When you are a kid, let’s say 8~10 years old one, doing something quite the opposite from what your parents have told you to do always feels somewhat heroic, doesn’t it? Well, for the 9 year old Taehyung and Hoseok it was definitely an adventure trying to sneak out of bed after the lights have been put off just to stay on the balcony of their rooms while immersing into some pointless conversation. And that was definitely an easier task for them than it sounded since luckily the windows of their rooms faced each other just like a mirrored reflection. Hoseok’s family had only just recently moved in, but three days were enough for him to become friends with the kid next door, Taehyung. One night they found each other in the same position at the same time – each on his balcony little after bedtime, staring into the sky. That was basically their first meeting and those spots remained their secret meeting place throughout the next years. Then small chit-chats in the beginning progressed into heated conversations and as time passed they hardly ever missed a night where they didn’t meet, even if it was just for a while.

Weirdly, they could never use the advantage of being so close to each other to hang out since Hoseok went to a private school and had a lot of after school activities. Taehyung often wondered how he could manage to play an instrument, be in a sports team and deal with the responsibilities of being the class president, which of course resulted from his perfect grades. But that was who his parents wanted him to be and how he was raised to think - that he had to master all of those to be a true successor of the family. Taehyung on the other hand lived really simply, he went to a public school close to his house and wasn’t really involved into any extracurricular clubs. Because of that, they couldn’t meet regularly, but that was hardly a meddle between their secret ‘meetings’ at night when their parents thought they were in bed. And they didn’t mind, they were young and didn’t over-complicate their lives. They could talk about just about anything from cartoons to math homework and how delicious the peaches from the old lady next door were. Even though they lived in quite the opposite worlds, it didn’t really affect their friendship. Hoseok would often insist, really persistently actually, to lend Taehyung his comic books and video games he received for birthdays because it was quite obvious that Taehyung could never afford that. Taehyung never wanted to accept them, but Hoseok knew his way with words and always managed to magically convince his friend to accept them. Hoseok never acted high and mighty or snobby, he didn’t fit the popular rich stereotype at all, even though his parents were the perfect example of it. In fact, the older of two often expressed how hard it was to meet the expectations that all of his family had about him and how he wished that he could just lazy around and not do anything. 

“Are you nervous?” Taehyung asked one night. The next day it would be Hoseok’s first day of middle school and the latter had talked about this day the whole summer vacation. Taehyung was a year younger so he couldn’t share the excitement with the older, but he was interested in how it felt. Hoseok nodded and wrapped his hands around his knees. But that only meant that he was upset about something because it was a habit of his to wrap himself into a ball, as if he wanted to reject the surrounding him world. Or so Taehyung thought anyways. But seeing that now he got a little angry, because 1) he didn’t understand why Hoseok was suddenly not positive about it and 2) why was there so much distance between them, even those there practically wasn’t.

“They want me to take three extra classes and take the rest of the compulsory ones on a higher level. I don’t understand it, I really don’t. They keep comparing me to my older brother and they won’t listen to me. Because I don’t want to take those classes and it’s already hard for me to keep with the studies for the regular ones. ‘the Jung family this, the Jung family that’ It’s all they talk about. I don’t know Taetae, I feel like I’m going to miss the entire fun part of it just because I’m expected to be perfect at everything.” Hoseok sighed and finally made eye contact with Taehyung. And it was weird because Hoseok was always bright, he disliked sulking or frowning, he found it tiresome so he was seldom unhappy and Taehyung was used to it. And the latter suddenly felt guilty because he thought that Hoseok led one perfect life, a life Taehyung once or twice had selfishly wished to be able to live at least once. But now it downed on him that his friend could feel unhappy too, and the burden was surely a lot heavier that Taehyung imagined and he now more than ever wished he could just extend his arm and reach his friend.

“I can watch some cartoons and then tell you all about them at night. And also I can record them so you don’t miss them. You can then laugh loudly without having to hold it and be yourself, you don’t have to be ‘perfect’ in front of me. Whenever it feels too much, you only have to throw the little rock at my window and I’ll be right here.” Taehyung blurted out and even though he didn’t intend to be funny or anything, for his huge relief he saw Hoseok erupting into laughter, biting his shirt not to make a sound.

“You should’ve seen the amount of expressions that occurred on your face while promising all this. How could I ever doubt my best friend.” Hoseok grinned, obviously cheered up, and stood up. It was getting late and they had to go back in side. They separated quietly with Taehyung wishing Hoseok good luck and Hoseok wishing Taehyung good night, just as usual. But the little difference this night were Hoseok’s words that kept echoing in Taehyung’s ears throughout the whole night. ‘Best friend’

Of course, there were countless times where they couldn’t meet up for longer than just a day or two especially in the winter. Taehyung didn’t have a computer or a mobile phone, so at such time the only way Hoseok could get to him was to throw a small pebble at his window which was their secret sign that meant for them to come out on the balcony. Taehyung was always punctual since he enjoyed the company of his best friend just as much and he would usually show up immediately. But as they got older the occasions where Hoseok would have to wait more than half an hour and throw around five to six little rocks with no sign of his friend showing up started becoming more often. Although Taehyung would explain them as him having fell asleep or helping around the house, Hoseok felt that at times he wasn’t as sincere.

