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MAX ARRIVED AT THE rooftop, which was his favorite brotherhood base. It's been a while since he'd been there, so as soon as he saw the scenery, Max couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. He looks at the view of the campus and walks closer to the edge, only to notice Joon sitting on the bench, reading a book.

     "What are you doing?" Max asks as he approaches the prince.

     Joon puts the book down when he hears Max and immediately gets up from his seat. "I found the book here. I think one of the jesters owns it. Those guys aren't here either. They didn't say anything to me and just left," Joon suddenly explains to Max, making the young heir chuckle. For some reason, after their exchange at the greenhouse earlier, the air around Joon became less suffocating.

     "I wasn't trying to interrogate you," Max says, taking a seat on the bench and patting the space beside him. "Sit," he then tells Joon, and like an obedient Jack, he does what he's told and sits beside Max, the two of them now facing the scenery that takes both of their breaths away.

     Joon was waiting for Max to say something. He was expecting him to scold him again or ask him about what happened with Hans earlier, but Max remained silent. And as someone who isn't a talker himself, Max's silence was starting to annoy him. Joon gets annoyed when people talk a lot, but not when it's Max. For unknown reasons, Joon doesn't want Max to ignore him. He doesn't want Max to ignore him like Viktor does when he's mad.

     "My name is Max by the way," Max says out of the blue, confusing Joon because he doesn't understand why Max would suddenly introduce himself to him like that.

      "I know," Joon simply answers.

     "That's good. For a second I thought you were confusing me with Viktor," Max says next, immediately making Joon turn to him with his eyes wide, shocked that Max seemed to have read his mind.

     When Joon reacted, Max took a deep breath and removed his peak cap.

     "I've only noticed it earlier, but you keep stealing glances at me, glances that you originally stole from Viktor," Max continues to say as he looks at Joon, making the ice prince flinch when their eyes meet, Max's ocean-blue iris unconsciously making Joon swallow the imaginary lump in his throat.

      "People tell me I'm like my mother, sometimes they see Grey, but you're the only one who sees Viktor in me, and I'm telling you now, Kim Hee-joon, I find that as an insult," Max reveals next, and this time, Joon's heart was starting to beat faster and faster. Was he getting annoyed? Scared? He couldn't even tell.

     "Don't look at me like I can replace Viktor because I won't. Whatever kind of toxic relationship you two have, I don't want any part of it. I've already made up my mind on how I'm going to deal with you. I'm going to help you find the third suspect, I'll look after you, and I'll let you sleep in my house as much as you want. But I cannot be more than what you might be imagining in your head. Don't use me as a way to escape that mad king," Max states, and Joon quickly looks away from Max, his expression now unreadable.

     The wind blows on the two of them. Joon clenches his fist but unclenches it as he releases a breath.

     "You think I'm going to fall in love with you?" Joon finally asks, the question sounding serious instead of it being sarcastic.

     Max shakes his head and denies it. "No, not love. One look and I already know that that's not the thing you feel about Viktor. Love is too pure to be used by someone like you," Max says, causing the fire inside Joon to burn bigger and brighter.

     "And what do you know about what I feel?"

     "Not much," Max answers in a calm manner. "But I know it's not love."

     "You don't know anything."

     "You don't even realize it yourself, do you? The thing you feel about Viktor isn't love, Kim Hee-joon. It's obsession. And your obsession is feeding Viktor's emptiness that has no end. You don't want him to love you back. You're not the type to fantasize about something as useless, or as sweet, or as petty. You want his attention, his touch, his power–no, it doesn't even have to be him. The truth is, you just don't want to be alone," Max says with a cold tone, and in the spur of the moment, Joon grabs Max by the collar, looking at the gaffer with an expression that people rarely see in him.

     As someone who everyone calls the ice prince, Joon was burning with rage.

     "Shut the fuck up," Joon fires back. "I don't know why you suddenly want to start a fight, but you better watch yourself."

