The next day had been extremely relaxing, a total contrast to their crazy babysitting fiasco. Hyesoon had insisted she stay the night to help Jaera function without one of her feet, Jimin and Taehyung left around dinner time and Jungkook kept Miyoung entertained until she fell asleep. Reflecting on the events, Jaera realized they’d all managed to work together in one way or another. She kinda liked the idea of them being a team, with the slight exception of Jungkook. It had always been her and Hyesoon, so expanding the group was a nice change.

Her mom had arrived home on Sunday morning, surprised to see everything and everyone still intact, apart from Jaera’s ankle. Jaera came up with some excuse that she’d fallen while playing with Miyoung. There was no mention of friends coming over or trips to buy ice cream. As far as Jaera’s mother was concerned, they’d had a peaceful weekend with no hitches, and she decided it was better to let her mom believe that.

They were sitting in the living room, Jaera scrolling through her phone and her mother reading a book, when Jungkook walked in. Jaera looked up immediately and they accidentally met eyes. It was clear the two were still feeling a bit awkward about yesterday. Jaera shoved her phone closer to her face and Jungkook instantly turned back out of the room. Jaera pretended not to have noticed his sudden change of direction. She guessed it was something to do with her, but seeing as they’d always struggled to be in the same room together, it wasn’t completely unusual.

Her mother, however, thought differently. “What was that about?” she probed, glancing up from her book to see a blank expression on Jaera’s face.

“Nothing,” Jaera mumbled.

“Didn’t seem like nothing. You two have hardly spoken since I got here. Was there another fight?”

Jaera shook her head.

“Then why are you two avoiding each other like there’s a plague going around?”

“Does it matter?” Jaera accidentally snapped. “I mean, we’re as normal as we could possibly be. Avoiding each other seems to keep things peaceful, so I don’t see what the problem is.”

“Just seems strange, that’s all,” her mother commented, flipping the page of her book. Jaera glanced up and sighed, wondering why her mom was always so nosy.

***

Jungkook realized he’d been pretty evasive lately. It was just so frustrating for him. He couldn’t look at Jaera anymore without seeing that vulnerable and fragile expression she’d worn when he found her in the ditch. It brought back dozens of memories of when they were younger. The rare times when he’d torment her and instead of fighting back, she’d just sit there and take it. He hated the way she could make him suddenly go from feeling annoyed to feeling... sorry for her.

He needed to avoid her. He knew it wouldn’t help in their quest to becoming friends, but for now, it would have to do. Dragging his fingers through his hair, he stalked over to his desk and pulled out a random book. Finding a blank page, he started to draw. It was an automatic thing for him. When he was stressed he could either listen to music, dance, play basketball or draw. Today, sketching his feelings out felt like the right thing.

He had been drawing for about twenty minutes when his phone rang. Breaking out of his trance, he quickly grabbed it off his bed to see an unknown number flashing across the screen.

He hesitated for a bit before finally answering it.

“Hello?”

He frowned as silence greeted him.

“Hello?” he repeated, but the line suddenly went dead.

“The ...” He stared at the screen for a while, trying to figure out who it could be. It was probably some girl at school who managed to find out his number. He used to get prank calls or secret messages from his admirers all the time. Saving the number under ‘Weirdo’, he walked back over to the desk.

The picture he’d drawn stared back at him and he cringed. His fingers traced the paper and he wanted to rip it into tiny pieces but couldn’t find enough strength. He tore the page out, folded it gently and placed it in the middle of the book.

Get a grip, Jungkook, he thought to himself.

***

School was in full swing the next morning. The hallways were packed with students gathering outside their lockers, chatting aimlessly with friends or mucking around before first period. Jung Hyesoon was busy searching through her own locker for an old notebook. The one with a worn out spine and frayed pages peeking out from its’ covers.

Ever since she was younger, Hyesoon has had a fascination with figuring out mysteries. That was one of the reasons why she decided to join the school’s newsletter. She had the uncanny ability for digging up information and creating a good story, no matter how exaggerated the details might be. After what Jaera had told her, she was eager to find out more.

