Bam! Bam! Bam!

Taehyung kept pounding on the door until Hoseok, exasperated, came to open it.

"Do you know respect for tranquility? It's after midnight, what do you want?" he asked, holding the door ajar to prevent Taehyung from

"I only know respect for my own peace," Taehyung replied. "I came for Jin, get him out."

"Wow, no requests regarding Jimin, what a surprise!" Hoseok said ironically. "In any case, you can leave because Jin is not here."

"I'm not talking to Jimin anymore, so don't talk to me about this bastard," Taehyung retorted before adding, "and stop lying, I know Jin is here, he told Yoongi he was coming here. Jin is not a liar."

"He came here but then left," Hoseok explained without hiding his annoyance at Taehyung insisting. "Now, good night to you."

He tried to close the door but Taehyung blocked it with his foot and with a strong push, he opened the door wide, provoking an indignant expression from Hoseok.

"I said Jin is not a liar but I don't have the same opinion about you at all," Taehyung declared, striding into the room and heading towards Jimin's bed where the latter was still lying, curled up under his blanket. "Get out from under there!" he ordered in a loud voice.

He was speaking to Seokjin and not Jimin, convinced that Seokjin was under this blanket with Jimin. Furious, he had convinced himself that Jin, at odds with him, had come to reconcile with Jimin to keep himself away from him, ant that despite what Jimin had said and done to them.

The form under the blanket shuddered at Taehyung's angry voice but no words were spoken and none emerged from under the blanket.

"Get out of there," Hoseok ordered. This time, unusually, he was angry. He grabbed Taehyung's arm to pull him out but Taehyung quickly pulled away and ripped the blanket off the bed.

His smile of satisfaction was short-lived when he realized that there was no trace of Seokjin, only a pitiful Jimin, with a disfigured face and shifty gaze.

"What the hell..." he said, stunned.

"Is it good for you now? You saw Jin wasn't here, so leave before I get really angry," Hoseok growled.

Instead of leaving, Taehyung continued to observe Jimin.

"What happened to you?" he finally asked.

"The same as every time he showed up to you with injuries and you ignored him," Hoseok answered for Jimin.

"It's not you I'm talking to," Taehyung replied, annoyed that Hoseok was acting as Jimin's secretary. "And how long have you two been friends?"

He was surprised to see Hoseok protecting Jimin when Hoseok had the reputation of not being on anyone's side except his own, even though he spent time with everyone to know as much as possible about everyone.

"That's enough Taehyung," Jimin said hoarsely, sitting up half in bed and wincing in pain, "you can leave, I don't need you."

Taehyung's face darkens. His consideration for his friend fought a duel with his pride for a few seconds, then pride won the fitgh and he declared dryly:

"Yeah, I almost forgot that you didn't deserve any consideration from me. I'll leave as soon as I catch Jin."

"Jin?" Jimin wondered as he watched Taehyung open the door to his bathroom to inspect it.

"He came here, I'm sure it was to make up with you, but I won't allow him to do that."

Stunned, Jimin looked at Hoseok:

"I-is it true? Jin really came to see me?"

Annoyed, Hoseok grumbled:

"He came yes, but he left. This idiot doesn't believe me," he added speaking of Taehyung.

Jimin quickly looked at his phone and saw the message from Seokjin asking if he was awake, about forty minutes earlier. Since he hadn't continued the conversation with him since he was asleep, he was convinced that Seokjin had continued it with Hoseok.

Upset at not finding Seokjin in the bathroom, Taehyung ends up looking under the beds to finally realize the obvious: Seokjin wasn't there.

"Where did he go?"

"What do I know?" Hoseok replied.

"Pfff, I'm sure he ran away and went to Seung. I'm really going to kill this guy after all..." Taehyung muttered to himself, ready to head to Seung's room right then and there.

"W-wait Taehyung," Jimin stopped him before the Kim heir had time to leave.

Surprised, Taehyung stopped.

"Hoseok," Jimin continued with a trembling voice, "when Jin came to see me and saw the state I was in, what did you say to him?"

"The same as what you told him: it's none of his business," Hoseok lied detachedly.

"You're too deceitful for me to take your word for it, show me your phone," Jimin ordered, holding out his hand, "I want to see what you told Jin."

"I thought we agreed to respect each other's privacy?" Hoseok taunted, refusing to give him his phone.

