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there is a boy living across the road from jungkook. he's never noticed him around before despite living in town for more than half his life so he must be new. he lives with the quiet, and only strawberry farmer in town, who is always up before the sun is to gather his harvest and sell at the market. there is a boy living across the road from jungkook and the first time he's seen him had been a complete accident, really. he was coming home from work and he had a clear view of the farm from where he was walking and he's there, beyond the white picket fence that spans around the entire plot of land, the sun washing over his honeyed skin and painting him gold. enamored—floored. jungkook stops walking abruptly and he knows it's rude to stare, his mother has taught him better, but the way the last dying rays of sunlight was dripping golden on his skin and reflecting white onto his dark hair was enough to completely flush the shame out of him, replaced with a bright pink blush and something like a swarm of butterflies in his stomach when he catches jungkook's gaze, standing a few meters away from him, like a deer caught in headlights. he doesn't sneer like jungkook expected him to, doesn't pull out a handful of strawberries to pelt him with, instead he walks near the fence and raises a hand above his head and it takes jungkook a moment to realize that he's waving. when he shakes himself back to functionality, the other boy was already bringing his hand down, looking almost bashful when jungkook failed to return the gesture, so he assumes that was the right time to approach and finally talk, to apologize for being rude, right? he turns his head, left and right, before crossing the road, the scent of strawberries in his nostrils before the fence was at arms length. he's even more stunning up close, jungkook realizes dreadfully. eyes as dark as his hair, slitted mysteriously as he observes jungkook, but it wasn't spiteful—he knows because there is a large, box-shaped smile on his lips as he greets the former's approach. he smells a little bit like wet soil and a lot like strawberry jam when he reaches over to shake jungkook's hand as an introduction, enthusiastically stating that, "hi! my name is taeyung but call me tae! i moved here from korea to help my grandpa and i like it here so far!" jungkook gets as far as tae before his mind completely spaces out and zeroes in on his face, sparkling with sweat and excitement—and jungkook thinks he's the most beautiful thing in this place that he's seen in years and that he is completely and utterly screwed.there is a boy living across the road from jungkook and his name is taehyung but asks to be called tae and he always smells like wet soil and strawberry jam when jungkook visits him after work everyday but he doesn't when he crosses the road himself over to jungkook's house and asks him on a date. he smells like perfurme and aftershave when he picks jungkook up the next night to watch a movie somewhere in the outskirts of town and he smells like perfume and aftershave when he kisses jungkook goodnight. jungkook finds that he likes the smell of wet soil and strawberry jam better because it is more like taehyung and he's come to associate words like home and safe and maybe love with it.there is a boy living across the road from jungkook and he brings over strawberries in a basket every morning with his sunshine smile and golden skin and presses jam sweet kisses to his lips and flowers between his ribs, planting a garden full of love and strawberries in his diaphragm.there is a boy living across the road from jungkook and he can't quite believe that he's his when he brings the latter to his meadow of strawberries and grass and tells him where the best spots are to harvest the fruit and when the right time it is to do so and jungkook finds it a bit boring and makes him sleepy but he's wide awake when taehyung tells him he loves him.there was a boy living across the road from jungkook that told him he'd marry him in the spring but a wreckless driver in winter gets to him before spring does and jungkook can still smell the pavement and blood and strawberry jam in his nostrils when he cradled taehyung that asked to be called tae to his chest.there is no boy living across the road from jungkook, just a small strawberry farm with a grieving farmer and a meadow filled to the brim with strawberries that he has learned to despise. there is no taehyung that asks to be called tae, that smiles like the sun rises and sets for him, that smells like the wet soil that now cradles his body in a plot of land across the road that took his life and the smell of strawberry jam makes jungkook sick to his stomach. everything that has ever reminded him of tae makes his throat sore with bees and thorns and he's there, everywhere he looks. in the basket he always carried that is now abandoned at the side of the road when he brings over strawberries and the shirt he left in jungkook's house, the pitiful smiles everyone gives him, the dead garden in his ribs and the sun that is a facsimile of his smile but isn't quite as bright.there is a boy buried across the road from jungkook and he hasn't eaten a single strawberry in years, hasn't appreciated the sun in just as long. taehyung, who asked to be called tae, has left and taken his appreciation for beautiful and sweet things with him, leaving a bitter taste in jungkook's mouth.