IIS_2023_1/arutunyan_dmitry_lab_7/texts/text-en.txt

Today there is no peace in the yard again, because the predatory beast is no longer sleeping.
Everyone in toxic territory bites their tongue, as if waiting for them all to be torn to shreds: cruelly and bloodthirsty. They turn around: frantically and fearfully. The blood runs cold in their veins, their hearts beat dully in their chests, and devils dance before their eyes.
No one allows them to move from their place and take shelter even behind tall trees nearby. They may be found there too. They hear very quiet steps, and all this is just imagination, built on fear and fear, which pulsate with acute pain in their temples. They whisper words to the gods they believe in and worship, and since these people are still alive on this earth, they probably hear them. But it seems to them that if they move too sharply one more time, they will be found and nothing resembling a person will be left behind. A thought like this excites and drives you crazy more and more with every worthless minute, saturated with cowardice.
The only owner of the territory where the frightened and timid are located, occasionally outlines their silhouettes with a cold gaze and admires how much fear lives in them just because of one living creature. They don't know anything about courage. He sometimes gets sick of such behavior, but he is not going to blame these people for anything, since he is the only one here who knows not only human language. He grew up in such conditions, was raised differently: unusual and wild for the rest of the inhabitants of the planet. Almost from birth, he studied those things because of which they might consider him crazy, a madman in this toxic territory. And poison flows through the earth only because of lifestyle, views, principles, traditions.
Alpha looks at the armed guards of his house - they fought, saw many deaths, but still have fear in their chests - now he keeps his expressive eyes on the orange setting sun, which illuminates the whole of Botswana with its dim light, and later returns to his hands with two large sharp knives. He sharpens them loudly against each other, notices the bright shine and reflection of his face. Sees the one whom many people on this earth fear. He built a terrible reputation for himself.
The man again turns away from his occupation, puts the bladed weapon down on the rocky ground and turns his head. He hears approaching steps and completely switches to this sound. A dark-skinned alpha of about twelve years old is shaking all over, and beads of sweat are rolling down his temples. The tray he holds in his childish hands makes noise along with his heart. He is afraid, but tries to hide it in front of the owner of the poisonous territory. And he sees everything, does not get angry, only feels how interest awakens in him. This boy, moving in his direction, is now terrified, afraid of a living creature, but continues to walk towards him, periodically examining the huge yard from where he can jump out. The guards standing at the tall iron lattice gates look back with the same fear.
They are all children. They're all the same.
The boy approaches and immediately lowers his intimidated gaze, chewing his lips and having no idea where he should start. He is new here: not even a week has passed since his arrival in this huge house.
“Sir...” his childish voice can be heard very quietly, and the older one just arches his eyebrow. “Chon-Reno,” he recalls how his dad told him that the owner of the house prefers to be called by his last name. “Your...” he holds the tray a little forward and realizes that he has again forgotten the name of the alcohol that fills the small crystal glass. “Your...” he repeats and swallows saliva. - What you asked.
“Rum,” Chon-Reno helps him. “This is rum, Ezi,” he takes a glass of drink and nods. The boy looks up at him in surprise, not expecting the man to remember his name. - Why are you so afraid? — narrows his bright gray eyes, bowing his head slightly.
Yezi bats his thick black eyelashes.
Does the senior alpha really not know why everyone in this territory is scared right now? Even God himself knows about this.
The Lion God should also guess...
“You released Diego,” he says as if trying to convey to Reno the full depth of his madness.
“He’s not a monster,” the steely voice frightens.
- He's a predator, sir...
The corners of the elder’s dry lips twitch a little, and his indifferent gaze is averted to the side.
His predator.
Diego is nowhere to be seen. His boy is having fun, content with walking on the ground, the clean evening air and the big orange sun that gives its warm light. The beast catches his rays and growls. He is also a living creature, and just like people, he wants to be free and let go, but unlike pitiful people, he is not a coward and is not afraid of what God has created. Stronger, wiser and more dangerous. This powerful predator is finally heard: the sounds it makes attract Reno’s precious attention, and the dark-skinned boy is forced to flinch and turn around, roaming around the territory with huge, frightened eyes. Fear dances in his blood, and his heart beats like a pitiful bird driven into a corner. He shudders from conflicting sensations, which the man next to him notices.
He-Renault looks blankly at Bello Jesi, the twelve-year-old alpha from a poor family who works in this large mansion. The man has known him for a couple of days, and he still has not gotten used to the usual way of life of the owner of this center of horror and madness.
