It was a dark and cool evening. The fall breeze sent shivers down her spine but it was nothing compared to the coldness inside her. A deep breath left her lips as she craned her neck and leaned on her hands to support her back as she looked up at the night sky.

 

Staring up at the stars used to always make her feel better but it doesn’t seem to ease the emotional mess that she is in tonight.

 

“Can’t sleep?”

 

She turned her sight towards the balcony opposite the roof she is lying on and saw a familiar young man whose mane looked a shade similar to hers leaning on the railings with a grin on his face as he stared at her.

 

His eyes are bright, is the first thing she noted.

 

Not blinding bright that would make your spirit seem dull in comparison. It was bright in a way similar to that of the moon.

 

It brings comfort to the frightened soul walking underneath the otherwise dark sky.

 

“You look like you saw a ghost. Do I look that terrible?” He asked as he picked up some strands of his silver mane.

 

Jamie took that moment to take in his whole appearance, allowing her eyes to stare at him from head to toe. Squinting her eyes through the dimness of the night had made her realize that he’s wearing a familiar silk black pyjama bottoms and a white top.

 

A light grin graced her lips as she tilted her head in amusement. It has been a while since she last saw him wear said pyjamas. She even thought that he already discarded them . It would have already been two years since she gave it to him for his birthday after all.

 

On the other hand, the silver headed young man shook his head as he was met with silence from his namesake sitting on the roof opposite his room.

 

The distracted grin on her face tells him she won’t be humouring his statement with a response so he simply pulled the guitar  leaning by his window sill and lifted himself up to seat on the balcony railings.

 

The movement did not escape her sight though. She wordlessly watched with bated breath as the man balanced himself on the railings with one arm while the other is clutching the guitar.

 

Jamie had half a mind to reprimand him for sitting on the balcony where he could fall easily anytime but she knew it’s going to be useless anyway. How many times had she already reprimanded him about it? He only smiles at her and teases her for being too worried but he kept doing it anyway. She’d just leave him be. As long as he doesn’t do anything more dangerous than that like—

 

“Yah! Park Jimin! Are you crazy?”

 

Jamie’s voice trembled as she looked up and watched the dumber and older (and more handsome, since she’s the more beautiful one) Park Jimin effortlessly reach out to the decades old sturdy tree conveniently situated like a bridge right in the middle of his balcony and her roof.

 

Jamie only released the breath she was holding when the dumber Jimin landed both of his feet safely onto the large branch of the old tree and he finally settled by sitting down with his back against the trunk, making them barely a meter and a half away from each other.

 

Her heated and accusing glare was only met by a mischievous eye smile as a response from the young man who made himself comfortable on the branch he is sitting on.

 

“Missed me?”

 

She turned to find him still staring back down at her from said branch with a teasing grin.

 

She rolled her eyes but said nothing.

Her pride wouldn’t let her say yes.

But she couldn’t bring herself to deny it either.

 

He just has that strange pull on her that always makes her blurt out her honest thoughts. So silence is the best choice in this situation.

.

.

“You don’t seem okay..” he said, breaking the short silence that wrapped the atmosphere around them for a while.

“Maybe I’m really not.” She replied with the most honest answer.

 

She had long figured out it’s easier to just be honest with him than come up with excuses he will never buy anyway.

 

“Feeling like a damsel in distress again?” he asked and again, she found herself rolling her eyes. He knew she hates it when he calls her that. And that’s exactly the reason why he brings it up whenever the opportunity presents itself.

 

It’s safe to say they both have a thing for grating on each other’s nerves.

 

“You’re too pretty to be one.”

 

Honey tongued like always.

 

This guy sure knows how to make her feel better.

 

She still doesn’t know whether to like or hate the fact that he could easily influence her mood with just a few words.

 

“Stop the theatrics, Jimin-oppa. You’ve told me those words so many times that I almost believed them.”

 

“Then believe it. Because I’m saying the truth.”

 

“Well news flash, you’re the only one who sees that truth.”

 

A flicker of sadness flashed through her orbs for a while but she quickly masked it with a smile.

 

But then again, no amount of masking can hide her emotions from the observant eyes of a Park Jimin. His deep yet non-invading gaze always makes her feel like he can see through her soul.

