Yujin ran after Jungkook and caught his arm when they entered an empty hallway. Jungkook swung her hand away.

"What do you want??" he asked.

"What's with the hostile tone now?" Yujin asked. "-weren't we already friends? Hm? New friend?"

Jungkook clicked his tongue and left.

He tried to leave. Yujin wasn't letting him go.

"-yah, you heard what they said. Kim Taehyung fought and became like that because he defended you."

Jungkook shoved her hand away. "He shouldn't have."

"You would do the same if its was me." Yujin said.

Jungkook raised a brow thinking she knew about the cameraman getting beaten up by him, but she didn't bring it up so he knew she didn't know.

"It was none of his business."

"It is his as much as it would be yours if you were in his shoes."

"Go away, damned shortie. I have no time for this."

Yujin scrunched her nose and made her way to class even though she was already late.

Dinner was silent on Yujin and Jungkook's side that night. No matter how Suga tried to engage them into a conversation, they would end it with a short 'mm' or even not reply at all.

Jungkook closed himself in his room right after the meal and Suga looked at Yujin for help but she didn't say anything.

Suga went into Yujin's room to finish up his homework. Yujin noticed the tree outside rustle and she saw Jungkook's figure climbing onto the branch. She widened her eyes when she saw Suga bending over to adjust himself on her bed. If he looked up, he'd see Jungkook.

Without thinking, she pulled the curtains shut.

Suga stared at her. "What's with you?"

"Nothing." Yujin said and Suga forgot he ever asked. "-how did you get the clear picture, by the way?" she asked.

"One of my friends did it for me and passed it to me in the hallways while the whole confrontation was going on." Suga smirked. "-I told you I'd be able to settle Taehyung's case today."

"What happened after I left?"

Suga took off his glasses to rub his eyes before putting it back on. "Jin hyung dragged all three of them straight to the principal's office. Principal Jung already knew about Taehyung's case – everyone in school knows – and Principal Jung decided that they would hold a discipline committee next Monday. We're all expecting them to get expelled."

Yujin put down her pencil and turned to face him. "Discipline committee?"

"Oh, it's like-"

"I know what it is," Yujin cut him off. "-but wouldn't that affect those guys' family too? Considering what kind of school JYP is, having children with that kind of record, if word goes out, which I'm sure it will, wouldn't their families' reputation get pulled down? I'm sure they won't go down without a fight."

This time, the roles switched. Yujin was concerned (just slightly) and Suga was being cold.

"Well serves them right. If they'd just watch their mouths and not go round beating people up like madmen." he shrugged. "-no matter what, they should be punished. Their family names can go down the drain for all I care. I would even drown the ship in the sea, set fire to it and dance over the burning deck. What kind of upbringing did they have, acting like they're from uncultured families."

Yujin stared at Suga with an odd expression. He realised when she didn't reply.

"-what?"

She shook her head. "You sound so stone cold. What, why are you saying all my lines? I have chills up my spine. Wanna see my goosebumps?" she stretched out her hand.

Suga threw his head back to laugh. "How's that for an ice prince?"

"Pfft. I'd score better as one." she rolled he eyes. "-but expulsion seems like a good idea. I won't spare them a single chance after doing that to Taehyung."

***

>your attention please. The visiting hours for the day will end at 9pm, in ten minutes' time. Your cooperation is highly appreciated to ensure good rest for our patients. Thank you.<

Jungkook casually strolled down the hallways, scanning the numbers on the doors. He stopped at one and peaked inside. Only the light at the doorway was switched on. Beyond that, the room was dark.

Very, very carefully, Jungkook turned the knob and pushed open the door. He made no noise with his entrance and closed the door behind him.

There were no more beeping noises in the room any more as Taehyung's condition had become more stable. They had taken the heart rate monitor away.

For the first time since the incident, Jungkook got to see the state Taehyung was in. Although he knew the boy had already woken up and from what he'd overhear from their conversations during break, he was already talking a lot and laughing (trying to). However, Taehyung's condition was more worse than what Jungkook had in mind.

His leg was still propped up and Jungkook saw all the other bruises he had along with his arm in the sling. No amount of times they'd fought had he seen Taehyung beaten up so badly. It was as if he didn't even fight back.

Just like how I ended up in that alley that day.

"-because I called you a scum-bag."

Why did you have to go and do that?

Jungkook stood by his bed and watched as Taehyung's chest rose up and down rhythmically and slowly. The room was quiet. Some of the nurses walked pass the room as they did their rounds but didn't notice Jungkook in Taehyung's room.

"-they're still your friends."

Shaking Yujin's words out of his head, he turned to leave.

"..Jung..kook-ah?"

The boy's feet stuck to the ground. He heard shifting sounds on the bed. When he heard a grunt, he spun around to see Taehyung trying to sit up.

Jungkook ran over in a breath to get Taehyung to lay back down. The latter kept his eyes on the other boy in the room, as though scared that if he took his eyes off him, Jungkook would disappear.

The two teens remained silent. Jungkook just stood where he was next to the bed, looking out of the window. Taehyung didn't know what to say about Jungkook's presence. He was carefully choosing his words in his mind to avoid Jungkook leaving.

"Why did you do that?" Jungkook was the one who broke the silence.

"H-huh?"

"Why did you go against them when you're alone?" Jungkook asked. "-they obviously outnumbered you. This could be avoided."

Taehyung looked at him wide-eyed for a while before he grinned. "Because they trash talked you."

"So what?"

"So what? I feel offended!" Taehyung tried to make a comical frown.

"Why should you feel offended. Its not like they trash talked you."

Taehyung grinned again. "When they talk bad about you, they're talking bad about me.”

Jungkook raised a brow.