nephilim (quatre)
you know where the cred goes 💙
cult au, supernatural creature au
yandere! ot7 x f! reader
warnings: yandere themes, violence, manipulation
undoubtedly, the boys have opened their arms and hearts to you. but have you done the same? life has only gotten more stressful for you, and the closer you find yourself getting to them, the more you feel as though you are changing, and the more you push yourself away. you refuse to break. never forget: one’s hubris could be their hamartia. forge your lonely path with conviction. after all, it may not be yours for much longer. the victor or the fallen--exactly who is it that stands to lose the most?
——————————————————————
For a long time now, you had feared that your relatively peaceful days in Ichabod were coming to an end, and recent events only further proved your point.
Mana’s forewarning carried its weight well, as Aemilia seemed dead set on making an enemy of you. She went from hardly acknowledging your existence to cursing it.
She would never lift a finger to do her dirty work, oh no, for how could the delicate Augustus princess stoop so low as to take the garbage out herself?
No, she used her puppets Brooklyn, Constance, and whoever else she managed to sink her claws into in the student body to torment you.
They tripped you in the halls, stole your belongings, and essentially made it difficult for you to bleed into the background like you used to.
Luckily for you, you happened to gain some formidable allies.
Mana was there to tell Aemilia’s lackeys to back down, and they wouldn’t dare approach you with Jimin around. And he happened to be around more often than not, strangely enough.
The three of you managed to form a strange alliance during this time. Your best friend was still extremely cautious around Jimin and his siblings, as were you, but they had gotten somewhat closer, which made you glad. You didn’t want to be the bridge between them, as you thought that would be tiring and more than you could already handle.
Still, the two were only human. They wouldn’t always be there to defend you. Nevertheless, you were quite capable of defending yourself.
You didn’t give Aemilia the satisfaction of breaking under her pressure. You held your head up high despite the amounts of rumors flying around the school about you, even if they made you want to split your own skull open.
The student body, in part, was divided. Half of them wanted nothing to do with you, considering how you were associated with both the Augustuses and the Kims. They were wary of your actions, claiming you were steps away from meeting Wylynne herself.
The other half whispered about how tired they were of Aemilia’s antics and tantrums, given that this was not the first time she had behaved like this toward another student.
Two weeks passed by, and neither you nor Aemilia was giving in. The strawberry blonde was beside herself, and so were her poor friends. Every day that she failed to teach you a lesson was another day she went raving mad in private.
Soon enough, her patience would snap. She would find herself going over the tipping point, but the question remains: Who would stand to lose the most when she got there?
It was another stressful day for you at Ichabod Academy as you sat in your lively homeroom.
Mana rested on your desk, laying their head on their arms. You figured they would be uncomfortable, considering the way their body was twisted around in their seat, but your friend was drifting off without a care in the world.
You slumped in your chair, looking every bit as done with life as you had recently felt. There was so much you had to be on the lookout for, and today was no different.
You blinked tiredly and looked at your best friend. You then decided to lay your head on top of Mana’s, who did nothing more than let out a grunt, and closed your eyes in an attempt to get some rest as well.
When Jimin returned from the restroom, he internally cooed at the sight.
Your head started rocking back and forth as it tilted dangerously on top of Mana’s. Ensuring he wouldn’t wake you, the boy sat you up and leaned your body on him so that your head was resting on his shoulder.
He smiled down at you in relief. Your classmates took note of his treatment and started to whisper about the two of you, but one look from him and the room quieted.
Unfortunately for you, the peace was short lived. There was a loud crackling over the intercom that shook both you and Mana awake.
They sat up and glared at their surroundings in annoyance. You opened your eyes in a flash, desperately hoping it wasn’t your first period teacher.
“Don’t worry, Ms. Diivi isn’t here yet.” Jimin reassured you. “It was just the intercom.”
You nodded in thanks and covered your yawn with the back of your hand.
There was some more crackling and finally, your principal began to speak.
“Good afternoon, students. I apologize for the interruption, but this is urgent. Constance Pierre is to report to the principal’s office immediately. I repeat, Constance Pierre to the principal’s office. Thank you for your attention, and please continue about your day.”
You squinted in confusion.
Constance has never been called to the principal’s office before in her entire life. Even when she was causing trouble for you and other students, the teachers paid no mind and others were too afraid to report her. What could have happened?
The sound of feet pounding against the floor got closer and closer until you could hear it outside your classroom door. A blonde blur passed the room, disappearing as fast as it had come.
“Pierre...why does that name sound familiar?” You murmured to yourself.
“It’s the name of the freshman that went missing.” Mana said as they stretched. “Chance Pierre, I think.”
Your eyes widened in understanding.
“He was-is Constance’s little brother.” They corrected their statement.
Jimin glanced at your shocked expression and suppressed a dry laugh.
Quite frankly, he could care less about the Pierre family. Constance has been nothing but a nuisance to him and his brother.
He’d been willing to overlook the rumors of how annoyingly outstanding and clever the freshman was because he knew his little brother would always be better.
But after the blonde went so far as to start pestering you, he used the information he’d gathered against Chance in its opportune moment. And he had no regrets.
You snuck a peek at Jimin and saw a familiar, cold decisiveness plastered on his face. It was the only expression you’d been seeing from him for a while now. Any time someone brought up the missing student, Jimin would go frostily silent.
It reminded you of the difference between the two of you, just like his reaction--or lack thereof--the morning of Chance’s disappearance had.
You figured he was just uncomfortable talking about the situation and was carefully avoiding it, just as he had with you and Mana that first day you spent lunch together.
At least it wasn’t Mom or Mana, you thought to yourself.
“They must’ve finally found him.” You commented, distracted by your incoming thoughts.
Aemilia’s family is specifically in charge of hunting down anyone who can be perceived as a “threat” to the Kim family. Brooklyn Hayes and Constance Pierre, however, acquired social immunity for themselves and their families as the girls are so close.
Or so you thought.
Constance’s disheveled appearance the morning Chance went missing made much more sense, then. She was worried sick about her little brother, and one of her closest friends didn’t even bother warning her or her family.
You shuddered. Just how many people would Aemilia sacrifice? How far would she go, just for her sick sense of what was right?
You had no intention of finding out.
By lunch time, the rest of the school had heard exactly what happened to poor Chance Pierre.
The fourteen year old boy was deposited in the family’s living room, returned out of the blue just like all of those who came before him.
His mother had stepped out for a short moment to go grocery shopping and returned to find her bloody mess of a son, who she then quickly rushed to the hospital.
He was covered in bruises, had a broken arm and leg, several broken ribs, and permanent blindness in his left eye. All things considered, he is one of the lucky ones.
His family was just grateful that he was returned to them still breathing.
Whatever the message was, the Pierre family had received it loud and clear. And so had the rest of the town.
No one is allowed to leave Ichabod. Not without being stopped by Death herself.
Another school day had come to an end, and you walked out the building with Mana and Jimin at your side.
Seeing how the end of the month was coming up, you and Jimin decided that it would be best if you went over to his house to work on the project again. The beginning of the presentations were not far off and it was about time you completed your research.
It didn’t take long to convince your mother. The both of you found it easier for you to go over to the Kim residence than to ask Jimin if he could come to your home.
You sat on a granite bench outside of the entrance. Mana stood on your left, leaning up against the wall and Jimin sat to your right, perched on the bench.
You were waiting for Driver Bin and Mr. Waye to show up when you heard a familiar voice call out.
“(Y/N)! Jimin hyung!” You watched as Taehyung came running out the school doors, Jungkook trailing calmly behind him.
You waved at the two and gave them a tired smile. Taehyung made himself comfortable on Jimin’s lap as Jungkook stood along the wall near Mana.
“Did you have a good day, (Y/N)?” Taehyung hummed, eyes teeming with concern.
“Yeah, it was fine.” You said, struggling to actually mean that statement.
Mana gave you a knowing look and huffed out a laugh under their breath.
It’s not as though you almost had your things stolen twice in one day.
