Chapter Text
Jimin was born with powers. He can heal wounds, talk with animals through his mind, move objects and other things he has yet to discover within himself.
His family works as a slave to the Min family. He grew up helping his father in the Min's farm, growing crops, feeding the animals and occasionally running errands for the master's son, Min Yoongi.
Yoongi is a pale boy with a weak body. He seldom goes out of his room because of his weak body that easily catches sickness. Ever since the day that his parents almost lost him to a disease he caught when he was a child, they did everything to maintain his good health and not get sick even to the slightest.
One day, Jimin was asked by his mother to bring the young master Yoongi his breakfast, as he was not feeling well and couldn’t join the family to eat in the dining area. Jimin quickly made his way to the young master's room bearing breakfast on a tray.
The door to the young master's room was ajar. Jimin knocked twice and entered, not waiting for the owner's permission. The room was tranquil with white silk curtains swaying by the wind and cream bedsheets slightly rumpled. It was simple that no one would think it's the Min's one and only son's bedroom.
Jimin was expecting that the young master was still sleeping but the bed was empty. He was surprised by the sudden sound of the piano being played to a beautiful tune he doesn't know. When he turned to his side, he saw the young master playing the piano with closed eyes.
It was a beautiful melody that resembles the feeling of ache and sadness that Jimin got lost to the sound, frozen on his feet with his eyes slowly closing, the tray was still on his hands. He was already into the music, feeling it and drowning into it when it suddenly stopped.
"Who are you?" asked the young master. Jimin got startled by the voice and opened his eyes.
"I--I'm Jimin.” he answered with a bashful smile. It’s the first time he sees the young master up-close and the first time they talked. ‘My mother -- the cook, asked me to bring your breakfast here because you aren't feeling well. The maid who usually does this was busy with other tasks that's why I'm here instead."
"Oh, I didn't know the cook has a son." The young master muttered nonchalantly. Jimin has no response to it. The young master's words were no surprise. Jimin is aware that his presence was mostly limited to the farm kitchen and the backyard and it was the first time he was asked to tend to the young master.
"You can put the tray on the table" Yoongi instructed in which Jimin quickly followed. After asking the young master if he needed further assistance, in which Yoongi replied nothing more, Jimin quietly exited the room and went back to the kitchen to help his mother.
On that night, Jimin brought food to the young master again for dinner. He found the young master sitting by the window, gazing outside, watching the night turn deeply to its darkest. As Jimin was putting the tray on the table by the bedside, he noticed some broken pieces of glass on the floor.
"Young master, there's a broken glass on the floor, did something happen?" Jimin worriedly asked while collecting the pieces of the broken glass. The young master turned his head slowly to face Jimin's direction, his face was illuminated by the moonlight that looks paler than before, his eyes were devoid of brightness despite the moonlight on his face.
"You're here again--" A faint smile grew on the young master's lips that didn't reach his eyes. "How was it?" he continued.
"The glass was broken. What happened here, young master?" Disregarding the young master’s question, Jimin repeated his own question.
Yoongi didn't answer but instead continued - "How does it feel coming back here?"
Jimin didn't quite understand why the young master was asking him a trivial question but he answered nonetheless. "I--It was good, young master. I have to come back here to bring you your food so you could eat."
It was true. Jimin had no other reason for coming back in the room if not for the young master's stubbornness of not eating with the rest of his family in the dining area. As Jimin remembered this morning, the young master looked fine contrary to the not feeling well alibi of him, but right now, as he looks at the pale boy's face, he really looks not okay.
"Do you like coming back here?" another question from the young master.
Jimin hesitates but still answers. "Uh-- yes, young master"
"I wish I could go to a place I like and come back whenever I wanted, too." the pale boy said, looking to the dark night outside again. "I don't like it here" he added.