“Yes!” She silently fist pumped to herself when she found the notebook hiding under a pile of homework sheets. Her grandmother had given the book to her when she was in middle school. She only ever used it when she thought there was something really important to write about and this was one of those cases.

Glancing at her watch, she figured she had about ten minutes before her first class. This would give her just enough time to scope out the main school office and see if there were any unfamiliar faces lurking about. On her way there, she started taking notes.

            DAY 1

            7.49am -  Checking school office for any information concerning Subject A and

            accessibility of area

She smiled to herself as she closed the book, feeling like a true detective. There weren’t as many teachers around the office when she arrived. The main office was situated near the entrance of the school and separated into different sections. There was the reception area, where you’d usually find students picking up late slips, then there was a small hallway that led to three offices - Mr. Kim’s, and the deputy principals, Mrs. Lee’s and Mr. Park’s. At the end of the hallway was the school’s staff room. You’d hardly ever see students in the staff room because it was almost impossible to get past Mr. Kim’s office without him noticing. And if for some miraculous reason you did manage to get past his office, the deputy principals were sure to catch you.

What Hyesoon really wanted to get to was the security room which lay on the other side of the staff room. The school kept this room as far as possible from students for obvious reasons. If anyone got inside that room, they would have access to video surveillance of the entire school, passwords for secret databases and the keys to every single room, except for Mr. Kim’s office. It was rumored that he had only one copy made and kept that on him at all times. The security room was protected by a code. No matter how much information Hyesoon could get about the security room, she had no clue how to actually get inside.

She quickly wrote notes on everything she could see around the office area. There didn’t seem to be anyone unusual hanging around. Just the reception lady, who was eyeing her suspiciously through the lenses of her gold-rimmed spectacles, a few students handing in some forms and she assumed the principals were still in their offices. She also noted each camera that she could spot mounted to the ceilings. Three in total, all which rotated every ten seconds into a different position.

“Miss Jung,” a loud voice boomed, making Hyesoon jump.

She quickly turned around, holding her notebook close to her chest. “Mr. Kim,” she exhaled in surprise.

“Did you need something? Shouldn’t you be on your way to class by now?”

She took a glimpse at her book and her gaze shot back up to meet his. “I was just handing some permission forms in.”

He smiled unsettlingly. “Alright.”

Hyesoon started to walk away until he spoke again. “How’s Jaera?”

“She’s fine.” She spun back around and sent him a similar smile.

“That’s good. I hope her and that boy have been making progress.”

“Oh... you mean Jungkook? Yeah, they’re fine.”

“That’s great to hear.”

The bell rang and Mr. Kim waved lazily before stalking back to his office. A cold shiver went down Hyesoon’s back. She didn’t know why, but he really creeped her out. Checking the notes she’d taken, she headed to her first class. Her mind was buzzing with questions, all of them concerning Mr. Kim. She didn’t feel right about him.

She glanced up briefly to see Jimin passing her by, talking to one of the science teachers. He gave her a small smile and she nodded in acknowledgement. She tried remembering the teacher’s name but when she couldn’t, she decided she’d just ask Jimin later. The two looked pretty close, she thought. Maybe they’ll come in handy later.

“Did you remember what that stranger looked like?”

Jaera looked up from her phone, a piece of lettuce hanging out of . She swallowed quickly and scrunched up her face. “Kinda... It’s a bit blurry now.”

Hyesoon and Jaera were sitting on their usual bench eating lunch, but Hyesoon couldn’t help but let her curiosity take over the silence.

“What about hair color? Was he tall or short? How was he dressed?”

“Woah, slow down.” Jaera placed her sandwich in her lap and tried to think. It had been four days since she’d overheard their conversation so she couldn’t remember much. “All I know is he was really good-looking. He just had this classy air about him.”

“Classy. Probably rich,” Hyesoon mumbled, scribbling in her notebook.

“You must be really interested in finding out who it is,” Jaera commented, noticing the book.

Hyesoon looked up. “I really am, Jae. Something’s up with Mr. Kim. I can feel it. If only I knew how to get into the security room...”

“You’re crazy,” Jaera whispered. “That place is completely out of bounds. If you’re expecting me to help you, think again. I’m already in enough .”

