Brush strokes echo throughout his open isolated classroom. Although darkness may be upon him, the strenuous day inevitably closing to an agonising end, his fingers still remained prominent on the brush, gently spreading acrylic across canvas. Creating what he'd consider, in comparison to more historical artists, a masterpiece. No tabula rasa could possibly touch his abstract senses, spreading messages and meaning across his once barren tableau. The only one to be left creating, imagining such artwork, while others party their nights away. Intoxicated by narcotics, drowning in fermented yeast. This, however, never seemed to bother him, but instead convinced him to continue with the brush. More strokes, more colour. Tone, texture, shadow taking on form, swerving through fingers, to the handle, to the bristles and finally onto the canvas. Simple.

Several bustling sketchbooks, packed with creation, piled by his side, dangerously close to the edge of the table, dangerously near to his pot of coloured, murky water, several other paintbrushes bathing in it, tainted with acrylic. Not exactly ideal to clean them with. But he didn't mind. He instead just focused on the array of tone and texture at his fingertips.

"Ya!"

His concentration in shatters at the ear piercing sound of his friend, he places his earbuds in his ears, Dean flings his high notes through. He continues to spread the paint.

"Yaaa!!"

He quickly turns up the volume. Taking out all outside noise.

"JUNGKOOK!"

He rips out his headphones. "What Hyung? Taehyung what?" He sighs, putting the paintbrush to one side.

"You've been at it for hours. Come on you need to sleep. It's 3AM." Taehyung sighs, his eyes weary and pyjamas loosely clinging to his body. "You know I can't sleep without someone else in the room."

"I need to finish this. If I don't get a scholarship for next years term, I can't continue the course. I simply can't afford it." Jungkook sighs.

"Dude you're talented anyways. You'll ace it. I don't think anyone else in this class deserves it more then you do." Taehyung leans against the doorframe. "Besides, I'm in the exact same position with my thesis papers. If I don't come out on top I'll have to drop it. But I'm still trying to balance my work and social life aren't I?"

"Just another hour." Jungkook picks up the brush.

"Dude if you don't sleep. I won't sleep."

Jungkook glances up at a sleepy Taehyung and back at his canvas. He hears him sigh from the doorway and leaves. A few minutes later, he returns with a duvet and pillow. "If you're not coming back to the dorm, I'm brining the. dorm here.

"Fine." Jungkook murmurs, watching Taehyung. Setting up camp below his feet, Jungkook puts his headphones back in, Dean continued to play.

"Good night Jungkook." Taehyung smiles, grabbing his shin.

"Good night Hyung."

As Jungkook works through the night, he slowly feels Taehyungs arm ease away from his leg, falling back to his side. The sun eventually replaced the moon, shining its light into the classroom. A tired lecturer strolls in and is taken by surprise when he sees Jungkook still awake, surrounded by paper coffee cups from the vending machine, pots of ramen and his friend sleeping on the floor.

"Jungkook? Have you been here all night?" He asks.

Jungkook emerges from behind the canvas, dark black circles under his lifeless eyes, barely staying awake. "Uhu." He replies in a raspy voice, his dry lips barely pronouncing the words, his dry throat hurting after those words were pronounced.

"Oh. Well I came to say that today's class isn't on. It's been rescheduled to tomorrow, which would normally be your free day." His lecturer states. "So I'd use that time to get some sufficient rest." His wise eyes stare into Jungkook's droopy ones. Barely staying awake. "I believe your friend is majoring in medicine? I saw him in the main lecture room. Well that's also been postponed to tomorrow."

Jungkook heard Taehyung whisper "yes!"

"That will be all." He leaves the room.

Taehyung sits up with a smile. "Yes dude! We don't have to go in today. Let's go out and do something together." Taehyung states at Jungkook, who had fallen asleep. "Oh yeh I forgot about that."

——

"Come on!" Taehyung carried Jungkook to his bed, throwing him on top. " you were so stupid for staying up all night. Idiot. Now we can't do anything today. I have to watch you sleep."

"Ugh" Jungkook turns on his side to face Taehyung. "Go hang out with Nancy or something." His words came out mumbled and almost unrecognisable. "You like her don't you?"

"Ew no." Taehyung frowns, jumping onto his bed, which is opposite Jungkook's in the dorm room. "Besides, she's probably hanging with her friends. Which is so annoying because-" his words are cut off by Jungkook's snoring.

Taehyung pulls out his phone and jumps onto the group chat he's in with his whole class.

Donghan
Ugh can't believe the lecture got cancelled, how come, does anyone know?

Kenta
Stfu no one cares. We don't need to go now sooo why complain?

Jaemin
Awesome we have today off, wanna hit the town?

Donghan
Think I'll spend today studying.

Sanggyun
Square...

Me
Nah I'm spending today with JK. He pulled an all nighter last night so he's in bed rn.

Eunwoo
Where's Moonbin?

Me
Of course you'd be the one to ask that...

Eunwoo
Lmao go look after your maknae wife dumbass

Moonbin
Here y'all.

Eunwoo

Kenta
More like *Gay overload*

Me

Kyungsoo
HEY I TOLD YOU TO STOP MAKING MEMES OF ME

Moonbin
Now he pipes up...

Chanyeol

<Kyungsoo left the chat>

Kenta
Bitch we made him leave smh....🤦‍♂️

Jaemin
So is anyone gonna come with me? Or are we all just gonna continue sobbing over the fact Kyungsoo left the chat?

Me
Well I'm broke so there's not much I can do.

Jungkook
Same...

"Oi go to sleep dickhead!" Taehyung shouts.

Jungkook
Taehyung just called me a dickhead.

Kenta
How tf did kook get into the chat?

Donghan
Tae added him ages ago

Eunwoo
Y'all I've just had an idea. Has anyone seen that flyer that's been stuck to more or less every tree down town?

Jaemin
Yeh I saw it I see it on my way here every day. Like anyone would actually do it.

Me
What is it?

Jaemin
It's a social experiment or something. You get paid for every day you do. Here I'll send the info.

—————

UNEMPLOYED CANDIDATES NEEDED
WE NEED YOU TO TAKE PART IN A PRIVATE EXPERIMENT FOR THE SAKE OF SCIENTIFIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH INTO BASIC CONFORMITY.
YOU WILL BE PAID FOR EVERY (FULL) DAY YOU COMMIT TO.
EMAIL: [email protected]
WE HOPE YOU'LL CONTACT US SO WE CAN GIVE YOU AN OFFER.
THERE ARE VERY LIMITED SPACES.

—————

"We should look into that Kook" Taehyung states, putting his phone down. "Kook?" He glances over to find him asleep. Taehyung opens up Gmail and pasted in the email address.

...