Jungkook heard an exchange of words coming from outside the nurse's office, where he was sitting on the bed, some sort of aloe vera gel on his stomach. He was quiet, hearing the loud voices.

"No, it's not fucking okay. This is the nth time V's bullied someone or hit someone like this. We can't just let him do this shit."

"Especially not to Jungkook."

"Weren't they friends? I saw them talking in class..."

"It's a long story."

"What happened to Jungkook? Where is he?" Jimin's voice arose, and Jungkook tensed. The nurse room door burst open, and Jungkook saw a wide-eyed Jimin standing on the other side.

"Jimin-" Jungkook began, but Jimin rushed up to him and wrapped his arms around him. "Oh my god, are- are you okay?"

Jungkook inhaled sharply. "Um. Yeah." Jungkook said. "It's only a bruise," Jungkook said, pointing to the red area on his stomach. Jimin frowned.

There was a silence, and then Jimin turned around. "I'm going to fucking kill him-"

"Jimin." Eka said, also walking into the nurse's room. She was the one that found Jungkook outside Taehyung's room and got him here. "Don't do shit."

"Why the fuck not? He thinks he can punch Jungkook and get away with it?" Jimin snapped and knew there were people outside, so he quietened. "I don't care what the fuck was going through his head- you don't hit someone like that!"

"I know. I know that- but... let's not jump to anything." Eka said, and then the door opened, and Jungkook saw the new kid, Sehun. He was the one that carried Jungkook to the office.

"Hey- um- there are some people outside that want to talk t y-" Sehun began, but then the door burst open again and Lisa, Jennie, Jisoo, Rose, Yugyeom and Bambam ran into the room.

Jungkook let out a small smile, and all the girls were big eyed and hugged him tightly. "Oh!! Jungkookie, are you okay?" Lisa asked, and Bambam hugged him too. Yugyeom just watched, asking Jimin what happened.

"Yeah guys I'm- I'm fine, don't freak out-" Jungkook said, and Lisa continued hugging him tightly. "Who did this?" Jisoo asked, worried.

"V." Eka said, and Jennie reached into her backpack and took out a knife.

"Jennie!" Jimin gasped, and Sehun ran out of the nurse's room.

"I'm going to kill him." Jennie growled, but Eka grabbed her from the back of her shirt.

"Where the fuck did you even get a knife from?" Bambam asked, and Jennie sighed. "Art room..."

"Okay, look, no one's hurting anyone. We aren't better than him if we resort to bullying." Eka said, and Rose scoffed.

"As if you care about bullying." Rose said, and Eka stilled. Rose gulped. "Sorry. I'm just really mad right now! I heard he punched that other guy in the hotel too! And now hurting one of his closest friends?? Why did he even do it?"

Jungkook was looking at the wall. He gripped onto his bedsheets. "I-I don't know," Jungkook said softly, and Jimin patted his back.

"We won't do anything if you don't want us to, Jungkook." Jimin reassured, and Jungkook looked down, suddenly remembering what he saw after Taehyung punched him.

He saw a tear fall down his eye.

"Yeah. Okay." Jungkook replied, and then looked down, everyone went silent for a few seconds, but then Lisa began saying something about how V always bullies people for no reason. Yugyeom, Eka and Jimin just looked at Jungkook in worry.

///

The Monday following the incident which took place on Friday. Everyone was on the football pitch, and Taehyung was hearing some of the boys laugh loudly on the field while tying his laces, taking longer because his mind was filled with endless cluttered thoughts.

"Taehyung," Taehyung heard, and then looked up with a frown and saw the coach. The coach never called him by his real name.

"What happened?" Taehyung asked, standing up.

The coach looked angry, seething. "Are you out of your mind?" He shouted, and Taehyung tensed. Everyone on the football pitch looked to see what was going on because the coach never raised his voice- especially not at Taehyung, the star athlete.

"S-sir-" Taehyung began, and the coach frowned further. "Two of the cheerleaders came into my office just now. They told me you punched Jungkook?" The coach snapped, and Taehyung tensed.