This morning, Hoseok saw you chasing a junior who was running away with some of your notebooks and folders in hand.
His charming smile dropped and he gave her a grim look. All he had to do was extend his hand and she placed the items in his palm, which he then promptly returned to you.
Then one of your classmates stole your laptop while you were at lunch in an effort to wipe the thing. Had it not been for Namjoon walking into the library and catching them in the act, you surely would have lost all of your information.
Thankfully, he safely retrieved your laptop from your classmate. You made a new password for all of your devices and resolved to never let your bag out of your sight again.
“I’m glad you’re coming over again, though! Maybe we’ll get to watch a movie or play some games together.” He flashed you a boxy grin and you sent him a small smile in return.
“Jungkookie’s got loads of games,” Jimin added, peeking his head out from behind Taehyung. “He’s such a hoarder, he rarely lets us play with him. I’m sure he’d let you, though.”
Jungkook punched Jimin in the shoulder, looking at the ground in embarrassment. “Hyung, what are you saying...”
“Yeah, that sounds nice.” You sighed absentmindedly. “I could do with a break from school and homework for like, the next month.”
The youngest brother flushed, peeking up at you through his bangs. “If you wanted to, I’d be happy to play with you.” He mumbled as he smiled.
“Oh, there’s Driver Bin!” Taehyung called, hopping up and pulling you and Jimin to your feet.
You hugged Mana goodbye as the black van pulled up to the curb. Just as you turned to follow Jimin, however, someone knocked their shoulder into yours.
“Oh, sweetie. You should really watch where you’re going.”
Brooklyn stood in your path with her arms crossed. Over her shoulder, you saw Aemilia and Constance standing a short distance away. They looked as though they were about to make their way towards Aemilia’s family’s car.
Of course, she could have just walked around you, but why would she ever let you off easy?
The strawberry blonde wore a satisfied smile and she leaned over to whisper something in the ear of a haggard Constance. Constance merely blinked and nodded in response.
You smiled at the girl in front of you. “Of course. It was all my mistake. I’m so sorry, Brooklyn.”
You stepped closer as though you were going to confront her and grabbed her arm, pulling her toward you before she could step back.
She fought against you but that only made you grip her arm tighter. You could feel your nails start to dig into her skin.
“I’m sorry that you’re nothing more than a means to an end.” You murmured in her ear.
The brunette stilled.
“I’m sorry Aemilia couldn’t care less about you or your family.” You continued, speaking in a low voice. “I’m sorry that your so called friend sees you as mere disposable goods, or should I say...a useful little puppet?”
You released your grip on her arm, bringing your hand up to her shoulder instead and giving it a few consoling pats. “Didn’t your little sister just get the lead role in the school play? I would hate for you to be the next Constance...”
You looked toward the blonde just to emphasize your point and Brooklyn’s eyes followed your gaze.
Constance was staring, unseeing, at the ground, nervously clinging to Aemilia like a lifeline. She was strangely quiet and obedient...like a dog in fear of disobeying its master.
Brooklyn looked back and forth between you, Aemilia, and Constance in utter shock. You sent her one more sympathetic look before moving around her to follow the Kims into their car.
The remaining students whispered, wondering about what you said and in the corner of your eye, you saw Mana tilt their head inquisitively. You knew they had questions, questions you would have to answer later.
You bowed in greeting to Mr. Bin and entered the car behind Jimin like last time, Namjoon going in after you.
Mr. Bin closed the door and walked around to the other side of the vehicle in preparation to leave.
“I’ve never seen Brooklyn look so shocked,” Taehyung said from the backseat. He put his hands on the headrest behind you and poked his head around it. “What did you tell her?”
You shrugged. “Something that could hopefully put her life in a different perspective.”
“I don’t know how you deal with those girls, (Y/N).” Jimin said. “Aren’t you tired of the tricks Aemilia’s playing?”
“Don’t you just want to get rid of them, once and for all?” Taehyung asked, tone darkening.
You shrugged. “For whatever reason, she’s currently obsessed with me-”
The reason being all of you-
“-and of course I want her to stop, but I would never give her the satisfaction of letting her think she won. She’s petty, and a bully.”
You texted your mother an update on your location and locked your phone, looking up at your classmates. “She just needs a reality check. I’d be happy to give it to her every now and then.”
Part of you felt like trying to care for Brooklyn was pointless, especially after the way she treated you. The other part of you felt you were killing two birds with one stone--you were opening her eyes and isolating Aemilia in one go.
While Namjoon and Hoseok nodded in understanding, the rest of the boys couldn’t help but worry.
They all followed Namjoon’s advice religiously in fear of scaring you away. But what if your independence only made it harder for them to be able to be there for you? What if you never came to them on your own for assistance?
...They would simply have to make it so that you had no other choice, would they not?
But the circumstances were not yet that dire, so for now, you had nothing to fear.
——————————————————————
The ride into the woods was pleasantly silent, and this time you made sure you didn’t fall asleep.
All too soon, Mr. Bin drove the van past the wrought-iron gate and up the impressive driveway. You weren’t as nervous as you were your first time visiting their residence, but you still had your guard up.
The boys bound up the wooden steps and opened the front door, piling into their home. You entered last, quietly closing the door behind you.
As you were taking off your shoes, you spied a pair of nude slides next to all of the black ones.
Jungkook noticed you looking at them and smiled. “Mother prepared them for you. She saw you wearing hyung’s pair the last time you came over and ordered them after you left with your mom.”
“That’s so kind of her,” you said, slightly in awe. “I’ll be sure to express my thanks.”
You never thought you’d reach the day where Mrs. Kim would welcome you so readily into her home, but here you stood corrected.
“(Y/N), let’s go!” Jimin called to you from the stairway.
“Coming!” You lay your shoes at the door, slid your feet into the slippers, and went to catch up with him, climbing upstairs.
The library had hardly changed since you were gone. The shelves were just as dusty and dilapidated as before, and the couch was just as comfortable.
You maintained a safe distance away from Jimin this time as well so he wouldn’t get the opportunity to pull any tricks.
You spent the majority of the afternoon on writing the paper together, as you both had agreed. A few hours later, you finished and decided to get a head start on the presentation.
“‘The strength of a Nephilim depends on which angelic order their parent hails from,’” You read out to Jimin as he added to your shared document from his laptop.
“‘The sheer majority, however, were parented by those in the third sphere. This was the lowest order consisting of the angels most concerned with the affairs of humans: Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.’”
“Got it.” He claimed, typing out a couple more sentences. “I think we have enough for the background information, but Mrs. Hargrove also wants us to discuss the religions they come from, their abilities and their weaknesses.”
You hummed. “Angels are mentioned in a multitude of religions, but Nephilim are really only mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, according to sources.”
“So that question shouldn’t be so difficult to answer,” He smiled, marking it.
“Nephilim are really strong,” you said from behind the book cover, fascinated by the information it held. “They appear as ordinary humans on the outside but possess celestial powers bestowed upon them by their angelic parent. They’re faster and stronger than ordinary humans, and are excellent at reading people.”
Jimin took the book from you and glanced further down in the book to see if he could find more specific powers for your project.
“Oh, I found something here.”
You opened your laptop and prepared to type as he read.
“It says Nephilim possess super strength, longevity, the power of flight, healing abilities, teleportation, telepathy, angelic wrath, illusions, the ability to drain someone’s life force, and telekinesis.” He raised his eyebrow in awe.
You chuckled as your hands raced to keep up with his words. “Illusions, the ability to drain someone’s life force, and what?”
“Telekinesis, the ability to move things with your mind.” He said.
“I could use that all the time--like, the other day, I was waiting in front of the student council room to return the uniform I borrowed.”
You recounted the story for Jimin as he peeked up at you. You were too engrossed in typing, however, to notice his gaze. “I could have sworn the door was locked, but then Namjoon appeared and it unlocked without him pulling out a key or anything. He just flicked his wrist and open sesame.”
