Once Again

19

Jungkook got out of the cab and looked up at the house before him. It was a minka – traditional Japanese house – located in an older and affluent part of Tokyo.

Taehyung must be making bank, he thought.

He stepped up to the wooden gates and rang the bell. Not long after, the door in the gate opened and his best friend stood there with a grin on his face.

"Jungkook! You made it! Come in! Come in!"

Jungkook stepped inside the compound of Taehyung's home, and the two men embraced. After the night that they met up for drinks, they had repaired their friendship and were back to the comfortable camaraderie that they had before. They had even met for lunch a couple of times.

Taehyung led the way to the inside of his home, and gestured for Jungkook to put his shoes in the getabako. There were already several pairs of shoes lined up neatly in the cabinet so Jungkook knew some of the guests had already arrived.

"I'm sorry my husband isn't here to greet you. He went to pick up our son from a playdate," Taehyung apologised.

"It's fine. We'll meet when he gets here."

Jungkook followed Taehyung towards the back of the house but his attention was drawn to a table by one of the wide windows. He found himself walking over to inspect it.

On the table was an array of snow globes depicting different cities, countries, and sceneries. Several had the names of the cities and countries that they came from.

Taehyung noticed that Jungkook was no longer following him, and turned to look for him. He located his friend at the table by the window where Jin's collection of snow globes were carefully laid out.

"I see you've found my husband's snow globe collection. He's crazy about these things," Taehyung chuckled. "I always get him one when I travel."

Jungkook gave Taehyung a small whimsical smile. Seeing these snow globes was bittersweet. His Jinnie had loved snow globes and collected them. He had discovered the collection in Jin's apartment when he escaped there one evening after a particularly rough run-in with the media presence at his house. Jin had apparently brought his entire collection with him when he moved to Seoul.

It had alarmed Jungkook to find the collection because it had taken Jin years to build it. He would not have willingly left them behind if he had returned to the States after Jungkook broke up with him, as some of the snow globes held sentimental value for Jin because his late parents had given them to him when he was a child.

Following the discovery, Jungkook had pressured his lawyer to intensify the search for his missing Jinnie. He had to know what happened to his beloved after he left the rehearsal dinner three years ago, and where he ended up. He had to know if his Jinnie was still alive somewhere in the world because he knows he wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing his Jinnie was gone forever.

"My boyfriend collected snow globes too. I have them now."

Taehyung could hear the profound sadness and desperate longing in his friend's voice. Now that he has Jin in his life, he could appreciate the depth of Jungkook's feelings for the boy he discarded for Jimin.

"Come. Let me introduce you to my friends. You'll like them."

Taehyung placed his arm around Jungkook's shoulder and pulled him away from the table. He pretended not to notice when Jungkook wiped away his tears.