ーthe darkness of that hour was covered in a thick blanket of white, wind howling as heavy ice-white dust blinded the night. taehyung couldn't tell where he was going as he kept closing his eyes every few seconds due to the snow rushing on his face.

"kook, are you okay?" taehyung said before looking at jungkook who was clinging onto taehyung in fear. jungkook didnt bother answering as he only hummed. taehyung looking ahead before smiling at jungkook. "i'm glad they cleaned the roads or our footsteps would be recognizable. we need to get as far as possible because i'm pretty sure they're going to start looking for us."

"taehyung, i'm really sleepy, hungry and cold." jungkook looked at taehyung before pouting and taehyung smiled before ruffling the brunette's hair. "it's almost 3 in the morning. We can't go to any aunties house to ask for help. plus, we can't trust many people now. they'll probably bring us back."

exactly after saying that, they turned the corner before taehyung gasped as he noticed a tall man in a black hood. he had a bag in his hand and in an instant, taehyung pulled jungkook behind him as the man looked at them. taehyung couldn't see his face due to the darkness but as he started to walk up to the both of them, taehyung felt tears roll down his cheeks in fear. "taehyung, let's run," jungkook whispered to his ear and before taehyung could respond, the man was already in front of them, crouching down before taking off his hood. there revealed a man with slightly pink hair - almost like a rose gold and taehyung felt himself visibly calm down.

do murderers have pink hair?

"what are you kids doing here in the middle of the night?" he asked with a soft voice and jungkook gave warning eyes at taehyung. "we...uh..." taehyung couldn't finish his sentence when the man suddenly frowned. "where are your parents?" he held a gentle gaze and taehyung was no longer tense. jungkook seemed to notice this as well and he felt himself calm down as well.

"w-we don't have any parents?" taehyung said-almost like a question and the man widened his eyes. "are you both orphans?" it was silent for a second before taehyung cheekily smiled. "what are orphans?" the man shook his head before standing up. "i'll take you both home. you seem really tired and i'll take you to the adoption center tomorrow."

taehyung immediately widened his eyes before shaking his head, grabbing onto the man's jacket. "no, no, no, not that place! please!" taehyung wailed and the other seemed alarmed before slowly nodding his head. "come with me," the man turned around before slowly walking away and he looked behind him after noticing that they weren't following him.

"I won't take you to the adoption center. there's no way i'm going to leave you both in this weather. it's practically a snowstorm."

taehyung looked at jungkook who slowly nodded his head. within seconds, they were behind the man.

-

taehyung felt the feeling of his toes coming back to him as he stood beside the heater. the man took off his jacket before placing it on the couch, going up to sit beside them. "now tell me, who are you guys and why were you walking alone on the streets at 3 in the morning?"

taehyung told the entire story of running away and by the end of it, the man had an awestruck expression on his face. "that's why you don't want to go the adoption center. not only that, but there is a chance that they called the police too! what were you both thinking?" he yelled and taehyung flinched. "jungkook hated that place. they treated us differently from all the other kids so we decided to leave then."

"when is the last time you both ate?" he asked and taehyung thought for a bit. "around 10 hours?" before taehyung knew it, the man was in the kicthen, grabbing two boxes from the plastic bag he was carrying earlier outside. "what are you making sir?" taehyung asked and he immediately replied. "it's called ramen. they're basically noodles. I think you'll like them. also, don't call me sir. my name is jin. you can call me hyung or jin hyung instead." he smiled at that and both taehyung and jungkook smiled back.

"hyung, why is your house so small and messy?" jungkook asked and jin could be heard laughing. "it's called an apartment. I go to college so that is why it's messy."

"college?"

"it's basically school." jin tried to explain and jungkook's eyes lit up. "oh, school! our older sisters used to teach us some stuff but she gave up for some reason." jin looked at jungkook worriedly then before bringing two cups in his hands from the kitchen. "both of you, eat up. I have a little more extra so if you're not full, feel free to take more. be careful too, it's pretty hot." both of them nodded simultaneously before grabbing the chopsticks beside them.

jin grabbed his phone while he heard both of them eating, walking off into another room before closing the door. a minute passed before he put the phone up to his ear, a more rougher voice being heard on the other end.

"joonie, i'm in fucking trouble."

"babe? are you okay? what's going on?"

"I found two kids alone on the street when I went to buy some ramen. they're both orphans who ran away and I don't fucking know what to do."

It was silent for a moment before yelling could be heard on the other end and jin immediately shushed him. "look, I don't want to break their hearts and drop them there. supposedly, they have a terrible past and they're fucking terrified joonie, fucking terrified."

"look jin, bring them to me tomorrow. let them sleep at your place for now. We can take care of them together without exposing them to the public."

"namjoon," jin said seriously and namjoon only hummed calmly, "what are you talking about? we're just going to raise them just like that? it's way too sudden!"

"you're in your last year of college and i'm already finished with it and i'm taking a full-time job. plus, we're planning on getting married soon. how old are they?"

"I d-don't know. i'll ask," jin opened the door and found taehyung and jungkook still at the table with the entire pot of ramen almost finished. "how old are you both?"

taehyung piped up at the sudden voice before smiling. "i'm fourteen and jungkook is thirteen."

jin stood confused for a moment. "if jungkook is thirteen, how do you not know what an orphan is?"

"we never took proper education, remember?" taehyung smiled and jin nodded his head before leaving the room again.

"they're thirteen and fourteen."

it was silent first before a light hum could be heard on the other side. "i'll take care of them for the next year until you're finished with college. it's a stressful year for you so i'll take of them for now. you don't have to worry." jin sighed aloud, resting his head on the back wall.

"okay..."

---

a/n

i've been listening to the eve by exo for three hours straight while writing this kmn