Chapter Text
The museum was almost empty, expected for a random Tuesday. Taehyung thanked the staff at the counter and found Yoongi peering into the windows of the gift shop.
"I have the tickets, let's go!" Taehyung said, taking Yoongi's wrist.
It was mid-September and second semester had started a week ago. Taehyung had left a meeting with his advisor when a flyer for the history museum caught his eye.
"They have an exhibition specifically on artifacts from the 16th century," Taehyung had said at dinner. Yoongi was over — as expected — and so was Hoseok. It seemed even in present day, those two often came as a set, though Hoseok had accepted there was no role for him as Yoongi's protector anymore and seemed more interested in Jungkook. "Don't you think it'll be cool to see stuff that was part of your life in a museum?"
So here they were on a museum date, though Taehyung was visibly more excited than Yoongi. That didn't mean much. Even thrust into the future, Yoongi was immutable.
Taehyung opened the map after they got their tickets scanned. "So, over here is stuff from before Joseon even existed, like 50,000 years ago. Here's Silla and Goryeo — anyway I figure we can just start from the oldest and work our way up!"
Yoongi just nodded and waited for Taehyung to lead the way.
They spent the entire morning exploring the first floor. Taehyung found almost everything fascinating, but was more enthralled when something caught Yoongi's eye and he would tell Taehyung something that wasn't mentioned on the informational placards.
"This hairpin almost made the queen of that time a murderer," Yoongi had said, pointing to an innocuous looking hairpin with a piece of white jade at the end. "The king gave this to his favorite concubine and the queen became so jealous she plotted to have her killed."
The sign under the casing had only said: Hairpin, silver and jade, 1500-1600CE.
Or, in front of a set of bowls with red dragon designs: "For a year, the King refused to have food served in any of the serving ware from the royal kitchen and ordered a new set made for him. He claimed to have seen a vision of his death in a dream where he was poisoned during a meal because the dishes were laced with arsenic."
Then, when he saw a collection of jade seals: "I am fairly certain that one is Namjoon's."
They decided to have lunch in the museum cafe before venturing up to the second floor. That was what Taehyung was really looking forward to since the middle floor housed the art collection. The first room housed mostly calligraphy and Taehyung pulled Yoongi from scroll to scroll, asking him to translate all of them.
"You could have learned this," Yoongi said, after dissecting a poem about the moon. "You would be able to read on your own."
"You were impressed when you found out I knew hangul!" Taehyung said, grinning. "Chinese characters were for the elite and you hated them."
Yoongi rolled his eyes, a habit he picked up after living in the present for over half a year now. His other habit was still just coffee, but he had become somewhat of a snob, only drinking pour-over brewed and refusing to step into chain shops unless there was no other option around. Taehyung sometimes liked to mess with him by mixing a cup of instant coffee in front of him. He and Namjoon, thanks to Jungkook, had also started listening to modern music, specifically rap, which hadn't made any sense to Taehyung until Namjoon had said, "It is simply poetry set to music."
The larger section of the north wing held paintings. The first two rooms had art from before Joseon. Once they got to the ones from Goryeo, Yoongi started to recognize some of the painters.
"I think this piece is a fraud," Yoongi said, pointing to a scroll with a crane painted on it. "This person was said to have burned all their work."
Taehyung wasn't listening. He had passed the doorway leading to the next room and saw something he had forgotten existed.
"What are you looking at?" Yoongi said, touching Taehyung's arm.
"You," said Taehyung, staring straight ahead.
There, across the room, was the painting of Yoongi from their last day at the lake. It was a bit faded, but otherwise looked exactly the same as the day Taehyung completed the last brushstroke on the inscription in the corner.
Taehyung was afraid to go nearer, but Yoongi walked across the empty gallery without hesitation so he was forced to follow. The placard had quite a bit of text on it and Taehyung stepped closer, curious.
Prince Min Yoongi at Lake, ink and color on silk, 1520-1530CE
Artist Unknown
Anonymous DonationA distinct departure from the portraits favored by royalty, this painting shows Prince Min Yoongi gazing upon the artist with a lake in the background on a summer day. Not much is known about Prince Yoongi, who was the oldest nephew to King Jungjong and worked within the Ministry of Personnel. Palace archives during this time briefly describe an attempt to gather support and instate a relative of King Jungjong's in which Prince Yoongi was the likely choice.
This painting has fascinated art historians through the decades not only for its unique composition of the subject and his surroundings, but for its overall brush style and the use of hangul to write the inscription. Individuals with knowledge of the latter were a rarity and the brushstrokes use a style which is mystifyingly closer to contemporary paintings than methods popular during the Joseon times.
The inscription makes it clear that the artist behind this work had a special relationship with the prince, however no records have been found of any individual matching the initials left behind.
A record of Prince Yoongi's death also does not exist. It is speculated that he and his associates may have fallen victim to a plot by Queen Munjeong, more widely known for having poisoned her adoptive son over the course of 9 months to remove him from the throne.
Taehyung didn't consider himself as someone who was easily embarrassed. That said, having his feelings from 500 years ago out on display for the public to see was certainly pushing it. He covered his face and muttered a quiet, "Oh my god," expecting Yoongi to tease him, but there was nothing. When he looked over, he was shocked to see tears running down Yoongi's face. Panicking, he turned Yoongi away from the painting but didn't know what to do after that, hands hovering by Yoongi's face.
Yoongi wiped at his eyes and sniffled, the sound of it loud in the large, empty room, the wooden flooring doing nothing dampen acoustics. The museum attendant standing near the doorway to their left pretended they weren't seeing any of this, which Taehyung appreciated.
"Why are you upset?" Taehyung said, dabbing at Yoongi's cheeks with his sleeve. "Do you hate it? I didn't make you handsome enough, did I?"
Yoongi laughed, quiet and watery, but still a laugh. He turned back again and looked at the painting. "If I had seen this back then I do not think I would have survived."
"It's not that bad."
"You know that is not what I refer to," Yoongi said, reaching over subtly to take Taehyung's hand, just linking their pinky and ring fingers together. "I am grateful everyday to be here, but I am especially grateful that I do not have to look upon this alone."
Taehyung didn't say anything for a while. He could hear other patrons in the neighboring gallery who would venture in here soon. "I am still happy," he said quickly next to Yoongi's ear, rocking back and forth on his heels.
Yoongi laced their hands together and squeezed, then let go. "Kim Taehyung."
"Your Highness?"
"I think we have seen all we needed to see," Yoongi said, lingering one more time on their painting. "Let us go home."
"Yes, hyungnim!"
They left just in time for a group of aunties to take their place. Yoongi was already talking about something else, dinner and perhaps they should have the whole group together tonight, but behind them Taehyung still heard it clearly, the words as true as the day he wrote it.
"Your Highness, when you look upon this, know I was happy to have loved you."