2:16 A.M. | BTS ✓

1

The wind howls outside the small house as Jimin slips into the open window.

Why do they keep leaving their windows unlocked when they know there is a thief in their midst?

Jimin moves as silently as he always does through the darkened space as he glances around at the items.

Days of watching - waiting - for the perfect moment has led up to this night. Through careful observation, Jimin knows the woman is asleep in her bed at the back of the house. He also knows that while the woman is generally poor, she keeps her most valuable item - her jewelry - in a box that rests on her dresser.

Like a ritual, he would watch the woman get ready for bed, slipping the necklace from her throat before placing it into the jewelry box, ever so gently.

Jimin is convinced that it has to be worth something for her to treat it so delicately.

If not, he'll have to accept the loss. He can't risk taking too many things - spending too much time in one house - because that is just begging for him to be caught.

The people in the neighborhood suspect something; too many small instances are adding up and Jimin knows he will have to move to a different neighborhood soon enough.

He just can't resist this one last grab; that necklace can be the singular thing that can finally cause him to hit the jackpot.

When Jimin slips into the quiet bedroom of the woman, he sees her sleeping soundly in her bed as he tiptoes across the carpeted floor.

The rain begins when he is halfway across the room, and he stills to make sure the pattering of the raindrops isn't going to wake the woman.

It doesn't.

He moves a bit more quickly, his feet stopping him just in front of the box. When his fingertips flip the top open, he sees the necklace, awed in its beauty as he sees it up close for the first time.

The diamond in the center of the charm shines dully in what little moonlight is filtering through the rain clouds, the pearls surrounding it in a gentle embrace. Around that is a silver framework, swirls and loops of illuminating gray, a matching-colored chain resting around it.

His heart skips a beat; it's better than he could have dreamed of, especially if all the gems and the silver are real.

Biting his bottom lip in excitement, he closes the box and places it in the pocket of his jacket, pulling the hood further over his face to conceal it before turning back and making his way to the window he used as his entrance.

After his shoes hit against the muddy grass with a soft thump, Jimin adjusts his gloves on his hands as he smears the mud beneath him, hiding his footprints.

After shutting the window, he turns and runs out of sight, letting the darkness of the night engulf him.