The next morning, Jungkook woke up late alone in bed, Jin having woken up several hours before.

     "Jungkook, I'm coming in!" A voice said from the other side of the door.

     When Namjoon entered the room, Jungkook whined inwardly. He thought he was well enough hidden to escape his morning chores.

     "It's time to get up, Jin hyung has you covered enough. Your tasks are waiting for you. "

     "Hyung!" Jungkook complained, "I promise not to do it again so remove that punishment! What would the fans think if they knew I was being punished? "

     "They would think it's cute: the youngest of BTS punished like the little boy he portrays himself," replied the leader. "Wanting to be too childish, that image sticks to your skin, you know".

     "It's not my fault!" Jungkook moaned. "And then, I'm going to share Jin hyung's punishment, am I not entitled to a reduced sentence?" "

     "Hyung's punishment?" Namjoon asked.

     "Yes, the company sanctioned him, didn't you know?" Jungkook found it strange that their leader didn't know.

     "No..." Namjoon said thoughtfully, "I'll discuss this later with our manager, get up now."

     That afternoon, after his boring communication lessons where he had been reminded of the times in front of the camera when they were allowed to be themselves and the times when it was not tolerated, Jungkook returned to the dormitory. In his bedroom, he took his notebook and noted:

     "Strategy 2: in peacetime, strengthen ties with your ally"

     A voice startled him:

     "Are you writing a new Art of War?" Taehyung asked, slipping behind him. "Do you want to destroy Namjoon hyung with your own hands? I will be your ally if you ask me by kneeling."

     "I'll ask someone else then," Jungkook chuckled, too proud to kneel to anyone, especially to Taehyung.

     "Namjoon hyung left Sejin hyung pissed off earlier, I don't think this is a good time to go to war with him if you want my advice."

     "He was pissed of?" Jungkook wondered. "Do you know what they talked about? ".

     "I haven't heard it all," Taehyung shrugged. "I think it was about Jin hyung. Maybe Namjoon hyung tried to defend him and it didn't go well? Jin hyung would have to keep a low profile for the next few days in my opinion because Sejin hyung was even more pissed off than Namjoon and didn't seem to be joking."

     "And why?" Jungkook asked with an aggressiveness that was unlike him and that surprised Taehyung. "Jin-hyung hasn't done anything wrong, he shouldn't even have been punished to begin with and if Sejin hyung is angry about what happened, all he has to do is come see me!"

     "Wow, calm down Jungkook, I'm not an enemy in your war, I'm your ally, remember? Well even if you haven't knelt in front of me yet."

     "I know," replied the maknae, a little embarrassed that he had lost his temper.

     "I didn't know Jin hyung had been punished," the elder added, "and I agree with you, he doesn't deserve it. But there must be a reason he is the only one receiving the wrath of the company and that's why I reiterate my opinion: he should keep a low profile while waiting for the tension to subside with them."

"He won't do that. Jin hyung is a free spirit who never bothered to follow the rules," Jungkook proudly asserted.

     "Unfortunately, you are right. But don't encourage him to do that for now, this would be considered provocative towards the company. It might hurt him and you'd regret it."

     Taehyung left him at his words and Jungkook knew what remained for him to do. He crossed out the title of his strategy 2 and replaced it with this one:

     "In time of war, provoke the enemy with your ally."

     The live was eagerly awaited by fans Jin had announced it to on social media and when it arrived, the number of connections exploded. The oldest and the youngest hadn't done a live performance together for several years, without anyone explaining it because everyone appreciated the special alchemy that existed between the young men, since the beginnings of BTS.

     For the occasion, Jin had prepared a small feast to share with the maknae and they happily started the live, greeting the Army and giving their news, then they spoke at length about the album just released while asking the fans about their feelings, their reactions, their favorite songs... Then, they responded to some comments written in Korean.

     "The argument between you two was very funny at the conference, oppa!" Jungkook read with a smile after a while because Jin had until then avoid reading aloud the comments that touched on this subject. And he saw Jin flinch slightly. Had he been asked not to talk about it during the live? And why not ? Jungkook thought.

     "Aaah thank you, thank you!" Jin exclaimed with his legendary english accent before continuing in Korean: "but next time we will be wiser to prevent Jungkook from being punished again."

     Comments came in thousands:

     "Is that true?????"

     "What ??! has my little Jungkook been punished? "

     "No, Jin-oppa is just kidding I think."

     "Haha you are perfect, stay as you are, don't change a thing! "

     "Nooo please don't stop, keep making us laugh!!!!"

    "But why is Jungkook the only one to have been punished?"

     "No, but it was a joke."

     [...]

     Jungkook laughed as he read the comments and says:

     "Oh but I'm not the only one, Jin hyung was also punished."

     Under the table, away from the camera, the elder pinched him to keep him from going too far.

     "Ah that's right," Jin confessed, "but since JK has to tidy my room for a whole month, I'm not complaining."

     "Oooooh so cute! "

     "Haha what kind of punishment is that? "

     "Jungkook is an international star but he receives the same punishments that my big brother gives me, I'm dying XD"

     "Jin oppa! what is your punishment??"

     "Jungkook, what is Jin-oppa's punishment?"

     Before Jin could pinch him again, Jungkook replied:

     "As Jin-hyung sent me to the bathroom during the show, he has to scrub everyone's bathroom in the dorm."

     Caught off gard, Jin burst out laughing and, supporting Jungkook's lie, he added with a false disgusted look while pinching his nose:

     "And JK's bathroom, arrhhhh, what a horror!"

     "It has to be a real punishment, so I made sure I didn't clean anything for two days, not even with a flush," the makane approved.

     "But yours are nothing compared to those of Namjoon," Seokjin added with a wink at Jungkook.

     "It's so true!" Jungkook chuckled.

     And the two burst out laughing as thousands of Army understood what they were saying, while millions of international Army wouldn't laugh until later, after reading the translation.

     Namjoon burst into the small room where the live was taking place, his phone in his hand and shouted, scandalized :

    "Hyung!"

     Jin and Jungkook laughed until they shed tears before restoring Namjoon's honor to the fans and revealing that it was all a joke. The live continued with the three and they forgot about promoting the album altogether, being carried away by Jin's jokes and the reactions of the fans who had also forgotten the live's primary purpose.

     When the live ended, Jungkook watched Jin wipe away his tears of laughter and wondered why he had not kept the first title of his strategy: his hyung seemed happy with this live performed together and the maknae almost forgot why he had thought they were in "time of war".

     However, he later remembered it, when Jin came back from the company offices, looking unusually unhappy. The executives did not seem to have been convinced by the live and had given Jin additional assignments to promote the album.

     Taehyung exchanged a meaningful look with Jungkook as they saw Jin's schedule for the days to come. And as his elder had predicted, Jungkook felt guilty: it was probably his fault that the live had not turned out the way the company expected because he had done everything so that Jin was himself and to make him shine with the fans, instead of letting him play the company's game by being too serious - what went against his own nature - about promoting the album. 

    But how was that wrong? It further strengthened the bond with their fans! Jungkook thought with frustration.

     Maybe Jungkook should give the company some management lessons one day, that was his thought. This would allow them, for example, to appreciate Jin's personality as an asset to their influence rather than making it a problem to be solved.