Jungkook shut his books excitedly and began to stuff them inside the box when Jimin looked at him. "Oh, sorry. That was my dad on the phone. He is here to pick me up."

"But we aren't done yet." Jimin said, shooting a justifiable look at the boy.

Jungkook stopped to think. "Can we do it later, please?" He looked up with great discomfort as if it physically hurt him to disappoint Jimin. "I will ask dad to come late from tomorrow?"

"Whatever, just leave."

Voicelessly, Jungkook ran out the door and Mrs. Park found herself making way in the living room. "That kid is really innocent." She remarked, making Jimin gawk at her as if he had never seen this woman in his life

"He'd mastered the art of being innocent in front of all his friend's parents. He ain't innocent." He scowled and got up.

"I didn't think he was your friend." Mrs. Park pushed Jimin's buttons.

The boy halted momentarily but not wanting to argue, he resumed ascending the staircase to his room. Just as he saw something, he descended right back down. "Who came into my room?"

"I am sure nothing is stolen, calm down." Mrs. Park replied coldly.

Jimin ran back into his room to see if anything was out of the place, except there was a playboy magazine with nude gay models kept on his bed. "You are dead, Jeon Jungkook."

**

The entire class went berserk when the math teacher announced a surprise test except for Jungkook. He was defiantly excited as he had finished the sums just yesterday with Jimin. They submitted their papers and waited for the teacher to score the test.

"What do smart guys do before sleeping? How do you study, Jungkook? Please help me." Jenny asked the boy and flustered him.

"He can't answer you that, girl. You should ask me." Jimin interrupted rather loudly, rolling his hair up charmingly and keeping the extended eye-lock with the girl that was sure to make anyone's heart flutter. Jenny was no different as she wiped her forehead sweat.

"Park Jimin," the teacher called the disturbing element of the class to the podium. The boy huffed as he staggered with bored expressions and yawned in the teacher's face. "Is the class too boring for you, Park?"

"I was expressing just that." Jimin took papers from the teacher's hand, glancing at him, and turned towards the classroom.

Jungkook had an exciting smile on his face which annoyed Jimin a bit too much. He ignored the boy as if he didn't bring him to his home just yesterday or he had anything to do with him.

"Jung Hoseok," Jimin announced and guffawed out, making it pretty obvious that his best friend had failed. "18/100."

If the classmates had done any better, they would have joined Jimin, but they knew their scores were more or less identical.

"Min Yoongi, 40/100."

"Do-Jin..." Jimin paused as he called out the name of his mortal enemy and passed a scoff at him, eyeing him up breifly. "3/100."

The teacher kept staring at the class with an awful look in his eyes. This class was every teacher's nightmare. He realized that Jimin didn't call out the score for one test paper. Turning back, he threw the same bitter look at the boy. "Did cat got your tongue?"

"It's my paper, why do I have to announce my score to the whole world?" Jimin sneered.

"The same reason why you are announcing everyone's result to the whole world, Jimin." The teacher said calmly.

"Park Jimin, 80/100." Jimin proclaimed and jerked his neck on either side, relaxing his muscles.

"Kim Jaein, 34/100."

"J-jeon... Jungkook," Jungkook looked up as his name was called and anxiously looked at Jimin only to find that the boy's face was turning red as he pressed his lips together. "98/100."

The first reaction of Jungkook was to exhale in relief as he thought staring at Jimin that he'd failed, but the second thought pushed the first one way too hard when he registered that he had scored more than Jimin, especially when the older was the one who taught him the new chapter yesterday.

Jungkook wanted to hide under his desk as his mind compelled him to visualize their violent fights all over again.

After school, Jungkook waited for Jimin outside as it was the latter's turn to go with him to his home for study.

"Hey, Hyung," Jungkook waved as he looked at the boy coming out with Hoseok. Jimin ignored and walked past him with Hoseok who flashed the youngest a smile and motioned for him to tag along.

Jungkook followed the trail like a puppy when Jimin got into his car and so did Hoseok. He didn't know if he should get in or was Jimin going somewhere else with Hoseok. His thoughts were interrupted when Jimin rolled down his window and called out, "I sincerely hope you aren't thinking that I will open the door for you."

