Before I could confess to Mark, first I need to get rid of the extraneous factors that stand in my way. Namely, that’s Jackson Wang and Kim Namjoon if it isn’t obvious. Like any mastermind, I already had an initial strategy, a generalised approach to eradicating their influence on my immediate universe. What’s left for me to do is to actually just do it. It is imperative that I get rid of them. And I need to do it as soon as humanly possible.

It begins today.

First on my List is Kim Namjoon, because obviously, he’s the Most Unwanted One. Sadly, murder is not an option, and Nari and Youngjae, the wimps that they are would never agree to it. So I had to settle for a less violent approach. Our first choice was diplomacy, although I doubt Kim Namjoon even knows what the word means.

“That is not a first year,” Nari says, gaping at said not-first-year from our perch by our classroom window.

We’re devising our winning strategy when Nari gets distracted by said improbable-first-year walking through the main school gates. Taller than most third years, Nari’s disbelief is understandable.

“I know that guy,” Youngjae says. We scoff at him and continue to gape at the first year giant.

“Kim Yugyeom!” Youngjae yells from behind us. He waves happily to Yugyeom who grins wide and returns the excited waving. Yugyeom waves hi to us, too, and Nari and I return the gesture, albeit awkwardly. Our waving dies out as Yugyeom disappears into the Main Building.

“He works at 4th Ave during the weekends,” Youngjae explains, all smug. I’ll give him the moment of gloating this one time. He gets so few of them.

The Fourth Avenue Intersection is our Most Favorite Place in the World. Across each other on the main avenue are Khunfections and Ever After, the best places to get your sweet fix. Mark and Jackson like going to Khunfections after class, although as I’ve recently found out, it’s not because of the cafe’s ambience or the selection of food and drinks. They go there to borrow the key to the dance studios located on the second floor of the 4th Ave Flower Shop building.

“I’ve never seen him before,” Nari says, eyes narrowed at Youngjae. “Are you sure?” Nari’s valued patronage of 4th Ave was less of her appreciation for flowers than it was her appreciation of the florists.

“He’s usually in the backroom,” Youngjae answers, “and he didn’t get his growth spurt until a few weeks ago.”

“How do you know him?” I ask. Let’s just say Youngjae didn’t have many friends. From my brief encounter with Kim Yugyeom, he didn’t appear to run in the same nonexistent circles as Youngjae.

“We hang out at Unplugged.”

I mirror Nari’s expression of disbelief and shock.

“What? I told you guys I was at Unplugged all summer.”

He did. But that doesn’t mean Nari and I actually believed him. “You said you enrolled at that music school program thing at Woollim.”

“I did. Still am. Weekend program. That’s how I got into Unplugged. Sena-noona knows this guy who interns there. Kim Sunggyu from Open Your Eyes!.”

This will be the part where Nari and I scream murder then inflict it on Choi Youngjae. To say we were Open Your Eyes! fangirls was like saying we were iffy about this breathing oxygen thing. But the unexpected revelation only leaves us lacking normal human functions.

“And you decided to withhold this information?” Nari’s voice goes dangerously low and the corners of her lips twitch at every word.

“Y-you were making fun of me going to Woollim!”

“So you decided to deprive me of this valuable information?”

It’s a given we’d make fun of Youngjae’s classical piano lessons at Woollim Academy. It travels the same path as making fun of Youngjae by nature of being Youngjae. But that we do out of our deepest, most secret affection for him. However, it didn’t excuse him from keeping such valuable information from us.

“That breaks all BFFery codes,” I add, “How could you, Youngjae?”

We didn’t really get into OYE! until last summer when Nari developed this indie music phase when she visited my house and heard my older sister’s records. Suffice to say, Nari’s stalking had taken another level when one summer morning, she showed up at my house saying we should go visit my sister at University so we can imbibe more of OYE’s music. Although in reality, it was probably more to imbibe more of OYE’s drummer Lee Junho.

