CHAPTER 12 - MR. KIM

Only one day after speaking about it, Jungkook and his friends found themselves outside of Aviva's house. Or, more accurately, her damn mansion. When she said her father was a scientist, Jungkook didn't think she meant he was a world renowned scientist with more resources than anyone Jungkook had ever known. But he wasn't complaining. Truth be told, that made him feel a bit better about Aviva's odds of survival. She was already beating the odds by being alive this long. He was sure that was thanks to her father figuring some things out. If Jungkook's blood could somehow help with that, he'd volunteer himself in a heartbeat.

The mansion was coated in a sheet of pristine white, no cracks visible on the outside. That was without mentioning the garden that led up to the front door. It was a double-door with golden knobs that shimmered in the sunlight. The roses and tulips poking out of the bushes and grass were welcoming the sun with their petals, Jungkook skimming his hand over the closest flower.

Taehyung was beside him, Angelina staying next to Tae the whole time. "Getting any like, tingles?" Angelina asked, Jungkook peeking back at the pair and raising a brow. "Y'know, like that goosebumpy thingy you get whenever you think something's about to happen? Getting any of that?"

"I got it from your cooking before I even got bit by a spider."

Angelina whacked his shoulder, Taehyung snickering at their antics. However, they're interrupted by Aviva rolling herself forward and toward the entrance. Jimin went with her and helped her press on the buzzer. It allowed the doors to unlock when she said the password, and Jimin opened the door for her.

The others were quick to follow, and they split off into their respective teams. Jungkook with Aviva, Angelina with Tae, and Jimin with Raven. But Jungkook wasn't concerned for their teams at that moment. Rather he was blown away by the interior of the home.

The walls had the same cleanliness as the exterior, art hung on the walls and chandeliers acting as the dim lighting in the room. The wallpaper was a milky shade with spiral, off-white patterns etched into them. There were also the mahogany floorboards that didn't so much as creak under Jungkook's boots. Oh, and of course, the grand staircase about ten feet away. Jungkook wasn't sure why they'd need a staircase when Aviva was crippled, but then he saw the stair lift and understood. Either her father carried the wheelchair, or she got on that lift and dragged her chair with her. That was his guess, anyway.

Overall, the place was gorgeous. The gigantic front room broke off into three sections. Dead ahead to the stairs, the right to the kitchen with marble flooring to contrast the wood of this room, and the left to the living area with a flat screen TV Jungkook could see from here. And a fireplace beneath it. No big deal.

"Where's your father?" Angelina asked, getting right down to business.

"Around here somewhere I'm sure. Maybe in his lab-"

"Hey sweetheart," a male voice said, footsteps booming around Jungkook's ears. Seconds later, a man the same size as Jungkook only with wider shoulders appeared, and his eyes expanded. Well, actually, both of their eyes did - and so did Raven's. Jungkook swallowed what he thought was his whole will to live, then, he crept behind Taehyung to hide. "Oh no, get out here."

Jungkook stepped forward and cleared his throat. "We uh, have a group project," Jungkook said.

"Astronomy," Aviva said, doing her best to nod. "Guys, this is my father. Kim Seokjin."

"Pleasure to meet you," Jimin said, dipping his head almost in a bow. "I'm Park Jimin. This is Kim Taehyung, Angelina whatever her last name is, Raven Goldenstein, and Jeon Jungkook."

"I know Jungkook and Raven alright," Seokjin said. "My nickname is Jin, but I'd prefer Mr. Kim."

Right away, Jungkook was met with a bunch of angry glances. Raven snuck behind Jimin, but the others were of course more concerned with Jungkook. "He's the dean of our school, how do you not know this?" Jungkook asked.

Their gazes turned from anger to awe, and Angelina was the first to speak. "Okay, now it makes sense why you know him. What'd you do this time?"

"Got into a fight with the football team's quarterback. On top of several other bullying reports," Jin said, chuckling. "I must admit I'm glad I haven't seen any reports filed against you since then. It seems you've turned a new leaf."

