In the middle of the night, Yoko was awakened by knocking on the door and the doorknob shaking frantically as if someone was trying to open it by force. Behind, a small voice cried:

"Open to me!"

"T-Taehyung, what are you doing here at such an hour?" Yoko asked opening the door, stunned because the little boy was normally in bed and asleep at this hour.

The boy was in his pajamas and his disheveled hair as well as his sleepy eyes let it be known that he had just been dragged out of bed. However, there was a look of alarm in his eyes.

"I came to see Jin," Taehyung said as he rushed without another form of greeting to Jin's room.

Yoko was about to close the door to join the boys in the bedroom when a hand with a manicured finger forced the door open.

"M-Mrs. Kim, what's going here?" Seokjin's mother stammered as she saw Taehyung's mother appear in her dressing gown, looking just as tired as her son.

"Taehyung suddenly woke up, screaming to wake up the whole house that Seokjin might be dead, before he rushed in here," she said, visibly upset at the event and going to find her son in Seokjin's room without asking permission to enter in the House. 

"N-no, Seokjin is fine, he's just sleeping," Yoko said to her, closing the door and followed her hastily to witness the strange scene. Taehyung knelt next to Jin who was sleeping in his futon and gently shook him to wake him up. Seokjin dazedly blinked wondering what Taehyung was coming to his room.

"T-tae? I-I didn't do a-anything, you can take the ball if you wan't it," he spluttered, still all sleepy, not realizing where he was.

"I don't want the ball, you can go back to sleep," Taehyung assured him, stroking his head gently.

 Seokjin didn't need to be asked : he was so tired and knocked out from his medicine that he fell back asleep very quickly without asking for his rest, probably thinking it was all just a dream.

"Taehyung, what's the matter?" his mother asked in a tired voice from the bedroom door. 

"He is fine!" Taehyung exclaimed to his and Seokjin's mother as he looked with relief at Seokjin sleeping calmly and breathing normally contrary to what he had seen in his nightmare. "I thought he wasn't well but he's fine!"

"Of course he's fine, he's already been to the hospital, you don't need to worry about him," Mrs. Kim barked, "come on Taehyung, go back to bed now."

"But what if, when I leave, he doesn't wake up anymore? No, I want to sleep with Jin," Taehyung protested in a worried voice as he crawled into Jin's futon.

"Don't talk nonsense, you're not going to sleep on the floor with him like an animal, you have a bed."

"So can he come and sleep in my room?" Taehyung asked hopefully.

"That's out of the question," his mother said immediately.

Anyway, Yoko would not have allowed her son to sleep away from her with bad people who would not pay attention to him when he was in such bad shape.

"Young sir," Yoko said, taking care to speak to him respectfully in front of Mrs. Kim. "Seokjin can't sleep anywhere but here at the moment because he's injured and sick and I have to take care of him, you understand?"

"Yes, I understand Yoko. So I'm staying here," Taehyung decided before adding anxiously, "I'll also watch over him to make sure he continues to breathe and sleep and doesn't die."

Shocked Mrs. Kim exclaimed to Yoko:

"Do you realize what my son is saying?! He is only seven years old and he is shocked by what has happened!"

"Because you think Seokjin isn't?" Yoko retorted , outraged.

"Why can Seokjin sleep when Taehyung can't?!"

"I don't know, maybe because it was your son who almost killed mine and not the other way around? Perhaps he is developing an awareness of good and evil and felt guilty for what he did? It would have been surprising if it didn't traumatize him, and that he considers what he did to be normal, but don't say that it's Seokjin's fault, because my son didn't ask for it."

Mrs. Kim was silent for a moment in front of Yoko's words, because they echoed those of the doctor the day before:

Well, children and later adults with intermittent explosive disorder find themselves dealing with their own outsized tantrums and feeling guilty. This guilt usually results in causing them great distress. It would therefore be necessary to calm this aggressiveness before it becomes a source of anxiety for him.

But Taehyung should also find some form of stability in those around him, friends with whom he will feel good enough to accept a refusal from them without getting angry.

Could it be that for Taehyung, this stability, this solution other than drugs, was Seokjin? No, she refused. She didn't want this to become a permanent solution because it would mean for Taehyung that he could never be without his little Japanese boy again, and that wasn't the relationship she wanted for her son.

"In the end, it would probably have been better if you left to prevent Taehyung from facing his daily trauma," she said coldy seeing her son tenderly cuddling the sleeping boy. "I guess I have no choice now. Taehyung will stay here, but I'll make sure he gets well as soon as possible so he won't need him anymore to sleep."