Youngjae raises his hands and takes a step back. “I-I’ll take you guys to the studio okay!”

Nari and I share a look and high-five in victory. Youngjae’s accusations of extortion wait another day when the warning bell echoes across campus. Nari pushes herself off my seat, muttering curses over being placed in a different class. She bid her see-you-laters and as she leaves our room, Park Jimin walks in. They exchange scowls and sneers, and as Jimin asks why she’s around, she promptly answers that her life’s mission is to give him hell. Meanwhile, Youngjae and I slink back to our seats and proceed with the rest of the day avoiding the likes of Park Jimin.

“What exactly did we agree on this morning?” I ask during lunch. I remember something about murdering Kim Namjoon, but I’m not too sure if we got a unanimous vote to actually do it.

Youngjae, our forever supplier of milk drinks, passes around the appropriate flavors to the matching person. “You were saying something about diplomacy.”

Nari, again, is distracted. Clubs were recruiting this week, and so the main building was rife with banners enticing you to join their cause. Right now, there’s a parade of third years outside our corridor yelling out their club cheers. “We should make our own club.”

“And what exactly will our club do?” Youngjae asks.

“Don’t dignify that with a response,” I tell him. “I thought we all decided we’re not joining clubs.” It wasn’t a mandatory thing and we got more out of pretending to get homework done during study period. Besides, joining a club would require me to spend an hour every afternoon pretending I enjoyed whatever activity we had when I could be watching Mark Tuan practice instead.

“We decided that because there isn’t a decent club here that caters to our interests. That’s why I’m saying we should form our own.”

“And what exactly are we going to write for the part in the application form that asks what our contribution to society will be?”

“Just a thought,” Nari answers. Her tone is dismissive now, like the conversation is over. “Anyway, what about diplomacy? Because I clearly remember a certain someone keeping a certain piece of information secret from us.”

“Never mind,” I say, annoyed. “It’s probably not going to work anyway.” But Nari doesn’t hear me because she’s already gone off a long tirade on Youngjae’s betrayal.

Contrary to what I just said, I still hoped that talking to Kim Namjoon would be an effective way to get him to back off. Despite how smart I like to consider myself, I was quickly running out of options that did not involve physical harm befalling the resident Bad Boy. Despite Kim Namjoon’s reputation, I still liked to think there was still some sense remaining in that bleached head of his. I still wanted to believe in the inherent good in humanity.

Although I’m about to take back what I said about the good in humanity when Park Jimin walks into the picture. Nari watches him make his way towards us while Youngjae and I keep our heads down. We all know what’s going to happen next. Jimin will say something about Nari not supposed to be here (stupid class territoriality issues) and Nari will answer with profanities to his face. The most Youngjae and I can do is make sure they don’t end up in some kind of fistfight. It’s almost happened before.

“You.”

“She has a name,” Nari points out, “Like how yours is Ugly.”

Jimin doesn’t pay attention to her and grabs my wrist. I pull back on instinct, but Jimin is stronger and with a tug, I’m flying out of my seat. Nari and Youngjae’s protests are ignored, and completely ineffective when Kim Taehyung from 2-F backs him up. I look back to tell Nari and Youngjae to start planning my funeral, but Taehyung and Jimin are on both sides of me now and dragging me off to the extension building. Resistance is futile, so I don’t even bother fighting back.

In his first year, Kim Namjoon took over the abandoned Boy Scouts room in the extension building and claiming the “club” for his own. It’s on the third floor, at the end of the hall after the connecting bridge. It’s a long way from the usual route of students so it fits his group just fine. Which means it’s terrible news for me.

Taehyung and Jimin don’t say anything as they haul me to their leader. I don’t ask. I’m sure Kim Namjoon is behind this, and all I can hold on to is my belief in the goodness in humanity. Something that’s quickly fading with every step. Jimin shoves me inside their room, and I fall straight into Kim Seokjin. He smiles softly at me as he rights me up. He’s not known for saying much, so when he actually speaks, I don’t answer at once.

