Morning air was always so nice. Crisp, cool, sweet.

Too bad the rising sun eclipsed its beauty.

"This is the first sunrise I've seen in a while," you said to Jungkook as you watched the sky grow brighter from atop Hill X.

A mumbled "Really?" was the response.

You ignored his lack of enthusiasm and continued, "I always slept in when I graduated, and Big Hit makes me work so early now that I don't get a chance to catch it. So, this is pretty special!"

"Mm-hm."

Alas, the urge to roll your eyes was too powerful. "Hey, at least pretend to be interested."

Jungkook chuckled. "Sorry. I really am glad that you get to see it today. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

You glanced over and noticed that he was practically falling asleep on his feet.

"Wow, okay, that's an understatement." You raised an eyebrow at his half-conscious state. "You should go to bed."

He smiled. "Ah, but then I'd miss the sunrise."

"Don't worry, it'll be here tomorrow. Come on," you said and beckoned. "You need some serious beauty sleep."

"But there's work tomorrow. And I want to watch it with you."

That, you decided to ignore.

You cleared your throat and said, "As your personal assistant, it is my duty to make sure you are alive and well to be able to do your job. So I suggest you take some rest, immediately."

Jungkook quirked an eyebrow. "Really? Well, as your boss, I ask that you let me be for a moment so I can enjoy this lovely sight."

You huffed and drummed your fingers against your legs. You had forgotten that you were working for him.

He laughed. "Don't be mad, now. I'll be right inside once Mr. Sun finishes his routine."

"Yeah, that'll be quick." You scoffed.

A pause. Then... "Lighten up, Cupcake. You know this doesn't come along very often. Can't I just take a breather and enjoy the view?" A sigh. "I'm more tired of the rhythm than anything."

You looked back at him. His eyes were pleading.

And you let out a breath. "Oh, alright." Then, before you could stop yourself, "Come here."

Jungkook smiled and shuffled over, and you wrapped an arm around his back. He rested his head on your shoulder and together, you watched as the sun climbed higher and the city grew brighter.

You thought about how, just three months earlier, you would have cringed at the notion of even touching him. Now, you were willingly taking him into your arms.

Change is a sneaky little thing, isn't it? You never notice it until it's staring you in the face.

Of course, it can be loud and overwhelming at times, but more often than not, it's as subtle as the early summer breeze blowing through your hair.

When the sun had well departed from the horizon, you decided it was time to go inside.

"Kook? The routine's finished." You said this in a quieter voice because you weren't sure if he had actually fallen asleep on your shoulder.

"Mmm... mm, alright."

Jungkook stood straighter and stretched, then squinted at the sky. "Woah, it's bright already."

You stifled a giggle. "Weren't you supposed to be watching?"

He cleared his throat, and you laughed.

"Alright, Kook. Let's get you to bed now." You slung an arm around his shoulder and pulled him toward the door.

Which whipped open before you could even reach for your keys.

"JK, Y/N! Where have you been?!"

You yelped and jumped backward. Jungkook just waved. "Hey, Hobi."

"Oh, hello, Mr. and Ms. AWOL." Hoseok rolled his eyes. "Seriously, though. What are you two doing out at six in the morning?"

"Just catching the sunrise," Jungkook responded without missing a beat.

"I-it was really n-nice," you added for extra effect.

Hoseok immediately brightened. "Oh, okay! Sunrises are the best. I'm proud of you for waking up early on a Sunday." Then he looked closer. "Kookie, you look like you just pulled four consecutive all-nighters. Go back to bed."

"Aye-aye, captain," Jungkook said, then shot you a sideways smirk. You rolled your eyes.

After making sure Jungkook went into his room and not the laundry room or whatever, you went back to the kitchen.

"Coffee?" Hoseok asked, gesturing to the humming coffee machine.

"Sure, thanks."

As you leaned against the table, stirring everything in, you watched Hoseok bustle around the kitchen clearing dishes and wiping down countertops.

"Cleaning duty today?" you asked, tapping the spoon against the mug's lid.

"Yeah." He sighed loudly. "Geez, they're full grown 20-somethings and can't even clean up after themselves." You snickered at that.

Hoseok suddenly stopped scrubbing and set the cleaning brush down. "Y/N... I'm worried about Jungkook."

You froze, cup halfway to your mouth. "W... worried?"

He nodded. "I don't know if you could tell, but he has these... highs and lows. Like, every so often, he'll be crazy productive for a couple days to a few weeks and be fine, which I guess is good? But afterwards, he'll crash and be all depressed, which can not be healthy."

