Chapter Text
“What’s the first rule?”
“Don’t trust too quickly.”
To say Jeongguk’s father was a bad man was too harsh. He never abused of his son, he taught Jeongguk the things he needed to know, he bought him the toys he wanted when they could afford to…he was a good dad. There was just the one thing that he’d failed to make sure did not happen.
Jeongguk was afraid of himself.
Everyone knew the story of the child who lost control of his gift from the sun and burned down his house. Jeongguk’s gift wasn't destructive like that, or so horrifying it needed to kept away from others. If anything it was magnificent, beautiful. To have been blessed by the stars themselves was a miracle that came so rarely and to so few in this world, and Jeongguk had been the one chosen to wield it. But unlike his mother, Jeongguk’s father saw it as a threat. Not to himself, though. He became afraid that people would attempt to take advantage of his son, that they’d take away his bundle of joy. So, he made sure Jeongguk feared those who would try such a thing, and that meant everyone not from his immediate family. Jeongguk was a quiet boy, pushed to near silence from his father’s fear, and his mother did not approve of his actions. She tried to counter his father’s influence, coaxed the boy to use his gift every moment he could, to show her the beautiful galaxy living inside him, and it worked…somewhat. Only with her was Jeongguk truly himself. A happy boy with the stars reflected in his eyes coming from inside of him, surrounded by the galaxy he was born with, playing with the tiny planets he could create. His mother couldn’t wish for anything more than for her son to be who he really was, but his father was going to make sure his boy was safe.
“And second?”
“Don’t use it in front of others.”
“Good boy, now go enjoy your first day okay?”
Sending Jeongguk off to his first day of kindergarten was hard on both of his parents. While his father dreaded Jeongguk would let something slip, his mother was worried that his own fear would make him break. He was too young to worry about the things his father had implemented in his brain, but it was time for them to sit back and see what happened.
~✧ ❀ ❤ ☆ ✧~
Jeongguk wanted to go home.
The people here asked too many questions and his father had told him that people like that didn’t need to be in his life, so why was he here? Why did the lady want to know his name and birthday? Why were the kids around him so close to him? Why was he being forced to participate in something where he had to touch other people?
To say the 5 year old boy was uncomfortable was an understatement.
Recess came around, and Jeongguk couldn’t have been more relieved. His mother had told him school was for education, where he’d learn more than what his parents could teach him and be able to grow into a smart boy. Why hadn’t she told him about the big group activities, or the singing, or the hand holding? Jeongguk didn’t like school. He wanted to leave. But for now, he just needed to get away from the suffocating environment. He found a lonely looking tree, planted into a brick planter along with a bush and some flowers bunched up together. He liked the way it looked, placed far from the play structures and a warm feeling surrounding it. It reminded him of his mom. He pushed himself onto the bricks, sitting comfortably and looking out opposite to where the noisy children were playing. Jeongguk liked to think rather than play. Thinking allowed him to fall into his galaxy. His father had told him not to use it, but the other kids were too busy playing…so it wouldn’t hurt right?
So closing his eyes, Jeongguk moved his hands so his palms faced him, and let himself relax. Stars started to flow from his small hands, the tiny galaxy slowly swirling into it’s full form, a misty stardust with colors of violet, cerulean, magenta lifting from his palms. Jeongguk felt at ease. At last, something familiar among his discomfort was allowing him to think clearly. Was he a weird 5 year old? Definitely. He wouldn’t deny something that obvious. But he didn’t mind being weird, as long as he got to be himself in moments like these. Jeongguk thought that maybe, he’d go along with his parent’s wishes if it meant he got to spend times like this while he was there...
Until he felt something creep onto his ear.
The sudden feeling of an object settling itself broke his concentration, the stardust spreading out in different directions and the galaxy beginning to swirl back into itself. Even his stars began to disappear, as he quickly turned in fear of what he’d be met with. He should have listened to his father, he should have never come here, people would try to take his gift-
But all he saw was a smile. He couldn’t know if the kid was in his class or not since Jeongguk hadn’t really paid much attention to anyone really, but it was anything but what his father had made him fearful of.
It was a boy, about his height, maybe taller, wearing denim shorts and a baby blue dress shirt that seemed too big for him. He was wearing mismatched socks with shoes the color of his shirt. His hair looked really soft too, fluffy even, and Jeongguk thought the flower crown on the other’s head fit the boy very nicely. But before Jeongguk could think to say anything, the other spoke up.
“Do you like it?"
Jeongguk blinked.
“My flower!”
The boy raised his hand and pointed towards Jeongguk’s ear, the latter reaching up to pluck what really was a flower. A really long one too. The stem was reaching up from the small bunch he’d noticed before he sat down, making Jeongguk confused. How had the flower grown to reach his ear? And so fast for that matter? But it dawned on him.
“You..?”
The boy smiled again, nodding as he came a little closer.
“My mom says I have a gift. I’m friends with flowers and all kinds-a plants!”
Jeongguk couldn’t stop staring at how bright the boy’s smile was.
“My name’s Taehyung. What’s yours?”
Jeongguk felt his voice caught in his throat. Should he answer? Was this boy really trustworthy?
First rule: Don’t trust too quickly.
“…My name is Jeongguk."
The boy, Taehyung, kept grinning as he placed his hands above the flowers. Multiple began to appear and grow with each new flower becoming prettier and prettier, the original soft pink color of the petals mixing into yellow and orange ones. It wasn’t until the small planter was overflowing with the plants that Taehyung stopped growing them, the tree appearing to glow with happiness from it’s new companions.
“Sorry if it sounds creepy, but I saw you when you used your gift. You don’t have to show me!! But…can you tell me what you can do?”
Second rule:
“…”
Don’t use it in front of others.
“…I’ll show you.”