Jimin unabashedly stared at you, a small smile on his face. You always noticed the littlest things about them and it made his heart pound for you a little harder.
“Namjoon hyung always comes in at the coolest moments,” he replied, looking down at what you’d managed to gather so far. “So, we have the powers and where they come from. I think we found a section on their weaknesses the other day.”
“Yeah, it sounds like their main weakness is original sin, or the innate tendency to sin, all humans receive once they’re born.” You thought back to the section you and Jimin read before. “Because they’re part human and part angel, they are constantly at war with themselves and the human side typically wins.”
“Do you think that’s a bad thing?” Jimin asked.
You closed your laptop. “...What do you mean?”
Jimin shifted, tucking his legs underneath him. “I mean, they’re celestial beings. They have cosmic powers at their disposal, access to the heavens, and everything they could have wanted. But they have a choice to throw it away, to sin, for...whatever the reason may be.” He muttered, glancing aside at the carpet. “If they gave it up, do you think they would have made the right decision?”
You paused for a moment, eyeing the shadows nearby branches cast on the library windows. “It think it depends on the person and what they’re sinning for. Whether they were doing it for their own self interest, or to protect a loved one-”
“What if they were doing it because they loved someone?” Jimin interrupted, eyes widened in curiosity.
Your eyes left the window as you turned to face him. “I would admire their dedication. And it’s not as though they lose their abilities when they fall from grace. I only wish that person would be worth it, and that they’re happy.”
You smiled wistfully. “An angel losing their wings to love someone for the rest of their life. What a sad, beautiful thing. ’Tis the plight of being human, I suppose. They’re really not that different from us--besides the celestial gifts, of course.”
Jimin grinned and hummed in agreement.
As always, only you could understand them perfectly.
You stood up from the couch and brushed off the back of your skirt. “Uh, Jimin, could you please tell me where the bathroom is?”
He smiled. “Yeah! You just make a left at the corner, then a right, then another right, and there should be a guest room with a bathroom in it.”
You zoned into and out of your thoughts momentarily and blinked, smiling and nodding at him. “Thanks.”
——————————————————————
Perhaps Jimin told you the directions incorrectly, or you made a left when you should have made a right, but there was no doubt about it. You were lost. There was no bathroom where he stated there was, and you’d been wandering around the third floor for several minutes now with no clue as to where it was.
“Damn this house.” You muttered under your breath. “Only seven people live here, why is it so big?”
You finally came upon what looked like a guest room, one that hopefully had a bathroom inside, when you heard two voices speaking from the behind the partially open door.
“Seriously. You need to be more careful with these sorts of things.” The first voice said, deep and mature.
You stopped in your tracks immediately.
“It’s not like I wanted this to happen.” the second one spoke. Their voice was much lower and raspier than the first.
“Of course you didn’t. That’s why you should pay more attention when doing your work.” The first voice nagged and you heard someone hiss.
“Ah, it’s fine. It was worth it. Still, thanks for patching me up, hyung.”
You were stuck near the crack in the door, too afraid to move in fear of being heard.
“Whatever. You’re too reckless. Maybe this’ll teach you a lesson.”
“Oh, come on. How was I supposed to know that the kid would make such a-”
“Stop talking.” The first voice stated, sounding much lower than it had before.
Your eyes shook at the sudden silence and you whipped around to look at the hallway, quickly searching for a place to hide.
About two steps behind you, there was a five foot long indent in the wall, courtesy of the prominent display of a large painting.
You risked it and threw yourself backward, stepping as quietly onto the wood as you could before throwing your back up against the indent, facing away from the room.
And not a moment too soon, as you heard the door fly open the second you were hidden from view. You sunk to the floor in a crouch.
“What’s wrong, hyung?” You could hear the younger’s voice sound from the room much clearer now.
You sucked yourself as tightly into the corner as you could.
There was no response from the older and you strained your ears for a sign, a hint, anything.
Breathing felt too loud, swallowing felt too loud, the brush of your clothes against your neck as you turned your head felt too loud. Everything was deafening.
Please don’t find me, please don’t find me, please don’t find me-
There was the slow, soft padding of feet on the wooden floor. You trembled as it got closer and closer to where you sat.
In the corner of your eye, you could see a socked foot, inches away from where you hid.
“Jin hyung!”
Your savior, none other than Jimin, appeared at the end of the hallway, yelling in excitement.
You know he saw you, of course he saw you. It was impossible not to coming from his direction. You cast your eyes down, praying he wouldn’t reveal your presence.
He grinned as he ran towards the man.
“You came back early!” The younger boy tackled him in a hug, wrapping his legs around him.
The force drove the man back several steps and he grunted, his foot disappearing from your sight. “Jimin, you’re getting a bit too old for this, don’t you think?”
“Yes, but I know you’ll always carry me, hyung.” You heard him giggle.
“What are you doing up here?” The other voice asked, joining the other two in the hallway. You remained where you sat, not moving an inch.
“Yoongi hyung! You came back too!”
He scoffed. “Of course I did.”
“Answer his question first, Jimin ah.” You heard the elder comment in a much warmer voice than the threatening tone you heard behind the door.
“I was in the library working on a project with my classmate. She had to use the bathroom but she never came back, so I came looking for her.”
You blinked rapidly, staring at the wooden floor in front of you.
There was a pause.
“Have either of you seen her?” Jimin asked.
“...No, we haven’t.” The deep and mature voice, which you now matched to the eldest brother, replied.
“I’ll just keep looking, then. But you should head downstairs. Father will be home soon, he’ll be pleased to know you’re here!”
Due to the series of complaints you then heard, it sounded as though Jimin took both of his brothers by the wrist and led them to the stairway down the other side of the hallway.
You waited in that spot for several moments, until you couldn’t hear anything but the wind blowing up against the walls. Once you ensured that they were gone, you ran back down the hallway you came, bladder be damned.
Of course. How could you have possibly forgotten Mr. and Mrs. Kim’s two eldest children?
Kim Yoongi and Kim Seokjin.
Had you not moved when you did, and had Jimin not interfered when he had, you might have...no, you surely would have lost your life in that instant.
——————————————————————
You made it back to the library, quickly and quietly opening the door before rushing in.
Jimin still hadn’t returned, so no one was there to see you fly over to the couch and plop down to sit. You tried to catch your breath to slow the pounding of your heart.
Kim Yoongi and Kim Seokjin. You were almost caught eavesdropping on their conversation.
You had never wanted to purge your memory more than in that exact moment.
What if they suspect I heard everything? What if they have the Augustuses’ people capture me for it? It couldn’t have been that important--it sounded like they were just patching up wounds. Maybe one of them got into a fight? Surely this wouldn’t be enough to warrant such violence. Even they have limits, yes? Then again, when did they ever need a reason to-
The library doors flew open and you flinched, looking up at them only to sigh in relief.
“(Y/N), there you are! Did you find the bathroom alright?”
Jimin’s eyes twinkled playfully as he smiled at you. You restrained yourself from cursing at or hitting him in anger and relief, choosing instead to let out a deep sigh.
“Yeah,” you stated quietly. “It was fine.”
At that moment you received a text from your mother stating that she was downstairs.
"My mom says she’s here. I guess it’s time for me to go.” You stated, beginning to pack your laptop and notebooks away.
“Sure! I’ll come downstairs with you.” He smiled and turned away from you to return The Word of the Lost to its proper shelf.
“Thanks,” you whispered, then zipped your bag up.
Jimin was already gliding away toward the back of the library, the leather bound book in hand, but he still managed to hear you. He didn’t respond, but he smirked triumphantly.
You accepted his silence as a “You’re welcome” and took the moment to fix your composure. When you were both ready, he led the way downstairs.
“My eldest sons have finally returned home!” You heard Kim Moonsik cheer from the living room.
His tone, usually melancholic and oily, was much lighter today. You surmised that even his mood could be improved by the sight of his family.
He sat on one of the two settees while his two oldest sons perched on the long, gray couch in front of him.