"As if you knew what that was," Jimin retorted. He pretended to get up to snatch the phone from Hoseok but, groaning in pain and seeing almost nothing with his swollen eyelids obscuring his vision, he crashed to the ground.

Hoseok rushed to help him and Taehyung was surprised to see a true concerned look on his face. He didn't seem to be helping Jimin out of opportunism.

"Surprising: so you really became friends," he pointed out.

"I won't go that far," Jimin grumbled however leaning on Hoseok to sit back down on his bed.

"Speak for yourself," Taehyung commented with a smirk, watching as Hoseok helped Jimin sit back down on the bed.

Jimin considered that it was not time to have this discussion with Taehyung.

"Hoseok, wasn't I summoned by the Club last night?" he sked with an anguish that Taehyung perceived.

"What club?" he intervened.

"No," Hoseok replied to Jimin, ignoring Taehyung.

Pale, Jimin suddenly understood:

"Did you sent Jin there in my place?"

"Where?" asked Taehyung, who was starting to get annoyed.

As Hoseok remained silent, Jimin realized that he had guessed right.

"How could you do that, Hoseok?! Jin has nothing to do with it!!" he exclaimed in a weak voice which nonetheless showed deep distress.

"On the contrary, it was him the guys wanted in the first place, not you. I only sent them who they trully want," Hoseok replied, shrugging his shoulders. "And besides, your anger is misdirected, it was Jin who agreed to go in your place, I didn't force him, you know that's not how I operate. He was free to make his choice."

"Yeah, but I know Jin: if he went there, it was because he saw what they did to me, even after the way I behaved towards him. And knowing you, deceitful that you are, I'm sure you knew exactly that's what he was going to do so what I want to know is why?! Why did you make him go there instead of me?! Why him?! Don't you have a heart?!" Jimin exclaimed with pain, imagining Seokjin experiencing the same thing as him.

There was a loud crash that made Hoseok and Jimin turn around. Taehyung had just ripped the plugs out of Hoseok's computer and thrown it on the floor.

"Thanks for that, Kimchi," Hoseok scoffed.

"Now I have both of your attention so you're going to explain to me what's going on," Taehyung growled aggressively.

Jimin exchanged a stressed but determined look with Hoseok. The latter sighed when he saw that Jimin encouraged him to respond to Taehyung.

"Jimin is the special guest of the Midnight Club this year-" he started.

"I asked what was going on with Jin," Taehyung cut him off impatiently.

"And if you want to understand what's happening with Jin, you're going to have to understand what happened to Jimin," Hoseok replied with annoyance. "Are you ready to listen?!"

Taehyung glanced at Jimin who ignored him, avoiding his gaze again and mechanically brushing his fingers against one of his still very swollen eyelids.

"I'm listening," he grumbled at Hoseok.

"Finally a glimmer of wisdom in your Kim's head," Hoseok said. "Where was I...ah yes, the Midnight Club. Jimin was their special guest at the start of the year."

"What is the Midnight Club?"

"Interesting question," Hoseok approved. "It's a club that meets at night, in secret, you must have heard rumors about a secret society at Eunma High School. These are not just rumors, this very elitist and secret club exists. You know it in its daytime version, it's the Orators' club."

"The club Namjoon is a part of?" Taehyung asked with a grimace before telling Jimin, "You spent time with Namjoon without telling me? You are suddenly even more detestable to me."

Jimin refrained from responding and lowered his head.

"Says the one who didn't even notice that his friend wasn't well," Hoseok replied. "The most despicable of you two is you by far."

"What?!" Taehyung replied, annoyed.

"Nothing, I'm just expressing my disgust towards you," Hoseok replied at Taehyung who glared at him. "Now, listen to me and answer this question, smartass: why do you think Jimin was accepted into this club when it's an elite group that normally only brings together seven heirs from the richest families in the school?"

Taehyung was about to sharply respond that he didn't know anything about it before realizing that Hoseok had an interesting point. What had made Jimin so special that he was accepted into this very closed circle to which he himself did not belong?

"Gosh, it took you a while, Namjoon is right that you're not the sharpest knife in the drawer!" Hoseok exclaimed with amusement, "finally you understand that something was wrong? Jimin was not integrated to be equal to others, he was integrated to be their victim."

