I stand still, my eyes shut momentarily.

After the risky flight I had taken, the adrenaline had disappeared and left me alone with my arms wrapped around myself. I shivered. It turns out that there is a change in temperature here.

Here, in Night.

I open my eyes one at a time and saw only dark trees around me. I looked up and was astonished by the sight. Of course, the Night sky was nothing new, but to finally be under it... is beautiful. I couldn't stop the brief chuckle that emerged from me.

My excitement, however, didn't last too long as I ponder what my next move would be. Do I turn back? This is already a very big step for me.

A voice at the back of my head urges me to go on.

I didn't even think twice before my feet moved on their own, taking small steps forward. Leaving my shoes behind made it easier for me to walk without making too much noise. The loudest thing I hear is the rhythmic drumming of my heart. Whether it is of excitement or anxiousness, I do not care.

I wandered around without keeping track of time, but still trekked onwards. So far, the woods here doesn't differ too much from the one in Day. It is just darker. Other than that, they are pretty symmetrical, almost as if I'd passed through a dark mirror.

After a while, I noticed lights in the distance. Lights of color.

Recalling the light stick that Taehyung had gifted me, I ran ahead like a child, pushing the dangers of the unknown into the back of my head, just this one time.

The trees were beginning to thin out, and the lights became brighter. More colors are appearing too. Even though I had run away from home, seeing these lights reminded me of the bright Day, which was soothing for me.

I made sure to stand with the trees, hiding behind one with only my head peeking out. Struck in amazement, I didn't care to realize my dropped jaw.

They were just like the buildings I saw Taehyung jumping from, but they are much bigger, more enormous, like giants now that I'm closer. Again, the buildings lacked any windows, but it is made up of the pretty lights that seemed to decorate them from the ground to the very top.

It is awfully quiet. I get that it's because the Night folks are asleep, but I couldn't sense any human beings at all. Taking a closer look, I saw that the many pretty lights... there weren't so many in the end.

It made sense, for the people here are resting. The lights won't be needed as much until the next bell. Even with this in mind, my mind begins to blur between awe and discomfort.

These large, stone-like buildings... are there people inside? The thick gray walls made it hard to predict what's inside.

It's odd... my admiration of Night suddenly feels different for some reason.

I gasped when a hand covers my mouth. It was so sudden, I didn't know how to react in the first few seconds.

The person yanked me back. I came to my senses and try to struggle, only to fall into the bushes with this person. The other arm wrapped around my torso, keeping me in place.

"Quiet."

It was Taehyung.

I wasn't sure if I should be relieved or not. I didn't feel myself calming down. Though my mouth is still covered, I tried to talk to him with my muffled voice.

"Tae-"

"Shh!!"

We lay low in silence. I could only slightly feel his warm breath tickle my nape. Are we hiding from knights? I assumed so and kept my mouth shut. We stayed there for a bit longer, not hearing any signs of anyone coming near.

Then, Taehyung lets me go and stood up first. I only sat up, waiting to see if I needed to follow more instructions.

Taehyung walked around, scoping the area to make sure that it's safe. Then he turned to me.

"Come on."

That was all he said before walking off into the direction I came from. I stand up and follow him.

"Taehyung, look at me. I'm here."

I wanted to run to his side, walk next to him to see his reaction to my first experience in Night. He's always disappointed in me whenever I bring up rules, so would he be impressed with me now? Besides, how did he manage to find me?

"Yeah. Yeah, you are."

Although frowning at his reply, I kept my distance, letting him walk ahead of me. 'He's taking me back,' I think to myself as we continue to walk away from the buildings.

I'm a bit dissatisfied, especially after finally gathering my courage for once. I guess I had wished that my first time in Night would be much more memorable, and longer. Even just some sightseeing would have been lovely, but I have to face reality. 

I may feel alright now, happy to break loose for only a short moment, but that's probably just the temporary rush of exhilaration. In this confined world, each step must be taken with caution. 'You must remember at all times,' I remind myself.

Still, I silently congratulated myself on such an achievement.