They both had black hair and dark eyes, like their brothers and parents. One was casually dressed in a large black hoodie and black sweatpants, while the other looked comfortable in a neutral toned sweater and slacks.
The one sitting on the left rolled his eyes. “I don’t understand why you had hyung drag me here a week earlier than necessary, Father. It isn’t that big of a deal.”
Kim Yoongi was notorious for his rebellious attitude. You had heard that since his days at Ichabod Academy, he never listened to authority figures--his classmates were afraid of him and his teachers let him do as he please. The only time he would adhere to rules and tradition was at the required monthly meetings, for obvious reasons.
“On the contrary,” The older man chuckled. “Every time you come home is cause for occasion, my prodigal son.”
“Have some sympathy for me here.” The eldest drawled with his arms crossed. “I get a headache every time I’m forced to drag you home with me.”
Kim Seokjin, on the other hand, was an entertainer. He would lower people’s defenses with a friendly expression and a joke. The citizens of Ichabod found him much more agreeable and respectable as Mayor Kim’s eldest son. They thought him harmless. They fawned over him and Namjoon, praising the mayor for how well he’d raised them in terms of respect and diplomacy.
They were fools. For even now, you could see it as he lounged back relaxedly in his seat: Kim Seokjin may be considered kind and polite, but he was by no means harmless.
“Do you want me to bring you some medicine?” Jimin piped up from beside you on the stairs, drawing the three’s attention.
You could feel the college students’ gaze burning into the side of your face.
You kept your facial expression neutral and descended the stairs behind Jimin, who skipped down the rest of them.
“Who’s this?” You heard Yoongi question.
“This is my classmate, (Y/N). She’s the person I was looking for earlier,” Jimin said, seating himself in between his older brothers.
You bowed toward them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
Seokjin smiled and reached out his hand. You extended yours, expecting a handshake.
He held it, turned it over, and pressed his lips to the back of it. “The pleasure is all ours.”
Yoongi smirked as you took your hand back, fighting a blush. “How lovely it is to make your acquaintance.”
“Thank you, you too. It’s nice to see you again as well, Mr. Kim.” You addressed the older man.
“You also, (Y/N) dear. I’m simply ecstatic you took up our invitation.” Mayor Kim said, the usual, passionate fire in his eyes blazing.
You fought back a shudder.
“You know the entire town needs to be present, Yoongi ah.” Mr. Kim continued the conversation from before. “You’re no exception.”
“I never said I was,” the second oldest retorted. “I just prefer to spend less of my break here.”
“How’s everything at school, Jiminie?” Seokjin asked as Jimin wrapped his arms around his midsection, skillfully redirecting the subject matter.
“Strange, as usual.” He mumbled, hesitantly looking up at you.
“I heard the police finally found the Pierre boy,” Mr. Kim added, and you suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable in the presence of this conversation.
Where’s my mother? Weren’t we supposed to be leaving?
“Yes, we heard about it at lunch.” Jimin said. His tone when speaking to his father wasn’t as clipped or standoffish as it was when he was speaking to his mother; rather, it was more lackadaisical. “Right, (Y/N)?”
All four heads spun to you, still standing in the middle of the living room.
“Why are you standing there looking so stiff?” Seokjin sent you a sinister smile. “Come join us.”
This was the last place you wanted to be, but you had no choice in the matter. You smiled awkwardly and shuffled to the empty settee.
Before you could sit down, however, Jimin jumped up and pulled you to the couch, seating you in his old spot between his brothers. He then claimed the spot on the other side of Seokjin.
You stiffened and relaxed in a second, praying to everything that you didn’t look as uncomfortable as you felt.
The atmosphere was stifling. You couldn’t breathe.
“It’s a shame what happened to him, truly.” Mr. Kim continued, humming in sympathy. “I sincerely hope something like that doesn’t have to happen again.”
How dare he sit here and act as though he had nothing to do with it? What happened to Chance Pierre was his fault! You unconsciously balled your fist in your lap.
“I’m sure everyone will take this lesson to heart, Father.” Seokjin consoled him. “May they never underestimate the power of Wylynne’s grace again.”
“She is holy and forgiving, but some actions need to be punished, yes.” Yoongi added from your right with a cruel smirk. “Praise Wylynne.”
“Praise Wylynne.” Jimin nodded, eyes twinkling with amusement.
It suddenly occurred to you that you were the only one left who had not spoken. When you raised your eyes to meet with the others’, indeed, they were waiting for your response.
“...Praise Wylynne.” You smiled. False religion or not, there was no way you would be testing your luck in front of the divine priest and his sons.
Mr. Kim nodded in approval, then broke out into a laugh. “Wise, hardworking, and devoted; like mother, like daughter. Wylynne surely smiles upon the women of the (L/N) family.”
You laughed awkwardly. “Thank you, Mr. Kim.”
“Will your mother be arriving to get you soon?” Mr. Kim asked you.
“It was to my knowledge that she was already here-”
“(Y/N)!”
Your head spun toward the sound of your mother’s voice and found her standing in the entryway next to Kim Eunbyul. She wore navy blue scrubs today and her hair was pulled back into a bun with a few loose strands in the front.
You had thought right. The two were a vision next to each other.
Mrs. Kim walked over, bringing your mother with her. “I apologize for the wait--(M/N) and I were having the most delightful conversation. (Y/N) my dear, how are you?”
She sat next to her husband on one settee and your mother took a seat on the other, empty one.
This was your second time seeing Mrs. Kim, yet you still could not get over her beauty. She wore another silk housedress, a muslin scarf draped behind her back and over her inner arms.
Her elegance was neither ostentatious nor arrogant. She demanded respect but gave it in return.
She had what Aemilia desperately sought after but could never possess.
You nodded with a smile, bowing slightly. “Good evening, Mrs. Kim. I’m fine, thanks for worrying. And thank you so much for the sandals, I really appreciate you going out of your way for me.”
The former actress waved her hand lightly as she laughed. “It was no trouble at all!”
She took your hands in hers and looked down at her feet. “Besides, we match!” Following her gaze, your eyes widened. Indeed, you both had the same style and brand of slippers on.
“Thank you so much for the welcoming her so warmly, Mrs. Kim.” Your mother smiled.
“Of course.” She assured. “Think nothing of it. I already think of you both as family.”
Your heart warmed a bit and you smiled in response to her words, for you already greatly admired Mrs. Kim. To think that she had taken a liking to both you and your mother...
It was then that the rest of the brothers trekked downstairs in curiosity, then heartily grinned once they realized their oldest brothers had arrived.
“How about we let the kids step aside so us adults can talk properly, hmm?” Mrs. Kim suggested, taking her husband’s hand.
Mr. Kim grinned and squeezed her hand in response. “A wonderful idea, love.”
The boys then quickly pulled you away from the main couches, moving your discussion toward the glass windows.
You looked back at your mom a couple of times while the brothers greeted each other before focusing on the conversation at hand.
The eight of you stood in a circle near the windows, and you were currently stuck between Jungkook and Seokjin.
“The other day, (Y/N) said she really liked your interior designing, Jin hyung.” Hoseok piped up. “She said she thought the living room was lovely.”
“Did she? She must have impeccable taste.” He playfully winked at you.
You smiled weakly. “Thank you. I really admire what you’ve done with the space.”
Yoongi, across from you, leaned against the glass. “How is everything at the academy these days?” He asked.
You hesitated to answer then directed your gaze to the floor thinking the question was not meant for you. When you didn’t hear any of the other boys speak, you looked up and found six sets of eyes on you.
Their gazes were so focused and intense, as if you would break or disappear the moment they looked away. You shifted your eyes.
“It’s not the easiest, but isn’t that what high school is like for everyone?” You grimace-smiled.
“(Y/N)’s being bullied.” Taehyung revealed, draping himself over Jimin’s shoulder. “Aemilia Augustus and her lackeys won’t leave her alone.”
This little-
You whipped your head around to see if your mother had heard anything. Thankfully, Taehyung’s voice was lowered at the time. She seemed engrossed in her discussion with Mrs. Kim.