“Yessi,” he coldly calls and receives due attention to himself. “Go into the house, ask to put meat for Diego,” the younger one quickly nods and is about to leave. “And you will bring it to me yourself,” and these words already seemed much more terrible.
“What?...” he asks again, not believing.
- You heard me.
But it seems that I misheard.
A terrible feeling of cowardice and resentment is swarming in his chest, but Ezi can’t object or express his reluctance to go out into the yard a second time, and even with a raw piece of meat for a predator. He can only vaguely nod to the elder again and hastily go to the stairs leading to the doors of the mansion.
And the owner of the house himself chuckles at the boy’s timid reaction. Without taking a sip, he puts the glass of rum on the ground and rises from the small chair. Kneading his neck with his palm, on which the face of a lion is drawn in detail, the alpha is precisely preparing for a brutal, bloody battle. Again. His gray eyes are bright and calm, but interest in what is to come will sparkle in his pupils after a couple of minutes. Running the tip of his tongue along his lower lip, Chon-Reno's gaze runs around the vast courtyard, where his beloved figure is not yet visible - it is heard so clearly and loudly that it is impossible to hide his admiration and sincere love. But these sounds do nothing to calm the guards at the gate. They are not used to them. They will never get used to it because they didn’t raise him like Jungkook did.
When Yezi finally comes out of the house, holding a small tray with a piece of meat in his hands, Reno grins again and puts his hands behind his back. He waits for him, looks at him and hears from afar how he desperately breaks the little alpha’s chest. He is getting closer to him, often looks around and whispers something under his breath. Is it really prayers? The man quirks an eyebrow and turns his head, hearing another loud roar that he could only be proud of. His boy has grown up a lot and become strong, which is why he scares everyone so much. Maybe Chon-Reno's sounds make him smile contentedly, but for Yezi they make him want to hide behind one of the columns. Only Reno himself is waiting for him, and he cannot afford to fulfill what he wants, otherwise the truth will receive its well-deserved punishment. And that’s the last thing I want right now.
Every resident of Botswana has already heard about harsh methods of retribution for disobedience.
“Sir, here’s the meat,” Yezi whispers, standing opposite the man and feeling tears welling up in his expressive eyes. -Can I go into the house now?..
A child's heart just begs for dad.
- No, - frost and cold.
From such an answer, the boy tightens his grip and bites his lip until it hurts, and then obediently turns his gaze to where Jungkook is looking.
Now Diego's eyes appear in the semi-darkness.
Fear beats like a second heart in your chest, and your throat suddenly dries up. Ezi wants to run away from here when he sees that a predatory animal is coming out from around the corner of the mansion, showing that he is also the owner here. He looks at the dark-skinned boy and the tall man standing next to him, showing a proud smile on his dry lips. His steps are slow, confident, because he knows his worth well and how majestic he now looks under the orange light of the sunset sky. He walks boldly and gracefully, piercing with a sharp gaze, sensing food somewhere near him. The look is wild, free, omnipotent. The stripes, smoothly located on his velvet fur, could always attract someone else's gaze, drive him crazy and beg for mercy. The dark stripes are shadows from tall trees, and between them are the yellow reflections of the African sun. The whole appearance of the beast is peaceful, but for some reason it sends a terrible shiver through the skin.
So handsome and young. Reno is unable to take his interested gaze away from him, just like poor Ezi, who is frozen. This is the first time he sees the beast so well and clearly; before that, he had only heard about the powerful Diego, whose appearance forces everyone to believe in God. Even ordinary steps hypnotize everyone in this area.
Jungkook looks down at Bello Yezi and chuckles.
“Bring him his snack closer,” the boy swallows his saliva nervously and looks up at Chon-Reno, dumbfounded. “The only way to escape from a predator is to feed him something else,” Ezi reads instructively to him something that Ezi does not believe in, and the elder squats down in front of him, looking into his glassy, rounded eyes. “You don’t want to be eaten by him, do you?” - he is silent. “Then give him what he wants and he won’t hurt you.”
“Sir, please,” he begs in a trembling voice. “He’s a tiger, I never approached them...” he tells him the obvious, hoping for pity. - Is it dangerous…
— Take this meat to Diego, Ezi, firmly and undeniably.
In an instant, the boy becomes more afraid of Chon-Reno Jungkook than of the huge young tiger slowly moving towards them.
“I can’t…” he whispers quietly, looking only into the gray eyes opposite.
Who could? Apparently, only the owner of this beast himself.
