"No, you can't be in this class!" Seokjin exclaimed, appalled.

"Well, first of all: ouch! I'm hurt Jin," Jungkook stated as he placed a hand over his heart. "Secondly, that's how things were done, it's not you or me who decides. I imagine I was put in this class to balance out a class with a lousy level. You may not know it, but I accepted to Eunma with the best national results. I am a model student, so if anyone should change classes and even schools, it's not me."

He glanced at his cousin who, understanding what he had just said, was about to jump but against all expectations, it was Seokjin who reacted first.

"Who cares if you're top of the class and think we're not good enough for Eunma," he said, "We won't stop you from studying, we just want you to leave us alone, please."

He seemed confident but he took a step back when he saw Jungkook approaching him, obviously not reassured to find himself too close to him after what he had done to him. Seeing this, Jungkook stopped moving forward and said:

"It's sad, Jin, all this animosity that I feel in you towards me. However, I came to witness a curious scene where you forced Taehyung to apologize in front of his enemy and make peace. Should Taehyung know how to forgive but you don't? Or am I the only one who doesn't get a second chance?"

Jungkook smiled seeing that his argument had hit the mark and Seokjin seemed shaken. But Taehyung, seeing this, was quick to tell Seokjin:

"Do not even think about it! He is manipulating you, so keep staying away from him."

"We were friends, Jin, weren't we?" Jungkook continued, ignoring Taehyung, knowing that Seokjin was paying attention, "and friends forgive mistakes. Like you yourself forgave Taehyung despite what he did to you. But maybe you don't know everything he did and that's why you were able to forgive him. Huh, Taehyung?"

Taehyung wanted to strangle Jungkook, but he couldn't say anything back, because his cousin wasn't wrong.

"That's not true," Seokjin said in defense of Taehyung, "Tae and I have already resolved all our past issues, there is no more misunderstanding or animosity between us and I forgave him everything."

"Ah really?" Jungkook asked, turning to Taehyung to give him his smirk.

"Right," Jimin quickly added, knowing very well what Jungkook was talking about and therefore also knowing that Seokjin had no idea. "Jungkook, you compare the forgiveness that Seokjin should give you with the apology that he asked Taehyung to give to Seung but Seung is not a scum like you and besides, he is Seokjin's friend, all as Taehyung is Seokjin's friend. As for you, you are no one's friend here."

In turn, Jungkook seemed eager to strangle Jimin, but his control of his emotions was better than Taehyung's and he didn't need anyone to contain himself and turn a friendly face towards Seung. Knowing Seokjin as he was beginning to know him, he easily guessed that if he was such a good friend to Seokjin, it was because he was a football player. So he said:

"Hi, I'm Jeon Jungkook," Jungkook said to Seung who until then had been observing the scene in silence. "Jin and I met on the football field during the Junior Championship final. He was a formidable opponent and he probably would have won against me if the rest of his team hadn't been so lousy to the point of leaving him leading alone and having an asthma attack."

Seokjin glanced at him suspiciously, wondering why Jungkook spoke of him in such glowing terms.

"Yes, Jin is an exceptional player," agreed Seung, who remembered his friend's talents and passion very well. Seokjin gave him a bright smile but remembered that he mostly had to tell Seung to be wary of Jungkook, especially when he heard him remark, "And I imagine that if you made it to the final with your team that's because you too are an excellent player."

"I think we can say that since I got the best player trophy, even if I'm still not not sure I deserved it more than Jin. In any case, at least I can still say that I did an admirable thing during this match since was the one who saved his life when he had his asthma attack, even if he tends to forget," Jungkook said, smiling at Seokjin who felt some guilt.

In reality, he obviously hadn't forgotten, but he had a hard time knowing how to perceive Jungkook. Sure, he had threatened him and almost compromised his career by drugging him, but it was after having suffered from what he had heard from his father. Before that, he had saved his life, and he had behaved in such a way that he believed Jungkook would become a good friend to him. It upset him but in the end, he would rather listen to Taehyung's advice and stay away from his cousin.

"Oh really?" Seung said t Jungkook's words, surprised to feel a distance between Seokjin and Jungkook despite this.

Seokjin told him that he had lost the championship final because of 'an asthma attack, which had almost cost him his life. He had imagined that he had simply been rescued by the emergency services. Now that he had his friend's savior in front of him, he was really grateful.

"Thank you for him. You saved an amazing person, I hope you know that. You helped make this world a better place."

Seokjin blushed contentedly.

"I know," Jungkook stated, "I'm glad I did, even if Jin hates me now."

But Seokjin didn't want him to be friendly with Seung, afraid to know what dangerous path he could lead her into if they became friends.

