Jimin thought it was really bizzare that they could see the rich red color of blood.

He believed it was one of the reasons you could see a lot of scars on people's skin in the sad realm. Just like the crimson pooling underneath his father, it was strikingly vibrant in Jimin's eyes. It shined amidst the dull color of the grass. An eerie smile spread across his father's face.

"I hope you feel happiness now, father."

Jimin crouched down, his palm glided easily across his father's face to close his lifeless eyes. There was a tight feeling that swells in his chest, his father's face resembled his own too much. It was as if he was looking into a mirror. A mirror that could foresee the future.

"Maybe I should join you, huh?" The boy choked out a laugh. It was dry and airy. As arid as a desert.

"I should just..." He gripped the gun in his hand tighter, the white of his knuckles showing. A fury of emotions spiralled like an uncontrollable tornado, blowing away second thoughts.

With a trembling hand and shaking courage, he raised the gun and pressed the cold metal against his mouth.

A rift pressed on the wall, crackling with a great sound. Sharp like a snap of your fingers inside a hollow room.

I'm tired of this. Jimin thought spitefully. I can't take it anymore.

The rift spreads, its limbs reaching out like strangler figs. Jimin's body felt heavy. His chest was about to explode from the lack of air. A single pull of the trigger. Then he could be free. Free from everything that binded. him.

"Jimin!"

The gun was thrown to the other side of the room with a loud gasp. Jimin scrambled away from it hastily.

He was shaking. Fear. He was crying. Disappointment. He was wailing. Disgust.

"Jimin!"

His mother appeared from the trees, her face twisted with worry. Her petite legs hurried to where the trembling boy was curled up. The woman wrapped her arms around him, feeling hot tears prickle her eyes.

"I almost...I almost..." Jimin hiccuped, clinging desperately to his mother.

"I know, I saw." His mother said, pressing a kiss on the boy's forehead. "I followed you both."

"H-he still loves you."

"I know." His mother said as she calmed him down. "I'm sorry, my love."

•••

Jimin's mother prepared a cup of steaming black coffee for him. It was different. Less bitter than the previous ones; it was similar to the coffee his mom used to make when his dad was still around with them. The thought splashes a wave of nostalgia run through Jimin, making his nerves tingle unexplainably.

"Warm?" His mother asked, her own cup of coffee cradled between her slender hands.

Jimin nodded, taking another sip that burned and drowned down his throat. He liked the feeling of hot liquid running down his chest, it soothed him for an unknown reason, making him feel comfortable.

"We'll plant a tree for him tomorrow. I already asked someone to bury him." His mother told the young boy. Her voice was small and almost passed through as a whisper. Her face was unreadable, a blank page. But her hands trembled, gripping the handle of her cup tighter.

Silence drowns their minds in noise. Their minds tried looking for words but the words were busy looking for a voice themselves. It had been too long since they talked. They always chose to ignore, to overlook things that deemed unnecessary. Ignorance was bliss. The world didn't think of knowledge as power anymore, all that matters was staying alive in this cold world.

"You still love him too, don't you?" Jimin spoke, piercing the latent wall between them. His mother's eyes sparkled but her lips refused to give out words. But Jimin already gotten the answer he wanted. Where lips didn't speak, eyes did. True feelings were always revealed.

"If you two still loved each other..." he swallowed, "then, why did you two break apart?"

A solemn smile. "Sometimes love isn't enough."

Love isn't enough.

The words mulled over Jimin's head. For whatever reason, he hated those words in a sudden. It just sounded so wrong, sounded like an excuse but he knew that it was a reason for his parents.

It was as if it didn't matter how strong your feelings were for each other, it didn't matter how many tears you cry for each other, it didn't matter how much time you spend with each other because in the end, all that time would've been termed as 'wasted' if you didn't meet at the right time and in the right situation, it wasn't enough to keep you together. You both belonged to different worlds that refused to intermix.

A boy's lone voice echoed in the room.

"Love isn't enough."

•••

Rain pattered against the solid ground, calmly. No thunder or lighting. Just pure light shower of rain. And waterways that were formed followed pathways of mazes and seeped through tiny crack deep down the soil. 