"I didn't have my friends back then," Jungkook said, motioning to the area around him. "This group put me in my place, and I couldn't ask for better friends."

"That was so cute, I felt like roundhouse kicking you because of it," Aviva said, scooting her wheelchair toward her father. Jin knelt and squeezed her hand, smiling softly. "Today was good, it didn't hurt as much as normal. That medication you gave me is working well."

"I'm so glad, sweetheart. Let me know if there's so much as a little discomfort and I'll take care of it, okay?"

"Of course, but you already do too much. Make sure to rest. Thank you for this."

He ruffled her hair and stood, pointing to the living room. "There's enough space in there for all of you. If you want any food, raid my fridge. No, I'm not making you food. I only have fake noodles left."

Jimin furrowed his brows. "Fake noodles?"

Jin winked. "Impastas." He waved and spun on his heel, strolling away. "Toodles."

He went out of sight, the group left standing there with their jaws on the shining floors. No one spoke for a solid minute and a half, then, Aviva went to the living room without waiting for anyone else. The others followed, but their eyes were still on where Jin just was.

"Your father is the dean?" Taehyung asked as they approached. "Why didn't you tell us that?"

"I wasn't sure how. I'm sorry, I don't mean to hide all this information from you. It's just... My father does a lot for me. He may seem eccentric, or happy, or fun, but the truth is he's miserable and tries his hardest not to be. For me. The least I can do is respect his privacy and let him work in peace," she said.

"It's alright, but do you mind if we ask some questions?" Jungkook asked, to which Aviva agreed.

Jungkook sat on one of the four white couches that matched the smooth walls, floors, and ceilings. The windows were plentiful and in an arched shapes, dark frames highlighting the sunlight peeking in. And to top it all off, of course there was a glass coffee table with a cute, fake succulent plopped in a cream-colored pot in the middle of it. But Jungkook supposed it made sense. Mr. Kim was the dean at a prestigious university, along with being a renowned scientist with his own lab. If that didn't scream rich, he didn't know what did.

Aviva halted her wheelchair when she was across from the TV mounted on the wall in the space between the windows. It was framed perfectly by the light, almost in a Godly manner. Jimin and Raven sat together on one of the couches off to the side, but still close enough that they could contribute to the conversation. It was also far enough to give them their own private conversations if they chose to speak alone. Very convenient for them, huh?

Taehyung sat next to Jungkook, and Angelina next to Tae. It was like they were one big happy family. In a way, Jungkook hoped that was true. But the moment passed since Jimin opened his mouth to speak.

"If you have such a big house, why bother living away from here?"

"I wanted a chance at independence, even if it hurt," she said in a mumble, casting her glance down.

"That's understandable. It's not a weakness to be dependent though, Avi," Jungkook replied, rubbing her shoulder in an attempt to console her. Her smile told him it was working. "I know it may be a hard question to ask, but what happened to your mother?"

"I figured I'd have to talk about it eventually. When she found out I had ALS, she flipped out and wanted nothing to do with us. She couldn't handle the pain of losing me, so she left before she could get even more attached, I guess. I'm not sure, my father won't tell me the details, but I'm guessing that's it. I was too young to understand it."

"For what it's worth, I am sorry that happened to you," Tae said, and Aviva expressed her thanks. "We should move away from all the questions. How about we open the floor to you. What do you want to tell us about your father?"

"He's a popular scientist who does a lot in biochemistry, but he loves science so much that he researches everything he can get his hands on. Unless it's astronomy, he's not a big astronomy guy."

"Shit, so he must hate our group project, huh?" Jimin asked, resulting in a couple snickers.

"Maybe," Aviva said with a small smile. "But he's also the dean of the university. He didn't just walk into it, he needed the approval of the whole school board. He worked as a professor for years, and on top of that, his prestige in the science community earned him that spot. Who wouldn't want an amazing scientist as the dean of a university? Especially a prestigious one."

