Fresh spring air blew through Kim Taehyung's light, turquoise coloured hair as he walked along the quiet sidewalk. The midday sun, in the cloudless sky, shone down brightly upon the lone boy. The light from its rays highlighted strands of his bouncy, fluffy hair which gave the boy a breathtakingly angelic look to any passers-by. His big brown eyes scanned the tall, stone walls with neatly kept green ivy that hung down its length.

The familiar walls he walked along made up the boundary of his home away from home; the town's Traditional Korean Gardens. Nearly every day - despite rain, shine, hail or snow - Taehyung would visit the gardens and spend his time roaming the grounds at a leisurely pace. With the amount of time he had spent there, he could probably walk around the entire place blindfolded and not once step on any plants, or run into structures, or fall into any ponds.

Since Taehyung had been a little kid, he had walked the same ten minute route to get to the Korean Gardens. While he may walk the same path alone these days, he knew in spirit and in soul, he was never alone. And although he missed his grandparents being by his side and being with him in the beautiful gardens, he knew that they both were in a much better place. As he looked upon the entrance in the far distance, happy memories resurfaced of his times spent there with them.

Taehyung's bright, brown eyes looked up at the huge hands of his grandparents that each held one of his tiny hands. Laughter filled the quiet sidewalk as the trio would walk side-by-side. The low voice of his grandfather's filled his ears as the elder softly explained the importance of someone taking care of the gardens for the future generations. The kind words his grandmother would tell him as she gently ran her hand through his soft hair while he laid his head on her lap. The last smiles he ever saw his grandparents give, as they sat shoulder to shoulder in their wheelchairs, while they overlooked the last sunset they were to ever witness in the very same place they had met.

The Tradition Korean Gardens held a special place in Taehyung's heart. It was one of the only things he would look forward to in his lonely life these days. A soft sigh passed his pink tinted, slightly plump lips as he allowed those treasured memories to fade away. His brown eyes travelled along the ivy covered stone wall once more as a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Soon, he would cross the threshold of the entrance, and he would be filled with a calmness only this place could give him.

In the distance, not too far off from the entrance of the gardens, Taehyung saw a small group of eight boys that were heading in his direction. His heart instantly dropped and his palms grew sweaty, knowing exactly who they were and what was about to occur. The group pounced on any opportunity to gang up on him. They had never been kind to him, and nothing he had done, ever changed for them to leave him alone.

Taehyung grasped the strap of his black messenger bag tighter in his hold. The cool spring air seemed to disappear while the sunlight bore down upon him in hot waves. His inner anxiety swelled as his eyes locked with the leader, and the main initiator, of the group. The taunting cheers from the group filled the previously quiet streets. The horrifying sounds oppressed his will to run away in the opposite direction, instead, it beckoned him towards the only safety he knew.

"Well, well, well," sneered Lee Ji-Hoon, the leader, as he sauntered all the way up to Taehyung until he was face-to-face with him. His light brown eyes sparkled with the joy as he though about how he would soon be inflicting pain onto the younger. "Who do we have here? Guys, look who wants to have some fun with us."

"Leave me alone," weakly said Taehyung with his tearful eyes locked on the concrete pathway below his feet.

"Awe does the little queer flower boy want to be left alone?" Ji-Hoon jeered at the top of his lounges, the group around him laughed just as loudly.

"I'm not queer!" Taehyung yelled as his head snapped up at the familiar taunt. It didn't matter how many times he would deny the mocking remark, they would always call him that. "Just leave me alone, Ji-Hoon. Go find someone else to pick on today."

As Taehyung went to step around the group of eight, two firms arms grabbed him from behind and held him firmly in place. A hot breath brushed against the back of his neck as he squirmed in the grasp, desperate to get away, but he ultimately failed against the strength. The other seven boys surrounded him, trapping him, in a circle. It was a cruel stark reminder how outnumbered he truly was in this situation.

"Now, now," lowly tsked Ji-Hoon directly into his ear, his hold slightly relaxed once Taehyung had stopped resisting him. "That's no way to treat your Hyungs, now is it? Be a good little flower boy today and we won't be here long. We'll be on our way and you can go back to being the little loner you are."

"Over here gay boy," a voice of one of the lackeys called out.

Ji-Hoon forcefully turned Taehyung in his arms to face the short, overweight kid who had spoken a moment ago. Instantly, Taehyung's body became tense as he waited for the oncoming blow from the other boy. He had been through this many times to know each of them would get a few punches in before they'd leave him alone with their sick satisfaction fulfilled for the time being. And sure enough, a mere second passed by, and the lumpy fist connected with his clothed stomach.

The force from the punch almost left him breathless, it obviously had landed on something it shouldn't have. Another right-handed punch came before he had a chance to recover; one of many more to come. This time it landed upon his left cheek. The blow had enough force behind it that it sent both Taehyung and Ji-Hoon stumbling backwards a few steps. Only the taunting laugh of the entire group filled his ears as he was once again forced to turn towards another one of the boys.

Punch after punch hit him. Each blow took a piece of his heart with it. His body ached from the physical abuse as he tried to endure it for just that little bit longer. His mind focused on the beautiful grounds a few metres down from them. The thoughts of being in the gardens kept him from giving in to the cruelty and breaking down in tears. And, ultimately, it was the thought alone that pushed him to finally make his move to freedom.

Taehyung could feel Ji-Hoon's arms relax and fall away from his body. Now free from his captor, he took the opportunity to do something he had never done in all of the years he had been the victim of this group. He fought back. Taehyung turned on his heel and swung his own fist with as much force as he could muster. His knuckled connected in a sickening crunch squarely on Lee Ji-Hoon's nose.

