Jimin watched the falling leaves as he sat on the park bench in the dark night. It was his favourite park to relieve his stress in, so why not spend the last few 

moments of 2015 here? 2015 was a tough year for him, physically, mentally and emotionally. So much has happened to him in that year. 2015 being his first 

year in college was already causing him so much stress. The busy schedules he had as a college student was slowly taking a toll on his health, and he 

became increasingly sleep-deprived each day. On top of that, he still had to juggle his college life with his idol life. All the concerts and comebacks resulted in 

him to struggle in finding time to study. He still did though, but at the expense of sleep. He wasn’t doing too well in his studies either, and it was affecting his 

morale. He still recalled how he often topped his class for a few of his subjects back in high school, but now he could barely keep up during the university 

lectures. There were many occasions when he couldn’t sleep properly due to the fear of failing his exams, so he ended up using that time to do his revision, 

and thus found himself in this endless cycle. And let’s not forget the emotional aspect of 2015, which he struggled with so much. Back in high school, 

depression was something so foreign to him. He didn’t get why people suffered from depression to the point where they resorted to self-harm and suicide. Yet, 

he was staring the red lines carved on his wrist a few months back. Funny how things change, he thought, as something which used to be so foreign to him 

now greeted him like an old friend. His friends used to have that perception that Jimin was someone who was so strong and had his life in check. He used to 

be so undeterred by anything that came in his way, but now, like the falling dead leaves, he crumbles so easily when someone steps on him. He hated being 

this way. When his boyfriend broke up with him a few months ago, he felt like the whole world was falling apart. His whole world was falling apart. He recalled 

the helplessness, the immense pain and the loneliness. It was like a dark tunnel that never ended. He still remembered how he attempted to drown himself in 

his school’s swimming pool, but was saved in time by his friends, whom he was so grateful for. Even though the dark tunnel was scary, his friends were the 

ones who were able to guide him out of it. They provided him all the love he could ever ask for, and that was good enough for him. They were the light to the 

end of the tunnel. Though he had been through such bitter memories, he was still grateful because he emerged as a stronger person than he could have ever 

been. He silently wiped a tear that started to well up in his eyes.

---

 

His thoughts were interrupted when a mint-haired boy, with a similar height as Jimin, approached him. 

“Hi there, can I sit here with you?” He asked with a gummy smile.

“Uhh…sure,” Jimin shyly replied, with a slight pink blush. Jimin thought this person was cute and became slightly nervous around him. His heart started to beat quickly.

“My name is Yoongi.” Yoongi greeted.

“Hi, my name is Jimin.” Jimin smiled

“Say, what are you doing here in the park alone, feeling all sad? It’s going to be 2016 soon. You should be excited! I saw you wiping your tears earlier. Are you okay?”

Jimin was startled for a moment because the thought of someone watching him cry this whole time was scary.

“I’m fine. I was just thinking about all the bitter memories I made this year. 2015 wasn’t exactly my best year, and so much has happened. I just needed time on my own to think about stuff. Thanks for asking though. I appreciate your concern.” Jimin smiled.

“Hey, you know what? 2015 was rough for me too. Lots of painful things happened to me too. My parents died in a car accident, but slowly I’m recovering and moving on.” Yoongi looked down and looked forlorn.

“Oh…I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Yoongi reassured.

Jimin and Yoongi spent the next hour talking about their own personal lives, their ualities and their interests. Jimin was amazed at how he managed to bond so quickly with Yoongi in that short amount of time. Even though they only met for an hour, it felt as if they had already known each other for years.

Yoongi checked his watch. 11.59pm.

“Hey it’s 11.59pm.” Yoongi said.

“Hmm…one more minute and its 2016. How time flies.” Jimin sighed.

“Jimin, I need to ask you something.” Yoongi suddenly changed his tone to a more serious one.

“Sure, go ahead.” Jimin nodded.

“I know we just met, but it feels like I’ve known you for very long. So I need to ask this. Do you want date me and give me a shot?” Yoongi shyly asked, with his head lowered.

Jimin blushed. Yoongi was a nice guy after all, and he wouldn’t mind dating him. Jimin swiftly gave a peck on Yoongi’s cheek. Yoongi was shocked by this sudden move.

“Of course I would.” Jimin shyly replied, with a pink blush filling up his face.

“Hey look its 12am!” Yoongi announced.

“Look! Fireworks!” Jimin pointed up to the sky.

Slowly, Jimin leaned his head on Yoongi’s shoulder and Yoongi responded by wrapping his arms around Jimin’s shoulder. Like this, they enjoyed the view of the fireworks, busking in each other’s warmth. Yoongi kissed Jimin’s temple and whispered in his ear, “Happy 2016, Jimin.”

“You too.” Jimin mumbled. He could stay in this position forever. Maybe 2015 wasn’t so bad after all.