Take on Me

11

¤ Back to You
Twin Forks ↲

I was young so I forgot
Which was my place and which was not
Thought I had a good shot
I took it right in my eye

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

On Friday night, Jungkook was relaxing on the couch when Juyeon entered the living room. Their mother was out with friends, which meant Jungkook was relegated to babysitting duty. He didn't mind, however. He'd give up all his free nights to spend with Juyeon.

"Who is Kim Taehyung?" Juyeon asked him, clutching two papers in her hands.

Jungkook recognized the papers as the drawings from yesterday - one of the mountain and one of his portrait. After the two boys had dinner last night, Jungkook asked Taehyung if he could have the drawings. The elder agreed, but only if he could have the picture Jungkook took of him.

When the younger texted over the image, Taehyung made a show of signing his name on the back of each drawing.

"You don't look like this," Juyeon continued, pursing her lips together. "I think this Kim Taehyung guy made you look better than you really do. I've never seen your face look so . . . amazed."

"What did I say about going into my room and snooping?" Jungkook said as he chased Juyeon through the living room. "Give those back!"

"Your eyes are so big! And your lips . . ." She broke into a fit of laughter as she ran, taunting Jungkook the entire time. "Seriously, Kookie, you look like you've just seen the stars for the first time."

Jungkook's hands wrapped around her tiny waist gently, holding her in place. He plucked the drawings from her grip, taking care not to crinkle them. "I was just letting the guy draw me."

She danced out of his hold. "Is that why you were home late?"

It wasn't necessary to tell her that working with Taehyung was another one of his jobs. There was no need to stress her out, so he simply nodded his head.

"If he ever draws you again, you should have him be more accurate. And you should have a normal expression."

Juyeon fled down the hall, presumably to her own room, leaving Jungkook gaping. He should be used to his little sister's antics by now, but somehow he always managed to forget what a troublemaker she truly was.

He looked at the sketch of himself, remembering Taehyung's words about not drawing people to be more attractive than what they were. If he really meant that, did he just see Jungkook differently, in a way others didn't?

And Juyeon was right about his own expression. He appeared captivated and utterly entranced with what he was looking at.

He had been. He was looking at Taehyung.

The boy was an enigma to Jungkook, a puzzle he didn't have all the pieces to. He was colorful and smooth, yet dark and jagged. Obviously, there were a lot of hidden layers to the elder. Layers that Jungkook wanted to unfold so he could understand just exactly who Kim Taehyung was as a person.

Jungkook knew his intrigue ran deeper than anything he felt before. There was this burning need to unravel Taehyung, to sink into his mind and see his thoughts. He also wanted answers to the elder's small freak out, but he knew better than to push. Though that didn't mean he didn't want to . . . Jungkook wanted to know more and he couldn't figure out why.

Maybe it was because Taehyung made Jungkook feel seen for the first time in years; he gave him time to do something he loved.

Maybe it was because Taehyung didn't pretend life was perfect in his world of wealth and privilege, acknowledging everyone had their struggles.