     "I'm not starting a fight. I'm just warning you," Max says while looking straight at Joon, not daring to break eye contact. "You've betrayed my friends, but that's fine. That's all in the past, and I'm not really the type to dwell on something my friends don't want to be a part of anymore. But if you ever try to ruin everything we've worked hard on just for the sake of that king you're so manically obsessed with, then you better watch yourself. I can tolerate your attitude Joon, but don't ever betray my protectors again."

     As soon as Joon hears what Max has to say, he instantly calms down and lets go of Max, standing from the bench so he can no longer face him.

     "I told you, Joon. I'm not like Viktor. I'm not going to use you and treat you like shit so you can crave my validation. I promised to help you, and I promised your brotherhood that I will take care of you, and that's what I intend to do. But don't use my kindness against me. Talk back to my protectors like that again and this arrangement is over," Max seriously says to him.

     When Joon no longer fought back, Max wore his peak cap back and walked past Joon so he could finally take his leave, ending their conversation now before things got even more heated. "President Janus wants to see you after class. Make sure you don't get spotted. I'll ask Jokers to keep you hidden until you can officially show yourself to everyone," he then says, reaching the exit. But just as Max was about to grab the door, Joon called out to him for one last time.

     "Hans told you, didn't he? About what happened with Class I -A and Paradox?"

     "Why? Are you going to try to explain yourself?" Max asks, turning around to look at Joon again.

     "No," Joon answers. "There's nothing to explain. I told Don he and the kings could torment Class I-A, but he promised to not touch Viktor. I agreed, so I gave them our class keys and individual schedules. I watched as Grey and the others tried fighting back every single day, but I didn't say or do anything. I did all that to keep Viktor safe, so don't tell me I don't love him. I was willing to trade my friends for him. That's how much he means to me."

     "Is that what you say to convince yourself, Joon?" Max asks with an almost sad expression that angers Joon again.

     "Why are you so against the fact that I am willing to sacrifice anything and everything for the person I love?" Joon then asks, the question surprising Max because he never expected Joon to admit something so sentimental to him.

     "You don't just–" Max paused, trying to think of the right words to say to make Joon understand what he was trying to point out. "Sometimes, we give so much of ourselves to the people we love for them to be whole. But Viktor isn't just missing a piece. He's shattered...into a million pieces. You can love him Joon. Oh, I know you can. But everything you have given him came with a huge cost of betrayal, anger, and hate. And now, both of you can no longer pay the price. If you love him Joon, truly loved him, you will not bury him with your debt."

     Joon couldn't say anything anymore as he looked at the young heir. And as Max stared at the quiet prince, he saw his eyes glisten, just for a second. Max thought a tear would fall, but it didn't. Joon kept himself composed until the end.

     "You deserve better, Joon. I might not remember everything, but I remember enough to know that Viktor isn't the right person for you. Maybe...just maybe...now isn't the right moment. But in the future, maybe everything would have been paid in full."

     "Then are you suggesting you're a better option now?" Joon asks.

     "Me over Viktor? Oh definitely. You'd be way too lucky to have me," Max replies, grinning. "Unfortunately I'm no longer in the market. I have a very very handsome boyfriend who is head over heels for me. I wouldn't be swayed even if you strip in front of me right now."

     "Don't be so confident," Joon answers back, and Max finally smiles, his usual expression returning to normal.

     Looks like they're back to being civil again.

     "Don't test me either."

     Max isn't the type to start a fight with anyone. He doesn't want to question someone's feelings either, especially when it comes to love. But Max had to be firm with Joon. He needed to make sure Joon didn't hurt any of his protectors, and the only way he would listen was if he forced Joon to show his true colors.

     But other than that, he also wants Joon to realize that something is terribly wrong with him and Viktor's relationship. If Joon doesn't realize it soon, Joon will never be able to break free from the chains that bind him.

     "Anyway, enjoy the rest of the day as Jokers' new underling. We'll talk about the plan to get PHD back tomorrow. I need to head back to the clinic first and rest," Max says, walking towards the rooftop exit. He didn't wait for Joon's response, but when he was going down the stairs, he looked behind him and quickly realized that Joon was actually following him.