Everything around Taehyung seemed to slow down as the leader stumbled back with his head held in his hands. All of the sounds around him disappeared, while time froze completely, as his wide eyes stared at Ji-Hoon's bent form in shock. All seven of his lackeys suddenly gathered around their leader to help him tend to his bleeding nose. It was in that moment that Taehyung didn't waste another second. He turned on his heel and ran, with every fibre of his being, towards his sanctuary.

"Yeah! You better run fucking faggot! We'll get you next time!" yelled Ji-Hoon, his voice quickly faded the further the distance between them became.

Heavy footsteps, pounding heartbeat and laboured breaths dominated his hearing as Taehyung ran as fast as he could towards the entrance of Korean Gardens. He did not dare turn to look at his tormentors, afraid he would either see them coming or that he would fall and they would capture him again. Even above his panting, he could still hear all eight boys jeering and taunting him. Tears swelled in his eyes which he fought to hold back. So close. He was so close to his safe place.

The second Taehyung crossed under the curved, red tiled archway that connected the stones walls together, a sense of serenity washed over his aching body. His tear filled eyes roamed the calmingly still grounds as he came to a halt a few meters inside his safe haven. He wiped away the slight sweat that had built up on his eyebrows. The cool, spring breeze returned which helped to cool his overheated body and entered his burning, oxygen deprived lungs.

Disbelief and shock ran rampant in his mind after what he had just done. Never before had he fought back. He had always been so compliant in their beatings, relenting to his fate. He didn't know he had that side in him. Part of him couldn't believe he had been so brave to finally give them a taste of their own medicine. But another part of him, a much larger part, knew he would pay big time for having laid a hand on Ji-Hoon.

Taehyung's body automatically moved on its own while his mind still lingered on what had just transpired. It took him down one of the many gravel paths on the grounds. His eyes wandered the picturesque landscape before him. The trauma from moments ago begun to be erased the further he walked in the calm gardens. He smiled as he walked passed one of many ponds, this particular one happened to be filled with tones of large koi fish of all colours.

A large Beot-Kkot tree with light pink flowers loomed above the peaceful pond. Taehyung watched as a few of its flowers drifted down, carried gently by the soft breeze, to settle upon the surface of the water below. A smile graced his lips from the tranquillity of his surroundings. Nothing but the sounds of nature filled his ears while he continued to walk along the gravel trail.

His eyes wandered along the beautiful rows of white, pink, red, orange, yellow and purple coloured tulips. The flowers well maintained by the groundskeepers, proven so by the strong stench of the freshly laid fertiliser mixed with soil that suddenly filled his nostrils. On the other side, opposite the tulips, were Maehwa tree after Maehwa tree lined along the edge of the path. Its long branches filled with both partially and fully bloomed flowers. The light pink petals reminded him of the popular Korean Plum Liquor tasting drink named Maehwasu.

Taehyung spent another ten minutes leisurely wandering the pathways of the gardens. He stopped to smell the delicate scent of some Magnolia flowers as well as the fresh aroma of some Gaenari, or Forsythia Koreana, petals. He briefly rested under the old structures made from stone, that were covered in rows of neatly maintained, green ivy. He crossed the red railed, wooden bridges over a few of the ponds, and stopped to stare into the calm water below. His entire body, from head to toe, had become relaxed and filled with calmness; the soreness erased from his mind for now.

He made his way over to one of his favourite places in the gardens; a secluded Beot-Kkot tree on top of a small hill. Taehyung lowered his body down until he was sat with his back against the firm wood of its base. He took a moment to wipe away the remainder of sweat and bathe in the pure serenity the Korean Gardens fed him. His soul slowly became rejuvenated and replenished after such an intense interaction.

Sparkling brown eyes overlooked the grounds below him. He could see the bloomed yellow Sansuyu trees, the tips of the branches reached high into the air. The short Royal Azalea shrubs - differing in pink, white and purple - that grew in small patches amongst the grounds. And the bright yellow flowers of the Yuchae trees that towered over many of the small flowers and shrubs in the far distance. This was home, his home, his safe place.

After he soaked in the soothing sight and sounds for a couple of silent minutes, Taehyung took off his messenger bag and opened it up. He fished out his notebook and pen before he pushed the bag to the side. He flipped open the notebook and shifted through the many filled pages until he came to the next empty one about halfway in. A small smile graced his lips as he re-read the last part he had written down, remembering why he had started to write that story.

'His dyed light pink, shoulder length hair was sprawled out amongst the lushes, green grass. The most carefree smile crossed his chiselled face; the same face that must have been perfectly crafted by god himself. Bright, blue eyes twinkled breathtakingly from the light that shone down on us. And when he lazily turned his head towards me, those same breathtaking twinkles in his blue eyes instantly captured my heart from where I, too, laid sprawled out alongside this angel sent to earth.'

Not only two days ago had the most captivating, most stunning, most astonishing stranger walked along the paths of these gardens. The entire time, Taehyung had silently sat and observed him. He had wished he had the confidence to talk to such a breathtaking stranger. But instead he watched from a distance until he had left the gates, likely to never return again. With that imagine brunt in his mind even now, Taehyung continued to write.

'Neither of us could speak a word as our eyes stared deeply into the other's. My heart danced around in my ribcage from the sight that lay before me. It felt like his perfect orbs was discovering every aspects of my soul without needing to hear any words. A shiver ran over my entire body like a river flowing downstream. He was affecting me, had every nerve on edge, and not a single touch was needed for such results.'

A soft sigh left Taehyung as he imagined the scene in his head. He looked upon the grounds below him and envisioned the stranger and himself, enacting what he had wrote, down near the Koi pond he had first stopped at. An action he'd never dare perform himself, for he was in deep denial. But one in which he could freely write about and not feel guilt since he had long ago convinced himself it was merely for the creative writing course he partook in.