Jin, Hoseok, Namjoon and Yoongi- who came closer to see what was happening, all frowned. "Do you think it's funny, V? Bullying people, doing all this rowdy shit? Especially Jungkook- what'd that kid do to you?"

Taehyung kept quiet and then heard a groan. "If this gets to the principal, you know you won't get a football scholarship, right?"

Taehyung looked up, eyes wide. "W-what?"

"You punched a kid in the school, broke some kids nose during the trip- you know that kid's dad owned the damn hotel, right? He was furious, Taehyung! I didn't know what to tell the goddamn head of the school," The coach snapped, and Taehyung's breath hitched.

"Sir I- please- please don't tell the principal this, I-I'll-" Taehyung began, and the coach snickered.

"Jungkook probably will before I do it. You're a good kid inside, I know that. But you need to stop letting this shit get to you." The coach snapped, and Taehyung nodded.

"I won't- I won't do it again, sir," Taehyung said, and the coach scoffed.

"Damn right you won't do it again. You're getting kicked off as captain."

Taehyung paused. Everyone heard that on the field and turned to look with widened eyes. Taehyung snapped his head up. "W-what?!"

"There's nothing I can do, V. You shouldn't have done such a stupid thing." The coach said and then turned around to walk away.

"No- no coach, I- you can't kick me off as captain! I'm- F-football is all I have right now, coach, y-you can't-" Taehyung stammered, and the coach kept walking, so Taehyung stopped in his steps and looked around.

He tried finding Jungkook. Maybe if Jungkook told the coach that Taehyung should remain, captain- the coach would change his mind; "Coach- just- can you just talk to Jungkook? I-I'll do charity work- or- or I'll get suspended from school. I don't care, j-just- please don't take the position away from me-"

The coach stopped. He turned around. "Jungkook's not here."

"What? Where is he?" Taehyung asked, frowning.

"Didn't he tell you?" Jimin irked, and Taehyung turned to the side and saw the boy looking at him angrily, holding a football tucked in his arm. "Jungkook left the team."

Taehyung's shoulders dropped. His eyes were still wide. "What? W-when? Coach- you-you can't let Jungkook drop the team-" Taehyung began, and the coach sighed.

"He said it'd be better for him." The coach said, and Jimin hummed, staring at Taehyung with darkened eyes. "Yeah. Bet it is. When the team forces him out of the changing rooms and the captain punches him in the fucking stomach," Jimin growled, and Taehyung looked down.

Taehyung looked at the coach, who shrugged his shoulders. "You shouldn't have done it, V. I have to take harsh decisions. Plus, the team shouldn't have a captain who-" The coach began, and then sighed when he saw the dejected look on Taehyung's face. "Nevermind."

"V-" Yoongi began, but Taehyung turned around and walked off the field. Yoongi gulped. "V come on- you can still play in the team!"

"Let him go, Yoongi. Don't want him to punch you too." Jin mumbled, but Taehyung heard it and began walking faster.

Taehyung walked into the boys' locker room and clasped his hand over his mouth, feeling a lump rising in his throat and tears burning in his eyes. He looked at the empty bench area where Jungkook used to keep his stuff and felt a tear fall from his eyes.

Ever since Taehyung could walk he'd wanted to be a footballer. He used to stay up till 3 am watching the matches on tv and joined the school team his first day of school. When he got upset, or missed his mother, or remembered his asshole of a father, or felt any hinge of upset, he went on the field.

He became captain when he was too young to become a captain. But even the older kids said it was right. Taehyung was brilliant. Taehyung met college agents who told him he'd get a scholarship for football if he continues on like this; as a captain.

Taehyung sat down on the bench, feeling tears rushing down his face, trying his hardest to grit his teeth and not let any emotion out, trying his hardest to clench his fingernails into his palms until he formed marks because he didn't want to cry.

He didn't want to.

///

The nurse smiled at Jungkook. "So take this cream and put it over the bruise at night to make it go away faster. It's a bigger one, so it might take time."

"Thank you," Jungkook said with a small smile, and put the cream in his hands and walked out of the nurse's office.