Jimin, despite being a slave to the Min family, is a free boy. He goes to the farm with his father whenever he likes and helps with his Mom in the Min's kitchen whenever he likes. He also goes to the river to catch fishes and bathe right after whenever he likes and do other things freely. He couldn't imagine the life of the pale boy in this room who couldn't go to where he wanted.
"Is it because of your health, young master? Don't think that I am prying but I heard rumors that you are not allowed to go outside because of your health. Is it true?" Jimin suddenly had the urge to ask. For being a slave, he is talking too much.
Yoongi just snorted and looked up to the sky.
"Do you have a place you want to go to?" Jimin asked again.
"Yes. I want to go anywhere to see the stars nearer, but I guess that's nowhere, and if there is such a place, I don't even know if I could go there." answered the young master. He said he wanted to go see the stars nearer but he was looking down while he answered.
Jimin felt his heart twitch. He felt for the pale boy despite not knowing exactly the feeling of being contained in a place for so long. He stood up from gathering the broken glass and went nearer to the young master.
"I know that place. I can take you there!" he said.
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Truth be told, Jimin had no idea where in the world such a place could be. He immediately regretted saying it upon realizing, although, he wouldn't admit it in front of the pale boy who looked at him with sparkling hope in his eyes. He wouldn’t let the young master down, would he?
“Where in the world could it be?” Jimin tossed and turned in his bed. The young master’s hopeful gaze flashed back in his mind. He promised the young master that he will bring him to that place but aside from ‘where’ the place is, another problem is ‘how’.
With the mansion’s tough security and the parents’ monitoring, how exactly could he sneak the young master out from that prison mansion? Jimin needs to consult his magic but he has yet to discover his limitations.
As far as he understood in his young mind, his power let him do anything he wanted. He remembers the first time he knew of his powers was when he knocked off his milk on the table.
Jimin was so hungry that time. He cried hard while looking at the spilled milk.
In his intent glare, the glass started to shake and stood right up on its own. The milk followed suit and went back inside the glass. The second occurrence was when he got wounded from climbing up a tree.
His annoying wounds are getting in the way of his enjoyment with his friends as his parents prohibited him to play outside until his wounds heal. He tried to heal his wounds in just a sway of his hand.
Third time was when he knew he could speak with animals. He found a wounded bird in the forest and helped it recover. He always talks with the bird but one day, to his surprise, he heard the bird talk to him.
His parents knew of his powers and feared for his life since then. They banned him from using his powers especially in front of other people for they know how those people might react. They call it witchcraft, for those who think it’s evil and Magic for those who think it’s a blessing.
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Jimin did the best he could to find a place closer to the stars. He asked his parents about it, his friends, parents of his friends, the old woman who sells rice cakes in the market place and every person he knew and most of them told him to go and climb a mountain.
It’s not like the young master could get consent from his parents to go out but Jimin knows that it’s already agreed silently between him and the young master that their way to get out from the mansion is by sneaking out, the problem is that he knows for sure that the young master’s health condition wouldn’t allow them to go far, especially climb a mountain.
Feeling hopeless, Jimin walks back to his house from the marketplace after asking the vendors that his mother were friends with about the unknown place. At the side of the road there’s an old oak tree where he rested under its shade.
He closed his eyes and decided to take a nap. When he woke up, the sun had already set. He stood up hurriedly to go home when he noticed his surroundings. Little lights are floating around him that look like little stars.
He was so amazed by them and an idea popped in his head. He ran to his house to get a transparent jar and went back to the big oak tree to collect the beautiful little stars which happened to be fireflies. He ran excitedly to the mansion to show the young master what he found.
It’s been 3 days since the night Jimin made a promise to the young master. Tonight, he will show the young master these fireflies that he caught safely thinking that it could make the young master happy. While he is creating a plan for the great escape to see the real stars up close, he thinks that these little lights will suffice for now. He smiled contentedly and knocked to the young master’s bedroom.
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Yoongi eagerly waited for Jimin's return the night after Jimin made his promise. He got excited and expected that Jimin would take him to that place right away even though they didn't really talk about when it would be.
