A slightly stinging pain graced his chest as his fingers brushed across the soft bed sheets for one last time. His gaze lingered on every single piece of furniture decorating the room for a brier while: the desk, the closet, the chair, the little couch, the lamp...

Oh, how empty everything looked at the moment. Without his computer, notebooks, many pens and signature bottles of strawberry milk littering his desk. Without his colourful clothes and accessories peeking out of his wardrobe. Without his little plants peacefully sitting on his windsill and freshening up the dull ambiance.

But he knew, all things came to an end eventually. This was the moment that would close another meaningful chapter of his life. And open another one.

"Hey, Tae. You ready to go?" A brunette head peeked through the door, making him nod and stand up from the all too familiar bed and gaze upon the empty and lonely-looking room for one last time.

"I know how you must feel. College graduation hurts just as much as high school graduation, if not, even more. You think everything's easier after you finish high school but sadly, that's not the case. You must be feeling super old right now, huh?" With a heavy heart, Taehyung nodded.

"I went through all of this last year, I can still remember how sad you were when me, Jinyoung and Soojin finished college. But you found new companions and now you're a free man with countless possibilities." The blonde pouted.

"This year wasn't the same without you guys. I missed your cooking and your advice, your weird dad jokes and your singing in the shower. My new roommate was cool, but also boring. I'm so glad you came to bring me to the train station, Hyung, but you really didn't have to." Seokjin ruffled his hair fondly, grabbing the younger's very full suitcase and not listening to his protests.

"Don't worry about it, I wanted to. My part-time job is somewhere around there and my flat is only ten minutes away from the train station if you take the car. So believe me, absolutely no complications for me. Now let's go, or you'll miss your train. You don't wanna miss your college graduation party in Jejudo, do you?" Taehyung shook his head aggressively, of course he didn't!

"I'm so excited to see everyone again! All my friends, my mom, my dearest boyfriend... And I've never been to Jeju, this is gonna be amazing! I also haven't had a party in ages, last one was my birthday," he rambled, Seokjin smiling at him fondly. Despite him being a fully grown adult by now, his child-like spirit still shaped his bright aura.

"Hold up. You're twenty-two and you've never been to a college frat party? Damn, I should've taken you sometimes. Partying is so fun!" The blonde shook his head.

"It never intrigued me much. I don't really like the taste of alcohol, too many people around me make me feel dizzy and nauseous, bright lights and loud music aren't too nice either and most importantly, I'm in a relationship." The older nodded, understanding.

"Oh yeah, right. I guess partying is more fun for us single pringles." The brunette winked.

"But now, let's go for real. Or both of us are gonna regret it. Are you excited?" The pair now walked out of the dorm, the younger nodding brightly with the stinging sensation inside his chest still remaining and accompanying him on his way out.

"Mhm. I've always wanted to go to Jeju. The nature is so beautifully green and colourful, the water is clear as crystal and I've heard it's super clean and the restaurants and hotels are top quality, so I bet we're going to have an amazing time there. I mean, the reservation was pretty expensive, but thanks to mom's new job and Mrs. Jeon we were able to pay it just fine. And I've also heard that people in Jeju have this really funny dialect and I wanna see if it's true," Taehyung rambled again, leaving the building and turning around to see his dorm building one last time, standing proudly and its white walls contrasting beautifully with the morning sun's vibrant reddish colours.

He sighed, inhaling the brisk morning air, listening to the early birds' chirps and turning around, setting one foot in front of the other and walking, walking into this new, exhilerating chapter, turning the page and starting this mysterious and unpredictable journey called life. And his heart fluttered, like a little bird's wings.

°○●○●○°

Jejudo was truly beautiful, just as beautiful as Taehyung had imagined it to be. He had not been disappointed for sure.

He regretted spending the whole plane ride napping instead of looking out of the window goggling and admiring the terrific sight outside the little airplane. But to his defense, it had been an extremely long day for him. A multiple hour-long train ride, catching up with his best friends, going home to unpack and pack again for their one night on the island and freshening up before another hour-long bus ride to Gimpo Airport in order to fly to Jeju. And then came all the time they spent checking in and waiting for their flight. At least the plane ride was pretty short.

