Everything had been monochrome through my dull perception.

I could not stop thinking as if I was looking at those old-time photos of our ancestors which had been covered in a thick layer of dust. Indeed, it also reminded me of those ancient movies, lingering in our corner of memory as an unforgettable getaway from the deterioration of the filming industry nowadays.

"Hoseok dear, how could you not feel the eccentricity of this wonderful world?"

It had always stuck in my mind, the desperate look of my mother when she asked me that question. Her facial expression showed no hope, after knowing that her child could never live his life to the fullest. She had sought countless methods for this poor son of her. Helping him to embrace those sensations of humankind became her lifetime desire.

"There's nothing much we can do anymore, our sincerest condolences."

Those so-called "skillful with years of experiences" doctors repeatedly said the same sentence, from small downtown clinics to many well-known hospitals on the upper east side. And I wondered, was it at that point did I lose my hope to behave like other adolescences at my age?

Sometimes I would hear my mother's whimper in lonely nights after the lights had been turned off. She perfectly hid from me her vulnerable side, bearing everything alone in the darkness. The mid-autumn wind carefully caressed her face, as it must have been God who felt bad for many miseries that had happened in such a decent woman's life.

"I'm sorry mom, for making you suffer this much." — I whispered as quietly as I could.

For a long time since I comprehended how life functions, all I could feel was the two colors black and white being intricately intertwined with each other, creating a portrait of the conventional world that drenched in monochrome. The depressing sky without sun rays to light up people's day, the withering sentiment of all creatures on earth, that was all that I could capture through my eyes.

Ever since then, I held no desire or any eagerness to color those blank spaces.

Every day I always followed the same routine repeatedly. The most effective coping mechanism for me was waking up from bed to drown myself in this bustling society, keeping myself occupied with activities that seemed so abundant. Because if not, I was afraid that I would end my miserable life by jumping off some sky-tall building. However, that will not be such major trouble. People might pay a visit to my grave, put some kind of random flowers to mourn for the death of a depressing teenager. Deep down inside their soul, I believe that no one gives a damn.

That's a summary of a pathetic human being named Hoseok Jung.

—

I felt utterly awake that night.

It must have been the effect of that black coffee which I drank to finish my assignments at around 8:00 pm. Turning side to side on the comfy bed, at no point could I get myself to sleep. My eyes were wide opened, as annoyance kicked in. To add it up, the room was especially humid also, making tiny drops of sweat on my forehead kept dripping down the pillow.

It was 2:30 am.

"What should I do now?"

I looked unconsciously at the dark and seemed endless sky, never did I notice that the stars were illuminating through my small window. They shone harmoniously together on the black canvas, urging me to go out and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere. Oh my, was I igniting my emotionless heart into such an artistic self? Suddenly, my t-shirt flowed gently in the cool breeze, and the idea of wanting to do something peculiar struck me with no warning beforehand.

After grabbing a bag of chips and an iced bottle of beer, I headed out to the nearest park of the town. In this peaceful neighborhood, the south park was a great destination for midnight dreamers to get lost in their stream of thoughts, or a temporary shelter for those drunkards to take a deep sleep under the embrace of mother nature. I shivered, while pleasantly appreciate the empty streets with no pedestrian or sonorous vehicle. Footsteps marching casually on the road, I believed that it had been a long time since I last experienced such tranquility.

There was a particular spot that I always chose — the verdant grass field for many picnics trips. After placing a sheet on the moist dirt, I lay comfortably and grasped in the magnificent view upon my eyes. How romantic, I was capturing nature's serene visage all alone, making my soul little by little become more awaken. That's right, the fast-paced life never allowed me to contemplate who I was, how I wanted to live my life.

I had stumbled on plenty of obstacles in my horrendous life. Fighting against those bullies that caused me mental and physical pain for such a long time, accepting the brutal truth that people all looked down on me because I held a distinct point of view from them. At a much younger age, I wished for this world to be painted in a calm blue color, a color that would soothe for healing open wounds. Through an innocent perception, this kid used to pray for everyone to love each other.

...

"You wanted to pursue dancing? I bet you would starve yourself in no time. An amateur dancer like you would get nowhere so just stay put already."

"Look, guys, the miserable kid Hoseok Jung just signed up for a dancing competition! I can't wait to see failure crushes him, as he is a total loser."

"You experienced clinical anxiety and self-deprecation most of the time? You had tried to end your life by drinking pills or cutting your wrist? You're just a kid, how could you possibly feel those emotions, anyway?"

"Aren't you Hoseok Jung—the hopeful sunray that lightened up the lives of all those losers?"

...

Despite holding on to such a righteous belief, I now lost all hope in this corrupted society.

How foolish were I, to think I would eventually find salvation.

