The fifth period bell rang and each of the doors throughout the hallways opened at the exact same time, sending mobs of students exiting from every classroom. Most students walked casually, however one seemed to be running through the mob, dodging, and swirling in all directions as though he were being chased by an invisible hunter that only he could see.

“Walk!” shouted one teacher as V raced passed her.

“Ah...sorry.”  he said while slowly his pace, but then continuing to run the moment she lost sight of him.  

This running paid off because he was the first student to arrive at his locker. V went to open it, but paused when he caught sight of a mysterious note that was sticking out of  a crack in his locker. The note was the a pink index card that had been folded in half. 

“What’s this?” he asked out loud to himself. “It’s the first day and I’ve already received a lover letter.”

V pulled it from the crack and studied the front which had a strange black logo of the letter W with three horizontal lines drawn through it. After unfolding the card, a single sentence was written in cursive that read, “Welcome, you have been selected to attend Big Hit High school’s annual welcoming party. You’re attendance for tomorrow night’s celebration is mandatory. Further instructions will be  provided tomorrow morning. Sincerely, the Welcomers.”

He scrunched up his face after reading the card, trying to recall where he had heard that name, “The Welcomers”. With a quizzical expression on his face, V stood there for several minutes staring up at the ceiling as though the answer were written there and he simply had to find it. 

After a moment of confusion, he turned his attention to a girl who had a locker stationed right next to his. The girl had two long pig tails that hung from her scalp to her waist. In an attempt to get her attention, V tugged lightly up and down on of her pigtails like it was a rope. The girl jolted, becoming slightly startled, and she flung her head around revealing a chunky face and round glasses sitting on the rim of her nose.  

“What?” she barked.

“What is this?” V asked while handing her the card.

The pigged-tailed girl didn’t take it from him, but instead she studied it silently, then the second she recognized the paper a look of disgust crossed her face. It was the kind of expression a person would make if they caught someone walking out the bathroom without washing their hands.  

“You’re going to get beat up.” she said. “That what that card means.”

“Huh?”

“The Welcomers, they put that card in your locker. They give it to all the new people on the first day.” the pigged-tailed girl explained. “They invite you to a party, but when you get there they beat you up to intimidate you.”

“But I’m not new!” said V as he brandished the card. “I’m knew.”

“Don’t shout at me!”

“I’m not shouting at you.” said V calmly.

“You did…you shouted!” she said while slightly raising her voice. “You rose your tone three vocals higher than when you originally began speaking to me.”

He flashed her a grin. “Don’t shout at me.”

“Shout?” she paused for a moment. “I’m not shouting.”

“Ah, but you raised your voice-”

“Shut up!” she yelled and just as she was rolling her notebook into a weapon she could hit him with it, V took off running in the opposite direction.  

_________________

“So let me get this straight.” asked Suga. “You went into the girls bathroom with her for a few minutes, then you both came out but you only you got in trouble?”

“Right…well she disappeared so they only saw me.” explained Jung Kook.

Jung Kook, Suga, and Jin were sitting together at a secluded table toward the back of the school’s large cafeteria. At the moment, there were over three hundred students harboring in the cafeteria, sitting with friends and talking amongst themselves. Among the large number, these three, along with another member of their group who had yet to join them, were fortunate enough to share a lunch period together. 

“Did you explain  that she forced you to go in there?” asked  Jin.

“Ah…” Jung Kook said while lying his head down on the table. “I couldn’t say anything…so I have detention after school.”

“What?!” Suga and Jin said in unison. “Detention?”

The golden maknae lifted his head up to meet their eyes and then simply nodded, choosing not to elaborate on the issue any further with words.  

“Cheer up Jung Kook.” said Jin. “Detention isn’t that bad.”

“What’s it like then?” he asked.

“How should I know? I’ve never had detention before.” he retorted quickly.

“You have to be more careful around her.” said Suga solemnly. “I asked around, trying to learn a little about her, and it turns out she’s a real trouble maker, but she knows how to avoid getting caught. She might come off as being innocent, but I think there’s a lot more to her.”

The three were silent for a moment, mentally chewing on Suga’s warning, and then Jin said.

“Well, the only thing we can do is try to get close to her.”

“But she’s a girl!” said Jung Kook. “We’ve never dealt with a girl before, how can we possibly get close to her?”

“That’s just it…she’s a girl. We’re men.” said Jin. “The easiest thing we could do is seduce her.”

“You know so much about this hyung.” said Jung Kook admirably. “If anyone should do it, then it should be you.”

“I think he’s right.” agreed Suga. “You have the looks for it. You might actually be able to pull it off.”

“Really…” Jin quickly cleared his throat taking a more confident tone. “Right, right I should do it. I think-”

“HEY!” shouted a familiar voice that interrupted their conversation.

The three looked up at the same time watching V race towards them from the opposite side of the cafeteria. As he approached at full speed, they were each silently wondering when he was going to slow down, but he didn’t seem to show any indication that he intended to stop, leading them to fear that he was preparing to collide into them. 

Remarkably, when he was ten feet from their table he managed to abruptly stop, and then he casually tried to slid onto the bench that Suga and Jin both shared.

“Ah, there’s no room.” explained Suga. “Sit  next to Jung Kook.”

“Fine.” he stood up on the table’s bench, then walked across the table, causing a few students sitting nearby to glance in their direction, and then he took a seat beside Jung Kook.

“So let me guess.” said V, not realizing that he had interrupted their conversation. “You each received one of these cards too?” 

He held up the pink index card that he had found in his locker, expecting the members to recognize it and shudder with fear, however they simply flashed him blank stares which indicated that they didn’t have the slightest clue what he was showing them.  

“What is it?” asked Jung Kook while trying to reach for it, only to miss it by an inch since V waved it away from him.

“You mean, I’m the only one who received this?” he asked while sounding baffled.

“What is it?” asked Jung Kook again.

“It’s a card that secretly says people want to be beat me up because I’m new!” said V causing his two older hyungs to laugh. He narrowed his eyes in a joking manner then asked. “All seven of us are new to this school, why am I the only one who received one.”

“Because you’re too obvious, that’s why.” explained Suga. “You draw too much attention to yourself.”

“Suga’s right.” nodded Jin. “If anyone is well-known throughout the school by now, it’s you.”

“How do I get out of this?” asked V.

The three of them shrugged causing V to leap from his seat. “I’ll figure something out,” and after saying this he darted away causing a nearby teacher to scold him running through the cafeteria.