𝐃𝐄𝐌 [𝐓.𝐊]

Jungkook, 12:00 pm

In the end, he didn't take as much time as he thought he would need. But that wasn't his only surprise because right after he'd stepped out of the bathroom and looked around his boxes, he found he couldn't recognize one of them. Upon straightening it away from the dresser, he found a note that said everything he needed to know.

"So you feel right at home.

Love, mom and dad."

Only after making sure Jimin wasn't looking at him did he sit on his bed next to his art box to ease his breathing.

He put his notebooks and the few books he managed to smuggle out of the house on the shelves over the headboard. His bathroom stuff was in the bathroom, his clothes and shoes in his chest of drawers, and he hung the paintings and drawings on his wall. Those were all the paintings he never tore apart or had to hide. The paintings he always kept hidden at home were now hidden under his mattress. Then, the mysterious box was left for last. And he placed his new drawing table against the wall next to the bathroom door. Thanks to Jimin moving his bed closer to the window, he could also move his bed and create more space for the drawing table.

Right as he was finishing, a couple of students passed by, saying they were giving trash bags to every room. He accepted two and was able to throw away all the cardboard, leaving it outside the building with the other trash bags. When he came back to his room, he found Jimin still looking down at his phone, lying on his bed. He closed the door behind him, sent a message to the group chat, and went to lay down, too.

As he waited, he stared at the note he had left on his nightstand. It brought a lump to his throat. They could've said something at home even if they wanted to surprise him. They could've made it exciting, asked him what he thought the gift was, and had one last good moment before he would have to move out of the house forever. He wondered deeper about their reasons until old questions resurfaced, and he asked himself, 'Am I making a big deal out of nothing? Were we having a great moment?'

'Am I the problem?'

Knocking on the door pulled him out of his musings. He quickly slid the note inside the drawer of his nightstand, getting ready to open the door to his friends when Jimin stood up, light on his feet. Jungkook nearly gawked at the drastic difference in behavior and watched him open the door to someone who was neither Leo nor Emily.

It was the guy who had asked for a hug from his dad in the front gardens.

"It's been a proper long week without you, mate." The guy smirked and moved as though to grab Jimin. But the latter hunched in on himself and turned sideways, leaving Jungkook in full view of him. The guy dropped his arms but not his grin. "Ey up, name's Tom." He jabbed his chin up in greeting.

Jungkook nodded, realizing he must be from further north.

"Jungkook Abbot." He used his mother's second surname to be safer.

This guy had messy dark hair, but not black like Leo's, and ocean blue eyes instead of midnight. It was when he walked in and opened his grin with a silent gasp in appreciation of the view that Jungkook noticed his four canine teeth looked particularly sharp.

"You jammy sod, you've got a window with a view," he said to Jimin with playful accusation.

But Jungkook frowned slightly. Even though he'd been smiling all along, his eyes didn't look excited. He almost looked sick, with dark shadows under his eyes.

He turned slowly, looking at all of the room, until he fully turned and faced his wall of paintings. Right then, he stopped, his expression went blank with surprise, and the fake smile dropped. He looked at each painting in awe, making Jungkook feel quite nervous. It was the first time he displayed them somewhere everyone could see, he didn't even hang them at home. In the beginning, he felt the need to do it as a way to claim his space, but now he was doubting himself.

"Oi... did you paint this?" he wondered in an undertone, slowly looking down at him. Jungkook pressed his lips and nodded. The smile returned. "This is brilliant! What course are you on?"

Tom folded his arms over his chest and tilted his head a little. But there was something Jungkook couldn't point out about him, something that made him uncomfortable.

Feeling his neck tense up, he answered.

"Ethics and morality. Philosophy." He added in the end with half a shrug.

Tom clicked his tongue and shook his head as he lowered it with apparent disappointment.

"Same faculty, different departments, eh? And here I was, hoping we'd be classmates." His tone of voice had changed to be softer and lower. He looked back up, and his smile had also shifted. "Would've been a laugh, spending more time together."

The muscles in his stomach tensed up when he realized what the smile reminded him of. A cheshire cat, cunning and manipulative. Why was someone like Jimin with a friend like Tom? His desire to spend more time together as he stared down at him like he was made Jungkook's hands begin to sweat. He felt cornered even as he tried to be nonchalant and shrug.

"Tough luck," he said.

Tom chuckled, and Jungkook tensed up even more.

"You'll be in Jimin's class, though, yeah? So we'll still see each other. I'd like that."

Jungkook glanced over at Jimin, who was still standing by the door, staring at the back of Tom's head with wide eyes as he bit his lip inside his mouth. A movement made him look back at Tom, and he noticed him stepping closer with the pretext of looking at the books he had on the shelves behind him. Jungkook grabbed the edge of the mattress, getting ready to leap away when a punch to the door made them all jolt.

Jimin jumped back to his bed, Tom turned sideways and that's when Jungkook saw Leo stepping in like it was his own room.

"Kook, let's go. I'm starving," he demanded in a grumpy tone. Emily, standing behind him, was looking at Jimin's petrified state with concern. Leo noticed the guy standing between him and Jungkook and spoke politely yet detached. "Who might you be?"

"Tom," he answered simply. Jungkook could see the grin on his face even from that angle and he slowly grabbed his backpack from beside his nightstand. He'd just broken the first rule of etiquette: Saying his full name. He didn't mind, but Leo always did.

"Leonardo Bellamy," he presented himself with a tough expression and took a step forward to extend his right hand.

The second rule. Jungkook carefully stood up, putting his bag on his shoulders.

Tom scoffed.

"What's with all the proper manners, mate? It's bloody ridiculous!"

Emily's lips disappeared inside her mouth as her eyes widened, staring at the back of Leo's head. Jungkook looked as Leo slowly lowered his hand. He began to feel lightheaded with how fast his heart was racing.

"I'm not your mate."

"We should probably leave." Jungkook stepped forward until he stood beside them. There couldn't be any fighting involved, especially in his room, and Leo looked like he was getting to his limit.

It was obvious he was angry. But Tom's smile widened as he laughed with apparent glee at the sight.

"Yeah, we should probably leg it. Let's go, Jiminy!" He stepped around Jungkook so they could both leave together. The problem was that Jungkook, Leo and Emily stood frozen after the nickname he just said, making him brush against him as he passed.

Jungkook shuddered and stepped closer to Leo to escape his touch, and Leo, in turn, stepped aside so they wouldn't be too close. That was the third rule Tom had broken. Leo exhaled sharply as he watched him like a hawk. Everyone was silent as Jimin put on his massive jacket and then exited the room, carefully walking past Emily. Before Tom left with him and let Jungkook breathe again, he stopped at the threshold and turned his head to look directly at him.

He was smiling still.

"Catch ya later, Kooky." He turned and left.

Jungkook turned sharply and grabbed hold of Leo's forearms, stopping him from running after Tom. Leo muttered insults under his breath, staring at Tom as he left through the corridor ahead. Then he stepped back from Jungkook and pulled his arms away sharply, turning in place to calm himself down. Jungkook fidgeted with his fingers and looked around at Emily, motioning for her to step in and help. But then, Leo exclaimed softly.

"Woah..."

When Jungkook turned to look, he was staring at his paintings. It was different than Tom, with more admiration than amazement. He could probably remember most, if not all, of the stories behind each place painted. They were distant mountains and small patches of green land with old buildings around them. There was old architecture of the type he'd seen around where he lived and the occasional rooftop view of the city of Bradford at night. He only painted the beauty that captured his heart's attention. It was embarrassing to see how it could affect other people just as strongly.

Leo looked back at him, calm and proud.

"Well done."

Jungkook pressed his lips, trying to conceal a huge smile. He could feel his face heating up so he lowered his head.

"Thanks."

"You brought your table with you?" Emily wondered from the threshold.

His smile disappeared as he remembered the note. Looking at that table, he scratched his neck.