However, his moment of daydreaming was interrupted by three familiar faces swiftly walking through the Korean Gardens. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes widened in fear. Ji-Hoon and two of his lackeys seemed to be heading in a beeline straight towards him. Taehyung forced his eyes down to his notebook, his blank eyes stared at the page, and his mind raced with anxious thoughts. Perhaps Ji-Hoon had sought him out to get his revenge for what he had done earlier. Perhaps the leader of the group couldn't wait until next time after he was humiliated in front of his group.

"Yah! Flower boy!" angrily boomed Ji-Hoon's out of breath voice as soon as he got within earshot.

Fear filled eyes snapped up to lock upon the angry, contorted, red face of Ji-Hoon. Taehyung grabbed his messenger bag as he hastily stood up. He fumbled with the zipper before he shoved his precious notebook and pen away. Before he could even think of running away from the group of three, the boys had sprinted up to corner him against the trunk of the Beot-Kkot tree.

"Where do you think you're going, flower boy?" Ji-Hoon breathlessly sung out before he clicked his fingers and the boy to Taehyung's right pounced forward and forcefully snatched his messenger bag. The boy chucked the bag towards the leader of the group who caught it with a dark smirk on his face. "Why, what do we have here? Huh? Anything important I should know about?"

"There's nothing in there. Just stop, Ji-Hoon Hyung, please," he pitifully pleaded with the older, despite knowing his pleas would fall on deaf ears.

"Did you hear that boys? The queer said please," mocked Ji-Hoon before breaking out in a laugh alongside his two lackeys.

"Please," he begged desperately as he took a step forward.

The moment he moved, the two other boys took two threatening steps towards him. Their taller heights left him feeling insignificant and powerless. With his head bowed to hide his fear, he stood still, as he waited for whatever was to come next. Ji-Hoon and his group had never touched any of his personal artefacts, they had only ever taunted him with words and beat him up. This... This was uncharted territory he knew would leave him distraught on a whole new level.

"Do you boys feel like hearing what flower boy has written in his notebook?" asked Ji-Hoon with a vindictive tone.

"Yeah!" the one to the left of Taehyung replied instantly.

"No! Please don't!" Taehyung pleaded once more with tears that quickly formed in his eyes.

"The most carefree smile crossed his chiselled face; the same face that must have been perfectly crafted by god himself," Ji-Hoon read aloud in a professor like tone. "Wow. I was only joking when we called you queer. Didn't realise you actually were!"

"I'm not," stiffly retorted Taehyung.

"Your writing begs to differ flower boy," laughed Ji-Hoon and his two lackeys. "Listen to this boys. You'll never believe what he wrote after that. A shiver ran over my entire body like a river flowing downstream. He was affecting me, had every nerve on edge, and not a single touch was needed for such results. I don't know about you boys, but that sounds something a faggot would say, right?"

"Right," nodded the boy on the right.

"One hundred percent something a faggot would say, flower boy," jeered the boy on the left.

"I'm not gay!" yelled Taehyung as the hot tears that stung at his eyes finally fell upon his flushed cheeks.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," said Ji-Hoon while he rolled his eyes. He lazily flipped through the notebook, before he stopped, grabbed a page and ripped it out. "I'll keep this for another day."

"Stop!" desperately cried Taehyung as he watched the other pocket his work.

Ji-Hoon ignored his words as he continued to flip through the notebook with a contemplative look upon his face. His eyes lit up as he stopped on another page. Once more, he ripped the page from the book. Instead of pocketing it like he had done with the previous one, he tore it up into small pieces. The entire time he had an evil smirk plastered on his face as he sprinkled the page amongst the grass.

Each tear ripped Taehyung's heart apart as the process was repeated with three more pages. Tears steadily streamed down his face while he watched all of his hard work over the last year be destroyed in a matter of seconds. A burning heat started to overtake his body as anger settled in. Without a thought, his body lunged forward towards his main tormentor. His eyesight narrowed with rage, and the only thing on his mind was to stop the emotional abuse Ji-Hoon was inflicting upon him.

Two sets of arms harshly gripped him and pushed him back against the trunk of the tree. Taehyung's ears rung slightly after the back of his head hit the wood with force and his already tear impaired vision became cloudier even more so. His ears were filled with the sound of paper being torn as he finally let out his first sob, ever, in front of the group. His breath hitched in his throat before another gut-wrenching sound escaped him.

"Wow boys," remarked Ji-Hoon with surprise. "I think we finally broke flower boy. After eight long years... We, yes we... Finally broke our little queer flower boy."

Taehyung closed his eyes in defeat as he stood pinned to the tree listening to the haunting words and agonising sounds of his work being destroyed. Sobs tore through his tired body much like Ji-Hoon tore through his precious writing. He was essentially witnessing his heart and soul being dismantled before his very tear filled eyes. And there was not a thing he could do to stop it.

"Huh, who knew that flower boy really liked to write about boys," mused Ji-Hoon as he stopped to read yet another work from the notebook. "Is anyone else as shocked as I am that flower boy is a queer through and through?"

"I'm not surprised," spat the boy on the left, his hold on his arms tightened painfully. "I can practically smell the gay rolling off of him."

"I'm... Not... Gay..." Taehyung managed to force out in between distraught sobs.

"So you've said," huffed Ji-Hoon with annoyance as he discarded the notebook and bag on the ground behind him. "You've said that a million times, yet, the evidence is stacking against what you are saying. Just admit you're gay. There's nothing wrong with it. It'll just help me sleep better at night knowing all this time I was right about it."

"You're a sick bastard," whispered Taehyung as he begun to control the sobs, anger bubbled closer under the surface as he stared into the cold, brown eyes.

