FORGIVENESS

(TAEHYUNG POV)

Jimin, Jungkook and I got first to the cafeteria. A few minutes later Hoseok and Yoongi appeared. But there was no Namjoon nor Seokjin.

"Where are they?" I ask, looking down at my now cold cocoa.

"Don't worry too much Taehyungie, they're talking with Jin's father." Hoseok says, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"How do you know it?"

"Namjoon told me this morning. He sent me a message."

"Why didn't he tell us?" I protest.

"Mmm, they don't what you to worry. Go to class now, you'll be late."

"Come on Taetae." Jimin say, grabbing my hand.

We walk away to our first class.

"Are you still worried?" I nod.

"Can I know why?" He lifts my head with his fingers.

I lost myself for a few seconds in his eyes.

I shake my head. "What if they attack us? Maybe they'll come back and kill us all." Jimin giggles.

"That's not gonna happen." He smiles, patting my head.

"How do you know it?"

"I'll protect you." His eyes disappear when he smiles.

I hug him. Tight.

"I'm so lucky to have you." Jimin giggles again.

"My baby bear is back." He smiles, grabbing my hand. "The only one who will kill us is the professor if we don't go to class now." I smile.

(NAMJOON)

Seokjin's at his father's office. He assured me the king wasn't mad, but they can expel me for what I did.

But I'm the best student.

Let's hope for the best.

For now.

A door opens. Seokjin.

"What did he say?" I ask, scrubbing my hands.

"He wants to talk to you."

"Is he mad?" I panicked.

"No. Now go, he doesn't like to wait." I push me towards the door.

"But, are you sure? Maybe he'll banish me, expel me. Worse. Maybe he doesn't let me date you never again. What do I do Jin?" I rest my hands on his shoulders.

He cups my face.

"First, calm down. Second, go talk to him. Third, he's not mad, you saved my life, remember?" He gives me quick peck.

"Okay. . ." I take a deep breath.

I can do this.

I open the same door Jin closed a minute ago.

"Welcome, student." He says, his face looking at an old newspaper.

I bow.

"Take a seat, please." He's not looking at me.

I sit on a chair, in front of his work desk.

Silence.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" I ask, cautiously.

"Namjoon, right?" He says, finally putting down the piece of paper.

He fits his glasses with one finger.

"Yeah, sir." I can't look at him in the eyes.

"Are you the student who opened the portal two days ago?"

Why is he asking me this? I thought Jin told him everything.

"Yes, it's me. I did it."

"Why did you do it?" I look at him. Why I did it? Is he being serious?

Because I love your son.

This would be a good answer.

"Because. . . Well, I wanted to save Jin."

"You did it, along with your friends."

I clear my throat. It's now or never.

"Will you expel me? I know what I did it's wrong, but I felt like I didn't have another option. I knew you wouldn't let us do anything."

"You're not wrong. We wouldn't and we won't let any student put their own lives in danger. It's our duty to keep you safe."

Silence.

"You broke a rule. An important one, young man."

Silence.

"When I was a student, like you, I met a boy who would do anything for the person he loved. Anything. At any cost."

"Did he. . . end up well?" I raise an eyebrow.

"More than well." He lets out a weak giggle, while his sight gets lost. But. . . he lost the person he loved the most."

"So. . . he didn't try to save them?" I ask.

"He did. So many times. But there are things we can't change, nor in this world, nor in any other, young man. . ." I nod, even though I don't understand what all of this has to do with me. Does that person got expelled as well?

"So. . . What will happen to me?"

"You tried to save my son. You did save my son." He leans closer. "I want one thing in return."

I frown. What?

"Excuse me, in return?"

"I want you to work for me, Namjoon."

(HOSEOK POV)

My last class finished 10 minutes ago. After being in the common room with a few friends, I went for a walk.

The campus always amazes me. Trees, grass, some different kind of flowers. . . . Yoongi's talking with that boy. For some reason, I don't like him.

Wait.

Yoongi wanted to talk to me. We do need to talk.

As I come closer, I can hear Yoongi giggle.

"Hi." I say, trying not to be too rude.

"Look at him, it's Jung. Nice to see you again, man." He pats my back.

I fake a smile.

"Yoongi. . . can we talk?"

He looks at Charles. At me. Then at Charles again.

"Yeah, why not? I'll see you later."

"See you tonight, baby boy." Charles licks his lips.

Ew.

Yoongi giggles, before we walk away.

"He's so dumb." He smiles. His cheeks are kind of red.

"Do you like him?" I spat.

"What? No. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing." I shake my head, slowly.