Next to him sat Jimin and Yoongi, Chaeyoung and Lisa sitting the row behind him. All of them watched the adorably sleeping male, cheeks puffed and lips formed to a little pout, with fond smiles and little giggles, knowing exactly how upset he would be when he opened his eyes. He may have grown a lot and matured but still, he stayed the same little boy he used to be on the inside. They simply decided to let him sleep as this would be an eventful night for him. Truly.

He had lots of fun catching up with them, listening to their stories and telling them his own one about his college years and future plans. Still, he couldn't help but miss his mother, Jungkook and even the latter's parents very dearly. But since the ravenette's term had ended a few days earlier and the Jeon family had decided to spend a little holiday in Jejudo, they had decided to simply wait for the group of friends there and prepare Taehyung's and Jungkook's college graduation party. The location for it was Mrs. Jeon's idea since she seemed to be fond of the islane aswell. And Mrs. Kim had tagged along with them since Mrs. Jeon really wanted her to be there. The two of them had really grown close, they were like best friends. A truly adorable friendship.

As Taehyung breathed in the fresh early evening's air of the stunning island and admired the magenta red, pink and orange-coloured sky with his eyes lighting up out of pure adoration, he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Jimin smile at him warmly.

"The restaurant for the celebration is just around the corner. Let's go, I can't wait to see the amazing buffet and I'm sure you can't wait to see your lover boy again and celebrate your freedom. How are you feeling, Tae?" Looking at the sky again, Taehyung shrugged with a little smile on his face.

"Happy, actually. So damn happy I could cry. Excited, too. I'm an independant adult, my whole life lays in front of me like a wild, blue ocean, waiting for me to paddle right through it. It actually feels really good, I don't know why I was scared of the future back then. It's really cool, actually."

Jimin chuckled at his best friend's words and threw his arm around his shoulder. He truly admired Taehyung for his beautiful words sometimes, he just had a way.

"By the way, how's she doing? You know, your--"

"My fiancée? Yeah, she's doing amazing. Just one more week and I'll be able to see her again, I miss her lots. When we get married, I'll join her every time she goes on her Japan-family-trips," the still red-headed male told him proudly, the other smiling warmly.

"I still can't believe you guys got engaged. I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, Tae. Mina is my everything, I can't imagine living without her... Soo, four years of college and you never suspected Jungkook's feelings for Bora again?" The blonde shook his head, looking quite unfazed.

"Nope, never. I know I can trust him. He wouldn't be the love of my life if he still had feelings for that bitch. We both made a mistake a few years ago but luckily, we grew from it. He hated her and she wasn't interested in him either. So yeah, absolutely no need for drama," he spoke truthfully, smiling a little.

"Hey, you guys coming?" Two girls with their hands intertwined, standing at the other side of the road waved at the pair, motioning them to follow and stop strolling around. Next to them stood a still raven-haired boy holding his suitcase, the keys of a piano printed on it, tightly, clearly awkward with the couple standing next to him and showing affection publicly.

With a loud "Yes!" shouted by Jimin, the two of them grabbed their suitcases and started jogging towards the rest of them, heaving their luggage behind them and feeling the wheels bounce off the asphalt of the street occasionally.

°○●○●○°

Mrs. Jeon and Mrs. Kim had clearly outdone themselves with the party preparations.

The restaurant was decorated romantically yet festively, red and pink balloons guarding the entrance and the buffet's tables, all the tablecloths velvety red and the plates detailed with little curlycues, the tables decorated with candles, little heart figures made out of plastic aswell as soft roses and lastly, gold and silver confetti littering the brown tiles of the floor. A radio played in the background, gentle tunes filling the room and fulfilling the breathtaking ambiance.

It looked more like a Valentine's day party rather than a college graduation party but since the two main guests were lovebirds, they were fascinated by the idea.