He got a little disappointed when Jimin didn't return for 3 days. The urge to ask the cook about his son's whereabouts was strong but he resisted against it. Now that Jimin is back, it seemed that his excitement lessened.
"Young master, forgive me for barging in but there is something I would like to show you" Jimin gestured up his hands a bit bearing the jar with the lighting insects inside. The jar was wrapped with a cloth so that the fireflies will not be visible.
"What is that?" the young master took off the blanket that was draped on the lower part of his body and sat on the side of his bed. "Let me see it." He motioned Jimin to come closer with a wave of his hand.
"The beauty of this thing that I'm holding can only be seen in the dark so we have to go outside, if you don't mind, young master" Jimin explained with excitement but he didn't move from where he was standing.
"The only thing I deemed beautiful in the dark are the moon and stars, Jimin. Is there such a thing more beautiful at night than the ones we see in the night sky? If it's not stars nor the moon, I would not like to see it." The young master said bitterly. He's still a little disappointed about Jimin not showing up sooner.
"I agree with you, young master. The moon and stars are indeed the most beautiful but there are numerous beautiful things you haven't seen yet." Jimin protested.
Something inside Yoongi hurt from Jimin's statement. He knows that being in the confines of his room, in this pretend house, prevents him from discovering many things outside and he doesn't have to be reminded of the sad truth.
"Well then--" Yoongi got up from his bed and opened his closet to get a cardigan to put on himself. "--if you're sure about that, then show me." He didn't insist on his stubbornness anymore. Inside of him, he was curious too.
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Jimin smiled widely upon hearing the young master's words. He didn't waste time and immediately approached the window. He stuck his head outside to check for guards lurking around.
When Jimin deemed it safe, he jumped outside the window with the Jar still in his care. He gestured to the young master to do the same, extending his hand to support him in his jump.
"You-- is this necessary?" Yoongi blurted out half shouting and half whispering, hesitation apparent in him while he contemplated whether to do as the boy did or just go back with his reading.
"Do you trust me, young master?" Jimin asked, his smile is a glimpse of hope. His left hand still extends to Yoongi.
Yoongi doesn’t know how to answer the question. He just stepped on the window sill, grabbed Jimin’s hand and jumped. Jimin caught Yoongi's hand and they stumbled on the grass together. The cloth hugging the jar loosened along with the Jar's lid and little lightning bugs captured inside the jar was freed.
Jimin's bum caught their fall along with his whole back and Yoongi's face hit Jimin's chest. When Yoongi tried to look up at Jimin, about to ask if he's okay, he got distracted by the little lights floating around. His mouth opened wide on autopilot and forgot that he was still on top of the younger boy.
Fireflies flew everywhere, illuminating lights that for sure, in the darkness of Yoongi's yard, looked like little stars -- at least they were in Jimin's eyes. He hoped that the young master could see it the way he sees them -- beautiful, majestic, dreamy.
They both enjoyed the view for a little while before they noticed that their bodies were still pressed to each other. Yoongi immediately got up and Jimin followed suit. Their eyes met and they couldn't resist their smiles that turned into laughters. It echoed to the darkness and mixed to the cold breeze of the night.
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Ever since the firefly incident, Jimin and Yoongi have become closer. Jimin was the one who showed Yoongi the beauty of the world that he was deprived of because of his situation inside the mansion.
Jimin would bring bizarre things to Yoongi that he would find interesting and they would both play with it or experiment with it until the interest they have for that thing fade away.
Sometimes, Jimin would accidentally use his powers in front of Yoongi, and the latter would notice it every single time. The rain of questions from Yoongi overwhelmed Jimin, and he ended up admitting having powers to the young master.
Jimin would use his magic sometimes to heal Yoongi's wounds or whenever Yoongi's body would ache. Yoongi's reaction when he uses his powers was always funny and cute, and it pleased Jimin to see the young master smile.
