Archive of Our Own ^beta

Red.

There's a sea of red and black before him; an endless hallway beckoning him forward. But there are gaps in the ceiling formed by the red gates, sunlight slipping through, illuminating the cobblestones and people underneath.

Trees line the path up toward the top of Mt. Inari, nature slipping through every crack in stone and civilization, wild and untamable, dense and thick. Spiders hang from the tops of the gates, content to make their homes in the iconic red torii; in the residence of the gods.

Cicadas chirp; birds sing. The crowd continues climbing.

Life moves on.

Jeongguk watches this all behind the lens of his camera, through the limited scope of his viewfinder. His finger hovers over the shutter button as his tongue pokes past his lips in concentration.

Before him, the red torii gates of Fushimi Inari Taisha climb higher up the mountain in an endless corridor.

It's beautiful, Jeongguk thinks, but cliche.

Every photographer -- every tourist -- has taken this same shot. Every photographer and every tourist until the end of time will take this shot.

There's no money in this shot.

But Jeongguk isn't here for money. He technically isn't even here to take pictures. He's just here.

To travel. To sightsee.

To breathe.

So he lines up the shot, sighs, and clicks the shutter.

Jeongguk gnaws at his lower lip as he clicks through the photos on his camera. Red, red, red. A sea of gates, brightly painted shrines, concrete statues, all painted in red, red, red.

The color stands out, paints every single picture with a vibrancy and life that would normally excite Jeongguk just a little bit more. He loves accent colors -- loves the way that bright things pop against the greens and browns of nature; against the greys and blacks of urban living.

But right now, it's all red. Overwhelmingly beautiful.

Suffocatingly bright.

Raising his camera to his eye again, Jeongguk sighs as he tips the lens up to capture a particularly massive spider nestled between two gates, almost like a little shrine guardian. But something else catches his eye: a shock of mint green hair, all too jarring against the natural colors of nature and the unnatural red of the gates.

Jeongguk's hand stills and his lens lingers on that mint green, almost teal in the speckled light filtering through the gates and trees. And attached to that wild head of hair is a man, standing underneath the iconic red torii but looking through the cracks to the trees just outside. He's smiling, his hands in the pockets of his pants, lips pulled into a wide grin. So relaxed and at ease, despite the crowds of people shuffling around him like a river parting for a rock.

Jeongguk's finger hovers over the shutter button, his heart stirring under his ribs, practically begging him to snap the photo.

Because the red torii gates of Fushimi Inari might be cliche, but nothing about this man is.

But right before he can take the photo, the man's head turns. And their eyes meet through the lens of Jeongguk's camera.

The man looks surprised at first, but that quickly morphs into happiness; laughter. He's grinning, tilting his head back with the ease of a practiced model.

Jeongguk has seen a lot of models, just as he's seen a lot of places. He's traveled all over South Korea snapping photos for magazines, books, galleries.

But in all his travels, he's never seen anyone -- or anything -- as beautiful as the man before him.

Before his head can talk him down, his heart takes the photo.

And with a wink and a smile, the man ascends further up the mountain, leaving Jeongguk winded and alone.

The climb up Mt. Inari burns in all the right ways. Thousands of steps, winding staircases, slowly thinning crowds all leading up to shrines and graveyards and panoramic vistas of Kyoto from above.

Jeongguk stops once to eat matcha ice cream in a little shop tucked against the side of the mountain. It's early spring and the weather's cool, but the cold treat feels nice against his tongue and his throat. On the way out, he buys a bottle of Pocari Sweat from a vending machine and chugs it down.

When he sees a cat sleeping under the awning of the shop, he takes a photo.

It isn't until Jeongguk nears the top that he sees the man again. He's seated right outside of another shop -- a tiny, one-room store selling onsen-boiled eggs -- a half-eaten egg in his hand as he chews slowly and thoughtfully.

Jeongguk's heart stutters in his chest and his feet stall. But as much as his heart begs him to stop and admire -- to take another photo of the way the sunlight hits the man's shoulders and makes his hair look brighter; of the way that the wind slips through his hair and tickles his cheeks -- his head tells him to keep moving.

So he does, his brain distracting him from thoughts of mint green hair and bright beautiful smiles by counting the steps and stops left toward the top of Mt. Inari. And it works, almost enough for him to miss the way a deep voice greets him as he passes.

"Hello."

Jeongguk's feet stall again and his head snaps toward the man, still seated, still chewing, still smiling.

There's something about hearing Korean after three days of nothing but Japanese that feels like coming home. And even though he's still a stranger here -- even though he's still a stranger in this moment -- the relief is immediate and palpable.

"Uh, hi," Jeongguk says, gripping his camera tight in his hands.

The man's smile widens.