Jimin had hoped that he could've checked the date on his calendar as a no rain day. But it rained. Again.

It had been years since his father's death. He was better than he imagined. It was almost as if pain was nothing but a numb sensation now. The absence of tears during his mother's funeral just seemed to prove that point.

He had been living -- surviving -- on his own since then.

Time moved slower, as if the speed at which his world was moving just got slower for him. Every thought was a negative, every movement was a pain, every job he had was a burden. His life was like a boring filler episode of your favorite anime. 

And at some point Jimin accepted it. 

But that morning was different. On a specific morning, Jimin woke up earlier than the bells of the tower that announced the start of the morning. With a knot in his stomach, Jimin moved his heavy body up to drink a glass of water. His legs dragged him to his window to see the view he had been seeing all his life. Immediately, a peculiar thing caught his full attention, robbing away the grogginess and replacing it with shock.

His shock made him doubt his sight, his mind made him think he was dreaming but it was reality. However, it was just plain impossible. It just couldn't be.

There was most definitely a boy hidden slightly behind the tree that he grew with his mother, a tribute to his father. But the weird thing about this boy was that he was smiling shyly. The happiness on his face was visible. The boy slowly came out in proper sight and he bit his lip before just letting out a small laugh. He looked up at the window and waved, nervous but happy.

Jimin is simply confused. The most wondrous thing about the boy was that he was glowing, glowing with the colors he had seen at the museum. Jimin immediately spotted the red shirt and dark blue jeans. A striking contrast with his dull, colorless background. Jimin backed away from the window slightly, scared of what was going on. 

The boy in the front of his yard had stopped waving, and seemed to have been waiting for a reply back. Jimin ran down the stairs and went up to his front door, opening it to see a cheerful boy. The boy got happy at the response from Jimin. But Jimin was scared. He was just a few steps away from the boy who shone with colors.

Jimin took cautious steps, and the other boy patiently waited for him to reach. When Jimin was just two steps away from the bright boy, he ended up tripping over a small rock, falling hard on the ground. The other boy ran to Jimin and asked, "Are you okay?"

To Jimin, it seemed like paradise. While his head was on the ground, the angelic boy stared down at him in worry. Jimin carefully observed the features of the boy, from his doe eyes to his lips that shined a playful pink, the fluffy hair of unknown color to his ears that had rings on them.

Jimin stuttered, "B-beautiful."

The words caused a shock to the other boy, making him blush, "W-what?" 

Jimin's eyes widened when he realized that he said something inappropriate. And that was also when he go out of his daze from the beauty of the other and realized the pain, letting out a slight groan.

The worried boy, immediately helped Jimin up and waited for Jimin as he dusted off the dirt on his clothes. When finished, Jimin cleared his throat, "Are you an...angel?"

The boy was confused for a while but laughed a second later, "Is that how you flirt?" Jimin flushed deeply, embarrassed, "I...wasn't flirting..."

"You don't have colors." The boy said, observing Jimin carefully. Jimin looked down at himself and then at the boy, "You have colors. Does that mean you're..." Blushing for a moment, he continued, "...an angel?"

The boy chuckled again, "No, I'm just a normal boy, like you."

"Then, why do you have colors? Only angels and people from the other realm are said to have colors but I always thought angels didn't exist...until now, that is."

The boy bit his lip and titled his head in a cute manner, "I'm from the other realm." 

It took a while before Jimin could take in that information and react to it. He was utterly confused and in shock by the words of the boy. "B-but you can't cross the border."

The tall boy nodded, "That's what I thought to until I just tried it on my own. I was simply curious about this world. I mean, I tried imagining it from all the stories I heard ever since I was young but this isn't anything like it. It's so much more...depressing." He looked around, "But it's kind of peaceful too, you know? The dull colors aren't so bad to look at."

Jimin stuttered, "C-colors? Do you mean there are colors here?" The colorful boy shrugged, "Some people say black isn't a color. Some say white isn't. But I guess gray is a color or a shade at least."

The boy pointed at the sky, "The grass is supposed to be green, a soft green. But over here, it's a light gray." The boy ran to the tree, "The leaves of the tree are supposed to be a darker green, but it's only a darker gray in this world."

