The rest of the day ends uneventfully, however disheartening. Sunghoon tries the edible insects station (even though he's unsure that he'd eat them even if he was starving), and the hand-to-hand combat station (where the trainer almost snapped his neck) before the time ran out.

Safe to say he hasn't had the best day, and now that he was laying in his bed and staring at the blank ceiling he felt much worse. His thoughts easily consume every part of his mind, and he feels himself physically sinking and lurching with every mental image that appears in his head.

He eventually gives up on the idea of sleep when the clock next to his bed projects 2:43AM.

He chooses to get up, shuffling quietly out of his bedroom and into the dining room so as to not wake up the others. He waits for the elevator to arrive on his floor while casting some quick glances toward Eunbi's door.

When he steps into the tube he quickly realises that he doesn't have a plan. He doesn't remember there being a spoken curfew for the tributes, but Sunghoon also doesn't want to test his luck if he were to meet a peacekeeper on the main floor at these ungodly hours of the night.

Sunghoon doesn't know what comes over him, but for a brief moment his hand hovers over the 2 button. He finally concludes that he doesn't want to wake another floor, so his only option is up. He quickly presses the R at the very top of the list.

The elevator quickly climbs six floors before stopping and opening in a dimly lit hallway— which was uncharacteristic to the rest of the building.

Stepping out of the elevator he jumps when the lights start flickering, looking around warily he continues until he's about to turn the corner.

At first he thinks he's hallucinating when he hears voices from outside, but as he approaches the open doors he sees two figures hunched over the railing in the dark, talking in hushed whispers.

As soon as he steps through the doorframe one of them snaps their head towards him, "Who's there?"

Oh. It was Jongseong.

"It's Sunghoon." He replies, stepping into a puddle on the concrete.

"Oh, you're up late." Jongseong muses, his silhouette dropping back into its previous position against the rail, but still facing him.

The roof seems to be stark black in comparison to the bright lights illuminating the rest of the city, but they don't seem to mind. It gives the illusion of privacy.

It takes Sunghoon's eyes a few minutes to adjust to the dark, but he almost stumbles back when he realises the other figure belongs to Heeseung. 

Unlike the other mentors, Sunghoon has yet to be properly introduced to him. They had their brief meeting in the hallway before the tribute parade, but aside from the brief acknowledgements if they passed each other, they haven't had the chance to talk yet. The mentor was almost exclusively glued to K's side.

Jongseong glances between the two briefly, "I should probably get going, you two need to talk. Don't stay up too late, the last thing you want is to be unfocused during training."

When he leaves the way Sunghoon had just come, Heeseung straightens himself out and turns to look at him directly.

"What brings you up here? If you were planning to jump, you can't." He says rather bluntly, craning his neck to look over the edge.

He says this as if he's tried before; or if he's seen someone close to him try.

"I couldn't sleep, and I didn't think it would be smart to waltz around downstairs knowing there are peacekeepers down there." Sunghoon shrugs, moving hesitantly towards him until they're both facing the other while glancing over the edge of the railing.

"I see. Well, nonetheless, it provides a nice view." Heeseung hums, leaning against the fence before closing his eyes.

They stand in silence for a long while. It's not awkward, Sunghoon notices, but he still doesn't feel quite right being in the boy's presence like this.

He wonders how someone who looks so serene and peaceful has killed more people than he can remember. Sometimes he has to remind himself that everyone who has taken him under their wing has killed more people than he cares to count.

"So... everyone told me to come to you about weapons." Sunghoon finally speaks, breaking the vow of silence they had unanimously taken on.

"I see they're still on about that... Maybe Riki should teach you." Heeseung replies, voice hardly louder than a whisper.

"But aren't you supposed to be the best?" Sunghoon asks, seeing as that's one of the only things he's been told about Heeseung his entire visit.

"Yes, perhaps. But I can't make someone a master in one day." He says calmly, tilting his head.

"Tell me about yourself. Do you have any background with weapons? K made a point to tell me you made a fool out of yourself at the stations you tried earlier and I can't say I entirely disagree." Sunghoon turns red.

The only weapons he's had any real experience with were the heavy axes from District Seven, and well... his bow. The axes no longer counter since they carried far too differently, but he did know that the bow and arrow station was deserted for almost all of the previous day.

"I'm good with a bow." Sunghoon finally settles, looking back up to meet his eyes.

Heeseung stares at him for a few moments and Sunghoon's heart skips a beat.

Although it looks like he's coming up with some witty comeback, he eventually grumbles, "You're cold."

Sunghoon doesn't even notice his slight shaking until a loose jacket is hanging over his shoulders.

"If you're good with a bow you should try out spears and throwing knives tomorrow. It's very unlikely that a bow will be in the arena, and even less likely that you will get it." The words fly over his head just a little.