Reaching down next to him, he holds up an unbroken hard boiled egg. "Want one?" he asks.

And Jeongguk isn't particularly hungry, nor is he feeling particularly sociable. In fact, the man in front of him is so intimidatingly beautiful that he'd rather just keep powering forward to the top of the mountain, his palms sweaty and his heart racing.

But the absurdity of the situation -- the ease in which this stranger so openly offers him food -- makes Jeongguk laugh and relax just enough to agree.

"Sure."

The man scoots to make room on the bench and Jeongguk sits down next to him.

"I'm Kim Taehyung," the man says.

And Jeongguk smiles. "Jeon Jeongguk."

Jeongguk sits next to Taehyung for what feels like forever. But the sun has barely budged in the sky, beating down relentlessly from above, keeping them warm despite the early spring chill. They pick at their eggs, talking as they rest their legs from the steady climb. The long pilgrimage.

Well, Taehyung does most of the talking, but Jeongguk doesn't mind.

At the top of Mt. Inari, they pause just long enough to stand at the last shrine. They're the only ones there, save for the woman sweeping the front of the last rest stop and the cat curled up in the early afternoon sun. It's quiet, the wind whistling through the trees, birds singing in the distance.

Jeongguk rifles through his pockets before pulling out a 500 yen coin. He grips it in his hand, feeling the metal slowly warming against his palm. He's been dropping 100 yen coins on the way up to the top, but this shrine -- the last one -- feels special. Like maybe this wish will be even bigger -- mean even more -- than the ones he'd asked for along the way.

When Jeongguk drops it in the box, he bows twice, claps twice, and prays.

Please. Help me move forward.

The walk back down to the main shrine is significantly shorter than the walk up. And Taehyung talks to Jeongguk the entire way down.

Taehyung tells Jeongguk all about his puppy back home -- a Pomeranian named Yeontan -- and his friends, who've been texting him every day to check in on him. Friends from back home in Seoul, where Jeongguk lives too.

Taehyung talks about his trip -- about the things he's seen, the places he's gone, the places he's going. He talks about the food he's eaten, the people he's met, the places he's stayed.

Normally, Jeongguk would find this exhausting; would be itching to get away, to retreat into the quiet and solitude he's become so used to.

There's a comfort in the wall of silence behind the lens of a camera. Putting yourself out there -- laying yourself bare -- is terrifying.

But there's something about Taehyung's open honesty and easy friendliness that Jeongguk finds comforting. And instead of winding Jeongguk up, it puts him at ease.

So he listens as Taehyung talks about the maiko he'd met in Gion the night before and how he'd accidentally joined some company's nomikai.

When they get to the main gate near Fushimi Inari Station, Jeongguk isn't ready to leave. But there's only so long you can spend in the company of a stranger before you have to part ways.

As Jeongguk steels his heart for the inevitable end of what has quickly become his best day in Japan yet, Taehyung surprises him yet again.

"Do you want to get lunch?" Taehyung asks, his hands in his pockets, his smile wide and welcoming.

Jeongguk's heart twists in his chest, beating up against his ribs. And he grins. "Yeah, definitely."

Together, they leave the red torii gates and the red temples of Fushimi Inari behind. But before they go, Jeongguk snaps one last picture: a statue of one of Inari's messengers.

And around the fox's neck, a bandana in red.

They eat egg salad sandwiches in a cafe down the street from the shrine, talking about home the entire time.

And when they're done, they get taiyaki and walk along the banks of the nearby river.

When Taehyung asks Jeongguk about his life back in Seoul, Jeongguk answers.

When Taehyung asks for Jeongguk's number, he agrees.

t: better <3

t: yeah!
t: i met a cute boy too
t: from seoul ;)

t: ofc!!

t: took him out to lunch too ;)

kth: ok soooo
kth: what are you up to today? P:

kth: meet me at kyoto station? :)

Green.

There's an ocean of green all around him: green grass underneath his feet, green leaves on the trees in the forest surrounding them, green moss growing on the trunks of trees like soft coats to guard them against the chill of spring.

Green stems on the flowers growing around the park.

Green. A color that signifies life, vibrancy, vitality. And the park around them is vibrant, from the leaves of the trees swaying in the gentle spring breeze to the grass rustling underneath their feet.

But peppered throughout the wild, perfectly manicured green of Nara Deer Park is a variety of other colors: the clear blue sky above them, the speckled browns and whites of the deer grazing through the park, and the dots of pink as cherry blossoms begin to bloom.

Jeongguk watches the colors move and shift behind the lens of his camera; watches the deer grazing on grass or nibbling at the hems of other peoples' shirts. Watches as the little specks of pink petals sway with the spring breeze.

It's a beautiful image, the dull greens and browns complemented by the blue sky and the vibrant flowers and the crowds of people. But it's cliche.