"It was a gift."

Leo gave one definitive nod and stretched out his arm to guide him out of the room.

"Lunch, let's go."

Jungkook didn't miss how his arm was blocking the sight of the table from his view. With a little smile, he dropped his hand and turned to leave with Emily. Leo was the one who locked the door behind them. Now, with Emily between the pair of them, as always, they made their way towards the main cafeteria.

Taehyung, 12:10 pm

Once everyone was ready to leave the meeting room, he took his map book and followed the man who had taken him under his wing since the moment they met.

Professor Oliver O'Connor, who happened to be his neighbour, was a man in his fifties with his hair and trimmed beard a soft gray colour. They initially bonded because the man knew he was new; later, it became known that he would be a philosophy teacher like the man himself, and they became animatedly friendly. The difficult part about feeling so at ease in his presence was that he reminded him of his father.

In the meeting, there had been professors, heads of faculties and departments, and the headmaster and deputy headmistress. The atmosphere had been light and cordial, with many friends reuniting for another semester, however, there were also tense whispers about the news he had heard on the radio on his way to the airport that same morning. Yet, no one looked more concerned about it than the headmaster.

The meeting had been to welcome everyone back and to make sure they were all in the same page when it came ot any changes the board had made over the summer, important dates to remember, and the change of the room accommodations for the students. A few of the teachers whose kids were currently changing rooms asked the headmaster for more details about that decision. The reason was a "delicate subject the parents of a couple of students asked them not to divulge". He turned to ask Oliver why everyone had become so tense, but he looked like the news had struck him in a particular way, so he stayed silent.

It was uncomfortable to think about, but something similar had happened in the Royal Holloway University of London, the last university he worked at. There were also two students of the same gender per room, and suddenly, in the middle of the semester, they all had to change rooms and roommates. The rumor spread that one of the students had been a victim to their roommate, but he never knew in what way or who they were. It did look similar, however... The change happened before classes began as well.

He was still wondering about it as the group, much smaller now, made their long way over to have lunch. Many of the teachers who'd received an email beforehand and had denied the invitation had already left as well as the deputy headmistress, Miranda. The headmaster was showing them the sights and talking proudly about details they could all see; very few were new like he was, so there was more conversation with the headmaster than simple sightseeing. He, however, walked in the back of the group with Oliver.

"What's your fvourite place in Evanthe?" he asked the man.

Without any hesitation, he smiled gently and answered.

"The Garden of Thought. It's small and only has one bench. I love going there to read."

Taehyung's curiosity perked up at his use of the word love. He'd rarely heard a man out of his home town saying it so openly.

"What do you like to read most?"

The man chuckled. They were almost the same height with the man being just a tiny bit smaller.

"I like all sorts of books. I read fast, you see. A lot of philosophy, a bit of psychology, some historical novels that my wife loves so much, and also self-help. If you want any, you only have to say it, my boy." He turned his head and smiled at him, the corners of his eyes crincling to make him look even gentler.

Taehyung smiled and turned his head away, nodding. The language was different, but his grandfather used to call him that.

"Thank you. I might need to borrow a book about how to live without my family. My kids, I mean." He caught himself in the end, now placing his kids as part of the family he had to leave. He frowned, upset once more.

From farther ahead, the booming laugher of the headmaster made him lift his head. It was so easy for everyone to make friends like that. But not him.

"Couldn't they come live in the city?" Oliver asked gently.

Taehyung looked back down, regretting he said anything depressing that would entice people's pity. It was not his intention, he simply didn't know when to stop sharing once someone wanted to listen.

"No, they couldn't. My wife's business is in London, and my parents-in-law and school... It was just easier for me to leave, I suppose." Realizing his melancholic tone, he lifted his head and fixed it. "Yes, it was for the best. I'll be busy with work anyway, and I'll see them in the holidays."

It tasted bitter to speak so casually about putting his work over his own kids. But this kind of talk usually earned him nods of approval.

"It's not all about work, my boy," Oliver said just for him to hear, and his facade dropped as he turned to stare back at him, "If you need to see them, you can ask for permission, doesn't matter what time of the semester we're in." He put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "It is not so much our friends' help that helps us as the confidence of their help."

Taehyung gave him a confused little smile.

"Who said that?"

"Epicurus," Oliver answered with a gentle grin. "In this line, he emphasizes that seeking support and trusting in those who care for you is more important than sacrificing your happiness for something that won't bring you peace."

His smile widened.

"This is why I love philosophy."

"Me too." He smiled as well and let go of him to look back at the front. "So, what I'm trying to say is, if you need an ear, you can use mine."

Taehyung chuckled. His shoulders relaxed, and he was able to take a deep breath. Up front, the headmaster was pointing at something in the ceiling and, looking up, he noticed that it was higher than the one they left behind. He turned his head as he walked on, trying to find a hint as to why it was necessary since he was too far back to listen to the headmaster. But he made a mistake in doing so.

His body clashed against something, and he stumbled backwards. Moving his hands and dropping his map book to regain balance, he grabbed hold of somebody's arms, the person he'd hit. To prevent the pair of them from falling, he pulled them in, and in doing so, he realized the guy had his eyes closed tightly. But his face... looking at him rendered him speechless.

The guy opened his terrified eyes to the floor, and Taehyung saw he was looking at his leather shoes.

"I'm so sorry!" he apologised with a little tremble in his voice.

Taehyung gently let him go.

"Don't worry about it," he answered, but he said it too low. His eyes couldn't stop looking at him from head to toe. His heart was racing in his chest. It was almost like he knew him from somewhere.

The guy, continuing to look at the floor, found his map book and bent to return it to him. Taehyung had completely forgotten about it. Why was he so entranced? The guy's clothing was not eye-catching, simple jeans and a dark blue t-shirt with black boots. But he should probably put on his black coat, it was chilly for a simple t-shirt. Other than that, there was nothing that explained the need for him to look into his eyes.

The guy presented him the book, but he wouldn't take it right away. Only when he looked up, afraid, to see why he hadn't taken it, did he stretch out his arm. But it was a robotic movement. The muscles in his stomach contracted, and he held back his breath to keep composed.

He found him.

His heart wanted to leap out of his chest in celebration, and the previous conversation about his family returned as grief in the form of an unstopable, nostalgic, little smile. Only a decade of hiding his emotions helped him not drop to his knees, but he was disarmed with the power of recognition. He'd never seen such a beautiful face in his life, but he knew him.

"I'm very sorry," the guy apologized again, with wide, brown eyes and a gentle shade of pink to his cheeks.

"It was my fault," Taehyung said, shaking his head with an excited little laugh. "I should've watched where I was going, I could've easily slammed myself against a wall that way."

The guy chuckled a little, and he felt elated. The jumble of feelings in him obstructed his throat, and he wasn't able to make him laugh so sweetly again before someone else spoke up, reminding him of where they were.

"Jungkook." Oliver stepped closer with a smile already in place.

Even his name rang bells in his heart. He was sure that he could say it for the first time, and it would feel like muscle memory. If he could not cry at the present company, he would quickly have to find a way out of the meal he'd been invited to.

"Professor O'Connor?" Jungkook smiled at the man, and Taehyung was so glad they knew each other. He was so happy he could sob. "I hope I find you well."

"Excellent, my boy. I hope we can talk again." He spoke not unlike he was speaking to him a moment prior.

Taehyung could feel his cheeks beginning to hurt even though the smile he'd been holding hadn't been large. With both hands, he gripped the map book tightly as he allowed himself to take in the sight of Jungkook. But he was beginning to get anxious.

"I hope so, too," Jungkook promised with a nod.

At the same time, the two of them noticed the rest of the group walking once more. Oliver turned to follow the group as well, but he stayed. He had to do something reckless and dangerous, and he needed a bit of privacy to do so. He looked back down at Jungkook only to find him no longer smiling. His eyes lingered in the crowd with a troubled expression as his hands gripped the straps of his bag.

