The holidays had ended and school was back in session. Hallways crowded with students, chatter following their footsteps as they walked. Everything was back to equilibrium. At least for most students. As people made their way to their respective classes, Jungkook, Taehyung, Namjoon, and Yoongi had met up in the room where they had started planning the operation in the first place.
Dust particles danced in the air as they stood in a circle, final words being said.
"Are you sure you're ready?" Concern laced its way into the words Namjoon spoke which made a gentle smile emit onto Jungkook's face.
"I am." He breathed in deep. "I have to be."
"If Jimin's really here then that means if something goes wrong, it won't just overwrite the timeline. It'll cause a paradox and destroy time as we know it. It could possibly cause the end of everything... You need to be one hundred percent certain that you can do this."
"Hyung... I'm certain." The two looked at each other, an understanding of the trust required for this operation to work. Taehyung stepped forward quickly, embracing the younger in a hug. Jungkook widened his eyes at the sudden movement, but accepted it anyway. The two hugged as Taehyung whispered into Jungkook's ear.
"You got this, Jungkook... I believe in you." These words were enough to give Jungkook more confidence and motivation. They held on for a moment longer before breaking apart, Yoongi taking a small step further and holding his hand out to Jungkook as Taehyung stepped back.
"See you in the past, kid." Jungkook shook Yoongi's hand in a sophisticated manner. "You got this. Don't stress too much." With his free hand he patted Jungkook's shoulder before stepping away.
"Okay that marks forty-five minutes," Namjoon said, looking at his phone. "Do you feel it kicking in?" By 'it' he was clearly referring to the sleeping pill the younger had taken.
"A little bit."
"Okay. Let's get you on the sofa I guess." The three walked with Jungkook as he laid himself on the sofa, ready to go to sleep. Taehyung held onto his hand, stroking it with his thumb gently.
"We have everything set up for when Jimin gets here, you don't need to worry, okay? We have everything sorted out, it'll be okay." Taehyung's hushed tone mixed with his gentle touches was comforting to Jungkook as he could feel himself getting more and more tired. "Namjoon and I will keep an eye out and make sure no one comes in. This'll work."
"Promise?"
"I promise."

Like a camera lens being adjusted, everything came into focus. A classroom filled with students he had come to recognise, and a younger, less distraught version of Yoongi sat to his right. I'm here. He immediately turned the pages in Jimin's notebook, using the pen in his hand to scribble down the note he had memorised.

Jimin.
It's important that you read this note in its entirety, as it may be a life or death situation.
That dream you had with Kim Namjoon and Kim Taehyung. It wasn't a dream. And deep down, you know that.
You don't know me yet but you will one day, and trust me when I say that I've earned your trust.
I'm here to save your life. So do as I say.
In roughly three years time an event will happen. I can't tell you the event, but you'll know when it happens. You will need to fake your death. Your family and your friends will need to believe that you are dead, otherwise you really will be. If you go to Lee Minseok in Busan he can set you up with documents to get you started with a new life which you can live out in Busan with him. He'll keep your secret safe, I promise you that.
On the 3rd of January in four years time, you'll know who I am and you'll be back in Seoul. Meet me and the others at 7pm in the canteen.
Please. I know this all sounds crazy but it's real.
I just want you to be safe.

And I fear this is the only way.

I love you.

- JK

He put the pen down and made sure the note was accurate before turning to Yoongi and grabbing his hand in his own, making direct eye contact. Yoongi's eyes fluttered around confused at the sudden action.
"Everything's going to work out, hyung. I promise." He said his lines exactly as he had rehearsed and Yoongi gave him the exact same look he was told to expect. Everything's going to plan. This is good.

Jimin's eyes fluttered open. Weird. He thought to himself. He couldn't even remember falling asleep. The room he was in seemed familiar in design, but he couldn't place his actual location. Looking down at his school uniform, he guessed this must have been one of the rooms at his school. Why didn't he remember coming into the room though? And why is his name badge missing?
"You're awake." Sat on the other sofa nearby, Yoongi spoke, book in his hand.
"Your hair's different." Jimin rubbed at his eyes, trying to be rid of the confusion he was experiencing. Yoongi could feel his heartbeat increasing. This is really Jimin. 
"My hair's always been like this, what are you on about?" The plan on Yoongi, Taehyung, and Namjoon's end was to keep Jimin confined in this room, and make him just confused enough to think that it's a dream so as not to freak out, but not so confused that he feels the need to investigate. The mirror in the corner of the room had been covered up and Jungkook's name badge had been removed so that there would be no potential freak out due to having someone else's face.
"Why does my voice sound weird?" Jimin's hand reached to his throat and Yoongi felt himself panicking slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"It sounds deeper..." Yoongi paused for a second, attempting to come up with something before blurting out the first thing that came to mind.
"Maybe you finally hit puberty." He laughed to himself and Jimin pulled a face at him. Even his movements are so... Jimin.

