It started raining when Haera stepped out of the small convenience store, the place being covered by mist and a bit of smoke. It’s an unfamiliar place she just decided to run to, not really caring where her feet might take her, and now she’s fighting the winds while balancing an umbrella and several bags in her hands.

 

Jungkook glares at the sky and releases a long sigh. None of his days have been great ever since he was born, now it’s one of those days wherein he just wants to yell his heart out and never come back home. That’s his ultimate plan. He’ll make sure everyone regrets it.

 

Haera pushes the wooden doors open and leaves the umbrella to dry. She puts her bags on the pew, taking as much space as she can get with lying down. It’s uncomfortable but looking at the high ceiling is peaceful.

 

“Oh! Sure, mom, I’ll make sure I’ll have A+ on all my papers without an ounce of sleep.”

 

Haera sits up with a frown.

 

“Yeah, dad. Seokjin hyung is so smart I can’t keep up with him at all.”

 

Jungkook sits with a thud.

 

“.”

 

The girl winces at that. She watches as Jungkook moves his arms to remove the water dripping from his jacket. His hair is a mess, the backpack he’s holding now thrown underneath the pew and he hasn’t realized yet that someone is looking at him from the opposite side.

 

He keeps on talking to himself when Haera clears , extending a hand out to show him a small towel. Jungkook just stares at it a bit hesitant since he doesn’t know who the person is.

 

But as his eyes regain their normal focus he gives a small bow with his hand extended, fingers closing on the green towel and rubs it across his face.

 

“Do you also want to borrow my power bank?”

 

“What?”

 

“A charger, for your phone?”

 

“...Thanks.”

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

The both of them spend the darkness inside the church in quiet comfort. The only sound they hear is the thunder rumbling low outside, then Jungkook’s phone going off from all the text messages he’s receiving from family and friends.

 

While Haera, her phone has been turned off ever since she ran away. It’s not like someone will be worried that she’s gone. Maybe they’d be happier, even.

 

A flash of lightning illuminates the altar and they both flinch as they stare at the statue.

 

“So,” Jungkook turns his head to her direction. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I ran aw—“

 

Haera tilts her head to the side.

 

I don’t think it’s good to tell him that, right?

 

I mean, we’re not close I just know him and—

 

“Yeah? Me too.” Jungkook slides down. “Life , doesn’t it?”

 

“It does,” She nods. “So much.”

 

A few more minutes of them waiting for something to happen when the doors open and they turn around at the same time.

 

An elderly woman goes in and she hasn’t seen the two yet. She gets the lock located on a small round table beside the wooden doors, placing it securely on the big loops and snaps it shut. She notices the umbrella on the side and folds it neatly, maybe one of the elders left it and she places it on the table.

 

Haera stands up and wrings her fingers in front of her. Jungkook is waiting for the woman to notice them.

 

“Uh,” Haera slowly advances. “Excuse me?”

 

“Who is it?”

 

“We uh—“

 

“Oh! Who are you?”

 

Her eyes scan the bags on the pew and she touches them all the while waiting for both to introduce themselves. Jungkook stands up—still hyper aware of his soaked clothes and the water dripping going to the front of the church.

 

“It started raining all of a sudden and we had nowhere else to go. So,” Haera looks at him for help. “We just saw the church and went in.”

 

“Are you youngsters from here?”

 

I don’t even know where am I.

 

Jungkook shakes his head.

 

“Did you,” She points at the bags. “Did you run away?”

 

“No—“

 

“Yes. What’s the point of hiding it?” Jungkook directs the question to Haera. He turns back to the woman. “We actually don’t know where we are and do you perhaps know a hotel around or something?”

 

She slightly laughs at that.

 

“Son, this is a small town. There’s no such thing as a hotel here but just a few houses and a convenience store and this church.”

 

Damn. Where are we—where am I going?

 

“Then do you have some spare rooms that we can stay in?”

 

“I’m sorry but the church isn’t really that kind of place, you see?”

 

“Oh.”

 

Jungkook looks at the girl.

 

“Maybe you two can look somewhere else? I assume your phones have internet that searching for a place is easy.”

 

“Yeah. We can definitely do that. Thank you.”

 

As Jungkook is busy fixing his things and Haera’s taking the bags in her hands, two more voices mix in the air as they call for the elderly woman. Haera catches sight of two boys around her age, laughing, joking with each other, clinging on the woman who pinches both their cheeks and tells them something.

 

Both boys turn their heads toward Jungkook and then Haera.

 

“Who are they?”

 

“Oh, this is—“

 

“Kang Haera.” She extends a hand out.

 

“Jeon Jungkook.”

 

They face each other.

 

From what Haera knows Jungkook is famous in their high school. The whole vicinity knows him. He’s the mysterious smart kid but he still has a lot of friends. All the girls like him, the teachers dote on him a lot, he has no haters or whatsoever. All Haera knows is he looks like a great person. Especially not one who runs away from something all of a sudden.

 

“Kim Taehyung! And this is my twin brother—“

 

“Park Jimin!”

 

“Twins?”

 

“Well, not really blood-related but it’s also kind of like that.”

 

“Okay! Boys,” The woman puts her hands on their backs. “Can you please assist both our guests and drop them off to the station?”

 

“Grandma, it’s raining hard out there and the trains won’t be out the whole night.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Yes, that is so.”

 

“I think that’s something we can do ourselves?”

 

Taehyung’s eyes widen. Jimin runs to them and places both arms on each of their shoulders, pulling them close and jumping on his heels.

 

“You guys can stay with us!”

 

“Jimin.”

 

“We can all share the room upstairs and I think grandma won’t mind?”

 

Haera doesn’t like the expression she’s sporting. Taehyung is also liking the idea of having friends—finally—around and forces the woman to say yes to their pleas.

 

Haera is okay with everything, maybe Jungkook too, and they just showed up out of nowhere because they have nowhere else to go. If only the rain didn’t pour the both of them wouldn’t have thought of going to a church.

 

“Okay, fine. Tomorrow you boys are dropping them off to the station.”

 

“Sir, yes sir!”

 

“Now go upstairs.”

 

They follow blindly as they ascend the looping metal stairs. Jimin is telling them the story of how Taehyung and he ended up living inside the church, how the grandmother took them in, being part of the choir and helping the church during the mass and how small their neighborhood really is.

 

Jungkook taps on Haera’s shoulder and gives a small smile as he passes her the power bank, Taehyung seeing the interaction from behind and he smirks at them.

 

“So, you two got here at the same time?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“You know each other?”

 

Haera shakes her head while Jungkook nods. Jimin smiles.

 

“We’re just from the same school but other than that, nothing.”

 

Why would he nod?

 

“Well, what are you guys doing in this place? It’s weird having people around the same age show up in a church, you know.”

 

They enter a large room, clothes strewn around and the smell of wet feet entering their nostrils. Haera doesn’t mind as they’re too nice to give them a