Taehyung took a tense breath, looking around, and found what looked to be Jungkook's friends at a safe distance. Then, he lowered his chin slightly as he looked back down at him. It was a sweet height difference of no more than a couple of fingers, but it made his heart flutter.

"May I ask you..." When Jungkook turned his head to look at him again, he had to start over. "I would like to know what it is you're studying. Please."

He gave him a smile he hadn't worn in a decade and felt the warmth of spring shining down on him. Images of home brought him comfort in the dream he stood and he waited. Jungkook seemed to be taken aback by the question as his eyes widened, but it only made him look more endearing.

"I'm–... Philosophy?"

Taehyung couldn't help but laugh under his breath. Jungkook smiled sheepishly and lowered his head.

He couldn't dare touch this precious moment with something as unjust as reality. Not while they smiled at each other.

"They're leaving you..." Jungkook noticed in a small tone of voice as he glanced away. He looked concerned for him.

He realized then that he hadn't given him his name. But doing so proved to be a challenge. His name was tied to the real world of obligation, and he would never lie to a face like his. So Taehyung simply smiled as he walked backwards slowly. Jungkook pressed his lips together, but he continued to step backwards without looking away and that earned him a chuckle at last.

Satisfied, he spoke up one last time.

"I suppose I'll see you later, mister Jungkook."

His name felt at home in his lips. He knew not his surname, age, residence, ambitions, dreams or nightmares, and he would like to know. He would like to know everything and then more. He would like to keep dreaming. He would like to stay with him.

With a turn that was as swift as it was hard, he left him behind and returned, unwillingly, to the world of reality where Oliver had waited for him in a corner to guide him back to the group.

His throat tightened with the injustice of it all. Recklessness and spontaneity were for men with fewer commitments than him, and he could not do as he pleased without hurting what was most important. He had kids. The child he was forced to put aside who used to love the freedom of change rattled in the cage his heart had turned into. But he could not let him out as he wished; he could not follow his heart and forget his children.

He gripped the map book close to his chest and walked in silence beside Oliver. It was incredible how much everything changed in a matter of moments. His grief was put on hold as the pounding of his own heart deafened him. He'd forgotten what excitement felt like. But it was for that same reason that he must not pursue. Wiser men than him had hurt innocents in their pursuit of instant gratification.

He must not pursue.

"...How do you know Jungkook?"

Oliver turned to glance at him with raised eyebrows, no doubt wondering why it took him so long to ask, if his grin was any indication.

He was not pursuing, it was just a question. And maybe twenty more.

Leo, 12:40 pm

He was still chuckling at how ridiculous Jungkook's luck was as they continued on their way to the cafeteria.

"Alright, alright, we can stop now." Jungkook raised his hands and jabbed them in their direction to stop their silent chuckles.

"I'm not laughing at you," Emily shook her head, laughing, "Look at him."

They both turned to look at Leo, and he immediately forced the corners of his mouth downwards to look completely serious as he laughed with his mouth closed. The three soon erupted into laughter as Emily hugged him around his torso.

They walked out into a garden. The cafeteria was on the other side, and Leo could see that it was already packed. When he tried to look at Emily's other side and didn't find Jungkook, he stopped in his tracks and looked back. Jungkook stood, looking out into the garden.

His expressions, though he didn't realize it, were always the same when he wanted to paint what he was staring at. There was the faintest lift in the middle of his eyebrows and the corners of his lips. Then, the small tilt of the head as he squinted, looking at details. But before he could do this second movement, Leo grabbed him by the arm and pulled him on.

"I'm hungryyyyyy." He growled the last word for emphasis, but it only worked to make them laugh again. At least they were walking.

The best thing about the main cafeteria (he was sure it had a name, but the students liked to put "main" to everything) was that it was part of tuition. Therefore, there was no need to pay for anything. He could pile his plate to the brim, and all everyone could do was judge him. Other cafeterias throughout the university had varieties of other foods, but they would have to pay out of pocket.

He didn't want to use the money he had. It was not his, just like Jungkook's new drawing table was not his.

As they waited in line to get served, Emily clung to his arm, and he put his hands in his pockets. The chatter around the room was white noise, allowing him to drift away for a moment. Emily moved him forward, and he obeyed, glad that he didn't have to think. It was usually around that time that he would get a nap, and the lack of it made him feel heavier by the minute. He hadn't rested well the night before.

When they got their food, he immediately started walking up the stairs. However, there was still no table for them on the second floor, so they had to go up to the third. But this one seemed to be full as well. He was in half a mind to sit on the floor when he noticed a spot. It was at the other end of the room, next to a window. The problem was that there was a blond guy already sitting on it, but it was a table for four, so it would do. The only reason he led them there was because he knew Emily would hate to eat on the floor.

"Hello, mate," he greeted him once he stood by the table. The guy looked up with the greenest eyes he had ever seen in his life, and Leo blinked, leaving his tray on the table to continue the greeting, "Leonardo Bellamy." He extended his right hand, still standing.

The guy, though blond, had brown eyebrows and eyelashes. He widened his eyes and left his book on his lap to shake his hand.

"Finn Herrero, nice to meet you."

His grip was much gentler than Leo liked, and they let go.

"Would you mind if we accompany you? Everywhere else is full."

"Not at all, go ahead." He took his bag off the chair beside him and moved his tray closer to the wall.

With his guts screaming for him to give them food, he sat with a groan.

"Finally." He dug in, eating a bit of everything until his mouth was full. He chewed carelessly only so he could swallow quickly. A few more bites later, he was able to actually enjoy his food. Nothing else had his attention while he ate, only the rice, potatoes, meats, sausages, and grilled vegetables on his plate had that honor.

He quickly came to realize that this was easier to do due to the silence of his table when this silence was broken by a small whisper to his right.

"What is it?"

When he glanced up in his hunched position, he caught Jungkook looking away, concerned. Leo frowned down at his plate, wondering what he'd missed. Doubting the stranger to his right of being innocent, he placed his elbows on the table to be able to hide behind his wrists as he looked at his neighbour. He quickly looked away and took another big mouthful to keep him occupied. Then, he looked back at him. He was reading the book on his lap, but he hadn't finished his food yet. Leo frowned and looked away.

He wanted to take his book away. The untouched food was pissing him off. Didn't this Finn guy realize that he couldn't eat through osmosis? There was a reason he was so thin, come on. He looked like he was half his size. Didn't he want muscles like his? Or was he one of those who only ate garbage and called it a meal? He hated those.

Finn glanced sideways and caught him staring. Leo looked away and stuffed his mouth but couldn't taste anything. His heart was racing. This reaction was so unnecessary; was he really angry over something so little? Why should he care if the guy ate or not?

He finished his food and placed his utensils over the plate. With a satisfied sigh, he leaned back on his chair and stretched his arms over his head, ready for a good nap. But since he had to wait for Emily and Jungkook to finish eating, he looked to his right with a cocky grin and lowered his arms again.

"So, Finn, what's your major?" his voice was deeper due to his tiredness.

Finn raised his head from his book to look at him again as he answered.

"Law."

"What law?" was his immediate response as his eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly.

Finn put the marker back between the pages and closed his book.

"Criminal law."

He didn't look proud, Leo noticed, like the sons of his parents' friends. His clothes were not designer, high-end, or even new; the rip on the knee of his jeans looked accidental. He also didn't keep his hair down like a pompous brat, it was disorganized naturally.

Leo raised his eyebrows.

"You don't say. Guess we'll be classmates then." He grinned slightly, though a bit rehearsed. He was being friendly due to his present company, but he had no intention of making new friends. He never had.

Finn tilted his head just slightly to his right and gave him a little grin.

"That'll be great." He nodded once and looked down at the cover of his book.

Leo frowned. Then, he glanced down at the book as well.