There are hundreds of other cameras and phones out, all taking the same exact shot Jeongguk is. All intent on capturing Nara, with its gorgeous weather and sacred deer and vibrant colors.

Except, while other tourists are snapping photos of the blooming cherry blossoms or the newborn deer suckling at its mother, at the center of Jeongguk's lens is Kim Taehyung.

Kim Taehyung and everything that comes with him: the mint green of his hair, the reds and pinks and blacks of his floral print jacket, the pink of his tongue and white of his teeth as he laughs, open-mouthed and ecstatic as a deer eats a senbei out of his hand.

Jeongguk smiles as he snaps photo after photo, each capturing a different moment like a movie: the deer eating the senbei from Taehyung's hand; three more deer encroaching on him, all desperate for food; a still-hungry deer bowing a few times before nudging its head into Taehyung's stomach.

Behind Jeongguk, a deer is chewing on his camera case.

"Jeongguk!" Taehyung whines as a deer starts chewing on the hem of his jacket. And Jeongguk laughs as Taehyung finds himself surrounded by four different deer, all chewing gently on various articles of clothing instead of the senbei he's holding over his head.

"Wait, hold still," Jeongguk says, snapping another photo. When Jeongguk checks the photo after, he laughs as he sees the perfect moment captured on screen: Taehyung looking directly into the lens looking less than amused as a deer tugs at his shirt enough to expose his chest.

Jeongguk can see the ghost of a smile playing at the corners of Taehyung's lips; can see the twinkle in his eyes that shows he's not nearly as angry as he's pretending to be.

Letting the camera dangle around his neck, Jeongguk pulls his own senbei from his bag and closes the gap between him and Taehyung. The deer see the crackers and swarm him, and Jeongguk laughs as he feeds them.

Save for a little bit of spit, Taehyung's clothes are saved.

"My hero," Taehyung says, before feeding half a senbei to a fawn that had wandered over with its mother.

Inside his chest, Jeongguk's heart beats hard and heavy and happy. And his cheeks start to hurt with the strength of his smile.

That morning, Jeongguk had a few activities planned for himself: breakfast, visit Kinkaku-ji, lunch, see Kiyomizu-dera, and then dinner in Gion. Maybe a walk along the Kamogawa afterward.

You know, the kinds of activities a solo traveller can easily do alone. The kinds of activities that offer quiet contemplation, silence, and plenty of opportunities for beautiful photography.

Though he'd been casually texting Taehyung since they exchanged numbers at Fushimi Inari Taisha, he didn't expect another invitation out so soon. (Or at all, if he's being completely honest.)

If he were back home and it were someone like Namjoon or Yoongi or Hoseok inviting him out, Jeongguk might've said no; might've come up with some excuse about why he was too busy to hang out. Not because he didn't want to see them, of course, but sometimes it's a lot being around other people.

Sometimes he just needs to be alone.

But he's not home. And this isn't Namjoon or Yoongi or Hoseok, people he sees on the daily; people he can call up whenever he wants. This is Kim Taehyung: spontaneous, spitfire, beautiful, funny, sweet.

So Jeongguk said yes.

And as he watches Taehyung kneel to pet a fawn sleeping under the shade of a tree, his eyes sparkling, his smile wide and ecstatic, Jeongguk's happy he did.

And with the click of his shutter, he takes another photo.

They get lunch at a cute cafe on the outskirts of the park. Jeongguk orders katsu curry and Taehyung makes a lunch out of a matcha parfait.

Jeongguk chides Taehyung that ice cream and whipped cream isn't much of a lunch, and Taehyung teases Jeongguk's overabundance of protein.

In the end, Taehyung gives Jeongguk a few bites of his parfait in exchange for a quarter of his katsu and some of his rice.

On their way back to the park, they stop get more senbei. The woman behind the stand smiles as Taehyung orders two packs and hands over the money.

Where the interaction might've ended there, the woman smiles at them both, saying something with a teasing lilt that makes Taehyung blush.

Jeongguk's Japanese isn't nearly as good as Taehyung's. He can't read newspapers or hefty novels, but he can order food, make basic conversation, ask for directions. And he's never felt the need to learn more, knowing just enough to get around comfortably; to do business in Japan if ever asked.

So he only understands half of what the woman says. Mainly "boyfriend" and "cute."

And Jeongguk's heart freezes in his chest.

Taehyung's blushing, his ears a bright red like the peonies on his jacket. And Jeongguk expects a frantic denial or a dismissal or a laugh. You know, the normal human response to being considered a couple when you definitely aren't one.

Instead, Taehyung thanks her, his smile wide and bright and not even the least bit ashamed.

And it's hard to pretend that doesn't do something to Jeongguk's heart. That it doesn't make him feel warm and pleasant; that it doesn't make him wonder what it might be like to be Taehyung's actual boyfriend.