"Maybe they're just bursts of inspiration?" you suggested, but your voice was weak. You had noticed it too, and it was more than a simple creative surge. But you had just assumed he had a strange work ethic.

Hoseok shook his head slowly. "I saw him taking meds the other day, and he's clearly not sick. It's like... I don't know. But he won't tell us anything. So can you, uh, find out more? I just don't want him to feel like he's alone in this."

You bit your lip, but promised Hoseok that you would try.

You cared too much now to just let it be.

***

"Well, well, well, look who's awake. Just in time for lunch."

"Can't you let me take advantage of the weekend in peace, hyung?" Jungkook mumbled as he shuffled over to the refrigerator.

Seokjin raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean sleeping in until ELEVEN IN THE MORNING. That's, like, half the entire day!"

"In my defense, I'm Jungkook."

"How does that help anything??"

"In his defense, being a Jungkook means being an idol, and it's hard work," you piped up.

"Y/N, you're supposed to be supporting me!" Seokjin groaned. "Plus, I'm an idol, and I'm actually responsible with my sleep schedule..."

"In Jungkook's defense," Yoongi, who was sitting at the table, said, "he's younger than you, so he needs more sleep."

"Ah, Yoongi, not you too! JK is a gROWN—you know what? I give up." Seokjin threw up his hands and walked down the hall. "Just because he's the youngest..."

You and Jungkook exchanged glances, then you snorted and he stifled his laughter.

"Did you see how—?"

"That was like the funniest—!"

"Jungkook, you're not off the hook. I know some of the others are going to harass you for this later so you better hurry it up," Yoongi called from the hallway.

"Got it, hyung!" Jungkook yelled back, then turned and grinned at you. "Later, yeah?" He punched your shoulder playfully and walked off.

You stood there in a daze.

Was this... friendship?

It was certainly something strange, but... solid, as well.

You looked around, then smiled to yourself.

Maybe that wasn't so bad.

The breeze was blowing again.

***

"... and this one! I remember reading it wayyy back in 2011 and thinking, 'Man, this art is the dopest thing.'"

"Really? That means you were, like, sixteen when you read it!"

"I know, right? I think it was one of the first webcomics I ever read. Oop, here comes the nostalgia— now I'm drowning in it, aaahhh!"

Jungkook then fell backward on the sofa and drowned dramatically, which made you giggle.

"Stop it! Anyone who overhears is gonna think you're having a spaz attack." You grinned and elbowed him in the rib cage.

He laughed. "Hey, do you read? Webcomics, I mean?" he asked once he had "recovered."

You tapped your chin. "Hm, not really. I'm more of a traditional paper comics kinda gal."

"Whaaaat? But actual books are so expensive!" Jungkook exclaimed, drawing back in mock horror.

You had to scoff. "Jeon Jungkook, idol worth millions, not willing to shed a few won to buy a comic book?"

"Of course!"

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Please tell me you at least have a Webtoon account." Jungkook grabbed your arm and looked at you seriously. "You haven't lived until you've read Webtoon."

You blinked. "Isn't that a bit...?"

"So you don't??"

"Um... no."

He let go of your arm, and then his thumbs were flying across his phone screen. "Gosh, Cupcake. How did you even live this long?"

"Humanity has survived for millions of years without webcomics!" you huffed.

"Mhm, and what century are you living in? Phone, please."

You hesitated, but handed Jungkook your phone. What was he up to?

A minute later, he handed it back.

"All done!" He grinned, seeming pleased with himself.

"What did you do...?" You squinted at him before checking your phone for suspicious activity.

"Well, I got Webtoon all nice and ready for you, that's what." He peeped over your shoulder and pointed. "See? The app's right there."

You regarded the tiny icon warily. "The green one?"

"Yep. Now, go here, wait—yeah, there. See that? That's how many coins you have. I only bought a few hundred for you, but you can always buy more yourself."

"Wait, time out." You held up a hand. "'Bought'? What's the point of 'free' webcomics if you have to pay?"

Jungkook's cheeks blushed rose-pink, but he quickly cleared his throat and said, "It's an optional thing. You're just getting started, so I figured I'd give you the premium experience."

He gave you a brief tour of the app's interface in this manner, then jumped right into "one of [his] favorites."

"Now, BTS is in it, but that's not the only reason why it's good," he said, showing you to a particular comic titled SAVE ME.

You rolled your eyes. "And it's an übercringy fanmade by some hormonal teen, right?"

