The seasons changed. It was autumn. School for all ages has started. Every kid’s joy or worst nightmare. A place where they meet their friends or bullies. Every person had their own unique story. Each student had their own unique group of friends they prefer to hang out with inside and outside school. Everybody sits with their best friend during their time in class and knows if their seating buddy would wake them up or not while they dozed off during a boring lesson. If nobody in the class knew how to solve the math equation the smart kid was always there to have their homework copied off of as insurance.

It was just the high-schooler lifestyle everybody has to go through. Everybody has bullies, some less, some more, but they have friends to help them through it. Except Jeon Jungkook has nobody. Even the ugliest, dumbest and the most unpopular kids have a group of their own of course. It was no issue for them. But Jeon Jungkook was a different boy ever since a certain event had happened in his life. A fire that completely changed his entire life, well, ruined would be more appropriate, never mind about that though. He didn't like thinking about it or imagining it any longer than he has to, the boy lost many things in that fire, things, people and memories that he will never be able to get back. Now, he was seventeen and his stay at the adoption center will be over soon and he will have nobody to take care of him, even though the foster care and the care from the adoption workers was the bare minimum they got in comparison to real mothers and fathers.

It was his choice to leave as soon as possible, they said they would pay his college bills, but he refused that as well. He was a teen with all excellent grades, even in P.E. , which was mostly gifted to him by the professor since he noticed and empathized at how weak, quiet and shy the child was in comparison to the other boys, he stood out from the crowd, besides if he doesn’t give him an A, his GPA would be brought much lower than the kid deserves. Since he was a complete outcast in the school, the teachers would take pity upon him often times, because after all he was the perfect student, never played around in class, never fought with the other boys, no, he sat in his little corner, quiet as a church mouse as he did his work until he did it perfectly.

It wasn’t just his status of having no friends, it was what happened to his family being a well-known fact to everyone. They didn’t about it at all. It was not even in the back of the classmates’ minds’, they chose to tease for his extreme introverted personality and his unappealing appearance and acne covered face, that especially bothered a group of boys in his class. He truthfully didn’t have enough money to take care of them and that was the explanation. He stopped feeling bad about it since it was useless. The caretakers at his momentary home told him he’ll grow out of it and that’s all they would say. It thankfully cleared up over the summer since he rubbed pure alcohol on top of it. That was what he could afford.

The youth always came to school way too early compared to the rest of the student body, so that is exactly what he did the first day after Summer had ended. The boy even set everyone’s chairs properly under their desks, even though nobody would have noticed or cared if he didn't. Every one of these kids were in their own world. He was the only person that didn’t have an allowance from his parents to spend at school for various reasons, so he got enough money every day from the caretakers to buy himself lunch and a drink with it. The other kids at the adoption center had to wake up earlier to make themselves something to eat for the school day ahead. Jungkook was the pride of the adoption center since he was in the 1% of the country in mathematics and chemistry. The other subjects were just slightly weaker, physics had a bone to pick with him in particular, yet he still wanted to be an engineer in the future. The other kids struggled to get B and C average scores, since to most, the last thing on their minds was studying.

All the summer did was make him sweat while he was crammed inside of his room the entire time, but at least his puberty took mercy on him, finally. The kids from the center made him run around as his job was to entertain them so his muscles ached every week. It wasn't a fairy tale experience but he will miss it for sure. Knowing that he needs to finally grow up on the other hand.
Last night he didn’t get any sleep and he just stayed up in his bed until the morning from being too anxious about what kind of a day it will be today. But he is here right now and he’s awaiting what’s coming.

Truth be told, he didn’t like to feel as if he was walking on a runway in front of people who hated the model on display, it's face, the clothes it wore, the unbranded shoes it had, it's body weight, everything about it. So he just hid in his usual corner in the spot he has to be at. Never leaving the classroom until the last period’s end. Then, he waits until everyone clears out and proceeds to exit after a couple of minutes. Which of course doesn’t do much, but it stops him from bumping against people or getting in their way. He used to leave at the same time as the others, but his anxiety shot through the roof whenever he bumped into someone or touched someone on accident.
But he wouldn’t lie to himself, people making rude remarks at him just for existing and accidentally bumping into them does have a huge part of it. In his head he would always say something back to defend himself, but in the moment he wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear from the situation as soon as possible.

