Take on Me

Epilogue

¤ I Get to Love You
Ruelle ↲

I get to love you
It's the best thing that I'll ever do
I get to love you
It's a promise I'm making to you
Whatever may come your heart I will choose
Forever I'm yours, forever I do
I get to love you

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

Five years, nine months, and twenty two days later.

It was an overcast and windy morning. Everyone had been monitoring the weather for the last couple of days, hopeful that it would be sunny and warm.

So far it was not.

It was still early, however, and Taehyung wasn't going to let this small detail bother him. Weather patterns changed all the time; he had a good feeling everything would be sunny by the time the ceremony started.

He still had two hours until he needed to arrive at the lake, so he spent some time completing a sketch of Juyeon he started a couple weeks ago. She had become a beautiful, witty, and sharp-tongued young woman, just celebrating her eighteenth birthday last weekend. As a gift for her, Taehyung offered to draw anything she wanted.

Juyeon wanted a picture of herself, of course.

Taehyung smiled to himself as he finished the drawing, taking in eyes and a smile so similar to Jungkook's. His sister was truly a remarkable person, one whose early battles shaped her into the courageous woman she was today. And while she still took daily medications to help her body with her transplant, she was as healthy as ever. The outlook was positive - she'd live a long life, free from dialysis.

Taehyung's family was still immensely grateful for all he'd done years back, participating in a paired kidney exchange so Juyeon could live fully. Taehyung sometimes forgot he even had the surgery; it was just a part of who he was now. But the Jeons never forgot. They never could forget.

Jaewoo loved to bring up the day Taehyung had surgery without telling anyone, occasionally pulling him into a wrestling hold and ruffling his hair. Taehyung always let the older man amuse himself; he secretly loved all the light teasing and affection. It was during one of those joking moments - when Jaewoo held Taehyung in a headlock - that Taehyung said, in a rather annoyed tone, Let go of me, Dad.

From that moment on, Taehyung referred to the two eldest Jeons as Mom and Dad.

As they got older, more changes occurred to their living and working situations. For one, Taehyung and Jungkook no longer lived in the apartment on the university campus. Once Jungkook graduated with his photography degree - just two years after he resumed his courses - the two moved into a cozy condo on the outskirts of the city. It was still close to the rest of the Jeons, yet accessible enough to get downtown in no time at all. That was convenient, since both Jungkook and Taehyung worked right in the heart of the city.

After receiving his degree, Jungkook worked as a nature photographer for a while, commissioned by major magazines like National Geographic. That enabled him to travel quite a bit, and he always arranged those trips so Taehyung could come as well. Together they'd explore new countries and cultures, finding fun and adventure wherever they went.

Most recently, however, Jungkook started freelancing. His photos had reached critical acclaim in some areas, and he was invited to host several photography exhibits - all of his own work. From there, he met many more clients and gallerists, all of whom wanted to work with him further.

Taehyung's career was also going well. He still worked at the design company he started at right after graduation, though he was no longer a concept artist. He was now the Director of Design and Innovation, a role he surprisingly loved with all his heart. It was so different than what he always thought he wanted to do, but that was okay. Dreams changed. This role, heading the vision of an entire organization, gave him joy every single day.