"Ugh, it makes no sense!" Taehyung replied, "who would accept that?"

Hoseok sighed and turned to Jimin who nodded before revealing:

"It doesn't only have bad sides. Jimin can enjoy the benefits too."

Taehyung suddenly understood. He turned to Jimin.

"You didn't suddenly become a math genius. You cheated, like Jungkook said. I can't believe you humiliated yourself just for that. You have no pride, you disgust me."

"Aren't you the more disgusting of the two?" Hoseok refuted. "You learn that your friend suffered and all you can think of to say is that? You just proved that you were never his friend, just like Jimin thought."

Jimin scowled and Taehyung gaped. He turned to Jimin. This time, the other didn't look away.

"It's what you think?" Taehyung asked on a serious tone.

"Are you going to make me believe it's not true?" Jimin replied, "that the only person you ever cared about wasn't Jin?"

Taehyung opened his mouth then closed it, unable to deny that Jimin was right.

"That's a fact," Jimin continued. "It was Jin who brought us together and gave us the illusion of being friends but the reality is that we never were, because you always considered me inferior to you and that I was not not worthy to be your equal. It was something I had gotten used to but seeing that it was impossible for me to be as close to Jin as you were, that I was constantly outside of your secrets, it frustrated me . So when Hoseok told me the secret of the Midnight Club and offered to let me in, knowing that I could rise socially, I didn't hesitate, even if it made me the humiliated creature you have before you and which disgusts you so much."

Jimin's pain was noticeable and his resentment towards Taehyung. As Taehyung remained perfectly silent unable to say anything about what he was feeling and Hoseok just stared at the two of them, Jimin continued:

"I was satisfied with my lot. I was until yesterday, when I lost my temper with Jin. I realized that I had made a serious mistake. I didn't want to hurt Jin, much less wanted him to walk away from me and think I hated him. I regret so much..."

His voice broke and to Taehyung's amazement, he began to sob. He had never seen Jimin cry. He knew him as the brawling boy who was always smiling, even if he didn't always act according to his wishes. Above all, he knew him as the one who had always been by his side since he entered middle school and who had become as attached to Seokjin as he was to himself.

Despite all the resentment he had felt against Jimin the day before, seeing him lower himself to tears did not make him happy. On the contrary, he was particularly upset and he suddenly realized something for the first time: he cared for Jimin. He was the first friend he had made after Seokjin and he had pushed him away, the same way he had pushed Seokjin away.

He realized he wanted them both by his side at that moment. Not just Seokjin but Jimin too. But Seokjin wasn't there and Jimin was crying in distress, his body and mind bruised because he had not been able to see that he was suffering and protect him as a friend should.

He closed his eyes, trying to overcome this surge of unfamiliar guilt that overwhelmed him and took a deep breath the same way Seokjin did when he had to overcome his asthma attacks. Because he had to be strong, if he wanted to be of any help to Seokjin and Jimin. Then, he turned an accusing look towards Hoseok who was unusually silent.

"If I understand correctly, everything that happens is your fault?" he asked in a threatening tone.

"Maybe. However, I never forced anyone," Hoseok replied quietly. "I make proposals to free boys and they are free to accept or refuse them."

Taehyung glared at him, knowing that even though Hoseok was a deceiver, his statement was the absolute truth.

"What I don't understand is how someone like you came to have a position like this."

"I hate the Midnight Club," Hoseok said.

"Then why are you linked to it?"

"Because I was a part of it as a guest," Hoseok explained.

Jimin's wet eyes widened, which told Taehyung that he didn't know.

"Last year," Hoseok continued, "I was in Jimin's place. I was looking for secrets, I thought it would be fun to get into them. I quickly made sure to leave him by unearthing unspeakable secrets and I obtained the position that interested me: I became the matchmaker, the one who connects the Midnight club with the chosen victims."

"Is this the place you wanted?" Taehyung asked, disgusted.

"Yes, it's the one that allows you to acquire precious secrets."

"I suspected it, but confirm one thing: you wanted to have a secret about me to blackmail me?" Jimin asked with a frown. "Is that why you chose me?"

"Oh no, it wasn't me who chose you, even if I was initially happy to know it was you, since you were the only one of Taehyung, Jungkook and you who didn't deliver me an interesting secret," Hoseok said, winking at Taehyung who clenched his fists.

