01: The Support

Jongin didn't really care much about the Reaping or the games. He had nothing to lose, so unlike the other kids who were also eligible to participate in the games like him, he didn't cower in a corner to pray to whatever God there was to save him from the games. If anything, Jongin wanted to be a part of it. He was just tired of everything, and he viewed the games as some kind of means to an end.

The early morning light filtered through his grimy window. He cracked his eyes open slowly, just listening to himself breathe and watching the dust particles float in the air. Despite the distant hubbub of the merchant section, despite his house located at the Seam where majority of District 12 lived, and despite the rowdy noise of the coal miners walking past his house as they headed to work, Jongin felt incredibly alone.

He sat up, his gaze falling on the unused cots rolled up in a corner of his one-room house. A wistful smile grazed his lips, remembering fondly how his older brother, before he got picked in the Reaping and before their parents passed away, used to panic in the morning, always waking up late for work. His mother would laugh adoringly, and his father would bark out reproachful words meant to scold his brother, but only succeeding in making him laugh. Jongin almost smiled, but the bells tolling from the town square jerked him away from his memories and back into reality.

"Jongin, I hope you don't get picked in the Reaping."

Standing by his doorway was an elderly woman that Jongin had once saved from some drunk guys at the Hob. Ever since then, the elderly woman had taken it upon herself to take care of him in even the littlest ways. Her dark olive skin was wrinkly from age and from the harsh environment in District 12. Jongin could see that she was supposed to have white wispy hair like normal old people, but the extreme dust made it look dark grey and clumpy. She smiled sadly at him, and Jongin waved his hand dismissively before smiling back.

"Thanks, ma'am, but if I do get picked, you know I'd kick their asses, right?" Jongin pushed himself off his bed, stretching his limbs and loosening the kinks in his body.

He went to a worn-out and rickety dresser right beside the unused cots of his family members, rummaging for the hand-me-down blazer from his brother. It was so old it could've been a family heirloom. The elderly woman then clicked her tongue in response, and Jongin looked at her.

"But it's not right to kill people, young man." She mumbled, barely audible over the loud din of the town bells.

Jongin sighed deeply before looking back at his dresser, finally pulling out his brother's blazer. He had to look good for the Reaping, or the Peacekeeper who had his eyes on him would go nuts. It was an unspoken rule that the Reaping  was a ceremony to be 'respected'. Slipping on the worn-out garment, he pulled on the sleeves that were too short on him before ruffling his hair and altogether running his fingers through his dark locks. All the while, the elderly woman just watched him wordlessly, eyes shining slightly from what Jongin assumed were tears.

"It's not right to kill people, yes, but what else can we do? Once we're in the arena, that's the only thing we can do. Ironically, killing is our only means of surviving." Jongin took her hand gently and guided her carefully towards the town square. From their viewpoint, Jongin could see it half-filled with the possible tributes.

 "You sound so sure that you'll be in the games, Jongin." The elderly woman commented, and Jongin hummed to himself before shrugging his shoulders noncommittally.

"I got extra tesserae this year. Mrs. Lee and her kids were starving down at the east end of the Seam." Jongin explained, and the elderly woman sighed even more. She grasped Jongin's hand in hers tightly.

"I can't decide if you're a good kid with a golden heart, or if you just have a death wish."

Jongin chuckled to himself, preferring not to answer. They soon reached the town square, and Jongin let go of the elderly woman's hand. He was about to go into the assembly lines, until he thought about a decent answer to the woman's thoughts.

"Why not both?" He said, a grin on his face. The grin didn't reach his eyes which bothered the woman deeply.

"What do you mean?" She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, and Jongin shrugged before letting go of her hand.

"Can't I be a good kid with a golden heart who has a death wish?" He muttered nonchalantly, and the woman's eyes widened with surprise. "Having a death wish isn't so bad, especially if you don't have a reason to live anymore."

Before the elderly woman could answer, the large audio speakers from both sides of the town square let out a screeching static noise. Jongin cringed, before waving at the elderly woman and running towards his spot. At the front of the assembly lines, a lady with bright frizzy orange hair walked up to the platform, her orange-painted lips pulled back into a smile. She looked so out of place against District 12's drab backdrop. She walked up to the microphone, took out her cue cards, and started the ceremony.

