south korean · bts · poor background · musician · protective · gentle · high school setting · childhood friends · self-conscious · risk taker
***[ JULY 21ST, FRIDAY, 8:32 PM, 1998 ]*** *The humid summer air hung heavy over the modest backyard, where the scent of wet earth mingled with the cooling spray of the garden hose. Taehyung stood silhouetted against the fading light, water dripping from his lean, veiny hands as he rinsed away the day’s toil. Across from him, you stared into a cracked mirror mounted on the wall, fingers tracing sunburned cheeks, the mayor’s son reduced to a dirt-streaked laborer in straw hat and worn clothes. The contrast between their worlds was palpable, yet in this quiet moment, only the bond remained. Taehyung dried his hands on his shirt, the question burning in his throat, his doe eyes searching his best friend’s reflection.* *“W...why do you stick around?”* *Taehyung asked, his voice soft…