"You trash," Jimin muttered.

"Who chose Jimin if it wasn't you?" Taehyung asked, "Is that Namjoon?"

"No, it's not the boys from the club participating in the pre-selection. It is Director Kang."

"Director Kang?!" Taehyung exclaimed.

" Yes. At the start of the year, he chooses first-year students from families who are less wealthy and influential than the others. From the start of the year, he was attracted by two students he wanted for the club. He is looking for pretty boys to feed to his protégés. Sometimes he too uses them for his own perverse pleasure, in exchange for gifts and privileges."

"I want to vomit," said Taehyung, who, even more than Kang's debauchery, was thinking of his brother's. "The Midnight Club is a bunch of scum, if I understand correctly?"

"Let's just say it was Kang who made them what they are," Hoseok said. "They're just privileged kids when they get to high school. It is he who makes them believe that they have different needs and impulses to satisfy and who provides them with victims. In exchange, he forms a special bond with these ultra-rich boys and knows that he will benefit personally. He already has a fairly powerful network for several years. It's this guy who isn't clear and who put weird ideas in their heads. He is the main rot at the origin of the others."

"Taehyung," Jimin interjected, "Hoseok said the director selected two boys, you heard."

"Yes, I hea- wait, you mean..." Taehyung said, suddenly understanding.

"Jin was chosen too," Hoseok agreed. "To tell the truth, it was even more likely that he would be the one to join the club because he was the one that almost all the members chose after Kang's pre-selection. But one of the members categorically refused."

Taehyung was sure he knew who.

"It's Namjoon."

"Who is the seventh among you?" Seokjin asked feverishly, even though he had already guessed it.

"Me."

Seokjin turned around abruptly at the risk of craning his neck before widening his eyes as he stared at the newcomer.

"When we talk about the Devil," Joonwoo sighed, "what are you doing here Namjoon? You haven't been coming lately and now you show up the day our victim changes. I hope you didn't come to stop us from having fun? I hate it when you come to ruin the mood."

Namjoon glared at him.

"What is he doing here?" he asked his roommate without looking at Seokjin who was vainly trying to silently beg for help with his eyes. "I told you I didn't want him here."

Relieved, Seokjin realized that if Namjoon didn't want him here, then he would definitely help him leave safely.

"He offered to replace Jimin, I couldn't refuse," Joonwoo said mischievously, placing both hands on Seokjin's shoulders and making him jump.

"You haven't been coming lately anyway, so what does it matter if it's him or Jimin?" Jaekyeon intervened, visibly wanting Seokjin to stay with them.

"You better keep quiet, Jaek," Namjoon replied sternly. "You made Jimin in such a state that he couldn't go to class, did you forget the rules? You idiot!"

Jaekyun looked down, a little ashamed, proving that he feared Namjoon more than Director Kang.

"I'm sorry Namjoon, I'll be more careful in the future."

"Of course you'll be more careful," Namjoon said, glancing at Jihoon who, understanding the implication, threw himself for Namjoon a punch into Jaekyun's side, who let out a cry of pain, under the shocked eyes of Seokjin.

The other boys were not moved and quickly turned their attention to Namjoon. Despite his obvious frustration, Jaekyeon didn't protest and just looked down, to show that he had understood his lesson.

"Look Namjoon, calm down. Jimin is already history. We're just going to play with Jin a little more tonight and we'll return him to you afterwards in a, uh, let's say satisfying condition," Heungmin said with a grin as he observed his misdeed.

Seokjin grabbed his aching arm and hugged it close feeling Heungmin's gaze on it. Namjoon turned back to him and saw the burn mark shaped like a 7 on his arm. He looked up at Heugmin, realizing that it was he who had made it, and suddenly said:

"I'm going to play tonight too. After all, Seokjin belongs to my family, it's normal if I'm the one who starts."

Hearing these words, Seokjin felt his hopes fall in the same way as with Mr. Kang just before. No one was on his side here and he didn't know why he thought Namjoon would help him after revealing that he despised him and considered him his family's possession, just like those other boys at the club. Midnight.

"Let him go," Namjoon said to Joonwoo.

"As you wish," the latter complied with regret and moved away to join the other boys on the sofa, as if to enjoy the show.

"Namjoon please let me go-" Seokjin began in a high voice.

