Hyesoon’s whole body trembled as she heaved the box of tapes into her arms. The screeching of the alarm surrounded them and she felt her anxiety hitting breaking point. All she wanted to do was focus on getting out of there. Jimin noticed her shaking and took the box from her while Taehyung grabbed a few files that looked interesting.

They were out in a matter of seconds, adrenaline pumping through their veins and the constant alarm reminding them to get out.

“Come on,” Jimin yelled, running through the staff room.

Hyesoon and Taehyung were quick on his heels, stopping only when they got to the door. “The cameras will spot us if we rush.”

“But we’ll get caught if we don’t rush,” Taehyung pointed out. “Let’s just make a run for it.”

“No,” Hyesoon screamed. “We’ll be caught either way. I’d rather keep away from the cameras, so there’s no proof I was ever here.”

Jimin glanced around frantically. “Okay, you go first then. When you get to the gym, climb up the rope and leave as fast as you can. Don’t wait for us.”

“You want me to leave?”

“Just go, before it’s too late,” Jimin insisted, pushing her ahead. “Taehyung and I will be fine.”

Hyesoon stared at them, unsure. “I hope you guys make it out,” she whispered, before escaping into the hallway.

Once she was out of sight, Jimin hastily threw his backpack on the ground along with the box of tapes. “Help me put these in here,” he asked Taehyung.

They worked fast, stuffing the cassettes into the bag. Taehyung tucked the files he’d stolen inside his laptop case and the two slipped the hoods of their jackets over their heads.

“You ready?” Jimin asked, securing his bag on his back.

“Not really, but I don’t exactly have a choice.” He forced a smile.

Jimin took a deep breath, gave Taehyung a firm nod then pushed the door open. The alarm was much louder out in the hallway leading to the office area. Even though it was dark, they sped through like professional athletes, jumping over furniture and maneuvering their way out. They were a few hallways away from the gym when Jimin suddenly skidded to a halt.

“Oh . , .”

A long line of curses left his mouth.

“What is it?” Taehyung urged, impatience running deep in his stomach.

“I left my flashlight in there.”

“Who cares? It’s just a flashlight and there’s no name on it, so let’s go.”

“I should go back and get it,” Jimin insisted.

“No way, man!”

Taehyung tried to pull Jimin ahead with him, but the latter held his ground.

“Just get yourself out of here safely.” Jimin gripped Taehyung’s shoulders firmly. “Pull the rope up and don’t turn back. Not even for me.”

Taehyung stood there, frozen. He knew his protests would go unheard.

Jimin shoved his backpack into the younger boy’s arms. “Go, Taehyung!”

They shared one last look. Hesitating for a second, Taehyung finally turned and made a run for it. Jimin watched him through the limited amount of light until he was sure he was out of sight. Drips of sweat started to form on his forehead. He quickly wiped them away and dashed back towards the security room, his heart beating like a drum.

He didn’t even care about the cameras anymore. All he was worried about was making sure Taehyung and Hyesoon were safe. He would survive if he was caught. It’d just be another red cross against his record, something he could deal with fine. But he wouldn’t let his friends pay for his own mistakes.

For the second time that night, he was standing outside the security room. The wailing of the school’s alarm had become a dull throbbing compared to the pounding of his heart beating as he entered the code into the keypad. He spotted his flashlight as soon as he entered, snatching it up without a second thought. When he looked up at the surveillance screens, he noticed that whoever had been lurking around the gates was long gone. It seemed the coast was clear.

He shut the door and was just about to run out of the staff room when he spotted lights out in the hallway.

“,” he muttered, recognizing the familiar glow of police flashlights.

In a panicked rush, he backed away from the door, hitting one of the tables at the same time. The sudden crash of metal against the floor sent him into a frenzy. The cops would have heard that for sure. Instincts kicked in instantly. Still clutching his flashlight, he sped over to one of the staff room windows and hurled it against one of them. Glass shattered around him and some shards were still attached to their frame. He pushed his way through them, wincing in pain when they sliced against his clothes.

Muffled shouts were heard just beyond the door behind him. Without looking back, he burst through the opening and into the cold, night air.

“Hey!” he heard a deep voice yell. “Come back!”

But he was already running off into the distance, the wind whipping against the fresh cuts in his face. He kept running until he was as far from the school as possible and his breath was ragged in his throat. Puffed out, he collapsed beside a random bush, hiding in the dense foliage.

