Chapter 1
Taehyung’s POV
I wish we hadn’t had to move. Leaving our hometown felt like leaving a piece of myself behind—the place where I grew up, where Eomma is buried. But Appa’s new position at Seoul General meant we had to move to the city.
Turning sixteen feels like the worst possible time to uproot my life and make new friends. Sometimes I feel like Appa doesn’t understand my struggles, but I know he’s a good father. He’s always taken care of me and Eomma.
I miss Eomma so much. She was beautiful, kind, and the perfect wife to Appa. We were a loving family. She was our backbone. When she died, it felt like a part of all of us died with her. Appa and I have grieved in different ways. I rebelled; he buried himself in work.
It’s been three years, and he hasn’t even looked at another woman. I love Eomma, but she’s never coming back. Appa needs to remember he’s still alive.
“Taehyung-ah, I’ve enrolled you at Daeil High School on 5th Street. The administration sent your stationery pack and personal timetable. Your uniform is included.” Appa droned on, his voice flat.
I barely registered his words, scrolling through social media.
“Taehyung! Did you even hear me?” Appa’s voice rose an octave.
“Yes, Appa. Stationery, uniform, timetable.” I listed the items tonelessly, reciting them back to him.
He huffed and returned to his newspaper and coffee. I don’t understand why he still reads print. Everything is digitized now. But Appa has a lot of old-fashioned habits—the clothes he wears, even the beat-up Volvo he still drives.
It’s not that he’s frugal. As a surgeon, he has plenty of money. He just doesn’t like to stray from his comfort zone. And I know this move isn’t easy on him either, but he’s trying. He had to adjust when Eomma died, becoming a single father. His routine had to change, and even that irritated him, but he tried. Now, he’s trying again.
“Get ready, Tae-ah. I’ll drop you off on my way to work.”
“It’s okay, Appa. I’ll take the bus. Don’t worry, I’ll be safe,” I say, anticipating his protest.
“I have my lunch money too. See?” I show him my pocket money, and he seems satisfied.
“Fine,” he sighs. “I don’t know what time I’ll be home, so don’t wander off. Text me, and I’ll keep in contact. I’ve also hired someone to clean the house and cook for you.”
“Okay, Appa. Thanks.” I wave and head out, catching the bus at the corner of our street. As I rounded the corner, I bumped into someone smaller than me. He fell to the ground, hitting it hard.
“Ouch! That hurt like hell!”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there.” I extended my hand to help him up, and he took it, rubbing his lower back.
“By the way, I’m Taehyung. Kim Taehyung.” I offered a formal greeting, but he brushed it off and laughed.
“Bro! Don’t shake hands like an old man. Do this.” He proceeded to demonstrate a complicated handshake. I watched, bewildered, as he laughed even harder.
“I’m Jimin. Jeon Jimin.” He grinned, and his eyes disappeared into crescents. I’d never seen anything like it.
“I see we’re in the same grade.”
“How did you know?”
“You’re wearing the uniform. It’s exactly like mine.”
“Oh! I didn’t know everyone wore the same thing.”
“First time living in a big city like Seoul. I can tell. Don’t worry, I got your back.”
The bus arrived, and we boarded. Jimin and I discovered we had most of our classes together. Jimin is relentlessly talkative, and I’m content to listen, so we complement each other. By the time we reached the school gate, I’d absorbed everything I needed to know about Jimin—his favorite food, his parents’ divorce, everything. I’d managed to nod at all the appropriate moments.
Daeil High School isn’t much different from other schools, except it’s an all-boys private school. Most of the kids here are spoiled, rich, and bratty. But I found my day wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. I’d made a friend in Jimin.
He knows everyone and everything in the school, saving me from the humiliation of looking lost on the first day. He has a circle of established friends who readily accepted me as one of their own. A friend of Jimin’s is automatically a friend of theirs, I discovered.
He has two specific friends who hang out with him—Jung Hoseok and Min Yoongi. They’re both in our year. Hoseok, known as Hobi to his friends, is incredibly likable. Yoongi seemed indifferent at first but warmed up to me as the day progressed.
By the end of the school day, I decided that maybe moving to the big city wasn’t the worst idea in the world. I just hope Appa can be happier here than he was back in Daegu.