 

“I know. That’s why I’m special. It takes one Park Jimin to see the rare beauty of another Park Jimin. It comes with the name.” He flashed a smug grin as she looked up at him, earning a playful glare from her as a response.

 

“Smug .” Her words held no bite other than affection. They both love making fun of the fact that they share the same name. It’s an inside joke they have shared ever since they first met.

 

Another episode of comfortable silence settled between the two of them as they sat wordlessly opposite each other, him on the sturdy branch of the bridge tree and her on the roof tiles on her house.

 

She sat there with her knees pulled and a frown on her face. She had a very far away expression. And it frustrated him to see her looking so down like that so he pulled the guitar he brought with him and tugged the strings to play a random melody.

.

.

.

 “You know what..” he paused and waited for her to look at him, “… you’re making a big deal out of your problem. You have a knight in shining armor who’s only a balcony away from you but you keep on ignoring him anyway.”

 

She looked up and their eyes met. She smiled a little, seeing the almost childish frustration etched on his handsome features.

 

“Why? What can you do to make me feel better?” she couldn’t help but ask.

 

“I can do everything.”

 

She pursed her lips in thought before turning her gaze back up at him.

 

“Lie. Stop pretending you’re Superman when you’re not.”

 

“That’s right. Superman cannot do everything, after all.”

 

She laughed. He’s still the same—still oozing with misplaced confidence.

 

She stretched her legs and started climbing over her own roof tiles to make her way to the tree.

 

Seeing what she’s doing, he immediately put his guitar down and stood up on the sturdy branch to hold his arms out for her. It’s dangerous, but they’ve been doing it for years that it’s already a usual thing to him.

 

It’s just that normally, he’d be the one jumping over the railings and trees to get to her side on the roof.

 

But on rare nights like tonight, she gathers enough courage to cross.

 

It always amuses him to see her so dumbfounded with worry when he crosses over the railings and the tree to get to her but now, watching her trying to balance herself on the branch gave him a bit of a clue of what she had always felt to be the one watching.

 

It was somewhat nerve-wracking.

 

He wordlessly stood up and reached his hand out for her to lean on for balance before guiding the both of them to the other side of the tree near his balcony. He swiftly jumped back onto his balcony before Jamie held his guitar out for him to take while her other hand gripped the trunk of the tree for balance.

An amused smile is on his face as he placed his guitar down the balcony and held both his arms out for Jamie.

 

“Make sure to catch me.” She warned as she stood at the tree, ready to jump to his side.

 

He grinned and silently waited with his arms.

 

“Hana. Dul…”

 

“Just jump, Jamie-ah. Before you end up losing that limited courage in your body. I’d catch you. I always do.”

 

And jump she did.

 

She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh of relief as she felt his familiar warmth wrap around her waist. She slowly opened her eyes and grinned as she stared up at him.

 

He did catch her after all.

 

He always did.

 

“You really love overthinking things, don’t you? You would have spent hours contemplating whether you’ll jump or not if you had a choice.”

 

She slowly moved away from his arms and set her foot down to the floor of his balcony. He stayed leaning on his railings but his eyes followed her every move.

 

She walked inside his room with familiarity and headed straight to the neatly arranged bed. When she came back out, she’s already hugging his pillow around her arms and she also has a blanket clutched on her hands.

 

 

“So….” He trailed off. “What do you want me to do?”

 

She looked up at him with confused eyes, her head leaning on the soft pillow as she laid on the chair beside the railings.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You told me to make you feel better.. You have to tell me what exactly you want me to do.”

 

He sent her a smouldering stare that had made her feel as though he can read her thoughts through her eyes so she quickly averted her gaze.

 

“What did he do this time?” he suddenly asked, making her lift her head up from her (technically his) pillow again. “What did he do to make you cry?”

 

She looked down, still refusing to meet his gaze.

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Liar.”

 

“I know.”

 

“He’s hurting you… again and again. You don’t have to say it out loud when it’s obvious.”

 

She let out a sarcastic laugh. “I managed to fool everyone though. Everyone but you, Superman.”

 

“You cannot hide anything from me. I’m your neighbour. I’ll know when something’s wrong with you. Shall I go and punch him now? Tell me, and I’ll do it.”

 

“He’s your friend too… And besides, he’s not the problem..” she reached out to grab the edge of his shirt—a habit she never really grew out of. She fiddled with it as she kept talking, as th