He could hear police sirens, but they seemed to be getting quieter. He waited another twenty minutes, just to be sure he was in the clear. The streets were deserted at this time in the night, save for a few roaming strangers and late-night travelers. His face stung. He gently wiped the blood away and let the cold breeze ease the pain. He closed his eyes and focused on the simple act of breathing.

He hoped more than anything that there was no evidence left behind. He knew he and Taehyung would be on film, but maybe their hoods protected their identity well enough. All they’d have to do now was deny ever being there and everything would go back to normal. He wondered what Hyesoon would find on the tapes. If there was anything strong enough to use against Mr. Kim, then at least tonight wouldn’t have been for nothing.

He was so trapped in his thoughts that he didn’t notice a black BMW slowing down nearby until they had stopped in the middle of the road just in front of him.

, he thought, preparing himself to run. The tinted window slid down to reveal the driver.

“Jimin…”

It took him a while to realize who it was. Roughly tousled hair, plump lips and the familiar caring tone in his voice.

“Jin?” he choked out, getting to his feet slowly. Nearing the car, he could now see his face clearly. It was like waking up from a dream seeing Jin after so long. Even hearing his voice was a breath of fresh air.

Jin’s expression was unreadable. He looked away, his empty eyes focused on the road ahead of him. “Be careful, Jimin.”

“What?” He tried to get closer, but Jin’s head suddenly turned towards him. His eyes were full of warning.

“I said be careful. You all need to watch your backs…”

Jimin just wanted to sit down and talk to Jin. He wanted to know how he’d been. He wanted to know if he was okay after all these years.

“… Especially Jungkook.”

With that, Jin started the car, wound his window up and drove off without sparing Jimin another glance.

***

Jaera practically sprinted to school on Monday morning. Rumors had been spreading online about the school being broken into over the weekend, and even though she knew exactly who it had been she was still eager to see what damage had been done for herself. Jungkook had already left her house earlier, probably to meet with his friends. She hadn’t bothered to ask. All she was worried about was Hyesoon. She’d only had a brief conversation with her about the break-in over the phone, so she really needed to see her in person.

The crowds of students were thick around the school’s entrance. Collective ‘woah’s and ‘ohmygod’s were thrown all over the place as she weaved her way through. She could finally see what everybody was so shocked about. One of the windows that she knew was from the staff room was smashed to pieces. Yellow police tape outlined the area, guarding the crime scene. There were a few officers standing nearby talking to Mr. Kim. As Jaera walked past, his eyes met hers for a brief second. She thought she saw a glint of suspicion in his eyes so she looked away.

It’s not like I did it, she reassured herself, but she still felt as though she had done something wrong. If they found out who it was, would she get in trouble as well for knowing? What would happen to Hyesoon? These questions and more were running around in her mind until she finally saw Hyesoon by her locker.

“Why don’t you just stick a sign saying ‘I did it’ on your forehead?” Jaera laughed lightly, noticing Hyesoon’s pale white face and the way her eyes darted in every direction.

Hyesoon sighed a heavy sigh that seemed like it took a lot of effort. “Is it that obvious?”

“Oh, Hye. I was only kidding,” Jaera said, regretting making her friend feel worse. “Maybe I only notice how worried you look because I actually know about it, but nobody else will.”

“Are you sure?” Hyesoon leaned against the cold metal of her locker. “I mean, how am I supposed to act after something like this? Police are everywhere. And did you see the window? I didn’t even know about it until I saw it this morning. The whole school’s going crazy over it. It was only meant to be a subtle break-in. If I’d known this would happen I would’ve never done it.”

Jaera put an arm around her best friend. “I am positive you won’t get caught. Nobody would even guess you had anything to do with it. You’re Hyesoon for goodness sake. You’re the epitome of exemplary behavior.”

Hyesoon laughed. “You make me sound like a goody two shoes. I’m not that much of a dork, am I?”

“Well, compared to some people you are.” Her eyes diverted to three boys making their way towards them.

Hyesoon stood up straight, trying to seem like her usual confident self. “Hey guys.”

Jimin and Taehyung looked just as worried as her, maybe even more so. They mumbled a quick greeting while Jungkook kept his eyes on something far away.

“Did you hear about the dance studio?” Jimin asked hastily.

The girls’ ears perked up with interest. “No,” Hyesoon replied. “I’ve seen the mess you made to the staff room window, but what did you do to the dance studio?”

“Not me. C’mon, you guys should come take a look.”