On 17^th of February Hoseok broke their little tradition and went on the balcony an hour earlier than midnight and tried calling out to his friend. Why midnight? Because it was his birthday on the 18^th and for the longest time they had the tradition to be the first to greet each other, so every year on the night before their birthdays the would meet a little bit before midnight and wait the clock to hit it together. But this night Hoseok’s parents were quite unhappy about his result of 89% at the last math test and they made sure to be audible about it, making their son feel as if he had done a lot worse than that. But he knew that all of his bad mood would disappear when he gets embraced by Taehyungs warm aura, hence the early hour he decided to call him. It was about to be his birthday after all, he decided it was okay to be selfish just today. But seven pebbles and forty minutes later Hoseok felt like tonight Fate had decided something else. Taehyung wouldn’t come out no matter what, even though the lights on the first floor were . But Hoseok didn’t give up since Taehyung had never once forgotten his birthday before. He had to show up.

23:48pm. Tak. Hoseok threw another pebble.

23:56pm.

23:59pm.

00:00am, 18^th of February. Hoseok turned 15 alone and at 00:29am he was angry and freezing, cursing his friend a little.

He expected Taehyung to be crawling to him the next day, apologizing and begging for forgiveness while Hoseok would pretend to sulk, but then forgive him and treat him cake. But Taehyung didn’t appear at all and Hoseok was frustrated and jealous, thinking that his friend had forgotten about him. ‘No cake for him.’ he thought.

It was only four days later Hoseok heard the familiar tap on his window that awoke him. He wanted to ignore his friend and pretend to sulk some more, but curiosity won and he got out of bed, but still putting an angry expression. (Even though he was quite happy.) Opening the door of his balcony he found a small present bag that was tied to a bigger rock lying on the ground. Opening it he found four really beautiful paper cranes, each different size and color. But it wasn’t only that, on the insides of each wing there was a small message written on them. Either some funny memories they had experienced over the years, supporting messages of Hoseok’s actual dreams that only Taehyung knew about, congratulatory words for all of Hoseok’s successes he achieved in school that his parents never praised him about. But the last one said simply “I’m sorry.” and all of the anger Hoseok thought he felt vanished completely and he looked up, searching for his friend.

“You idiot, I thought you forgot about m-“ but he didn’t get to finish his words. It was really dark, but it was obvious that the area around one of Taehyung’s eyes was unnaturally purple, his lip was split and his hand was bandaged. Taehyung didn’t look at Hoseok at all.

“Taehyung?” Hoseok barely whispered questioningly.

“I’m sorry Hoseok for being so late, those took a little more time to make. You once told me that you like cranes and I practiced a little haha. You must be mad since that doesn’t really count as an actual present-“

“What happened? Why is your face so weird, Taehyung?” Hoseok interrupted him, feeling his face heat up at the sight of how weak his friend look.

“I’m sorry...” that was all Taehyung said, still looking away.

“What are you apologizing for? Taehyung, what is going on?” but then as if something in his mind clicked and made him remember a conversation he had had with his parents long time ago. They didn’t know about Taehyung and Hoseok’s secret meetings but they had warned him not to communicate with the ‘weird kid next door’ since his family was known for being with bad reputation around the neighborhood, the father being an alcoholic and the woman that lived there was only the father’s mistress and not Taehyung’s actual mum. But Hoseok ignored all those words since he thought it was just some rumors and his parents’ pride that everyone around them were lower. And besides, Taehyung had never mentioned this before, so it couldn’t have been true, right? But why did it all suddenly fit? The occasional disappearances of Taehyung and him wearing long clothing even in the summer? Forgetting Hoseok’s birthday for the first time in six years, appearing completely broken in front of him?

“Did he hit you?”

“It doesn’t hurt at all, don’t worry about me.” Taehyung pleaded and tried to smile as usual.

“For how long has he been treating you like this Taehyung?”

“Hoseok please it’s late and you’re getting all the wrong ideas. Let’s meet again tomorrow, I promise not to forget, okay?” And he went inside before he had the chance to see what he had feared the most all those years. The looks of pity and sympathy. It was something he never, ever wanted to see in the eyes of his friend. Truthfully, he had been wanting to tell him for the longest time, he hated keeping secrets from him and honestly at times he really needed a shoulder to cry on, but he was scared. Scared that Hoseok might be disgusted that he has the blood of a person like his father running in his veins, disgusted by the ugly scars that were left all over his body. Scared that he might lose the only person that didn’t completely reject him and treated him like a human being. So he was fine enduring it on his own all those years, as long as Hoseok was there across one fence, facing him with his everlasting smile late at night. And he was now terrified he might never see the other again.

A/N I'm really sorry.. I don't know what is this..Also I'm really sorry for grammar and spelling mistakes ;u;