When Jongin saw the first tribute who volunteered, he felt a slight pang of pity in his heart because he sort of knew him. It was that pale kid from school who had big eyes and plump lips, and who always exuded an innocent and fragile aura. When he walked towards the stage, Jongin could see from his stiff shoulders and furrowed eyebrows how he tried to fake confidence and bravery. Jongin only felt more pity when the boy was up on stage and the was talking to him, but he wasn't even processing anything, his big black orbs staring at his sobbing sister at the back of the crowd.

"Ah, brilliant! We now have our first tribute. Tell me, Kyungsoo, why did you volunteer for that girl?" The asked, moving closer to the first tribute, Kyungsoo. Jongin noticed how he flinched slightly, and how his fists were clenched so tightly by his side.

"She's my sister. I'm not going to subject her into televised murder which you ers from the Capitol so adamantly revere." Kyungsoo snapped, eyes holding so much hatred and anger that the visibly backed away.

Jongin felt like clapping. It wasn't everyday that a citizen from the poorer districts in Panem stood up to the citizens from the inner walls of the Capitol. The pity he felt for Kyungsoo a few moments ago dissipated slightly, and was replaced by tiny slivers of admiration and awe. Kyungsoo looked innocent and fragile, but the way he snapped at the was nothing short of fierce and feisty.

Before Jongin could think more on how interesting Kyungsoo was as a person, the next tribute was picked. Jongin's mind blanked, and the only thing he could think of was the unused cots at his home that he may or may never see again.

"The last tribute from District 12 is none other than Kim Jongin!"

His death wish was finally granted.

Jongin was now a part of the games.

The Justice Building was a place that Jongin rarely went to. All he knew was that official matters transpired in those walls, and one day every year, families had to go there to say goodbye to the unlucky tributes.

In his case, the room they provided for him was empty. He had no one to say goodbye to, no one to leave, no one to keep waiting for him, no one to go back to. He just sat on a lone chair in the corner, pulling on some loose threads in his blazer. He could hear that Kyungsoo, who was in the neighbouring room with his own family, was having an emotional and hard time. It pained Jongin to hear such sad and anguished cries, particularly from Kyungsoo's mother and sister.

After a few minutes, the crying stopped. Jongin also knew that it was time for them to leave for the Capitol. He pushed himself off the chair, hands shoved into his trouser pockets, when a timid knock came from the door. Jongin raised an eyebrow, and remained silent. The door opened ever so slightly to reveal Kyungsoo, looking slightly apprehensive and nervous. His wide eyes darted back and forth between the floor and Jongin's shoulder.

"...can I help you?" Jongin felt that if he didn't speak first, nothing would happen of the awkward situation.

"U-uhm. Hi, I'm Kyungsoo, and I'm the other tribute..." Kyungsoo's voice was barely a whisper, and Jongin had to strain his ears to hear him.

"I know."

"W-well...I was kind of...spacing out earlier, so I didn't get to answer you but...when you said that we should show them what we're made of, doesn't that technically mean that you want to team up with me?" Kyungsoo finally let his gaze lock with Jongin's. Jongin shrugged, giving him another lopsided grin.

"Yeah, that's what I meant. Let's show those Capitol ers who we are." Jongin used Kyungsoo's own words from the ceremony earlier, and he watched as the corners of Kyungsoo's lips twitched slightly into a smile. It quickly dropped, however, as he continued talking.

"But there can only be one victor in the games as you already know." Kyungsoo reminded him, and Jongin nodded.

"I know."

"Then...we're going to kill each other eventually, so...do you still think we should team up, or...?"

"Whoever said that I had plans of winning?" Jongin stated simply, and Kyungsoo's eyes possibly widened even more. Jongin thought they might pop out of the sockets anytime.

Before Kyungsoo could say anything else, he was suddenly pulled out of Jongin's view. Jongin hurried forward, catching the door before it closed entirely. Outside, Kyungsoo was being pushed by a Peacekeeper towards the opposite end of the hall. Another Peacekeeper stood on stand-by, and he eyed Jongin carefully.

"We're leaving for the Capitol. Hurry up and get out."

Jongin and Kyungsoo were ushered into the train. Once the doors locked behind them, they stood there, unmoving and lost. They didn't know what to do. Kyungsoo just looked out of the window sadly, his mind definitely on the mother and sister he had left behind, maybe for forever. Finally realizing that Kyungsoo wasn't going to be doing anything soon and that nobody was going to them to whichever train car they needed to be in, Jongin took hold of Kyungsoo's wrist and pulled him along. The smaller boy, at least by four inches, followed silently.

They passed through at least two cars until they reached one with a living person. It was the same lady from the Reaping, her bright orange hair brighter and more painful to look at in the small and dark space of the train car. Jongin cringed slightly, especially when she let out a high-pitched squeal of annoyance at seeing them.