"No, it's an official 'toon by Big Hit, and it's, like, really good. It's actually based off our MVs from HYYH era, which I think is cool!"

"I have no idea what 'HYYH era' is, nor what 'MVs' are and what they're about," you deadpanned, completely serious.

He looked up at you. "Why are you even here?"

"The pay and benefits are good."

"Figures. Okay, Cakes, you really need to read this comic, and then I will force you to consume every piece of content that Bangtan has ever created or been featured in."

"Wow, I can hardly wait."

"I know, right? Now, I unlocked all the episodes for you, so you're ready to start binging!" Jungkook smiled and flashed you a thumbs-up.

You reluctantly selected the first episode. "Ugh, this is gonna—oh, the art is kinda nice. Hm, this scrolling style is interesting."

"Heh. Easy peasy."

.-.. .- - . .-.

Why? You couldn't understand.

Why was this webcomic sO FREAKING GOOD ARGHHH—

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Jungkook shot you a knowing look and tried to peek at your phone. You snatched your hand away before he got the chance, warmth flooding your cheeks.

"Hey! This is is some top-secret sensitive classified government-only information," you hissed.

"Except that it's not." He smirked and raised a brow.

You didn't know how to respond to that.

"Come on, just admit that the webcomic is ridiculously good," he said, a teasing expression on his face.

"Alright, I'll admit that I was reading it, but the comic's just... mediocre. Nothing special." You were lying through your teeth and you knew it.

Gosh. How could you tell him that you actually liked it—a lot?

"Oh, really? Is the art not good?" Jungkook asked, then surprise-attacked you with The Head Tilt™.

You ignored the erratic beating of your heart and bit your lip. Well, you had already complimented the art when you first saw it, so you couldn't exactly go back on that now.

"Oh, no, I like the art. Nice styling. The comic just doesn't... stand out to me." Could that pass??

He hummed. "Is it the plot, then? A little dull for ya?"

You sucked in a breath. The plot was your favorite part. How could you slip through this one without seeming obvious?

"W-well, it's not bad... I mean, it isn't dull. It's just—not it? You know?"

"Sorry, but uh, I don't know."

You sighed. What use was it anymore? "Okay, I'm just going to say it. I... I like it. A lot."

"Um? Then why don't you like the comic itself?" he asked, tapping his chin.

"S-stop! You know what I mean." You crossed your arms and resisted the urge to stick out your lip.

Jungkook burst out laughing and clapped his hands. The sound filled the living room and it somehow seemed a little brighter.

"Hey, hey! That's not nice," you whined, but you were smiling yourself. It was pretty funny when you looked at it from a distance. You should do that more often.

"I'm sorry, but that was fantastic, oh my gosh..." He glanced at you and giggled. You kicked his shin. He stuck out his lip. "Heyyyy. I won't be able to perform if you keep this up."

"I didn't even kick you that hard?!"

Jungkook grinned and wiggled his eyebrows, and you laughed.

"So what do you like about it? We worked really hard, and a bit of feedback from a total non-ARMY would be nice!" he asked, eager as a child. His enthusiasm was infectious.

"I mean, I like pretty much all of it!" you exclaimed. It was getting really difficult to reel your excitement in. "The art is fantastic. I can actually tell who's who, and the plot seems really deep. I'm not done yet, but it's already tugging at my heartstrings and I don't want it to end and it's just sO GOOD?¿?"

"Right?! I was super surprised when LICO agreed to work with us. Like, they're just amazing! And, and the—" He suddenly stopped.

"W-what?" you asked, proceeding cautiously.

Jungkook looked down, then back up at you, and you swallowed. A smirk was lining his lips.

"Wanna do something fun?"

hahauploadingschedulegobrrr

i feel like the more i apologize, the more it loses its meaning, but i'm seriously sorry for the wait ;-;

i've been drowning in schoolwork and editing work and life work and it's seriously a mess rn but making y'all wait MONTHS for an update is just—ugh. i'm sorry, and i'm making it official that SLS is on hiatus.

it'll be November soon, and i'm really interested in participating in NaNoWriMo this year so that's one part. also, it's just unfair to say "I'll update soon!!" and, like, not. a hiatus makes it less painful haha. and exams are coming up-up-up and i need to take some time for that.

this doesn't mean its coming to an end. why would i leave y'all an illegal cliffhanger if i didn't have plans? i do, and i'm working on it, and... honestly, nothing much will change except the description, which i'll edit to say "on hiatus," haha.

this is NOT goodbye, to be clear. it's just "i'm just letting y'all know, and see you soon~~"

so... see you soon. 💜