When he walked out, he saw Taehyung standing there, dressed in a sweater and tracks. The moment the two saw each other, the reactions were a little different.

Taehyung took a step toward him, and Jungkook took a step back.

"Jungkook," Taehyung said, and Jungkook looked at him fearfully. "Listen. I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that at all. I just- I was- I was really upset because my dad got this email from the school, and-"

"It's okay," Jungkook said, and then turned to walk away.

"No, Kook wait-" Taehyung said quickly, rushing to stand in front of him, stopping his walking. "It's- it's not. Take it out on me. I'm sorry, I'm really fucking sorry. Just- you can be angry."

"Okay," Jungkook said. Taehyung gulped, bunching his hands into fists. He dropped his head low.

"Why did you leave the team?" Taehyung asked, voice dry.

"I wanted to focus more on art," Jungkook said.

"O-okay. Well...Jennie and her friends went and told the coach I did... what I did... and- and I got kicked off the captain position." Taehyung said, and then looked at Jungkook, who was still. "Please, Kook, c-could you just speak to them? They must've gone out-out of impulse or something-"

"No. I told them to go." Jungkook stated, and Taehyung looked at him.

"Kook you know how much football means to me," Taehyung said softly, and Jungkook moved past him.

"I don't know how much anything means to you."

Before Taehyung could try moving towards him, he heard a clearing of a throat and turned. "Is he bothering you, Kook?" A voice came, and Taehyung saw Eka.

Jungkook looked at Taehyung. "Yeah," Jungkook said, and Taehyung tensed. "Let's go," Jungkook said to Eka, and Eka gave him a look, and both of them walked away.

Taehyung walked towards the lounge, not knowing what to do with himself. He felt devastatingly troubled, like everything he'd done so far compiled together to hit at him now. And it's funny because it's all his fault.

He went back to his room that day, after hurting the only person who'd seen good in him, and fell onto the floor and cried until night blurred with day and his tears merged with reality.

He saw the football guys in the lounge, they were all laughing at something. When they saw Taehyung, one of them whispered something and the laughter died down. Taehyung scoffed. "Don't have to shut up when I enter a room."

"Okay... um, anyways. Does anyone know who's going to be captain now?" Hoseok asked, and Taehyung tensed. He didn't like thinking about it.

"I think there's going to be tryouts or something," Jackson said.

"It'll look really good in my college application," Yugyeom said, and Bambam chuckled.

"Don't do it if you're just going to do it for the college application," Taehyung mumbled, and it sounded a little harsh. Yugyeom looked at him.

"Ooh, you sound mad," Yugyeom said, and Taehyung rose his eyebrow. "Don't hit me too, V. You just got kicked off as captain, don't wanna get kicked off the team too, do you?"

"Yugyeom," Mark said, trying to shut him up, and Yugyeom looked away. Taehyung leaned against the wall, not knowing how to respond.

"So- how are we going to manage with a 13 person team? I mean, didn't the coach say we need 14 minimum?" Jinyoung said.

"You're getting a 14th teammate, alright." A voice came, and all the boys looked at the door. It was Sehun, he was wearing aviators (even though they were inside).

"And, he's trying out for the captain," Sehun grinned, and Taehyung wanted to laugh.

"They don't take inexperienced players in the proper school team. Try for the beginners one maybe." Taehyung said. Sehun looked at him.

"Oh, I'm not a beginner. I used to be captain in my team in London. We were one of the best." Sehun said, and Taehyung tensed.

"That's great! You should join," Namjoon said, and Sehun grinned. "I will. But what about the old captain? Someone told me he was a PROPER bitch but a good player-"

"Shut up!" Bambam hissed, and Taehyung cleared his throat. "That's me," Taehyung said, and Sehun laughed.

"Oh shit- wait, you're the guy who hit-" Sehun began, and then looked away. "Nevermind. Anyways, I'll see you guys on the field." Sehun said, and then walked out.

"Cool guy." Jin hummed, and Taehyung bit the inside of his cheek. He had a bad feeling about this guy.