"So, what's black and what's white?"

"The wall of your house," he replied, "it's white. While the windowpane is black."

Jimin was in awe. All his life had been filled with colors and shades but he never knew. To him, even the extremely light gray of his hands and the dark black of his shirt were beautiful colors. 

"W-what color is your hair? I know your jeans are blue and your shirt is red and your lips are pink..." Jimin said shyly, but continued on, "I think your hair is beautiful." Jimin came forward to face the boy who was only inches from him now and touched his fluffy hair. Jimin giggled a little, liking the feeling of the boy's hair. The boy had two-colored hair, it was a dull color overall but had slight pink streaks on the front. 

The boy was in shock by their proximity, smiling subtly at the touch, he said, "They're caramel brown and pink on the front." 

While their faces were only a few inches apart, Jimin came even closer and asked, "What's your name?"

"Jeon Jungkook." The boy said cheerfully, while looking directly into the eyes of Jimin with his own brown ones.

The name sounded so perfect to Jimin, he thought that it suited the fluffiness of the boy's hair. There was a certain grace laid underneath those firm syllables and Jimin had already engraved the name into his mind, repeating it a thousand times without any sound.

"Hey! That boy has colors!"

Both of their heads snapped to their left as they saw stout and tall man approaching them, his footsteps were heavy while his facial expression was angry. His demeanor said that he was a pretty demanding person. 

"Why are you here?" The man snarled, taking small steps towards them.

Jungkook gasped, the sparkle in his eyes dying down and quickly replaced with vulnerability. He looked at Jimin helplessly, his eyes screaming for help as he had never faced an argument with such a buff person.

"Are you here to watch us suffer, huh? To laugh at how fucking terrible we have it here in this sad piece of shithole?" The loud words of the man screamed at Jungkook, making his confidence go lower and lower with each passing second. Jungkook took a step back, scared of the man, his breathing was getting heavier. 

"Were you talking to him, huh, boy?" It took a second before Jimin understood he was the one being addressed. The infuriated man sneered at him, eyes dripping with disgust.

"I—"

"Doesn't matter, does it?" The man interrupted him. "Because soon this pretty boy will be hanged in the central market for everyone to see."

As soon as his brain understood the words, Jimin found himself running. He had Jungkook's hand gripped tightly inside his as he dragged both of them away from the hostile man, who was yelling at them to come back. He could hear the heavy footsteps of the strong man follow them,  pushing Jimin to run faster.

He had never run this fast before. His body always felt too heavy to do so but at this moment, a sudden spur of energy possessed his limp body. He huffed, feeling his lungs ache all too quickly as he strived to take bigger steps. All he had done for the past week was lie down on his bed, wrapped up in thick blankets but here he was running like a criminal while hauling a boy taller than him. His legs weren't taking the strain too kindly but the unknown motivation drove him to run faster than ever.

He took an abrupt turn, Jungkook on his tow as they head towards the lush forest of steep trees in an attempt to loose the man.

Jimin had never felt determination bubble up inside him. It was very sudden. He felt the burn all over him, travelling all the way to his fingertips and his toes. The new sensation pulsated within his veins, causing him to ignore his trembling knees and rapid heartbeat. He could feel his sweat soak his shirt and form slippery beads on his forehead. He just had to get Jungkook away from there. Jungkook's safety mattered, although he didn't know why it did.

Soon enough, they reached the forest, shuffling from left to right and dodging the trees that blocked their path. They ran until their legs were on the verge of collapsing.

"I think we lost him."

Jimin slowed down steadily, his muscle cramps growing, numbing his legs. He breathed heavily, chest definitely aching and legs throbbing after the adrenaline died down. The forest seemed all too quiet except for their panting. They stared at each other, both trying to fill their lungs with oxygen once more.

"You changed colors." Jimin stepped closer, curiosity piqued. Jungkook had red on his cheeks and all the way down to his neck. His hand itched to reach out and touch him and all the colors painted upon him but Jimin dare not.

"What?" Jungkook asked breathlessly.

"Your cheeks are red."

"Ah..." Jungkook exclaimed when he realized that Jimin spoke of the blush color that appeared due to running.