"What are you reading about?" Somewhere on the other side of the table, Jungkook chuckled under his breath. He glanced up at him, but he was looking down at his plate; he only had a few bites left.

"Umm..." He turned the book around. "It's The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown."

Jungkook gasped, and they all looked at him. For a moment, he looked excited as he stared at Finn. A second later, he shook his head as if it had been a mistake and finished his meal to quickly stand up and leave, taking only his tray.

Emily followed him with her gaze only long enough until she realized it was time to leave, then she started to finish her meal quicker than before. Leo continued to look at him. From the way he walked, he could tell he was uncomfortable. But places with a lot of people always made him uncomfortable, so he couldn't tell where his reaction came from without asking. Asking, however, was out of the question; unless Jungkook needed his help dealing with Finn in any way, there was no reason to push the matter.

Leo leaned forward in his chair, getting ready to stand up, when he turned his head to look at Finn one last time. He also looked troubled as he stared down at his tray.

Being out of the loop was infuriating.

"It was nice meeting you." He lied for plesantries and extended his right hand.

Finn looked back up at him, all trouble forgotten as he smiled softly and shook his hand just as gently as before.

"It was nice meeting you as well. See you in class."

Leo let go of him, took Jungkook's bag and his tray, and left with Emily in front of him. He frowned as they made their way to the tray holder next to the stairs. Finn had been honest when he said it had been nice, he was able to tell right away. The last thing he needed was for a loner to think they were friends based on one interaction they were forced into.

When they got to Jungkook, the latter was smiling sheepishly at him for bringing his bag. They put their trays away, and Leo took Jungkook's bag to give it back to him. Jungkook took it as he bit his lip inside his mouth, making him frown.

"Could you guys go back to my room and I'll see you there in a moment? I want to talk to Finn for a second." He glanced from Emily to Leo, waiting for a response.

Leo tilted his chin up slightly.

"What do you have to talk about?"

"Nothing really, just the book." He shrugged one shoulder, the movement of someone who's unsure of what they're saying.

"Ok then," Emily chimed in and gently held his right arm, "keys first." She extended her hand.

Jungkook took them from his pocket and gave them to her.

If he was planning to fight him...

"Give me your bag too." Leo extended his left hand. When Jungkook looked confused, he gave him half a shrug to mirror him. "It'll make you lighter."

Jungkook conceded in the end and gave him the bag. Leo took a step back towards the stairs and then said to him,

"Don't take too long, or we'll have to replace you with Jimin."

Jungkook chuckled, and Emily jokingly slapped his arm as they walked away.

He didn't want to take a nap anymore. The knowledge that he would see Finn again in class made him uncomfortable. Not only was it because he looked nothing like the types of students he was sure they'll meet, but because he too, with a room for a wardrobe at home, chose to bring only the clothes he ever bought from odd jobs here and there that consisted of the same style Finn was wearing that afternoon.

He was ok with standing out, but he didn't want the pair of them to stand out together.

Jungkook, 2:00 pm

After realising Finn was heading his way with his tray and his bag over one shoulder, he waited by the stairs. His knees were slightly weak due to the topic he wanted to speak to Finn about. It had nothing to do with a book and everything to do with the fact that Finn caught him staring, lost in the color of his eyes.

It was, without a doubt, a bizzare day for him, full of firsts. Never had the thought of entering a woods at night brought him comfort, and the sight of that man... He was still unable to come up with a logical explanation for what seeing him made him feel. But his decision to explain to Finn that he wasn't breaking Lex Callistrata nor anything similar was not new.

Once Finn had left his tray, Jungkook walked closer to him, rubbing his hands against his jeans in his nerves.

"Hey, Finn, do you have a moment?" he asked, just loud enough for him to hear.

Finn looked up and assessed him for a moment before nodding.

"Sure. Do you want to go somewhere?"

"Yeah, let's go downstairs." Jungkook moved aside and began to lead the way.

Lex Callistrata was named after Callistratus, an ancient lawmaker who lived centuries ago and was infamous for proposing laws to prevent "inappropriate" relationships and desires between people of the same gender. He believed that the act of one person painting another of the same gender could lead to emotional closeness, affection, or even attraction and thus should be outlawed.

He had to explain to Finn that, though he was caught looking into his eyes, it was simply because he was a painter and their colour was something he'd never seen before. However, he was not breaking Lex Callistrata because he didn't intend to paint his portrait. Perhaps he would go as far as to explain how he would use the colour of his eyes on a female portrait. But, if Finn was seeking a career in Law, he probably shouldn't say the last part.

They walked out into the garden between the cafeteria and the library, and Jungkook walked purposefully away from most people before coming to a stop and turning to Finn.

"I didn't want you to leave with a bad impression of me; that's why I'm doing this."

Finn gave him a gentle smile. It made him frown a little.

"You don't have to worry. I normally don't judge people by our first encounters, and you did nothing wrong."

Jungkook pressed his lips, shaking his head.

"No, I did. I was looking at your eyes in a way that made you uncomfortable."

"You didn't." Finn tried to negate it for a second time, but Jungkook was growing frustrated.

His frown deepened.

"Yes, I did, and I was wrong for doing that."

"Jungkook–"

"I brought you here to apologise. I have to apologize. I wasn't looking at you with any wrongful intention."

"I know." Finn stepped closer, almost trying to comfort him with the way he was leaning down slightly to look up at him with eyes clear of judgment.

But why weren't they full of judgment? Jungkook's frustration grew. Finn wasn't reacting like he should.

After a moment of silence, Finn straightened up and moved his head sideways.

"Come with me." He started walking towards the glass double doors leading into the hall.

Jungkook almost rolled his eyes before he followed. The last thing he wanted was to fight but if Finn had been faking his kindness to get him alone, he would have to show him not to mess with him.

They continued walking in silence side by side until Jungkook realized they were heading back towards the first building of the students' living area. There were people walking in and out with less urgency than that morning. If Finn wanted to fight, he wouldn't have taken him there. But Jungkook couldn't think of anything else he would want to do. Did he perhaps have something he wanted to show him?

His curiosity took him all the way up the stairs to the first floor of the rooms, following Finn. Instead of continuing forward like they would if they were going to his room, they turned left and walked all the way to the end before turning right. The doors to his right were illuminated by the row of windows to his left; windows with a mixture of the old marble with the new transparent glass with UV filters, like the ones leading to his room. They walked, once again, all teh way to the end and reched door A-0001.

Finn took out his keys, opened the door and walked in before him, which took some tension off his shoulders. He could've invited him in and locked the door with him inside or something. Jungkook stepped in, a bit hesitant nonetheless, while Finn left his bag on the bed closest to the window. The window in this room was to the left of the door; the room was a mirror of his own, which would be on the other side of the far wall. Finn's bed, which was the one he was sitting on at that moment, was parallel to his own, closest to the wall. But the other bed -and the other side of the room- looked like it had no owner.

"You can close the door if you want," said Finn as he turned sideways to face him.

He looked calm and welcoming. Jungkook walked forward, leaving the door open as he sat at the foot of the bed without getting too comfortable yet.

"What did you want to tell me?" Jungkook asked.

Finn placed both hands over his own leg, folded in front of him to face him more comfortably.

"I want you to know first that this is a safe place and everything we say can and will stay here, alright?" he waited for him to answer.

Jungkook's face twisted with apparent confusion, making Finn chuckle.

"Ok..."

"Ok." Finn nodded once. "That being said, you can now tell me why you were looking at me the way you did. I won't judge you, you can be honest."

Jungkook turned his head away to see if he could find a semblance of reality on the other side of the window because what he was hearing was not real. Dissbelieving, he began to look around the room to see if he could catch the red dot of a camera recording. When he didn't, he looked back at Finn and found him waiting patiently.

His expression hardened slightly.