Namjoon and Taehyung stood outside of the room, waiting for their individual cues to come in. As Yoongi and Jungkook's voices were muffled through the door, they could tell it had started. Jimin was awake. Namjoon let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, causing Taehyung to look over.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine, I just..." Namjoon was usually the calm and collected one in situations, but it was clear that something was up. He continued in a hushed tone so that anyone in the hallway wouldn't be able to hear. "If Jungkook messes up, there's a chance that we could just... Stop existing." Taehyung's jaw tightened. "I think I'm scared that might happen... I can't even begin to comprehend what it would feel like."
"He's not going to mess up," Taehyung interrupted. The face he received in exchange was one of doubt.
"You don't know that."
"You're right. I don't," Taehyung said. "But I have hope. And right now that's all I need." The muffled sound of laughter let the two know that Jimin had settled, and that it was time for them to enter.

They entered the room, pretending to continue a conversation before stopping and greeting Yoongi as if nothing was out of the ordinary. They spoke for a short while before turning to Jimin.
"Hey... Park Jimin, right?" Namjoon spoke. "I saw you in the dance show last year, you were amazing. Nice to meet you, dude." He put his hand out to shake, an odd thing for him to do, and Jimin responded, shaking it thoroughly.
"Y-Yeah, you too... Who are you?" Jimin asked.
"Namjoon. Kim Namjoon. This is Taehyung." He indicated to the man next to him and they both smiled wholeheartedly.
"Also, Kim Taehyung, but, no relation." Yoongi added. Jimin felt... Confused.
"I'm sorry, how long have you known them? I've never seen them before." Jimin asked.
"I've always known them." Jimin furrowed his brows. So many things seemed off. How did he even get in this room and why was it so normal for him to be asleep here? The only conclusion the boy could come up with was that it had to be a dream. A very realistic dream. But a dream nonetheless. Exactly as the others had planned.

Listening to the teacher talk felt extremely boring to Jungkook. His mind was focused on anything BUT science right now. He had to, however, keep track of what was going on to be aware of when to answer.
"Now who remembers the outermost boundary of a cell?" His hand raised up high and students turned around as the teacher called upon him.
"Plasma membrane."
"Nicely done, Jimin." He smiled to himself at the praise, just as Jimin would have done, and went back to doodling in the back of Jimin's notebook whilst keeping an ear out for the next question. Yoongi stole a glance at the boy beside him, eyebrows furrowed. Just yesterday Jimin was saying he struggled with cells? I guess he studied after dance practice. It wasn't long before the next questions followed and Jungkook answered them all, including the one he had to get wrong. "Okay, now blue green algae. Also a prokaryotes or not?"
"They're... Not?" Jungkook raised his tone at the end to sound like he was questioning his own response, just as he had rehearsed a million times and Yoongi turned to him, further continuing the script he knew by heart.
"We literally talked about that yesterday. How'd you forget?" Ah, really. We did? I don't remember that. Sorry.
"Ah, really. We did? I don't remember that. Sorry." He said each word verbatim, and Yoongi continued his confused glaring. Give it a few years, Jungkook thought. You'll understand eventually.

After class had ended, the pair travelled to Jimin's locker, Jungkook knowing the location and combination from his previous switches. As he opened the locker door, his hand brushed against a water bottle that quickly fell to the floor, his hands fumbling to catch it. Water spilled everywhere, the cap being somewhat loose.
"Oh, fuck!" He scrambled to the floor, picking it up and placed it back into the locker space. "Jesus Christ, now my uniforms all wet." He flicked his hands in the air, trying to be rid of any water dripping from them and turned around to face Yoongi, stopping once he realised. His hand threw to his mouth in shock. "That wasn't part of the script," he said. "I- That didn't happen, you didn't-" He stared, eyes wide, at Yoongi, horror painted across his face.
"Are you okay?" Yoongi asked, concern evident. Jungkook let his eyes dart around frantically, an idea coming to mind. He opened Jimin's notebook, scribbling a message in it and immediately ripping it out, folding it and reaching his arm out in an attempt to tell Yoongi to take it.
"Open this in three years time. I know it sounds crazy but just trust me. Open it in three years and you'll understand and know what to do and everything will work out okay."
"Wha-"
"JUST PROMISE ME YOU'LL DO IT!"