--
"You did it again!" Yoongi’s wide-eyed, annoyed.
"Did what?" Jimin was obviously using his magic. He wanted to win the board game that they were playing and he moved the dice telepathically, hoping that Yoongi won't see it, but to his surprise, Yoongi caught it.
"The dice moved!" Yoongi insisted.
"No, it didn't?" Yoongi's reaction was so funny and Jimin tried hard to suppress his laughter.
"Oh, you can't fool me, Jimin! I definitely saw that! Don't you use your tricks on me!"
This time, Jimin's laughter blurted out and echoed inside the young master's bedroom. Jimin's laughter was contagious and the young master couldn't help but laugh too. Yoongi stood up from the carpet and moved to Jimin's side, locked his arms around Jimin's neck and messed with his hair playfully.
They lay on the floor while laughing. Yoongi looked at the ceiling, smiling. Ever since Jimin entered his life, he learned to laugh genuinely, not the ones he would force when his father tells a joke that wasn't funny at all.
Jimin's existence in Yoongi's life is a blessing. He wouldn't know what he'd be doing right now if the younger boy didn’t bring him his food that night and promised him to see the stars up close. Yoongi is beyond thankful for everything Jimin did for him and he promised to himself that someday he'll make Jimin the happiest, too.
When their laughter ceased, Jimin turned to face Yoongi, still laid on the carpet, smiling. "Young master, are you busy on Saturday night?" he asked, as if Yoongi's busy at all.
Yoongi's eyes narrowed at Jimin's question. It's funny that Jimin was asking something obvious so he raised his hand to hit Jimin's arm playfully, but Jimin caught his hand before it landed.
"You know that I’m only busy when you're here. You know everything I do inside this house, Jimin." His hand caught in Jimin's hand is something he always liked. Instead of pulling away from the younger boy's grip, he played with those little chubby fingers, curious about the question.
Jimin smiled at the thought that the young master's time was mostly spent with him, but what about when he’s not with him? He thought of what the young master feels whenever he’s not by his side. He suddenly remembered the young master’s state when they first met, his face devoid of emotions, pale, and always looking outside the window, longing for something.
Jimin wished that there could be other spontaneous things they could do rather than staying inside the mansion. He wished that the young master's health would improve, that Yoongi could be allowed to trek a mountain to see the stars up close. He wished that his plans on Saturday night for the young master would be successful and he wanted it to be one of the young master's memorable nights.
He stood up smiling. He composed himself, cleared his throat and went to a slightly serious tone and bowed to the young master. "In that case, I would like to invite you to go out tomorrow night, young master. There is something I would like you to see."
Yoongi stared at the younger boy, blinking. There was a moment of silence before he spoke.
"Stop calling me young master! How many times should I tell you that, Jimin? And wait, are you actually saying that tomorrow night is the night that I will finally see the stars up close?" he asked excitedly, anticipating Jimin's positive answer.
There's nothing Jimin won't do to fulfill his promise to the young master. Tomorrow night, he will take the young master outside the mansion for the first time, even though it's not to see the stars up close, Jimin believes that it would be something the young master won't forget.
Jimin cleared his throat, the upward curve on his lips went slightly downward. "I'm still in the process of planning for that one." He straightened his body from the bow and continued. "I-- I apologize for not being able to do that yet. There have been---" Jimin's statement was cut.
"No, don't apologize. I know it's not easy and don't think that it's your task alone. It's my task too and I told you that I will get healthier so you could take me there, right?" Yoongi reassured Jimin. His hands held Jimin's face. "I don't want to see that frown on your face. Now let me know about your plan on Saturday. I'm excited!" Yoongi said happily.
The smile on Jimin’s face returned. He's thankful for Yoongi's understanding. If only his powers let him pluck the stars one by one and give it to him.
"This is not about the stars but I think you'll still like it. You'll be looking up at the night sky in order to see them."
"That sounds amazing!" Yoongi giggled.