"I was just looking at the color of your eyes. The only reason why I was apologizing in the first place was because I made you uncomfortable, that's all."

"But you didn't make me uncomfortable."

"Well, you should." Jungkook hardened his tone as well, getting uncomfortable himself. "Do you even realize you're acting off right now? Inviting me into your room and telling me you wouldn't judge me if I was looking at you with any other intention? Do you realize what you look like? I don't even want to say it."

Weird, he was acting weird, and Jungkook was glad the door stood open behind him.

Finn finally got serious, lowering his head as though thinking what to say next. But he didn't look ashamed when he looked back up.

"I knew you were looking at my eyes, but I didn't know why. I don't know what your interests are, what you studied in your A.C.s, or what your cultural background is like. For all I know, you could've noticed an ocular dysfunction waiting to happen in the pattern of my iris, and you were scared to seem like a fatalist know-it-all by telling me about it. I don't go around thinking the men that stare at me for more than three seconds are off-putting unless he does look like he has bad intentions, and you don't. I invited you here to give you a place to relax because you looked tense both in the cafeteria and in the garden. And that is all." he finished just as calmly as ever.

He didn't look mad or even disappointed, he was just explaining.

Jungkook sat still for a moment longer, unsure of how to proceed. In his bewildered state, he simply said the first thing that came to his mind.

"I'm a painter..."

Finn's eyes widened as did his smile.

"That's wonderful!"

"No, stop, that wasn't–..." Jungkook closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. Then, he looked back up. "I was looking at the color of your eyes. I'm not planning to break Lex Callistrata, just so you know."

Finn shook his head like it was no big deal.

"Don't worry about it." He leaned forward slightly, closer to him. "I think they're like a light green, wouldn't you say?"

Jungkook stared at him, as confused as every other second because it seemed like he was giving him permission to look into his eyes. Were there actually people like this around? Had he been too sheltered even after meeting so many people on his night outings, or was Finn actually unique? Uniqueness wasn't exactly good either, it was simply another way of saying something was unnatural. But, perhaps... if he was being given permission and no one else would know... Maybe he could...

Jungkook leaned in a bit too, placing a hand between them to hold himself up better. He squinted to focus better on the colors of the eyes he was staring at and noticed his heart beating harder in his chest.

"What caught my attention was that there were different hues; it's not monochromatic. There's a bit of yellow close to the cornea; I've never seen that before. Maybe a golden brown, but never this light." Uncontinously, he moved forward a bit more and his voice sounded deeper when he continued muttering. "There are stricks of yellow-green and then it looks more blue-green on the edge of the iris... true green for the rest... white mixed with green for the reflection of the light..."

As he continued assessing the image in front of him, he started looking outward, starting with the shape of the eye. It had a gentle curl upwards on the outer corner, also accented by the brown eyelashes. The eyes were slightly hooded and symmetrical as far as he could tell, with no marks or moles. Though he did have some freckles, they were not in high contrast with the white skin with a pink undertone. His eyebrows, dark but not bushy, were just as striking as his eyes, calling all the viewers' attention towards them.

His mind had already begun drifting away with ideas of a portrait with eyes such as those being the main focus when the image he was staring at blinked rapidly. Jungkook leaned back quickly as Finn chuckled, blinking still.

"You win."

Jungkook swallowed drily, straightening in his seat. He looked around the room as his shoulders tensed up.

"Think I should leave now. Thanks for..." Jungkook stood up and frowned. "Everything," he finished without too much enthusiasm.

Finn stood as well, an easy grin on his lips as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Thank you for letting me give you a place to relax for a moment." He stretched out his hand. "You can come back at any time."

Jungkook took his hand and shook it. Then, a loud thud made them freeze. Turning their heads at the same time, they stared at the wall connecting Finn's room with...

"What is he doing?" Jungkook wondered aloud as he thought of Leo. At the sound of Finn's chuckle, he quickly let go of his hand, looking back at him. "Sorry. That must be Leo– That's my room. You're also invited, of course," he added the last part to be polite, but he wasn't sure Leo would accept him so easily into their group.

"Thank you," Finn answered, still acting kind.

At that point, Jungkook was beginning to believe it wasn't all an act, but he was still unsure. Another thud from his room alerted him, and he groaned, running out of there. The last thing he heard was Finn's laughter.

Emily, 2:30 pm

Being the only girl in her small group of friends had never been a problem to her. She's always felt heard, seen and needed with them. Protection was also a detail she held dear to her heart. But the thing she liked most about having guy friends was laughter. Most of the time, she was witness to something either ridiculously dangerous or outright funny Leo would be up to, and she would take out her phone to record it and send it to Jungkook, who would answer with laughter as well. Now, however, she didn't need to pull out her phone because Leo was doing the stuip, ridiculous things in Jungkook's new dorm room.

"Come on, one more, one more," he said, out of breath, as he leaned from one leg to another looking straight at the wall between the nightstands.

Emily stood close to Jungkook's bed but far enough away that Leo's legs wouldn't hit her by accident, laughing behind her hands even as she shook her head.

"Leon, stop it already," she complained unconvincingly with her audible smile.

Jimin sat on his bed with his back against the closed window, one of his legs close to his chest as he leaned away from Leo. His eyes were wide as he looked at him, mouth covered by the sleeve he held in his hand. In Emily's opinion, Leo was doing more bad than good by "trying to make Jimin laugh."

Leo leaned on the leg behind him, straightened his arms in front of him, and then pushed himself forward and down onto the floor. He managed to balance himself on his hands as they were planted on the floor while his feet barely touched the wall behind him. He lost a laugh as he stared at the floor.

"I did it!" He cheered for himself.

Emily couldn't help but laugh. And then she laughed even harder, sitting on the bed, when Leo's shirt became loose from where he'd tucked it beneath the waistband of his jeans.

"Oops..." he said behind the fabric of his shirt.

At that same moment, the door opened. Jungkook froze, his eyes widening when he saw Leo's white, muscular torso. Leo seemed to have panicked at the sound, but instead of returning his legs so he could stand back up as he went down, his arms seemed to have lost all strength, making him crumble like a rag doll. Jungkook laughed disbelievingly as Leo tried to untangle his limbs.

"Ouch." He kneed himself in the face. "OUch." Both of his knees fell heavily on the floor above his head, bending his neck even more. But he was able to lean back on his legs and pull himself up with the help of the wall, freeing himself at last. Dizzy, he fell sideways, turning in his place to partially stare at the other three in the room. With a drunken smile, he opened his arms as wide as they could go "Ta-daaaaaa."

Emily and Jungkook began to clap and nod.

"Splendind," he said.

"Magnificent," she agreed.

"Would pay real gold to witness it yet again."

"Knobheads," Leo muttered and tried to stand up.

Jungkook walked forward to help him with a chuckle but Emily's eyes had focused on something else. The wall was dirty with the footprints of Leo's previous attempts. While Leo asked a frozen Jimin if he found it amusing, she went into the bathroom looking for a rag she could use. She took one of the hand towels folded over the shelves above the laundry baskets and damped it under the sink. When she got back into the room, Leo and Jungkook were sitting on the latter's bed, looking at Jimin.

"Maybe I could put all my clothes on at the same time. See if that would work," Leo contemplated as he stroked his chin with his index finger.

"Or maybe you could not do that," Jungkook suggested just as seriously.

Jimin sat as he did before, looking at the open door instead.

Emily lost a chuckle and shook her head while she began cleaning the wall.

"That's a real woman right there." Someone said from behind her and she turned to find Tom standing in the doorway, looking at her with a smirk. "Do you always clean after them? Bless your heart."

Leo stood up, his fists clenched, but Jungkook grabbed him by the forearm.

"You gain nothing by trying to make me mad," she informed him.

But his grin widened.

"Yes, I do." Then, he gave a nod in Jimin's direction. "I checked. There's no one there."