"What did you call me," harshly whispered Ji-Hoon as he advanced like a hunter on the kill, his eyes dark, and his face shrouded in shadows. "Say that again. I dare you."

"You're," despite the shiver of fear that ran down his spine, Taehyung repeated in an angry whisper, "a sick bastard."

As expected, a punch landed on his stomach a mere second later. Ji-Hoon's light brown eyes had grown dark with anger. There was a glint of something dangerous that swirled within the brown orbs. It sent a wave of fear through Taehyung's body like nothing had ever done before. Blow after blow followed, barely a second in between each hit. All he wanted to do was fold in on himself and drop to the ground, but he was held firmly in place by the two boys as they watched their leader go to town with sick smirks on their own faces.

Hot tears rolled down Taehyung's face the longer the relentless attack went on, impairing his vision. It quickly became a struggle to draw in a decent breath of air. The force of the punches dispelled any air that entered his body, leaving him pathetically gasping. The bark of the Beot-Kkot tree dug painfully into his clothed back as well as where his arms were pinned against it by the two lackeys. He was sure he'd be left with many bruises, possibly even cuts, by the end of this bashing.

"Get off of him!" a voice suddenly yelled from not far away.

The two sets of hands that had held Taehyung firmly in place withdrew without hesitation. His tired body fell to the ground the instant his weight was no longer being supported. Through his gasping breaths, he heard heavy footsteps that rushed towards his direction. As Taehyung curled up into a small ball with his hands cradling his tender stomach, he wondered who could have possibly come to his rescue.

Through tear filled vision, Taehyung managed to distinguish the silhouettes of six men as they sprinted up the small hill. The strangers came to a halt directly in front of Ji-Hoon and his two lackeys. All nine boys stared at one another, their chests heaved from physical exertion and pure adrenaline, and even from where he laid on the ground, he could feel how thick the air was with tension.

"Come on boys," Ji-Hoon huffed cockily. After he had eyed the strangers up and down, he begun to walk away with a smirk firm on his face. He turned around with a satisfied look on his face and eerily said, "See you next time, flower boy."

Relief flooded through Taehyung as he simply laid on the ground and watched the trio walk away. But the feeling was short lived. He was harshly reminded of what had transpired when a piece of torn paper got picked up by the wind and floated towards him. A soft sob left him as he reached a hand out to his precious, destroyed work. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly as more tears flowed down his cheeks. His heart felt as if it had been ripped much like the paper. He had paid the ultimate price for trying to protect himself.

"Hey, are you okay?" a gentle voice asked followed by footsteps.

Taehyung flinched as a hand tenderly brushed against his arm. He opened his eyes slowly and stared up at the person who was now crouched in front of him. His breath hitched as his eyes landed upon a familiar face. The same shoulder length, pink hair. The same perfectly hand-crafted face. And even though the stranger no longer had the blue contacts in, Taehyung could tell they were the same eyes, just now full of worry. He stared in shock at the stranger he had only minutes ago been writing about.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay? Are you hurt?" the most beautiful sounding voice spoke softly to Taehyung. It was as if the stranger spoke cautiously as to not scare him like he was a fragile doe in the wild. "Here, can you sit up?"

The stunning stranger outstretched his hand for Taehyung, who looked directly into those worry filled, beautiful brown eyes. Hesitantly, he reached out his hand, and with a slight shake, his hand touched the other boy's warm hand. An instant wave of electricity shot through his entire arm. In that moment, Taehyung couldn't look anywhere but at those captivating brown eyes right in front of his face. The stranger simply stared back at him, neither boy moved, time around them seemingly frozen.

"Is this your work?" a voice behind the beautiful stranger asked. "Did those boys destroy it?"

Both boys snapped out of their daze as Taehyung was finally helped to be sat up straight. He wiped the dried tear stains with his shirt while he looked at the one who had spoken. The dark blue haired boy was squatted beside all of the scattered paper. In his hand, a single torn piece, twisting it as he inspected it. Taehyung tried to hold back more tears as he too, picked up the piece of paper that had drifted towards him.

"Y-Yeah, they ripped up some of my writing," he spoke softly with a slight quiver in his voice.

"I'm so sorry," the pink haired stranger whispered before he placed his hand upon Taehyung's right shoulder gently.

The rest of the entire group stared down at him with a mixture of pity, shock and concern. The one who held the piece of paper begun to pick up more of the scattered work. And soon enough, all five of the boys were collecting the torn paper while Taehyung and the pink haired boy sadly watched on. The cool, spring breeze made the task difficult for the group; in any other circumstance, Taehyung would have laughed at the comedic scene before him.

His heart painfully dropped. It felt like his heart had been split between the sorrow of his work having been tarnished, the uneasiness mixed with fear of Ji-Hoon returning to finish what had been started, and the gratitude from the actions of these kind strangers. He felt like he could cry from pain. But, at the same time, he felt like he could cry from gratefulness. He had been through so many different emotions in the past hour and he hadn't even begun to process the events from earlier.

Tears begun to fall rapidly no matter how hard he tried to hold them back. Ashamed to cry in front of complete strangers, Taehyung buried his face in his hands while he simultaneously felt the soft squeeze from the pretty pink haired boy beside him. It had all been too much. Years of torment led him to this moment of time; bruised bodied and broken hearted. He was at the mercy of these strangers with all of his trust fully in their hands.

"Hey it's okay," the sweet voice quietly coaxed him to calm down. "You're safe now. We are here. Those boys are gone."