- You're not up toI’m lying to say that,” Jungkook tilts his head slightly to his shoulder. “You haven’t even come close to him, which means you don’t know for sure whether you can or not,” Yezi purses his lips. “Forward,” he orders, nodding towards Diego.
The Bengal tiger is getting closer to them, continues to move and keeps its yellow eyes only on a person it does not know. He sees it for the first time, which is why he analyzes it so predatorily, forcing Ezi to hold her breath and finally take a tense step forward. To Diego.
He is also closely watched by Reno, who calmly gets back to his feet and straightens his back. The boy is holding up really well. Jungkook was already hoping that he would burst into tears and just storm out of here. He wouldn’t follow him: it’s not for him to judge a teenager for a completely significant and logical fear. Not everyone here dares to approach Diego and feed him. To be more correct, no one has ever done this before. Only Chon-Reno is so close to him: he lives in the same room with him and does not even dare to be afraid of this beast, which he himself saved, and raised himself. A tiger can bite him only as a joke, without causing severe pain. But it seems to Yezi that the day has come when he will have to say goodbye to his short life. I certainly didn’t think that I would die from the fangs of a tiger. Such horrors never entered his head.
Diego, noticing and smelling a piece of meat, quickens his pace and emits a low growl, which can only scare the boy more, who still hopes for the reasonable thoughts of Jungkook standing behind, but is not going to stop.
If you are destined to die today, so be it.
Yezi already boldly looks into the eyes of the tiger approaching him and stops a couple of meters from Chon-Reno, squatting down and keeping his gaze on the incredibly beautiful beast. The senior alpha is even a little surprised at this bold step, watching what is happening and grinning slightly. The younger one bites his lower lip and looks down at the scarlet piece of meat on the silver tray, which he places on the rocky ground, taking an uncertain small step back. He closes his eyes painfully and clenches his fingers tightly into a fist, already beginning to feel the non-existent pain brought to him in the near future by a hungry tiger. During these seconds, he manages to say goodbye to his parents, whispers asking them for forgiveness for all his mistakes, listening to the approaching steps. It seems his heart will stop before the beast approaches.
But…
The sun-kissed tiger - Diego - roars throughout the yard, majestically scattering the birds in the trees and on the roof of the mansion. Ezi opens his eyelids in fear and sees in front of him the evil face and huge mouth of an animal, which in the next second sinks its fangs into a piece of raw meat. He doesn't stop growling at the boy, as if he's trying to tell him something. But the teenager only looks dumbfounded into the yellow eyes and forgets to breathe, falling on his heel to the ground and opening his mouth. Diego just takes the meat and runs to the side, throws his snack away from the boy, lies down next to her and calmly begins to lick and eat his favorite delicacy, depriving Ezi of the thought of possible death. With pleasure and a growl, he tears off small pieces, immediately swallowing them and sometimes glancing at his owner.
Jungkook smiles weakly, looking at the tiger and hiding both hands in the pockets of his black cargo pants. He slowly turns his gaze from him to the boy lying on the ground and looking with the same shock at the quiet Diego, who no longer pays any attention to him. The beast is busy with his real food, and not with the person who brought it to him. Probably, only Jungkook was convinced until the last seconds that Diego would not touch Yesi.
He never doubts his tiger and his lions.
He knows their every move in advance.
The dark-skinned boy and many foreigners expect that every African speaks to animals as equals, understands their thoughts and language. But there are few like them in all of Botswana. Units. And among them, at the top stands Chon-Reno Jungkook - the Lion God. Only Bello Ezi now seems that the man, at twenty-eight years old, has also become the patron saint of tigers.
The young alpha has difficulty getting up from the ground, looking away from Diego and turning to his owner, who was looking at him so sharply and piercingly. Now Jungkook is approaching them: calmly and slowly. But Yezi is no longer afraid, as if the tiger gave him incredible courage because of his proximity to him. Alpha believes in such tales heard from other people's lips. He also believes in that terrifying feeling that is stored in the chest of a man who has the face of a lion depicted in black ink on his neck. The true lion god. This God stands a meter away from the no longer frightened boy, but delighted with what he saw two minutes ago. Of course, he was amazed at how close the young Bengal tiger was to him. I would run to tell this story to my friends and classmates, but they would never believe it, so the important memory will settle deep in my heart.
“Sir...” Yezi begins in shock, swallowing his saliva. “Diego didn’t touch me,” he looks at Jungkook, who chuckled under his breath. - Why? He could...
A couple of seconds would be enough for the beast to tear him bloodthirsty to pieces.
