"I can't find Tae or Jimin anywhere!"

***

"Did you find them!?"

"No. I'm gonna drive down to the PC rooms. You go search near the church."

"'Kay"

***

"Taehyungie Hyung! Jiminie Hyung!" 

"Taetae-ya! Jimin-ah!

***

"!"

"What!? What is it Dammit!?"

"Hy- hyung."

"What is it!?"

"Do- Donghyuk hyung..."

"Wha-"

"He saw them n- near... near the Karoake bar."

"What do y-"

"Near the bar with the red... doors."

"!"

*****

"Stop staring at him" Taehyung murmurs from behind his textbook. He looks at his friend with a smirk and continues, "you look like a ert out to him with your eyes."

Jimin rolls his eyes at the boy, before rolling up his own textbook to hit the boy's head with. He spares a glance at the brunette entering the student academy close by and heaves a sigh before shifting his eyes back at the math workbook in front of him. A silence settles between the two friends that is too thick to slice and too heavy to lift. They both know what the other is thinking yet words defy them as they search for consolation in each others steady breathing. 

"Yo! Chimchim! Tae!" calls out the voice of a comrade they wish they didn't have the pleasure of knowing, and they reluctantly turn towards him with a grimace. "Come on up boys. We've got a long day ahead of us" he says a little too joyfully.

Jimin simply drags his messenger bag, that had been Namjoon's second hand, higher up on his shoulder and makes to walk. Taehyung's weak whimper is what stops him.

"B- But..." he hears Taehyung say and it breaks his heart even though it isn't that big of a deal. The third older boy with blonde hair turns to him with warning hanging on the tip of his tongue and raises an eye towards Taehyung. "I- I have a- a test. I- I- I-" He is stopped short by the heavy hand that lands on his back in fake affection as the man pulls him into his side.

"Look here kid." He says with his eyes trained into Taehyung's. "I don't like repeating myself so listen well." When Taehyung nods jerkily he continues, "Out there, nothing is gonna work. None of those wishy washy big words are gonna come in handy boy. Money. That's all that's gonna get you anything at all. It's up to you but if you gonna waste your time here, be my guest. Just remember, after this, even if you want to tag along you ain't gonna get the chance to."

With that he walks away sending a meaningful glance towards Jimin. The two friends stand in front of the yet to open school gates. The early morning mist surrounding them as they contemplate what to do next. Taehyung eyes band of students exiting the academy next to the grocery in the far corner of their right. He earns silently before following the man with weak steps. Jimin stays behind a little longer, staring forlornly at the building. He sighs back a dream and drags his feet behind his friend. 

Their textbooks lie in the puddle in front of the school gates.

*****

"Do you think we lost them?" Hoseok whispers, heaving as he runs further ahead of the other boy. 

Namjoon spares a glance behind him mid-run and steps up harder as he bites out, "I think we did. But best not to risk it." 

They round the corner near the shingled grocery stores and run past the church exit. Hoseok presses the black handbag tight into his chest as he presses harder ahead. Soon they can make out the pawn shop snuggled between the bar and the liquor store. In a final sprint the two boys kick harder and enter the shop, pushing their bodies against the door, slumping down on the ground in a sweaty mess.

A man in his mid-thirties, sitting behind the counter, looks up from the trophy in his hands that he is no doubt polishing with cheap varnish and smirks at them. "Let's see what you got boys" he says. 

Namjoon pushes himself of the ground and plucks the bag out of Hoseok's hands. He throws the bag on the counter and shifts his weight over it too to have a look at the booty himself. 

A few lipsticks, some pens, a textbook, makeup supply and few hundred thousand won, is their loot and Hoseok lets out a smile at the meager amount of money seem to have managed to acquire. "Nice!" Namjoon mutters, his dimples on display.

"Okay boys. Here the money from the bag, like promised." says the man shoving the money into Hoseok's hands. He then scans the other items carefully before calculating something in his notepad. Looking up the man says, "the other stuff's pretty neat this time. Some really branded makeup supplies. I'm guessing you two had to run a lot for this loot huh?" When Namjoon shrugs his shoulders he chuckles opening his wallet and taking out the proper amount of cash and gives it to Hoseok. "Count it, that's thirty five thousand won with interest."

"Thanks, old man!" Hoseok says as he hands the cash over to Namjoon. 

They walk out the pawn shop, bringing their hoods up, and sprint back to their apartment. Their pockets full for once.

*****

Jungkook hides further into the gym locker, waiting with bated breath for the boys to pass his locker. He shoves his fist into his mouth to keep himself from making any noise, as he collects his legs underneath him.

"Where the did that pimp run off to!?" calls out one of the burly boys that are looking around in the locker in a random order. Another one with purple highlights shrugs his shoulder and kicks door beside the locker in which Jungkook is in, making the fourteen year old shudder in fear.