Jimin stared at the messages on his phone.

He’d screenshotted them, just like he’d done with all the other ones Joohyung had sent him. When he’d first seen the messages a few days ago, he’d been numb. For some reason, the realization that everything was going to come crashing down on him hadn’t sunk in. He knew he should be feeling something, fear or anxiety. Instead, he just felt cold, empty. He supposed he’d known all along that Joohyung would return for whatever reason. It wasn’t like he’d entertained the idea that he was gone for good. It’d been what, a week and a half since he heard from him? Last time he’d gone nearly a month without a word. Joohyung had said so himself that it would be a while before he would talk to him again. What was the rush now? What had changed between last time and this time? If a while didn’t even come up to two weeks, then what did he have planned? It’s possible Joohyung could have changed his mind about something. Maybe he wanted to speed up his ‘supposed’ debut process. He said that he wasn’t planning on leaving the company, but what was all of this secrecy about where he was going and what he’d been doing?

Jimin groaned in the effort to settle his mind. His answers , it couldn’t be through Big Hit. His record was stained, he’d never gotten more than a debut questions and his questions became answers. But all he could do from his end was assume. If Joohyung really was preparing for a becamefour star review from any of the evaluators. He didn’t even have that good of a singing voice, he only rapped at an average level. His dancing and figure were the only things he had going for him. So what the hell had he really been doing all of this time? Maybe he was just practicing. It wouldn’t surprise Jimin if the elder had been going to some for trainees or extra vocal lessons. He shirked most of his other duties when he could, so maybe he was just playing catch up? It still wouldn’t make sense though why Jimin was involved. If he planned on improving himself in order to get a debut spot, why would he try to threaten their CEO? Because surely, the only reason he was getting dirt on the current members was the make them look bad and himself look better, but Bang boot-campSihyuk knew of Joohyung. All of the producers know about their trouble-making trainees. Joohyung had been caught doing bad stuff in the company too many times not to know. His father was a sponsor, so it made sense why he hadn’t been kicked out, but still. Bang Sihyuk didn’t seem like the type to take blackmail well. He might just laugh in Joohyung’s face and send him on his way, even with the dirt on the other members included.

Jimin’s mind started to shift to a new theory, one he hadn’t considered before. Jimin supposed that Joohyung was still planning on debuting, but not with PD-nim’s permission. What if he was working behind the scenes with someone, and this was just a ploy happening right under the CEO’s nose? Which producer would have crossed PD-nim? Couldn’t be Supreme Boi, granted he was a little harsh on the band members, but not without bounds of his job. And even though he threw all kinds of jabs and taunts at the CEO, all were reciprocated with just as much of a teasing nature as they had been given. Jimin didn’t get a bad impression from Pdogg either. He was more critical-and playful-of the rapper line anyway. But those were the only two relatively well-known producers that were close to PD-nim. There were a couple of other producers that PD-nim worked with, but Jimin had yet to meet them. He only knew of their existence because one of his sessions with Yoongi had revealed this information. Yoongi had spoken of them relatively fondly-or as fondly as Yoongi can speak of anyone-and given the impression that one day they would make an appearance. But as far as he knew, those two would be the most suspicious. They could have come to their rehearsal the week before, but Yoongi claimed one of them had a prior commitment, and the other had a talent competition to sit in on and recruit. Jimin decided to start with them first.

“Hyung, I’m going to the studio. Can you drop me off?” Jimin leaned over the back of the couch to wrap his arms around the eldest’s neck. Seokjin attempted to shift in Jimin’s arms to eye him, but he could only catch the younger’s puppy-dog eyes and innocent smile. Sighing, Seokjin patted his arms.

“Alright, alright! I’m getting my coat.” Jimin jumped up and fist-pumped, running to grab his own coat. Hoseok looked up from his spot on the floor, a curious look on his face. When Jimin had re-entered, Seokjin was already at the door, fingers rustling through his pocket to grab the keys. Hoseok pushed himself up onto the couch to rest his chest of the back.

“Why’re you leaving already? The movie’s not over?” He asked. Seokjin smiled softly.

“The little one wants to go to the studio. I’m just dropping him off so he doesn’t have to walk. It’s supposed to be spring yet the weather is still frigid. I’ll be back in a little bit.” Jimin was pulling his scarf on when he caught Hoseok’s gaze. Suddenly he was reminded of the words he’d said earlier that week. I really like Jimin-ah a lot. Jimin felt a blush creep up his cheeks again. To say that he had been avoiding Hoseok for the past five days wouldn’t be an exaggeration. He’d found it hard to be in the same room as him ever since those daring words were confessed. Maybe he hadn’t meant to say them? Maybe they’d been an unconscious Freudian slip? Or maybe he had meant to say them, but not in the way that Jimin imagined them. Regardless, Jimin had felt that same chest-constricting feeling he’d gotten when the words were first expressed every time he laid eyes on Hoseok. He’d taken to avoiding him just to spare his sanity, but perhaps the treatment had worn their understanding Hyung thin. He kept staring at him with this longing look...