"What'd she say?" Jeongguk asks, feigning ignorance as best he can.

And Taehyung tries to swallow his smile as he hands Jeongguk one of the packs of senbei. "She said we were cute."

And Jeongguk laughs. "I guess we must be then."

The warmth from those words stays with Jeongguk for a long time after that, making his heart beat wildly in his chest.

"So, why Japan?" Taehyung asks as they sit on a bench and eat piping hot mitarashi dango dripping with thick, sweet soy sauce.

Jeongguk's silent as he contemplates the question, taking another bite of dango and chewing slowly. "I dunno," he says. "I wanted to leave the country for a little bit. And Japan's close and I speak enough of the language."

It's not a very sexy rationale, Jeongguk realizes. When he booked the flight, he wasn't looking for anything more than a chance to leave home and clear his head and see something new. He wasn't looking to change his entire life or get as far away as possible.

Just a simple change of pace.

Taehyung hums around his skewer as he pulls another dango into his mouth with his teeth.

"What about you?"

"I've always wanted to come here," Taehyung says, taking a sip from their shared water bottle. "There are so many sights I want to see. I figured Kyoto would be a good place to start."

Taehyung turns his smile on Jeongguk, but there's something melancholic about it. "Truthfully, I wanted to leave too."

Jeongguk nods, feeling a sense of recognition in those words; of understanding.

"What are you running from, Jeongguk?" Taehyung asks, setting his empty plate and skewer down next to him.

Jeongguk fiddles with the last of the dango. Stares down at it in silence before pulling it from the skewer. The mochi is thick in his mouth and it takes a while to chew and swallow.

"Is it too cliche if I say myself?" Jeongguk ask, setting his plate off to the side before looking up at Taehyung.

Taehyung laughs, quiet and understanding and genuine. "A little bit, yeah."

And Jeongguk laughs too. "Just work I guess," he says, looking down at the camera hanging heavy around his neck. "I hit a wall and I guess I feel lost. But I'm not here to find myself or anything. Maybe just -- get away from myself? At least for a little bit."

Jeongguk feels his ears burn red. It sounds so stupid, saying it out loud. But the wall in front of him -- the wall he left behind in Seoul -- is hefty and high. And he's been crumbling under the weight of his own expectations for too long.

How can you scale a mountain with two hundred pounds of baggage on your shoulders?

"What about you?" Jeongguk asks, looking back over at Taehyung.

And Taehyung smiles, small and sad. "My grandma passed away," he says. And Jeongguk's heart freezes in his chest. "It happens, you know? But it's still hard. Everything at home reminds me of her, so I just needed to leave for a little bit. To give myself the chance to mourn."

Jeongguk nods as his heart squeezes in his chest. He wants to take Taehyung's hand, to hold it tight within his own and offer him some kind of comfort.

Instead, he nudges Taehyung's shoulder with his own and offers him a small smile. A smile and a nudge which Taehyung returns.

Inside his chest, Jeongguk's heart beats hard and heavy.

When they leave Nara Deer Park and head back to the station, Jeongguk's chest and shoulders feel just a little bit lighter. And he hopes that Taehyung feels the same.

And before they're gone for good, Jeongguk snaps one last photo: the entrance to Nara Deer Park, deer grazing on the grass and harassing visitors for food.

There are families still gathered, picnic baskets in hand; couples holding hands and feeding deer and giggling; kids running around as deer chase after them for snacks.

And all around them, green.

t: lol i know!!

t: hehe yea :)

t: omg pls

kth: u hungry? :)

kth: yes pls
kth: meet me at gion shijo?

kth: c u <3

Pink.

There's a river of pink all around them, cherry blossom trees lining their path in a corridor of brown and white and pink, pink, pink. The trees sway in the spring breeze, occasional petals floating down from the trees and obscuring their vision, landing in their path, scattering to the wind.

The gentle pink is beautiful, a view millions of people pay for every year. Because that beauty is fleeting: there one minute and gone the next, only to return the next year.

Jeongguk admires the pinks and whites and browns from behind the lens of his camera. Watches as petals float down from above, carried by the wind, only to land in the mint green of Kim Taehyung's hair.

A smile tugs at Jeongguk's lips as he captures the moment; captures the way Taehyung's smile blossoms like the flowers blooming above and around him.

The way the pink of the petals all around him compliments the mint green of Taehyung's hair and the crisp white of his shirt and the width and joy of his smile.

People move around them like a river, couples holding hands, families carrying picnic baskets, people walking their dogs. The weather is perfect, just cool enough, but still sunny and warm.

The perfect Friday afternoon for hanami.