Thankfully, as the period went along, nobody had said anything to him as they were pre occupied with their friends and catching up causing Jungkook to feel a huge burst of relief. Maybe he will just have a nice day today? After this he will go to search for a cheap apartment to start his independent life, maybe see if anyone needs a flat mate. The boy has already been working at a job that has nothing to do with interacting with others or customer service. He delivers food to restaurants, so his job basically includes manual labor and driving a vehicle, he doesn’t have to talk to people unless they have a complaint, which he doesn’t care for since it’s not his fault. Usually it’s a quantity of the ordered items that is the issue and not his performance.
It has been hard realizing he will soon leave his little brothers and sisters. When he is away from them he feels as if his life doesn’t have a meaning, but he remembers that they wouldn’t have an older teenage brother to take care of them. Now he will start his own life, he won’t have much time for them. They seemed saddened by the fact and their caretakers scolded them for making the older feel guilty so they apologized. Then he had to leave, the caretakers said it would be best to shorten the visits as much as possible.

“Hello~,kids! So, how are you, elders, huh?” The class master said cheerfully to the graduating class, trying to be funny. Everybody laughed but it wasn't funny to the boy, nothing is funny to him that's funny to others. Jungkook was snapped out of his daze…barely, being lost in the numbers he drew on his desk 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3,….and so on. That was the number of the kids in the adoption center that he had to get rich for. To buy them all designer shoes and warm jackets. The girls would buy make up or…jewelry or whatever girls like and the boys would have the latest gaming systems and ty Adidas track suits. They would invite all of their friends over and they would never feel ashamed again.

“Wow, so will the infamous ‘Jungkook’s desert’ be no more? Will somebody have to sit with him?” Jimin said aimed towards nobody other than Jungkook as he snickered to himself which made a few people snicker along and caused Jungkook look up.

“Park Jimin, do you want that person to be you? Did you just give me an idea?” The class master asked as few people giggled as well, which made Jungkook even more uncomfortable.

“No! Do not- just don’t.” Jimin spoke mockingly, wide eyed as he smirked to himself, exhaling a breath of relief to add on to his hilarity. Jungkook still didn’t know what was going on, yet he felt sorry about making people feel like they had to sit next to him.

I am fine on my own, he boy would think.

...

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

…

”Jungkook who would you like to sit next to you? You’re the only one who will be allowed to choose.” The class master said as Jungkook’s eyes tried not to look at anyone staring his way or not even looking at him.

“No, no. Nobody.” Jungkook said in few words, timidly to the teacher as a classmate rolled her eyes ‘The same old Jeon Jungkook’ she thought. The male was in focus now, anxiously scratching the wooden desk, making the noise of his index finger nail tracing the surface only audible to himself. His book-bag was always on the chair next to him and his books were spread across the middle of the two desks instead of being just on his side. It was a place for him and nobody else should be next to him and nobody ever was.

“Alright, Jimin. If you thought it was so funny how about the friend laughing next to you? Yes! You, Taehyung. Since you’re not the class clown type and your grades are even lower than Jimin’s you could do with such an intelligent desk mate. You know, Taehyung when I was your age I too……” At that point Jungkook zoned out and swallowed his spit. He looked at Taehyung’s eyes meeting his after he dramatically groaned for everyone to hear and laugh along mockingly with him. Jimin just laughed and patted Taehyung’s back as he stood up to move.

Jungkook tried to compose himself and simply remove his backpack from the other seat and movde his books to his own side, taking a deep breath and introverting himself into his own imaginary world as he always did. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…. He saw the classmate sitting down from the corner of his eye. He saw a lot of shadows shift in front of him, from one corner of the room to the other.

He still…didn’t know what was going on? Was it seating rearrangement? Yes! That must be it. Jungkook thought as he smiled to his conclusion.

Crackle!

His pen tip broke. Jungkook frowned upon his misfortune as he put his pencil in the pencil case and laid down on his desk and closed his eyes. His pen tip breaking was far too stressful, he needed to rest from it. He will sharpen it next period, when they start doing work.

The bell rang and everyone started talking in the classroom.

“Will he talk to me, do you think he will?”

“…NAAA- let’s go out in the hall, I hate being back here.”

“No, you go on. I don’t feel like getting up.”

“Whatever. Enjoy your silence. Hahaha~”

“Piss off.” Taehyung responded as he stayed inside. Jungkook stopped overhearing anybody talking to him and rested his worn out eyes.

“Hey! Uh, do you know what we have next period?” Taehyung said quietly, then repeated himself after Jungkook didn’t hear him. Taehyung tried to ask nicely, the person who was laying with his head in his arms. He didn’t know what to expect. Jungkook turned to Taehyung’s side to see him with only one eye. He took out a daily schedule he had for himself and school as well and showed it to Taehyung. He stared at the light haired boy as if he was the dumbest person alive. He probably had a planner himself, why ask him? What an idiot. Jungkook thought.