Jungkook rubbed his nape, "Should I get in? Are you going with Hoseok Hyung somewhere?"

Before Jimin could terrorize the boy some more, Hoseok climbed over Jimin and stuck his head out the window. "Jimin is my ride, Jungkook-ah. Get in quick."

Taking off his backpack in his hand, Jungkook entered the air-conditioned car and inhaled deeply. "It's too hot, outside."

Jimin shook his head and burned the ignition. The younger was ignored as the two friends kept talking, mostly about what Jimin did to teach someone a lesson or about his dance classes. Hoseok tried to get Jungkook involved in the conversation but the younger remained silent, mostly.

"Thanks, Jimin. See you at usual." Hoseok waved at Jungkook before he walked away, but Jimin didn't commence the drive instantly.

"I am no driver of you. Come at front." He asked Jungkook when he saw that the boy wasn't moving and just sitting by hugging his bag from the rearview mirror.

Jungkook wasn't liking the tone that Jimin was using with him, but he didn't care as long as they weren't assaulting each other. Jungkook didn't want to worry his parents and he wanted things to remain the same way, ergo, he didn't retaliate.

A biker crossed them at a steep turn and Jimin cussed out as he pushed the brakes. "Fucking die already!" He yelled after the biker as he disappeared.

"It's fine, Hyung. We are alright." Jungkook spoke slowly but Jimin pulled over abruptly.

The younger's heart raced as he now regretted speaking, "What is your problem dodo head?" Jimin yelled out loud at the boy who flinched as a reflex.

"Calm down, Hyung. You can't yell at me like that. Don't direct your anger for whatever reason on me." The boy asked sternly.

"And you don't nurture the misunderstanding in your head that we can be anything remotely close to friends just because we now study at each other's house. Just so you know, my dad will not help me with my scholarship if I don't do as he says. I am tolerating your stupid face because of the same reason." Jimin barked out as if there was no end to his anger that was inhabited deep within him.

"I am no fan of you either. I am also doing this for my parents' happiness." Jungkook reverted angrily, but his words didn't come out as bitterly as Jimin's.

"Then why were you smiling at me in the class?" Jimin kept his vengeful glare at the boy whose eyes were beginning to form a thin layer of sheen.

"My mistake, I won't from now on." Jungkook looked away, eyeing a few students outside who were happily chirping away.

"You better. Don't smile at me, don't talk to me, don't take my name with your mouth, or even breathe in my direction when we are at school." Jimin instructed and punched the steering with his hand too hard, causing Jungkook's eyes to tear up finally.

He was terrified of the hostility that surrounded him, but he knew he couldn't show his vulnerable side to Jimin who didn't seem to care.

The boy quickly wiped the tears to hide the bitter feeling he sensed deep in his chest. He missed his old class, his old friends, and his old life. He thought he never harmed anyone so why was he being punished like this?

As Jimin resumed his drive, Jin's words came to his mind when he advised him to not cut off ties with Jungkook and rather try to understand him.

Jungkook was his only competition and Jimin couldn't let what happened today to happen again, so to step ahead of the competition, he decided that he needed to know how strong was his contender and then re-evaluate his strategy to beat him.

The car stopped after Jimin's navigation brought them to the destination. Jungkook got off first and walked straight ahead, letting Jimin follow.

The boy hugged his mother the sooner had he entered the house and the frown that Jimin had given him was flipped into a cheerful smile which was noticed by the older boy.

"Jimin," Mrs. Jeon flashed a welcoming smile to the boy who stammered, unable to speak. "Come on in, son."

His legs trudged him inside and the house looked way warmer than his own. The way the dining area was organized, the color of the walls, the tasteful flowers, or the bright smiles of the habitants, all screamed care and intimacy.

"I will get food ready for you both, go freshen up." She patted Jimin's head lovingly and the boy felt awkward, unable to know how to process such intimacy. Never has his own mother done that to him.

"I- I am not hungry."

8 Nov 2021