Jimin couldn't wait for Saturday night to come.
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Jimin planned their escape from the mansion well. He knew that he cannot make the young master walk from the mansion all the way to the venue, as there's a possibility that someone might catch them on their way, and he considered the young master's health too, so he asked for help from his friends in the market to hire a simple carriage.
Saturday night came. They successfully exited the mansion and arrived at the place they were heading to.
Yoongi was wearing a disguise prepared by Jimin, insisting that he shouldn't be recognized by anyone. Even if his face wasn't known in their town for the lack of encounter with people, seeing a slave hanging out with a noble man is really unusual, thus, a disguise was needed.
Jimin looked at Yoongi from head to toe. It's rude but he couldn't help it. The young master was wearing a simple set of clothes but still managed to look dashing in his eyes. If he was aware of it, he would probably thank the darkness for helping him conceal his blush.
There were a lot of people in the venue. The people were busy walking here and there, and some were sitting on the grass. Lively music was playing in the background that made the ambiance entertaining and festive. There were also pretty lights, candles were lit and arranged beautifully everywhere. People were holding lanterns, some of them were already lit, and waiting for the go signal before the release.
"Jimin---" Yoongi gasped upon realizing that Jimin took him to the lantern festival. "Jimin, are you serious? This is amazing! I can't believe this!". He couldn't believe that he would be able to witness the ascension of lanterns that he only knew from books. He never had the chance to see it before because of reasons both of them already know. He was teary-eyed, watching the festivities take its place in front of him.
Jimin felt satisfied upon seeing Yoongi's reaction. "I actually called everyone here to celebrate your successful escape from the mansion!" he joked to lighten up the mood and not make him bawl his eyes out from being overwhelmed. Jimin’s smile transformed into laughter.
Yoongi joined in. Jimin's eyes forming little crescents while laughing was his favorite sight. He hopes that Jimin's laughter won't stop. It is music to his ears and he could listen to it forever. He looked at the younger boy lovingly. He's so thankful that he's out of words, and when someone is out of words, the body does the talking.
He looked intently at Jimin before he lifted his arms. He buried his face in the younger boy's neck, and at that moment, it was Jimin who ran out of words.
Jimin didn't expect Yoongi's action but he loved it, nonetheless. He gently raised his hands to wrap around the young master's waist. Yoongi hugged tighter and they stayed like that until the go signal was heard and the lanterns started going up one by one.
They broke the hug to watch the lanterns, but Yoongi didn't want to leave Jimin's warmth so he sneaked his hand into Jimin's. Jimin was more than happy to hold Yoongi's hand so he intertwined their fingers and looked up at the lanterns. They admired the beauty of cylindrical papers floating, yellow lights illuminating the darkness of the night sky, while they both feel their hearts floating too.
As the lanterns went up and became smaller in their sight, Yoongi glanced at Jimin who’s still busy looking up. He let his eyes bask in the sight of the younger boy and he didn't realize that he squeezed the younger's hand a little too tight. Jimin felt it and turned in his direction.
Yoongi was thankful for the existence of the boy in front of him. The boy who brought him the world in his little hands, the boy who came into his life when he started to lose hope.
They continued looking at each other. Jimin’s eyes were sparkling, reflecting the lights from the candles surrounding them. Neither of them was letting go of the other’s hand.
Yoongi was struck with the realization that right in front of him were the brightest stars he had ever seen. All this time, the stars he wanted to see up close were just right in front of him.
Yoongi wanted to cry, wanted to let out the overwhelming feelings inside of him. He wanted to kiss Jimin but he knew it's not the right thing to do at the moment so he did the next best thing.
"Jimin..." he called the younger's name. He tightened his grip even more, as if Jimin would suddenly disappear. He swallowed hard and continued. "I think I'm in love with you".
Jimin wanted to surprise the young master by bringing him to the lantern festival. Little did he know, he would be the one to be surprised.