“Are you okay? I said I hope Jimin and V didn’t hurt you. They didn’t, did they? I told them to be gentle.” He looks at the other two, and Jimin just makes a face and drops down to the floor next to Jung Hoseok. Taehyung finds a spot on the opposite side of the room and busies himself with his phone.

The abandoned scouting room is barely the size of a normal classroom. Busted lights keep it barely illuminated so the dust bunnies tickling my nose are invisible in the shadows. Just like the rest of the boy scouts in this group. Behind me, the door is a wide open beacon of light. I will myself to run, but the sight of Kim Namjoon paralyzes me on the spot. And not in the good way.

He’s sitting on the desk, one foot propped on the back of a chair, the other bent at the knee. Rumor has it that Kim Namjoon is bulletproof. How and when this rumor came about seems irrelevant when faced with the boy in front of me. Kim Seokjin prods me forward, and I stumble the three steps to Kim Namjoon.

“Who do you think I am?” he asks. This is the first time we’re speaking directly to each other, and I think now I know why so many people just does as he says. It’s his voice. “I asked you a question.”

“Uhm.”

“Do you think this is a joke?”

“Uh…”

“Are you playing me? Do you think I’m easy?”

This is the part where I assert myself and commence Plan Get Rid of Kim Namjoon, but he’s already on a roll and my mouth isn’t getting the message to speak.

“Is this a test? Is this what you’re doing? You’re testing me?” He breathes out and runs his fingers through his bleached hair. “Because before last term ended, I was pretty sure I had a girlfriend. When this term started, I’m not so sure. Because my sources tell me you were with Jackson Wang yesterday.”

Now is my chance. This is the diplomacy I was hoping for. Never mind the fact that the manner in which I arrived here could be considered assault, that’s for another conversation, and that I’m still surrounded by boy scouts. I practiced this beforehand. I’m not your girlfriend. I don’t even like you. That scarf wasn’t meant for you. It was an accident that it even made its way to your feet. I want nothing more to do with you so leave me and my friends alone. I’ve spoken up to him before, I can do this again.

“Uhm, you see, about that—“

“I knew it. Jackson Wang’s trying to steal my girl.”

Kim Namjoon hops off the table and marches out the door. With a wave of his hand, the rest of the guys follow him out. It feels like some war is about to begin, and no matter how much I have fantasized about two guys fighting over me, this was so not ideal.

I run after them, but even when I actually do catch up to all six of them, my voice dies in my throat and my elbows quiver too much to reach out and stop someone. As the Boy Scouts swagger down the corridors, heads pop out from doors and open classroom windows. Whispers erupt from the sidelines. What’s going on? someone asks. Someone’s in trouble, another says.

Kim Namjoon heads straight for Jackson’s class, 3-A. He bangs his fist on the door, startling the people inside. “Jackson Wang!”

“He’s not here,” a girl answers. Bae Suzy. She stands tall, and looks Kim Namjoon in the eyes. “He’s at the Fencing Club room if you want him.”

Kim Namjoon leads the boys downstairs and I’m left staring at her, and her at me. All I know about Suzy is what Youngjae says about her. Which is both a lot and absolutely nothing at all. Let’s just say Youngjae has a “little” crush on her. He hasn’t openly admitted it just yet, but he keeps staring at her in school and he kept mentioning her randomly throughout the summer.

“You probably want to check that out,” she deadpans. “Someone could get hurt.”

It takes a moment before I process that. I follow the boy scouts down the stairs where they’ve gathered another crowd of people coming over to watch. I squeeze through busybodies and nearly slip and fall down the last two steps to the second floor. The Fencing Club room is all the way to the main sports complex at the other side of the campus. I have until the main gym entrance to stop Kim Namjoon or warn Jackson somehow.

Nari and Youngjae meet me by the main staircase and I don’t have time to fill them in. I rush towards Kim Namjoon but Nari and Youngjae pull me back.

