Once Again

2

Taehyung walked along the bridge and paused to admire the kaleidoscope of colours as the water fountain show began. He doesn't regret not attending his best friend's rehearsal dinner. He didn't want to witness Jungkook making the worst mistake of his life by marrying someone other than his boyfriend.

Deep down, Taehyung knew how much Jungkook loved his boyfriend. Jungkook had once confessed his deepest feelings for the man during a drunken phone call to Taehyung when his boyfriend was in Japan on a study trip, and Jungkook was missing him badly. Taehyung was already living in Japan at the time, and Jungkook had called Taehyung to ask him to look for his boyfriend and make sure he was okay.

Though Taehyung never met the man while the latter was in Japan - it was kind of hard to look for him when a drunk Jungkook failed to provide his name and where in Japan he was - he sensed Jungkook's boyfriend was a great person because he could reduce a stoic man like Jungkook to confess his feelings so freely, albeit drunkenly.

Taehyung sighed and continued to walk along the bridge. The water fountain show had wound down and other pedestrians were now walking away, off to enjoy the nightlife that the city offered.

Farther down the bridge, Taehyung observed a tall broad-shouldered man stumble and catch himself on the railings. He wondered if the man was drunk, but after watching him for a few more minutes, he concluded that the man was most definitely sober.

His steps were not the exaggerated gait of an inebriated man trying desperately to remain upright. No, this man was walking as though his world has ended and he no longer had the strength to remain on his feet.

Taehyung quickened his steps as his heart began to race. He doesn't know why but his gut was telling him that he needed to get to the man quickly. There was only a few metres left between them when his instincts told him to run and so he did, only to watch as the man swung his body over the railings.

Taehyung wasted a few seconds admiring the man's form. His movement was graceful as his feet left the ground, like an Olympic gymnast. But then Taehyung's head was screaming "Andwae!" as his hand reached out to grab one of the man's hands before he disappeared.

Taehyung gave a short prayer of thanks when his grasp held true, and he managed to stop the man from falling into the dark waters below. He made eye contact with the stranger and was mesmerised by the latter's beautiful brown orbs.

Stars and galaxies swirled in the man's eyes, mingled with the most heartbreaking pain Taehyung had ever seen.

"Let me go," the man whispered. "Please let me go."

"No!" Taehyung shouted and began to pull the man back up.

He managed to lift him a little but the momentum that the man had built up was too much for Taehyung. He felt a jolt and wondered if he popped his shoulder as he felt himself pulled over the edge and they both disappeared into the gloomy darkness below.