The back field was empty seeing as first period was almost starting. The five of them snuck across to the dance studio which was also taped off by police. Jaera and Hyesoon were stunned.

“Wait, why is this marked as a crime scene?” Hyesoon asked curiously.

“You’ll see.” Jimin pushed the door open, which didn’t seem to be locked anymore.

“Holy ,” Jaera said, staring around in amazement.

The entire place was trashed. The windows on the opposite side were broken; mud, paint and whatever else was trailed along the floor; the wooden bench was shattered.

“Oh my God…”

They stood in silence, slowly taking in their surroundings. The once glistening mirrors were now fractured and red spray paint had been tagged across its surface. Jaera took a step closer.

“What is it?” Hyesoon asked.

“It’s a… message.”

“It’s not a message,” Jungkook interrupted. “It’s a warning.”

Jaera squinted her eyes, trying to make out the scribbles. “Watch your backs? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means what it says, Jaera,” Jungkook snapped. “Somebody’s warning us to watch out.”

“But who?”

Jungkook shrugged, so Jimin chimed in. “I have to tell you something, Jungkook… After I escaped from the staff room, I saw Jin.”

Jungkook felt that same anxiety that he’d felt when Yoongi brought up Jin. “And then what?”

“He told me that we should watch our backs. Especially you.”

“Oh for ’s sake.” Jungkook kicked the ground, the nervousness in his stomach transforming into anger. “Not this again. What does he want from me? At first I was worried about the fact that he’s back, but now I’m getting real sick of him trying to tell me what to do. He’s just like his ing father!”

“So this Jin guy must’ve made this mess?” Hyesoon deduced.

“I’d say so,” Jimin agreed.

“What does he have against you guys anyways?”

“It’s a long story. Let’s just say we used to be friends with him and now, obviously, we’re not.”

“What are we going to do?” Taehyung finally spoke, shifting the uncomfortable weight of his backpack across his shoulders.

“The question is, what is Jin going to do? He seems to be pretty set on whatever he’s planning, so maybe we should listen,” Jimin said.

Jungkook groaned. “You guys do what you want, I don’t give a anymore. If Jin’s really got it in for me, he could at least have the decency to tell me to my face instead of this bull. All I care about right now is the fact that once again we’ve got nowhere to dance. And that really s me off.”

Taehyung and Jimin knew now that they were treading on fragile ground with the younger boy. He was obviously pissed. If they didn’t play their cards right he’d storm out of the door like he always did, and that was the last thing they wanted. As they stood trying to figure out how to calm him down, Hyesoon intervened instead.

“I know this is all very important to you guys, but can we focus on the bigger problem at hand? The entire student body and teachers are set on finding out who broke into the school. I know for a fact they’re going to be scoping the place out for evidence, and knowing Mr. Kim, he’s probably noticed the tapes are missing along with whatever else Taehyung took. I suggest we start figuring out our alibis just in case they start getting suspicious.”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Jaera said. “You were at my house over the weekend. I can get my mom to vouch for you.”

“And what about you two?” Hyesoon asked.

“Well, my parents never notice I’m home anyways,” Taehyung said. “I can just say I was in my room playing video games.”

Jimin nodded. “And I wasn’t even in town. My parents visited my aunty on Saturday, so that’s me sorted.”

Hyesoon sighed with relief. “Good. We have to stick to our stories no matter what. I don’t want this to all be for nothing.”

“Exactly. So did you get to check out those tapes yet?”

“Not yet, but I will.” She played with her fingers absentmindedly. “I was gonna ask if you guys would come over and help me. It would make it much easier to get through all of them.”

“We can do that,” Jimin answered. “What about you Jungkook? You in?”

Jungkook shrugged and kept his eyes on the broken window. He was definitely in no mood to socialize, let alone talk at all.

“I’ll come along,” Jaera said. “We should get it out of the way as soon as possible.”

“Get what out of the way?”

Everybody in the room froze and an icy chill settled in the air. They watched as Mr. Kim slowly entered the studio, an arrogant smirk on his face.

“Mr. Kim? What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you all the same thing. School has already started and if I remember correctly, this place is off limits.” He shot the three boys a look. “Especially now that it’s the scene of an horrific vandalism to school property.”

Hyesoon stepped forward, almost slipping on a clump of mud. “We’re really sorry Mr – “

His cold eyes made her stop mid-sentence. He sneered. “All five of you. My office. Now.”

---