“The Augustus princess?” Yoongi asked, interrupting your thoughts.
“She’s what?” Jin started in surprise, his polite smile turning into a displeased frown. He glanced at Namjoon. The student council president simply nodded in response.
“She has the other kids pester or steal from (Y/N).” Hoseok added, glaring out the window. “The students can hardly stop talking about it.”
Jungkook gently tugged on your shirt sleeve to get your attention. “If she’ s bothering you--”
“It’s alright.” You assured them before they could really give Aemilia and her people a reason to go after you. “I’m working it out.”
“And how well is that going?” Namjoon snorted, giving you a knowing look.
You grimaced, locking and unlocking your phone. “...I’m working it out.” You repeated, suddenly fascinated by the wooden floor.
“If she ever gives you a hard time, you let me know.” Yoongi said, holding up his fists. One hand was wrapped in bandages and the other hand was bare, knuckles covered in torn skin and still-healing scabs. “I don’t get these from just lying around, if you catch my drift.”
You gaped at his hands and at the offer. Kim Yoongi? Offering to beat someone up for you? Where had his famous apathetic attitude gone?
“Violence is never the answer, Yoongi ah.” Seokjin replied before you could. He gently took your phone from you while it was unlocked and swiped around until he found your contacts. “If you ever need help, just give us a call. Don’t be afraid to reach out. We’ll always be there.”
You opened and closed your mouth in distress.
Seokjin pointedly ignored the glare Namjoon was sending his way.
He was jealous of his younger brothers, who got to see and speak with you every day. Earlier, he’d been in the middle of healing and wrapping Yoongi’s injury when he saw your shadow outside the door.
He’d barely been able to hold himself back from ripping you out your hiding spot and pulling you into his arms. But then all of their progress would have been for naught.
So he allowed Jimin to drag him away.
But not anymore.
He understood that you needed your time and space but, really, their angel shouldn’t be so stubborn around them.
He held the device out to you and you took it back, observing the six newest additions to your contacts list. He’d taken the time to add not just his number, but the rest of the brothers’ numbers as well.
“Thank you,” You confided with a rare, genuine, and small smile, “really. But I can handle it myself.”
On the outside, some of them nodded while the others frowned at the floor.
On the inside, however, they collectively sighed inside their head, tired of your age old response.
They just wanted you to be able to lean on them, to see them as another option that was always available to you, and only you.
How long was it going to take for you to trust them? How far would they have to go to capture the object of their desire?
Whatever the obstacle, they would surely overcome it.
Your mother called your name once more and you shouldered your bag, replacing the nude slippers with your school shoes.
“I hope you have a pleasant night,” You said to the brothers, fumbling with your shoes. “I’ll see you in school tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow!” Jimin waved you off with a smile and his brothers and parents chorused farewells behind him.
You both bowed once more to the Kim family and descended the stairs, making as hasty but collected an exit as possible.
“I swear, (Y/N), I lose years off my life every time I come to this house,” your mother murmured once you both sat in the car.
“You know what, Mom? So do I.” You exhaled, slumping down in the front seat. “Drive slowly, won’t you? I might be the one throwing up once we reach the edge of the woods.”
Your mother barked out a laugh and nodded in thanks to Mr. Bin as he opened the gate.
As you drove away from the Kim family home, you opened your messages and texted Mana, updating them on how you’d nearly lost your life this time.
That night, you ate dinner, cleaned up, finished other assignments, and had an hours long conversation with Mana about Brooklyn and your latest visit to the Kim residence.
The way their eyes bugged out of their head when you told them about how you’d nearly gotten caught made you laugh. Of course, it hadn’t been funny in the moment. Even thinking about it now made you slightly nauseous.
But you went to sleep that night all the same, dreaming once again of haunting, magnificent black wings.
——————————————————————
Once the front door of the Kim household closed, Jimin’s cheerful face dropped into a scowl.
And he was not the only one upset. All seven of them glowered around the room in the aftermath of (Y/N)’s departure.
Kim Eunbyul and Kim Moonsik sat deathly still on the couch, unprepared for whatever was coming.
When someone is explosive with anger, they are destructive. One might break things, they may say harmful words, but for the most part, one takes their anger out in that single moment.
The seven men behind them were different.
When they were angry, they plotted. The harder it was for them to get what they wanted, the harder they fought. They made sure there would be nothing that could possibly be in their way.
“We told you to be patient, hyung.” Namjoon broke the angry silence. “Don’t ruin all of our plans with your ineptitude.”
“Isn’t that a little harsh?” Seokjin scoffed. “I put your number in her phone, too. Try being a little grateful.”
“Don’t disrespect your elders, Namjoon.” Hoseok chided, shoving his hands in his pockets. “We told you to put your dog on her leash.”
“You weren’t complaining when Aemilia’s antics gave you opportunities to help (Y/N),” Namjoon sneered. “I loathe her very existence as well, don’t misunderstand me.”
“You should hear the rumors going around at school, Namjoon hyung.” Jungkook frowned. “People are placing bets on how soon Aemilia’s going to destroy her.”
“I know you’re the brains of this operation but if (Y/N) gets hurt, this is not going to end prettily.” Yoongi stated solemnly.
“I won’t let it get to that point.” Namjoon assured.
“Get it together. And keep that girl in line.” Seokjin nodded.
There was a significant reason Eunbyul was so receptive of the (h/c) haired girl and her mother.
Despite the fact that she really did enjoy your company and was happy to welcome you into their home, she knew what would await her if she ever dared to mistreat you.
You precious thing. You precious, hardheaded, stubborn thing. Why did you not give in to what they wanted? Could you truly not see how much they how much they longed to protect possess be with you?
Perhaps you’ve already started picking up on it, and this was why you wanted to distance yourself from them before it was too late.
You beautiful, foolish thing. It was already far too late.
Eunbyul quivered, squeezing her husband’s hand. Moonsik wore a stony expression on his face, but he squeezed his wife’s hand back with surprising strength.
When she looked up from her lap, she gasped, for Jungkook was squatting directly in front of her. She felt as though his dark gaze was piercing her soul.
The probability of that very thing happening in this instant was high.
She exhaled and carefully avoided his gaze.
“Mother, Father,” he hummed, “is everything alright? You’re shaking like leaves in the wind.”
“Oh dear.” Taehyung replied, resting his arms on the back of the settee behind them. He tilted his head and frowned down at the two as if they were insects, scurrying around in an attempt to escape their deaths. “That doesn’t sound very good.”
“I’m sure it was just a result of them working so hard.” Seokjin smiled at Moonsik. “I must say, I was impressed.” The elder simply nodded and avoided his gaze.
Namjoon strolled over to Eunbyul’s side of the settee and gently pat the woman on her back. “Your performance today was especially moving, Mother.”
“At least she wasn’t trembling in front of (Y/N) like she did last time,” Jimin kissed his teeth. “Useless woman.”
Hoseok bent over in laughter, the outburst shortening into a light giggle as he joined them by the couches.
“They work diligently, why not praise them once in a while?” He suggested, suppressing another laugh.
“Like I’ll ever.” Jimin rolled his eyes. “I really hope you know what you’re talking about, Namjoon hyung. I’m going to bed before I feel the need to hit something--or someone.” Jimin glared and bounded back up the stairs.
“It’s alright. We’re fine.” Eunbyul forced out. “Thank you.”
“Yes, you should be. If you weren’t, it would imply you did something wrong.” Yoongi smiled.
“And if you did something wrong,” Jin continued, “...well, we wouldn’t want that, would we?”
She stiffly nodded.
“Of course not.” Taehyung grinned and pat her head condescendingly.
“Of course.” Moonshik repeated, willing his hands to stop trembling.
He had never expected this to happen. He never thought he would be living the life that he did.
He had called for power, and he had surely received it, but not in the way he thought he would.
Was the insurmountable power worth the treatment he received in his own home?