"Knives are always the safest bet. There will always be knives in the arena. Spend the next two days practising with them, and when I see you again on day six we can look into your archery."

Sunghoon nods, feeling intoxicated by the warmth and smell of cologne from the mentor's jacket.

Silence falls over them again, and Heeseung resumes his viewing of the city while Sunghoon stares at the side of his face.

"Say... are you good with all weapons? I didn't watch your games, call me curious." He leaves out the bit where his games weren't available even in the one place they should be.

Heeseung can only force a chuckle, "You must be the first. A twelve year old winning the Hunger Games? I've been the talk of the Capitol for years."

He pauses, as if considering his next words, "I have a family history. I'm good with whatever weapon is at my closest convenience. I killed three people with my bare hands then picked up whatever I could to survive. I learned years later that I preferred scythes."

"Twelve years old and three tributes to your bare hands?" Sunghoon reiterates in a whisper, but oddly enough he didn't feel afraid, more so morbidly absorbed.

"Again, I have a family history. If you promise to stay alive I might tell you one day." He says with a lazy smirk.

Sunghoon hums, pulling his jacket closer to him as the breeze starts to pick up.

"Also, I would stay away from K if I were you." He adds absentmindedly.

"Something isn't right with him, and I don't want you to be the one to find out why. I also don't think he'll appreciate me dividing my time between you two either."

Sunghoon doesn't add that he feels something is off about him either, but by the look on Heeseung's face he seems to have gotten the message.

"He did tell me he wants to kill me." Sunghoon muses, turning his attention to the cloudy sky.

Another pause, more silence.

"Why are all of you helping me anyway? I've been meaning to ask, but no one has really let me speak."

Heeseung tilts his head and Sunghoon can tell he's staring at him again, "You're different, Sunghoon. Just as we felt something off with K, Sunoo is feeling something about you too. Volunteering, especially in an outlying district, is rare. We think you have the personality... something to make it far..."

He trails off, spacing out for a moment before reaching out a hand to place on Sunghoon's shoulder. "You just have to trust that we can keep you alive. Can you do that?"

Sunghoon looks down at the contact, "Of course. I couldn't ask for anyone better to trust."

He doesn't know what compels him to say that, and the words coming out of his mouth don't sound much like him at all, but he complies. He wants to be able to trust someone with his life when he's in danger.

"Perfect. I see us going far, Sunghoon." He comments blankly, retracting his hand and resuming his previous position against the railing.

There is another period of silence that he can't help but want to fill with Heeseung's voice.

"Are you a divine?" He eventually blurts, curiosity and silence once again getting the better of him.

All in all, it was highly unlikely that the mentor was one who went unnoticed for years— not only in District Two, but as a Capitol victor as well. Despite this, many citizens and now Sunghoon were beginning to question whether he had a concealable ability that helped him win without any of the flashy theatrics.

Heeseung fails to meet his eyes, "No, I just have inhuman strength."

He pronounces it like it's a joke, but Sunghoon doesn't seem to think of it as one. From the rumours and tales he'd heard so far, the boy did have questionable strength and weapon expertise, and if he kept up a facade for this long manipulation wouldn't be off the table either.

"Do you have a divine?" Heeseung asks in return, jumping up to sit on top of the rail.

"No." Sunghoon pauses, "There hasn't been a divine in District Seven since the two who were sent out to the 75th games."

"You don't normally get tested in District Seven. There's room for error." Heeseung points out, looking down at him.

"I really don't think so. No one in my family was... Generally exciting." Sunghoon says bluntly, thinking about his extremely bland, almost entirely deceased family tree.

"I see. Well, the mandatory testing is on the day of individual scoring. Be prepared for whatever the result may be." He jokes.

As another pause fills the night air, Sunghoon inadvertently breaths in the scent from the jacket wrapped around his shoulders. A sense of familiarity washes over him.

Neither of them look at each other before Heeseung gently pulls him towards the elevator, "It's getting late, you should sleep."

The elder casts a funny look at one of the poles on the corner of the roof before stepping through the double doors and calling the elevator to their floor.

Sunghoon notices the lights have fixed themselves since their conversation started.

"Tomorrow morning when you're in the training centre." Heeseung begins as the doors to the elevators open, "Don't forget to try out the knives. I saw how awful you were with the edible insects station. Try identifying plants before you don't have the time to regret it."

The descent is quick, and when the elevator opens to the quiet apartment Sunghoon steps off, about to say goodnight when he remembers something else that had been on his mind.

"When you gestured for me to try the climbing course, you knew I would end up over the careers, didn't you?"

"I don't recall asking you to do such a thing." Heeseung gives a real smile for the first time that night, doors closing before Sunghoon can see that he's pressed the button to take him to the basement.

And standing in his apartment with the mentor's jacket left forgotten on his shoulders, Sunghoon starts to realise that there's more to this boy than he's letting on.