-You fed him what something else remained untouched,” a deep, heavy voice is heard. “The fangs and claws did not penetrate you only for this reason.” “He’s a predator, not a killer,” Yezi relaxes a little and nods briefly, remembering his words. “He needs food, not someone’s death,” Reno, having finished, looks at his striped boy.
“He’s very handsome,” Ezi admits quietly, also looking in the direction of the beast.
Jungkook looks down at him and grins.
“Incredibly beautiful,” he confirms out loud.
Yesi smiles and ultimately does not conceal the question:
  -Can I go now?..
Reno nods without a word.
Yezi smiles broadly and takes the tray from the ground, after which he runs into the huge mansion, wanting to tell his father, who is in charge of the kitchen, about what happened.
The bright rays of the setting African sun play fabulously on the striped coat. Jungkook is currently fascinated by the sight in front of him. Diego has grown a lot. He is only a year and a half old, but he is the size of an adult tiger. It’s hard to believe that not so long ago the animal was a small animal, and it constantly hovered next to Chon-Reno, did not really leave him: it climbed, playfully growled and bit its owner’s legs, wanting to attract proper attention to itself. Got used to Jungkook too quickly. After Jungkook took him to himself, wounded by adult animals, two weeks were enough for the tiger cub to trust completely and secretly climb onto the alpha’s chest at night. And when he couldn’t sleep, he scratched and bit his chin, forcing Jungkook to wake up. And he woke up, played, fed and returned back to bed, followed by little Diego with his majestic gait.
To this day the tiger does the same.
Jungkook, with a smile on his lips, slowly approaches the animal, which with wild appetite throws the remaining small piece of meat into its mouth. Diego himself jumps up and runs to his owner, who is squatting. The tiger immediately climbs on him, as if with a real human hug, and playfully begins to roar, causing Reno to smile wider, clapping and stroking the animal’s stomach with his large palm. He does not calm down, he already runs his tongue along the alpha’s neck - showing his true love for him. Jungkook lowers himself to the ground and runs both hands through the tiger’s soft fur, paying due attention to the place behind the ears, just as Diego loves. With such affection he becomes a kitten. He spins around, licks where he wants, and nuzzles Chon-Reno’s chin, who laughs at this behavior. No one will ever dare to scold him for this.
“You’re getting heavier and heavier every day, Diego,” Jungkook chuckles and continues to stroke him. “You’re scaring everyone around with your appearance, big boy,” the tiger pulls back and walks around the man, already pressing against his back and running his tongue along the nape of his brown hair. “You’ll never scare me alone, don’t even count on my fear,” Reno turns his head to Diego. He growls at him quietly, as if responding to the words spoken. “You and I are two predators, and only God knows which of us is more dangerous.”
And Chon-Reno already knows who is more dangerous on this earth.
And so he lived: playing pranks in his dreams out of boredom, enduring torment and disappointment. Once again he promised himself to return home soon. Only there will he find salvation, peace in his heart, luck - a piece of happiness.
This place will make him forget all the sorrows and all the pain, will make him feel as if he drank a bottle of wine.
Another click and another divine frame saved on the flash drive of an expensive new camera. Honey eyes instantly catch on to the photograph taken, which is displayed on the small screen. The local landscapes will force the young guy to clearly feel charm, delight and admiration until the end of his life. By looking at these beauties, a person is able to get rid of any infection and pain. Here the blind will become sighted, the deaf will learn the world of sounds. The clear blue sky, the warm November sun, tall and short trees, wild animals running around the territory, everything—everything forced me to smile and relax.
The young alpha, driving a black jeep, which was easy to drive on rough roads, turns his head to the omega sitting in the passenger seat, who is examining the photograph taken with a slight smile on his lips. Among the ashen silky hair, the pure rays of the immense sun are tangled. Sliding lower, they decide to touch open areas of light skin, as if they are deliberately highlighting noticeable marks on the body.
From the first seconds, the driver was attracted by one striking feature of this guy. This quickly caught my eye. All the way, the man cannot find the strength to get curiosity out of his head: he either watches the road, or turns his gaze to the passenger, secretly looking at more than just a pretty face.
I had never been able to see something like this before.
This involuntarily frightens, frightens, forces you to think and construct your own theories in your thoughts, but an African hardly dares to ask. Perhaps the omega does not want to talk about it, hides something and feels pain when strangers pay attention.
