"Jungkook..." Taehyung called seeing Jungkook get moving..

     Jungkook ignored him as he got up and helped Hoseok back into his wheelchair with Soobin's help. Hoseok looked helplessly at Taehyung as Jungkook pushed his wheelchair away from Bang Si-Hyuk's office hobbling, ignoring Lee's mocking look and Teahyung's pleading one.

     "It'll work out between you two, Taehyung, I'm sure," Yoongi said putting a hand on his shoulder. 

     "Well, I'm not," Taehyung said sadly. 

     "Well, I'm not either," Lee sneered. 

      "Don't talk to them anymore!" Namjoon replied, angry, stepping forward to bring Jin's wheelchair near the boys.

     "Leave them alone," Bang ordered. 

     Lee shrugged to show that he didn't care: he had done what he already wanted. Yoongi glared at him and sighed, aware that he wouldn't be able to convince Tahyung while he was still within Lee's range.

    "Come on, let's take Jin hyung away from here while we wait for Namjoon," he said grabbing one arm of Taehyung with his only good arm, the other being hobbled to support his injured shoulder. 

     Taehyung agreed to get up and helped Yoongi settle Jin into the chair Namjoon had brought back. Lifting him up, he realized Jin had become apathetic again. He didn't seem to want to talk or react or look at anything anymore. Where was the progress he had made over the past few days? Disappeared, suddenly, through the fault of Lee, who had imposed silence on him. He had to get away from him at all costs to allow him to get better one day.

     "Hyung, let's go," he whispered to Jin as he pushed his wheelchair behind Jimin, Jungkook, Hoseok and Soobin to put the most distance between them and the CEO's office.

      Like Jungkook before him, he didn't give Lee a single look for fear of getting caught up in the web of his manipulations again.

     Namjoon watched them walk away with concern. 

     "Don't worry, I'll take care of them," Yoongi reassured him before following them.

     The leader nodded and watched his group members walk away from him. He would have given anything to go with them but instead he had to stay here alone with Lee and the CEO. There was a time when Jin would have stayed with him to support him. But that was another time. 

     A time he hoped was not lost forever.

      When Soobin had finished his story, the members, who should have had no more tears to shed after the rivers that had already flowed down their cheeks, turned to the heap of Jin lying on one of the inflatable mattresses in the rest room and fully covered with a thick blanket.

     Nobody knew if he had fallen asleep but Yoongi had offered as soon as they arrived in the rest room to put Jin in bed, in order to give him the option of either sleeping or avoiding their gazes and questions, because he seemed to be dying to do so.

     Taehyung and Yoongi had therefore helped Jin get out of his chair and lie down on the mattress placed near a wall to which he immediately turned to lock himself in his world, far from others which he was ashamed to look at, his own weakness revolting him.

     Once installed and hidden under his blanket, he had heard the footsteps of the two boys move slightly away from him to join the group that had sat down on the ground, in a kind of small united brotherhood circle. 

     Then, he had listened in spite of himself to the story told by Soobin, unable to stop his ears from hearing and he had closed his eyes hoping to succeed in chasing away the terrible images that were looping in his mind.

     He felt as if he would be doomed to relive those events forever in his mind, without being able to to find rest, as Sisyphus had been doomed for eternity to push a huge boulder to the top of a mountain in the kingdom of the dead only to see it roll down the mountain and have to pick him up and push him again.

     Should he carry this burden with him forever? Forever was far too long for Jin: he already couldn't take it anymore. Fortunately, forever on a human scale did not represent the eternity of Time. So it would have an end, hopefully but Jin found himself hoping that she would arrive soon.

     He suddenly heard Jungkook's whispering voice inches from his head, and he jumped slightly under his blanket for he hadn't heard him coming, lost as he was in his thoughts. He felt the younger's hand gently caress the arch of his protruding shoulder easily discernible despite the blanket.

     Then, Jungkook spoke while sniffling steadily, in a heavy whisper:

     "Hyung... Now I know why you can't talk to me, and it wasn't just because of what Taehyung said. It was because of what Lee said to you before you went to the hospital. He threatened to let you die if you didn't, it looks like a nightmare... I'm so sorry that you ended up alone with him at the Stade de France, he did and said so many bad things to you..." 

