Take on Me

34

¤ If There's a Rocket Tie Me to It
Snow Patrol ↲

I said I knew the beat 'cause it matched your own beat
It's become my engine, my own source of heat
The sea between us only amplifies the sound waves
Every hum and echo and crash paints my cave

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

The Art Department loomed before Jungkook, the tall, impressive building a shadow of his past.

There used to be a time, back when Jungkook's life wasn't rooted in responsibility, where he took his education for granted. It always seemed like a given; he'd go to class, live in a dorm room with Jimin, make mistakes and learn from them. He never considered the possibility of not graduating, of not getting the chance to make it as a photographer.

Life was funny that way. It never worked out exactly as you pictured and often put the most unexpected of challenges directly in your path.

And even though a slight twinge of sadness remained over the situation - he was allowed to grieve over giving up his education, after all - he wasn't sure if he'd want to go back to that old life. The person he was before was fine, though he lacked much of the empathy and determination he had now. If Juyeon never got sick, Jungkook never would've learned the importance of family or the value of hard work. He probably would've never even met Taehyung.

Life was funny that way. Oftentimes, new opportunities would present themselves and mold you into the person you were always supposed to be.

And, as Taehyung mentioned over the weekend, Jungkook didn't necessarily have to give up on his dreams. Sure, things wouldn't be as straightforward now. There was no denying that taking classes from seasoned professors and getting an early exposure to the industry would've been a great opportunity. But he still had the ability to practice in his free time, to submit photos to various competitions.

The path forward wasn't as smooth as it could've been, but it was still a path. Jungkook knew full well that he had the ability to navigate the bumps and rough patches.

As long as he continued to work hard and not shy away from challenges, other opportunities would find him. And besides, the hardships he'd known served as a unique perspective when it came to his craft. He saw things in a way not many could; he had the chance to share his personal story with the world.

And he didn't have to do any of this alone.

Jungkook had his family and he had Taehyung. There was his group of friends, people he learned to rely on more and more. He knew that whatever he needed, wherever he wanted to go, there'd be people standing by his side offering up unending support.

So when he walked into the Art Department now, he almost felt renewed. Re-energized and reinvigorated with the knowledge that he could do it. He could succeed despite the obstacles.

He didn't let himself think otherwise.

Somehow, Jungkook managed to convince Namjoon to let him out of work a few minutes early. Despite having his own key to Taehyung's apartment, he wanted to meet the elder outside of his class and surprise him. He'd like to imagine - if he were still enrolled - that they'd walk to their classes hand in hand, meet for lunch, work on homework together. So he tried to bring those experiences to their relationship now.

On his way to Taehyung's classroom, he walked by his old photo of the lake. Seeing this now was like a sign, a confirmation that he needed to chase his dreams. And if he did, one day he might just see his photos in a gallery somewhere, with his name signed at the bottom. Maybe one day he'd end up like the famous photographer Taehyung convinced his parents' friends that he was.