“Ah, I see..” The boy responded awkwardly and smiled. Jungkook just went back to his rest, without reciprocating. After he wakes up everyday at 4:30 to get the bus that gets him to his 5:00 work that he does until 7:20 and since he finishes so close to the school he has nothing else to do but to go to the hell hole. He was afraid if his studies will crumble, then his relationship with the teachers and the school staff will crumble, he won’t get straight A’s and he will fail to get a recommendation, he won’t get a scholarship which means he won't get into a good college and get a good job and he will live a miserable and lonely life and won’t ever be able to visit his little brothers and sisters.
The fear of his ridiculous hypothesis woke him up from his nap. It was only the start of English class aka second period. It was nothing to worry about.

“It’s English class, you didn’t over sleep.” Taehyung stated the obvious to Jungkook. Did this idiot not know that the smartest kid in the school knew the schedule by heart? It was fascinating to see how his classmate’s brain worked either way. It was the last time Taehyung tried to speak to him during the day, thinking that Jungkook was rude and antisocial. Jungkook wasn't aware how he came off to other people, he just treated them like they treated him. The boy knew better than to fall for Taehyung's niceness act.
The day was over and Jungkook has to go apartment hunting. Taehyung stayed and talked with his friends for too long and Jungkook had to stand up before him. Taehyung stood up finally, and walked away but Jimin stood in front of the black haired boy and prevented him from moving and sitting up.

“Leave him alone, let’s just go.”

“No, he’s having fun, look. It’s a game. He can’t pass.” Jimin said as he ruffled Jungkook’s hair, standing taller than the man sitting down.
Jungkook finally straightened his back and blossomed from a hunched over shy kid into slowly standing up in front of Jimin as the smaller boy realized he had to look up at Jungkook since his summer time growth spurt, first scared but quickly collecting himself and covering it up with fake confidence and scoffing. Jungkook was a tall, muscular, scary looking kid that never smiled. Who knows what he was capable of, maybe he’s finally standing up for himself? . Jimin thought.

“Yah! Do you think you’re tough? What will you do if I do this?” Jimin said as he nudged his chest slightly and Jungkook stumbled backwards like brittle stick bug, he hit the window he was sitting next to. Park Jimin never meant to push him that hard but he wasn’t about to back out now.

“Huh? Come on. You’re a big guy, won’t fight me?” He asked since all four of his friends were watching the situation.

“Jimin-ah!” Taehyung said to get him to follow them and get him away from the boy. Jimin stayed for a little while longer and scoffed, then went outside with everyone else.
Jungkook’s nostrils widened as he was about to break into tears, he wasn’t tough at all. He bruised his arm in the process which was just…great.
He went outside and Taehyung noticed he took the other exit that only staff uses while hiding his face with his sleeves for some reason.

“Jimin, why are you always like that?” Obnoxious, rude, picking on the weak for no reason. Taehyung never wanted to seem as a 'white knight' for Jungkook but this was ridiculous. It was the first day of school and he already had to start something with the most pathetic kid in their class.

“Um, he clearly threatened me with looks.” Jimin said, the others laughed. Jungkook was long gone. Poor guy. Taehyung always pitied him. No person should be treated as that poor bastard was treated.

“The kid that speaks three words in a day threatened you? The youngest kid in the classroom who was orphaned and ed up for life, threatened you huh? What a man you are!” Taehyung said sarcastically.

“Whatever, you sensitive princess.” Jimin said, not being able to retreat with a better point, would much rather insult him back instead.

“Watch your language with me, Jimin. I am not Jungkook, I will knock you out.”

“Yah, don’t get a mouth on you. Know where you stand.” Jimin said trying to sound intimidating. Kids with rich parents never learned empathy, that was probably it. Taehyung rolled his eyes.

X

The sun beamed upon Yoongi’s face, his gaze was locked onto the cloudless sky, a shining blue that could allow him to feed off of it's beauty and live forever. This day could make everyone live off of it's beauty forever. Yoongi didn’t care much about what date on the calendar it is but he saw the kid’s and teens start going to school today when he came home, so it must be the start of autumn and the school year. It was still a warm, summer day in the city to Yoongi’s eyes. The air was crisp and fresh so he decided to take a smoke outside in front of the building. He’s seen the season’s change in his ty hopeless city change so often for the past ten years he has stopped looking at the date. He had no reason to either way.
Well, besides paying rent, which he never paid on time either way. He had a white wife beater on with pajama pants, looking more dreadful than usual. To be fair, three pm was morning for him. What the hell did he have to do before that? Nothing. So he used it for sleep instead. Either that or he took small naps throughout the entire day. He just did whatever he wanted to do to keep the long story short.
After loud footsteps behind him that he didn’t hear since he had earphones in his ears, blocking out any noise. His lit up cigarette was knocked out of his hands. He ripped his earphones out of his ears, leaving them in pain, ignoring it, he proceeded to yell out at the school boy that rudely pushed his elder while passing along.