     Jungkook suppressed a sob, not wanting to make Jin sadder than he already was. He knew that Jin wasn't ignoring him by choice. He had to do it because his will had been crushed by Lee's. Under his blanket, Jin was completely still and listened carefully to Jungkook but kept a worried silence.

     "Don't worry hyung, I understand why you still can't do it. You need time to realize that you are finally free from the domination of this monster and when you finally realize it, I'm sure you will come back to me. I will wait for you, I promise."

     Jugkook knelt down to be almost level with Jin's head and slipped under the blanket the small work of them made by the Parisian painter as well as his necklace with the crescent moon pendant and the ring, symbol of the bond which united them.

     "I think yours got lost during the concert, so take mine, it will allow you to remember the beautiful day we spent together in Paris, and maybe also the beautiful journey we made together for ten years."

     With a tight throat, not expecting any response from Jin, Jungkook straightened up and started to walk away but Jin's hand popped out from the blanket and grabbed his wrist. Jungkook, surprised, turned around and waited.

     But Jin said nothing. He just wanted to let Jungkook know that he heard him and that he would join him, when he was ready. And in the eyes of Jungkook, this simple gesture was more than enough to understand.

     "I know hyung," he whispered, laying a hand on Jin's.

     So, Jin let go of his wrist and his hand snuck back to the blanket as Jin turned back to the wall again, unfortunately unable to see the smile that had crept over Jungkook's teary face.

     The maknae returned to sit with the other members. They were all waiting for Namjoon before sleeping, except for Soobin who ended up going to settle on a mattress at the other end of the room to let his elders talk to each other. The members of BTS were very sorry that he was involved because his involvement would compel him to come and testify against Lee during his trial, but the boy assured that he was happy to help BTS pay for the crimes of Lee.

     "Jungkook?" Taehyung called shyly, expecting to be ignored again.

     Unexpectedly, Jungkook turned to him and Taehyung, though surprised, didn't let this chance pass.

     "Jungkook, I heard you mention Jin hyung's necklace," Taehyung said, "were you talking about this one?"

     He pulled out a white golden necklace from under his sweater that Jungkook immediately recognized. His face instantly lit up and he exclamed:

     "Yes, it's Jin hyung's necklace!! I knew he wore it at the last concert so I thought he fell at the Stade de France and was lost forever!"

     Taehyung smiled seeing Jungkook so happy. He proceeded to untie it from his neck and handed it to the maknae:

      "Here, I give it to you. If I understand correctly, you were both wearing the same one."

      "Not quite the same," Jungkook exclaimed. "I had the moon and him and the star pendant." 

      "I'm amazed he let you choose the moon," Taehyung said with a smile. 

      "I didn't let him choose," Jungkook said proudly, "But in the end, he still got the moon pendant as I just gave it to him. I thought so much that I would never see this necklace again, I'm so happy! Where did you find it?"

     "Hyung was wearing it when he was admitted to the hospital, it was with his stuffs with other jewelry," Taehyung explained, recalling that cursed and thankfully brief time when he stood in front of an unconscious Jin, unknowingly if he was going to wake up one day after being stabbed. "I... I didn't know if Jin hyung was going to wake up, he was in a coma and I had talked about the Little Prince and his smiling stars with him just before so when I saw the star-shaped pendant, I kept it as a talisman that symbolized hyung's lucky star and the hope that he would get better."

     Taehyung had never told to anyone this moment spent alone in front of Jin's bed when no one knew if he was going to wake up. It must have been a terrible moment. Jungkook smiled at his statement about the Little Prince.  

     "Thank you hyung. For everything you have done for Jin hyung. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me, I know very well what kind of man he is but I let him play with my head again as he played with yours. That was infair."

     "There's nothing to forgive, that's what I did to you too from the beginning, I don't forget, I accused you when you were innocent. I think I have been punished by fate today, To show me what it felt like to be wrongly accused by everyone." Taehyung replied sadly. "Well not entirely wrong : I'm still guilty for not doing anything to stop Lee when I could, you have the right to blame me for that Jungkook." 