"Toast, for no particular reason."

I laughed hysterically with a mocking tone. My only accompanies were the stars hanging on my head that gave out the reminiscent feeling of the good old times that were fading away. The cool beer slowly heated my dry throat, I was glad that I got out of that cramped room.

To those days I had fought resiliently, to those days I kept on living despite not wanting to.

—

There I saw somebody walking on the dirt path. It was a guy and seemed like he was trying to approach me. 3:30 am on a Saturday morning, I questioned myself about who would be crazy enough to wander around the park.

"May I sit with you?"

He started the conversation with a heartwarming smile. Truthfully, I put on my defense already yet somehow, this stranger just calmly trespassed them all with his alluring voice. It was honey to my ears, I could not explain the overflowing sensation rushing through my entire body. After carefully judging him in my head, I realized that he had that soft blond hair that you would unconsciously want to put your hand through and carefully stroke it, those piercing brown eyes that might have looked through my pitiful soul. Or was it the effect of the beer that was making me hallucinate, who knows? If I had to choose one word to describe this person, it would definitely "ethereal".

I could feel it, my throbbing heartbeat getting faster every second. It was overwhelming; it was too much for this fragile heart of mine to bear. Did my face redden up, did I show any strange expression? The presence of this person was unexpected in my monotonous life, as he wasn't supposed to show up and made me ponder. But I could sense it, his soothing aura coming out, and I truly believed he held no ill intention.

"Sure, take a seat or just lie down, any option you prefer."

A polite 'thank you' came out from his lips as he casually sat down and indulged in the delightful scenery. For one second, the stranger shivered because of the frosty weather and I could see his knees slowly turned to a pinkish-red color. His outfit was a plain black t-shirt with matching shorts which made him glow up in contrast with his fair skin. Then he just silently sat there, holding the universe altogether. And I shouldn't have felt such an enigmatic emotion.

Maybe this whole reality was set up by God, maybe I was simply stuck in this never-ending dream. But the deepest part of myself, screamed out loud that it did not want this to be over.

"Here, use my jacket then."

The surprised expression on his face, how I wished I could have captured through my camera lens. I would hang a photo of him on my shelf of memories (I would make one dedicated to him only, despite not having anything like that now), I would even smile to his picture every day as if we were in a distant relationship, waiting for a day to meet again. And I smirked for him to know that I paid attention to his actions.

I was not acting like my normal self. It was a hindrance showing thoughtfulness to others; I did not want to get caught in abundant social relationships that would eventually waste my precious time. But for him, I had broken that principal rule of mine so easily, the only rule that I had sworn to follow at all costs to survive this excruciating life.

"I'm feeling just fine, it's very kind of you to do that..."

How could he come up with such a blunt excuse, even though his shivers were getting more and more recognizable? I could not stand watching him tolerate those chilly winds, not at all. I wanted to cover the warm jacket over his shoulders, or even hugged him tightly so that no breeze could ever make him feel uncomfortable ever again.

"It's nothing, honestly. Just take it, you don't look like you're doing well though."

Then he nodded bashfully, accepting the jacket. I couldn't hold my chuckle in as he was small compared to my coat. The stranger seemed as if he was trying so hard to fit himself in the jacket, but through my sight, he was adorable in it.

We shared the bag of chips and little sips of beer. Together we gazed at the mesmerizing night sky that had taken our breath away. The calming silence remained while we appreciated each other's presence. I remembered vaguely that an old friend once told me how this world is covered in utter darkness until dawn takes over for a better day. Only those with the courage to overcome their impediments of yesterday can perceive such glorious rays of tomorrow.

And I wondered, would you still be there with me in the next morning?

—

"What's your name?"

I tried to engage the conversation with a simple question. Honestly, Hoseok Jung, I was dying out of curiosity to know more about this gorgeous boy. What his interests were, what kind of music he enjoyed listening to, or what food he liked the most, those random preferences. It was my first time wanting to know more about someone so badly and I was desperately hoping that I wouldn't mess this up.

"Jimin."

An accent calming to the ears which made me unconsciously mumbled his lovely name again. Jimin, Jimin. He was busy playing with my jacket's pockets and if I were to guess, he also was sorting out what to say next. Suddenly, our gazes met. His brown eyes were enchanting, as they invitingly pulled me into the wonderland where no filthiness of this society could ever hurt me, where I could remain in this enrapture fantasy forever.

I thought I have destined to meet Jimin.

"What a fine name you have there. I'm Hoseok if you're curious."

"Don't mind if I ask but why are you wandering outside, at such a peculiar time?"