Yoko wished she had her say since she didn't want Taehyung to stay with Seokjin, but she never really had a choice. Either way, she realized that it was also in her son's best interests for Taehyung to get better, even though Seokjin wouldn't have psychological support for lack of financial means.

"Send him home first thing tomorrow morning to get ready for school," Mrs. Kim ordered.

"It's understood," Yoko nodded.

"Did you hear me well, Taehyung? You don't make a fuss about staying with him tomorrow morning or I won't let you sleep here anymore," his mother said in a threatening tone.

"Yeeeees," Taehyung said happily, hugging Seokjin, happy to be able to sleep with him.

Arranging her dressing gown Mrs. Kim hastened to leave the little house, leaving her son there. Seeing that Yoko didn't leave the room and continued to look at him and Seokjin with concern, Taehyung said to her:

"You can leave Yoko, turn off the light we're going to sleep now."

"Taehyung, please don't hurt Seokjin again," Yoko begged.

"I won't do it again," Taehyung promised, "I don't want Jin to die."

Yoko didn't know if she should feel reassured by Taehyung's words. He was undoubtedly a capricious and explosive child and it was quite possible that by refusing to obey him, Seokjin would incur his anger again and be hurt again. 

But seeing Taehyung taking care of him and being afraid that he wasn't well, she wanted to believe that he understood the lesson and now he would control himself so he wouldn't hurt him anymore.

"I trust you then," she finally said, pretending to leave the room.

"I will watch over him and I'll pick you up if Jin isn't breathing," Taehyung assured.

"Oh... thank you," Yoko said, taken aback.

"You're welcome."

Taehyung seemed to have taken Seokjin's illness and the doctor's warnings very seriously.

It quickly became a ritual in the days that followed. Taehyung joined the Murakami's house in the evening at bedtime, made sure Seokjin had taken his medicine, slept with him, and when his nightmares woke him up, he woke Seokjin up to make sure he was okay.

Seokjin did not protest, convinced that he would soon leave the Kim property when he recovered from his injury, as his mother had promised him when he was in the hospital. He was being as docile as possible for fear of being attacked again by Taehyung if he didn't. But since returning from the hospital, Taehyung was always very gentle with him and was careful not to hurt him, which reassured him.

Then in this new routine, early in every morning, Taehyung went home to get ready and went to school all day while Seokjin, who was recovering slowly, stayed at home but benefited from remedial lessons from a private teacher sent by Mr. Kim. so that he does not fall behind and on the contrary, begins to catch up with the delay of the young students of the prestigious private schools before integrating middle school in several years.

Every evening when Taehyung came home, after doing his homework, he ran to join Seokjin to play with him, as before. Except that since he attacked him, Seokjin didn't want to play with him anymore. In fact, he was no longer playing at all and no longer smiling or laughing. His once sparkling eyes now seemed to be extinguished without their former light.

He didn't even want to play with his ball. One evening, Taehyung had seen him with his blood-stained ball in his hands, staring at it and probably remembering what had happened, seeming to be plagued by renewed anxiety. So the heir had taken it from his hands and told him he was going to buy him a brand new ball.

But the next day, when bringing the promised brand new ball, Seokjin did not want to touch it either. He simply sat in silence next to Namjoon who was reading a book leaning against a tree with a wide trunk next to the rose garden, much to Taehyung's annoyance who ended up playing the game console on his own not far from them. He thought it was weird that Seokjin didn't want to play football anymore when he had proudly told the doctor that he would continue because it was his dream.

During the day, when he wasn't studying or sleeping and his mother suggested that he go play outside with his ball, Seokjin could stay for long minutes without moving, looking at his ball without being able to kick it like he did before. It was his own trauma: he couldn't touch it anymore, no matter how badly he wanted to.

He seemed to subconsciously think that it was a big mistake and that if he did, Taehyung would end up punishing him again. Yet Taehyung kept telling him day and night that he wouldn't hurt him anymore and that he could play without fear. The little heir didn't like seeing Seokjin like that at all.

He preferred the old Seokjin, the one who laughed and ran around, even if he didn't obey him when he gave him orders. Namjoon kept telling him that it was his fault that his Jinnie wasn't like before and that it was up to him to make Seokjin not afraid of him anymore. So Taehyung must have thought.

One day, when he came home from school, Taehyung saw that Seokjin was still holding his ball in his hands while looking at it with a kind of melancholy. It seemed to him that if he didn't act, nothing would change, that nothing would ever be the same again. Without taking the time to go back and put his things in his room, Taehyung threw his school bag on the ground, ran up to Seokjin and took the ball from his hands.

