"If I die, don't wait for me. But don't forget me either."
—Letter, Captain Jeon Jungkook, 1910
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Jeon Jungkook's POV
Nightfall, July 17, 2025
The dream came again.
But this time... it felt real.
I was standing in a field outside a burning village. The wind carried the scent of smoke and blood. And there he was—Taehyung, dressed in all white, cloak fluttering like wings, face streaked with dirt and quiet sorrow.
His hand reached for mine.
"You're late," he whispered.
I wanted to speak, but my throat burned. I didn't need words. I just pulled him close. His breath hitched. My fingers trembled as they brushed his jaw. He looked up at me like I was the last piece of peace left in the world.
Then... he smiled.
"I dreamt about this," he said.
I leaned down, forehead pressed to his. "You always do."
Our lips were so close. Almost touching.
Then gunfire.
A scream.
His eyes filled with tears I didn't get to wipe away.
I woke up gasping.
---
The clock read 3:12 AM. Again.
I rubbed my chest, trying to breathe. It hurt like I'd been stabbed.
Who are you, Taehyung? Why do I feel like I loved you before I knew you?
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Kim Taehyung's POV
Morning, July 18, 2025 – War Archive Room, Seoul
There are letters that were never meant to be read.
This one... was sealed inside a hidden compartment of a rusted trunk found beneath a collapsed temple wall.
And it had my name on it.
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October 7, 1910
To: Kim Taehyung
From: Captain Jeon Jungkook
"I don't know if this letter will reach you.
I don't even know if I'll live to see another moon.
But if I don't—know this: I chose you. I always chose you.
Even when I ran. Even when I lied. Even when I pushed you away.
If I die, don't wait for me. But don't forget me either.
And if the sky is kind, maybe in another life…
I'll find you.
Under a moon just like this one."
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My hands trembled as I held it.
I'd read it dozens of times.
Memorized the ink stains.
Felt the press of each letter like they were carved into my ribs.
But now... after meeting him at the museum, after looking into his eyes...
It felt like the letter was breathing again.
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Back to Jungkook
I couldn't stop thinking about him. The curator. Taehyung.
His voice.
His eyes.
The way he looked at me like I was familiar.
I wasn't supposed to believe in past lives. I wasn't supposed to believe in anything, really.
But then why did his name sound like my final promise?
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To be continued…