“I think I’ll go with you then. I could use some practice myself.” Hoseok said, leaning over to put his shoes on. Jimin jumped in to refuse.

“Ah-ah! I’m actually not going to the dance rooms. I was going to the recording room. I need to work on lyrics. Yoongi’s homework for me.” Jimin blushed. It wasn’t a complete lie. He really did need to work on his lyric writing-Yoongi had said time and again he needed practice-but there was no specific order to do so. It was more of a casual ‘you should really work on your writing sometime’. But Hoseok didn’t need to know that. Hoseok fumbled only slightly, recovering quickly and moving to his other shoe.

“That’s fine, I can just work on the song Rapmon and Suga started. You could even help me if you’d like?” Jimin’s mouth narrowed to a straight line. This was not working. Hoseok was ruining everything.

“Ah...no offense Hyung, but it would really help if I go alone. I get distracted easily and you are...quite distracting. Maybe another time?” Jimin suggested, hoping Hoseok would take the hint. For a minute, the bright light that he was seemed to diminish. A strained smile crossed his features and the other shoe he was holding fell from his grasp, bouncing on the floor. His wrists collapsed and his back relaxed. Hoseok nodded.

“That’s fine. Go ahead. Hope you get a lot done.” Hoseok responded. Jimin gave his most apologetic smile before turning and walking past Seokjin out of the door. For a beat, Seokjin wanted to question it, but he felt it would be awkward. Sighing, he turned and followed behind Jimin, giving one forlorn look to Hoseok. The younger of the two only nodded as if to say he would be alright. Once they were gone, Hoseok collapsed onto the couch and crossed one arm over his eyes. His mind couldn’t settle, worry was ever-present. Hobum had warned him to be on alert. He had met with him the past Wednesday at night, talking about extremely peculiar behavior exhibited by that damn roommate. He’d told him of meetings with a group of burly guys in alleys at night. He’d been spotted entering many small restaurants and gas stations, talking with some man in black. He’d even been caught entering and exiting a dance studio on the east side of Seoul. Hobum had said that something was about to happen, that whatever it was didn’t look promising.

As a result, Hoseok had been extra observant of Jimin. He’d not seen anything too weird up until a few days ago. He’d become a little...distant. He wasn’t talking as much to the other members, especially Hoseok himself. He’d also been a lot more... what’s the word...paranoid, with his things. He didn’t want anyone grabbing his phone, or going through his clothes, or entering their room without knocking first. Hoseok had made the connection between Joohyung’s sudden action, and Jimin’s strange behavior quite quickly. The two had gotten into contact, and whatever had been discussed spooked Jimin. Hoseok needed to figure out why, but if Jimin was going to avoid him at every opportunity given, he’d get nowhere. Hoseok sighed, hoping that Hobum would turn up with new information. Anything to give him a lead. Hoseok had suggested bringing in another person, someone that could watch over Jimin, just to make sure Joohyung didn’t try to hurt him again without an eye witness. Hobum had said a new hire manager might do the job, but he’d have to pick from a small handful. The person needed to be someone they could trust, as well as someone with skills acceptable enough to warrant Hongmin’s hiring of him. Hoseok had been told he’d be given a name soon, but soon wasn’t soon enough in his opinion. He was anxious, nervous for what was about to come. A foreboding feeling was at hand, and Hoseok wanted to calm it.

Jimin pushed himself out of the car after Seokjin had stopped along the curb. The studio looked unwelcoming in the late evening, the nights became dark much earlier that time of year. It was nerve wracking, all of the dark corners and secluded spots where anything could happen to jump out at you. But Jimin was on a mission. One he needed to complete. He had to figure out who the double agent in Big Hit was that was helping out Joohyung, and this would be the place to do it. Jimin turned and walked up to the front window, waiting for Seokjin to lower the window so he could send him off.

“I’ll be done in maybe a few hours Hyung. If not, I will walk home.” Jimin said, leaning in to smile at the elder’s concerned face.

“No don’t bother. You can get mugged at that time of night. Just text me when you’re done and I will come get you. Hobum didn’t leave the van with us just for it to sit unused.” Seokjin countered, returning the smile with one of his own.

“You’re the best yung.” Jimin responded, tapping the outside of the car and turning to walk away. Seokjin was about to pull off when he remembered something.H

“Oi! Jiminie-ah!” He yelled. Jimin turned around and jogged back to him.

