It was well past midnight, and yet Jungkook found himself in the center of a very, very sketchy situation that would most likely earn him a slew of punishments to last the rest of his life. Puffing his cheeks out in disdain, he watched in silence as his turquoise haired roommate drew out a large, burlap sack from his sweat shirt’s pocket. After crawling around the air vents for twenty, painfully long minutes, Jungkook could barely keep his eyes open and stomach quiet from growling. His hunger did not cease one bit once he realised where they were headed.

    “Kookie, Tae,” Yoongi called in a hushed voice, “Empty the fridge and the pantry,” he turned towards the glistening, white counter of the camp’s one and only kitchen , and fumbled through the drawers.

    Tae nodded hastily, grabbing things off the shelves of the tidy pantry and stuffed them inside the sack, “I’m so hungry,” he groaned, gazing longingly at the box of crackers he withdrew from its hiding place.

    “Shut up and get to work,” Yoongi snapped, slipping a packet of paper napkins out of sight, “We don’t have enough time to-”

    Jungkook frowned, dropping containers of produce and bags of meat and cheese into the sack, “Won’t the officials notice?”

    Shrugging, Yoongi shoved a box of chopsticks through the gaping mouth of the sack, “Of course. They’ve never done anything about it though,” smirking, he straightened up and slung the bulging sack over his shoulder, hastily cinching the opening closed with a spare bit of string, “Honestly, they’re too busy blaming each other about the whole ‘food disappearances’ to even think of investigating us.”

    “Wait…” Tae frowned, assisting in the lifting of the sack into the air vents, “The Officials don’t eat what we do?”

    Scoffing, Yoongi hoisted himself through the grate, “Of course not.”

    Sniffing indignantly, Tae followed in pursuit of him, “So we’re stuck eating disgusting porridge?”

    A smirk crossed his lips as he shoved the sack forward down the secret tunnel, “Of course not.”

    Sighing, Jungkook lept up and swung himself into the air vents after his two friends, “Where are we going now? Back to our room?”

    Yoongi shot a crooked smile at the two of them before continuing along the cold, metal passageways in the ceiling, “No, somewhere better.”

    A couple minutes of shuffling passed in silence, until Tae groaned, “I’m hungry and tired…”

    “Shut up,” Yoongi rolled his eyes, “We’re running late.”

    “To where,” Tae whined, accidentally hitting his head against the ceiling, “Ouch…”

    “Will you please shut the f-”

    “Language,” Tae smirked.

    Yoongi stopped suddenly to glare at him, “If you don’t shut up, we’ll get caught and that’ll be the end of all of us. Got it?”

    Pouting, Tae nodded and continued along in silence, “Stupid sugar lump,” he muttered under his breath.

    “I heard that,” Yoongi growled, turning a corner sharply.

    Tae rolled his eyes, but uttered nothing more.

    The three stole down the passageway in careful silence, pausing at every unknown sound and whisper from the world down below. All the venturing in the maze of air vents played with their minds that perhaps one corner might have been the corner they recently passed, or perhaps it was to become the corner that they would pass again in the near future. The metallic walls loomed forward, bearing their sides and squeezing the breath their lungs desired into nonexistence. Dust swam in and out of the flickering of light through the narrow grates beneath them and clung to their night clothes and hair. Minutes waned by until the tunnel suddenly swung upwards to reveal a large grate in the ceiling.

    Shoving the sack in Tae’s face, Yoongi reached up to lift the grate out of place. A wave of fresh, night air washed over them as the calm, starry sky came into view. Smiling, he hoisted himself out of the tunnel, “We’re here.”

    “Thank god,” Tae groaned, handing the sack back to Yoongi’s outstretched hand before slipping out of the air vents as well.

    Jungkook’s eyes widened as he too exited the air vents, “The roof?”

    Nodding, Yoongi crossed the rough concrete towards the center to set the sack of food down, “The others should be here in any minute.”

    At that precise moment, the chattering of voices slowly shattered the quiet atmosphere of the night as they grew louder with each passing second.

    “-and then BAM! She was out of there!” the familiar cackle of JHope echoed against the metal walls of the air vents as his head popped out of the grate.

    “That’s one way to do it,” Namjoon appeared behind him, laughing softly.

