00:24

Bruised eyes and a tired mind drags Taehyung into the kitchen. The table is clear, and he's glad he put in the effort beforehand to wash all the dishes while she slept. And now he can swing his legs over the edge, no need to avoid knocking over a stray container of strawberries.

He leans back on his palms and his shirt slides off his shoulder easily. Not that it bothers him, there's an entire patch missing from it from when he sat on the floor with a pair of scissors last week.

It's loud outside. The wind bullies branches into the side of the building and rain sings down from the clouds. Taehyung pulls his legs up and crosses them on the cool wood of the table. He drops his hands into his lap and closes his eyes, letting the sounds mellow out the thoughts that wash away his ability to sleep tonight.

There's roaring waves outside, as if the sea decided to make a surprise visit in the city at midnight. A lone car drives through the streets, the weather too bad for traffic. He never noticed how frequent the sounds of vehicles were in his daily routine, and without them, there's an odd emptiness in the air. And other than the rush of the tempest outside, the closest thing he focuses on is the soft rhythmic clunk of gears that work the analog clock on the wall.

00:51

He doesn't really know how long he's been sitting here, but the ache in his neck has passed and he distractedly reviews the entire Wolf Children film without opening his eyes.

Ame did make a huge choice, becoming the protector of the forest and all when he was only ten years old in human years, he thinks solemnly. He must be happy, living as a wolf. I wonder if Yuki is happy. She must be, right? His eyelids squeeze tighter. She went to boarding school, leaving her mom to live comfortably by herself. I wonder how mom is doing right now. I haven't seen her in a while. I should - he swallows, the top of his throat feels raw, I should call her soon. Too bad I can't visit, I should crunch some more hours at work to try to. But that means less time here, more at the store, but how will I have time for homework or practice? His voice starts to echo through his head. don't I have a paper due in two days? When should I get started on that? When is the next stats exam - Oh how am I gonna-

‘Taehyung?’

01:22

The intrusion jolts him from the bones to his skin. His sense of balance is slightly off as he teeters onto his back. That's when he notices his fists are clenched so hard, the sting of fingernails prick into his palm when he lets go.

‘Oh woah woah, I didn't mean to scare you. , I’m so sorry,’ her voice is laced with apologetic concern when she quickly strides to him.

‘No, you're fine,’ he runs his fingers through his hair, ‘It’s fine.’ He sighs, chasing his breath and blinking hard when she takes his hands in hers. He’s glad she didn’t turn on the light, he's grown fond of the dark, and in the shadows he can tell she just woke up. Her hair is tousled and her lips sleep-swollen. He watches her intently, suddenly drawn to how she up turns his palms and softly runs her thumb over the embedde