"Jungkook is not just Jin's savior, he's also Taehyung's cousin, and a real jerk" Jimin thought it best to inform Seung, "and if you want good friendly advice, Seung, you should stay away from him. This is what Jin plans to do too because he was already hurt by Jungkook."

Seokjin was grateful to Jimin and he nodded.

"It might be difficult to stay away from each other if we're both in the same class and on the same football team, don't you think?" Jungkook said, visibly delighted.

"Y-you're going to continue football?!" Seokjin exclaimed.

"I told you!" Taehyung cried, displeased.

"But Jungkook," Seokjin said, desperate to convince him to give up on this plan, "you said you weren't passionate about football and now that you won the Junior championship, you accomplished your goal! There are plenty of other clubs at Eunma High School, you have so many choices so-"

"It's nice of you to care," Jungkook cut in, "but I thought about it this summer and I think I got really attached to the sport actually. It's as if playing with you had awakened my passion and I tell myself that playing on the same team as you, being in constant contact with you will continue to fuel this passion and keep it burning!"

Jimin had to hold Taehyung back to prevent him from throwing himself at Jungkook and at that moment other students began to enter the classroom as it was almost time for classes to start and saw the strange scene that was taking place with this group of five boys from whom strong tensions seemed to emanate.

"Come on, a little restraint cousin," Jungkook mocked, "we're in a classroom, you're going to have to control your bloodthirsty urges or else you'll scare away all your classmates."

"I don't care about them, you can have them, I just want you to stay away from Jin," Taehyung growled, having no intention of sharing the same friends as Jungkook and refusing in any case to share his friend with him.

"Relax, I'm not going to eat him, you know? And I don't see what you're worried about, you're always stuck on him," Jungkook remarked, "oh, but it's true that it won't be the case on the field, unless of course you planned to pass the selections to join the team? Sorry, but given the level this year with Jin and I joining the team at the same time, there may not be room for a first year student as bad as you. So I think we can really have fun away from you after all."

Seokjin understood that his plan to keep Taehyung away from the football field was doomed to failure: now that Jungkook had said that, Taehyung wouldn't want to leave him with his cousin without watching him closely. And that was what the expression of pure hatred Taehyung gave his cousin seemed to say.

"It's okay, don't worry Taehyung," Seung intervened to everyone's surprise, "I'll be with Jin, I'll protect him from those who would try to hurt him."

The arrogant way Jungkook spoke didn't escape him and he didn't like it. He suspected that if Seokjin didn't like him, it was because he definitely wasn't someone lovable. He challenged Jungkook with a look, telling him that he would not be his friend, that he would be wary of him in the same way as Seokjin and that Jungkook had no interest in trying to attack Seokjin.

Seokjin was immediately happy and reassured, and he looked to Taehyung to make sure it was the same for Taehyung.

"You?" Taehyung said however with an obvious lack of confidence towards Seung. "Are you the one I should trust to protect Jin?"

The last time he had seen Seung in middle school, he had beaten him up and he knew that this boy was not capable of defending Seokjin against Jungkook if he was not capable of defending himself.

"You seem to think that I'm still the same as I was three years ago," Seung remarked, "but do you really think that I would have agreed to remain this weak after having suffered so much? Of course I did what was necessary to never again be anyone's punching ball."

Observing Seung carefully, Seokjin realized that he was speaking the truth. His body had not only grown since middle school, but it had also gained a lot of muscle. He had a similar stature to Jungkook, although slightly smaller, as if he was working on strengthening his muscles and no longer letting anyone hit him like he had during his first year of middle school.

So that was why he had been able to forgive Jimin, Seokjin and Jimin realized at the same moment: because he knew that Jimin, even if he had refused to maintain cordial relations with him, would not wouldn't have been able to hurt him like before. Jimin fought well, but he was small and physically unimposing. If Seung had trained to fight for two years as well, with a body like his, he would have no problem knocking Jimin out.

"This guy does Thai boxing," Jimin told Seung pointing at Jungkook with his thumb, wanting to indicate to him that Jungkook was a much more dangerous person than him. " Since a few months."

"Okay," Seung simply said without expressing fear. "I do that too. Since two years."

Seokjin widened his eyes in surprise and found Seung cooler than ever.

"Seung, you're amazing!" He exclaimed, stars in the eyes.

"Thanks Jin," Seung replied, smiling back. ""With me, you have nothing to fear from him now."

"Awesome, let's become adversaries you and I, and fight every now and then so we don't rust," Jungkook said to Seung, not looking worried in the slightest. He cracked the knuckles of his hands to add gesture to speech.