Hearing those words strangely comforted Taehyung. Through the burning pain in his lungs, he forced himself to take long, deep breaths. With the back of his sleeves, he wiped his weeping eyes and the fresh tear tracks. A shiver ran down his spine as the boy beside him slowly dragged his hand up and down his back. His red, puffy eyes finally turned to the side to lock eyes with the sad brown eyes.

"Awe you poor thing. Come here," the boy who was crouched beside him shifted to kneel instead.

With one knee behind Taehyung's back and one knee touching the side of his leg, the pink haired boy used his free hand to wipe the reaming tears away. The hand that had been caressing his back moved to the back of his neck and gently pulled him against the firm chest. Two strong arms wrapped around him as his head was nestled under the boy's chin.

"Everything will be okay, I promise," whispered the other boy as he tightened his hold.

"Let the boy breath, Jimin," an amused voice said before another equally handsome boy squatted before him, and in his hands were Taehyung's notebook and black messenger bag.

"He needs a hug, Jungkook. Leave us be for a second," said the boy that Taehyung now knew as Jimin.

"Of course," the handsome Jungkook smiled warmly as he smiled directly at Taehyung. "Just give me a signal and I will drag him off of you."

Taehyung smiled at the wink directed his way from the other brown haired boy before him and couldn't help the small chuckle that left him as Jimin reached over to playfully hit Jungkook on the arm. In that moment, as he watched the two strangers interact, an intense wave of familiarity and calmness washed down his entire body. Chills ran over him, causing goosebumps to arise, and the hair on the back of his neck and on his arms to stand up straight.

"You're such a brat," huffed Jimin in feigned annoyance before he turned his attention back to Taehyung. Jimin wrapped his arm around him once more with a tight hold, and rested his cheek upon the top of the soft, turquoise hair. "Don't mind him. He's just jealous."

"Am not," Jungkook rolled his eyes and a fond smile formed on his face, a twinkle in both of his brown eyes.

"Would you two behave for a few minutes?" sighed the dark blue haired male as he walked up to the trio. In his hands were every piece of paper the group had collected. "Sorry about them. Here, we managed to grab all of it."

With hands held out, the new male carefully transferred the torn paper into Taehyung's shaking hands. Jimin pulled back from him slightly and squeezed his shoulders in a supportive gesture. Even though sorrow filled him as he looked upon his work, he could feel a strong collective sense of agony from all six strangers at what had transpired. And knowing that he wasn't alone helped Taehyung to bravely reach forward and slide the pieces of paper into his messenger bag that Jungkook had opened for him.

A soft and shaky exhale left his lips as he watched the pieces fall into the dark abyss of his bag. It would never be the same. He could never rewrite the ruined work in the exact same way. His precious work that he'd spent hours upon, while not entirely lost, would be forever lost in its original form. And that's what hurt him the most. Not the physical or mental abuse those boys subjected him to, but it was the emotional abuse of destroying something so valuable and dear to him.

"What's your name?" softly asked the dark blue haired boy, eyes full of pity.

"Taehyung. I'm Kim Taehyung," he replied quietly as tears brimmed his eyes once more, it was hard for him to take his eyes off of his bag.

"I'm sorry about everything that's happened to you, Taehyung. But it's nice to meet you. My name is Kim Namjoon," the other said before he outstretched his hand.

"Thank you," said Taehyung as he reached forward and took the offered hand. "Thank you all for your help."

"No need to thank us," Jimin smiled as he pulled back fully, stood up and stretched his arms with a kind smile on his face. "I'm just glad you are okay."

"Y-Yeah," whispered Taehyung as he sadly looked down at his lap.

"Can you stand up? Do you need a hand?" asked Jungkook with a small tilt to his head.

"I'll be fine," he reassured before he hoisted himself up from the ground and brushed off the grass from his pants and shirt. "Thank you again."

"It's okay, honestly," Namjoon smiled as both him and Jungkook stood up. The silence continued as the brown haired boy simply stood and stared at Taehyung. Namjoon rolled his eyes and shoved Jungkook slightly to prompt the younger to hand over the bag and notebook. "Jungkook-ah, give Taehyung his stuff back."

"Ah, sorry, here you go," Jungkook blushed slightly as he handed the two items over.

"Thanks," Taehyung bowed while he grabbed his stuff.

"Would you like to come hang out with us for a little?" asked Namjoon kindly.

"Oh, no. No I don't want to impose on you guys. I should probably go home and get some rest," Taehyung blushed from the kind offer.

"Of course, we understand," Namjoon nodded and smiled in return.

"It was nice to meet you all. Thanks for helping me. I hope you all have a good day," respectfully said Taehyung as he bowed profusely despite how sore his body felt from the earlier onslaught of abuse.

Taehyung smiled as all seven of them bowed at one another. He slung his bag around his shoulder, safely stored his notebook away and turned around after he directed one last smile towards both Jimin and Jungkook. He had only made it a few steps away from the kind group of strangers when he froze midstep in complete and utter fear. His body felt numb, his breath left his entire being, and his eyes widen at the sight that had caused such a powerful reaction from him.

"Wait!" cried out one of the males that hadn't spoken yet.

"What's wrong Jin Hyung?" another unfamiliar voice asked.

"Taehyung, those are the boys who hurt you right?" the voice supposedly belonging to Jin asked.

Still frozen in fear, all he could do, was nod in response. Jimin and Jungkook immediately walked over to him and they each placed one of their arms around him. His body was forcibly turned around by the two, but his eyes were still locked on the sight of Lee Ji-Hoon and his two boys as they smirked up at him from afar. A wave of dread washed over his body which caused him to shiver slightly; the memory of the attack still so fresh in his mind.

"Ignore them," whispered Jimin as the two led Taehyung back to the group. He squeezed the terrified boy's arm tightly as a silent reminder they were there for him. "You're okay. You are with us."

