Chapter Text
Happy for all her maternal feelings was the day on which Park-unnie got rid of her three sons. Seokjin was universally declared the handsomest bride to ever grace the town, and Jimin the most brilliant, for his grace and wit and laughter. With what delighted pride Park-unnie afterwards visited Kim Seokjin, and talked of Min Jimin, may be guessed. I wish I could say, for the sake of her family, that the accomplishment of her earnest desire in the establishment of her sons produced so happy an effect as to make her a sensible, amiable, well-informed woman for the rest of her life; though perhaps it was lucky for her wife, who might not have relished domestic felicity in so unusual a form, that she still was occasionally nervous and invariably silly.
Park-ssi missed her second son exceedingly; her affection for Jimin drew her oftener from home than anything else could do. She delighted in going to Daechwita, especially when she was least expected, and without her wife.
Lady Gwan was extremely indignant on the marriage of her nephew; and as she gave way to all the genuine frankness of her character in her reply to the letter which announced its arrangement, she sent him language so very abusive, especially of Jimin, that for some time all intercourse was at an end. But at length, by Jimin’s persuasion, Yoongi was prevailed on to overlook the offence, and seek a reconciliation; and, after a little further resistance on the part of his aunt, her resentment gave way, either to her affection for him, or her curiosity to see how his spouse conducted himself as doyenne; and she condescended to wait on them at Daechwita, in spite of that pollution which its woods had received, not merely from the presence of such a doyenne and such a dongsaeng, but the visits of their aunt Seo-ssi from the city.
With Seo-ssi, they were always on the most intimate terms. Yoongi, as well as Jimin, held a deep fondness for her; and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the person who, by bringing Jimin with her on her holiday, had been the means of uniting them.
Kim Namjoon and Seokjin remained at Bangtan only a few months. So near a vicinity to Seokjin’s eomma was not desirable even to their easy tempers or affectionate hearts. The most earnest wish of all seven intimate friends was then realised; Kim Namjoon purchased a neighbouring estate to Daechwita, such that his house, Yoongi’s house, and Jungkook’s house, formed a triangle of no great size. As the estate near Bojogae was renamed when it was bought by a family to settle in, the Min, Kim, and Jeon estates had no qualms in naming their loose trio the Bangtan Domains, in honour of the house that had first brought them together.
Daechwita was now the home of Min Yoongi and his doyenne Jimin, along with Yoongi’s dongsaeng Hoseok, and Jimin’s chingu Taehyung. Min Yoongi pleased himself by grumbling about the noise and chaos and excessive dancing the younger three indulged in, but all his intimates knew he would no sooner change a single thing about any of the three, than he would destroy his treasured brown pianoforte. Daechwita house was filled with music and stories, and Jimin found he neither wanted, nor needed, ever to be alone, such was his pleasure in his new family. The neighbouring Moon estate was the home of Kim Namjoon and his doyenne Seokjin; though a quieter house, it was no less joyful. The gardens of the Moon house were the dearest project of the happy pair, and Namjoon’s long-awaited library was installed at the back of the house, with large window seats and a window door, to allow the pleasure of reading a book amongst the flowers to be as easily achieved as possible. Jungkook kept his own house, Jjeoleo, and quickly became a known eccentric and the target of teasing by the rest, by installing beds in rooms that had no need of them, simply because he liked them, and would sit very happily upon a bed in place of a chair in his study or music room. Jimin undertook to teach Jungkook his letters, and took great pride in the endeavour; though he was disappointed in his hopes of sharing all his favourite novels with his dongsaeng by Jungkook’s stubborn lack of interest in any text other than correspondence and factual accounts.
At least once every week, and most usually a great deal more often, the seven intimate friends gathered. Namjoon read poetry aloud remarkably well; Seokjin, relieved of the pressure on the eldest devoid, indulged himself in eliciting as much laughter from the circle as possible; Yoongi played the pianoforte, sometimes in performance, sometimes smiling as he accompanied the singing of one of the others; Hoseok always began the dancing and ended the disputes; Jimin allowed himself to be as openly affectionate and scathingly witty as he wished, by turns; Taehyung told stories and asked questions, eliciting the most fascinating arguments; and Jungkook cast off all the caution of his long years of deception, and resumed the pursuit of his most favourite accomplishments as a young devoid, singing and painting.
And it was certainly to be believed, no where was there such complete satisfaction of company, such harmony of purpose, and such deeply felt affection, as between the seven members of Bangtan.