The Dean leaned back in his seat. “If you win this game then I will let you stay at my school.”

Jungkook was the first to react to his father’s words. “That’s so immature! Aren’t you supposed to be the adult here?”

His father knew he had rattled me because his words silenced me. He folded his hands together. “I can’t simply just let her stay without any repercussions.”

This was true I wasn’t expecting to be allowed to stay at school without any sort of punishment. I could feel Jungkook boiling from beside me though. “I know, but this isn’t fair! It is childish!”

It felt as though at any moment Jungkook could blow up on his dad and attack him. Instinctively my fingers latched onto his wrist so then to keep him back.

“She acted like a child and so now she should be treated like one.” He raised his eyebrows to me as if he were challenging me to question his authority.

There was clearly more reasons to why he was treating me this way, but I wouldn’t question him by this point. I had to do whatever I could to stay at school.

Jungkook shook his head. “But-”

“I’ll play your game.” Jungkook seemed to disagree with my choice and looked to me with questioning eyes. I tried my best to ignore him and focus on the situation at hand.

“If I win then you will let me stay?”

His dad did not hesitate. “Of course. I am a man of my word.” He seemed to be telling the truth and in the end all I could do at this point was take him for his word. 

I nodded my head. “Then I’ll do it.”

“Lia I don’t think-” I cut off Jungkook before he could oppose my choice. “I’ve already decided.”

He did not agree with my choice at all I could tell. My reassuring words did not smoothen out the worry in his face, but I just stared straight ahead so then I would not have to look at his expression.

The Dean on the other hand clasped his hands together with finality. “Great! Well, one of the rules to this game is that you will not know what you are doing until the day of, which will be this Friday.”

I took his words and let them sink in. He clearly did not want to allow me time to prepare for whatever game he had in mind.

Jungkook interjected. “This week is our final exams though.” His father nodded his head. “I know that.”

“She needs to focus on her tests instead of this stupid game.” My grip on Jungkook tightened because I could feel his body lean forward more.

Either the Dean was oblivious to his son’s anger or he knew exactly what buttons to push to get his son mad. I was pretty sure it was the latter too.

“Exactly, that is why I chose this Friday as the day for our game. That is a day off for the students because the last test is on Thursday.”

Jungkook was still not pleased. “She will be too stressed because of this competition to ace her tests.”

“That’s too bad she is not a better multi-tasker. Maybe she won’t be a good fit for our school after all?”

I stepped in between them before any more of my future was jeopardized because of their ill feelings towards each other. “It’s ok. I will be fine I will try my best to win. Thank you for this opportunity.”

Before Jungkook could fire back at his dad again I made sure to pull him out of the office and into the hallway. There were bodies circulating the hallway. I checked the time. It was lunch.

“Lia you can’t do this.” Jungkook ran his hand through his hair still flustered from his encounter with his father. I got the feeling that he didn’t talk to his dad much at all.

“I have to if I want to stay here.” He intertwined our fingers. “No you don’t. I will do everything in my power to convince him otherwise. Even if I have to beg on my knees to him I will do it.”

His concern made my chest warm, but I couldn’t let him go to those extents while there was something I could do. “Thank you, but like you said in this relationship we both contribute to each other. We both do our half. So let me do mine.”

He could not refuse me anymore because then he would be going against his own words. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I laughed his concern off even though his adamant worry was beginning to get to me. “You make it sound like your dad is going to try and kill me or something.”

“You don’t know him like I do.”

The seriousness in his voice struck me like lightning sending an electric wave through my body, and I wanted to ask him what he meant, but our conversation was interrupted.

“There you are!” I was then nearly tackled by a body. The shock from the impact made me jump away and scream.

I saw Minyoon and the others. She stared at me peculiarly. “Is everything ok Lia? You seem a bit shaken up.”

Truthfully I was after receiving Jungkook’s warnings and the thought that everything was riding on the game that Friday it felt as though a countdown was hanging above me. A countdown to Friday.

I shook my head. “No I was just shocked by your sudden attack.” She scoffed. “I wasn’t attacking you! You were gone this whole weekend, and then you weren’t in class. I thought your parents had taken you home early!”

She frowned. “I thought I would not get the chance to see you again.”

Suga nodded his head begrudgingly. “Yeah, she would not stop talking this whole time about how she was never going to get to talk to you ever again.” He crossed his arms. “It was so annoying.”

V shrugged indifferently. “I thought it was cute.” Suga pointed his stare to V. “Of course you thought it was cute.”

In response V nodded his head. “Of course I thought it was cute. I do have a better judge of character than you.”

Suga raised his eyebrows. “Oh what are you trying to say”

Jhope stepped in between them and dream an imaginary line. “You two need to stop bickering for once.”

At the same time they both pointed to each other and spoke the same thing. “He started it.”

Jungkook off subject smiled cheekily at Minyoon. “Did you realize I was gone too?”

“Oh, you weren’t here today?” Her lack of response made Jungkook gape in shock. “How mean! I would notice if you were gone!”

Minyoon ignored him then demanded me for all the details on what happened that past weekend. So I explained it all to her in detail, including why Jungkook came along, and the Dean’s game.

Afterwards Minyoon including the others all looked to me with unsureness. Minyoon was the first to respond. “Will you be ok?”

Jungkook as well sought for my affirmation. “My father will not be fair at all.”

“Don’t worry. This is my choice, and besides I have to somehow stay at school right?” I smiled to them so then to reaffirm for them that everything would be alright and that I was not nervous or slightly intimidated by what would be waiting for me on Friday.

But, I knew there was still other thing for me to worry about, such as the final exams that week.

We all went about our regular routines. Sitting and eating together at lunch. Then returning back to class Jungkook and me hand in hand, but my mind was everywhere.

When it came to the end of the day I was grateful. All that was left for the day was cleaning duty. “Lia, I’m sorry I can’t walk you today to cleaning duty, but I’ll see you tomorrow!” Jungkook quickly hugged me before running out of the classroom.

He seemed a bit in a rush, but I shrugged it off.

The walk to the gym felt short, maybe because in my mind once those gym doors closed behind me the heavy nerve weighing down on me would be left outside.

The moment I walked in I realized that I had forgotten about Jimin.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from him as the gym doors closed behind me, but then suddenly he was walking towards me and I looked around frantically.

Was something wrong? What was I supposed to do? He wasn’t saying anything though.

Just as he was right in front of me I tried to greet him, only to be cut off by him pulling me in for a tight hug. The sudden hug made my breath catch in shock.

It wasn’t the same kind of hug that Jungkook would do where he would bury his face in my shoulder, but he wrapped his arms tightly around