She frowned slightly at those last few words and then her eyes widened when Jimin jumped up from the bed, no longer a statue, and simply took his shoes in one hand before leaving the room. Tom laughed at this and took one step aside to close the door.

Before he did so, however, he looked at Jungkook.

"If you want to change your mean lad, Jimin knows how to share." He winked at him and closed the door.

Leo got free from Jungkook's hold and ran to the door, janking it open. But he stopped and looked around. Tom had gone.

Emily breathed out a sigh of relief while Jungkook stood up.

"We'll get him later," he told Leo in an unsure tone.

Leo turned back around with his eyes closed and took a deep, tense breath as he walked back in. Opening his eyes again, he closed the door surprisingly gently and then walked up to her.

He stretched out his hand.

"I made it dirty."

Emily tilted her head to the side and smiled.

"You were just having fun. I'll finish." With that being said, she turned back around and continued cleaning the wall, which was not all that dirty in the first place.

Leo came from behind her, placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and kissed the top of her head, making her smile and her cheeks warm up.

After finishing, she sat down with the others on Jungkook's bed. While Jungkook sat at the head of the bed with his back against the headboard, she sat by the foot of the bed sitting crisscrossed with her shoes off, and Leo sat between them to one side, facing the window. They first spoke of what Jungkook and Finn had talked about, but he didn't have much to share.

"We just spoke about the book. I told you." He shrugged, and Leo let it go.

She was glad Jungkook found someone who shared his interests. Smiling, she playfully slapped Leo on the chest to stop him from calling Finn "your new best friend". Jungkook also hit him with his pillow.

The day was cold and gray, but that moment felt golden to her. Both of her best friends on the same space, joking and laughing while she mainly watched, knowing it would repeat day after day for the next three years. It felt like a dream come true. She was so happy that it healed the pain in her heart for leaving her home behind. Though she wished she could tell her little brother Nate all about what Leo and Jungkook did while they had dinner, she knew those days couldn't last forever. But she was fine with that.

"Will you hang anything up?" Jungkook asked Leo after they spoke about his paintings.

But Leo shook his head, scrunching his nose.

"Maybe a calendar? I don't know. I don't feel like it." She shrugged in the end and looked through the window.

Emily thought about it for a moment and then leaned sideways, closer to him.

"Yes, a calendar will be nice. That way, you can see all the deadlines and organize your days and mark all the birthdays–"

"And run off into the sunset." Leo fluttered his eyelashes with a dumb smile.

Both of them hit him playfully again.

"It's good you're moving in together after this," Jungkook noted as he hugged the pillow close to his chest again. "I'm scared of what his apartment would be like if he lived alone. Can you imagine?" Jungkook asked her, making her chuckle.

Leo cut in.

"Our walls will be painted black." He nodded deeply.

Her eyes widened with horror.

"Never."

"I want a bar." He nodded again.

Jungkook began laughing while Emily grimaced.

"No, sir."

"And a gaming corner where I can sit around and play all day."

"A nightmare." She looked away in disbelief.

Jungkook was doubling over with laughter.

"Mate..." He straightened up to grab Leo's shoulder, who was grinning. "It's good you guys aren't even together yet, or she would've dumped you already."

"Who said I can't do that still?" She straightened, lifting her chin to look warningly at Leo.

Leo closed his eyes as though in pain.

"Nooooooooo." In slow motion, he fell sideways until his head was lying on her lap. "You can't leave me before we're together yet, noooooooooo."

She chuckled but her next words were serious as she looked down at him.

"Grow up, then."

"I am grown." He argued, straightening up at once. "You just don't like me." Lifting his nose, he turned his head to look away from her.

Jungkook and Emily chuckled.

"I do like you." She assured him even though it was a joke.

Leo turned his head just enough to side-eye her.

"Why do you want me to change then?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Wanting you to grow up doesn't mean I want you to change."

"Sure thing." He rolled his eyes too and spoke to Jungkook. "She doesn't let us be in a relationship and then wonders why I'm not acting like we are, can you believe it?"

She looked at him with half a grin, utterly disbelieving his incomprehensiveness behind her simple yet strict wishes. How many times has she tried to explain? It wasn't even funny.

To her relief, however, Jungkook's eyes widened at their friend.

"Yes, I can believe it. Shouldn't you have to act like you want her before you have her?"

"Yes, he does. Thank you, Jungkook." She raised her tone a bit.

To their disbelief, Leo still acted like it was all a joke as he shook his head and looked back at the window.

"No one gets me." He sighed.

"Our future lawyer, ladies and gentlemen." Jungkook applauded. "He already knows how to gaslight."

All three of them laughed, leaving the old argument behind. Afterwards, she felt so light and happy that she couldn't help but dream out loud a little.

"Won't it be wonderful when we all graduate?"

Leo and Jungkook grimaced.

"I still have to pass the SQEs."

"I'll have to do a master's in philosophy."

"My dad has a ball and chain with my name on it on his law firm."

"To get my parents off my back, I'll have to do a doctorate."

"We'll have to live in London, which I hate."

"I'll have to become a teacher at some point, which I hate."

"Haaaaaa, yes, just a happy conversation about our future, that's all I wanted." Emily sighed dreamily and smiled up at the ceiling.

Finally understanding her silent anger, Jungkook obliged.

"Alright, ok, fine. Yes, it'll be wonderful, we'll be able to... to, um..."

She looked down at him and suggested,

"Choose our dream houses?"

Leo still grimaced.

"It'll be in London, though."

She looked at him.

"Which would be good for..." She motioned for him to continue her sentence.

He rolled his eyes, but with a sigh and looking down at the floor, he continued her sentence.

"It'll be good for my job because the wealthiest cases take place in London. It'll be good for my image because potential clients can see the good way I live and be assured that my wealth means I'm a good lawyer. And it'll be good in the long run... because the kindergartens and schools are very good there for my future children."

"Yes." Emily smiled and leaned forward to rest her head on his shoulder, pleased by his response. She knew he didn't like how it all sounded now, but she believed that, with time, he'd realised that was the best way to live.

She straightened away from him and looked at Jungkook.

"Now you." She invited.

Jungkook was taken aback.

"Me what?"

"Yes, you." Leo nodded, looking up at him with accusation. "If I had to say it, so do you. Em, tell him."

She chuckled and began.

"Being a teacher would be good for..." She left it open for him to say the rest.

"Me," Jungkook said simply, with a grin.

"No, sir, you won't." Leo grabbed his shirt by the collar with no real harm. "Say the whole sentence."

Jungkook sighed, and Leo let him go.

"Fine. It'll be good for..." he looked around, trying to find the answer. "For me, because... my parents won't be angry?"

"Because your parents want the best for you." She nodded, and he looked up at her with a blank expression, so she continued. "It'll be good for you financially because you'll be able to support your future family, have health insurance, and build a good retirement fund. It'll be good for your future children because the professors are well acclaimed and respected, just like your parents. You see?"

"...yeah." He said. Then, he shook his head. "I really want to be a teacher."

Leo laughed and shook his head as well.

"I really want to be a lawyer."

"Knobheads." She muttered with a chuckle.

They might think it was all fun and games, but soon enough, they'll find out she was right.

Taehyung, 5:30 pm

It was time for him to go to the welcome dinner banquet which started in thirty minutes. A dinner where all the teachers, heads of faculties, and the students are welcomed back to another semester by the Headmaster Yungsoo Jeon. It was a tradition the couple in charge of Evanthe started the year they came to the positions they currently held. It was also a tradition Taehyung was currently anxious to be a part of.

As he continued to look at himself in the mirror of his -too large- bathroom, his eyes tried to find flaws where there were none. Trembling hands straightened invisible wrinkles in his dark green suit while his face faked a semblance of confidence. He knew nothing of the banquet except that he would be personally welcomed by the headmaster in front of the rest of the university present, and that fact alone made his heart race like a mouse's heart. He had to get accustomed to the eyes on him when he began being an assistant professor; any more than the attention he could accept in a classroom was immediately unacceptable. But he was more afraid of his wife finding out that he hid in his room all evening.