    Jin and Jimin climbed out as well, engrossed in their own conversation. “If you need any help with that, I can-” Jin began before Jimin cut him off hastily.

    “It’s not like that! I just want to figure out how to apologize for what happened, that’s all,” Jimin laughed nervously, “You don’t have to help out.”

    “No! It’s fine!” Jin persisted, “Besides, I’ve got some ideas up my sleeves as well-”

    Yoongi rolled his eyes, scoffing at the lot of them, “Woke up the whole camp, did you?”

    Sighing, Namjoon stuffed his hands in his pockets, “Calm down. It’s not like we were screaming or anything.”

    “Yeah, what do you take us for?” JHope sniffed indignantly, “A bunch of idiots?”

    “Yes,” Yoongi stared at them, unamused.

    “We’ll be quieter next time,” Jin smiled lightly.

    “Whatever,” Yoongi tossed the sack at their feet before turning away to lay down against the cold stone of the roof.

    Tae looked at him curiously, “Is he always like this?”

    The five stared at each other before answering in unanimously, “Yep.”

    Jin stared at the opened grate anxiously, chewing on his bottom lip while the others ripped the sack open. “They’re late…” he shot a glare at the boys clambering over one another for a bite of food, “Don’t even think about eating before they arrive.

    The group groaned, but dropped whatever was in their hands back into the sack and leaned back. JHope let out of a huff of frustration, “But they’re always late…”

    “No they’re not,” Yoongi drawled from his sleep, “You’re usually the one late.”

    “Details, details,” JHope waved the comment off before turning towards a certain tall, gangly boy, “So, have you come up with any ideas?” he asked excitedly.

    Tae shot him a wide grin, “Of course!” he dug a list out of his pocket and flattened it on the ground, “I wasn’t able to write all of them down before a certain tyrant started yelling at us to hurry up,” Tae shot the sleeping lump of sugar a look of disgust.

    “Oh…” JHope examined the list in awe, “You, my friend, are brilliant,” he burst out laughing, “Slip dye in her soap? Tacks on her seat? Glue money to her desk? These are gold!”

    “Those are lame,” Yoongi yawned.

    “Tch…” JHope rolled his eyes, “You’re lame…”

    “Aish!” Namjoon groaned suddenly, “I’m starving…” he stared at the sack wistfully, “Jin, can you at least-”

    Jin’s face hardened, “No.”

    “Just one-”

    “No.”

    “One bite?”

    “No.”

    “But I’m so hungry!”

    “No.”

    “We all are!”

    “No.”

    “Jin, please!”

    “No.”

    “Jin-”

    “Oh my god, shut up,” Yoongi sat up groggily, “We’ll wait for the girls to arrive, and until then, no one will eat.”

    Jungkook smiled weakly at the group as he sat in silence. It was normal, completely normal for him to remain quiet, secluded from the rest of the group, yet just sitting there and watching his best friend with someone else was… unnerving. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but feel grateful that Tae had adjusted so well to such a hellish situation. There was no way he ever should have landed here, nor was there any way that he’d want to stay; however if it meant looking after his rather ridiculous friend, he’d stick to his side until the very end. All those reasons and thoughts whirling around his brain were enough to make anyone confused, but the didn’t change the fact that he felt lonely. Yes he, Jeon Jungkook, felt incredibly lonely for the first time in his life. From an aristocrat to a breeder, famous to a nobody all in the span of twenty four hours.

    Sighing, he leaned back on his elbows and set his thoughts aside. “Mom, are you watching…” he muttered under his breath, gazing up at the sky lit up by a billion diamonds.

    “You too, huh?” a voice snapped him back into reality.

    He turned his head slightly to stare at Jimin gazing up at the stars as well, “Yeah,” was all he managed to say.

    Sighing, Jimin tore his gaze away from the sky to face Jem, “So I heard you’re an aristocrat.”

    Dropping his eyes to his feet, Jungkook scoffed slightly, “Not anymore.”

    “Yeah…” smiling weakly, Jimin stared back at the stars, “You know, someday I’m going to run away,” he pointed at the wall surrounding the prison, “I’ll go over that wall and run until I reach the ocean. I’ll catch a boat and sail as far away from this place as I can.”