But Jeongguk doesn't notice the other people around them, not when he's snapping photos of Taehyung against a backdrop of beautiful cherry blossoms.

Taehyung turns toward the camera and laughs. "Jeongguk," he whines, holding up a large bag of food he's been carrying since Jeongguk met up with him at Gion-Shijo Station. "Let's go! This is heavy."

Jeongguk drops the camera, letting it hang around his neck as he follows Taehyung. Slowly, they move off of the path and onto the banks of the Kamogawa. The blue waters of the river are sparkling under the bright spring sun, and around them other couples and families and friends have made little homes underneath the blossoming cherry trees to eat and drink and admire the view.

Taehyung pulls a blanket out of his bag and lays it out. And Jeongguk laughs, plopping down underneath the shade of a cherry blossom tree.

"You're gonna love this," Taehyung says, holding up the plastic bag. "I found this market near my hotel."

And, one by one, Taehyung extracts a wealth of food from the depths of his bag: japchae, bibimbap, hotteok, three different types of kimchi, jjigae, ramyeon, tteokbokki, fried chicken.

All of Jeongguk's favorite foods from home.

Jeongguk can feel his mouth water, can hear the rumbling of his stomach. And Taehyung laughs as he pops open each of the containers and hands Jeongguk a pair of chopsticks.

Jeongguk can't help the smile that tugs on his lips, just as he can't help the way the familiar scents and tastes tug at his heart.

Home has been so far away since he got to Kyoto. In fact, he's been running from it as desperately as he can. But the taste of tteokbokki on his tongue makes him realize just how much he misses it.

Just how grateful he is to have a taste of it even when he isn't there.

And so, for a moment, sitting underneath the cherry blossoms on the banks of the Kamogawa, eating Korean food with Kim Taehyung, Jeongguk lets himself feel like he's home.

When Jeongguk and Taehyung finish eating, they both flop back onto the blanket and stare up at the sky through the gaps of tree branches and cherry blossoms. It's a clear day, clouds dotting the bright blue sky, the sun shining down on them from above. But the tree they're resting under shields them from the worst of it, keeping them cool in the shade.

Jeongguk feels so full; so warm and happy and sated. And it's hard to keep the smile from tugging at his lips; to keep it from consuming his entire face whole.

"Do you miss it?" Jeongguk asks, watching as the cherry blossoms above them sway in the breeze. His eyes follow a few petals as they float down towards the river. "Home?"

Taehyung's silent for a moment, his eyes following the clouds and cherry blossoms above them. Finally, he wets his lips and smiles. "Yeah," he says. "But Kyoto's nice too."

"Yeah," Jeongguk says, turning his head to watch Taehyung. "It's really beautiful here."

Though he's not sure any sight could really compare to Taehyung, but he's not going to say that out loud.

Taehyung smiles and laughs, rolling over onto his side so he can watch Jeongguk. And they're so close, the skin of Taehyung's arm brushing up against Jeongguk's as he leans in close to pluck a cherry blossom petal from Jeongguk's hair.

And all Jeongguk can do is watch, hoping his face isn't as red as it feels.

"Coming here has made me realize something," Taehyung says, the wind plucking the petal from his fingers and carrying it toward the Kamogawa.

Jeongguk sits up, rolling over so he can face Taehyung. "What's that?"

Taehyung's silent for a while, his eyes following the path of the petal before turning back towards Jeongguk. "The world is so big," he says, his smile quickly turning sheepish. "And it sounds so obvious, because of course it is, but I've never left South Korea. And now that I have, I want to see more."

Laughter bubbles up Jeongguk's throat, escaping past his lips as his smile melts into something happy and fond. "Me too," he says. "I've taken pictures all over South Korea, but I want to photograph the world."

Reaching up, Taehyung's fingers hesitate before brushing Jeongguk's hair from his face.

"Maybe we can make this a thing," Taehyung says, tilting his head with a gentle smile. "Travelling together."

Jeongguk waits for the moment when Taehyung extracts his hand, a cherry blossom petal between his fingers. But when Taehyung's hand drops back to the blanket, there's nothing there.

And it makes Jeongguk's heart beat even faster as he feels the ghost of Taehyung's fingers in his hair; against his scalp and forehead.

"I'd, uh. Like that," Jeongguk says, tongue darting out to wet his lips as he looks up at Taehyung shyly. And the smile that blossoms on his lips feels so consuming, so genuine, so happy. "A lot."

And Taehyung returns that smile tenfold, his eyes creasing with the intensity of his smile. "Me too."

Jeongguk's camera is heavy in his hands as he holds it up to his face. And through the viewfinder, he watches as Taehyung sits on the blanket and looks out at the Kamogawa.