“Yah! Yah!! You, there! Stop right there, kid!” Yoongi shouted at the boy with a commanding husky male voice. Jungkook heard him and stopped in his footsteps. If the older didn’t say the last part to get the younger to stop in his track out of compulsion to do whatever strangers tell him in a moment of extreme anxiety, he would’ve ran off. He always runs off from stressful situations. It seems as if Jungkook was lost in thought again for a few moments.

“Yah, are you ing deaf? Kid? Where do you live huh? Who taught you to be so rude to your older people than you, huh?” A voice kept asking as it closed in from behind him. Jungkook was terrified. He didn’t even remember how the person looked. His observational skills have always failed him.

“All the kids around here have terrible attitudes and huge egos. Tch, don’t matter what I do in my private time or as my job. You oughtta respect me. Little ing s.” The man rambled about something Jungkook was positively unaware of, and this time it wasn’t him that was the problem. Yoongi eventually stepped in front of him. The pink haired man frowned and scrunched his entire face.

“What, who the bloody hell even are you?” The loud man questioned the younger who was staring at the ground, his eyes going up and down on his entirety. The older smirked to himself. He must not be from this part of Seoul at all, and is probably ting his pants.

“You don’t know your own name, huh? Give me your wallet. Come on now.” Yoongi gestured with his hands that he wants the wallet in his hands. The scared younger gave him the wallet. When he opened it, his eyes widened.

“Om- Why do you have so much money? Are you insane? Wow, walking trough here with so much money. Your backpack has holes in it but you have this much money in your worn out crap old wallet? What the hell?” Yoongi kept talking and cussing. He cussed every second word. Jungkook shrugged. The older noticed the raven haired boy's hands shaking as he handed the wallet, which was strange. Maybe he was an easily scared type of kid. Around these parts this happened often and kids knew how to handle themselves usually. Yoongi took out the money he needed for a new pack of cigarettes and put it back in the younger’s jacket pocket. Was the kid rich?

“You okay? Do you know where you are?” Yoongi said even though he didn’t want to. He was the first teenager that didn’t give him a rash. He wanted to help him out for some reason.

“…” Jungkook responded with nothingness.

“Youuu..don’t?” Yoongi had no idea why he wasn't responding. Was the kid mute?

“…”

“ me, I mean, you don’t have to be scared of me. It’s not like I robbed you. You gave me my money back, sweetheart.” Yoongi said pretentiously as he realized the other wasn’t even blinking. He snapped his fingers twice in front of the younger who looked at him for the first time.

“Wow, you’re really a lost cause. You have a really pretty face, not to be creepy. If you’re like, I don’t know, thirteen or something. I'm not a e, ya know?” Yoongi said jokingly. Jungkook responded for the first time with a shake of a head left, then right.

“O- how old are you?” Yoongi tried to get another response. It was as if he was learning how to communicate with a different breed.

“N-n-ni-nine-nineteen.” He dragged out his Korean age, feeling embarrassed. He usually thinks before saying something so this doesn’t happen, but he was really fumbling right now.

“Oh, I am twenty four. My name is Min Yoongi. Listen, don’t ever carry this much money with yourself, alright?” Yoongi said as he patted the youth’s shoulders twice and went to walk the other direction to the store.

“Can -“ Yoongi barely heard from behind him as he turned around and saw a doe eyed boy who flinched backwards just at Yoongi turning around. Unique reaction to responding to someone's call.

“Yes?” The loud man asked softly.

“…” The younger had his mouth agape, showing off the overly sized teeth for his small mouth. It was an adorable feature, Yoongi thought. He stopped the flirting since he didn't know if it was alright, it was kind of strange. So he kept it to himself.

“It’s alright. You can ask me anything.” Yoongi said, trying to make the awkwardness disappear from the air.

“Um, uh. I’m lost.” Jungkook admitted and finally felt relief.

“Oh! Do you have anything to do? You can come with me to the shop and then I’ll lead you out of this dumpster of Seoul and to the bus stop.” Yoongi said and the youth nodded. The man worried about the boy who blindly followed anyone who told him to. He seemed too innocent and trusting. Such a poor soul would be destroyed in today’s world.

“Why are you carrying all that money?”

“…” No response. Yoongi snapped his fingers in front of the boy once again. He wasn’t distracted just unwilling to talk. Maybe Yoongi was too impatient with him. He was a weird kid how could he possibly know how to talk to him? He never met anyone like this but everybody was different. He guessed.