"I told you, I don't intend to be your friend," replied Seung, who seemed to have realized that Jungkook was as hateful as his cousin. "And I'm not afraid of you if it's what you think."

"I understand that well, I didn't ask you to be my friend but my opponent."

"I don't want to either. We'll be classmates and teammates on the football field, that's all."

Jungkook sighed.

"It's a shame, all the three of us could have been good friends, Jin, you and me. But you immediately put me aside, all because of a single mistake, and you ask those who do not know me to do the same as you, wouldn't that be harassment?

"A mistake?!" Taehyung exclaimed, "it wasn't just "a mistake", you just revealed your true nature, you junkie!"

"Wow, wow, wow, what are you talking about now? ou know, if you don't protect my reputation anymore, I won't be able to protect yours either," Jungkook told him, suddenly menacing, turning his gaze briefly to Seokjin without turning his face away to tell Taehyung what he was up to speak.

Each kept the other's secret and Taehyung couldn't reveal publicly Jungkook's tendencies to use drugs. If anyone else said it, Jungkook could deny it, but if his own family started saying it publicly, he would have a hard time passing it off as slander.

Taehyung cleared his throat and said:

"Whatever. Now, Jin and Seung both know you're an asshole and that's the only thing that matters."

He had put Seung in the same sentence as Seokjin and Seokjin was grateful: this meant that he recognized his friendship with Seung and that he wanted Seung to stay away from Jungkook as well.

"Luckily the year is long and they will have plenty of time to change their minds about me," Jungkook said.

"It won't happen," Seokjin assured him, as the bell for the start of classes rang.

Jungkook just gave him a confident smile and went to choose a table or sit in one of the first rows, visibly ready to be first in class.

The others did the same and sat in the back of the room at their individual tables, Taehyung insisting that Seokjin stay seated at the table to the right of his because Jimin had already chosen the one in front of his. Seung sat to Seokjin's right, judging that this way he would be close to him while being far enough away from Taehyung for his liking because as he had said, even if he wanted cordial relations between them, he had no intention of fraternizing and starting to chat with Taehyung.

He also had friends other than Seokjin in the class whom he had met the day before and to whom he already spoke a lot, and this reassured Taehyung as much as it pleased Seokjin who knew to what extent Seung was sociable and deserved to have lots of friends. He himself had planned, no offense to Taehyung, to assume that all the other classmates in his class 1-A could become his friends. Except for Jungkook of course.

All the students had already arrived and settled down. Their main teacher Mr. Seon, also their history teacher, distributed certain documents to them including their timetables, spoke to them about the schools rules, the specificities of Eunma, extra-curricular clubs, and came to the question of class representatives.

In view of the school records taking into account both the results obtained in the exams but also the investment of the students in the projects of their previous schools, the head teacher designated Jungkook and Seung as the delegates of their class.

Jungkook gave Seokjin a pointed look, as if to indicate that he and Seung were finally going to spend more time together than he could have expected. The two class delegates came to formally introduce themselves to the class and to Taehyung's great displeasure, not only did everyone like Seung, but everyone also liked Jungkook and Mr. Seon was very happy with his choice.

At the end of this first week of classes which allowed them to discover all their courses and their teachers, after having a long discussion with Jimin to whom he repeated what he had said to Taehyung regarding the need to do things he loved, Seokjin convinced Taehyung to go and join the club of high school music, while Jimin, following his own wishes, went to join the dance club to his friends' surprise.

Jimin had always done Taekwondo and even if it was true that he had a graceful appearance for a boy who loved to fight, this title of brawler stuck to him so much that his choice could only arouse amazement in Taehyung and Seokjin.

"You don't know me well, that's all," he said simply, "I've been wanting to try for a long time."

In reality, as he revealed to them, he didn't like taekondo that much. He had decided to do so because he knew that given his unimposing stature and not-so-powerful family like Taehyung's, the only way for him to gain some respect and some fear from the others would be to practice a combat sport.

Dance being an activity considered worthy enough like music, Eunma made it a point to offer it, among other clubs, and Seokjin imagined that the dance of the rich was more like classical danse ballet. He found himself dreamily imagining Jimin dancing gracefully like a swan, in a pink tutu, tights and ballet flats.

"What are you imagining again?!" Jimin immediately stopped him, while Taehyung burst into mocking laughter. "Get this image out of your head Jinnie, you can't see me like this!"

"But I can't wait to see you dance!" Seokjin exclaimed, stars in his eyes, unable to remove this image from his mind now that it was imprinted there.

"I'm not going to wear a tutu and a dance club allows you to experience all types of dance, not just classical dance. I'll see what dance I like the most."

"Ooooh Jimin, I'm so happy for you!" Seokjin exclaimed with sincerity.

