"You've gotta avoid Hoseok today at school, alright?"
Namjoon and Jungkook were at home, video calling Seokjin, Taehyung, and Jimin. Jungkook had told the butlers that him and Namjoon had fevers, and he'd toyed with all the thermometers in the house so when their temperature was read, it was high.
Jungkook had convinced Namjoon to let him stay, and Namjoon allowed it, too, as he was concerned for Jungkook's safety.
Through the video call, Seokjin said, "Are we sure he won't come after us? He knows we hang out with you. And if he knows Namjoon's identity..."
"The most at risk is Jimin," Namjoon said, suppressing a wince when he sat straighter. Into the phone, he said, "Hoseok tutors Jimin. Which means Hoseok knows Jimin hangs out with Jungkook, and Hoseok knows that Jungkook arrives to school with me."
"I can't believe this," Jimin repeated. He'd said the same thing last night, when Namjoon had revealed the truth. "Hoseok is the nicest guy in the school."
"I know what I saw," Namjoon insisted.
"I'm not doubting you, Namjoon," Jimin reassured. "Just, holy crap, I've been tutored by Shadow all this time!"
"Watch out, team," said Namjoon. "Good luck."
Seokjin gave a mock salute to the camera. Taehyung did so, too, following his hyung's actions. Jimin gave a nod before ending the call. Jungkook pocketed his phone and stood up, sitting at his desk and switching on the computers.
"I'll be monitoring every security camera," he said, typing in the password and hacking the school's security system. He made it look easy. "He's not getting away with hurting anyone else."
"So you think he's not being mind controlled?" Namjoon said.
"When did I say that?"
"You said he's not getting away. The way you said it sounds like—"
"He isn't getting away," Jungkook said more forcefully. "He hurt you, hyung. I'm not letting that slide. Besides, he kidnapped Seokjin to test mind control on him, right? Why would he be testing it if he's being mind controlled? Wouldn't whoever's controlling him want to test it instead?"
"Valid points," Namjoon said. "But he could've killed—"
"Don't say that."
"He could've done worse to me," Namjoon amended. "But he stopped and just... flew away. Like following instructions."
"Hyung, you had a serious concussion. For all you know, you could've imagined it. Maybe he just had somewhere to be."
"We shouldn't assume Hoseok is evil."
"We also shouldn't assume he isn't."
There was something in Jungkook's tone that made Namjoon worried.
"You're mad at me," Namjoon realized. Jungkook didn't respond. Namjoon attempted to get a reaction. "Why are you mad at me?"
Jungkook continued typing on the computer, pulling up multiple live security cameras, Hoseok's timetable, and his background information.
"Jungkook, answer me." When Jungkook still ignored him, he stood up unsteadily and repeated, "Jungkook—"
"You could've died!" Jungkook stood and turned around, his chair rolling back with the force. His eyes were shining with tears. "Hyung, you could've died. I could've lost you! You just — you just flew into danger like that, you didn't even listen to me yelling in your comms, you just ignored me and almost got yourself killed! And then I found your body, your legs 'n arms were at weird angles 'n you wouldn't wake up, you wouldn't wake up! Do you expect me to be okay with that?"
The outburst left Jungkook's chest heaving and his fists clenched at his sides. Namjoon swallowed.
"Seems like a good reason to be mad," Namjoon mumbled.
"Hyung," Jungkook's anger evaporated in less then a second, "I'm sorry, I just—"
"No, no, I get it. I was being a reckless idiot. I was so focused on saving Seokjin that I just shut everything else out, I guess. I was too scared to fail, and I didn't listen. I'm sorry, Kook, so sorry."
Jungkook bit his lip and looked away. "It's fine, I guess." And he turned back to the computer, muttering, "Classes have just started. Hoseok is in Chemistry. Let's hope the others don't run into him for the rest of the day."
-
Jimin had tutoring for Chemistry today.
Just his luck, right?
He stayed back after school, heading towards the Chemistry room with his Chemistry work tucked under his arm. He swallowed, knocking on the door lightly before opening it slowly and peeking his head inside.
Seeing no one, he frowned and set his books down, looking around the classroom. He didn't doubt the possibility that Jungkook was hacking into the school cameras right now, watching him as he stood, lonely in the classroom.
His suspicions were confirmed when his phone began vibrating repeatedly in his pocket. He pulled it out and began unlocking it, but froze when he heard footsteps approaching the classroom. He switched it to silent instead, slipping it back into his pocket and straightening his back.
Hoseok entered, smiling at him. "Hey, Jimin. Sorry I'm a bit late, I got caught up with something."
What, robbing more banks? Jimin thought. He bit his tongue and nodded instead. When Hoseok sat down next to him, Jimin stiffened a bit, but it was barely noticeable. Hoseok began explaining a Chemistry concept to him, the one that he had circled in the textbook because he was having trouble with it.
Jimin caught his mind wandering. Was he really sitting next to a super villain? How did Hoseok hide his other identity so well? He was such a nice boy at school, but after school, he went around and did stuff like robbing banks, stealing, kidnapping.
"Jimin? You okay?"
Hoseok looked at him with concern.
"I'm fine," Jimin said. "Sorry, just had a long day."
"You're a bit pale," Hoseok noted. "Are you sick or something?"
"No, no, I'm fine." Jimin gave his most reassuring smile to Hoseok. "Sorry about that, hyung."
The word 'hyung' coming out of his mouth while talking to Hoseok made him sick. Why should he show a villain any respect? But Jimin had to keep up this facade, and pretend he had no idea who Hoseok really was.
"If you're sure," Hoseok said hesitantly, twisting a ring on his finger before turning back to the textbook. "Anyways, as I was saying, the atomic structure of..."
Jimin, while listening and nodding along, studied the rings. That was how Namjoon had found out Hoseok was Shadow — by recognizing the rings on his fingers.
They were exactly how Namjoon described them. A silver ring on his index finger, a gold ring on his middle finger, and a diamond one on his ring finger.
At least, Namjoon had said it was diamond. When Jimin stared at it, he noticed it was glowing. Emitting a small blue glow, that he wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't paying attention to it.
At first, he figured it was nothing, maybe just sunlight reflecting off of it. But this could be something important.
He had to tell the team.
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