Yes. And if he had to repeat it, he would have made the exact same decision. It would surely be worth it. That was what he told himself day in and day out, the prayer he spoke to his god in an attempt to convince himself of the lie.
It would surely be worth it.
“We’re trusting you, Mr. and Mrs. Kim.”
——————————————————————
The Augustus residence was a fairly old building, a beautiful family manor transformed into a modern, affluent home. It stood in the center of the city, as their family used to be the epicenter of society.
Aemilia found both her home and its location extremely fitting.
As unfortunate as it would be that she would have to move from this stately home to one in the middle-of-nowhere woods, she was willing to deal with it. She would follow her future husband anywhere, everywhere, if need be.
Usually, the esteemed Augustus home was silent.
“How could you?” Brooklyn shouted in anger.
But today, those grand old walls whispered in the wind through quite the ruckus.
“The people that work for your family dragged Constance’s little brother out of his home in the middle of the day! They tortured him for two weeks! You knew where he was the whole time, and you didn’t say a thing!” Brooklyn gestured toward their friend. “She came to you for help, and you slammed the door in her face!”
The blonde had stopped talking long ago. She curled herself into a ball and tucked her head into her chest, looking well on the verge of a panic attack.
The three girls had arrived at Aemilia’s house earlier, prepared to do the usual: finish some homework, study, and binge watch some shows.
But (Y/N) (L/N)’s words had been ringing inside of Brooklyn’s head all afternoon.
A means to an end.
Disposable goods.
A useful little puppet.
She couldn’t take thinking it anymore, so she finally voiced the dreaded question. Brooklyn asked Aemilia what she and Constance meant to her.
The strawberry blonde tilted her head, staying quiet for several minutes. She then grinned and replied,“My ladies in waiting?”
For Wylynne’s sake. She could have at least been less direct than to compare them to literal servants.
Brooklyn erupted at Aemilia, asking her if that’s what she thought years of friendship had amounted to, thus leading them to their current argument.
For whatever reason, it had never occurred to the brunette that Aemilia may be using her. She thought she had broken the barriers the callous girl held for her long ago, but after Constance showed up at Brooklyn’s house in tears, combined with Aemilia’s response to Chance’s disappearance...
Perhaps it was time she seriously reevaluated their “friendship”.
“Don’t you think you could have reassured her that he was alive? Even police officers tell family members when people have been arrested.” Brooklyn glared at the other girl.
“Get real, Brooklyn. This isn’t a stupid police station. This is Ichabod. It’s because we live in Ichabod that Chance broke the law, and received his due punishment.” Aemilia justified coldly.
“A fourteen year old boy in laying in his bed, covered in bruises and permanently blind in one eye. But I need to get real because this is Ichabod, and that somehow makes it okay?” Brooklyn raised her volume, disturbed by how convicted Aemilia was in her reasoning. “How could you possibly think that makes it okay?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Aemilia sneered, “I wasn’t aware that I needed your opinion or approval for my thoughts and actions.”
“That’s exactly the problem! This is about you playing us, using us through your actions! I honestly thought we meant more than that to you!” She snarled in response.
“I don’t see a problem with it,” Aemilia shrugged. “You and Constance used me for popularity and safety, and now you come crying to me, claiming that I can’t use you in return?” She barked out a laugh. “That hardly seems fair. How ungrateful.”
The brunette couldn’t deny the benefits that came along with being close to the strawberry blonde, but for her to twist their entire history and friendship into one of utility? She was beside herself with anger.
“Used you? You think we used you? For what?” She roared. “Your money? Your status? Don’t you think we have those exact same things?”
Brooklyn Hayes and Constance Pierre were not one’s normal, run of the mill best friends. In fact, they were in extremely similar situations to Aemilia, for their families were also members of the old city elite.
The Hayes and Pierres had lived in Ichabod for nearly as long as the Augustuses. They may not have had the same amount of prestige that Aemilia lay claim to, but they certainly were not far off.
“You grew up with us and thought we were nothing more than what? Walking labels that strengthened your social status? People you could use to do your bidding?” Brooklyn deadpanned. “We were nothing more than pawns in your game, weren’t we?”
“We didn’t befriend you because of your title or your family, Aemilia. We befriended you because we admired you and your personality. We weren’t the ones that twisted your perception of us into toys, or puppets, or ladies in waiting.” She gave a mirthless smile. “That was all you.”
Aemilia paused, reminiscing on her younger days. In every interaction she ever experienced, she was treated like royalty. At some point, she simply assumed it was natural for everyone to bend to her every whim.
Everyone...except for those two.
They had approached her for some childish reason like playing dolls or tag or other, but it was all genuine.
“I honestly can’t believe you.” Brooklyn shook her head at her silence and stormed around the room, collecting her and Constance’s materials and shoving them into their respective bags.
“All these years. All these years, and I was that clueless, that hopeful.” Brooklyn muttered as she gave her a cruel smile. “I can’t believe (Y/N) (L/N) knew you better than I did.”
Aemilia’s face flushed bright red.
“Your ladies in waiting are going to relieve themselves of their position now.” Brooklyn carefully dragged the non responsive blonde to her feet, holding both of their bags and contacting her personal driver. She curled her lip. “Please feel free to march your way to the throne by yourself, your highness.”
The door slammed shut behind them, and for a moment, the residence was silent once more.
Then, with an anguished cry, Aemilia picked up whatever textbooks were nearby and vaulted them at her walls.
First, her future husband. Next, her friends. What would that (h/c) haired bitch steal next? Her life?
“No. No. I won’t let it get that far. I would never let you get away with it!” She screamed, hurling another book.
Her bedroom door swung open and her father ducked the incoming textbook. “Aemilia! What on earth is going on? Brooklyn and Constance just left looking extremely upset, did you three have an argument?”
She dropped the rest of the textbooks, raced to her father and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Daddy, I need you to call up the special squadron.”
Aloysius Augustus held his daughter’s hands and warily pried them off of him. “Whatever for?”
Aemilia flashed him a maniacal grin. “Namjoon just texted me. He says his father believes he’s found in another soul in dire need of discipline.”
——————————————————————
Ever since engaging in this battle of wills with Aemilia, you tell yourself that there isn’t anything that could surprise you anymore.
Yet the actions of your classmates the next morning were strange. Stranger than you could possibly anticipate.
You entered the classroom and found a group of girls standing in a huddle around a desk, whispering to one another.
The room was strangely empty. Neither Mana nor Jimin had arrived yet, nor had some of your other classmates known for coming to school relatively early.
The girls noticed your entrance and quieted immediately. You found this suspicious, so you decided you wanted nothing to do with them. You shifted your gaze away from them and kept on walking to your seat.
That is, until you heard one of them scoff loudly in your direction.
“I mean, just look at her. She walks around the school as if she’s better than us, just because Ms. Diivi had Jimin sit next to her.”
You froze but their tittering only got louder.
The girl that scoffed before, a classmate of yours named Seph, left the group and stood in front of you with crossed arms.
“You’re not anything special, (Y/N). You shouldn’t mistake yourself.”
The others seemed to agree with her as, soon enough, they left the desk one by one to surround you.
“It’s really pathetic how you practically beg for Jimin’s attention.”
“The other day, when you made him give you his sweater? It was really embarrassing.”
“Yeah, I could hardly stand to watch.”
They imitated your shivering as they laughed, making it look as though you were having a seizure.
“You used to be tolerable at the least, but Jimin transferred to our class and you finally decided to take the opportunity to climb the ranks, huh?” Another sneered.
You could hardly move. You were stuck in place, the words swimming around in your head.
Externally, you stared down at the ground in confusion, but internally, you were shocked. You couldn’t believe the accusations the girls were coming up with.
Even after everything this town had been through, the Kim brothers still had some sort of deluded fan club...and now they were coming after you.
“What the hell?” You finally said, lifting your head to look each of them in the eye. “Why would I go begging for his attention?”
“Don’t try to deny it, bitch.” Seph snarled. “You used to keep your head down and mind your business like the rest of us, but now, all of a sudden, you’re relishing in the spotlight.”