"Thank you, Jinnie," Jimin thanked him warmly.

Jimin knew that it was thanks to Seokjin that he could seize this opportunity. Without him, he wouldn't have thought he could try anything and would just have continued to follow Taehyung in all his choices and probably, practicing taekwondo to remain Taehyung's bodyguard and his henchman, in short, his dog, as Jungkook had said at the Kim party. It was only because Seokjin was a part of Taehyung's life and therefore his own that he was able to escape this very inglorious fate.

"And you, Tae, are you looking forward to starting your new club?" Seokjin asked with excitement, turning to Taehyung.

His passion for music was less of a secret now than Jimin's for dancing, but Jimin had been surprised to see Taehyung agree to take hours of music lessons in addition to the compulsory classes already given by the school and during which they could observe with amusement Seokjin struggles as he could alone with his piano, visibly more novice than the other students in mastering a musical instrument.

Taehyung had agreed to let Seokjin go alone with Seung to his football club despite Jungkook being there several times a week while he would be practicing his music. Things were really changing, Jimin thought to himself, shooting a tender look at Seokjin who was undoubtedly responsible for this and who was keen to know them all happy.

Taehyung stared at Seokjin for a moment, as Seokjin had a hopeful smile and he loved seeing Seokjin so eager to see him happy. So he said:

"Yes, I'm looking forward to start and show everyone how incredible Kim Taehyung is."

Obviously, without a touch of arrogance, he wouldn't be Taehyung. Happy, Seokjin nodded but, sulkily, added:

"Even if you didn't ask me, know that I'm also happy to join the high school football team!"

"Oh, are you happy too?" Jimin pretended to discover.

"Yes, very happy," Seokjin affirmed.

"As if we didn't know," Taehyung grumbled.

Seokjin gave him a sulky look, implying that despite everything, he should have asked him.

"We are happy for you too," Jimin told him kindly, without irony this time. "You're going to be the star of this team, that's for sure!"

"No, I'll be the moon of my team, it shines brighter," Seokjin replied.

Taehyung and Jimin's eyes widened at the arrogance of their usually so humble Seokjin.

"So much arrogance all of a sudden! Who are you and what did you do to my good boy?" Jimin mocked.

"I'm still me, I didn't become a bad boy," Seokjin said, shaking his head, taking Jimin's words literally, "but I am a footballer and I am more determined than ever to become a world-class footballer. For that, I have to be confident in my abilities in a competition and I just decided to be better than Jungkook."

"Is it really important to be better than him at all cost?" Taehyung asked visibly unhappy, as he didn't want Seokjin to exhaust himself trying to surpass himself against Jungkook.

"Yes, it's important because we must not let him believe that he can remain the best player without loving football."

"Just because his team won doesn't mean he's better than you, Jin," Jimin pointed out. "For me, you are the best of all, you are my superstar! And you're Taehyung's too, even if he'll never tell you that."

Taehyung gave him a look that indicated that indeed, he would never say such a ridiculous thing but Seokjin blushes contentedly at Jimin's words, so he decided to send him his own praise.

"Yeah, Jungkook is not better than you just because he won the match againt you. And he's a bad player from my point of view.

"You're my friends and his enemies, that's why you say that," Seokjin joked however happy to see his friends supporting him. "But I will still do everything to live up to it and make you proud."

"You sure will," Jimin affirmed.

"Jin," Taehyung added, frowning, "you also need to take into account the fact that you are sick and Jungkook is not. It's unfair but he has an advantage over you in your race to the top so don't overdo it."

"I'm sorry Tae, I will be attentive to my health, I promise you but I also promise won't hide behind my illness in this competition," Seokjin replied in a serious tone.

Whenever it came to football, he was very serious and for him, giving up on being the best just because he was sick wasn't an option.

"Since Jungkook is the best player right now - he won the trophy for the best junior player, you can't deny him that - I have to shine much more than him. If he's a star, I will be the moon! I will show that my work and my passion have made me stronger than him!" he said with his usual excitement.

"Oh wow, you're so bright right now, my eyes hurt!" Jimin exclaimed, putting a hand over his eyes, pretending to be blinded making Seokjin laugh, replying with a cute rationalism that it was the sun that burned the eyes, not the moon.

Taehyung said nothing, considering that Seokjin would not just be a light for his team, as a footballer. He had indeed become the moon of his dark sky, standing by his side to guide him through his own darkness. And he knew, seeing him so happy around Seokjin, it was the same for Jimin who saw him as the light that guided him towards happiness.

He wanted this moon to never stop shining, for no cloud to ever hide it from his eyes, otherwise he would get lost again.

_________

A/N : This book is far from finished. Hang on.