"Oh, dear lord, where is that man?!" She asked, eyes boring into Jongin's.

Jongin could only furrow his eyebrows in confusion, backing away slightly from the lady. She looked deranged as she squealed and fumed angrily in front of them. From behind him, Kyungsoo seemed to have gotten out of his stupor. He stepped closer, his arm pressing against Jongin's as he looked at the lady. When he spoke, Jongin could hear the resignation in his voice. He could sense that the smaller boy didn't like it, but he was slowly trying to accept the fact that he was most likely never going back to District 12.

"What man? Who are you talking about?" Kyungsoo asked seriously, and the lady scoffed indignantly before flipping her hair, her manicured fingers pinching the bridge of her nose.

"That man, that-- ugh. Your supposed mentor, the victor of the 80th Hunger Games." She explained, now sounding calmer and less irritable.

Jongin remembered who the 80th Hunger Games victor was. From his rare trips to the Hob, he sometimes heard stories of the lone man living in the Victors' Village. He was originally from the merchant section of the District, and the only District 12 citizen ever to win the Hunger Games, and it was all by pure luck. All throughout the game, he had hidden himself from the other tributes, and the only tribute he had to kill was the male tribute from District 2. Jongin couldn't remember the victor's name, though.

"Sorry, I'm late! Sorry! I overslept."

The door behind them suddenly opened, and they all turned to it. Emerging from the doorway was a perfectly strapping and sturdy man of the same height as Kyungsoo, his blond locks falling over his blue eyes. He had defined jaws and a rather large nose, but Jongin thought he looked kind of nice. Behind the two tributes, the lady with the bright orange hair let out an annoyed groan.

"Kim Jonghyun, are you going to be like this every single year? Doesn't it exhaust you?!" She trilled, and the two youngest people with them could only watch the banter between the two. They seemed to be used to it, a sense of friendliness lingering underneath their words.

"Doesn't what exhaust me?" Jonghyun, it seemed, answered back smoothly. The only female in the car could only hiss at him.

"Your incompetence, Jonghyun. You weren't even present at the Reaping."

"Hmm...nah, not really." Jonghyun grinned cheekily, and Jongin couldn't help but smile a little, too. The exchange amused him to no end.

"I hate you. You know that?" She quipped, her voice sounding like she had already given up on Jonghyun.

"Yeah, yeah, it's nice to see you, too, Taeyeon-noona. So. Who are the not so lucky kids?" Jonghyun finally asked as he laid his eyes on the two other occupants of the car, and both Kyungsoo and Jongin couldn't help but feel tense.

After the much needed introductions, Taeyeon ushered them all to a much bigger and more grandiose car. Jongin couldn't help but let out a low whistle as his gaze fell on the luxurious furnishing inside. The windows were decorated with heavy brocade curtains of navy blue and lush red. The table situated on the centre of the room was polished dark mahogany, surrounded by matching upholstered chairs and the flooring was covered with a thick, dark green carpet. Up on the ceiling, an intricate crystal chandelier hung.

Jongin turned to Kyungsoo as the smaller boy gasped at everything, taking in the beautiful image. He couldn't blame him, though. Even he wanted to go around and touch everything. Back at their home, nothing was this luxurious and grand, not even the stuff at the Victors' Village.

"Wow, this is..." Kyungsoo started, and Taeyeon cocked her head to the side, eyes curiously staring at him.

"This is what?" Taeyeon pushed him on softly, her loud and happy-go-lucky demeanour from earlier levelling down to something much more gentler and calmer.

"Too much. This room is too much." Jongin supplied lazily, and beside him, Jonghyun chuckled.

"That's what I tell her every year, but she never listens." He added, and Taeyeon frowned at him.

"I just want to make the tributes feel special. Is that bad, you annoying reptile?"

She huffed indignantly before walking ahead and taking a seat on the available chairs surrounding the table. She beckoned for the three men to come forth, and they all promptly took seats. Jonghyun leaned back in his own, obviously relaxed and used to what was happening. Jongin could see that despite his easygoing facade, his eyes held something much more deeper and lonelier. He couldn't help but see himself in the 8oth Games victor.

Beside him, Kyungsoo sat down wordlessly, trying his best to remain small and unnoticeable. Perhaps it was his way of coping with things, and had Taeyeon not taken a hold of his hand and pulled him out of his reverie, he would have stayed quiet until they reached the Capitol.

