it was almost twelve in the midnight but seokjin kept himself awake. he had drawn in his head that he'd save her again, calculating the time on her wrist earlier. he was sure that she'd attempt suicide again. he couldn't stop but think that her mind could be broken.

rising up from bed, seokjin exited his apartment. the hallway was quite dark, but lit enough with a couple of lights to let him see through. he could even hear his own heart beating rapidly, considering the terrifying silence. nevertheless, he was determined to save Hyuri.

his instincts already told him that there was no way Hyuri would open the door. it would be dumb of her to let someone stop herself, not to mention the countless time she tried. panicked, seokjin attempted to break through the door. maybe it did open, but the throbbing pain on his left arm almost made him numb. he was certain that it'd become a bruise soon.

barging into her bedroom, he was horrified to see nobody. seokjin wasn't hopeless, though. into the bathroom, he finally traced her. there she was, hands trembling with a bottle of pills, most of them already on her hand.

he grabbed the bottle away, also causing the pills to fall out of her other hand. she was staring dreadedly on the floor, hands shaking more as she folded her red fists. now her eyes traveled to the pills sprawled across the floor.

seokjin kneeled in front of her, arms embracing her petite and fragile body. she shuddered in his embrace although they both knew he gave her warmth. Hyuri was neither relieved or mad that seokjin stopped her. yet she could never deny how there was a little spark of gratitude in her.

maybe it was his warmth that for once in a multiple years of darkness, made her feel loved. she had never found someone so fond of her more than her grandmother. in fact, seokjin was a stranger who had nothing to do with her, yet there he was, doing all his best to save a girl who was not even asking for it.

"stop hugging me, i'm staining your shirt." she muttered coldly. seokjin pulled away with a strange gaze. he had to be shameless in a way, just to keep her company. he knew well that he was doing such things for no exchange, but he was certain to coax her until she can do it herself.

"you're wasting your time on me." Hyuri did not pity herself at all. seokjin sighed. he never thought of that, not even once. at first glance, she was not worth his time. but his heart told him otherwise.

she was blunt, stubborn, and so on. everything about her could instantly make him think she was a waste of time. but he was considerate and patient. there was more to it, how he decided to keep on saving her.

he sat back and looked at her. "tell me. i will listen." the atmosphere held tension but seokjin really tried his best to break off her enormously high and unbreakable walls. the wall she built to keep herself away from everyone else.

"i don't need anyone to listen." she was as careless as it sounded. or not. she could have the kindest heart, only covered by a thick layer of stone; the hardest to break. "besides, why would you."

"because i care."

"you do?"

seokjin smiled. "i do."

"i'm alone now. like i always am. grandma even left. everyone leaves. and sooner or later..." Hyuri had began to talk a little. seokjin appreciated how she had lowered her walls by allowing him to listen. "you will leave too."

"i'm not going anywhere, and especially — i'm not leaving you until you promise me you won't try and kill yourself again." he deadpanned, quite tired of her stubborn ways.

for days, he always thought that people whom acted like her only needed love. that's what they say. and he wanted to give her that. it's just — he himself didn't know the feeling.

Hyuri stood up and dragged her feet into her bedroom. "i'm going to sleep." stopping her, seokjin grabbed her hand, still trembling. focusing his gaze on her wrist, he saw how it was flickering. a sight he hated the most.

7h:16m:04s / 16d:6h:14m:04s.

"what is up with my wrist, dude?" she managed to ask with a side joke that sent the boy to smile. "my name is kim seokjin. handsome, talented, good cook, good singer, and the list goes on." he was acting confident, and she would've laughed at it if she gave up.

she cringed and rolled her eyes for the countless time. "oh, and i'm single." he added. Hyuri could only turn around and pretend like she didn't hear anything to avoid any more of his blowing confidence.

"wait." he leaned on the doorframe. she turned around with a blank face, "what?"

"smile." seokjin commanded, causing her to groan in disagreement. "no."

"smile."

"no."

"smile, or i'll kiss you." it was such a ridiculous excuse that it made her jaw drop. she smiled sarcastically, rendering him to roll his eyed.

surprisingly, Hyuri giggled upon his reaction. of course, seokjin noticed, and he didn't know why he felt so light inside. a single smile made his heart fly. he was so relieved, so so relieved to see her smiling for real.

her eyes finally shined with slight happiness. seokjin fell in love with that, without knowing. she had captivating eyes behind those tears. he was stunned by her actual appearance when she smiled.

although he felt like he knew her so much already, there was too much to learn about her. despite all of that, seokjin was more than ready and willing to dive deeper into her galaxy.