Behind them, a sea of pinks and browns and whites undulates in the spring breeze. And before them, the sparkling blue of the water under the afternoon sun flows gently downstream. All around them, couples and families and friends and people relax under the sun and the shade from the cherry trees as they enjoy their afternoon, unbothered of the worries and problems of the outside world.

But all Jeongguk can focus on is Kim Taehyung, smiling to himself, eyes closed as he soaks up the rays of the sun, as cherry blossom petals float around him.

It's like a scene out of a movie. One Jeongguk would watch every night if he could.

Instead, he takes a picture. And a smile tugs at the corners of his lips and at the strings of his heart as he thinks about this moment; about the memories he'll have long after it's ended.

Taehyung laughs as he turns back towards Jeongguk. "C'mere, let's take some together," he says, waving Jeongguk over.

And Jeongguk takes one step and then two before he's interrupted.

"Um, excuse me?"

Jeongguk's head snaps towards the voice, only to come face-to-face with two women, one shyly gripping her camera, the other huddled next to her.

"Could you take our picture?"

It takes Jeongguk a moment to realize they're speaking to him in Korean. And even though he's more than adjusted to speaking (conversational) Japanese, there's a warmth and relief that comes from hearing his native tongue; to meeting other visitors.

"Of course," he says.

Both of the women smile, relieved and ecstatic, before one of them hands over her phone.

Jeongguk takes it and opens the camera app.

"Um, could we--" They gesture towards Taehyung, or more specifically, the blanket he's sitting on and the cherry blossom tree he's seated under.

Taehyung tilts his head at the gesture and Jeongguk smiles.

"Oh, yeah! Yeah," he says, waving Taehyung over.

And Taehyung comes without much complaint, hopping up and standing next to Jeongguk as the two women make themselves comfortable in the spots Jeongguk and Taehyung left behind.

"They're so cute," Taehyung says, and Jeongguk smiles as he crouches down and aims the phone camera at them.

"Ready?" he asks and they both nod enthusiastically.

Jeongguk takes quite a few photos. It's hard not to, when the two girls are so sweet and so happy to have their memories captured in film. It's the photographer in him, really, guiding them with gentle direction while he takes photos from every angle.

The women huddle together, smiling as cherry blossom petals float around them.

They hold hands, laughing as one of them whispers something to the other.

And then they kiss, first on each cheek and then on the lips as Jeongguk captures the moment with the backdrop of pink, pink, pink.

Inside Jeongguk's chest, his heart twists happily.

"Thank you so much," they say as they take their camera back from Jeongguk and flip through the photos.

"These are so amazing!"

"It's no problem," Jeongguk says. Next to him, Taehyung has his hands in his pockets, a near-permanent smile etched onto his face.

"Do you want us to take your picture?" one of the women offers.

"That would be great," Taehyung says, practically skipping back over to their blanket to plop back down.

Jeongguk laughs and hands over his phone before sitting down next to Taehyung. And he tries not to think about how warm it is at Taehyung's side; how their hands brush and their fingers touch and their shoulders knock together.

The women take a few photos of them. In the last one, Taehyung leans his head against Jeongguk's shoulder and Jeongguk's heart freezes in his chest.

When they're done, the women smile and laugh and hand Jeongguk back his phone. And Taehyung practically snatches it to swipe through the photos with a warm smile.

Jeongguk's heart beats against his throat, hard and steady.

"Thanks again," one of the women says. The other shifts next to her, her ears red and her smile wide.

"No problem," Jeongguk says, smiling back at them.

There's a beat of silence before one of them speaks up. "Um, you and your boyfriend are really cute," she says, her smile warm and happy and shy.

And Jeongguk's heart skips a beat. Next to him, Taehyung looks up from Jeongguk's phone. And Jeongguk wants to glance over at Taehyung's face, to see what kind of expression he's wearing. Is he shocked, uncomfortable, hopeful, happy?

Is he as much of a mess inside as Jeongguk is?

But, instead, Jeongguk smiles at the women as his heart pounds up against his throat and his ears burn a happy, beautiful red.

"Thanks," Jeongguk says.

When they're gone, Jeongguk finally looks over at Taehyung only to see him staring back. His eyes are wide, his ears and cheeks flushed, and his smile sweet and warm.

Jeongguk's heart does backflips in his chest. And when their eyes connect, Taehyung's expression softens into something beautiful and pure and genuinely happy.

Jeongguk thinks, in that moment, of leaning in and closing the gap between them. Of what it might feel like pressing his lips against Taehyung's. How warm and right and beautiful it would be.

But he doesn't.

Instead, Jeongguk just smiles, happy to bask in this moment. And Taehyung smiles back.

Underneath the shade of the cherry blossom tree, their hands brush together as they shift to take more photos together. And it feels nothing short of perfect.

When they've packed up their blanket and their empty containers, Jeongguk and Taehyung walk away from the Kamogawa and through the corridor of cherry blossom trees.