Jimin suddenly gasped, suprising the colored boy. "Are you sick? Holy shit. Are you okay?"

A melodious laughter rang throughout the forest. Laughter, it was Jimin's first time hearing Jungkook laugh properly other than usual giggles and chuckles. Jimin stared in awe, fascinated by the beauty that waved out because of the sound.

Jungkook spoke with a smile. "I'm fine." He stood up straight and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Thank you for saving me..uhh," He tilted his head inquisitively, "...wait, you haven't told me your name."

Jimin straightened up as well, smoothing out his disheveled hair. "My name's Jimin."

Jungkook perked up at his response. "Jimin." The boy repeated quietly under his breath, as if testing how the name sounded from his lips. A pretty common name on his side of the world but the name started to sound more special now.

"Jimin." He said once more, looking up and taking a step towards the other. This time, Jimin was the one who took a step back, baffled.

"Jiminie." The boy said one last time with a bright smile and a small head tilt.

Jimin couldn't help but gasp and look down, surprised at how good his name sounded. Jungkook's smile was so bright, he felt blinded. It was overwhelming. He has nothing else to compare it to but he swore that it might just be the most beautiful scenery he had ever laid his eyes upon.

"It's really nice to meet you!" Jungkook beamed. He was glowing. Jimin felt so dim and dark at that moment. He tried to move his lips to mimic Jungkook's smile but the muscles there were too tense, making him look funny instead.

Jungkook giggled at him bashfully as he hid his mouth behind his hand. The harmonious sound cradled Jimin's ears, echoing inside his head. It made him feel light to hear Jungkook's laughter. As if the weight on his shoulders crumbled and flew away for a split moment.

"I have to get going now though. I'm not supposed to be here." Jungkook bit his lip, looking apologetic. "You saw how that man wanted me hanged. It's dangerous for me to stay."

"Yeah." Jimin nodded slowly. The heaviness within him settled in once more. This time, more powerful and hefty. "You can't stay here."

"But I'll come back tomorrow!" Jungkook announces enthusiastically, almost bouncing in his place.

Jimin frowned. "Why would you even want to come back here? Do you have a death wish?"

"But I want to see you again." Jungkook told him coyly, his hand rubbing his neck and then loosening his shirt to let air get inside his sticky chest.

"Psh. Why?" He scoffed. "You'd risk trouble just to see a sad piece of shit like me?"

"Hey, you're not that bad." Jungkook defended, arms crossed. "Actually, I want you to be my friend."

Jimin looked at him with shock. "F-friends? Me? Why would you even want to be friends with me?"

"Because I want to!" The boy pouted for a moment but quickly replaced it with a smile. "You're nice, you know? You helped me and you aren't mad at happy people like me and you...are beautiful too."

Jimin was flustered by the last comment but his heart and mind were torn in a debate. "I..." He suddenly couldn't look at the other in the eye. "You can't come back here though. They're going to question me about you."

"Let's meet at the border." Jungkook suggested, his pleading eyes made Jimin weak. As if Jungkook just punched him and knocked the breath out of his lungs. "It's safer there, I think."

"But that's far away from here. And I heard there are guards patrolling day and night throughout the entirety of it." Jimin said. "We could get caught."

"I know a way." Jungkook smiled, his eyes twinkling with mischievousness and hope.

"I don't know..."

"Don't you want to be friends with me, Jimin?"

"I...I do. It's just..", Jimin sighed, looking down. "....I never had any friends." He felt ashamed, embarrassed by how inferior he looked when compared to Jungkook. Jungkook seemed to be a level where Jimin could not even look at from his ground level.

"Don't worry. You just found yourself a friend. A good-looking friend."

Jimin wanted to laugh at that, or maybe give out a smile. But he couldn't. Maybe some day, Jimin, too, would be able to laugh.

It felt good, somehow Jungkook made him feel something other than happiness.

•••

first of all shoutout to my
darling fariha who edited this chapter. thank you so much babe <3
she also helped with the first chapter so yeah i love her :3

thank you for supporting this book even if i still have two ongoing ones. i'm a really complicated writer XD

i have my summer vacation now so i will have a lot of free time to write so please look forward to it! <3