Alpha chews his lower lip and looks at the road, lightly pressing the pedal. Omega bats his eyelashes and slowly turns his head, looking at the driver. He thought that it seemed to him that the guy was examining him in detail for a fairly clear reason, but now he was finally convinced of this. He immediately panics, ashamed of his unscrupulous behavior. Meanwhile, the omega is simply embarrassed, covers himself with a light blush and pulls the deep neckline of his white T-shirt up, slightly covering the sharp collarbones that he had just carefully examined. This action makes both of them even more awkward.
Kim Taehyung can't really hide anything. All he has to do is come to terms with this - he has been doing this for seven years.
“Sorry,” the driver says quietly and purses his lips. - I shouldn't have.
“You are not the first and not the last,” Taehyung purses his lips in a slight smile and looks kindly at the alpha. “I should get used to this kind of attention by now, don’t worry,” he chuckles and looks at the camera screen, adjusting the colors.
“It’s not ugly,” he decides to give a compliment and is afraid of the guy’s reaction, hearing a quiet laugh. “True,” he nods several times, keeping his eyes on the road. - Rather, it is very unusual, mysterious...
“There is no mystery in this,” Taehyung answers and smiles softly.
Everything is elementary.
But everyone keeps asking the question: “What is this?” No matter who you meet, they will definitely ask you, and he will calmly answer. He wasn't tired of it. Each time it amazes me more and more with its history.
How did you survive?
The dark-skinned alpha no longer touches on this topic, and Taehyung simply points the camera at the incredible landscapes. It still takes my breath away: everything around me looks too beautiful, too unreal. He takes several photographs at once for his archive and only after a while realizes that they will very soon arrive at the right place. This thought makes a flame ignite not only in honeyed eyes, but also in the very heart. The guy takes photographs of his favorite view from here too; there are definitely no city streets next to him. This is not Hong Kong, which quickly fell in love. This is not New York, where I rushed for a week. This is not even Seoul, where he began to build his new life. This is something truly beautiful, real, divine, untouched by the modern gaze. Here you can see the past.
The driver immediately notices such a reaction and raises the corner of his lips, looking at the omega. On his face. He no longer crosses the line and doesn’t look down where he shouldn’t. He analyzes only the eyes, looking painstakingly into the distance, because of which Taehyung cannot contain the desire to smile even wider. He hastily turns off his camera and is simply content with the view. The further they drive, the more they see wild animals resting and walking in the vast grassy area. Taehyung looks out the open window, noticing a curious zebra not too far away, batting his thick eyelashes and looking at the jeep passing by. When they find themselves further away from this beast, the omega still turns around and laughs, seeing that the zebra is still looking at him.
How I missed you...
From love for this place in the chest, the flowers open up, as if after a long sleep.
— Is this your first time in Botswana? - asks the driver.
Taehyung, breaking into a happy smile, turns to him.
- Why did you think that?
— You are fascinated by the local view.
Here anyone will be delighted with what they see.
Birds fly above them and sing loudly. There are only animals around: parents and their cubs. On one of the tall trees you can find a cheetah hiding from the scorching African sun. While driving along the rough road, Taehyung managed to see a family of elephants calmly drinking water. The omega captured them in a photograph after leaving the jeep for a couple of minutes.
“This is my home,” Taehyung answers proudly, lifting his chin a little and taking in the view in front of him through the windshield. “I was born here,” a wide, snow-white smile sparkles on his lips. - I came to my homeland.
Born in a magical and terribly beautiful world. The first steps were taken on this land, in Botswana the omega began to babble incomprehensible words, it was here that he learned a lot, and to this day he remembers every little thing that was hammered into his head not only by his parents, but also by other residents of the state in South Africa. Taehyung kept all the details in his head and heart, took them with him to another country and returned back without forgetting anything. And now he only understands how much he missed his native continent, all his acquaintances, classmates and friends with whom he grew up.
But most of all, Taehyung missed his blood. According to his older brother, who is now, apparently, standing on the street and waiting for him to return home after four years.
Taehyung counted the hours until the long-awaited trip. And here it is, before his eyes all the beauty that he dreams of on sweet nights.
Alpha is really surprised by this fact. I didn’t at all expect to hear that this fair-haired guy was from South Africa, since he didn’t look like one, and thought he was a tourist. Alpha is an ordinary taxi driver, and Taehyung was his first client today. Early in the morning, with a wide smile and a camera in his hands, he jumped into a black jeep, dictating the address and immediately offering money.
“I’ll be honest, I couldn’t even think that you were local with alpha eyebrows and grins.
“Looking at an Asian man, no one would think he was Botswanan,” Taehyung shrugs, never stopping to smile.