     At first, Max was giving him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he needed to go to the restroom and powder his nose. But as Max reached the ground floor, he finally stopped walking, making the white uniform behind him stop walking as well.

     "What the hell are you doing?" Max asks, turning to look at Joon who doesn't seem to understand why Max looked surprised.

     "We're heading to the clinic. That's what you said," Joon replies like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

     "I said I'm going to the clinic. I didn't ask you to come along so go back to the rooftop before anyone sees you," Max says as he starts walking again, but Joon is stubborn. He continues to follow Max until the young heir is left with no other choice.

     The two walk down the empty campus, which Max is grateful for since everyone is still eating lunch at the Great Hall, so he doesn't have to be so cautious.

     "If Viktor ends up seeing you out here, I'm gonna leave you and make a run for it. I don't care what happens to you at that point," Max says, but then Joon grabs the hem of Max's shirt, forcing Max to turn to the spoiled prince.

     "What do you want now?"

     "I know you're mad at me for what I did to the others, but I want you to make a promise to me," Joon suddenly says, causing Max to laugh out loud like what Joon said was the funniest thing he's heard all day. 

     "I'm serious, Sinclaire. I will no longer put him in debt, just like what you said. So no matter what happens, don't let Viktor get close to me, let alone touch me. Do you promise?"

     "And why on earth would I do that? I thought you were madly and deeply in love with him," Max sarcastically replied, but Joon wasn't having it.

    "Don't let him come near me, Max Sinclaire. Whatever happens, don't–"

     "Oh for god's sake, okay!" Max finally surrenders. "You get mad when I talk about Viktor but now you're asking me to protect you from here. I don't know if you're an idiot or just plain stupid. Make up your mind and just decide what you want to do with that king."

     Joon doesn't say anything as Max continues to rant about his and Viktor's relationship, sounding more and more like Marcus when he talks about Max and Gavriil. But while Max was talking, the bell suddenly rang. Max ignored it and continued on his merry way, but then his eyes widened in shock when he realized what the bell meant. 

     Lunch was over, and now everyone was returning to their classrooms. Max and Joon could easily hide, but it seemed like someone was testing him today because Max realized they were standing in the middle of the courtyard just beside the Great Hall.

     "Oh shit!" Max shouted, looking back at Joon in a panic. But before he could even come up with a plan, white uniforms started pouring out of the hall.

     Without even thinking about it anymore, Max grabs Joon, embraces him, and buries his head in his chest to cover his face. He then pulls him down so both of them can sit on the ground, making it look like Joon fainted and Max was holding onto him.

     "You fainted so work with me here," Max whispers as the white uniforms instantly notice them.

     "Isn't that Max?"

     "What's going on?"

     "Max! Are you okay?"

     Not for long, Max was now surrounded by dozens of students, wondering what the commotion was all about.

     "Max, did something happen? Who's that?" one of the students asked.

     "Oh, I was just heading back to class when this guy suddenly fainted in front of me. I was supposed to bring him to the clinic but the bruises I have from the battle made it impossible for me to carry him," Max explains in such a believable manner that no one even questioned him.

     "Let us help you," another student offered, but Max immediately stopped them.

     "N-No! It's okay," Max says, hiding Joon's face even more so no one could notice. "I'm just...waiting for someone...I...I was with someone and already asked him to get a wheelchair from the clinic. They'll be here any second."

     "Is that so?"

      Max awkwardly laughs and looks around the sea of students, hoping his protectors will notice him. His heart was racing in anticipation, and at the same time, he couldn't help but be pissed that Jokers decided to leave Joon on the rooftop when they were supposed to be looking out for him. They wouldn't be in this mess if they just stayed by his side.

     "Where on earth are those jesters?!"

     But just when Max thought nothing could make this situation worse than it already was, the white uniforms started moving out of the way, revealing none other than the kings themselves, Busters.

     "You got to be fucking kidding me."