"Shut up," Namjoon silenced him with authority, "since you wanted to come here and discover the Midnight club, you will assume the consequences."

"N-no, I promise you, Namjoon, it's not what I-" Seokjin started.

But Namjoon didn't let him finish his sentence. He punched him so hard in the stomach that it took his breath away. Folded in half, arms around his stomach Seokjin opened his mouth wide to try to catch his breath but the air refused to enter because of this violent punch.

Panicked, he grabbed Namjoon's arm with a clenched hand and, raising his head, he managed to moan in a weak voice:

"J-Joonie..."

Namjoon imperceptibly flinched when he heard Seokjin call him by his nickname. However, he made no movement when, struggling to breathe, Seokjin collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.

"Oh, are you serious Namjoon?!" Jihoon exclaimed, disappointed.

Joonwoo gave Namjoon a pointed look. Namjoon saw his look and said to him:

"Oops, it's already unusable. Now don't you dare play with my family's toy."

"I guess we don't have a choice," Joonwoo sighed, bending down to make sure Seokjin was still breathing. "Since he's your toy, then take care of bringing him back in his room."

At those words, he left the room, returning to his room, having lost all desire to stay there. With the exception of Raenjun, the other boys followed him almost immediately, throwing exasperated glances at Namjoon as they passed.

"Can you wait before taking him?" Raenjun asked Namjoon, watching Seokjin and starting to sketch for a new drawing, "I need to capture his features when he is unconscious, I like docile models."

"You sick bastard," Namjoon muttered before lifting Seokjin into his arms. "Don't forget to close the fireplace this time Raen, you almost burned it all down last time."

Raenjun didn't answer and continued his drawing as if he were in a world that belonged only to him, so Namjoon went out with Seokjin and left him alone.

He went back down the stairs to the fourth floor and kicked the gate shut. Arriving at the bottom, he stopped, readjusting Seokjin in his arms.

"What an unpleasant sight," remarked a voice in the darkness.

Namjoon looked up at the motionless figure watching him from full height.

"Good evening, Mr. Ra," he greeted politely with a small nod.

"You can stop the annoying fake politeness, we are alone so there is no point in pretending that you have even an ounce of respect for anyone," Ra retorted in a sarcastic voice.

Namjoon smirked.

"Very well. What do you want, Rat?"

The man was not offended to hear himself called a rat.He knew for a fact that that's what all those sassy Eunma boys called him behind his back. No one other than the arrogant members of the Midnight Club, however, would have dared to call him that to his face.

"I came to see what was left of little Kim Seokjin," he replied.

"You mean you came to save him?" Namjoon asked, without showing his emotions. "Well, you arrived a little late."

"You misunderstand my intentions. I just came to remind you all of the basic rules, little brats that you are: you must not make students unable to go to class, have you forgotten that?" Ra said dryly.

"You want to talk about what happened to Jimin?" Namjoon understood. "Jaekyeon is a savage who was spoiled too much by the director but he won't do it again, I assure you."

"You mean you scare him enough?" Ra said ironically, "I would like to believe that some people fear you but that is not the case for everyone. Park Jimin wasn't the victim the big guys wanted, you know that I suppose? Who knows what they have in store for him," he added, nodding at Seokjin.

"Who knows," Namjoon agreed with open indifference, "I'll take care of the boys, you don't have to worry like that about their behavior, it makes you look weak, Mister the Senior School Administrator."

He gave him a smile full of arrogance, knowing he was more powerful than him despite his title. Ra held his gaze with a cold smile and said :

"You better take care of this situation well Namjoon, or things are going to get tense at school soon."

"Is it a threat?" Namjoon replied coldly.

"It's a warning. Talk to your roommate and your little brother before things get out of hand."

Hearing Ra talk about his brother, Namjoon tensed up a little and Ra saw that he had touched a nerve.

"Don't worry like that, boy, it makes you look weak," the man taunted.

Namjoon gave him a death glare, losing his usual calm.

"Are you done?" Namjoon finally said dryly, "Then get out of my way, I have to take Seokjin back to his bed before my arms go numb"

"So do it," Ra said, "and take advantage of your time on the second floor to talk to baby brother."

With these words the man left. Once out of sight, Namjoon cursed.

"See what you're making me do, Jin?" he whispered to Seokjin's sleeping face.