"O-Okay, yeah," he whispered and tears filled his eyes yet again, the trauma still fresh in his mind. "If that's alright with you all, can I stay with you?"

"Absolutely, of course!" said Jungkook before anyone else could reassure the scared boy.

"We were just about to sit at one of the Koi ponds before we saw what was happening to you," Jin said as he walked closer, coming to stop beside Namjoon. "Would you like to go hangout with us there? Get comfortable and rest for a bit?"

"Sure," numbly nodded Taehyung as he fought away the tears.

The two arms around him stayed in place as the group of seven begun to walk down the hill. Namjoon and Jin silently lead the way, while the rest followed, equally as quiet. Lucky for Taehyung, his body was being guided by Jungkook and Jimin as his mind was far from the present moment. He was completely consumed by the faces of his tormentors, their image carved and burned into every dark crevasse of his mind, not a single place had been unmarked by their terror.

"Hey, I'm Jung Hoseok," a voice said suddenly which brought Taehyung out of his mind finally and back to the presence. "It's nice to meet you, Taehyung."

To his left, walking beside Jimin, was a blonde haired boy with a bright smile and beautiful brown eyes. The moment Taehyung looked into Hoseok's eyes, he felt an instant connection to him. Within those sparkling brown eyes, he could see the genuineness and caring nature of the male plain as day. The longer he looked into those eyes, the more he felt safe. The more he felt protected. The more he felt he could say anything to this stranger and know not a single judgement would ever be made.

"Likewise," respectfully nodded Taehyung towards Hoseok.

"I know this may be a bit of a sore spot right now," Hoseok hesitantly begun to say with a slight sheepish look upon his face. "But I was wondering what you were writing? I saw a few words as we were cleaning it up, and I have to admit, I am intrigued."

"Oh," to say Taehyung had been taken aback by the question would likely be the most accurate statement anyone could ever make. "Well I mainly write short stories. Just about anything that comes to mind really. I find that inspiration finds me easily here in the serenity of these gardens. It's always so peaceful and quiet. Well, it was until today."

"I'm so sorry that happened. I could only begin to imagine what you're going through. I was also wondering if you'd let us read some of your work that wasn't damaged? A few of us write as a hobby and some of what I saw just seemed captivating," Hoseok genuinely said with a kind-hearted smile.

"Uh, sure. I guess that would be okay," replied Taehyung as a light pink colour faintly stained his cheeks.

"You're so cute when you blush," cooed Jimin as he removed his arm that had been protectively holding Taehyung, and reached up to pinch the slightly taller boy's faint rosy cheek.

"So cute," agreed Jungkook while he reached up and ruffled his hand through the turquoise coloured hair.

"T-Thank you," Taehyung said quietly as he hung his head from the embarrassment of the attention. He could practically feel his cheeks burning as they continued to walk in silence, both arms returned to protectively hold and guide him.

The group came to a stop moments later on the grass beside the very same Koi pond Taehyung had admired after he first stepped inside the walls of his sanctuary. And as he looked back on how much things had changed since he was last there an hour ago, it sent a wave of gratitude coursing through him. He had met two clingy strangers who gushed over him, three down to earth males, and one quiet, black haired, unnamed boy whose help did not go unnoticed nor unappreciated.

As the group stood still, overlooking the Koi pond, Taehyung finally felt safe and protected for the first time in a very long time. While some uncertainty and awkwardness still hung in the air from Taehyung's side of things, he could already feel the acceptance and warmth from the six men surrounding him. Part of him dreaded to think what would come of him once he ultimately left their company; likely to never cross paths with them again. Surely he would continue to fall victim to Lee Ji-Hoon and his lackeys.

"Let's get comfortable," Namjoon said with a content sigh, already moving to sit on the ground. "I'm sure you are tired and sore, right, Taehyung?"

"Yeah," he quietly said, nodded and sat down on the ground.

The group had formed a small semi-circle formation as they settled down. Namjoon sat at the end, closest to the Beot-Kkot tree that loomed above the pond, with Jin sat close beside him. The black haired boy sat next to Jin with Hoseok on his other side. Taehyung had sat down in between Hoseok and Jimin, with Jungkook completing the semi-circle next to the pink haired boy. Some of the boys remained cross-legged, while some leant back on their palms and stretched their legs out in front of them.

As Taehyung took off his messenger bag, a light pink petal from the Beot-Kkot tree caught his attention. The petal mesmerisingly drifted from side-to-side as the gentle spring breeze brought it to rest in the middle of the group. A small smile graced his lips as he fondly looked upon the lone petal surrounded by such kind-hearted and genuine people. He amused himself with his thoughts, liking himself to a flower petal, despite the hatred behind the taunt of being called 'Flower Boy' by his bullies. Perhaps he could reclaim and reinvent the meaning of the nickname.

"So has that ever happened to you before? Those boys ganging up on you? It sounded like they knew you," Jimin asked after the silence stretched on a little too long for his liking.

"Yeah, I know them pretty well," sighed Taehyung as he looked at his lap in shame. "Ever since high school, they've been targeting me. You only saw three of them, but there's usually eight of them. Ji-Hoon, the one who spoke, he is like the leader of them. A-And the reason those three came after me was because I punched Ji-Hoon earlier to escape from all eight boys on my way here."

"Jesus, you mean they had already ganged up on you before we saw what those three were doing to you?" asked Hoseok with shock written over his face.

"Yes," whispered Taehyung with a slight nod, his eyes never left his lap.

"You must be purple and blue all over, right? Are you in pain?" Jimin shifted closer and swept some of the turquoise hair from Taehyung's face.