    Jungkook tilted his head curiously, “What will you do when you’re free?”

    “I’ll find someone to share the rest of my life with,” he then laughed lightly, “If there is such a person out there.”

    Jungkook stared up at the stars, “Perhaps.”

    “What about you?” Jimin glanced at him from the corners of his eyes.

    Shrugging, Jungkook spoke quietly, “I’ve never really thought about it, but I guess I’d want someone to share the rest of my life with as well.”

    “I know it’s the first day here, but is there anyone that you wouldn’t mind sticking with?” Jimin turned his head slightly, smiling.

    Jungkook paused, and before he knew what he was saying, the word slipped out of his mouth, “Yeah.”

    “Then get to her first,” he turned away, staring at the rough, concrete of the roof, “And don’t let her go.”

***

    It seemed as if ages had passed until three, familiar heads made an appearance through the grate. The flash of blonde hair under the moonlight and cheery wave of Eun Sung entered the gathering upon the roof. Frida hoisted herself into the clearing after her roommate, casually flipping a stray lock of long, black hair over her shoulder. A few moments passed until the cautious figure of a certain brunette followed the two onto the roof, biting her lip nervously.

    Jungkook and Jimin sat up abruptly, as the sudden sighs of relief sounded across the lips of their friends.

    “Sorry we’re late!” Eunnie immediately returned WooJin’s open embrace.

    “It’s okay-” Jin began until JHope’s groan cut him off.

    “What the hell took you so long? We’re starving here!”

    Frida stared pointedly at him, “Care to repeat that?”

    JHope’s eyes widened in horror as he stuttered, “N-no ma’am.”

    “That’s what I thought,” smirking, she towered over Yoongi’s sleeping body, “Suga. Hey, Suga. Get the f-”

    “Language…” Jin muttered.

    “Tch,” Frida rolled her eyes, spinning on her heel to walk away until a hand wrapped around her ankle.

    “Come back,” Yoongi opened an eye.

    A smile crossed her lips as she knelt beside him, “Missed me?”

Eunnie grinned as she tore her gaze from the couple and turned to stare at the bulging sack of food, “Can we eat now?”

“Thank the lord!” JHope announced, pouncing on the bag with such intensity that a tiger may have been scared off.

“We’ve been saved!” Tae praised, following in Hoseok’s pursuit.

“Hold it!” Jin scolded, “Ladies go first-”

JHope held a bag of chips to his chest protectively, “F-”

“Language.”

Stuffing an apple in his mouth, JHope shuffled away to the other side of the roof while carrying a mountain of food in his arms. Tae hurried close behind him, munching on a packet of cashews and dried fruit, and continued to discuss the planning behind their pranks.

Namjoon sighed, tossing a roll in the air after finishing off a ripe, red apple and settled himself beside Eun Sung and and WooJin who were happily sharing a sandwich. “When will they grow up…” he muttered under his breath.

Frida and Yoongi, on the other hand, happened to find themselves in a heated argument between the objects of food and sleep.

“Just once piece?” Yoongi whined, brushing a lock of hair out of his face.

“You get your own,” Frida snapped, stuffing another cookie in .

“But it’s too far.”

“You’re just too lazy.”

“No I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Sleeping isn’t being lazy. It’s being productive.”

“At doing nothing.”

“Sleeping is doing something.”

“So is getting your own food.”

And the argument went on.

Jungkook stared at the mess of the entire situation on the roof as he hastily snatched a container of mixed fruit. “Are they always like this?” he turned towards Jimin who wasn’t eating anything.

“Every night,” Jimin laughed lightly, “You get used to it after a while.”

Frowning, he stared at his container of fruit, “Aren’t you hungry?”

Jimin shrugged, “Not really.”

“Oh…” Jungkook popped a grape in his mouth as he broke off in silence. His attention flitted from one object to another, whether it happened to be the fireflies hovering near the ground or the gentle chirping of midnight doves in the night, he never focused on one aspect for more than a minute. The way the grass bent beneath the breeze and the distant whispers of an invisible creek somewhere deep in the thick of the woods all seemed to become painful reminders of what he had left behind. As much as he hated to admit it, he missed home terribly. Anything that bore even a slight resemblance to his past became nothing more than a bitter memory.