“Don’t worry.” Hyesoon shook her head. “I’m only considering it as an option. Those surveillance tapes would be really helpful, though.”

“It’s impossible, Hye. Is this really so important that you’d risk getting expelled? They could even get police involved. It’s like breaking and entering.”

“I know. Like I said, I’m only considering it.” Hyesoon tapped her pen along her chin. “You wouldn’t happen to have Jimin’s number would you?”

“Why?” Jaera asked, giving her a suspicious look. “And no, I don’t.”

“Can you ask Jungkook for it?” Hyesoon ignored her question.

“Hell. No.” She picked her sandwich back up and took a large bite. “He and I are not on speaking terms. Not that we ever were, but asking him for something like that is not possible at the moment.”

Hyesoon felt curiosity bubble inside her, as usual. “What happened?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing,” she repeated. “It’s just... We’re not...” Jaera stuffed the rest of her sandwich in , signaling the end of her unfinished sentence.

“Okay. Whatever that means.” Hyesoon gave her a knowing smile. “I guess I’ll just find another way to get a hold of Jimin, then.”

Jaera looked over her shoulder. “Well, isn’t it your lucky day? He’s right over there.”

***

“You three have to lay low. Mr. Kim’s been acting real strange lately and I’m scared he’s gonna find out about everything soon.”

Jimin looked Miss Yang in the eyes, trying to decipher if she was serious or not. He knew she harbored some sort of feelings for him, judging by how much she risked her job for him, so it wouldn’t be like her to lie about something like this. She seemed genuinely worried about him.

“Acting strange...” Jimin noted. “Like what?”

Miss Yang’s voice came out in a whisper while she glanced around the hallway nervously. “Like disappearing from his office without notice, for hours on end, and then when I ask him about it he just shrugs me off like it’s not completely out of character. He’s being really secretive. And more than that, he’s changed the code for the security room.”

Jimin focused on the floor, taking in all the information. “It could be nothing though, right?”

Miss Yang only shrugged. Finally, she opened to speak, but the bell rang and she hesitantly ran off to her first class. Jimin stayed in the same spot for a moment, deliberating. If he really did have to lay low, it meant attending his classes properly. He had no problem with his class work, it’s just that he’d rather be with Taehyung and Jungkook, practicing their dance. But going by what Miss Yang told him, he’d have to do anything to stay out of Mr. Kim’s way.

Break time rolled around and his friends were waiting by the edge of the basketball courts. He had forgotten about the conversation with Miss Yang up until this point, seeing as he’d actually gone to his first two periods, so he was quick to update the boys.

“Wait, so does that mean we can’t use the dance studio anymore?” Taehyung pouted as they wandered through the school grounds.

“I don’t know,” Jimin said. “We still have the key, so technically we can still use it. We’ve just gotta be a bit more vigilant from now on. Miss Yang reckons he’s onto us.”

Jungkook grunted, the first sound to come out of his mouth in the last ten minutes. “I’m so sick of Mr. Kim. Everything I do, everywhere I go, every day... It’s like he’s always there, waiting for me to fail. I can’t take it anymore.”

Jimin wrapped his arm around the younger boy’s shoulder. “I know it’s stressful, especially with basketball season coming up in a few weeks and everything else with Jaera.” Jungkook scowled at the name, but remained silent. “But you know we’ve got your back. It will pass one day. It’s our last year so we won’t have to deal with him for much longer.”

“Yeah,” Taehyung agreed. “Let’s just hope you’ve still got that scholarship by the end of it all.”

Jimin glared at Taehyung but the latter was oblivious to what he’d done wrong.

Jungkook sighed. “Let’s just forget it. From now on, can we not talk about anything to do with Mr. Kim, basketball scholarships and Lim Jaera.”

Before they could even agree, a voice caught their attention.

“Hey guys.”

Jungkook stopped in his tracks when he saw Hyesoon walking towards them. Luck definitely wasn’t on his side that day because a few meters behind her was Jaera. He couldn’t help but notice that she was still slightly limping.

“Oh, hey Hyesoon,” the other two boys greeted her.

