later that evening, the three older boys- seokjin, namjoon, and yoongi- were sitting inside seokjin's dorm. it was quiet, apart from namjoon and seokjin suggesting solutions to the problem, but yoongi wasn't open to suggestions. he just felt like he was forced to be there. he didn't listen, and just tuned them out.

namjoon and seokjin, though, were very concerned for their friend and his wellbeing. they brainstormed solutions multiple times, but they were of no use.

“i can't help but remember hoseok's expression before he kissed jeongguk,” namjoon said. seokjin tilted his head. namjoon sighed. “he glanced at yoongi and i before pushing his body against jeongguk and kissing him. it seemed kind of forced...”

“and you're only telling us now?”

“i'm sorry!” namjoon apologized with a small smile. seokjin rolled his eyes.

“then this means jeongguk was forced.”

“then explain why hoseok's arm was around his waist,” yoongi said. seokjin looked at him before looking away. this was something that was inevitable and had no explanation. namjoon sighed, looking at yoongi.

“jeongguk's loyal, yoongi, he'd never do this, there's more to the story.”

“really? you've known him for two years and you say you know him? nobody knows him!”

at that moment, there was a soft knock at the door. yoongi looked away in disappointment from namjoon while seokjin looked towards the door. in the end, namjoon got up to answer. he was surprised to find jimin standing there, looking deeply guilty and sad.

dressed in a normal hoodie and ripped jeans, jimin looked up at namjoon. it was weird to find him. this wasn't the jimin he had known before he broke ties with jeongguk. the bubbly aura was gone, all was left was sadness. he seemed less happy than before.

“jimin?”

“there's something i need to explain,” jimin said, looking away from namjoon, “about hoseok.”

namjoon stopped thinking. slowly but surely, he opened the door, revealing him to everyone else. seokjin was a little bit shocked to find him there, but yoongi was different. he was tense, looking at jimin in disgust and hatred.

“jimin says he'd like to explain something about hoseok, about his recent behavior, correct?”

jimin nodded. yoongi looked at him with slanted eyes.

“you aren't going to lie or try anything, are you?” yoongi said, his voice low. jimin shook his head. he was invited inside, but he hesitated on sitting down. he did eventually sit on the floor, looking at everyone.

“hoseok's... he's gone a little crazy. he won't speak to anyone and keeps mumbling something about jeongguk.”

“he and jeongguk... pretended to be dating for some unknown reason to me. hoseok told me this, but not why. i felt bad keeping it from you guys, but he threatened me that if i told you, i'd suffer.”

namjoon thought on this, “like blackmail?”

jimin nodded, “something like that. he also threatened me when i broke off with jeongguk. i didn't want to, but he said that, once again, he'd make me suffer.”

“that's toxic. period,” seokjin said, clicking his tongue a little. yoongi looked at jimin. “then we need to get his phone.”

namjoon glanced back at yoongi when he finally spoke. he gave a thumbs up before sliding his shoes on and bolting out of the door. jimin also began to get up as well, but seokjin stopped him, a calm, friendly smile placed on his face.

“tell jeongguk how you feel, he'll understand. thank you, jimin, for telling us this,” seokjin said. yoongi nodded a little, still laying on the seat he was in. jimin gave a small smile before bowing shortly and leaving. by this time, namjoon had arrived back, somehow with jeongguk's phone.

“he was asleep. now, let's look through this.”