"I'll be fine. I always am," he said with a quiver to his voice. He tried so hard to fight back the tears as he sent a sad smile towards Jimin, unconsciously leaning into the hand that still cupped his face. "Today they took it to a whole new level by touching my notebook with all my work in it. That is the thing I worry will be hard to recover from. The physical pain does not equate to how unbearable the emotional pain is."

"And has anyone ever stood up for you? At school? Out in the streets?" asked Hoseok. He, like the others, were afraid they already knew the answer to that question.

"No, never. I've never had friends, I haven't even had acquaintances if you could believe that," Taehyung laughed at how pitiful he sounded, even to his own ears. "No, you guys are the first people to ever step in and help me."

"I'm so sorry. That's horrible. You shouldn't have to go through that," sadness laced Jungkook's quiet voice as he looked upon him with sorrowful, brown eyes.

"Don't feel sorry for me. It's okay. That's just the way life decided to go for me," shrugged Taehyung with a sad smile.

"Whoa, you're so strong," whispered Jimin, his eyes shone with admiration as he reached forward and slowly caressed the back of Taehyung's neck gently.

"I wouldn't say that but thank you," he shyly whispered back, the earlier blush returning in all its glory.

"No, our Jiminie is right. You are really strong," smiled Namjoon as he watched the interaction with hidden interest.

Taehyung blushed harder at the attention from all of the boys. He hung his head as he heard them chuckle from his evident signs of embarrassment. Beside him, Jimin cooed and shuffled over so they sat side-by-side with their hips touching. The pink haired boy slung his arm around his shoulders once more and quietly cooed at him.

"So do you come here often?" curiously asked Jin to break the silence.

"Almost daily," he nodded in response.

"Wow! Really?" Namjoon couldn't believe his ears. "Well it was lucky our Jiminie brought us here today. Even if some," the blue haired boy shot a look towards the unfazed black haired boy, "weren't so keen on visiting. Jimin only found this beautiful place two days ago."

"Yeah, so lucky," nervously gulped Taehyung as he looked at the ground, guilt crept up behind him at having known this information already.

"So since you have never had a friend, do you always spend your time by yourself here?" Hoseok asked as he cocked his head to the side.

"Yes," he answered with a strained smile.

"Do you ever explore other places?" asked Jin with a frown. "I know you must like it here, but there's so many more places to visit and hang out in this town."

"No, not really. I like to stick to this place. I call it my home away from home. I've seen this place grow and change over the years. I've always felt at ease and safe here. So why bother going elsewhere? Especially when I'll just be by myself anyway," nonchalantly shrugged Taehyung, being honest to himself and the boys which earnt their respect.

"Well from now on, I'm going to drag you to new places," smiled Jimin as he pulled him closer. "And you can drag me here any time you'd like."

"Yeah, come hang out with us," Namjoon smiled as well. "At least promise you'll meet with us five different times and at five different places. Then, if you get sick of us after that, we'll leave you alone."

"You just seem like a nice guy and we don't want you getting left behind or forgotten about. Especially with people like that Ji-Honey guy or whatever around. It would hurt us to know something bad happened to you," said Jin sincerely, his face also sporting a genuine smile.

"I-I promise," Taehyung relented into the pressure, part of him swelled with pride for being brave and trying new things out of his comfort zone.

"You won't regret it. I promise you," Jimin whispered as he briefly squeezed his arm tighter around Taehyung, and then settled down with his head rested lightly upon the slightly taller's shoulders.

The pair stayed in that position as the group around them begun to talk amongst themselves. Taehyung blushed at the constant physical contact between himself and Jimin. It felt oddly satisfying to have someone to actually lean on, instead of usually being by himself 24/7. His light brown eyes scanned the group and frowned as his eyes landed on something he hadn't foreseen. His heart skipped a beat before it begun to pound wildly in his chest.

"Do you mind if I look at some of your work?" Jimin suddenly asked, startling him from his trance.

"Huh?" he asked as he turned wide eyes to the other. "Oh, yeah sure."

As Taehyung reached into his messenger bag and fished around for his notebook, his eyes couldn't help but travel back to the two boys that were holding hands and quietly gazing into each other's eyes. His fingers brushed against the familiar material before he grabbed it and pulled it out. Almost reluctantly, he handed his precious work over to the angelic pink haired boy. And the reason he was hesitant? Simply because he had written about the stranger and he was afraid what would follow if he was to read it and connect the dots.

"Jungkookie, come here," Jimin softly called as he patted the ground beside him.

Taehyung barely registered what was going on beside him as his eyes stayed glued to Namjoon and Jin. The two sat with their hands interlocked, leant against one another, as they deeply stared into the other's eyes. His heart loudly pumped in his ears, his mouth hung open slightly in wonderment, and his eyes were wide with surprise.

"I know, gross right?" the black haired boy tsked, which brought Taehyung out of his daze. "Yah! You two, knock it off! No one here wants to see your disgusting public displays of affection."

"Oh shut up, Yoongi!" Jin rolled his eyes as he turned to glare at the black haired boy. "If it was you and Hoseok, you'd rip my ear off for even saying such a thing. Treat your Hyung with respect and mind your own business. I'm sure your boyfriend would love some attention instead."

"Jin Hyung has a point, Yoongi," laughed Hoseok as he shifted himself sideways and then laid down with his head falling upon the black haired boy's lap. "Pay attention to your boyfriend."

"Brat," huffed Yoongi in annoyance as he tilted his head towards the sky, but nonetheless, reached a hand forward and softly stroked Hoseok's hair.

"Sorry, you probably weren't expecting that," Namjoon said with a sheepish smile as he looked over at the red faced Taehyung. "Jin and I are in a relationship. So are Yoongi and Hoseok. And so are Jimin and Jungkook. Hopefully that won't be a problem."