"Tae..." Seokjin said simply, letting him take the ball without trying to resist.

"I think you forgot that we play football with the foot and not with hands, Jin," Taehyung scoffed, starting to run the ball around Seokjin like he had always seen him do, but in a very awkward way, because he didn't really know how to play. "Should I show you how to play football? You probably need to relearn how to do it."

Seokjin followed him with curious eyes. Indeed, Taehyung had always hated football and he had even refused Seokjin to teach him how to play. For several minutes, he watched him run awkwardly, almost comically, trying somehow to keep the ball at his feet, picking it up when it strayed from its path, coming back to run around Seokjin as soon as he had it back. He also tried to juggle the ball but he couldn't do more than two juggles.

Despite his annoyance and his growing fatigue, Taehyung continued to fight on, feeling Seokjin's gaze on him who did not let go of him, satisfied to have managed to have his attention. 

Then, in his clumsiness, Taehyung ends up running over the ball and rolling on the ground next to the ball. Rubbing his aching behind, he was about to rant at the ball and yell that he hated football when he heard something that made him suddenly raise his head. It was a sound he dreaded not hearing again. The sound of Seokjin's laughter.

"You... you laughed!" Taehyung exclaimed, amazed.

"Yes, it's because you were so funny," Seokjin chuckled softly as he held his abdomen because laughing still hurt him.

Then, Taehyung's face lit up and he laughed with Seokjin, relieved to find the old Seokjin back. Then, the footballer held out his hand to help him up.

"I wouldn't have fallen if you had taught me how to play," the heir pouted, accepting his hand.

"Do you really want it?" Seokjin wondered.

"What?"

"Do you want me... to teach you how to play?" Seokjin hesitantly asked.

Taehyung immediately nodded.

"Yes, I want you to teach me. But you have to take it easy so you don't hurt yourself," Taehyung told him. "And of course, you have to take it easy because, uh, I'm just a beginner," he grumbled reluctantly. "You agree ?"

Seokjin's face lit up with joy hearing this. 

"Yes!"

And that day, Taehyung understood that it was thanks to football that he would remain friends with Seokjin. So he made himself pay attention to it. He spent a long time sitting watching Seokjin play football. Or to play with him, to learn to run with a ball, to dribble, to juggle, even though he wasn't very good at doing that. He wasn't doing it for himself, he was doing it for Seokjin. It was a first for him who had never done anything he didn't like to please others. But for Seokjin's friendship, he was willing to do it.

He no longer complained about not knowing how to play while Seokjin did it wonderfully. Instead, he was enjoying every moment spent with him realizing that he might very well have never had them if he hadn't survived the day he hurt him.

He even watched football games with him on TV as he hated it and found there was no point in watching people running for ninety minutes behind a ball listening to an excited commentator. To which Seokjin replied:

"It's because you don't know anything about it. One day, I too will be on the field with the professionals with lots of people in the bleachers to cheer me on and you will have to admire me from behind the TV."

"Why from behind the TV? There are bleachers, right?"

"Yes, but you have to pay a lot to get there and you also have to fly because it's in Europe."

"In Europe? I'm rich enough to come with you but why in Europe and not here in Korea?" Taehyung wondered. "There are football teams here too."

"Yes, but it is in Europe that the best championships, the best teams and the greatest players are," Seokjin replied dreamily. "This is there that I will become ultra super rich like you."

"If it's money you want, I can give it to you, you don't need to go there," Taehyung told him, not wanting Seokjin to go to Europe.

"No, it's not only that. I only want money to make my mom happy and give her whatever she wants, but what I really want for me is to play football with the best players, and in front of the most football-loving audiences."

"Do you really want to go there?"

"Yes, when I'll be a professional."

"But you can't, the doctor said no," Taehyung replied, eager to prevent him from ever leaving for Europe.

"It's not him who decides. This is my dream and I will make it come true," Seokjin affirmed, looking at professional players with stars in their eyes and dreaming of himself in their place. "But I will take my mom with me in Europe of course, so I won't be sad to leave."

"Only your mom?" Taehyung asked, disappointed.

"No, my Ji-chan too of course."

"That's all? Nobody else?" Taehyung insisted.

Seokjin took the time to reflect, wondering who he had forgotten among the members of his little family.

"Not me?" Taehyung pouted, displeased.

"Would you like to come with me?" Seokjin wondered.

"Of course! I said that you should stay with me forever, didn't I?"

"Oh, yes, it's true that you told me. Okay, I'll take you with me too then," Seokjin smiled, happy.

"Do you promise?" 

"Yes, I promise!"

