3000 Stars

Consequences

V was an enigma.

Taehyung scrolled through the responses to V's latest post. Yoongi had left the first: 'I'll be waiting'. Everything else was either a reaction to Yoongi's post or more of the same. This would boost the attention Yoongi got, and that would further boost his stars. Taehyung knew he had to do something, but he was at a loss. Wouldn't it be better to give up now, enter the arena, and tell Yoongi everything?

No. He couldn't do that. Not again.

But it seemed like every solution to the problems the arena brought him could only be solved in the arena.

Taehyung closed his eyes and locked his jaw as he felt the panic coming, threatening to spill into his lungs. No. He could figure something out. He had disappeared from the arena before. It would take little time to do it again. He would fulfill his promise to Yoongi and disappear, from everyone's lives.

The FaceUpp menu disappeared behind Hoseok's picture. Taehyung took a deep breath, answering the call, and set it on speaker. He had too much experience with Hoseok's excited calls to get his ears blown out.

"You fought Yoongi?!" Hoseok shrieked.

"Good morning to you too," Taehyung said.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was a private duel," Taehyung said. "I'd have thought he had the decency to at least keep it to himself."

Hoseok snorted. "Yeah, right," he said. "You know how this works. He posted his results and people asked. Everyone knows you're an illusionist now, by the way."

Anger swelled inside Taehyung, crashing through his head and sweeping away his hesitation. "Then he's as bad as I thought. I hope he fails."

"Fails? Hey, don't you dare hang up--"

Taehyung sighed, declining Hoseok's attempt to call back and temporarily blocking his number. He knew he had about ten minutes before Hoseok showed up at his door, but that was fine. Ten minutes was all he needed. He opened the texts from the mystery number and was surprised to find more.

***-***-****: Saw your post last night

***-***-****: Nice job

***-***-****: Everyone's going crazy.

T: I didn't post that.

***-***-****: sure wahtever.

***-***-****: so you rejoining the arena or no

T: I told you I'm not V.

***-***-****: sure sure

***-***-****: but your close enough to 10k.

***-***-****: cmon lets fight

T: I don't want to fight you. I don't want to fight anyone.

***-***-****: Thats what V said befre he quit

***-***-****: u quittign?

T: No, I've got a bet to win.

***-***-****: I cn help with that

***-***-****: duel me

T: No

Downstairs, the door to their house slammed open, and Taehyung sighed, closing the conversation and shoving his phone in his pocket. Before he could pretend to be sleeping, however, Hoseok burst into his room, slamming the door open with such force that it rebounded off the wall. Taehyung winced.

Hoseok considered him, hands on his hips. "Well," he said. "You don't look like someone who just lost a duel."

Taehyung rolled his eyes. "Don't slam my door like that."

"Seriously?" Hoseok said. "Don't try to play this off. You swore you'd never fight again, right? What's up with you?"

"I got mad at him, that's all," Taehyung said, forcing a smile. "He beat my *ss for it, too."

Hoseok's shoulders slumped, and he sat down next to Taehyung, sighing. "He told us about your bet. But V just posted. That means you don't have to do it, right?"

"I don't know," Taehyung said. "He never wanted to go back, either."

"I never thought he would dye his hair, though," Hoseok said. "Remember when it was blonde? And he changed his style, too."

Taehyung nodded. He wasn't really paying attention, and Hoseok noticed it immediately.

"What's got you all zoned out today?" he demanded, flicking Taehyung's forehead.

"Nothing," Taehyung said. "Just didn't feel like going anywhere."

"What, 'cause everyone knows what you can do now? That's stupid."

"I don't want any challenges," Taehyung muttered. "People think I'll be easy."

"That's not true!"

"It is," Taehyung said. "I've already got one who thinks I'm V in disguise--"

Oops. Hoseok's eyes bugged out, and he shoved a hand into Taehyung's pocket, pulling Taehyung's phone out and dancing out of his reach. Taehyung regretted giving him the password. In seconds Hoseok was scrolling through his entire conversation with the mystery number, eyes wide and mouth half open as Taehyung attempted to chase him around the room.

"Haven't you blocked him?" Hoseok asked.

"I tried," Taehyung said. "It didn't work."

Hoseok stopped, and Taehyung snatched his phone back, turning it off and shoving it in his pocket. Before Hoseok could say anything he said, "Look, it's fine. I just won't go duel with him. But I don't feel like meeting any more wackos on the street."

"How do you know that'll happen?" Hoseok said. "Players have changed since you last played. The whole game has changed."

"No kidding," Taehyung said. Hoseok had joined late, so he hadn't been a part of the earlier days, and he had missed out on the bloody dynamic between the first-gen players. It was one of the reasons Taehyung and V had retired. Now all these wannabes and idiots wanted him back in the game, but he wasn't so sure it had changed. The cheerful attendants, the bright pink and blue, the strict rules-- they couldn't hide the game's bloody origins. Taehyung took a deep breath, reaching for his phone again, and opened FaceUpp. "You know what, I think I'll just..." he trailed off as he opened his latest photo. It had been obscured by a large star and fireworks graphics.

10-K! The hot pink typefont announced.

The comments section was still running.

Seokie-sock: I told you!

Yoongi: gr8 4 u

Joonjoonjoon has posted a reaction to your score.

Type503: awesome fight me

Twenty-twenty-nine: let's duel!

Needles: hey newbie let's fight

Twenty4seven: join my crew and we'll put you where you belong

55_: I know who you are.

A shiver ran up Taehyung's spine. He looked up and met Hoseok's eyes. It was an accident-- barely a moment. But Hoseok didn't just go slack-- he dropped to the floor, unconscious.

"Hoseok!"