///

They had an assembly on bullying the next day. Taehyung sat in the back and felt the guilt in him worsen. He saw Jungkook sitting a few rows ahead of him, leaning against Yugyeom's shoulder and looking bored.

After that, the classes continued as normal. They had maths, and Jungkook was sitting there alone because he wanted to go early and finish his homework. When the door opened, he looked up and then smiled.

"Hi," Jungkook said and saw Sehun. "What're you doing here so early?"

"I don't really have any friends yet. Tried hanging out with the football guys but they're... weird." Sehun said, and Jungkook laughed.

"Yeah, they're like that," Jungkook said, and then saw Sehun sit down in front of him, leaning to look at his work.

"Oop- wait, that answer's wrong," Sehun said, and then pointed at the answer of one of his questions. "You'd double it because the original numerical had a 2 in front of it.

"O-oh- yeah, I didn't even see that." Jungkook giggled out, and then crossed it out with his pen and wrote over it. Jungkook looked at the boy. "So. My friend told me you're trying for the football team."

"I am! Yeah... um, I'm scared." Sehun said, and Jungkook laughed. Sehun looked at him with a smile. "I'm pretending like I'm fine but really I'm fucking terrified. Apparently, the old captain was really good, so a lot to live up to."

"He was alright," Jungkook said, looking back at his work. "Homophobic as fuck, though."

"Really? Wait, you're gay right? I can tell by the way you've done your hair." Sehun hummed, and Jungkook rose his eyebrow.

He looked at his hair in the window beside him, seeing it parted kind of. "I didn't know my hair was gay."

"Oh it sucks massive dick," Sehun scoffed jokingly, and Jungkook burst into giggled. Sehun smiled. "I'm kidding. Eka told me."

"Eka's great. If you guys didn't find me that day I would've had to limp my way to the nurse's office." Jungkook mumbled in a small voice.

"Eka was showing me around! And yeah. You're light as a feather, too." Sehun said, and Jungkook blushed. "By the way, if I become captain, then you don't have to worry about the homophobia thing."

Jungkook smiled, assuming the guy was being decent. "Really?" Jungkook asked, and Sehun nodded, smiling wide. "I'm the only gay one around here. It gets sucky after a bit. Like the attention is fine, but not when you get beaten up because of it, y'know?" Jungkook said, and Sehun let out an oof.

People began walking into the classroom. Jungkook was still talking to Sehun. The black haired boy said there was something on Jungkook's cheek and padded his thumb across his cheek, trying to get it off.

Jungkook noticed Taehyung walking in as well, walking to the back of the class. Of course he glanced at Sehun and Jungkook, and of course, he felt a pang in his insides.

"Don't get too touchy, new kid. He's gay." Jaebum said loudly from the other side, and Jungkook froze.

Jungkook moved away from Sehun, cowering his head and putting his focus back onto his work. He should just ignore him and move on.

"Shut up." Jungkook heard both Taehyung and Sehun snap at the same time. Jungkook looked up and saw Taehyung and Sehun looking at each other.

"Stop being an asshole, Jaebum," Taehyung said, and Eka walked into the class and snickered.

"Ironic coming from you," Eka said, sitting down on her seat.

"Yeah, plus I'm gay too," Sehun said, and everyone in the class stopped what they were doing.

"What?" Eka said, eyes wide.

"What!!" Jungkook squealed, smile bright.

"What?" Taehyung let out, soft.

"You are? That's- that's amazing. Let's become friends instantly." Jungkook said, and Sehun laughed.

Taehyung looked at the two of them hesitantly and heard Eka sigh. "Why is every guy around me gay?"

"Just the two of us and Jimin," Sehun said, and Jimin sat down behind Jungkook, frowning.

"Dude I'm not gay," Jimin scoffed. "Not that there's anything wrong with it and I don't take it as offensive even slightly I'm just disapproving your assumption," Jimin said, and Jungkook giggled.

Taehyung heard Jungkook began giggling harder when Eka started saying something about how she perhaps turns dudes gay, and Taehyung couldn't help but feel something butterfly-y in his stomach. He knew Jungkook was ignoring him, but it was sobering.

Hearing him giggling felt like an anesthetic.