“I didn’t mean your race,” the driver immediately corrects him in a kind and gentle tone.
Omega arches an eyebrow and looks at the dark-skinned alpha in confusion, gradually plunging into his confused thoughts. The words spoken in his direction had a strange effect on him: they forced him to think and involuntarily swallow his saliva.
Most of all, he was afraid that in another country he would cease to be who he truly is. With all his might he kept within himself the origins, traditions and customs of African lands, what he was taught from birth. Parents made kind, peace-loving, honest people out of their sons, depriving both of them of greed and malice. Regardless of the actual nation, they tried to cultivate the soul of the African in them.
Taehyung feels like he still is. Four years of living in South Korea did not take away his heart and soul.
Kim Taehyung was a Botswana and will be one even in another world.
Only after a while the omega’s gaze falls on his own expensive white shoes and denim shorts of the same color just above the knees. On her right wrist sparkles a diamond bracelet, given by her grandfather, which he could not refuse, although he is still ashamed to wear it. He is afraid to find out what the price of this jewelry is. He received it two months ago as a gift for his eighteenth birthday. He refused, begged him to remove such a bracelet from his eyes, assuring him that he could manage without it and live happily, but dad’s father was too generous towards his youngest grandson, with whom he lived under the same roof for four years. Taehyung received and, most likely, will receive things, jewelry, and large sums on his card in Botswana from his grandfather. He doesn’t want this at all on African soil, unless he intends to withdraw this money for those in need.
And it was enough for him that he just finally got out of Seoul. I was able to return to my native land. He wants to smell like Africa again, and Africa wants to smell like him.
Absorbed in his thoughts and worries, Taehyung does not have time to notice how they arrived at the right place. The place where he was born and where he grew up until he was fourteen years old. The jeep drives at low speed into a small settlement with quite a few neat, simple houses. It's calm and homely here. There is a chance to be saved here. Here Taehyung, surrounded by his past, will be able to breathe deeply. He will even try to forget the horror that happened to him seven years ago.
Forgives Botswana all moral and physical pain.
The car stops somewhere in the middle of an empty street, and it is at that moment that Taehyung’s heart begins to beat twice as fast. The driver quickly turns off the engine and gets out, heading to the trunk to help the omega with his suitcases, and Taehyung remains sitting in the seat. It’s scary to go out, to some extent even ashamed. He has not set foot on this land for such a long time that he now considers himself unworthy to walk these African streets again, as if he had betrayed them and exchanged them for Seoul ones.
My brother didn't do that. Taehyung - yes, and it makes me sick. But at that time, others made decisions for him.
His lips stretch into a gentle and weak smile, and his hand reaches for the door handle, which he dares to open after a couple of seconds. He fixes his light eyes on the already visible figure. The guy, who is eight years older than Taehyung, stands with his arms crossed over his chest, smiling at the corner of his lips and looking at the face of his younger brother. Omega closes the door behind him and adjusts the camera strap that hangs around his neck. They look at each other and just smile widely, not believing their own hearts, which tell them that they are together again in this territory. Taehyung still feels like he's in a dream. He wanted this so much. Hundreds of times the guy asked to return to his native land and was refused just as many times, so soon the omega began to doubt the possibility of returning home.
“Juhyuk...” he says on an exhale.
Taehyung throws the camera on his back and runs up to his brother first, bumping into him. The alpha laughs hoarsely and puts all his strength into the hug, at the same time kissing the ashen top of the head with all his love for this person. Omega is very tiny next to him, just as he was in childhood. Hasn't changed at all. He always stands on his tiptoes when he tries to hug Juhyuk, who is touched and strokes his back with his palm. Taehyung smiles brightly as the alpha easily lifts him off the ground and holds him tightly in his arms, leaving short kisses on his shoulder. Omega pulls back slightly and looks at him, radiating one warmth and sincere happiness that the elder Kim had been missing for six months.
Six months apart. For six months they were in torment without each other.
“Taehyung,” the omega finally hears his voice. Juhyuk lowers the guy to the ground and kisses his forehead. “Angel,” the younger one looks up at him and wrinkles his nose, smiling.
A man can be so gentle and affectionate with him.
“I was really looking forward to this trip.”
“It seems to me that I will hardly find the strength to let you go again.”
Omega laughs slyly and takes a step to the side to see standing small, but beautiful and neat house.
“Don’t look,” Taehyung answers, looking at his brother. — What if I never return to Seoul, Juhyuk? — he chuckles and turns around, noticing a taxi driver with two bright suitcases belonging to Taehyung.