"You wanted to talk."

"Yep. But you wanted to talk first, I'm all ears."

"Can we go somewhere private?" Yoongi asks, looking around.

"My dorm?" I propose.

"No, there's probably Jungkook and the others. Let's go to mine."

We walk in silence to his dorm. I'm the first one to speak.

"Your dorm is a mess."

"Yeah, thank you Hoseok." Sarcastic Yoongi is back. "Do you want to eat something? I've cookies."

"No, I'm okay. Thank you."

"Well. . . let's have the talk."

I follow him into the little living room.

"You first." I say. "I think you need it more than I do. Besides, I've been a jerk."

"You had your reasons. I said awful things to you. You didn't deserve it, Hobi."

"But you tried to talk to me and I also hurt your feelings."

"You're stubborn as hell."

"I'm not stubborn."

After a few seconds, we laugh.

"Well. . . " He scratches his neck. "You're the most important person in my life, even if sometimes I suck at showing it. I knew back then I couldn't be without you, but now I'm sure I can't. You're. . . like my human vitamin. If I don't have my dose of vitamin every day I became weaker, and weaker, and weaker. . ."

I grab his hand, caressing it with my thumb.

"I'm sorry. I did leave your side and I knew you were hurting, but I put my feelings first and it ended up with you- I'm a fucking egoist." I admit.

"No, you're not. You did what you had to do."

"But what about you? You're also my best friend. I care for you, even when I'm mad for something stupid you did."

"We both did things wrong. But I realise that. . . I need help." He sighs.

I frown. Help?

"What do you mean?"

"I can't be living like this. You leaving my life, me being a total mess. I've to be able to live without you. I must."

"But Yoongi, is normal, we're friends." I try to reassure him.

"No, you don't understand. It's like I need you in my life to live. You're like my oxygen. What happens if we don't have it?"

"We suffocate and we. . . die?"

"Exactly."

"Sorry, but I don't get you, Yoongi." I giggle in awkwardness.

"I've to be able to live without you. I tried to kill myself because I thought I would never have your support. I saw the first person who really believed in me being disappointed on me because of my big mouth."

"Yoongi-"

"I don't really have any other reason to live. Well, I have. But I don't care if you're not here with me. Trust me, I tried. I really tried to think about the boys, even Charles, but it didn't matter anymore to me."

"Yoongi. . ." I feel a few tears in my cheeks.

"You changed my fate Hobi. . . and I'll be always grateful." He squeezes my hand.

"No." I shake my head. "You changed it. You're stronger than you think, Yoongi. I only pushed you a little bit."

"I'm strong because you're here with me."

I shake my head again.

"No. You're strong by yourself, I'm sure you would handle it. You've the boys, you've. . . you've Charles. It seems like you have fun together."

"Yeah, we've fun." He bites his lower lip. "But. . . he's not even a half as important as you're to me."

"But you still have fun with him."

"Yeah. . . You can say that."

"Does he make you happy?" Yoongi frown.

"Hobi, he's not my boyfriend." He spats. "We're just. . . friends."

"He could be."

"No. I don't want to depend on anyone." I rise my eyebrow. He listens to himself when he talks?

"Romantically, I mean."

I laugh. "Yeah, yeah. I believe you."

"Hey!" I notice how he's trying to hold his laugh.

"Why can't he be your boyfriend?"

"I don't need one. I'm happy by myself. Couples only bring problems."

"Then. . . we kinda are a couple." I joke.

Yoongi hits me softly. "Shut up. You're my best friend."

"No." I say, "We're brothers, bro," We laugh. We let ourselves get lost for a moment.

How we ended up like this? I was crying the last time I checked.

"And brothers need each other." Yoongi says.

I hug him, trying to express all the words I didn't say. I don't need it anymore. We're okay. He's okay.

"I'm glad to be your vitamin, Yoongs."

He pulls away. "I had enough feelings for today. Can we go back to our old selves?"

I laugh.

"Do you want to order food?" My stomach is seeking for pizza.

Yoongi checks the hour. "Actually. . . I've plans with Charles. You don't mind, right?" I shake my head.

"Go, have fun." I say, messing up his hair.

"Cach'em." He passes me the keys. "Don't forget to close the door when you leave."

"But, what about you?" I look at the keys, then at Yoongi. He's already putting on his jacket.

"I'll spend the night with Charles, but I promise I'll go to class tomorrow."

"I'll have a talk your professors."

"Yeah, yeah. See ya." He closes the door.

I make myself comfortable on the sofa.

For some reason, my heart aches.