The possibly prank massage Youngjae receive the other day didn’t make any of the trio quaver. In fact, they ignored it almost completely. However, Jinyoung become slightly more cautious than usual, just in case something actually happens.

Youngjae and Jaebum had been practicing and improving their singing for a few days now after school, with the help of Jinyoung. They keep on getting better and better and Jaebum was pretty happy about it. With their newly found confident, they believe they have a high possibility of winning.

Mark and Jackson on the other hand were quite busy lately, trying to figure out the culprit behind everything that had happened to two of Mark’s beloved juniors. Jackson, being a big fan of Sherlock Holmes (apparently), become so devoured in it that he started acting like a detective – from trying to find the culprit by using fancy locating devises to judging suspicious people using the Science of Deduction.

“This is no use, Jack,” Mark sighed on their way out of a small ICT shop. Jackson was wearing a frown on his face as he examined the phone-like tracking devise on his hand that he argued to get it for a much lower price than its original’s. “Don’t give up just yet, Mark.”

“We can’t find him, or her, or maybe them!” Mark sighed and shook his head. “I thought you were the one that want to defend your juniors. What happened to you? Why do you always give up so easily?”

Mark was quiet for a few second before furrowing his eyebrows and nodding his head, “you’re right. I shouldn’t give up just yet. Sorry, I was just a little bit tired. We had been eying around for any trace of him, her, them, but there’s none! I’m irritated now.”

“Sherlock Holmes once said ‘Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.’” Jackson quoted as he put his hand on Mark’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Mark nodded and then furrowed his eyebrows again, “wait. Isn’t that a quote from Napoleon?”

Jackson pretended like he didn’t hear it and beamed. “Now, shall we go back to the case?”

“Stop trying to be Sherlock, Jackson. It’s bothering me how such intelligent words can escape your mouth.” Mark smiled back. Jackson’s lips curled back down as soon as they rose, “are you calling me retarded?”

“I was thinking more of irrelevant, thick and fussy but retarded works too,” with that Mark walked faster than his clearly pissed off best friend, chuckling and then breaks out in a loud laughter as the latter tried to throw his cap on him but missed and landed on the ground instead.

“Mark Tuan, come back!” the Hong Kong native shouted in English.

The practice for the day is done and the trio walked out away from their school holding an ice cream each. Jinyoung had blue, Youngjae had red and Jaebum had green. They were talking about normal stuff high school boys would talk about. They were joking around, laughing and having a blast overall when Youngjae bumped into someone with his ice cream tainting the person’s white shirt.

Youngjae stepped back and the other two boys stopped on their track. The man he bumped to, examine his shirt and cursed.

“I’m really sorry,” Youngjae muttered with a polite bow afterward. He was about to swiftly walk away from the person, but his collar was pulled by the stranger and he stood in front of him once again.

“I recognized you,” the stranger said, staring down at Youngjae. Jaebum walked closer to Youngjae and gripped his arm while Jinyoung was watching with worried eyes.

The stranger smirked and turned around to call for his friends, “yah, Youngah! Look who I found.”

A familiar figure walked out of the corner and both Jinyoung and Jaebum’s eyes widen. It was Youngah, the school bully. Youngjae didn’t seem to know him since his expression remain gallant.

Youngah stepped closer toward the trio and the double Js started to get even closer to Youngjae in pure instinct. “Why are you so late? School ended almost an hour ago,” Youngah asked in which Youngjae bravely replied, “We were practicing.”

“Practicing? Wow,” Youngah exclaimed, “You’ve got balls!”

“Of course we do,” Youngjae muttered with a smirk on his face. His two hyungs hushed him as they were scared for the wellbeing of their blunt younger friend. Youngah laughed and looked back to Youngjae, “you’re not scared are you, kiddo?”

“Firstly, I’m not. Secondly, I’m not a kid. What do you have against us practising anyway, you damp jerk?” Youngjae argued. Jaebum told him to shut up and Jinyoung walked in between Youngjae and the thugs with a worried smile. “Please – please don’t mind him. He’s a – he’s just an immature kid.”

But Youngah didn’t buy that. He pushed Jinyoung away and stared directly into Youngjae’s glaring eyes. “Because,” he started, “I told you to quit, didn’t I?”

After that, the first thing that flashed in Jinyoung’s mind was the text massage and he presumed that Jaebum thought about it too since they turned to look at each other at the exact same time. Youngjae took longer to realize it but when he does, his brave expression was transformed into an annoyed look.

“Oh, so you were the one sending me the text?” Youngjae hissed. “You were serious about it?”

“Yes,” Youngah replied. “I want you to quit.”

Youngjae jeered at him and crossed his arm. “Why? You’re scared that we’ll beat you in the competition?” Youngjae receive a nudge from Jaebum. “Stop being a coward!” and then a shove from Jinyoung.

“This kid is really starting to irritate me,” Youngah snarled. Youngjae was about to say something else, but before he can, a sharp punch came to him. He didn’t fall, so Youngah sent another punch on his proudly proclaimed ‘Beautiful Face’, which made him lost balance and fall.

Jinyoung acted fast in kneeling over to Youngjae and asking him if he was alright. Jaebum looked at Youngjae in concern and then turned to Youngah with anger. Words have always failed Jaebum, so he was pretty used to expressing himself with his actions.

He tried to punch Youngah but it was avoided. He tried to kick him but it was avoided as well. The third time, he tried to hit Youngah and sent Youngah down to the ground. With a quick reflex, he avoided the punches and kicks sent by Youngah’s gang members.

Unfortunately, he was sent flying across the pathway by Youngah who had stood up from the punch.

Watching his two friends being thrown across the ground, Jinyoung stood up and faced Youngah. Youngah laughed, “ah, Jinyoung! You look so frail, what can you do?”

Yes, he might look frail but he took kick boxing classes all through middle school.

Recalling his past lessons, he gathered the courage and kicked Youngah’s face which surprised both Youngah and his gang. “Why you little –“

Another kick from Jinyoung bounded Youngah back to reality. He tried to punch Jinyoung but unfortunately, Jinyoung’s reflexes were as fast as his. He was about to make another comeback, but it was interrupted by the sound of anguish coming from the gang members at the background. Both Youngah and Jinyoung looked at them at the same time.

Jinyoung was surprised to see Jackson and Mark at the back with a few gang members lying under their feet. Taking the advantage of the distraction, Jinyoung throw a punch at Youngah and knocked him out. He knew that Youngah would not be unconscious for a long time, so he nodded at both Jackson and Mark and ran over to his friends. “Well help you,” Jackson said, running over to Youngjae.

“Thank you,” Jinyoung muttered with a small smile on his face.