"Oh," said Taehyung, his heart dropped as he listened.

Why did his heart drop at the newly learnt information? Why should Taehyung care about a stranger and who they were dating? He shouldn't. And that was the problem, because he did care. His heart felt like it had been broken all over again as he looked at the pair beside him. Both Jimin and Jungkook looked up at the mention of their names.

"Huh? What was that Hyung?" Jimin asked with a tilt of his head.

"I was just telling Taehyung how we are all in relationships. He looked surprised when he saw Jin and I," Namjoon explained to the pink haired boy.

"Ah, okay," smiled Jimin towards the older before he leaned in towards Taehyung, lips hovered inches away from the turquoise haired boy's ear, hot breath glossing over the sensitive skin. "Those four are in exclusive relationships. Whereas, Jungkookie and I are open to... Shall we say... Others?"

Taehyung watched with a surprised expression as Jimin pulled back with a smirk firm on his face. His face flushed even deeper when he witnessed before his very own eyes as the other boy confidently sent a wink his way and merely turned around to keep reading through the notebook. He continued to stare at the pair beside him as he processed the information and the confusing internal feelings.

His heart shouldn't be beating a million miles an hour from those words sinfully whispered to him. But it was. He shouldn't have had goosebumps when he felt the warm breath tickle his neck. But he had. His mind shouldn't have gone blank after the flirtatious act directed at him from another male. But it had. Yes he had written about such things in his notebook, such things including the stranger now known as Jimin, but that didn't mean it reflected how he truly felt. Right?

"Pink hair and blue eyes," Jungkook mused out loud which caught the attention of Taehyung.

Panic flooded through him as he helplessly watched Jimin and Jungkook read over the very last story written in his notebook. Sweat formed on his hands as his body started to burn with an intense heat. The seconds seemed to drag on before the pair finally lifted their eyesight to him. Both had identical knowing smiles on their faces, before Jimin reached out to him and engulfed him in an enormous hug that ended up pushing them both to the ground.

Taehyung laid flat on his back, breath taken by the stunning silhouetted angel that hovered above him. The smaller framed, pink haired boy reached up and shifted the messy turquoise hair out of Taehyung's eyes. His small fingers lightly traced the sides of his face before his small hand cupped the bright, rosy cheeks. Unconsciously, Taehyung's tense body relaxed from the soft, warm touch, his eyes fluttering closed briefly.

"Don't hurt him," Jin spoke up from somewhere to the side, yet the voice sounded far from Taehyung.

"I would never hurt him," whispered Jimin, brown eyes roamed Taehyung's face, making him feel bare and exposed for all he was under such a powerful gaze. "I would never hurt something so beautiful."

Time slowed as down as the gap between Taehyung and Jimin seemed to grow smaller. His heartbeat rapidly pounded in his chest as he stared between those intoxicating eyes and pink, plump lips. His eyes fluttered closed as the distance was closed and the softest touch he had ever felt grazed his right cheek. Electricity shot through him at the contact, causing him to quietly gasp. He didn't dare open his eyes as he felt movement near him and suddenly a second pair of lips brushed against his left cheek.

"Absolutely perfect," Taehyung barely registered Jimin's whisper as he felt the other lean back, the weight that was on top of him disappeared completely.

"Utterly precious," Taehyung barely registered Jungkook's whisper as the second pair of lips withdrew and he heard shuffling nearby.

Two different hands grabbed onto each of his hands. Both Jimin and Jungkook squeezed his hands in hope to coax Taehyung to sit up. But what the boy's didn't know was that he was currently in a state of utter bliss. Everything, for the first time, felt right. Nothing about what had just happened felt wrong or dirty. It was in that moment that he came to the realisation he was indeed gay.

All of Taehyung's suppressed emotions and thoughts broke free as he accepted who he was. All of his internalised homophobia slowly faded away into the background, the lingering electricity a stark reminder of how right it was. It was okay that he liked boys. It was okay that he wrote about boys. It was okay that these two male strangers made him feel flustered. Taehyung knew it was all going to be okay now that he had come to accept himself.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Namjoon's concerned voice floated to his now crystal clear hearing.

"I'm fine," Taehyung opened his eyes and sat up slowly with help from the two beautiful people that sat either side of him. A small smile spread upon his face as he looked around the worried looks of the group. "I'm great."

"I think we found a keeper," Jimin smirked and hugged Taehyung tightly, while Jungkook nodded and rubbed the fragile boy's back soothingly. "He's so cute Kookie-ah!"

The group laughed and relaxed back into what they had been doing prior to the small antics of the trio. Taehyung couldn't help but bathe in the serenity that came with being surrounded by these six beautiful men. As he sat in the arms of the two clingy strangers, staring ahead at the Koi pond, he reminisced on how drastically his life had changed thanks to that day. He had overcome some fears of his. He had stood up for himself. He had lost, and more importantly, he had gained.

Another stray petal from the Beot-Kkot tree fell towards the ground, and something suddenly clicked in place for Taehyung as he watched it fall - almost sending him straight into tears. Here, in this very spot, had been the place his grandparents had met. Here, in this very spot, had been the place his grandparents shared their last smiles together and watched the sunset for the last time. He felt the raw emotions resurface from that beautiful night and couldn't help the happy tear that fell down his cheek as he also realised one more thing.

Because it was here, in these very gardens, that he had been saved by these six kind-hearted men. It was here, in this very spot, that he found what he hoped to be lifelong friendships. It was here, in this very spot, that he came to accept who he was and was always meant to be, no longer afraid of the taunts. And it was here, in this very spot, that Taehyung may have found something more than friends for the first time with two beautiful humans. 

And if this wasn't destiny and fate, just like his grandparents, he didn't know what was.