     Busters walk up to Max, Viktor leading the rest of the kings following behind him. They were supposed to head back to the stadium, which was conveniently right behind Max and Joon, but they took a detour when they saw the gaffer sitting on the ground while cradling a faceless white uniform.

     "My oh my, what do we have here?" Viktor asks with a grin as he stops right in front of Max.

     Max swallows the lump in his throat and buries Joon's face even further in his chest, not even caring if the poor prince can still breathe or not. Thankfully Joon was wearing a peak cap so that helped cover his head more. It's also unlikely that Viktor would speculate that this is his prince since he still believes that Joon is in St. George Academy.

      "I don't really care if you do this in broad daylight, but in the middle of the courtyard? Wow. I didn't know you were this shameless," Viktor says to him.

     Max didn't say anything. He didn't even move a muscle. He knows that if he does even the smallest thing, Viktor will catch on that he's acting strange, and Max will be forced to show who he's embracing.

     "Anyway, I'm bored now. You say this boy fainted, correct? Pavel, assist these useless white uniforms and carry them to the clinic. I don't want to see them littering in front of our base," Viktor instructs, making Max's eyes widen in shock. 

     Max knew that if he told them to stop, Viktor would be suspicious, and Joon's cover would be blown. But just as Pavel was about to grab Joon's arm, someone suddenly arrived at the scene, quickly draping his coat over Joon and grabbing him from Max before carrying him bridal style.

     "My apologies," the baron, Master Joker, says while holding Joon up from the ground, Joon's head leaning on his shoulder while Krist's coat covers the rest of his face. "This is my Jack. We were training earlier so he must have overexerted himself. Thankfully Max saw him before he fainted," Krist calmly explains.

     "There aren't any available wheelchairs!" Brave then shouted from a distance, running to where the others were, pretending as if he came from the clinic like Max mentioned earlier. "There aren't any wheelchairs left so you can just carry him there. You should come too, Max. The doctor said they want to check your bruises again."

     "Oh, okay," Max replies while Brave helps him stand back up.

     Without saying anything else, Max, Joon, Krist, and Brave headed straight to the clinic, ignoring Viktor who was looking back at them with his deadly gaze. They couldn't tell if Viktor was starting to get suspicious, but that's not a problem at the moment. The best they can do for now is to escape.

     "Max!" Rome shouted as soon as they arrived at the clinic, the rest of the members of Jokers already waiting inside.

     "Hey, guys. Thanks for rescuing me back there," Max says, patting Rome's head while looking at the rest of the barons.

     "We'll guard the door," Brave then says, nodding at his brothers and taking their leave.

     As soon as the others leave the room, Krist aggressively drops Joon on the bed, pulling his coat off him so he can look at the prince with anger. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Didn't Brave and the others tell you to stay put on the rooftop while they get your lunch?"

     "Wait, he told me they just left him there," Max then says, making Krist sigh and massage his temple.

     "I'm not going to stay in the rooftop, waiting for your jesters under that heat. I'm also not an idiot to be showing myself in front of anyone. I know how to hide and–" Before Joon could even explain his side, Krist suddenly grabbed him by his cheeks, squeezing it tight to the point where it made Joon wince.

     "You are not given permission to speak, Jack," Krist says with a commanding tone, causing Joon to glare at him.

     Max quickly intervenes and touches Krist's arm, making the master joker let go of Joon in an instant.

     "Calm down, this was my fault. I told him to come with me to the clinic because I thought you guys left him alone on the rooftop," Max explains, which surprised Joon because he wasn't expecting Max to lie for him. 

     "Don't lie. I know you're covering for him," Krist replies, and Max finally shuts his mouth.

     "Look, this couldn't have been avoided, but we can't keep hiding this prince. He's our underling, not our master. The white uniforms will eventually find out, and Viktor will soon know that we've been keeping him from plain sight. We have to tell everyone the truth," Krist suggests, which was something that Max was on board with.

     "We will tell everyone, but President Janus will have to make it official first. Joon doesn't even have a rank yet," Max explains further.