There's the silence again as we walk back, and now I'm not sure about how Taehyung feels about any of this.

We make it back to the clearing where the border is. My shoes and other belongings are waiting for me on the other side, which seemed a bit more blinding, a little too bright. Taehyung kept his back to me.

"Why did you cross?"

Though his voice is stable and casual, even calm, there's a hint of hostility.

I was confused at first. Why did I cross? Wasn't he the one who wanted me to?

Anyhow, I wanted to tell him that I understood what he had said last time. I cleared my voice, "I... I thought about what you said. You were right, I wouldn't learn anything if I just continue to fear rules."

As I say this, I'm already imagining how we would make up and become friends again. I understand now, I've agreed with him. The argument we had would be put in the past.

Taehyung walked close to the border and laughed curtly. "Idiot."

"Excuse me?"

"Why would you go alone?"

I crossed my arms, not believing that he has a problem with me again. "You didn't show up. I came here five times and you weren't in any of our places."

"It doesn't matter, Seokjin! You still shouldn't have gone without me! You don't know anything about Night! What if you were caught?"

I bite my inner cheek, admitting, "That is true. I don't know, but I had to do it for me..." The words die down as I ran out of them. "And if you're going to yell at me, at least look at me."

He goes quiet, still facing away from me. "I'm not yelling. I'm not..."

I don't know how, but I sense something. My stomach starts to churn.

With less firmness, Taehyung continues to scold me. "You keep painting Night like it's so beautiful and exciting. It is, but it has its flaws too. People can become dangerous."

The churning grows as anxiety starts to step in. 

"Look at me," I ordered.

He spoke too quickly, brushing me off, "You're too nice. Someone like you... I can't even imagine what it'll be like..."

I couldn't concentrate on what he's talking about. The unsettling feeling at the pit of my stomach gets worst when he doesn't listen and only walks away.

He can ignore me any other time, act immaturely but not this instant.

"Taehyung, look at me!" I say again, more sternly as I walk to him. The closer I get to him, the more uncomfortable he gets. I grab his hand.

"Stop it, Jin," he said bluntly, yanking his hand away. There's no doubt that he is hiding something from me now. I grab his arm with both hands, tugging him to me. He turns his face away even more. "Jin, I said stop."

I tighten my grip and feel more anxious.

"Taehyung, let me see your face," I said, making sure that there isn't a tremble in my voice. I was afraid. I honestly don't know much about how Taehyung is living, but-

"Please!"

His shoulders tense at my tone. In only a few seconds later, I feel him subtly shaking. A part of me breaks, seeing him so frightened. I hope that I'm wrong. I hope that he's just playing another tasteless prank on me.

Please, just turn around with that silly smile of yours. Laugh and call me gullible. Say that you were just pretending again...

Taehyung turned slowly, only revealing half of his face.

My heart sank immediately when I see the new cut on his left cheek. His last injury had healed a while ago, seeing him with a new one pained me.

Though I didn't want to, I needed to see the rest of his face. Gently, I held his chin, carefully turning his head. I held back the gasp at the back of my throat.

Oh, Tae...

Along with a busted lip, his right eye is poorly covered by a thin patch of cloth. He looked so defeated and I had to compose myself.

Seeing him so small reminds me that this boy, standing in front of me, is still so young. He couldn't look at me in the eye and I could only place each of my hands on each side of his face, asking what went wrong.

"What... What happened?"

Taehyung finally looks right at me and once our eyes met, he breaks down. I catch him in my arms and embraced him.

His whole body shook. He couldn't stand, so we sit down in the gentle grass. My hand reached up to his hair, the other rubbing circles on his back.

He held on to me tightly, crying into my shoulder, "Don't look at me... please, don't look at me."

I find myself crying after he said that. I'm only used to hearing Taehyung's warm voice. It breaks my heart to hear his sobs, to feel his tears stain into my shirt.

He lifts his head, enough so that I can hear him.

"I want to leave. Seokjin, take me away."