His focus faded and the Yoongi in front of him had been replaced by the older version. The space around him shifting to the abandoned room he fell asleep in before.
"Jimin?" Yoongi asked, searching for life in the youngers eyes. Jungkook shook his head.
"Not anymore." Yoongi's shoulders slumped slightly and Jungkook could see the disappointment in his return. Namjoon stepped forward.
"So? How'd it go?" Jungkook's eyes flickered around before they landed on Yoongi once again.
"You read the note right?" Desperation swam in his irises as he anticipated the elder's answer.
"What note?" Jungkook's heart sank.
"The- The note." His breathing sped up slightly. "That I gave you. I told you to read it in three years time." He stood up, walking closer to the boy. "Please say you read it. Please." Yoongi opened his mouth slightly, hesitant to let the words out.
"Guk, I-" He stared into the younger's eyes, shaking his head slightly. "I'm sorry, I-" Jungkook swallowed, and Yoongi's expression went back to normal. "I just wanted to mess with you. Of course I read it you dumbass!" He punched Jungkook's arm playfully as he sighed a sigh of relief. "Good thinking on that, honestly. I don't know what I would have done in your situation." Jungkook ran and hugged Yoongi, glad that the plan had worked despite his slip up. Although at first he was reluctant, Yoongi let himself sink into the hug, closing his eyes and really embracing the younger. It really worked.
Jimin's alive.

The second that class ended, Jungkook ran out, shoving his way past the other students. It's time. He ran into the hallway, seeing Namjoon running up to join him, shortly followed by Taehyung and Yoongi. Students began to flood out of classrooms around them, all making their way to self-study, and the group of four followed the flow of people before diverting off into another hallway.

The canteen was empty, as expected, and silence echoed in the air as the four stood facing each other in a circle.
"You said he's meeting us here, right?" Taehyung asked, looking at Jungkook for an answer.
"Yeah. That's what I wrote at least." He looked at his phone, taking note of the time. 7:01pm. "He should be here any minute," he continued. The four waited some more, before Jungkook grew impatient. "I'm going to go see if he's wandering around or something." He left the group promptly, not seeing the mouths behind him open in protest to stop him.

Jungkook walked slowly through the hallways, looking into classrooms and cupboards, just in case. It seemed as though no one was around until a figure caught the boy's eye, stood by the window. Jimin.
"Jimin!" He called out, the figure immediately turning around. "I... You had me worried for a second." The figure walked forward, not saying anything. "Come on... Let's go. The other's want to see you." Jimin inched closer, something akin to sadness on his face. "Yoongi's there. He really misses you." Continuing to not speak, Jimin nodded his head, a soft smile appearing. Jungkook smiled back in response, leading Jimin back to the canteen.

As Jungkook entered the room, Jimin following behind, soft chatter from Namjoon and Taehyung could be heard as Yoongi watched the younger come in, hope in his eyes.
"Everybody... Meet Park Jimin. In the flesh, his own flesh." Jungkook chuckled at his words, stepping aside to show Jimin off to the others. The three looked to Jungkook's side and Yoongi's face fell.
"Well... Where is he then?" Yoongi asked, looking back to Jungkook.
"What do you mean? He's right there." Jungkook looked to his side, seeing nothing but air. "Wait, but- He was-" He span around, looking frantically. "No, no, he was right there! What the fuck happened?!"
"Guk..." Namjoon started.
"He was right there!"
"No, he wasn't..." Jungkook looked at Namjoon as the words came out of his mouth.
"What?"
"Jungkook... There was no one there..." Taehyung said.
"No, I- I saw him in the hall, and I brought him here!" Tears welled up in Jungkook's eyes. "I-I saved him..."
"I guess you can't change the past after all," Yoongi said before leaving the group.
"Wait, Yoongi!" Taehyung called out, watching the elder exit. Jungkook fell to his knees, emotions taking over his body. Namjoon came over, kneeling down beside the boy and hugging him.
"I... I really thought I had saved him, hyung... I- I thought that-"
"Hey, hey... It'll be okay, Guk... It'll be okay."
Jimin was dead...
Jimin was really dead...

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