The elder Kim gives the younger one a suspicious look, after which he approaches the driver of the black jeep and takes the suitcases from him, quietly thanking him. Taehyung nods to the taxi driver from his seat and smiles, thanking him. Omega turns back to his home, causing tears to gather in the corners of his honey-colored eyes. He relaxes his whole body and takes in warm air into his lungs, looking around the house in front of him. He definitely changed in the four years that Taehyung wasn’t here. He has become more beautiful, although he was like that before, but now changes are clearly visible in him on the outside, apparently, everything has become different on the inside. Senior Brother has definitely done a good job of improving everything here. And this concerns not only their hearth, but also neighboring houses.
Taehyung's considerable pocket money definitely came in handy. It was not for nothing that he secretly transferred them to Juhyuk.
- In what sense will you not come back? - the alpha asks seriously when he comes closer.
“I’m just dreaming...” biting my lip.
- Are you dreaming?
- Do you forbid it? - Grunting cheerfully, he takes the suitcase from his brother and leaves for the house.
The man narrows his eyes and looks carefully at Taehyung’s retreating back, thinking and soon following him. Omega is the first to enter the house, holding his breath and pursing his lips until it hurts slightly. Juhyuk is in no hurry, glances at the younger and for some reason worries about his reaction. He carefully steps on the new wooden floor and very slowly looks around, batting his black eyelashes with interest.
Four years…
Taehyung has really lost hope that he will return to this house again. One side of him asked to come back, the other was afraid. Previously there were four of them, now there are only two of them.
Juhyuk closes the doors behind him, never taking his eyes off his brother for a second. Concentrates completely on him. It’s important for him to know that Taehyung still enjoys being here, regardless of some changes. Nothing really has changed: it has become more beautiful and cleaner. Juhyuk tried very hard to put his house in order and completely immersed himself in this matter. I was distracted by physical labor, I didn’t want to let pain and sadness get to me after I was left completely alone in South Africa. After my grandfather took his younger brother to live with him in Seoul.
Dad's father expected that the fourteen-year-old would be much better off in Korea than in Botswana. There, the young omega would try to think about other things, devote time to various creative activities, since in Seoul there is such an opportunity, in Botswana there is no. Taehyung did just that, or rather, he simply listened to his grandfather and went to the school, which was crowded with students, unlike African schools. There were not so many children in school in my homeland, not even half. Therefore, at first Taehyung was very constrained around his peers: it took him quite a long time to get used to such big changes, and sometimes he was afraid to be in such large companies. They didn't look like Botswanans. Completely different people: they have a different lifestyle, different views and strange behavior.
But at some point Taehyung realized that he just had a different heart.
It was a very quiet six months. At night, under the blanket, he cried, trembled all over and moved his wet peach lips, asking for his brother. Grandfather tried to take Juhyuk with him, but the alpha categorically refused such an offer. At that time he was twenty-two years old, and he had the right to decide for himself what was best for him. The grandfather did not insist, he only warned that he would definitely help him with money. And Juhyuk sometimes flew to Seoul just for Taehyung. And it was only during these periods that the younger brother truly felt good, as if nothing terrible had happened in his short life.
“Beautiful,” Taehyung says with a smile, looking at the alpha.
The elder lets out a quiet chuckle and leaves the suitcases against the wall, moving closer to the omega.
- I'm glad you think so.
“It’s still the same comfort as before,” he sighs in fascination, continuing to look around. - Still the same warm atmosphere...
There was no such warmth in Seoul.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t like it,” says Juhyuk. “I tried not to change anything too much, so as not to deprive this house of its past.”
His words make Taehyung feel warmer.
“You really have preserved the past in this little magical house.”
“Our memories will not disappear from here.”
The younger Kim turns his head towards the soft cream sofa and pays attention to the small glass table next to it. You don’t have to look at him for long; he quickly notices his own photograph in a small frame. It's a selfie, and my brother actually printed it out, framed it, and put it in a prominent place. Taehyung smiles widely in the photo, because he then took a photo specifically for Juhyuk, who was suffocating without him in Botswana, and the omega quickly turned on the front camera and improved his brother’s mood with his smile.
“Juhyuk,” the alpha hums questioningly, looking at Taehyung, who has approached  slowly striding towards the sofa and keeping his gaze on the framed photo. “I want to stay,” he says with fear, fearing the elder’s reaction. “I’m not drawn back to Seoul,” he bites his lip until it hurts and looks at his brother.