“Jiminie!” Namjoon called suddenly, staring at the boy with an expression of desperation.

Sighing, Jimin sent an apologetic smile to Jungkook, “Sorry; this might take a while.”

He nodded slightly, watching the boy retreat towards Jin, Eun Sung, and Namjoon’s group and leaving him alone. Chewing his bottom lip, he rose to his feet. There was no use isolating himself from the group, and there had to be at least someone else to talk to, right? Staring at Jimin, he shook his head. No, they looked busy. Yoongi and Frida- one glance at the pair confirmed his predicted answer. No way. Turning to stare at Tae and JHope, he hesitated. As much as pranking teachers had become a hobby of the two boys, did he really want to engulf himself in such activities? No. A sigh escaped his lips as a yawn escaped his lips, stretching his arms out a bit. ‘Oh well…’ he shook his head at the thought. Not everything would always favor his way. If it did, he wouldn’t have ended up in a Breeding Camp and nor would Tae.

Squeezing his eyes shut, a second yawn slipped out his lips. He ruffled his hair a bit as he opened his eyes slowly. A figure of a girl sitting at the edge of the roof, slowly swinging her legs back and forth, caught his attention almost instantly. Staring at her curiously, he sat himself beside her. “Are you alone too?” he asked quietly.

Turning her head slightly, a tiny smile played across Rose’s lips, “Seems that way, doesn’t it?”

He studied her face, “I’m sure anyone would have loved to be with you if you asked.”

Shrugging, she gazed up at the stars, “True, but sometimes being alone is more than enough.”

A frown crossed his brows, “Am I-?”

“No!” she shook her head hastily, glancing at him, “You’re fine.”

He nodded, chewing his bottom lip as he turned to gaze up at the night sky, “What were the stars like in America?” the question hung off his lips.

The corners of her lips quirked upwards a bit, “I almost never saw a clear sky, but when I did, there were stars just like these in the sky,” her head tilted slightly in curiosity, “Only the stars back home seemed so much more… free. It’s almost as if the stars here were plucked from the sky and replaced by artificial ones.”

He stared at the stars, frowning at her words. How would stars be artificial? “That’s… an odd way of seeing it.”

A breathy laugh escaped , “True, but what about you? You must have some ‘odd’ observation too.”

He leaned back, “My mom used to say that stars were just holes in the sky with heaven peeking through.”

Her head tilted curiously as she examined the sky. After a moment, a grin split across her face and she rose her hand to wave at the stars, “Hello!” she called.

His shoulders shook from contained laughter, “What are you doing?”

“Well,” she dropped her hand to rest it beside his, “If stars are really just holes in the sky, maybe someone in heaven will see us.”

The stars seemed to twinkle even brighter at that, and he shook his head in disbelief, “So? It’s not like it’s real.”

Her head snapped over to face him, “You don’t know that,” shrugging, she turned back towards the sky, “Maybe someone is watching us right now.”

“And yet we’re stuck here. Alone.”

“Maybe they’re sending someone to help us right now.”

“Or maybe they don’t care enough to notice.”

“Or, there’s a traffic jam from Earth to Heaven.”

He sighed, “Just face it; no one would be able to help our situation even if Heaven sent someone.”

“No,” shaking her head, she shot him a disgruntled glance, “We just need an angel.”

He flexed his feet, dangling them over the edge of the roof. Scoffing, he tore his gaze from the sky and turned to meet her eyes, “I don’t believe in angels.”

“You should,” a tiny smile played across her lips as she leaned closer, “Because there could be one right in front of you without you knowing it.”

His breath hitched in his throat as she leaned back. Swallowing hard, he stared at his feet awkwardly, “What about you?”

“Hmm?” she brushed her bangs out of her eyes.

“Have you ever seen one? An angel, I mean.”

Hesitating, she nodded, “Once.”

His eyebrows shot up, “Really? When?”

The distant calls of Eun Sung and Frida calling her back dragged her back into reality as she slowly rose to her feet, “When I was little, there was a woman that used to sing to me. Then one day, she just left, and I never saw her again.”

“Where did she go?”

She nodded at the sky, “Up there.”