After lunch, where he spent most of the time talking to professor Oliver O'Connor, he returned to his apartment and stayed there. Instead of organizing his boxes, he took a nap and continued to read the book he'd taken with him to the flight, essentially procrastinating due to anxiety.

Feeling unprepared, he gulped and made his way out of the bathroom to leave his apartment with the confidence of a lion. He quickly returned to the bathroom to turn the light off.

It took him five more minutes of standing by the closed door of the apartment to decide whether or not to take the mapbook with him. He didn't want any more unwanted attention by looking lost, but he might get lost if he went out without it. His depiction was made for him by the distant sound of another door closing.

Once he realized he could follow his fellow professor to the dinner, he left his apartment in a rush. Oliver was only just pressing the button to the lift when Taehyung saw him and let out a deep sigh. Relaxed around the shoulders, he closed his apartment door and walked over to him.

Oliver turned around when he heard the noise and smiled.

"Taehyung."

"Oliver." Taehyung almost bowed in greeting and smiled sheepishly. "I'm glad I have someone to follow."

"I'm glad to be that person," Oliver replied, looking peaceful as he stood with his hands behind his back. He wore dark brown trousers and a white button-up shirt, but he wore no tie, no jacket, and his shoes were for running instead of polished leather. "You don't always have to dress up if you don't want to," Oliver said after noticing him staring.

Taehyung blinked up at him, abashed at having been caught ogling.

"No, I just... I don't think I could be so comfortable. Or confident." He shrugged, folding his hands in front of him. He looked away the moment the doors opened, and they stepped in by themselves.

The real reason he couldn't be as nonchalant with his appearance was, as always, his wife. She might not be next to him, but she always found out when he was doing something she didn't approve of.

"What's on your mind, my boy?" Oliver asked, making him turned his head around to look at him. "You look nervous." He explained gently.

Taehyung pressed his lips together, trying to smile again. But he quickly looked down at the floor. He could feel his own body exposing his nerves; his neck was tense again, his hands held each other tightly, and he breathed purposefully slow.

He straightened up his head, and they walked out of the lift. There were a couple of people in the teachers' room.

"I just want to know if I'm going to have to walk on stage or something," Taehyung admitted with a meaningful look at Oliver.

The older man gave him a smile.

"No, you don't." He said clearly.

As Taehyung opened the black glass double doors, he was exhaling with relief.

"Thank the gods." He muttered and then turned to look back at Oliver as they walked to their left. "What will I have to do? I haven't been told how it's going to be."

Oliver frowned slightly.

"I'm so sorry, I should've done that already."

"Not at all. I didn't tell you I didn't know." Taehyung stopped him, shaking his head.

Oliver nodded, grateful, and then spoke again.

"It's very simple, really. It's in Auditorium one, the biggest of ten, to the left of the reception desks. It'll be organized with tables and our table will be up front. We don't have designated seats, so you can sit with me and Poppy, and the rest of the students will sit at other tables. There will even be tables for two on the second and third floors- yes, it is that big." He chuckled when he saw Taehyung's widened eyes. "Yungsoo will say a few words of welcome and introduce any new teachers or other important workers. You're the only new teacher this semester, so he'll call your name and present you to the rest of the university, but you won't have to step on stage. All you have to do is stand up if you want and wave around at the students so they can see you better. If you don't want to, you can always stay on your seat and give an acknowledging nod to Yungsoo; that's it. Then, we eat."

Taehyung waited a moment. Then, he wondered.

"That's it?"

Oliver chuckled as he looked ahead at the corridor.

"Yes, that's it. The Goodbye banquet is far more exciting. That's when music groups and the university orchestra do presentations, the theatre major does another presentation, awards are given to students for academic excellence, even to those who aren't graduating, and then the graduating class hands out letters to the other students. This last one is the one I started." He said, sporudly.

Taehyung smiled.

"Waht is it about?"

"It's where all the students graduating make letters throughout their last semester writing down their feelings and frustrations as though speaking to a younger sibling, always writing down advice in the end. Then, the names of all the students in the university get put in one bowl while the names of all the students graduating get put in another. The name of a graduating student gets pulled out, and then several younger students get pulled out with it, signifying which students would be their 'younger sibling'. Those students get those cards from their 'older sibling' at the banquet. This ritual is to help the students who are one semester away from graduating or only just strying to keep going and to be assured that they're not alone in their frustrations and hardships, and it's also a way for the graduating students to let go of this part of their life before starting their adulthood."

Taehyung was frowning with a bit of emotion.

"That's so thoughtful." He said, making Oliver smile wider. "I wish my university had something like that."

"From which one did you graduate?"

"King's. In London." He answered simply, looking up as they passed by a painting in the hall. They were taking the same path he took that morning in reverse.

"That's a great university." Oliver nodded with emphasis. "It's second to Evanthe in Philosophy, in this kingdom."

"Yeah," Taehyung answered absentmindedly. After they turned the last corner and he looked ahead, the other side of the hall was almost like it was that morning, filled with people, with students.

His breath caught in his throat a little.

"Are all the students forced to come to the banquet, or can they not come?" He asked, still looking ahead.

"They're not obligated, but they wouldn't be able to have dinner otherwise," Oliver explained as they walked. It looked like all the doors to the auditorium were open, but people were simply chatting outside. "All the cafetearias inside the grounds are closed to incentivise the students to come. And, since it's a Sunday, most restaurants would also be closed at this hour in the closest city, which is still thirty minutes away by foot."

Taehyung looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

Oliver chuckled and pointed at his shoes.

"I like to walk a lot."

Taehyung chuckled with him and looked back at the students ahead. Some had noticed Oliver walking beside him and began to run towards the pair of them with smiles bright on their faces.

As Taehyung saw their enthusiastic exchanges and the way Oliver seemed to be a universal father figure, he couldn't help but remember that afternoon. 'Professor O'Connor?'

His heart jolted at the fantom sound of his voice, and he looked up, away from the people he had in front of him. But he looked around, and those pairs of warm, brown, familiar eyes couldn't be seen. Maybe he was inside? Maybe he wouldn't arrive? Maybe, even if they were in the same place at the same time, he wouldn't even be able to find him in the crowd. And maybe even if he could, he shouldn't.

He shouldn't pursue. Taehyung bit his lip inside his mouth and followed Oliver when they all began to walk inside.

If he pursued, Daphne would find out; somehow, someway, someday, she always found out. She found out when he cried at work even though he did it in the men's toilet. She found out he'd sat down on a park bench on his way back home even though he hadn't shared his location. She found out he took a nap in his office before continuing working. She found out he tried to be friends with Oscar, then Ethan, then Tiffany, then Spencer, and she stopped him every time. He couldn't have friends she didn't approve of, couldn't act a way she didn't approve of, couldn't dress a way she didn't approve of; he couldn't be without her approval. The only moment he could be himself was when he was out with his kids, and that was over.

Though, it was also true that he'd just spend a whole day without a call from her. It was still too early to judge, but maybe the distance had something to do with it. It wasn't the first time he'd thought she had someone at his workplace telling her what he was doing at all times. But he couldn't get too comfortable before this behavior repeated for a couple of days. He couldn't throw caution to the wind if it was the wind itself that told his wife how he wiped his nose.

As he sat beside Oliver, amazed by the proportions of the auditorium and deafened by the countless conversations around him, he tapped the table with his finger. His eyes were low over the while mantel, staring unseeingly at the flat surface where a plate of food would be placed so he could eat with the utensils organized on each side. Absentmindedly, he listened to Oliver talk to a woman next to him while his hand tried to loosen the tightness around his neck. But his tie felt suffocating either way. It all felt suffocating. It always was.

