Taehyung was about to throw up. The idea that the others would find out what had happened made everything spin. Suddenly, he felt hands on his waist that pulled him onto the couch again. Two petit arms wrapped around his shoulders.

“It´s okay.“ He heard Jungkook whisper.

"Yes, it is. Otherwise, you won't have a chance to tell us what the heck has gotten into you since yesterday."

"You know it, that's enough, isn't it?" Taehyung asked Yoongi.

"What does he know...?"

Jungkook teared up. Jimin was utterly devastated. Hoseok tried to lean him back, but he suddenly sat up.

"What's wrong? I want to know what you know! It's about me, and I want that ... please..." Jimin bit his lip.

Jungkook tightened the grip around his hyung's shoulders.

"You're not going to tell?" Yoongi asked again.

Jungkook got angry, but Taehyung shook his head. "Whatever..." he muttered.

"Jimin-ah, there was a good reason why Taehyung-ah gave you the ko drops. First, he wanted you to think that he had been a professional in the session, but you didn't need to know about it."

Jungkook looked back and forth between Yoongi and Taehyung in confusion. His hyung looked like he was going to drop dead at any moment.

"And secondly..."

"... I took it over, okay?" Taehyung interrupted Yoongi´s explanation.

"I know. That you agreed.." whispered Jimin.

"You didn't understand me, Jimin-ah. You had nothing to do with that stuff and the session."

Jungkook‘s heart stopped. "Don't tell me now..."

Yoongi sighed."The thought that the dom would have his way with you was so frightening for him that Taehyung…

... stepped in as a sub that night."

Taehyung couldn't stand it any longer. The embarrassment hurt almost physically.

"I need some fresh air..." he stammered. He saw that Jungkook wanted to get up, but Yoongi waved him back to the couch.

"I'll go with you, Taehyung-ah." He heard Hoseok's voice.

Taehyung just nodded gratefully.

"He... did what?"

"You can imagine that the dom had a good romp. Knowing that he had one of the hardest doms as a sub on the table seemed to please him. Remember when he got in an argument later at night after the session you thought you had, Jimin-ah? The two guys who beat him up? And Taehyung needed two days to recover?“

Jungkook saw that Jimin nodded.

„Well, it was just one guy, and it was not an argument. Let´s leave it like that.“

Jungkook began to tremble as Yoongi's voice grew quieter and quieter.

"You can imagine that Taehyung-ah's reputation was ruined. Every master in town didn't take him seriously anymore, and he became the laughing stock of the entire branch. However, the club where he was employed was not famous for being particularly cooperative. When sales plummeted..."

"Hyung, can you please rephrase that somehow?" Jungkook could no longer hold back the tears.

"No, Jungkook-ah I can't. Because that's precisely what it is. Business. We work in that industry. You are done for if you're an athlete, and you're number one for ten years and fail one year. That's the way it is. And that's the way it was with him."

Jimin tried to get up but fell back on the couch. Jungkook got up and climbed onto the seat with him. Gratefully, his hyung snuggled back into his arms.

He was trembling, and Jungkook caught almost all the tears sneaking out of Jimin´s eyes with his sleeve.

"Most of the masters had come to the club with their subs because of Taehyung-ah. Then, fewer customers came when he ruined his reputation."

The door from the balcony opened, and Taehyung came back in with Hoseok.

He sat down on the couch again.

Jungkook felt like he had to protect him.

"At some point, I just asked him if he wanted to work with us. It took me forever to convince him, but he finally agreed. Since then, we have been working together. And now... it's your turn. What the was that, you idiot?" Yoongi suddenly snapped, and Taehyung took a deep breath.

"I've been working as a sub now and then. Since he has control of the club and, therefore, the doms, we call him our master. You can´t compare it to a normal relationship. And the best sub is the strongest dom."

"What kind of nonsense is that?" he heard Hoseok sputter and looked over at Yoongi.

Yoongi nodded.

„I get it now… he doesn´t like that you work with us? Your boss?“
„That´s not the problem. He doesn´t care about that for a year now.“ Taehyung mumbled.

„But he doesn´t like it that you made friends?“

Taehyung nodded.“Not in the beginning.“

Yoongi chuckled.“It´s about the damn goldfish?“

„Yes.“

Jungkook frowned as he heard Taehyung whisper.

Taehyung sighed.

"He has been trying to rehire me for a while. I don't think he cares whether I'm a dom or a sub. The main thing is that he has me back in his club and thus the customers. So far, he could not do anything because I have an official contract with Yoongi. What are some of the few things he respects. A contract is a contract. But then..."

"... he noticed the little goldfish." Yoongi finished the sentence.

Taehyung nodded. He tried to ignore the confused look on Jungkook's face.

"At first, I received messages to come back many times. That was even after our fight." Taehyung looked at Hoseok.

"I just went there to clarify that he should keep his hands off you guys. It was quiet again for a while. And then this message came yesterday..."

Taehyung pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and put it on the table. First Yoongi, then Jimin, and Hoseok read the message.

"That er..." muttered Hoseok.

"What?" Jungkook leaned forward.

Taehyung grabbed the cell phone as Jungkook tried to reach for it.

"Nothing." he lied.

Jungkook stared at Taehyung....

And slapped him.

Not so hard to hurt him, but sometimes a slap was more humiliating than a punch.

Taehyung biting his lip, Jungkook saw that he was ashamed of something. But he broke eye contact and gave him his phone.

Jungkook read the message and closed his eyes for a moment.

"That's how it is....?" Jungkook whispe