     Krist sighs and turns to look at Joon. He was about to say something to him, but then he looked back at Max instead and said, "Take him home, to wherever it is he's staying in. I can't deal with him right now."

     "Well, he's kinda staying in my house at the moment," Max then reveals, and the shocked look on Krist's face almost made the poor heir laugh. 

     "He's what!?"

...

"It's a shame we couldn't meet in person but I sent your schedule to Max. I'll also ask someone to deliver your armband and student card to the Sinclaire Residence. Max mentioned you're staying with him for the time being, correct?" Janus asks through the electronic tablet that Joon is holding.

     Joon and Max were now in the car, Étienne driving them back home after spending half a day in J.S High. But even though they were only there for a couple of hours, Max felt like they were there for weeks thanks to everything that happened.

     Max battled his protectors at the stadium, and he also managed to talk to them about taking Joon as their underling. And then Viktor almost caught them, which ultimately made them decide to head back home to avoid any more unexpected encounters. It's also for the best so Max can lie down and rest.

     "I can't talk about the private matter I wanted us to discuss here, but there's always a next time," Janus continues to say. "For today you should go ahead and rest. I'm sure tomorrow will be a tiring day for you. Now, can I speak to my nephew?"

     Joon nods his head as Max snatches the tablet from his hand, facing the camera so his uncle can see him.

    "Ah, Max. Thank you for taking care of Joon while we handle PHD's case. He might be feisty, but he's a good kid," Janus then says, and Max turns to look at Joon, making the prince's ear turn red, the president's sudden compliment making him feel embarrassed.

     "Yeah...a good kid."

     "Well, I still have a meeting with the association so I'll talk to you kids later. And Étienne, drive safely," Janus says before finally ending the video call. 

     Max takes a deep breath and opens his email to find the class schedule his uncle mentioned. 

      "Oh, you're in Class IV-A. Sometimes I forget brotherhood leaders have to be smart," Max jokingly says as he turns back at Joon who is already looking out the window. "If you're worrying about Viktor, I don't think he noticed. And President Ian's going to be your classmate too so it's not gonna be a problem. And there's also the fact that you're a white uniform now which means Viktor can't touch you."

     "He's a Royal," Joon mentions, making Max furrow his brows, unsure why Joon would even say that.

     "Anyway, what my uncle said is true. You're officially going to school now, which means a lot of the white uniforms who don't particularly like you might end up chasing after you. There's also the fact that there's a high chance that you're going to rank low and become a serf. It's not really St. George level kind of bullying, but it's not a walk in the park either," Max explains further, and Joon finally looks at him. 

     "I was a white uniform before I became a brotherhood member. The points I accumulated when I left will simply be activated again," Joon explains, which surprised Max because he wasn't aware of that at all.

     "Wait, are you saying you're going to have points?" Max asks back, once again checking the email that Janus sent. "But you've been a brotherhood leader for quite some time now. I'm sure your points won't be enough to beat the other seniors, right?"

     Max looked at the schedule again, and then he scrolled down, showing Kim Hee-Joon's profile.

     "Kim Hee-joon, 19 years old, Class IV-A...wait, you're only nineteen?!" Max asks in shock before looking at the profile again. "Wow, you ranked third in the exams during your first year? Didn't know you were the achiever type. You joined an Archery competition too, and your school rank is..." As soon as Max saw the number, his finger that was scrolling down the tablet screen suddenly stopped, his jaw dropping as he tried his best to understand if what he was seeing was real or not.

     Because found in Joon's profile was a discovery that Max was not prepared to see.

STUDENT PROFILE 

Name: Kim Hee-joon

Student no.: 0020379

House: The House of Kings

Class: Class IV-A

Age: 19 y/o

Birthdate: June 30, 2004

Club: [FORMER] Archery Club President

Achievements: 3rd honorary student (SY 2020-2021), National Archery Competition Champion 2020

Rank: 7

Other titles: Gaffer, Jack

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