 

~~

I put the kitchen towel away after I had finished rinsing my hands. My hands pressed into the edge of the table, my head hung low. On the stove, a pot of soup cooks, the bubbling sounds filling the silence. A deep sigh escapes from me. Turning my head to the side, I stare at the stairs leading to the second floor. Another sigh.

The rest of the house is quiet, and it seems that I won't be having any visitors soon. Good.

I filled a cup with water before heading up to my room, the water splashing out a little onto my hand.

The door creaks softly as I enter my room. I've covered up the window as much as I could. It's dim enough for Taehyung to sleep.

He's breathing evenly in my bed, so I place the cup on the desk. I sit on the mattress, sinking into it a bit. Fixing the blanket, I examine his face again.

The moment we made it into my home, I had immediately tended his wounds. I can't say he looks good now, but it's definitely better and I can only hope that he'll heal quickly.

Taehyung wasn't able to tell me what happened and I didn't push it any further. The important thing is that he is safe and sound for now.

I ignore all the alerts in my head, the sirens screaming at our actions. It's insane how I manage to sneak Taehyung here.

No one questioned anything; everyone went about their days like any other day, laughing and didn't even glance at the stranger with me.

My hand unconsciously his hair again as I ponder to myself.

Is Day always happy? It is. I have never met anyone who had been treated like Taehyung. The last time I cried was years ago when I left my family to move here. Even so, they weren't completely sad tears. Tears of farewell, yes, but also happy tears that looked forward to a happy future. There was never much to worry about; decent meals, good friends and family, a home for everyone. I've got all of that.

Is Night not the same? Taehyung did mention having friends, but what about the other things? From what I can recall, the boy never mentioned what his house is like and doesn't even seem to understand what a family is. And as for the food-

I gasp silently and jumped from the bed and leaving the room, running down the stairs to check on the cooking soup, it's scent continues to spread throughout the house from the kitchen.

~~

"Seokjin?"

I hear Taehyung whisper groggily from the bottom of the stair. It hasn't been too long since I left.

"You're awake," I say, pulling out a chair for him. He shuffles over until he's fully comfortable in his seat, stretching his sore arms.

From behind him, my hand hovered over his shoulder, wanting to make sure that he's alright yet hesitant about the physical contact.

I know that it doesn't matter at this point. We're both already guilty of breaking the rules. It's just a matter of getting used to it.

Taehyung turns back to look at me. My hand is on his shoulder. Seeing how he stared at my hand, I gave him a light squeeze.

"How are you feeling?"

"I..." His face twisted a bit, flinching when he pressed too firmly into the bandage on his cheek. "I'm not sure."

"Hungry?" I suggest when I remember the lidded pot sitting on the stove.

He shakes his head. "Not really..."

I let go of him temporarily, pulling another chair for myself to fill in the quietness. The scraping of it against the kitchen floor made me cringe slightly but Taehyung gave no reaction.

"You're in Day," I say, not sure if it is a question or a statement, or if it'll get us anywhere in this conversation.

"Yeah..."

"Why?"

Although Taehyung is already still, it looks like he froze after the simple question. The question is for both of us, really. 

"You told me that you wanted to leave Night," I paused. "But why? Do you dislike it there? It's your home, isn't it?"

At this, he looks around the room, from the floor to the ceiling, as if something had triggered him. With his head tilted up, I could see it in his eyes, even if one is covered to heal. His hair hid his furrowed brows but not his orbs, which contained something I couldn't quite identify.

Whatever it is, I knew that sadness is an understatement. Seeing him, someone I came to care about, being so wounded inside and out made me desperate to know what the cause is. How can I stop it, if I can?

"Home."

The word came out as a low utter that I almost didn't catch it.

"How would you define 'home,' Seokjin?"

I'm certainly not surprised, giving him a warm smile. His eyes linger on the curvature of my lips.

"Well, home can be one or many things. A family to go to, the city you live in... It can be as simple as this house that I live in," I raise my hand and indicate the space around us. "I don't think there is a single definition but if I were to try, home is somewhere that will make you feel joy, cared for, secured, and loved."