“Buying…I’m buying… an apartment.” Jungkook stated as he realized he made a mistake in his speech. He felt like such a failure in speaking to one of the rare people who actually gave him the time of day.

“Really?”

“…I” Jungkook said nothing, but Yoongi didn’t point it out. He waited, causing a long silence.

“No, no. I’m looking for an apartment…to share. Uh-“ Jungkook couldn’t find the words to describe what he meant, which made him keep getting flustered and looking down at the pavement from embarrassment.

“Oh, you want to share the payments of the apartment, because you can’t afford living on your own, because you’re too young? Or you don’t have enough money?”

“Yes! Yes. So expensive.” Jungkook said with much relief. His short lived smile was left unseen, but Yoongi smiled in the youth’s direction either way. They bought what they needed and Yoongi headed out to show Jungkook the direction of where he needed to go.

“Hm…listen, you don’t have to say yes at all. But um…you could just live in my apartment as a roommate? You could try it for a month if you’d like? You seem to not be a loud guy who causes trouble. You’re the perfect flat mate. Besides, if you need your peace and quiet, I’m out most days after 6 or 8 pm and I come by at morning and just sleep, I don’t think that would be an issue.” Yoongi thought of it as smart business.

“…” There was a short silence. It started to become a less uncomfortable one a little bit. They both stopped walking. The boy, still in his school uniform wasn’t really thinking, he knew the answer. Jeon Jungkook wanted to ask the older so many questions and tell him so many things. But all he could bare to say without more embarrassment was a short reply.

“Okay.” Jungkook responded. No trace of emotions on his face about how he feels.

“Alright. No problem. I will warn you about a few things. There is only one room.” Yoongi said making Jungkook worried. He wouldn’t share a bed with his own brother or parents, let alone a stranger, simply wasn’t that type of person. He needs his own space, the boy wasn’t sure what angle Yoongi was trying to come at him from.

“Don’t be worried. Since I’m gone for night time and I sleep while you’re at school, those are the facts, point blank. You don’t need to waste money on a two bedroom apartment, duh. I’m not that ing rich either to tell you the truth. Like, I can’t be spending money on rent that I could be spending buyin’ clothes and the bling, hair dyes, the yayo, etc. Who are we kidding here?” Yoongi asked the other as he took a drag from his cigarette. He looked like a proper hood mom, educating her son about the world.

“I don’t know.” Jungkook said, not knowing what half of those words meant. He just didn't know.

“Exactly. People might say I’m ratchet as they get, but I’m the only person thinking. Spending all your money on healthy food and furniture,or whatever, won’t get you anything. Trust me, trust me. All I’m saying. Anyways, I digress. All in all, this is a ty neighborhood so, please don’t go outside after I go outside. Stay inside and study or just be lowkey as all hell. That is my advice to you that is. But do whatever the you want, I'm not your mother.” Yoongi warned the younger. Truthfully, he didn’t care what he did, but the youth looked as if he lived in a nicer neighborhood than this, since the mysterious boy was wearing the snotty ty upper middle class uniform from the school that wasn't from the part of Seoul Yoongi lived in.
Jungkook was really confused for the most part. He was staring into the shorter man’s pink hair, not even noticing it was pink before. It was beautiful. This hyung must be very courageous to be dying his hair and wearing so many earrings, just doing whatever he wants. Why did he have so many earrings? So strange. Jungkook respected him for it. He looked angelic and soft. The man was unusually pale, maybe because he doesn’t leave the house during the day as he said. Maybe he was some kind of a creature of the night. Jungkook thought. Was he not human? Maybe. He was probably....a vampire.

“Do you like my hair?” Yoongi asked the boy staring at it obviously. Jungkook nodded and smiled as an answer.

The man that was as pale as the clouds, looked soft as they did too but Jungkook wouldn’t know. The clouds and the hyung were both things he couldn’t touch, but his hair and his cheeks were as pink as the cherry blossom petals in the spring. He has touched cherry blossoms so he feels as if it were a similar texture. Maybe.

“Alright…you just go get your stuff, come here before six please and ring me and I’ll come down and help you. Alright?” Yoongi looked back at him, a little freaked out by all the staring. The older discussed the pricing and it was incredibly cheap compared to the prices he saw before as Yoongi already said.

“Alright.” Jungkook repeated as a parrot would. 'Wow' He thought to himself. He found an apartment to share. It was a bit strange, but Jungkook was looking forward to it.

"You're a little weird." Yoongi said out loud as he stared at the boy, squinting, Jungkook just shrugged.