“Are you crazy?” Youngjae screams, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Nari asks.

“He’s going after Jackson,” I answer, pulling them towards the sports complex. “He’s going to do something, I don’t know, but it’s not going to be good. I have to stop him!”

“I think we should sit this one out,” Youngjae says, dragging me back my my blazer sleeve.

“What did he say to you?” Nari asks. She’s neither pushing nor pulling me to any direction. I’ll take that as a sign of cooperation.

What comes out of my mouth is a strangled cry of helplessness. “Something about how I’m supposed to be his girlfriend and that Jackson is in the way. We have to stop him before he hurts someone.”

“Uhm,” Youngjae starts, “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Nari scoffs, “What, and saving you from Kim Namjoon last year was a terrible idea, too.”

“That’s besides the point,” Youngjae argues, “This is the whole of the Bulletproof Boy Scouts we’re talking about!”

“What did you just call them?”

I’m just as shocked as Nari so for a moment we just stand there staring at Youngjae.

“Uhm. Bulletproof Boy Scouts?”

“That’s  a terrible name, who even came up with that?”

“Guys!” I yell, “Can we focus?”

At least we were walking towards the right direction. I can’t begin to imagine just what kind of trouble Kim Namjoon is about to start at the Fencing Club, but I’m pretty sure diplomacy has no room in it. I start jogging towards the main staircase to the first floor lobby, nearly losing my footing with the newly polished floors. Kim Namjoon is already at the foot of the stairs, and Jackson Wang is just about to enter the building.

The Boy Scouts are in position, their leader at the center, and Jimin and Taehyung directly behind him. Jung Hoseok and Min Yoongi are to the sides while Kim Seokjin takes the rear guard. Jackson walks in with his fencing group, and Mark next to him, of course. Jackson is all smiles and laughs, sharing a funny story with the whole of his body. He has no idea what’s about to happen.

“What are we gonna do?” Nari asks, pushing aside a first year. Said first year stares us down. Nari doesn’t back down, of course, and challenges the kid aside. He returns the shoving but doesn’t stick around to see the consequences. He joins the boy scouts, right in the middle of the formation.

“Nothing, we’re not doing anything.”

I can’t agree with Youngjae, but I don’t have any ideas either.

Kim Namjoon steps forward. “Jackson Wang.”

It’s suddenly quiet. Jackson’s laughing dies down and he matches Kim Namjoon’s gaze. “Yeah?”

Mark is by his side and grabs his arm to pull him back. Jackson shrugs off his best friend and waits for an answer.

Kim Namjoon cracks his knuckles. “What’s mine is mine and you gotta leave what’s mine alone.”

Jackson scoffs and scratches his ear. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb.”

Youngjae is tugging at my sleeve, muttering something about leaving the scene of the crime before it even becomes a crime scene. Nari is blocking off the girls behind her, giving me enough space to do whatever it is I decide to do.

“You know what I’m talking about,” Namjoon adds.

“No, actually, I don’t.” I don’t know if Jackson is really unaware of what’s going on or if he’s just playing dumb to spite the boy scouts’ leader.

Mark seems to catch on and steps up to Jackson. He says something into Jackson’s ear, but Jackson shrugs him off again.

“What do you want, Kim Namjoon?”

It’s a sparkplug that drives Kim Namjoon forward, but I won’t let anything happen to anyone. “Kim Namjoon!”

It starts in slow motion. I scream out, catch the attention I thought I wanted, and shoot forward. Students stare and point, girls gasp and cover their mouths. I hear Nari and Youngjae call out my name. Kim Seokjin is the first to step aside, grabbing the first year with him. Jung Hoseok and Min Yoongi go off to opposite sides and Kim Namjoon pushes Jimin and Taehyung away.

And then it all happens in fast forward, and then, there I am.

Someone please explain to me the universe-defying physics of falling and landing face to face, lips to lips.