“We’ll see just how much Jimin likes you soon enough.” One of her lackeys snickered.
They left you where you stood, turning their attention to the doorway.
You could see Jimin from the glass window in the door, waving goodbye to Taehyung as he headed off to his respective classroom. He reached down to twist the knob and pulled the door open.
Had you blinked, you would have missed the entire thing.
Seph pulled a bucket out from under the desk they were all crowded around and threw its contents all over Jimin.
He closed his eyes and opened his mouth in shock as he was doused in water from head to toe. His uniform was soaked and his hair lost its floofy nature, flattening down over his eyes.
One of the girls ripped the bucket away from her and shoved it into your hands. They moved back in tandem, shocked gasps hiding their deeds as Jimin wiped water out of his eyes, which landed on you holding the bucket.
“(Y/N)...?”
You were just as shocked as he was, mouth agape. The evidence was completely against you.
He looked up at you with teary eyes. He looked hurt, so angry, you figured there was no way you were going to get out of this.
“I didn’t do it, why would I?” You protested.
“Jimin, are you alright?” The ringleader picked back up, skillfully concealing a triumphant smirk with an open look of concern. “(Y/N), how could you do such an awful thing? Especially after he’s been nothing but kind to you...”
Wow, does she get lessons from Mrs. Kim or something?
You dropped the bucket in surprise. “No! Jimin, it wasn’t me, I promise, they just grabbed the bucket out of nowhere-”
This is it. My mother is going to have to bury her daughter young. I failed to provide for her, or thank her for everything she’s done for me. Your thoughts couldn’t stop racing.
“Even for a prank, that’s a bit much, isn’t it?” They continued behind you.
“She’s been acting all this time. I’m not surprised.”
“He treated her so well and it all just blew up in his face.”
“That’s just like her.”
“She’s lying directly to his face, how fake.”
“Disgusting.”
They continued spouting lies in front of Jimin, telling him about how you were only using him, how you would curse his very existence behind his back.
Jimin approached you, his wet shoes squeaking on the tile floors.
You backed up, intimidated, bumping the back of your leg against another desk and falling to the floor.
...Would begging help?
When you finally looked up at him, begging felt like an appealing option.
Jimin’s eyes glistened, chocolate colored irises now hardened and flashing gold.
They were even colder than the ones you’d seen in your dreams, and you felt the temperature around you drop considerably.
You must have been going crazy with terror, something that wasn’t completely amiss in your town. The girls behind you were feasting on the fearful expression in your eyes.
Then, right as you were about to stand, Jimin gently put his hands on your elbows and guided you up.
To their surprise, he tugged you to your feet, wrapped his arms around your shoulders, and pulled you in for a hug.
“You must have been so scared, weren’t you, (Y/N)?” Jimin whispered in your ear. “Those rats dared to mess with you. They tried to come between us with petty rumors and tricks. It’s okay, I’m here now. I believe you.”
He rubbed his hand up and down your back, the water from his uniform seeping into the front of yours. “I’ll make sure you have nothing to fear.”
Jimin pulled away from the hug, smiling at you. He then turned to face the girls, and with that same chilling smile, spoke.
“You all enjoy playing pranks, yes?”
The girls’ expressions changed in a matter of seconds, from snickers and taunts to tearful pleads.
Seph could hardly pick her jaw up off the floor. “Jimin! It was (Y/N), we all saw her-”
“Ah, ah, ah.” You heard a low chuckle sound from the doorway and whipped your head towards the sound.
“I saw everything with my own eyes.” Hoseok stood in the entrance, his arms crossed as he leaned against the door frame.
When had he gotten there?
“And quite frankly, I don’t take too kindly to you lying about what happened to my darling little brother.” His famed smile slipped from his face as he stared down the girls with more hatred than you’d ever seen him possess.
“Jimin...” you reached out to get his attention, but he couldn’t pry his gaze away from the detestable scum that stood before him.
How quickly the tables had turned, you thought as you watched them cower.
Jimin calmly walked toward her and tucked his hand underneath her chin, yanking her ear to his mouth.
He directly whispered into Seph’s ear, but everyone in the room besides (Y/N) heard the same thing, the message pulsing loud and clear inside their heads.
“I’ll make you wish you had never done that.”
He left the group huddling against one another in fright.
“You’ll have to try harder than that.” Hoseok smirked and kicked off the door, walking off with his hands in his pocket.
You stood, incredulous at what had just happened.
“Jimin.” You lay your hand on his shoulder and he covered it with his, turning to meet your gaze. His eyes were wide with expectation.
“Let’s go see your brother, we can get you some new clothes.” You said softly. He smiled serenely and nodded, dragging you to the door by the hand.
Before you could step out, however, he turned around to face them and glowered. “Clean this mess up.”
Seph whimpered and knelt down to pick up the bucket. The other girls scrambled to collect paper towels to dry the floor.
You watched them, trying to conjure up some form of sympathy. That could have been you, cowering beneath him. Moments ago, that was you.
Frighteningly enough, that familiar, heart-strengthening feeling made no appearance. There was no hatred, no remorse. You felt nothing as you were dragged away to the third floor.
Jimin knocked on the door to the student council room, smiling as he spotted his brother. Namjoon, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“Hyung! I need a new uniform.”
He stepped back to let the two of you enter. Jimin released your hand and beelined for the atrium, grabbing a new shirt and a pair of pants. He then stepped into the bathroom and loudly shut the door.
“Do you mind telling me what that was all about?” Namjoon looked down at you for a moment before his eyes flew up and he stared at the wall with newfound interest. “Feel free to grab a change of clothes as well.”
You followed his gaze and jumped at just how wet the front of your shirt had gotten. “Thanks,” you muttered, desperately hiding your blush.
I’m seriously finding myself back here too often.
You got another polo from the closet and left the door open as you changed, praying that Jimin wouldn’t leave the bathroom and that Namjoon wouldn’t walk around the corner. To keep him busy, you filled him in on what had happened moments before.
When you were finished, you stepped out into the main room with your wet shirt folded over your arm. Namjoon leaned against the wooden table with his arms crossed. His eyebrows furrowed and he looked as though he didn’t know whether to laugh or punch someone.
You glanced at Namjoon and thought back to the way he looked at the people around him.
It quickly dawned on you how bothered you were by Namjoon’s view of everyone around him as some sort of game.
He always wore an amused smile on his face: when he was looking at his mother in his family home, when he heard what Constance did to you, when he saw all of the students worrying over Chance, and whenever Aemilia and her antics were brought up.
He probably thought he was so clever at hiding it, at being the misfortunate yet accomplished gentleman that everyone perceived him to be, but you saw right through his act.
“The audacity they have to dare make such a ruckus on school property,” He clenched his jaw. “Don’t worry. They will surely receive proper punishment.”
You nodded, eyes glazing over with indifference.
You were too grateful that it was not you or Mana and too exhausted to be concerned with the affairs of other students.
They should have been prepared for this, at the very least. You were only worried about the well being of you and your loved ones.
Did that make you incredibly selfish? Did that make you just like...them?
A hot flash of anger rose in you and died as quickly as it had appeared.
Perhaps Namjoon’s act angered you because it was so similar to, no, better, than your own.
Your face twisted in response to your thoughts. “Thanks for the help. I’ll be sure to pay you back. Tell Jimin I’ll see him in class,” you muttered and bowed then left, needing to separate yourself from them as soon as possible.
Namjoon watched you leave, intrigued by the sudden look of displeasure you wore. “...She noticed,” he chuckled to himself.
"She must not have liked it,” Jimin said as he walked out, fully changed. His hair was still a little wet, but it was nothing he couldn’t take care of later.
Namjoon scoffed.
His little brother subsequently seized opportunity of your absence to explain to Namjoon just how delightful you looked in front of him.
“She looked as though she were about to beg, hyung. As gorgeous a sight as it was, those lower beings had the nerve to send her to her knees.” Jimin growled. “They terrified her, made her think I was going to hurt her.”