     "If you're guilty of not doing anything, then I'm more guilty than you," Jungkook said, just as sad as him.

      "It's not a guiltiest contest," Yoongi sighed. 

     "None of you are guilty, you have to get that in your head," Jimin snubbed them gently.

     Both Jungkook and Taehyung smiled weakly exchanging a look but Jungkook, tenderly gazing at Jin's necklace he held in his hand lost his smile. He had just saw that the pendant, the ring and part of Jin's chain no longer had their beautiful white golden color seen up close.

     "Is that what I think it is?" he asked anxiously.

     "I didn't want to wash it, I took it off to wash myself," Taehyung explained, "it bathed in Jin hyung's blood and the blood got embedded in the 'Je t'aime' inscription inside the ring. I promised myself, if I truly loved hyung, leave the blood and not wash it off until I avenged him."

     "We haven't really avenged him yet, Namjoon's punch was far from enough for that " Jimin said, beside them, a hand wrapped around Taehyung's shoulder, who on his side was dreaming madly that in their absence, Namjoon had beaten Lee to death.

     "In that case, I won't wash it either and I'll wait for that day," Jungkook decided as he tried to tied it around his own neck. It would be like a blood promise.

     "The blood part might seem disgusting but it's particularly moving," Hoseok said with a small smile, helping Jungkook to put the necless around his neck. "There is a beautiful book to be written about you."

    "Yes, but a book on what, Hoseok," Yoongi asked with a serious face "a book about love, or about friendship? About what exactly? Jungkook, it's a couple ring that you wear around your neck and it says 'I love you' inside. I'm no fool, I understand why you bought them. But I want to know now Jungkook, did you think about what I said earlier? Is there any truth in my thinking?"

     Everyone turned to Jungkook, who was silent for a moment, thinking.

    "We won't judge you, you can be honest with us," Hoseok reassured him.

    "Yes, I know hyung, and I'm very grateful to you, even if it's quite embarrassing to talk about it with you," Jungkook replied sincerely, "You know, I really love hyung, with all my heart..."

     "It seemed obvious to all of us," Jimin laughed.

     "...but Yoongi hyung's words must have made me think and I'm not sure of everything anymore."

     "You have the right to take more time to think about it, don't worry," Taehyung said, seeing Jungkook hesitate.

     "Yes but not too long, I'm sorry, but we have a trial to prepare and we'll all have to be on the same page to get us out to know how to defend ourselves," Yoongi explained and Jungkook nodded.

     "Jungkook, when did you start having different feelings for hyung?" Hoseok asked, with curiosity, eager to better understand and help the youngest to better understand the subtle nature of his own feelings.

     "Well, I'm not sure hyung, I believe it was after Lee assaulted Jin hyung for the first time. I think it was that day because I told him that I will fight for him like he fought for me. We had very dark secret to hide and at the beginning, I felt like I was alone against you guys and your suspicion of me. It was obvious to me that Jin hyung and I had to protect each other. I felt like I only had him and he only had me against everyone else."

     "I told you that I deeply regret and I do, but to be honest Jungkook," Taehyung said, "your behavior was very weird, you acted like hyung belonged to you and it made us feel uncomfortable after his panic attack. We were afraid of your strange reactions, particularly fierce."

     "I know, and I'm sorry for acting like that," the maknae apologized, ashamed, without reminding Taehyung that he himself had had the same behavior on the plane, after Lee's threats against him, when he thought he was the only one who could protect Jin. There was no point in going back on it now that everything was clear between them.

     "We weren't against you, Jungkook, even if it's true that we had terrible suspicions and I hope that you will be able to forgive us for that" Yoongi added, sighting, "we tried to protect Jin hyung like you did, seeing clearly that he wasn't well, we clearly failed as we ended up taking the only person who was really protecting him away from him: you."

     "I already forgave you with all my heart, I know you wanted to protect Jin hyung just like me but initially it's not how I thought. As I told you, it was Jin hyung and me against the rest of the world at that time." Jungkook defended himself.

     "Yes, we understand."