The alpha sighs and approaches him, taking the angelic face into his large palms and starting to examine every millimeter. So pale. The skin is light, not the same as before.
Korea took away one of his highlights. A few years ago, the color was dark, tanned due to the hot African sun, but as soon as he went to another continent, he immediately turned pale. But still he did not stop shining with beauty. His facial features are unique, unusual, and to some extent rough. Juhyuk will never get tired of telling his brother how handsome he is, but he will continue to be shy and kick him with his fists so that the alpha will stop. Juhyuk is too gentle and kind to him, but also strict, like a real big brother.
Only now I really want to argue with him and insist on my desire.
“How many more times do we have to raise this topic, Taehyung?” — Juhyuk asks, stroking the omega’s cheekbone with his thumb.
- Until you agree...
“Stop it,” a little harsher.
Taehyung chews his lips and looks him straight in the eye, after which the alpha pulls away and sits on the sofa.
The elder Kim does not accept his brother's ardent, real desire to stay at home. It is unbearable.
It is unbearable to live where the heart does not lie.
“Juhyuk...” he whispers pleadingly, sitting down next to him.
“I’ve told you the answer many times,” the alpha says calmly.
“And every time I don’t like him.”
“But he won’t change,” he says sharply, slightly pursing his lips.
Taehyung reaches out to his brother and puts his head on his chest, lifting his legs onto the sofa. Curls up like a ball.
“You’re unfair to me,” he frowns at the alpha, weakly hugging him.
He always refuses Taehyung's request to stay. Omega has been begging for the third year, but he still doesn’t get the words he needs. Juhyuk becomes gloomy when he hears such words from him, changes his tone of voice and literally breaks Taehyung’s little dreams. He is still surprised that the alpha allowed him to fly to his homeland at least for a while, in order to relax and take his mind off his studies. Omega tried very hard: he sobbed into the phone like crazy and shouted at his brother, trying to convey how much he missed him. His whole face was so swollen from crying that Juhyuk, seeing him so disappointed on his phone screen, decided to just give up after a couple of days and allowed him to visit South Africa four years later.
“You’re the one who’s being unfair to yourself,” Joohyuk says and looks straight into his honey eyes. “You have no future here, so you better think about your studies, which I will never allow you to quit,” Taehyung shrinks a little from such a tone. “You came here to relax and will definitely come back.”
Omega, with every living cell of his body, does not want to fly to Korea. He lives there with his grandfather in a huge mansion, and, probably, any resident of Africa would dream of being in such a place, but not Taehyung. Loves his grandfather, but his heart is definitely drawn to Botswana. Here he is much more comfortable and warmer in every sense. Not only the soul took a long time to get used to the new environment, but also the body itself. Due to climate change, Taehyung was often sick and sat at home with a cold and terrible pain in his bones.
“I could fly to Seoul only for exams, but I would study here around the clock...” he says with another concern, already realizing that the alpha will not like this.
Juhyuk gives him an angry look, narrowed pupils threatening and outlining his cheekbones. Omega purses his lips and still does not move away from his brother, only hugs him tighter and frowns slightly, knowing about another refusal.
Taehyung went to an African school early, so he graduated from a Korean school at the age of seventeen, which is why he was the youngest in his class. And now, being in his first year of journalism, the omega remains the smallest guy among his classmates. This is not scary, since Taehyung tried to find a common language with the guys, wanted to join their team, and he really managed to do this in a couple of months. The relationship between them was so good that some of the guys, including Taehyung himself, agreed to fly to Beijing in November. And when the trip was already approaching, Kim heard the long-awaited words from his older brother, who pleased him that the omega could fly to Botswana for a while. Taehyung didn’t spend a minute thinking and immediately chose South Africa, throwing China out of his mind.
“No,” kisses the younger alpha on the forehead.
“You’re disgusting, Juhyuk,” Taehyung snorts, rolling his eyes and rubbing his head against someone else’s chest.
He laughs hoarsely.
- Nasty?
“That’s right,” he immediately confirms. “I don’t want to leave you here alone,” he sighs, closing his eyelids. — I should be in Botswana.
My parents have not been around for four years, and the two of them must live together, and not be scattered across different continents.
“Botswana is not the same anymore, angel,” he hugs his younger brother.
Taehyung doesn’t understand and looks at Joohyuk questioningly. But instead of answering, the alpha only twitches the corner of his lips and touches his knuckles cheeks.
This movement quickly drives away bad thoughts about home from the guy.