconds, he arrived at the decision to simply play. Shutting his mouth, his fingers traced the keys in the melody of Clair De Lune as the rest of him settled at ease.

Relaxation. He needed the relaxation. Freedom from stress and overworking his mind. That's why he majored in music. Why he loved music so much to begin with. An escape.

He played for longer than even he realized. Time slipped between his fingers, but mere trivial time, of which held little importance to Taehyung at the moment. He had nothing better to do right now than to be here. Right here.

With the approaching of the cafe's closing hour, Taehyung chose to wrap up his playlist selection for the night with another peaceful piano melody.

Most of the customers were beginning to finish up and leave, thankfully, while others seemed to be taking their time. Regardless of whether or not they finished before Taehyung did, he told himself this would be the last song.

He managed to finish it. Not a second too soon, before all music-related muscle memories abandoned him, and he forgot everything all because of one person which so abruptly stole every last bit of his attention of focus.

Another familiar face. The second time this day. Not the same person, no, to Taehyung's relief it wasn't Daewon again.

It was that man. From the photo Blue had sent him.

It flipped a switch of some kind in Taehyung's head - seeing as Blue left the café shortly after thanking the staff for their service, and watching him disappear out the door.