     Hoseok patted a kind hand on his shoulder, inviting him to continue.

     "At Hanagae beach when we fled, Jin hyung said that with me, he felt loved, reassured and protected and it filled me with a sense of pride: I was so happy to be the one with who he felt like that when the night before I had thought he would hate me forever knowing what I had let Lee do to him! Besides, I knew at that moment that I didn't have to fight anymore to keep hyung by my side so I thought, 'why not fight for his happiness?'"

     "Jungkook," Hoseok said with a fond look on him, "that was really kind and cute of you, and I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but I think you unknowingly let your innocent and sincere feelings for Jin evolve to something else at that precise moment because you faced a monster, a sexual predator. To oppose him, you may have thought that you and Jin needed something stronger than the affection you already had for each other."

     Jungkook lowered his head and Yoongi added:

     "It was a reaction to the aggression that Jin hyung had suffered and that only you knew about. Do you remember how angry you got when we told you that you should be more distant in public, that it was okay if people were sure that 'jinkook' wasn't real? It threw you into such a mad rage that you ended up hitting hyung. It was the fear of finding you each alone that motivated this, it was not love, Jungkook, it is my conviction. It was a bond of survival. And as the threat of Lee remained more present than ever, instead of being reabsorbed, this bond that you created the first between Jin hyung and you was maintained and even strengthened, it mutated into something other."

     "Hyung you're so weird, why are you talking about it like it's a mutant creature?" Taehyung interjected.

     Yoongi gave him a menacing look for criticizing his metaphor.

     "Yoongi hyung, I know you heard our argument when I hit hyung," Jungkook said, ignoring Taehyung's intervention as he wanted to stay in a serious conversation at that moment. "And then I remember you said I had to stop because I was hurting hyung, making him suffer, that was your word. At that moment I refused to discuss it, this thought was unbearable to me and besides, I was convinced that Lee was the only one who really hurt hyung and that I was the one who protected him. Looking back, you were right all along."

     "Obviously, I never said that to hurt you and even if back then I didn't have all the keys to understanding that I have now, I just understood that your relationship was no longer the same than before, that it had become toxic and that it had made you totally a different person from who you were.

     The two of you no longer had anything cute and beautiful together: Jungkook you had become violent with him and Jin hyung had become totally vulnerable, fragile, he seemed frightened by you, he burst into tears without complex in front of me when he was still showed strong in front of us despite the difficulty. You were both too scared of being separated from each other. I think that instead of making you stronger, this toxic relationship has on the contrary weakened your original sincere bond of affection that you had always shared."

      Jungkook, spoke, his throat tight:

     "When I saw that Jin hyung was afraid of me and that I was no longer in control of my emotions, I realized that I was starting to look like Lee, the monster I despise. I understand what you meant by 'toxic love' hyung. It was not pleasant at all: it was scary to live with, I was afraid again of losing hyung forever. Jin hyung believed that I could hurt him too, he equated me with Lee. That's why he didn't talk to me anymore, not just because I hit him. It was not just about the hit, it was the result of this toxic love: I no longer appeared as a protector but as the monster he was trying to flee from. I'm really not normal... Do you think this story drove me crazy? Do you think I'll be back to normal eventully?"

     "Wow wow, I never said you were crazy nor that you were like that monster! But you weren't in your normal state, that's for sure," Yoongi replied. "It was a real dialogue of the deaf, I really felt like I was talking to a wall and a strong one. You are no longer in this state, fortunately, you have already freed yourself from it. Honestly, I don't think he ever really expected you to be his protector. In my view, he wanted you to remain his Jungkook, the same Jungkook who had always made him happy in the past. You are his landmark in this past time when he was happy and you have to free Jin hyung from his demons now or help him to do so. He need you, Jungkook."

     He said that made it a slight nod to point at Jin. Or rather the blanket that covered him. Yoongi wondered if Jin heard all this: he hoped so, because it would allow him to take the time to think about the relationship he would like to have with Jungkook in the future.

     "But in the end," Yoongi concluded, "it's up to you whether you need each others as lovers or as brothers to be happy again like before."

      That left Jungkook pensive.