As soon as Taehyung saw his mother, he jumped into her arms and hugged her tightly, not having seen her in a big while.

"Hi, Mommy! Oh, I missed you so much! Did you arrange a dog-sitter for Yeontan?," he asked excitedly as soon as they loosened the hug. On his last birthday, he'd been gifted an adorable Pomeranian dog by Jungkook, the adorable furball barely bigger than his hands back then. Since he was in college, his mother had to take care of him.

His mother, looking beautiful as always with her hair tied up and an elegant beige cocktail dress fitting her like it was personally tailored for her, simply laughed. "That wasn't necessary." She picked up said furball from the floor which made Taehyung let out a squeak of surprise and immediately hug the pup tightly while cooing at him.

"Aww, you brought Yeontan here! But how was he allowed into the plane?" The woman shrugged, petting the little Pomeranian's head softly.

"I don't know. He just was. He's an adorable little thing, I've grown so fond of him, taking care of him while you were in college. He's like a second son to me. Jieun loves him too, she took care of him every time I had to work full-time. Being divorced is so fun and relaxing!," she told him happily, her son smiling in relief. He was glad his mother was happy, it was what she deserved.

"Oh, by the way, son. Did Jimin do your make-up again? You look stunning!," she complimented as Taehyung was swaying around with Yeontan in his, like the pup was his own child.

He pouted at her. "Are you saying my make-up skills are bad? I mean, he did. I don't even know why, he just told me I needed to look good for the party and started dolling me up. Look at this weird silk shirt! It's uncomfortable," he whined, tugging at the sleeves of his silver silk shirt tucked into a pair of black, tight-fitting pants, the delicate material shining beautifully under the light of the many chandeliers in the room, reminding him of a starlit night sky.

Mrs. Kim laughed heartily.

"Your skills are just as amazing, honey. Jimin just has that way of doing the eyeliner wing- so your eyes look sharper and more elegant instead of cute. And your silk shirt looks godly, really... Oh, look who's here. I'll take Yeontan, you can play with him later. Your boyfriend just arrived." She winked, taking Yeontan out of his arms and stepping away elegantly.

His heart feeling like a million fireworks exploding in his chest, he turned around and for a while, it seemed as if time had stopped.

Towards him walked a smiling Jeon Jungkook, wearing a perfectly fitting suit- perhaps the same suit he had worn for high school prom-, his still slightly long hair parted and revealing part of his forehead and eyebrows. He also may have matured the past few years but within, he was still young high schooler Jeon Jungkook: sweet, charming, funny and childish at times.

In his right hand he held a blue rose, absolutely not fitting the red-pink-ish theme of the night but it didn't matter since blue roses had a significant meaning in their relationship: Jungkook's birthday gift for his seventeenth birthday aswell as his reconciliation gift after their first fight as a couple.

Feeling like a main character from a cheesy romance movie, Taehyung walked towards the other male slowly, his heart pounding and filling his whole chest with pure warmth and his eyes twinkling with multiple undescribable emotions. He knew everyone's eyes were on him- he forgot about them completely, focused on one person and that one person only.

His eyes never left Jungkook's, the two of them held eye contact until he was standing right in front of the younger. And all of a sudden, it felt as if he saw him for the first time again, all the emotions and the heart flutters. He was falling in love all over again.

As he carefully took the beautiful rose into his own hand with neither of them saying a single, he felt his eyes glisten with tears, threatening to spill but then stopping as two fingers placed themselves below his chin and lifted his head gently. "Don't cry. Save the tears for later, okay?"

And with that, he threw his arms around the other's neck and hugged him tightly, sighing deeply as he inhaled his scent and felt the warmth radiating from his body as the ravenette's arms pulled him tighter against himself. The restaurant's guests tried to keep themselves as quiet as possible and gushed over the sweet couple quietly.

"Hi," Taehyung whispered when the hug was loosened a few moments later.

"Hi," Jungkook answered, tucking a strand of hair behind the blonde's ear.