At beautifully ornate tables, he'd been shouted at. On shiny floors of marble, he'd curled into a ball and cried. In important and revered halls he'd felt empty in. In expensive suits, he'd felt trapped and ugly. A decade of... A decade of... Of happiness. He was happy, his children made him happy; their jokes made him laugh; their strength made him proud; their love made him whole. Why did he feel like crying if that was the truth?

'I'm–... Philosophy?'

Taehyung almost chuckled. Like a ray of sunshine parting clouds of storm, he almost grinned. Everyone around him got ready, finding their seats, but all he could think of was one name. This name did not hurt to think about, but that was what made it scary. He could sit and strategize before making a move, but what it nothing goes according to his rules? He was still startled by the recognition he felt in his heart, even though he'd never seen those eyes before. Nothing could promise him the pull he felt towards this person, younger and in a more vulnerable position than him, was not caused by his loneliness and pain.

In truth, he was afraid of himself. Just like he'd forgotten how to speak without oversharing, he might also use the power of his title without ill intention to create horrible outcomes without meaning to. That young lad told him what he would be studying not because he wanted to but because he was a professor. The first moment he saw his shoes, he'd apologized with fear. Taehyung was afraid of using this fear.

He did ask about him. He did think about him. But he was still afraid of thinking of his name a second time.

Raphael, 6:00 pm

Back in Leeds, in the Noth Base, Raphael was waiting for the coffee machine to finish working as he stood by the small coffee station on the corner of his office. It was his and his father's office, but his father was in a meeting at the moment. He'd been awake since four in the morning, but he didn't feel as tired as he usually did. Taking his cup of coffee with him, he went back to his desk and sat before his computer for a moment. His eyes moved from one side of the screen to the other and then down at the calendar he'd opened in the corner. All the information he just gathered... he wasn't sure he was supposed to have it.

After arriving at Leeds and taking a quick lunch on the way back to base, he returned to his duties overseeing the training of the soldiers. His work consisted of walking from one side of he base to the other, asking for important updates on training, data, losses, and the information brought in from their police patrolling the north of the kingdom. Sometimes, this information wouldn't be complete until late in the evening, so then he would have to do three rounds during the day. By the second round, an hour after lunch, he would be able to see the training of soldiers. This day was no different. However, it was.

The meeting in the south with the castellans that morning had left him with a chill down his spine that he couldn't get rid of even after taking three cups of tea. It wasn't any surprise that his senses would be piking up things he hadn't before in his nerves. What before he'd ignored as tough training of certain under-performing soldiers now he saw as almost cruel behavior from the commanders. What before he would've undermined as simple conversation between two commanders now he realized as warning bells he'd been missing.

'I can't wait for these idiots to stop crying.'

'Yeah, they're getting too uncontrollable lately.'

Control again.

Raphael turned back around after he'd heard them speaking.

"I'll also need to see the reports on soldiers who are no longer in service for any and every reason." He commanded without a shift in his expression as he held a folder in his hands.

The commanders looked at each other as they drank their tea as though he was a bother until one of them finally did as he was told. Even though he outranked them, he was hardly ever taken seriously.

With that new report in hand, one he'd never asked before, he made his way back to his office to put all the information together for his father. The problem was that he was looking at the information wondering whether he should.

Police hadn't found anything suspicious, only minor crimes as the likes of pickpockets. The data reports that the numbers of soldiers they currently had stayed consistent with the year before; a number he and his father knew so well because it stayed the same each month. Analisis also states that the threat of a terrorist attack remains as high as the month prior, the reason why the training of their soldiers had been so insistant and their artilery remained at full capasity. The numbers he would usually have gathered for his father daily would show a steady increase and decrease in their various activities and movements, which would, in turn, showcase a royal military base of the north that was ready to take down any threat.

The added information he'd asked from the commanders told a different story. They had indeed maintained a steady number of soldiers throughout the months, but it was only because they would take new men in as others left. The reasons for being relieved from their services varied from physically being unable to continue their work and being sent off to the hospital (with broken bones, pulled muscles, the complete shut down of an organ, or the development of a decease like cancer) to losing their life during service. This last fact had left him speechless when he read it. The reason for their deaths had not been for a recent battle. Every death recorded during the previous three years had been because of apparent suicide, and he had no idea.

He drank from his coffee, trying to stay focused, and then put it aside to continue typing down a concise report with the new information. Death and injury were not the only two reasons for a soldier to be relieved from their work; mental illness was another reason. HMD, to be exact. It didn't surprise him to find out only after reading about it from a file pushed to one side. No military base would even want to suggest they were in contact with someone who had the worst, most harmful mental illness in the history of humanity. Not only did they have four cases in the last four years, but these four cases were found out because those men tried to harm the rest of the soldiers at some point.

Although all those past reasons for losing soldiers were increasingly surprising, none was more shocking than the last one. Soldiers were fleeing. For three years -and maybe more- soldiers had been running away from their duties, never to be seen again; neither could their families be found or contacted. Every single month, they had lost at least one soldier in that manner, but the number of runaways had been steadily increasing over time until there could be a group of five to nine men leaving all at once, all in the dead of night.

He paused his typing again to drink more coffee as he looked over at his father's desk to his left. The night sky, blocked by clouds, made the windows behind his father's chair look like black mirrors. He could see the various clocks over the door, all with different times from different countries, reflected on the windows. All of the seconds were marked at the same time in different positions, egging him, rushing him to get to an answer.

There had to be a correlation between the runaways. Maybe they all knew each other beforehand, or all of them followed a secret religion. No, that was too difficult to track. Maybe all of them had the same orders before they decided to leave. Wouldn't that mean that he had to oversee the orders given to make sure no commander was stepping out of line? But that was his father's job, it would be like saying his father was unable to do a good job at it. He cringed at the thought. If he couldn't oversee the orders given by the commanders, he would have to oversee the orders the soldiers were following.

If there was a correlation between the runaways and one particular order given to them, that might also mean that there was a commander who was making them leave. But, if it was not because of a commander but because following the order meant finding out about something that made the soldiers want to leave on their own, he had to find out what it was. If they somehow found out about that mysterious weapon of compliance and it was so horrendous that it made soldiers trained to win wars run away scared, he had to know what it was.

His father opened the door, making him flinch, turn his head, and spill a bit of his drink on his uniform trousers. His father didn't notice, so he left his cup on the desk and discretely tried to dry the fabric with a handkerchief from one of his drawers.

"Report nearly ready?" His father asked as he rounded his own desk and opened a drawer.

"Yes, sir. Any news?" Raphael casually closed the file with the information of the soldiers relieved from their posts and didn't draw attention to himself as he put it inside one of his desk drawers.

"Training will change." His father informed him. Raphael looked up at him, eyebrows raised. His father was still looking away as he stared down at his computer. "More and more soldiers are underperforming. Now, everyone will be treated the same."

Raphael tried to conceal his griamce.

"Understood, sir." He answered and went back to his work. The brutal training he witnessed that afternoon, now everyone woul have to follow it. He worried about the underperforming soldiers and whether their fellows would think they were at fault for the new training.

He looked at his computer screen, noticing from the corner of his eye how his father finally sat down at his desk, but he was still undecided. All the new information about how the number of soldiers hadn't changed as drasticaly as soliders left because new ones would be brought in immediately could be vital. The number of people outside who knew the inside workings of their base grew larger each month there were new runaways. However, if he told his father and he called for tighter security, it would make it harder for him to find out what they were finding out. He wouldn't be allowed to speak to a runaway caught in the act. He was sure his father would want to speak to them directly, and he had the power and the right to keep information confidential.

Hoping that the current month wouldn't make much of a difference, he made a different report and deleted the new information he'd gathered. Through email, he sent that one to his father. Then, behind a password, he saved the original report for himself.

Casually, he took the cup from his desk with a trembling hand and finished his coffee.