I gaze at Taehyung, my lips still pressed together, and it seems like he understands but-

"I don't have one."

My smile fades.

With unshed tears, Taehyung takes a deeper breath, "Why do you have one, and I don't?"

I glanced down, searching for something to say. The only answer I see is his hand. I take it, holding it tight but gently.

"That's something I'd like to know too."

I raise my eyes once again, meeting his. His smile, I wish to see it again. His eyes, I hope to witness them shining once more.

I feel a small squeeze from his hand.

~~

With a loud huff, I heave myself onto the roof, my feet hooking onto anything they can reach. Rolling onto my back, I take the time to catch my breath. To the side of me, the next person is coming up.

Taehyung's hand appeared first, gripping the edge of the roof tiles. I warn him about slipping off, but that doesn't concern him much, based on the time it takes for him to climb his way onto the roof. He sits next to me with a somewhat proud smile.

Throughout my whole life, being physically active was never something I excelled at and I still have no motivation to pursue it. So I knew he was mocking me but I'm not offended. He has been more lively and soon, the bandages on his face won't need to stay anymore. 

It's been five Days since the boy's arrival.

And during that time, all Taehyung and I did was stay in my house. I decided it was time we get some fresh air, without stepping away from home, of course.

"Seokjin, for someone your size, I expected more," he teases, poking at my limp arm. We've grown more accustomed to physical contact, which is proven when I slapped his hand away lazily.

"We all have our strengths and weaknesses," I pant out. "Your can climb effortlessly but beware... I can kick you off just as easily." I nudge his leg with my foot as we both giggle like children.

"Lie down, Taehyung. It's relaxing," I say, folding my arms behind my head, staring up at the sky and relieved of any worries. I'm lucky that the roof is not so steep and high off of the ground. If I slide down now, I'll be cushioned by the trimmed bushes below with minor injuries.

Taehyung grunts as he tries to get comfortable, elbow hitting me a few times as he mimics me, placing his arms behind his head. He's only comfortable for a short moment, then shades his face from the sky with one hand with an irritated exhale.

"What's wrong?"

"I want to relax, but it's just so bright," he answers, hand lowering until covering his eyes like a blindfold.

I flipped onto my stomach, observing him. Thankfully, the injuries by his eye healed quicker than I thought. Taehyung still wants it to be covered though.

"Your right eye is completely hidden yet it's still too bright?" I ask rhetorically. But I did want to check up on it, leaning over to move his arm away from his face. "Let me see it."

"Seokjin, it's too bright!" he whines but lets me examine him anyway. It's quiet as I checked up on him, asking him if anything still hurt or ache. His eyes are watery as they stared up at me. Was it truly that bright for him? 

Well, it makes perfect sense, given that Taehyung is from Night. What would be my responses to the darker side? I only remember shivering from the colder temperature.

"Hey, Seokjin?"

"Yes?"

"How long are you going to keep me?"

I lean back, finished with my usual check-up. At the question, I try to find an answer myself. Of course, Taehyung is not going to stay here permanently. I haven't even given myself the time to make up worst-case scenarios of what will happen to me if I end up getting caught. 

So how long am I going to keep him here?

"Once you're fine, I can take you back," I ended up saying. It's the most reasonable answer.

However, Taehyung seemed rather displeased. "That's it?"

"Is there suppose to be something else?"

"What about... our adventure?"

My heart stopped for a moment and my face may have gotten paler because Taehyung starts to shake me a little.

"T-Taehyung..." I began. 

'You really don't think we can go out, right?'

Before I could say that, I remember our disagreement, which still hasn't been completely resolved. I remember my self-exploration of Night and despite it being cut short, it's something I'll never forget. How can I explain it? I just remember my breath being taken away.

Taehyung gave me a look, waiting, almost like he is silently begging me. We've already established that, not only were we disobedient towards rules, we have desires to escape from our lives filled with no surprises.

No one has stopped us. Not yet. Nobody stopped me from asking:

"Where do you want to go?"