Taehyung and Jeongguk walk side-by-side, their arms and fingers brushing together with every step they take. And even though each brush of skin is electric -- makes Jeongguk feel like his skin is on fire -- he relishes in the feeling just as much.

"Text me those photos?" Taehyung asks, looking over at Jeongguk with a warm smile.

Inside his chest, Jeongguk's heart is beating hard and happy.

"Yeah."

And as they head back into Gion, cherry blossom petals float down from the trees around them, landing in their path, in the river, in their hair.

All around them, a sea of pink.

t: sigh
t: siiiigh
t: siighhhhhhh

t: i wanna kiss cute seoul boy

t: lol no it's jeongguk

t: lol!!!!
t: i cant :(
t: im leaving today

t: lol omg u guys?

t: k guess ill kiss him
t: to make u 2 happy

t: lmao

kth: when r u flying back?

kth: today

kth: yes and no!
kth: wish i could see more of kyoto
kth: but i miss tannie

kth: i will :)

kth: boarding now!

kth: i will! <3
kth: thank u for traveling w me
kth: u made my trip so much better
kth: im so glad we met gukkie <3<3
kth: ok we r taking off now!
kth: i better see u in seoul or i swear
kth: i will hunt u down >:(
kth: and then tannie will eat u
kth: bye! <3

Grey.

Everything around him is painted in shades of grey, from the concrete buildings outside his window to the grey skies above him to the posh, monochrome hotel room around him.

When booking his hotel room, Jeongguk thought the grey looked sleek, elegant, modern.

Now he thinks it looks miserable. No pop of color anywhere aside from the blue jeans poking out of his suitcase and the rose gold iPad still sitting on the nightstand.

Even Jeongguk's heart feels grey and cloudy as he stares out the window, hands slipped into the pockets of his (grey) sweatpants.

It's barely been a day since Taehyung left Kyoto, but Jeongguk misses him. He misses the spontaneous text messages asking Jeongguk to meet him at some random train station; misses the way his heart twisted in his chest at the thought of getting to spend the day with Taehyung.

Misses Taehyung's mint green hair and brilliant smile.

Sighing, Jeongguk looks over at his half-packed bags. His flight is in a few hours and he has to finish packing and head toward the airport.

Soon, he'll be back in Seoul.

Soon, he'll have an excuse to see Taehyung again.

Sighing, Jeongguk flops onto his bed and stares up at the grey ceiling. His mouth feels dry, his head empty, his heart numb. He's never felt like this before, even when he was staring at his portfolio wishing he could rip every photo to pieces.

Even when he was staring up at the unscalable wall that was his self-imposed perfection.

Jeongguk blindly reaches for his phone.

It rings twice before Namjoon answers. "Hey."

"I think I'm in love," Jeongguk mumbles into the phone, his eyes boring holes into the grey ceiling above him. "No, wait -- I'm definitely in love."

Jeongguk's almost positive that there aren't any maybes when it comes to Kim Taehyung, who approaches the world with a fearlessness and excitement that Jeongguk can only admire.

On the other end of the line, Namjoon's silent. And after a second, Jeongguk thinks he's hung up.

"Hold on, lemme put you on speaker," Namjoon says.

And Jeongguk springs up in bed. "Oh god, no--"

Soon, the sound of Min Yoongi's cackling fills the empty hotel room. And then Hoseok's voice cuts in, sounding far too excited for his own good.

"Guk's in love?!"

"Is this that cute boy? The one whose photo you sent us?" Namjoon asks.

"Yes," Jeongguk mutters.

Yoongi's still cackling.

"I can't believe you ran off to Kyoto and met the love of your life," Hoseok gushes, his genuine excitement a clear contrast to Namjoon's straightforwardness and Yoongi's aggravating laughter.

Jeongguk's not sure what's so funny about falling in love, but then he remembers teasing Yoongi about his sleeping habits once.

Note to self: never piss off Min Yoongi ever again.

"Are you sure you're in love though?" Namjoon asks, ever the voice of reason. "It's common to be sad when coming home from a vacation. And your emotional state is a little fragile right now. No offense."

Jeongguk sighs, ignoring the way Yoongi's choking down his laughs; the way someone (probably Hoseok) smacks him in the arm and hisses at him to shut up.

"I thought about that," Jeongguk says. "But I dunno. I just -- I just really like him."

There's silence on the other end. So Jeongguk continues.

"Sure, I admire him a lot. He's so -- fearless, you know? He just goes after what he wants and has this energy and a love for life that's infectious," Jeongguk says, falling back on the bed to look up at the boring grey ceiling. "And I'm going through a lot right now and he was kinda there for me, you know? But -- it's more than that. I like him so much."

