"Taehyung-ah?!" a scream is heard all over the hall once the door is opened.

A weight is thrown at Taehyung, making him stumble backwards slightly.

"How did you get here?"

"You won't believe it but I flew here."

"Put the sarcasm aside or I will kick you where the sun doesn't shine," the much smaller girl growls.

"Just the way I remember you, Daeun," he smiles brightly, sincerely happy to see her.

"You, on the other side, barely look like yourself," she says after checking him out from head to toes.

"Come inside, granny will be so happy to see you."

"Daeun! You know I told you to tell me when you're expecting visitors," the old lady curses at her grandchild, getting up from her chair as fast as she can to clean the dishes once she sees the boy appear at the door.

"This is not just a visitor, granny. Look who God brought to us," the old lady focuses her eyes on the boy and her smile grows wide at realisation.

"Is that you, Kim? Yoon's little Kim Taehyung?!"

"I am not that little," Taehyung giggles.

"Of course you are not! My eyes may not be the best anymore but I can see you became a real man since I have last seen you."

"But he's still missing few muscles," Daeun teases and earns a hard stare from the older boy.

"And where's your boyfriend, that Jeon's kid?" the lady takes a step towards Taehyung and pats his shoulder.

"They broke up, granny, I remind you every time."

"Sorry, my dear. It must be really hard for you. I know you loved the boy more than the sun loves the moon."

"It's okay. It's been a long time since that," he manages to stay calm as he shows her a small smile.

"Long time or not, love will always burn in your heart, dear."

"Okay, enough about that. Why did you end up here, Taehyung-ssi?" Daeun steps between them and pulls Taehyung away from the woman.

"I have been wanting to visit Paris for months, so I am finally here since I have some free time."

"That's great! I can show you around," Daeun jumps excitedly, Taehyung smiling at her childish behaviour.

"That would be amazing."

"Don't you kids dare leave me out of your plans! I may be old but not old enough for you not to carry me around."

The three of them laugh together and Taehyung's heart feels at the right place the most since the past few months.

_______

Taehyung, Daeun and her grandmother spent the whole morning in the streets.

Daeun's grandmother was just like Taehyung remembered her from about 5 years ago when he saw her for the last time.

She is still the same bright old lady who tells the same jokes over and over again but everyone still laughs at them.

She reminds him so much of his own grandmother, her sister. They really are each other's copies in and out and Taehyung couldn't be happier for that.

As they went back to her house, she cooked them the tastiest lunch and kept forcing them to eat another plate until they couldn't even breath from how full they were.

In the evening, after the two women insisted for Taehyung to stay at their place instead of a hotel, him and Daeun went outside after giving grandma a good night kiss.

They were walking down the quiet streets of Paris, telling each other about all those years during which they haven't seen each other, and really, there was a lot to tell.

"So he married her after both of you wanted to marry each other?"

"He did," Taehyung nods.

"That seems like the most heartbreaking love story I have ever heard. And I've heard plenty."

"I am not gonna argue about that," he says between a smile.

Taehyung still smiles even though the memories are clutching his heart. He still smiles and thinks about it as beautiful memory of the first boy he ever fell in love with.

He continues to walk down the street before he realises he does no longer hear Daeun's steps beside him.

"Are you really gonna end up like this?"

He hears her ask once he turns around to face her.

"What do you mean?" he asks confusedly.

"Apart, when you are still in love with each other."

She catches him off guard for a few seconds before he processes her words and puts a fake smile on his face again.

"As long as we're happy, yes."

"Is he happy?" Daeun tilts her head in question, eyes looking for the true emotions behind Taehyung's mask.

"He surely is," he answers, expression now looking a little colder.

"But are you?"

Taehyung takes a little while to answer, looking up at the stars above them.

"I am slowly getting to it."

Daeun shakes her head, rushing away with Taehyung following her.

"I don't like this at all."

"Why not?"

"You two were supposed to end up happily ever after," Daeun mumbles, eyes focused on the lights at the end of the street.

"We did end up happily ever after. Separately."

"Come on Tae, it cannot end up like this. What's it good for? You sacrificing yourself for Jeongguk's happiness when you are still hurting."

"It was my decision. And I have no reason to regret it as long as he's happy. Even if it's not with me," he finds himself repeating the same words again just like he did many times before.

"Well, I don't feel like you really mean your words because it seems like you repeat the same phrase again and again to fool not just people around you but yourself too."

"We won't talk about him again, okay?" he growls, turning his back on her.

"Why not? Because you can't even say his name loud?" she rushes after him.

"Daeun, for god's sake why do you have to keep caring about my life?"

"Maybe because you can't admit that you've made a mistake which keeps ruining your life. It's been four years Taehyung!" she screams from the bottom of her lungs.

"I shouldn't have come here," he shakes his head and Daeun's arms fall to her sides.

"Yeah, maybe you shouldn't."

And after that their ways part, each one walking the opposite way.

______

The next morning...

________

"I am here."

"Taehyung-ie! I am glad you came back."

She lets go of the newspaper she's been holding the moment she sees Taehyung at the door.

"I am sorry for Daeun, you know how persistent she can be," she apologises.

"It's okay. I can deal with her. And it wasn't just her fault," he sighs, back leaning against the wall.

"You know she told me about your fight. Do you want to talk about it, dear?"

"I don't know, I don't think there's a point at solving a closed book," Taehyung sighs.

"Wait for me in the garden."

He nods and does as she said.

Taehyung remembers this garden from many years ago, when he used to lay on grass and watch the stars for hours until he would fall asleep and his father had to carry him to his bed. He has such a beautiful memories from those times.

"You know you looked very different the last time I saw you here," grandma's voice is heard right next to him as she sits down on the bench by his side.

"Do you remember it? When you and Jeonggukie came visit me and you two fell asleep in each other's arms here."

"Yeah...I remember," he says in barely more than a whisper.

"But the look on your face is still the same," she says with a little smile.

"What do you mean?"

"You look at the sky just like you used to. With so much faith in your eyes."

"I always liked the view from here," he says nostalgically, warm breeze messing his soft hair.

The old woman follows Taehyung's eyes up to the sky.

"It's not the same like it used to be back then, is it?"

Taehyung shakes his head, eyes never leaving the sky.

"No, something feels different."

"That's because you are searching for something."

He looks down at his legs, wondering whether it's really just a feeling that there's something different, even missing maybe.

"You won't find it up there, Taehyung," the woman says before leaving the boy alone under the night sky.

_______

"Taehyung-ssi?"

He turns around at the sound of Daeun's voice.

"Hi...granny told me you stayed here," she starts carefully.

"Can I sit down for a while?"

Taehyung nods, not minding the company. He's been out here alone for too long anyways.

"You are thinking about him, aren't you?" The question is straightforward.

"Always."

"What is he like?" she asks, reminding herself that she never got to meet Taehyung's lover.

He smiles while looking up at the sky.

"Lovely. Very lovely, and unbelievably beautiful."

"Do you know what he looks like now?"

He shakes his head.

"I have no idea. But I'd love to know."

Daeun places her warmer hand on top of Taehyung's cold one, comforting him with the soft gesture.

"Me too, Taehyungie...me too," she says before they fall into silence again.

how could two people who were so deeply in love not end up happily ever after. it had to work, didn't it?