What is youth?

To Yewon, youth was living in the moment, cherishing every aspect of life. Well that was the way she described it, in a very vague manner. To speak truthfully, Yewon had never pondered upon the question that seemed so simple, yet so impossible to answer. To Jungkook, youth was something intangible- it lived within the soul, within the mind. He had no distinct way of describing what youth was- in fact, perhaps he was still searching for the answer.

Finally forcing herself to wake, she let out a long, languid yawn as she rolled onto her side, still covered up to the neck by her warm blanket. She didn’t want to get up. It was the first day of 2016, and she was spending half the morning within the protective embrace of her bed. Another year had flown by, and Yewon didn’t want to face the truth- the subtle, yet inevitable fact that she was growing up. She was no longer a child anymore, and it pained her. She felt so young, so innocent. She knew she would have to face reality soon, especially since she was turning eighteen this year. But today was not the day- today was the day to celebrate the birth of a new year.

Her chest heaved as she let out a sigh this time, staring up at the pale whiteness of her ceiling.

Yewon was like any other teenager- a bud of youth trying to win the race against time. Nonetheless she was unique- and undeniably beautiful. She was a tall and slender figure, with an exquisite frame that seemed to fit her perfectly. Her hair was a natural, soothing shade of a hazelnut brown that was often styled long and straight. Her eyes were ethereal, gentle brown orbs that spoke of the untainted beauty of innocence. Her most prominent feature, however, according to him, was definitely her smile. 

Jungkook, like Yewon, was quite tall for his age- not to mention developed. Jungkook was undoubtedly handsome; his chiseled cheek bones and his well-defined jawline had the girls going crazy. His hair was a vivid shade of black, with bangs neatly styled to the side. He garnered a bewitching smile that never failed to compliment his warm eyes that danced with affection. Jungkook, although mature in terms of appearance, was a playful boy at heart.

The giant released a strident yawn that filled the quiet room. Tears sprang to his eyes as he suppressed another yawn. He raised his arms into the air and stretched for a lengthy moment before letting his sore limbs fall to his sides. He had fallen asleep on the sofa in the living room of the apartment. He looked around him, his eyes still half closed. The wooden floor was littered with red cups and empty wrappers of food. A half empty box of chicken lay idly in the corner of the room. Blankets and pillows were scattered across the platform, accompanied by their owners. J-hope and Jimin lay fast asleep, heads atop a red beanbag the size of an elephant. Namjoon and Taehyung were also asleep, each in a separate corner of the room, snuggly tucked away in a miniature makeshift fort of blankets. Jin was dozing off peacefully in the chair that he had embellished with an old blanket for maximum comfort. Jungkook gazed at the scene in silence. He was thankful for everything- for how far they had come together as a team. The day that they had become the ‘Bangtan Boys’ was still etched clearly in his mind, regardless of how much time had drizzled by. He remembered how awkward the exchange of greetings between them had been, how different they had all looked. And at this very moment, he couldn’t be more grateful. Then he felt a sharp kick in his side.

Caught off guard, he rolled- plummeted- off the sofa and fell onto his side with a loud thump. He groaned and sat up, only to be kicked in the head by a familiar leg. Yoongi, fast asleep, was having the time of his life without even knowing it.

Jungkook scrunched his nose and stuck his tongue out, adding in weird noises as well. Then he grinned to himself and began to tidy up the disastrous room. He turned off the television, which had, only moments before, been playing footage of fireworks and large crowds cheering. After several moments of cleaning, he ran his fingers through his black hair, yawned again, and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

He splashed cold water onto his face and looked into the mirror with a grin. Beads of water dripped down his face and landed on his white baggy t-shirt, but he paid no attention. He was immersed in the image that lay before him. He wasn’t enchanted by his own features, but by the fact that he had made it to where he was today, after years of endless running. 2016 was a fresh, brand new start and he was ready for it.

He splashed himself once more with cold water. This time, to calm down his heart that seemed to be beating way too fast. He was astonished, taken aback by how excited he was. He had been dating Yewon for several months now, and he had never fallen out of love with her even once. This was going to be their first date of 2016. On the first day of January.

Yewon sat on the edge of her sofa anxiously. She repeatedly checked her phone for notifications. Her heart was currently participating in a triathlon. She was thrilled to see Jungkook, especially on the first day of the year. She wanted to start the year off right. She jumped to her feet at the sound of the doorbell.

--

“I can’t believe I agreed to do this,” Yewon muttered nervously, gazing up at Jungkook.

Yewon was crouching on top of the cliff, her hands glued to the surface in an attempt to be closest to the ground as humanely possible. The ocean below was surprisingly calm and reticent, yet as frightening as ever. She bit her lip and continued to stare into the ocean. Jungkook let out a shaky laugh and stood tall, taking in the view. He, too, was in the midst of wondering why he had agreed on the idea. In fact, he was the one who had proposed it, but that was another matter.

Jusangjeolli was a tangible form of bliss. The capricious cliff seemed to stretch for miles, even though each part seemed to vary. The rock beneath their feet was smooth and an ashy grey; the blue sky above filled with gentle white cotton. It was like they were standing on the horizon between the sky and the ocean. The ocean below was a deep, enchanting shade of turquoise. It advanced and recoiled in a slow, relaxing manner.

The weather wasn’t the warmest, but it wasn’t exactly too cold to go cliff diving either. It was an inviting temperature; their skin was kissed by winter but caressed by traces of summer.

“Dude, we’re going to die,” Yewon claimed bitterly, unable to rip her eyes from the scene below.

“At least we’ll die together,” Jungkook replied with a light laugh.

Yewon laughed and managed to stand, holding onto Jungkook for support.

“I’ll go first.”

“No, no, let’s go together,” she offered hastily, tightening her grip on him.

“I’ll go first so I can catch you, silly.”

She looked at him, appalled this time. “Catch me. At this height.”

Jungkook was making his weird face again. She couldn’t help but chuckle. He inhaled an enormous amount of air and beat his chest, like a gorilla.

“I’m ready.” He exhaled and stretched his arms.

“Don’t die. I love you.”

He grinned and winked at her. “I love you too.”

Then he jumped. A few seconds later, she could hear him calling for her from down below. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. She began to count to three. But knowing herself, she knew she would chicken out at three. So she jumped at two. She literally flung herself off the cliff.

When she hit the surface of the water, she genuinely thought she had died. The impact was excruciating, yet exhilarating at the same time. Yewon was submerged underwater for a few seconds, trying to straighten out her life priorities. Then she felt an arm pull her above the surface with great strength. She clung to Jungkook for dear life, almost like a koala, regardless of the fact that she could swim. Jungkook laughed and , describing her bald eagle pose as she jumped. He then began to swim towards a small body of low leveled rocks. He guided her through the now-shallow water, tightly holding her hand as she trailed behind him, like a newborn.

Once they reached the comfort of land, they sat in silence, both looking off into the heart of the ocean.  Their fingers were intertwined, yet minds and souls separate, lost in thought.

“Jungkook, I feel like I found the answer.”

“To what?” His voice was one of longing.

“To what youth is.”

“It’s the most beautiful moment in life.”