Jimin's shaky breaths melted into the thin air, I could see his cheeks gotten flushed as the chilly breeze passed by. It took him a while to find a decent explanation, but whatever reason he had in store, I was still content that we had time to meet each other. The stars aligning flawlessly above us, the peaceful sound of nature surrounding us, everything just seemed too surreal.

"Nothing much. Since tonight is too magnificent to be missed, right?"

I did not expect his answer to be that vague, but still, it was good enough. We were just lonely strangers who accidentally bumped into each other and wanted to spend some last moment together until the sun rose divinely at the skyline. A new day would come, the reminiscence of today would forever be kept my precious memory capsule.

"Hey Hoseok, ask me where I live."

I blindly did what Jimin asked—despite not having a clue about what he meant.

"So, where do you live?"

"In this fucking moment."

Just like that, Jimin leaned forward and gently placed a warm kiss on my forehead. The tingling sensation of his warm lips against my skin, the fresh scent of his soft hands touched my icy face, everything happened too quickly. The kiss did not last long and a part of me regretfully wished that I was brave enough to pull Jimin into my embrace. For me, this boy must have held some kind of magical power because, at that moment, those vibrant colors of life were appearing in front of my eyes.

After many years of being trapped in the colorless world, I now could feel my heart throbbing relentlessly — aching for humanity's eccentricity. What had I missed throughout my monochromatic life? I had always chosen to run away; I was too afraid to face any circumstance because I could not bear watching others open up my half-healed wounds anymore. Nonetheless, my mind wanted to venture out to this marvelous world again, exploring what waited for me ahead.

Jimin was fierce red, as my blood flow rushing through every vein of my body to comprehend what just happened. Jimin was radiant, as hope that ignited mankind to keep moving forward. He perfectly harmonized his color with the heavyhearted Hoseok Jung me — who was drenched in the melancholic blue. I asked God, could anyone ever fall head over heels just by overwhelming fairness appearing out of the blue? The world was still covered in that saddened sentiment, yet Jimin's presence was a luminous constellation shining in front of my bare eyes.

"I just couldn't help myself watching you stray further from this magnificent life. I don't know how to explain but I'm afraid if I do nothing, I won't be able to save you."

"And you know what Hoseok, I don't regret what I have just done at all."

Jimin was a wonderful riddle that I couldn't solve no matter how hard I tried, Jimin was someone who brought them lively colors to my perception once again. He was full of surprises and I found myself fallen deeper into his smile every second. Was this love at first sight that would have been destined? Or was this just some casual sympathy between humans?

I didn't care.

It was Jimin's genuineness that had made me alive for a better day.

One moment could change a day.

One day could change a life.

One life could change the world.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Hoseok. Tonight was such an amazing night in my boring life and I truly enjoyed it until the very end."

We could not just live in this moment forever, as everything must come to an end. In spite of that, these were the nights that would never die for both me and Jimin. I vaguely picture the upcoming future, when our old souls would still yearn for the younger days. Another fresh beginning would then rise astonishingly on the next page of our lives, helping us to face the brutal reality.

I was still scared, my wounds were still aching from many scars patching up in my chest, but I had become more courageous than the Hoseok Jung of yesterday.

"May we meet again one day."

Then Jimin politely returned my jacket which made our trembling hands touched for one last time. Tender, just like his compassionate soul that saw through my hideous scars. I smiled at him endearingly with no hesitation. There were parallel universes where we did not bump into each other, but in this universe, it was the perfect place for my heart to live in. If I had not stepped out of my room, surely I would not have experienced such a life-changing night with this adorable guy. From the bottom of my fragile heart, I was grateful.

"Thank you!"

Having heard me shouted out loud, Jimin casually waved his hand and walked away further on the dirt path. The delicate moonlight guided Jimin's way as he was heading home. His gentle kiss, his uplifting personality, I would miss every single part of him a lot. Then I just silently lay there, looking at his tiny figure slowly disappeared through the shadows.

I wore my jacket again, feeling Jimin's fresh scent still lingered on every inch of my skin. Little did I notice the clock ticking at 5:00 am and finally it was time to get home, to embrace another new day. I was still young, I still had got an interminable journey ahead with many hardships that might beat me to the cold hard ground.

But I truly believe that everything would turn out just fine.

Who could imagine those heartfelt words being said by a boy whose world was drenched in monotonous melancholy for such a long time?

Then, I put my hand in the pockets, and something surprised me.

A piece of paper.

Jimin's lovely scribbles—it was his phone number.

I couldn't stop myself from feeling such overwhelming happiness. Darkness gradually stepped back for dawn to appear and I couldn't wait to get to know more about this gorgeous boy. Breaking out of my cramped walls, which I had tried so hard to build around my vulnerable self, was worth it.

"Can I ask you out for a coffee date, Jimin?"

—

Fin.