Yoko was happy to see her son regain his smile and his joie de vivre day after day by playing with Taehyung. She even managed to forget that she had thought of Taehyung as a monster. What had happened between them was a terrible accident, the child had responded to his angry impulses without really wanting it but now he would be careful and never do such a thing again. After all, no child is naturally bad at heart and by accompanying him in his development, he would become a good person, she was convinced of that now. 

That is why she did everything so that around her Taehyung felt sincerely loved and accepted, and happily welcomed him into their home like before, saying it was his second home. To which Taehyung replied that it had become his first home, since he spent more time there than in the mansion of his parents. For Yoko, it was a good thing for him because the more he was with Seokjin and her, the less he was with his hateful parents.

Yoko was still to have a discussion with her son about the fact that he had to stay with the Kims until he finished his studies but she was afraid to take away his happiness just regained by confessing the truth to him. Only, she couldn't wait any longer because Seokjin had to go back to school and he had to hide the truth of the origin of his injury according to the pact signed with the Kims.

"Seokjin baby, mommy has something to tell you," she said to him one evening, as she sat at the table with her son and father.

"What is it, mommy?"

"Do you remember when you asked me to leave this house to get away from Taehyung?"

"Yes, I remember but I changed my mind," Seokjin said distractedly, slurping his noodles loudly.

"Eh?!" his mother and grandfather said, dumbfounded.

"But I thought you hated this place and were afraid of Taehyung after what he did to you," his mother objected, though she should have been glad she didn't need to convince him it was the best for him to stay after all.

"Yes but Taehyung got nice to me since then, right Ji-chan?" Seokjin asked, turning to his grandfather who was in the garden with them most of the time when he was playing and who had his eye on the boys.

The old Murakami looked at his daughter with concern before replying to Seokjin :

"It's true that Taehyung doesn't seem to be angry and violent anymore and he's very caring to you, but you still have to be careful not to contradict him too much, we don't know what he can do if you make him angry again."

"He won't do anything and he doesn't get mad at me anymore. I believe he's sorry for hurting me, he didn't want to do that," Seokjin explained.

"Did he apologize?" his mother wondered.

"No, he didn't but I know he's sorry," Seokjin said simply.

"Did he threaten you to say that?" asked his mother, who couldn't believe her ears after having seen his son terrified at the mere sight of Taehyung.

"Not at all. He said he would never hurt me again."

"I know he told you that but you think he's telling the truth?"

"Yes," Seokjin stated simply, "now we play football together and he doesn't yell at me anymore, even when he loses. And he loses all the time because I'm too good for him," he added with an amused smile. "But he wants me to teach him how to play, so with my help he'll get better and he'll be happy not to lose everytime anymore."

"Seokjin, baby, I'm very happy that you've become friends with Taehyung again, but I still want you to be careful when playing with him, just because he's playing football with you doesn't mean he's suddenly become a completely different person. I'm not saying Taehyung isn't a good person, but he's not like you, you understand ?"

"I understand mommy I know he gets angry a lot for not much but just because he's different doesn't mean he's bad." 

His mother and grandfather exchanged a look of emotion.

"You are absolutely right my son, you should never misjudge someone because they are different," Yoko said. "Now, can you promise me something ?" 

Seokjin nodded and looked at his mother who seemed anxious about what she was about to say.

"You must never tell anyone that he was the one who hurt you, okay? Above all, don't tell anyone what he did to you, it's very important, can you promise me that?"

Seokjin gave an unhappy expression.

"You didn't have to ask me to promise you, of course I never would have told anyone, he's my friend!" he protested, unhappy that his mother thought him capable of betraying his friend. "I don't want him to have problems and people to hate him if they knew he hurt me. I want him to have friends, and he won't if people think he's mean when he's not."

"Oh, Seokjinnie, you are so kind!" her mother exclaimed, hugging her son lovingly.

"Mommy, I'm eating!" protested Seokjin who had just dropped his spoon but gladly accepted the kiss his mother placed on his cheek.

Suddenly they heard a knock on the door that made them turn their heads.

"It must be Taehyung!" Seokjin happily exclaimed as he dropped his plate and ran for the front door.

"He comes earlier and earlier. It's fine if Seokjin is happy that he's here, but I still wonder how long he'll keep coming to sleep with him," the old Murakami remarked seeing Seokjin running like this to welcome Taehyung.

"Taehyung, has a psychological follow-up, his parents follow him closely, so he will be better soon," assured Yoko, "and anyway, growing up, boys prefer to have their personal space, it will be the same for Taehyung. It's only a phase, I'm sure it will pass quickly, you'll see: soon he won't come anymore."