Surprisingly, it's Yoongi who speaks up. "Well, what're you gonna do about it then?"

Jeongguk takes a deep breath, chewing on his lower lip as the grey ceiling stares back down on him. "Call him when I get home?"

Yoongi snorts. "I say you find that boy and kiss the hell out of him."

And Jeongguk thinks that's the best advice anyone has ever given him.

When Jeongguk finally leaves his hotel to head toward the airport, the clouds part and he can see the blue skies peeking through the overwhelming, oppressive grey.

Jeongguk smiles, taking one last photo of the grey clouds and grey buildings with the blue skies and sun splashed across the sky like an oil painting.

He posts it on his professional instagram with the caption, "see you again soon."

And then he leaves.

t: sighhh

t: yea :(

t: i kno

t: lol shut up

kth: look at how cute tannie is
kth: im gonna cry :((((
kth: since ur flying im just gonna spam u w more pics
kth: lol
kth: a present for when u land!!
kth: enjoy

kth: omg!!
kth: welcome home :)))
kth: how was ur flight??

kth: lol no
kth: why?

kth: omg omg omg
kth: ok

kth: see u!! <3

Blue.

The clear blue of Seoul's spring sky stretches above him, bright and vibrant against the green trees and the still-blooming cherry blossoms.

And next to him are the clear blue waters of Seokchon Lake. The lake ripples with the force of the gentle spring breeze, cherry blossom petals floating in the wind before landing gently on top of the water.

It's a beautiful sight. One that many families and couples are enjoying that day, walking hand-in-hand around the perimeter of the lake to admire the sights that come with the fleeting beauty of spring.

But Jeon Jeongguk doesn't care about the beautiful blue skies or the clear blue waters. He doesn't care about the clouds dotting the skies like flecks of cotton candy or the trees swaying in the wind. He doesn't care about the picturesque view or the couples holding hands or the cherry blossoms in bloom.

In fact, his camera is still tucked away in its case over his shoulder.

Because all Jeon Jeongguk can see is Kim Taehyung.

Kim Taehyung, who's alone and standing at the railing, looking out at the lake.

Kim Taehyung, who has cherry blossom petals in his mint green hair.

Kim Taehyung, who's right in front of him. Real and just as beautiful as Jeongguk remembers.

"Taehyung," Jeongguk calls, and Taehyung stiffens before turning around.

When their eyes meet, Jeongguk's heart stops in his chest. And Taehyung's face breaks out into the widest, most beautiful smile Jeongguk's ever seen.

Jeongguk takes one step towards Taehyung and then two. And soon enough he's almost running the last of the distance between them.

Inside his chest, his heart is beating rapidly, pounding against his throat and making his head dizzy. His palms are sweaty and his legs feel like jello, but he's smiling wide enough to make his cheeks hurt.

When Jeongguk stops in front of Taehyung, he drops his bags -- still packed from the airport -- at his feet. And Taehyung bites at his lip in an attempt to curb the intensity of his smile.

"Hey," Taehyung says. "Long time no see."

Namjoon wanted to know if Jeongguk's feelings for Taehyung were real; if he wasn't just projecting all of his fears and insecurities onto the first person who offered him a friendly hand (and a hard boiled egg).

But Jeongguk thinks that can't be further from the truth.

So he follows Yoongi's advice instead.

Inhaling a shuddering breath, Jeongguk closes the distance between them and cups Taehyung's face between his hands. Taehyung's eyes widen, his eyebrows quirking up in confusion.

A million thoughts run through Jeongguk's head. A million voices screaming what he should do.

But he ignores them.

And kisses the hell out of Kim Taehyung.

(He hopes Yoongi's proud.)

Leaning in, Jeongguk presses his lips against Taehyung's, just like he wanted to do along the banks of the Kamogawa; just like he's dreamed of doing since. And Taehyung gasps, his hands sliding up to brace themselves against Jeongguk's chest.

Jeongguk's heart is beating against his chest, hard enough to break through his ribs. He feels like he's swimming -- like he's floating on air -- and that feeling only gets worse when Taehyung's arms wrap around his neck and pull him close.

Jeongguk's kissing Taehyung.

And Taehyung's kissing him back.

When Jeongguk pulls away, Taehyung laughs, as warm and happy and weightless as Jeongguk feels. And then he leans his forehead against Jeongguk's, their eyes meeting, their chests heaving, breathless and elated.

"Welcome home," Taehyung says, his laughter sheepish, his cheeks and ears pink.

"Thanks," Jeongguk says, his cheeks aching with the width of his smile; his heart pounding in his chest, heavy and real and so incredibly happy.

And when Taehyung pulls him in for another kiss, Jeongguk sees mint, mint green.

And he knows he's right where he belongs.

That he's home.

That he's in love.