“What’s up?” Jimin asked.

There were a few unwritten laws around Bangtan High. Kinda like social codes that every student knew to follow without even being told. One of those was to never directly speak to any of the kingkas unless prompted by the boys themselves. Nobody knew how this rule came along, but since the boys ignored everyone all the time, they started to get the hint. So unless you were desperate or just stupid, nobody ever talked to Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook. Of course, there were those who simply didn’t care.

“I wanted to talk to you, if that’s okay?” Hyesoon asked, clutching the strap of her bag instinctively.

Jimin smiled, something he rarely gave to girls at the school, but after getting to know Hyesoon on Saturday, he decided she wasn’t like the rest of them. She wasn’t trying to get his attention, and she wasn’t crazy or obsessed with them. She also had a certain feistiness that he found refreshing.

“Sure, what is it?”

She cleared . “I’m doing a sort of... article on Mr. Kim, so I – “

“Mr. Kim?” Jimin wasn’t expecting that. Especially since they were just talking about the bastard. “Why?”

“Just some inside scoop I managed to dig up. But that’s not important right now. All I need to cement some of the details is your help.”

“Okay... Like what?”

A confident smirk tugged at Hyesoon’s lips. “I need you to help me get inside the security room.”

***

“Bro, you aren’t serious about this?”

Jungkook tried to grasp a hold of Jimin’s shoulder, but the latter shrugged him off. After their conversation with Hyesoon, they were heading out to the lunch bar across the street to get some food. The whole way there, Jungkook had been trying to convince Jimin to see clearly.

“Jimin! Listen to me.” Jungkook huffed and tried to keep up with his pace. “You’re actually planning to break into the security room just to help that girl? Can you just think about it for a second? I thought I was the one who always does dumb , but this is going way too far.”

Jimin continued to ignore him and made his way into the store. Taehyung, who was strolling nonchalantly behind the others, immediately began ordering food. He’d literally zoned out of their conversation as soon as they’d mentioned the lunch bar.

“Look, Jungkook.” Jimin sighed, eyeing the menu carefully. “I know you don’t see it the way I do, and you might even think I’m doing this because of Hyesoon. But the truth is, I’m sick of Mr. Kim as well. I hate how he always seems to get in the way of things I love, like the dance studio. For once, I just want to feel like he doesn’t control me.”

Jimin proceeded to the counter to purchase his snacks, while Jungkook mulled over what he’d just been told. He wasn’t feeling very hungry so he went over and waited by the door for the two boys. Bags of food finally in their hands, they all wandered back to school.

“I know how you feel, Jimin,” Jungkook finally said. “I just don’t see how breaking in would be helping anything. In fact, it could even make it worse if you were caught. You’d get expelled on the spot. It’s a whole different story when Miss Yang goes in there for us, but this... This is crazy.”

“Well, I’m not asking for your permission,” Jimin replied. “And I’m not asking for your help. I’m gonna do this and that’s final.”

With that, the subject was dropped and they entered school. Whilst Taehyung and Jimin were busy filling their stomachs, Jungkook couldn’t get the nauseous feeling out of his. He didn’t feel right about this idea at all and he knew it wouldn’t end well. He just hoped Jimin would realize that as well.

After a whole day of attending his classes, Jungkook felt pretty drained. Jimin advised that they all keep their attendance up so they could somewhat stay in Mr. Kim’s good books. They no longer had Miss Yang to help keep their records in check. For Jungkook, it wasn’t exactly a bad thing. He’d missed going to classes and actually studying. He just hated all the attention his class mates would constantly give him, especially the girls. He sometimes wondered if anyone actually knew how disinterested he was in having a girlfriend or any female friend at all. There were always more important things on his mind these days.

As if by instinct, he entered the gate to his own house. Catching himself, he quickly turned around to cross the street to Jaera’s until a yellow envelope hanging out of the mailbox caught his eye. It was probably nothing important but he curiously grabbed it anyways. Flipping it over, he was surprised to his name scrawled on the back.

He rushed over to Jaera’s house and once inside the living room, he tore it open. A plain, white paper slid out with two words etched in sinister, black ink.

I’M BACK

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