“What would you like to do with them?” Namjoon asked him as he leaned against the wooden table, a familiar smirk on his face.
By the end of homeroom, those girls were removed from your section. By the end of lunch, they had left your class and the school completely.
——————————————————————
The final bell rang and you lifted your head off your desk. You’d been trapped in your thoughts since earlier today, but your class schedule had given you no time to focus on your inner monologue.
Someone’s finger tapped your shoulder and you snapped out of your thoughts, directing your attention to them.
A freshman stood before you nervously and passed you a folded piece of paper.
“Thanks,” you muttered.
The kid nodded and scurried out of the classroom.
You unfolded the paper, reading the slightly disorganized handwriting.
You and me, (L/N). Show up alone. Rooftop. 4 pm.
You didn’t even need to ask the kid who it was from.
“This is the game you’re going to play?” You mumbled to yourself. “You still can’t even confront me face to face.”
Unfortunately for you, you already were alone. Mana never came to school today, as they had gone with their father to visit their grandmother at her nursing home, and Jimin was going to be in robotics club for the next forty-five minutes or so.
Then again, Brooklyn and Constance didn’t look like they were attached to Aemilia’s hip today either. The brunette spent all of lunch sending her a bunch of particularly nasty glares from across the cafeteria.
You eyed the clock. fiddling with your phone. After several minutes of deliberation, you opened it to text your mother that you would take yourself home today.
Let’s get this over with.
Approximately thirty minutes later, you shouldered your back pack on and made your way to the school staircase.
You texted Mana an update on where you were going and what you were going to do, just in case. After a second thought, you also texted Jimin.
They must not have had their phones on them because they didn’t text back immediately, so you locked yours and put it in your pocket.
When you finally arrived to the rooftop, you saw Aemilia standing near the edge, strawberry blonde ponytail swinging in the autumn breeze.
You already weren’t feeling well and wanted to go home several hours ago. Alas, you were here.
Your school rooftop was moderately large; appropriate, considering the size of the building. There was nothing up there but a few stacked, forlorn chairs, scattered materials, and blocks of concrete that functioned as storage spaces.
“What do you want, Aemilia?” You asked tiredly.
She didn’t say anything, nor did she turn around. You walked a couple steps closer to her and stopped. “Hello?”
“Did you enjoy yourself, (Y/N)?” She asked, her back still facing you.
You squinted in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Did you enjoy taking everything away from me? Everything that I deemed mine?” Aemilia finally turned to face you.
On the outside, she looked no different than she had a couple of days ago, but her eyes seemed...hollow.
“I didn’t take anything from you.” You pointed out. “Though, it sounds like you finally realized how skilled you are at pushing people away from you. That has nothing to do with me.”
“Don’t lie to my face.” She croaked out a laugh. “Don’t you dare claim that you haven’t stolen anything of mine.”
Her gaze turned malicious. “I thought you’d be a bug. Small, easy to crush. I wanted to make you even more insignificant than you already were. Unidentifiable.”
“But the harder I tried, the more I failed to crush you. I wanted to rub you into the dirt, but you kept on escaping unblemished.” She gazed in bored ire at her own two hands as though there was something on them that only she could see.
“So I realized, if I can’t crush you, then I’ll just have to destroy you. Completely.”
Foreign hands grabbed your arms with a vice and you started, immediately fighting to pry them off.
“Are you fucking serious? What are you doing?” You voice was a mixture of fear and disbelief.
Had your greatest fear finally come true? Were the Kims actually going to make an example of you?
“I’m simply executing my right as an Augustus. I am removing anyone who is a threat to the Kim’s empire. My future empire.” She calmly remarked, nodding tonce o whoever was behind you.
No. She was doing this for her own purpose. Her sense of order, of what was right in the world.
“Aemilia! You can’t do this!” Your voice raised in pitch and your breathing increased, your blood pumping faster and faster by the second. The hands on your arms were growing tighter and tighter.
“Oh, (Y/N). I tried to warn you several times. You didn’t listen.” She chided with false disappointment. “You did this to yourself.”
“Are you scared? Have you now realized your wrong doing? What a shame.” You watched in horror as a deranged smile crept its way onto her face and Aemilia threw her head back in laughter. “It’s already too late!”
There was no time for her descent into madness.
You stilled for just a second, then rocked your head back and successfully slammed it into your captor’s. There was a low grunt from behind you and the person let you go. You took off without a second thought.
You didn’t even bother trying the school door, as you knew it would be blocked.
Instead, you ran past Aemilia, shoving her aside as hard as you could, in the direction of the roof’s edge.
The strawberry blonde fell, but her laughter didn’t pause--if anything, it only rose in volume.
You realized the person had regained control of themself, as they came barreling after you.
Yet you also knew that one floor below you, there was a balcony informally used by all the students as a multipurpose space. To your knowledge, it consisted of old blankets and furniture.
I’d rather take my chances with an old table or couch than these bastards, you thought as you ran towards the eaves.
The closer you got, the harder your heart beat in your chest. You were terrified. But somehow, under all the fear, you were able to rationally think and suppress your fears.
You willed yourself to keep running and, before you could think about it, threw yourself over the edge.
You were in the air for about three seconds before your captor grabbed you by the jacket and stopped your descent. With surprising strength, they yanked you up and backward, tackling you to the floor.
Your body met the concrete with a harsh slam and you yelled out in pain. Hopefully, you had received nothing other than a few nasty bruises.
Aemilia’s laughter had quieted by now and she stood on her feet. She brushed her clothes off with a pleased grin.
“Nice try, sweetie. Mr. Byun, why don’t you give dear (Y/N) here a reminder on what happens should she mess with the Augustus family?” She crooned.
Your captor pinned your hands behind your back and shifted so that they were kneeling on your arms, bones digging into your back. He grabbed you by the hair and slammed your head repeatedly into the concrete.
It hurt.
It hurt more than when you sprained your ankle that one time walking to a monthly meeting and had to continue walking on it for the rest of the evening.
It hurt more than when your mother healed a particularly deep cut of yours by stitching it up herself because she couldn’t afford to take you to the hospital.
It hurt more than seeing your mother’s face whenever you asked about your father.
Everything hurt.
You couldn’t even cry out in pain as it would take up too much of your effort, effort that you didn’t have to spare.
“Thus, I declare myself the victor of our little battle of wills.” Aemilia chirped, not at all disturbed by the violence occurring in front of her.
There was something hot running down your forehead. After a couple of blinks, red crept into your eyes, falling down your face with your tears.
“Your pride’s going to be the death of you.” You choked out, then winced as the Mr. Byun kicked you harshly in the stomach.
“Should my time arrive, at least I will go out in a blaze of glory.” She said brazenly, beaming with triumph. As she bathed in the light of the afternoon sun, her strawberry blonde hair turned a shocking red.
You blinked blood out of your eyes and squinted up at Aemilia, not that it helped as your blurry vision kept her form shifting in and out of focus.
“Yet I can’t say the same for you.”
Then the grip in your hair tightened and your face met concrete for the last time, your entire world going dark.
Halfway across the campus, Kim Jimin turned his phone on and felt his heart drop to his stomach as his eyes landed on your text message.
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hey y’all! whew this is a long one--i’m sorry for taking longer than normal to update! thank you all so much for your enthusiasm and love! i adore reading your theories and comments :D i hope you all enjoy this chapter! feel free to let me know what you think will happen next~
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@melaninkpops @loserwithapen @hellaspookystudent @ecillartto @omgsuperstarg @ace-angel-judas @jjamsbangtan @lovinggalaxies @lovesick-heart0 @ksxmpoison @girlmeetsliv3 @thedarkwinterrose @purpuravm @oneweirdbean @hopelessfountainjoonie @mazmaz30 @enigmaticlove-03 @uppiespuppy @queenceline22 @kokofikats @taeyohonic @creatorspalace @supertweetycherry @anachikartadze
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