My hand was still on the doorknob. I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t say anything, my brain was busy processing whatever state Jimin was in. I stared at him, I examined his clothes; nothing was torn. That gave me some twisted peace of mind, knowing the blood wasn’t his.

But then I got back to my senses. That’s not his blood.

He was covered in someone else’s blood.

“Jimin, what…” I breathed out, trying my best to form a complete sentence, to understand just what he was trying to achieve by showing up like…this.

 I heard footsteps coming our way and I turned around and saw V, who had stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Jimin. The look on his face wasn’t anger or shock, which I thought were the only two possible reactions to the situation, but no, it was more to disappointment. Annoyance.

He was still trying to keep up with the tough guy façade, but his eyes showed how crushed he felt.

“It’s not what you think…” Jimin offered, walking past me to slowly approach him. V took a step back when he got too close, keeping them at an arm’s length distance from each other. I slowly closed the door, feeling like a fish out of water. It was clear that I wasn’t supposed to there, I was just a guest in this place, in this world.

But walking away when things were just getting intense didn’t seem like the smart thing to do.

They didn’t seem to care that I was there, anyway.

V’s gaze was cold and unwavering as he said, voice low, “You never learn your lesson, do you?”

Jimin’s previous air of confidence had disappeared and now he was doing his best avoiding V’s accusing eyes. He was getting uneasy.

I heard more footsteps, and soon enough everyone had gathered around them. Jungkook’s eyes couldn’t get any larger, as he slowly walked past them to stand next to me. He shot me a confused look, like he was expecting me to explain whatever was happening. I helplessly shook my head, not being able to do anything else.

Cypher, on the other hand, just looked at the boy covered in blood silently, couldn’t look any calmer.

Well, most of Cypher.

“What the hell are you trying to pull, kid?” Hoseok practically barked as he shoved his way between the two. He was glaring down at Jimin, who looked like he was just about ready to turn around and make a run for it.

“I was just… settling some payments,” Jimin managed, not daring to raise his voice.

Hoseok let out a barely audible chuckle, shaking his head at the boy. He then nodded to his bloodied clothes, “This your blood?”

“No.”

Hoseok hummed in response and before the younger boy could even lift his gaze, he was met with a hard punch to the face with such strong force, almost knocking him out completely. Jimin was coughing up blood, some of it splattered on the marble floor. Hoseok smiled, satisfied with his work.

Jimin scrambled to his feet and tried to keep his balance as he glared at the much more experienced gangster. “I am not just some kid who you can mess around with.” he spat out, anger laced in his voice. “You think you’re the only one who can throw a punch?”

I’d only known Jimin for a day, and I could already tell he was the type to act on his feelings which, according to the media, wasn’t the best trait to have.

Or maybe he was just plain stupid.

Jimin was challenging a guy who could easily rip his neck off if he felt like it. He wasn’t thinking straight.  V had already backed away and joined the rest in the background, not giving any indications on his face that he was even the slightest bit of worried.

 The one being challenged merely scoffed, looking at the auburn-haired boy with such amusement.

Before Jimin could blindly charge at the young man, Namjoon slowly walked up to him. This caught him off guard, because his focus on Hoseok immediately falters and turned to face the leader of Cypher.

Namjoon just stood there for a while, hands in pockets. Accessing the situation.

“When your job is to get people to settle their debts, you need to be able to handle any problems that arise along the process. Reminders. Don’t just threaten them on the day of payment.”

Jimin pursed his lips and quickly nodded.

“Look at me.”

The boy slowly lifted his head, meeting the calm eyes of the person he had looked up to for god knows how long. “Did you kill someone tonight?”

“No,” Jimin rushed out, “stab--stabbed him in the legs. He’s alive.”

“Good,” Namjoon said with a small nod, and that was all he had to say about that.

I huffed in disbelief, but everyone else was okay with his explanation. I turned to Jungkook and he just shrugged like, hey, that’s how you give reminders.

The silence that followed was uncomfortable, I had barely let out a single cough or moved any of my limbs during all that and I made a mental note to myself to consider a job as a statue. Eventually Suga broke the silen