And coincidentally at the same time, their lips met in a short but very sweet kiss, the blue rose between their bodies as if it symbolized both their hearts connecting to one. It was just like in a movie, just a tiny bit better.

The restaurant really was worth the money. The food didn't lack quality aswell as quantity or variety and neither did the drinks, everything tasted and looked magical. But maybe it was just the breathtaking ambiance making it appear as magic. If paradise was a place, this seemed like the perfect location for it.

Taehyung and Jungkook sat at a little table standing in the middle of the room by themselves, completely drowned into their own world: feeding each other, doing love shots, flirting, giggling, holding hands and wiping sauces and crumbs off each other's lips, drawing heart-shaped patterns into each other's palms... the usual. As if they were falling in love all over.

Everything was so natural, Taehyung felt light, as if he was floating on a fluffy cloud. Out of all parties and dates he had attended with the younger male, this one seemed even more magical than anything he had ever experienced before. Something was just different.

And this night was bound to become even more magical.

All of a sudden, Jungkook lifted himself from his chair, holding his wine glass high into the air and looking around the room with his most trusted people with a warm smile.

"May I have your attention?" Immediately, everyone was silent and all eyes were the ravenette.

"Today is the day where we celebrate the end of our adolescence. We've grown into proper adults now, as unbelievable as it seems... But before we start our real lives, there is one more thing I need to do." He set the glass down and walked around the table until he reached Taehyung who looked at him wide-eyed.

The blonde gasped as he felt his hands get grabbed by the other, Jungkook suddenly going down on one knee and positioning himself on the floor.

"Kim Taehyung... The love of my life, my beautiful, little prince..." The older felt his breath hitch as he had a hunch of what he was about to do.

"The first time I saw you, you were a little toddler, crying after your mom and clutching a little teddy bear. And even with my three years of age, I knew there was something special about you. I wanted to get to know you, I wanted to be your best friend, your BFF. Little did I know I had just met my soulmate for ever and ever." He caressed the blonde's hands softly, taking a breath.

"Kindergarten, elementary school, middle school. You were with me every single moment, watched me grow from a toddler into a child, from a child into a teenager. Whatever stupid stuff I was about to do, you stopped me, scolded me but not too harshly, brought me back on track. And somehow, rebellious little Jeon Jungkook always listened to you, more than his own mother and father. No matter how stubborn he was being, his silly, little heart always had it for you." He smiled slightly.

"And then there was this mess called high school, my many, many relationships that somehow never seemed right. The many girls I went out with, every single one had some sort of resemblance with you. Boxy smile, blonde hair, long eyelashes, really pretty hands or nerdy brain, there was always some sort of resemblance hidden somewhere and honestly, that's what intrigued me. I then thought I fell in love with someone called Lee Bora but I was pretty much living a lie. She wasn't the right one for me, it was you all along." He pressed a kiss on Taehyung's hands briefly.

"And then turns out you actually fell in love with me, when I was at the depth of my despair, when I felt worthless and miserable, like a used rag. You were my salvation, the answer to all my questions, my other half... I was just too oblivious to see it since I was seemingly into women only but in retrospect, I should've seen the signs much, much earlier. Eventually, I fell for you too and it terrified me. I thought it was wrong, but why did it feel so right to me? I wasn't supposed to fall for a boy, fantasize about him. I wasn't supposed to fall for my best friend. I tried to fight it, I tried to forget you but the more I tried, the deeper and deeper I fell."

"I didn't know what was happening to me, I felt torn. You drove me crazy. Wherever you were, I wanted to be with you, I wanted to see you all the time. My heart fluttered every time I saw you, I felt at ease and something inside me told me: This is it, Jungkook. This is the one.

Our story is filled with happiness aswell as despair. To me, it is the most beautiful story to ever be told and I can't wait to tell it to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We both went through hell and heaven until we found our way to each other. Shadows tried to stop us from loving each other but that's all they are, shadows. Love will always find its way, and we found it."