The others were quick to show their understanding, and Jungkook shifted a bit closer to her. "Are there cameras around here?" Jungkook asked.

"Only outside, not inside. Maybe in his lab in the basement, but I'm not sure, he doesn't really let me in there."

"He doesn't?" Raven asked, and Aviva shook her head. "That's strange. You'd think he'd want you in there at all times. Doesn't he take your blood?"

"He does, but we do that in his bathroom instead. If you want to try and snoop around, I won't stop you. Just say you were looking for the bathroom if you get caught."

Right away, the group looked at Jungkook, and he blinked. "Why is it always me?"

"Because you shoot webs out of your ass. Now buckle up and climb some walls," Angelina said, shooing him off.

Jungkook grimaced and groaned as he got up, departing the living room and peeping around for any signs of the dean. The last thing he needed was to make Mr. Kim more suspicious of him than he already was. Yeah, cause Jungkook's college career totally wasn't on the line. As much as he wished he could, he couldn't live off being a superhero. He wasn't getting paid, and the odds were he never would be unless he worked for the police department or something. But he didn't want that. Jungkook didn't want his identity revealed, or to be controlled by a system that would use and manipulate him. Maybe he was being overdramatic considering no one had used him yet, but he didn't want to take the chance.

The mansion was larger than Jimin's ass at this rate, and Jungkook knew he was going to have trouble navigating to find anything useful. However, he knew where the lab was. Or, the general direction it was. Aviva said it was in the basement. Where would a basement be in an enormous mansion?

He started with the stairs, poking and prodding around to see if there was a basement anywhere. Yeah, he probably should've asked about that. Too late now, they'd chastise him for taking too long or stalling. Maybe both. Regardless, Jungkook didn't find anything. Next, he went to the kitchen.

Jeon Jungkook was by no means broke or limited in any way, but fucking hell, this kitchen made him feel it. The kitchen was larger than his room at home. At home. Jungkook would admit that he was privileged with a comfortable life. Not overly wealthy as many believed him to be, but he had money to live in comfort. He still hadn't told his parents about the scholarship ordeal, and he knew they would be pissed beyond belief. It was possible they'd make him transfer to a cheaper school even though he would claim to pay for his current education on his own. He'd love to pay for his own college rather than put the burden on his parents. Would they accept that?

Alright, those thoughts weren't helping now, so he shook them off to instead continue his investigation. The kitchen was covered in sleek marble with patterns of light and dark complimenting the style the mansion possessed. Where would a basement door be? Probably in the kitchen. That was where it was in Jungkook's house. Although he doubted his unfinished basement would match what awaited him in Aviva's.

There was indeed a door by the stove, and Jungkook chose not to make himself more depressed by observing the intricacies laced into the design of their equipment. Jungkook popped the door open, slipping inside and finding a well-lit staircase awaiting him. The passageway was much slimmer than before, and much slimmer than he was expecting. This wasn't a grand staircase by any means. He was fine with that, it was just surprising.

He went down and found a furnished basement there. It was different from the rest of the house. The ceiling was curved and archways made up the walls. Dark archways and ceilings, which contrasted the whiteness of the upstairs area. The floors were still wooden, but the wood was deeper to match the color scheme of the rest of the place. Jungkook pitter-pattered down the hall and noticed many openings on his left and right. There were no doors to stop him from strolling inside, but he picked and chose the spaces he wished to go as carefully as he could.

Where would a lab be? Probably in the back, right? That made the most sense to him, so he went that way. He ended up being correct. There was a metal door with a lock on the side. It seemed like something out of a sci fi movie. A hand scanner. Jungkook didn't bother putting his hand on it. He did the next best thing.

He knocked.

There was no answer for a long moment. But after a minute, the door snapped open, and Jin's form casted a shadow on Jungkook's face. Jin's confusion turned to pure awe that Jeon Jungkook of all people was standing in front of him. And all of a sudden, Jungkook forgot what he wanted to say.

