A/N: deleted butterfly cos it was too short, this is a combination of it with new stuff

Taehyung was ten when he first understood how the world works, why he could never take off the peculiar necklace on his neck. By then, diseases and poverty had already taken hold of his immediate family, and before he knew it, he was out in the streets, the only member alive and kicking to even have a chance to fight for his survival. Despite being similar in age, he's seen more than Jeongguk would have in decades, and knows that if he ever had a chance to have Jeongguk's life before his somewhat abrupt departure, he would never have left. Jeongguk on the other hand thinks Taehyung doesn't know the kind of loneliness he feels being behind those walls with no real social life and an unsupportive family. He points out that at least Taehyung had his hyungs to depend on after a few years in solitary while he has lived those precious years under low-heat-producing, flickering light bulbs and the disapproval and lies his family fed him with, the only source of warmth he ever felt.

When Jeongguk was ten, he received his first "time" gift, five years worth of colours compiled by his parents and transferred into his necklace.

Filled with shades of different, peculiar colours, with five solid years mixed into it, the sphere pendant on the necklace swirled a bright gold, as dazzling as the sun and as mesmerising as the waves. Jeongguk remembers tilting his head in confusion as to what he had been given, with a slight pout that showed he had been expecting something different, a bunny, or a toy car perhaps.

"What happens when all the colours disappear ?" He remembers asking after his father explained that each shade of colour symbolised an amount of time. With the right amount of time passed, the specific shade would disappear from one, from the world, and would never appear again.

"We die," His father smiles, the ends of his lips faltering, "Kookie, we die."

Jeongguk supposed that death is like sleeping, a neverending slumber. He also thinks that it wouldn't be fun to sleep forever.

"The great Collins prevented the extinction of the human race, drawing the colours of the world and embedding them into every single individual that will exist, they created the time one has to live. When all the colours are being extracted or used up, one dies." Jeongguk skims through the words on his textbook titled "Honouring the Collins" while reaching for his pendant with his left hand. Touching the sphere, his itching fingers rub against the smooth and flawless surface as the pendant casts a golden shine onto them. Just at this moment, the sudden voice of a woman gushing about winning the grand prize of the lottery seeped through the tiny cracks embedded within the wooden door.

"Like can I believe it? No! Can you believe it? It's my first time buying the lottery and I won a hundred years!"

"The lottery company revealed to us that seventy years came from the district people trying their luck ma'am. What do you think about that? I suppose you were delighted but-" A deep voice continues at an even higher volume and Jeongguk groans. Releasing his pendant, he stands up and crosses the room to open the door.

"I'm Sorry?" The woman interrupts. "Seventy years came from those roaches?"

"Ma'am this is live television." The interviewer states.

The woman laughs, a high pitched, ugly sound. "Well now I am happier, they deserve it, it is their fate. We all know that we from the cities are higher ups in comparison to them. We belong to the long lives, and they-"

"Ma'am we are live." The interviewer raises his voice in strong emphasis for the women to stop and she complies before he starts again, his voice softer and calmer, "That will be all for lottery live interview, remember to tune in next-"

Jeongguk walks into the living room, grabs the remote controller at the end of the couch and switches off the television.

"Gukkie why did you-" His mother starts, but Jeongguk rudely cuts her off.

"Don't call me Gukkie. And if you haven't noticed, my finals are starting next week, but those noises, those words, cause such toxic air pollution I can't even breathe, let alone concentrate on my studies."

"You say that again." Jeongguk's father's voice booms across the living room. When Jeongguk doesn't bulge, he raises his voice again. "Young man, I'm telling you to say that again."

"I cannot concentrate with the television on, I am sorry, I will go back to studying at this very moment." Jeongguk mutters and when there is no response from either of his parents, he turns back into his room, locking the door softly behind him.

It is times like this that Jeongguk thinks of the sky, thinks of the stars and thinks of life in the districts.

"I have always yearned to have the opportunity to study." It's a mutter, barely audible as Taehyung raises his head to look up at the shimmering stars, some long loose strands of hair falling into his eyes. The moonlight, bright tonight, casts silverish light on his skin, and at that very moment, when Taehyung closes his eyes, he looks young, he looks free and Yoongi is being reminded of how much he has gone through despite his age and how far reality is from freedom for him.