I try to sound enthusiastic, as much as I can.
It's no use though, Taehyung knows, can read me, because he comes close, until our sides are pressed against each other and he's trying to look at me in the eye.

"Anywhere. As long as you want to go with me."

I couldn't look away from him. Taehyung smiles softly at me, and I knew right then and there that he'd given me the option to send him back if I felt too uncomfortable. I won't. That's not what I want at all.

We don't say anything else, and I realize that the whole town is up and bustling. We're on my roof; anyone can see us yet no one's said a thing. No one paid us any attention. It feels like we blended right in and nothing is out of place.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with two friends spending time together.

I finally let my guard down.

"I'd love to go with you."

~~

Taking a look at myself in the mirror for the third time, I notice nothing wrong with my attire. The wrinkles had been smoothed away and the sleeves of my sweater long enough to cover half of each hand, just the way I like it to be. No strand of hair is out of place but I feel the need to check again.

The sound of someone shuffling interrupts me. I turn towards the door of my bedroom where Taehyung currently is in.

"Are you doing okay in there?" I asked, a bit concerned since he's been in there for a while now.

"Yeah!" the younger boy shouts from behind the door immediately, and I almost turn back to the mirror when he admits, "Actually... I'm not sure."

"Can I come in?"

Before he can answer, I'm already jiggling the doorknob. He's in there long enough, it should be okay to go in.

"Hold on! Don't-"

I let go of the doorknob but it's already swinging open, revealing Taehyung, who's red and flustered. He's dressed in the simple clothes I gave him, a pair of jeans and a striped button-up shirt. 

"I think I'll just wear what I have before," he mumbles, clearly embarrassed.

I hummed at him, "What do you mean? You've been in your clothes for quite some time already. I promise I'll clean them as soon as I can."

Seeing that he is still not at ease, I added in, jokingly, "Are my clothes not to your liking?"

It's funny to see Taehyung straighten up so fast, finally explaining himself. "No! It's nothing like that at all. If anything, I think it's the other way around."

"Your clothes are not to my liking?"

"No. I'm not to your clothes liking," he clarifies despite the weird wording and I finally see his problem.

My pants looked bigger on him and would have fallen to the ground if my belt hadn't kept it in place. The shirt, which I would normally tuck in, hung loosely on him.

Although the clothes do not fit, it suits him quite well. It's different from how I'd normally wear them but not bad looking at all, especially because Taehyung has more color to him.

"Nonsense. You look more than fine," I tell him. 

"Really?"

I can't help the smile that made it's way up from my chest to my lips. With Taehyung usually so energetic and bold, unafraid, it's a new experience seeing him so shy.

"Of course," I confirm to him. "You look very handsome."

It's a genuine comment and I'm glad because the compliment seems to make Taehyung more confident, seeing the tension from his shoulder disperse in no time. 

"Thanks."

I step out into the hallway as he takes one last look at himself. "Let's go. I want us to be the first ones there."

I'm halfway down the stairs before hearing Taehyung following. I'm walking towards the door, stopping briefly to slip my bag over my shoulder. Turning to look at the boy, I see that the distance between us is spacious.

Is it a smart idea to go out? Is Taehyung possibly thinking about backing out?

"Should... we leave now?" I asked hesitantly when met with Taehyung's hard stare.

"I don't know. Should we?" He tests, leaving me to make the decision.

Before I could regret it, "Yes."

That was all Taehyung needed, opening the door first. He paused at the threshold, turning to look at me again. Despite the excitement, which is starting to bubble, I could tell that he is still a bit nervous. 

"So much for rules, huh?" He says with a more comfortable smile.

I return the smile and it's mutual: we were going to do this together. 

"So much for rules," I repeated with a defeated sigh.

Though the guilt that continued to gnaw at my morals was unavoidable, I try to look forward to our little walk around town, storing my worries in a corner of my head.

After all, it's Taehyung's first time in Day. Not locked in my house, not near the border where we've accidentally slipped over, but fully in Day's warmth and hospitality.