"Hey, Kyungsoo. I'm sorry about earlier." She started, and Jongin watched as Kyungsoo gave her a frown.

"About what?"

"About my insensitivity when you...volunteered for your sister."

Kyungsoo visibly flinched at her words, and he pulled his hand away. Shaking his head, he waved her away dismissively before looking back down at his lap.

"It was nothing. I mean...what else should I have expected of someone from the Capitol?" He mumbled quietly.

The corners of Taeyeon's lips twitched downwards, and before she could say anything else, the other door in the car slid open and in came three more wild and extravagant looking people, one man and two ladies who looked similar to Taeyeon. Jongin could guess that they were all from the Capitol, but surprisingly, the man looked pretty normal save for his excessively dark lined feline eyes.

"Oh, so you guys really did come along?" Taeyeon noted, turning away from Kyungsoo and letting her gaze fall on the newly arrived guests.

The one who had peach pink hair skipped to the seat beside Taeyeon, dramatically throwing herself on the table and sighing like she had just carried something heavy.

"When Key-oppa heard that you had gone to get the tributes from District 12, he went wild with excitement. He got on the other train headed here, and Seohyun and I couldn't just leave him be, right? Ugh, the pain of being his assistant stylist is unbelievable, I tell you." Tiffany, it seemed, drawled out her complaints, ignoring the way Key, the blond man with the feline eyes, threw her a pointed look.

"Whatever, Tiffany, I just wanted to see the tributes and meet them a.s.a.p.! I like to know my subjects personally so that I can design their costumes on a different level." Key huffed out, sneering at the pink haired girl before taking a seat next to Jonghyun. Beside him, Seohyun could only roll her eyes.

Jongin watched the Capitol citizens' exchange with mild amusement. They seemed so carefree, happy and ignorant that Jongin found himself wishing he had just been born into a Capitol family. Maybe his life would've been easier and less dark. He noticed then how Key's gaze fell on the brooding Kyungsoo beside him. The feline-looking man's eyes widened before he literally scrambled out of his chair and ran around the table, pulling Kyungsoo into a bone crushing hug. Kyungsoo let out a tiny yelp of surprise.

"Oh my lord! You are such a cute little boy! Who are you? Are you one of the tributes? Oh my-- Tiffany! Seohyun! Look at him?! Isn't he just so freaking squishy?!" Key squealed like a madman-- an ecstatic one.

"P-please let me down." Kyungsoo managed to utter, and Jongin only noticed then how Key had easily lifted the smaller boy. Jongin snorted.

"And oh, are you the other tribute? My, my. Under all that grime and dust, I can see a handsome and exotic face. Just like with this cute, little squishy boy." Key commented dreamily, reaching out to ruffle Jongin's hair and pinching Kyungsoo's cheek.

Jongin reached out for a handshake, and Key gladly took it. Jongin smiled at him, nodding his head towards Kyungsoo.

"The cute, little squishy boy is Kyungsoo, and I'm Jongin. We're the District 12 tributes, and though it's not exactly nice to meet you considering the circumstances that led to this, I'll still say it otherwise. Pleased to meet you all."

Key smiled apologetically at him, and soon, the train lurched forward. Everybody finally settled down around the table, the train personnel bringing out food for them. Jonghyun settled with a glass of grape juice, conversing with Key in low voices. Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun had their eyes glued on the television which was broadcasting something about the latest fashion trend.

That left Jongin and Kyungsoo to themselves, picking at their food. Jongin noticed how Kyungsoo tried not to look at the windows, the trees and mountains passing by in a blur. Though it hurt Jongin to leave their district, he knew that it hurt Kyungsoo more because he had left some important things behind. Reaching out, he gently patted Kyungsoo's head and ruffled his dark locks, earning a surprised stare from the smaller boy.

"Don't worry, Kyungsoo, you'll go back."

"...what about you?"

"I don't have anyone waiting for me back at 12. I don't see the point of winning."

"But we left together...I know it's impossible but...but it'd be nice if we could go back together, too..." Kyungsoo whispered, gaze falling back on his untouched food.

Jongin smiled softly, ruffling Kyungsoo's hair more affectionately. Kyungsoo was really starting to grow on him.

"Yeah, it'd be nice..." Jongin muttered under his breath, his hand still atop Kyungsoo's head.

He looked out of the window, his food forgotten, as the train moved forward.

Forward to their fate, and possibly, to their end.

^{A/N: I'll probably switch between different POVs so with that in mind, this thing might become longer than I initially expected. OTL}

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