“Yes?” Jimin questioned. Seokjin handed him a key.

“I forgot that they started a new rule. Lock the room after you’re done with it. I don’t think Yoongi’s given you a key, so take mine.” Jimin nodded, taking the key and putting it into his pocket. He turned back, waiting for something else. When Seokjin smiled at him again and drove away, Jimin sighed. He couldn’t believe how much they trusted him sometimes. Here they were giving him keys and rides, when he was just going to spy on the other producers. Would they have helped him if they knew what he was going to do? Would they still stand by and defend him if they knew what he had already done? Would they still believe in him if they knew what he was planning to do? Jimin had a plan forming in his head, one he knew was the worst possible alternative. It was a plan that he’d been sitting on ever since Joohyung had called him. It was one that sadly, Hoseok would be disappointed to realize he’d inspired, but it was a plan nonetheless. All Jimin needed to do was confirm his suspicions, and determine who he could...and couldn’t trust.

Jimin walked down the hallway into the recording area. He knew which room would be the one that the producers use the most. It was the one room that Seokjin told him that Namjoon and he would frequent. It would also mean that any and all new material made by the producers and the assistants would be stored there on the computer. And it was this computer that Jimin must enact his first step. Jimin unlocked the door with Seokjin’s key-thankful that the elder had lent it to him as he would not have gotten in without it-and set his bag by the door. He pulled the seat out from the desk and the desk top. As he waited for it to boot, he checked his phone for the date. He had three more days to get Joohyung what he wanted, which meant three days for Jimin to do what he’d been needing to do for a very long time. Jimin was going to end Kim Joohyung.

“What are you doing up?” Seokjin asked, incredulous as a sleepy-and rather adorable-Park Jimin stood before him, wiping his tired eyes with his oversized sweatshirt sleeve. Seokjin wanted to coo at the site and pinch those chubby cheeks of his, but refrained from it, as he was still confused why the younger was up at all. He’d gotten back late-around 2 am to be exact-so why he’d gotten up at 5 in the morning was beyond the eldest. Jimin simply blinked at him with his squinted eyes and attempted to smack his cotton tongue away.

“Hyung-nim was gonna make breakfast, so I thought I’d help.” Jimin mumbled, still trying to wake himself up. The light was too bright in the room for him to see, but he could feel Seokjin’s urge to pet him. No doubt his face said it too.

“Aw. Jiminnie that’s kind of you, but I can make it myself. Go back and get another half hour or so. You look sleepy.” And indeed he did, but Jimin wasn’t backing down.

“Nope. Jinnie-hyung makes breakfast for us all the time. I should help out every now and then. I’m helping with dinner too, so don’t even try to say no.” Jimin pushed his sleeves up and reached under the cupboard for a second cutting board. Seokjin wanted to protest, but sighed and shook his head instead. He’d appreciate the company at least.

“So be it. Here, cut these and when I tell you, put them in the eggs. I’ll saute some potatoes and let them sit to cook.” Jimin nodded with a smile and accepted the small handful of green onion he was given. Seokjin proceeded to crack eggs in a bowl, and whisk them at the same time. Then he dumped the pile of potatoes he’d chopped into the skillet, pouring oil on top so that they’d cook. Then he pulled out another pan and set it on the stove. Taking the onion bits Jimin cut, he mixed them with the eggs and poured the mixture into the pan. He let them sit there until the bottom started to form. Then he laid down strips of seaweed over it, folding the egg over so that an omelette started to form. He poured more egg into the pan, allowing it to cook a bit before adding another strip of seaweed and folding it. When he’d made a nice roll, he topped it with onion and let it cook. Jimin had taken to putting rice into the rice cooker and watching it form. Seokjin saw this and laughed, passing by him to get plates. Jimin looked up and giggled, wondering why Seokjin hadn’t bothered to brush his hair. It looked like a mess.

“Nice rat’s nest Hyung.” Jimin taunted. Seokjin blinked, then narrowed his eyes.

“You trying to start a fight?” He asked, but with playfulness. Jimin laughed and shook his head, holding the plate that Seokjin offered. The elder removed the omelette from the pan and placed it on Jimin’s plate.

“Put that in the microwave to keep it warm. When the rice is ready, go make bowls for everyone and I’ll finish cooking these.” Seokjin was nearly done with the second one when he heard a grumble from the side. Glancing to his left, he caught a mussed up brown head and baggy red shirt. Yoongi stepped out from the common room and into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water, glancing curiously between Jimin and Seokjin. He exhaled loudly, feeling relieved to no longer be thirsty, and went to put the liter bottle away. As he did so, he called out to Jimin.