Still My Venus

1. A Luxury Mask✨

The heavy lock clicked open. Two figures stepped over the threshold.

The apartment felt warm and cozy, yet subtly luxurious. Rich hardwood floors stretched across the space. Soft ambient lighting cast a welcoming glow. Several pieces of modern furniture stood neatly arranged, completing the inviting scene.

Yet, despite the polished coziness of the room, the atmosphere inside was charged with thick, suffocating tension. Both men looked utterly exhausted, borne by the sheer weight of a long journey and an even longer fear.

The older of the two, Yoongi, hauled two heavy suitcases into the living room, setting them down near the couch before gesturing around the space.

Standing in the center of the room was Taehyung. He was breathtaking in a way that felt almost unreal. Tall and slender, with delicate features, long graceful fingers and striking amber eyes that seemed to glow under the soft ambient light. The blonde was the 'personification of divinity'.

But right now, those eyes were wide with anxiety, his lower lip set in a vulnerable pout.

"Hyung… this is way too much," Taehyung said, his voice trembling slightly as he turned to face Yoongi.

"How am I even supposed to afford a place like this?

Let’s just find a simple one-bedroom, or...or even a student hostel. Anything else?"

Yoongi stopped, turning to face him. The harsh line of his mouth softened, replacing his exhaustion with a quiet, unwavering warmth.

"Tae… you don't have to worry about the rent," Yoongi said softly. "I'm not leaving you somewhere insecure. Not after everything. Okay?"

Taehyung swallowed hard, but before he could protest again, Yoongi glanced down at his watch, his expression instantly sobering.

"I can't stay long,"

Yoongi muttered, his tone shifting into something tighter, more urgent.

"I need to get back before they notice where I'm gone."

At those words, panic flared sharply through Taehyung’s chest. He’s leaving already. The reality hit him like a hard slap, he was about to be left completely alone, stranded in a foreign country where he didn't know a single soul. His breath hitched, his eyes wide with rising terror.

Noticing the faint tremor in the younger boy's hands, Yoongi stepped forward, gently guiding Taehyung down onto the soft fabric of the sofa before sitting beside him.

He reached out, his broad hands cupping Taehyung’s shoulders, pressing firmly to keep him anchored.

"Look at me, little one," Yoongi said, his voice steady, grounding, and absolute.

"It’s going to be okay. Everything is going to be fine."

Taehyung forced himself to meet his hyung’s eyes, the amber in his gaze flickering with fear and overwhelming loneliness.

"You have to be strong now," Yoongi continued, searching Taehyung's face.

"You cannot come back to Korea. Not until I figure out a way to clear all of this. You are safe here as long as you stay smart. But you have to promise me one thing."

Taehyung held his breath, listening.

"Do not reveal who you are to anyone," Yoongi warned, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"We can’t trust a soul right now. If they realize where you are, they will come."

A heavy silence settled over the room as the weight of those words sank deep into Taehyung’s chest. The stark truth of his reality pressed down on him, his very existence was a miracle right now, and one wrong move would destroy everything Yoongi was sacrificing to protect him.

Every breath felt like heaviness in the softest way. He stared at his own trembling hands, knowing that if he got caught, there would be no chance of return. He would be completely devastated before they even started to break him.

Taehyung gulped past the tight lump in his throat and nodded slowly.

"I promise…"

Without another word, Taehyung leaned forward and wrapped his arms tightly around the older man's neck, burying his face into his shoulder.

Yoongi, a man who rarely pulled anyone close or offered physical comfort didn't hesitate. He wrapped his arms around Taehyung, pulling him in with an intense, protective grip. Before letting go, Yoongi leaned down and pressed a quiet, lingering kiss to the crown of Taehyung's hair.

"Take care of yourself," Yoongi whispered.

He pulled back, slipped a leather envelope from his inner coat pocket, and placed it gently in Taehyung’s hands.

Yoongi stood up and walked toward the entrance, his footsteps heavy against the floor.

At the door, he paused and turned back one last time.

For a brief, suspended moment, their eyes locked. Neither spoke, but a wave of profound affection and silent understanding passed between them 'an unspoken vow' that this wasn't goodbye forever.

They shared a fragile, broken smile before Yoongi turned and stepped out into the hallway.

The front door clicked securely shut.

The spoken words now filled his heart with warmth, surrounding the pale man as he slumped into the plush sofa.

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Taehyung let out a long, shaky exhale, drawing the cold, unfamiliar air of the new apartment deep into his lungs, searching for anything to anchor him to reality.

With trembling fingers, he picked up the leather envelope Yoongi had left behind and unzipped it.

Inside lay a fresh passport and a set of crisp identification documents, complete with his own photograph staring back at him.

A dry chuckle left his mouth. He leaned his head back against the sofa, staring up at the ceiling before reality could mock him again.

'Truth is anything but truth now'.

Taehyung raised his hand, his slender fingers slowly tracing over the unfamiliar black letters printed boldly across the top of the ID:

'Kang Vi-hoo'.