"Don't you have a group project you're working on?" Jin asked, but his tone wasn't accusing Jungkook of any wrongdoings. Rather, it was curious. Light, almost.

"We do, but I wanted to talk to you. Aviva said you might be here. May I come in?"

Jin was quick to extend his body as best he could, blocking Jungkook from seeing the inside of the lab. To prevent himself from seeming more suspicious, he didn't try to peek over Jin's head to see inside the room. "This is my private lab. Anything you want to say to me, you can do it from here. And please do make it quick. I'm trying a new formula that may help Aviva."

Ah, Jin was playing the emotional card. Appealing to Jungkook's morals to leave him be. Jungkook respected that, but if mind games were going to happen, then Jungkook was going to participate. He was one competitive bastard, after all.

"I understand, sir," Jungkook said, preparing himself for the acting he had to do. Well, not all of it would be acting, but he wanted to sell himself as best he could. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Jin's brows knit together. "For what? Did you burn down my precious kitchen?"

"Never in a million years. I meant for everything that happened with Quinton, and the reports that were made against me. To be honest with you, I was an asshole. Still am, but I'm working on myself. And I'm sorry for the inconveniences I caused. And, I have to ask, did Quinton get punished at all for his actions? He punched an innocent woman who was trying to stop the fight."

"We revoked his scholarship as well and transferred it to Raven. She's a promising athlete even though she's not a starter yet. Figured we might as well give it to someone else who matches his skills and is better behaved," Jin said.

"That's good for her. I'm surprised she didn't tell us, but good for her. And thank you for punishing him as well. I know my actions were terrible both before and after the fight, but in no world did Raven deserve to get hit like that."

"For whatever it's worth, Mr. Jeon, I do see signs of maturity in you. It takes balls to admit you're wrong. And even bigger balls to approach me man-to-man and apologize for it. So thank you for that." He halted for a moment, resting a hand on Jungkook's shoulder. Jungkook barely got a peek inside, but his enhanced vision allowed him to see a mass of metal in the corner. He wasn't sure if there was a shape to it, but all he saw were the parts. Little scraps left around in bulk. That was way too much metal in one place, especially considering this man was a biochemist experimenting on blood and different medical items to help his daughter. What was the metal doing there?

"Yes sir?" Jungkook asked when Jin grabbed him.

"Please don't hurt my daughter."

"I would never."

"As much as I'm glad to hear that, you know I need to see proof to believe it. It's her life, I won't control who she likes, but I don't want her getting hurt either. I can tell she likes you just from that one glance she gave you earlier."

Jungkook chuckled. "Damn. Super dad."

"Something like that," Jin replied, chuckling with him much to Jungkook's surprise. "I want her to be happy as much as I want her to be safe. I hope you'll give her both."

"Sir, if I can promise you one thing, it'd be that no matter what, I'll make sure she's at least safe. I'm not a great guy, I won't pretend I am, but she's an amazing girl. I'll do everything in my power to make sure it stays that way, and that I don't taint her with how shitty I am."

Jungkook didn't process how much he was swearing in front of the dean, but Jin didn't seem to mind. In fact, he may have even respected it. "Thank you, Mr. Jeon. If you'll excuse me, I do have work I have to get back to, but I wish you luck on your project." He went behind the door, and they said their final goodbyes before he was cut off from seeing Jin's face.

A lot happened today. A lot more than Jungkook predicted. However, Jin was hiding something in that lab. Nothing dangerous, but it was enough to pique Jungkook's terrible curiosity. He bit back the urge to figure out a plan to get inside, and instead, he turned on his heel and walked away. He went back upstairs, going to his group. The group that peeked up upon his arrival.

"How'd it go? What'd you find?" Tae asked, Jungkook patting the air as if he were swatting a fly.

The others came closer, and Jungkook sighed at that. "Guys, get ready," he said, and that resulted in him getting a bunch of head tilts. He did his best to give them reassuring gazes, standing taller than he did before. "I hope you're good at acting. We're going to stage a crime..."