Lighters and candy.

That is all Jungkook can think of as he takes another drag of his cigarette. The smoke travels down his throat, curling inside his ribs, its effect hitting right into the bundle of nerves in his mind. It makes him roll his head back, his eyes wandering on the dark night sky.

His other hand twirls a piece of strawberry candy between his fingers, and he tears his eyes away from the sky and toward the baby pink wrapper. A small strawberry decorates it, and Jungkook circles the plastic stick of the candy in his hands. He sighs before nestling it inside the pocket of his black shorts.

The memories of the past twelve hours floods back into his mind, and he groans before exhaling another puff of smoke. Blue eyes. Black jeans. Soft cheeks and rosy lips—the new transfer student's appearance was imprinted a little too well in Jungkook's brain for his liking.

He can't help but think of the boy's eyes sparkling when the art class had begun. Or the way he had clutched his sketchbook close to him as if it would vanish if he held it looser.

A bristling sound from behind makes his thoughts halt. Jungkook whirls his head, pushing his dark hair back with his free hand. When he sees no one, he turns back, facing the city below him once again. His legs dangle on the edge of the cliff, and he silences his thoughts, wanting to only focus on the starry night and the cigarette in between his fingers.

The silence lasts for a few minutes before Jungkook hears some rustling again. This time, he decides to not ignore it. With a grunt, he stands up, dusting his shorts and walking on the hard concrete. He pauses when he's in the center of the roof, looking around.

Nothing.

But then, he hears the sound of breathing. Hard and fast. Panting.

His eyes snap toward the left corner where the shadows seem a bit darker, and with heavy steps, he makes his way there.

The first thing which comes to his attention is blue. Deep blue. The kind you see at the bottom of an ocean, or in the center of a Crab Nebula. Jungkook finds his breath catching, his eyes refusing to look away from the pools of blue swirling in front of him.

But then, the stranger speaks.

"Stop staring, it's creepy," he whispers, but the sound is loud enough to reach Jungkook's ears.

He blinks, the cigarette still in his palm. When the person before him doesn't speak again, he takes a step closer, finding the voice familiar.

"Do I know you?" Jungkook asks, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. Now, he can make out a figure sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. One leg is sprawled in front of him, while the other is bent up in a triangle.

"Don't you think you would know that?"

"Right," Jungkook whispers, dropping his cigarette and crushing it with the heel of his shoe. He takes another step forward. "Jimin?"

The boy tilts his head, quirking a brow which Jungkook somehow notices in the looming dark. "Yeah."

"Jungkook." Jungkook points to himself before pulling his hand out in front of Jimin. "Mind some company?"

For a long moment, Jimin stares at Jungkook's outstretched hand, contemplating. Then he sighs, dropping his eyes to his lap. He shrugs as an answer to Jungkook's question, and Jungkook takes it as permission to sit beside him.

They sit there in silence. The back of Jimin's head rests against the wall, and Jungkook keeps himself in a similar posture beside him. Except, both his legs are stretched in front of him, his toes pointing to the sides.

"What were you doing here?" Jungkook's voice cuts through the silence enveloping them both. It's barely above a whisper, but Jimin relishes the way it isn't too loud.

"Escaping," Jimin answers. He doesn't elaborate, and Jungkook nods, accepting the short answer he got. "What about you?" Jimin asks, turning his head to face Jungkook.

"Escaping."

Silence again.

Jimin hums before throwing his head against the wall again. He doesn't say another word, and Jungkook feels content with it. Though, a part of him feels strange because Jimin didn't push. The same part of himself wondered why.

"Art school is," Jungkook pauses to clear his throat, voice hoarse, "fun, right?"

Jimin nods solemnly, eyes glued to the endless stars above them. Jungkook waits for a beat, and Jimin says, "it's freeing. Helps me escape."

"Me too," Jungkook murmurs. He wonders what Jimin is escaping from. If it's something dangerous. If Jungkook can do something to help him. He forces the thoughts away. Caring so much for someone he bet barely twelve hours ago is stupid. Reckless.

"I saw you, you know," Jimin says, surprising Jungkook. "Today. At school—I saw you. I saw everyone." Jimin's blue irises meet Jungkook's brown ones. "But I saw you. And remembered you."

"Remembered me," Jungkook repeats under his breath. Jimin saw him for the first time today, but remembered him. For some strange reason, it brings a smile to Jungkook's lips, and causes his heart to swell. The thought of someone not forgetting him makes him feel oddly blissful.

"What are you escaping from?" Jimin asks, running a hand through his soft brown hair before dropping it by his side.

Jungkook stops breathing for two full seconds. He blinks several times, then sighs. "A lot," he says. "Family. School." He motions around himself vaguely with his hands. "Everything."

Jimin hums, eyes catching Jungkook's for a moment before he looks away.

"And you?" Jungkook asks, heart thrumming in his chest.

"Everything," Jimin whispers, a smile cracking at the corners of his lips. "I wish I could escape this all. It's so stupid."

"Escape what?"

Jimin glances at Jungkook, and Jungkook can swear he stopped breathing again. But this time, it's because he finds himself drowning in Jimin's eyes. He's never seen eyes as blue or as pretty as Jimin's, and it makes him wonder: What would it be like to see them closer? Do they sparkle as much when the moon reflects in them, or do they incline toward a darker blue, as if its hues swallow the light?

With a small smile, Jimin turns his head back up, but Jungkook can see the tears prickling at the corner of his eyes. But then, Jimin whispers, his voice drowned by the rush of the cars and people and time in the city.

"Life."