"Why Hyung, is it that shocking?" Taehyung pulls his eyes away from the light, drops his head and turns to look at Yoongi, amused by the slightly endearing but mostly empty stare he is giving him. It disappears a fraction of a second later, when Yoongi becomes aware of himself, pulls himself together and looks away.

"Nuh-uh I have seen you with those- what is it again? ah, yes, Zoology and Sociology books." He stops himself mid sentence and furrows his brows, "Wait, have never thought bout it but where did you get them, I mean-"

"Certain Robinhood gave them to me." Taehyung says, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips before they straighten out as he corrects himself, "Certain unlucky bastard I mean, wasn't willing to help out on his own terms, had to lose a bet to be persuaded." At this, Yoongi shakes his head a little in confusion.

"And who's that?"

"Who do you think? Jeon Jeongguk, your favourite dongsaeng." Taehyung pauses for a while, smiling, before continuing, "Poor lad had to sneak back into the luxurious cardboard to smuggle some books out after losing."

"Was he caught?" Yoongi asks, grinning.

"No, he's a good one." Taehyung answers, "Smashed two windows and jumped into his room. Said both parents were rather hard of hearing, so it wasn't too difficult."

Yoongi nods.

"You know, I believe that opportunities can be made." Yoongi pulls his knees in and wraps his arms around them, rocking his body back and forth softly. "You are bitter about not being able to study the way city folks can. Attending classes, scheduled learning that takes up- what- if they were your age- most of their lives up till now- Why guk spent all his years buried in historical propaganda- and eh well give credit when credit is due, real information- until he got out-"

"I am." Taehyung agrees, "I mean, it keeps us stuck in this cycle of poverty while they keep getting richer. We don't have education, can't get jobs that pay decently regardless of how hard we work out here serving their needs while those inside do easy work and live a hundred years. Don't you think that it's unfair?" Taehyung asks and Yoongi falls silent for a while, thinking, before continuing.

"You are right, it is." He agrees, pausing before changing the topic, "But you are aware that you are more capable and knowledgeable than the folks inside yeah? Um, heard of that ancient phrase, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger?""

Taehyung shakes his head and Yoongi nods once.

"Well, how I interpret it is this," Yoongi pauses to think, "Tae the fact that you survived this place up till now means that you are street smart. You developed capabilities from the challenges you have overcome, valuable knowledge. Those behind the wall do not have these capabilities. You have an edge over them."

Taehyung ponders upon his words and nods, asking him to continue.

"The knowledgeable part is self explanatory. You have the thirst for knowledge, the curiosity that fuels learning, and so, you found the resources, the opportunity to learn and you gained the knowledge. It's why I say that opportunities can be made." He pauses before going back to address the topic Taehyung raised. "I agree with you, the world is unfair, this system is fucked up. But education inequality is only part of the rich's action to achieve their aim. The conscious decision they make to segregate the poor and them, to oppress and deny opportunities, is the whole that keeps us trapped in this hellhole cycle of poverty. But as I said, we can do something, no matter how insignificant it seems, we can create our own opportunity, a step to changing our fate."

Taehyung furrows his brows in confusion, he can sense the determination and excitement in Yoongi's voice in the last two sentences he said, almost undetectable under its calm facade. The sky has darkened considerably over the past hour and Taehyung looks up to find the last few stars gone. A mass of darkness enveloping the two of them. He is about to ask Yoongi what he meant, when he starts again.

"Taehyung, can you help me with something?" Yoongi asks cautiously.

There's a flash of light down the street and Taehyung turns to find that a dying tree has been struck by lightning. The mild stench of burning wood follows and he resists the urge to gag.

When Taehyung turns back, he finds that Yoongi's legs are now crossed and his body turned towards him. Once he ascertains that he has Taehyung's attention, he cocks his head, reminding him that he is still waiting for an answer.

"Sure Hyung, what is it?" Taehyung asks.

A roar of thunder echoes.

The streets are known for tainting every soul that frequents it, taking the life out of its owners. Compassion and hope sucked out from every being till only self-centred corpses remain, scavenging for the opportunity to survive, to be the one still moving at the end of the day while others lie motionless on the ground, their pendant devoid of colour.

Yoongi has always been exceptional for someone out here.