"C'mere, Toaster!" Jimin cooed, patting his hands on his laps. "Come to J-Jimin!"

The kitten skipped over and sniffed at Jimin's hands. Jimin was doing his best to stay still and not startle the poor thing while Hobi looked on, excited.

"I can't believe she named him Toaster though," Hobi said, laughing as the kitten's pale pink tongue darted out to caress Jimin's palm for a second before she skittered off under the bed.

"She said it was a tribute to all of the toasters that Namjoon broke," Yoongi said dryly. "To honor the memory of our fated kitchen appliances."

"I don't think she'll answer to Toaster though," Hobi said before narrowing his eyes mischievously. "Serendipity, come here!"

The kitten stared at him.

"C-Calico!" Jimin tried, but the kitten wouldn't move.

"All right now, Gerald, come say hi to me," Yoongi commanded with no luck.

"...Toaster?" Hobi asked questioningly, and the kitten bounded right over. Hobi just shrugged, his eyes wide before he sighed in resignation, chuckling under his breath. "Toaster it is."

***

"Can we come to your practice, hyung?" Jungkook asked, Tae elbowing his, but Jungkook just elbowed back, maintaining eye contact with Jin. "Please?"

Jin blinked. "You want to...watch my practice?"

Jungkook nodded before turning to Tae and giving him a look, pinching his arm.

Tae yelped and smacked Jungkook's hand before turning back to Jin. "Well, um, yeah. We were just thinking that it's unfair of us to be mad at you for not spending more time with us when we haven't really been invested in your life either. So we wanted to watch you guys practice today. And then maybe-"

Tae got caught off by an elbow underneath his rib cage, and he and Jungkook exchanged glares and silent communication for a few tense moments before Tae looked back at Jin, huffing.

"And then what?" Jin asked, but Jungkook shook his head, a hand on Tae's arm to prevent him from...whatever it was that Tae had wanted to do.

"And then nothing," Jungkook said. "We just want to see our hyung practicing hard."

Jin frowned, confused, but let the frown fall off his face, replaced by a confused smile as he nodded. "All right? I have to go and change but we'll be out on the football in twenty minutes to start practice."

Jungkook grinned, throwing Jin a thumbs up before dragging Tae away.

Jin tilted his head. What's gotten into them?

***

Namjoon stood across from the high school principal. To his left sat the principal from the lower school, a man Namjoon both respected and appreciated very much for working to understand Yoongi rather than merely punish him. They were friends of sorts, or perhaps mutual troops defending against the being known as Kim Yoongi. He nodded toward Namjoon.

The principal on the other side of the desk, Mr. Mok? Namjoon wasn't a huge fan.

"I'm back for our monthly meeting," Namjoon announced with a sigh as he sat down. "What's our conversation piece for today?"

The principal on the other side of the desk tilted his head back and forth as though debating what to say and how to say it.

The principal on Namjoon's left leaned slightly forward in his seat, his eyebrows a bit raised. "How has Yoongi been? I know he's had a few rough patches lately."

Mr. Mok sighed at the mention of Namjoon's second-eldest son as though speaking his name might physically conjure him up, him and a dozen problems in his wake. "You call them rough patches, I call them punching another student without provocation. I understand that the biggest problems you had in your school were whether or not the class goldfish died of natural causes or homicide, but there are bigger fish to fry here, and blatant violence is not taken lightly, neither by myself nor the other student's parents." He looked over at Namjoon with a sigh. "And no, before you ask, pun not intended."

Namjoon let out the small breath he'd been holding in. "But that issue was already dealt with, right? I only found out about the whole thing when Hobi - Hoseok, one of my younger sons-"

Mok gave Namjoon a look that made Namjoon think that the principal already knew of him, and for for a good reason.

"-was in the hospital."

The lower principal frowned sympathetically. "Is your son all right?"

Namjoon nodded before scratching his head. "I can't really monitor his health much, but he hasn't been hospitalized since, so he must be eating again. But about the punching incident-" He looked back over at Mok. "-I was never formally notified about that, so I assumed that it was all taken care of. Unless...unless you're sending that sort of information to my ex-wife, but I'm the one who-"

Mok sighed. "She has custody, Namjoon. I understand that you're very invested in your children's well-being, but she has the legal right as their guardian to also take part in raising them. I understand your side of the issue, Namjoon, but we have this argument every time you come in here, and-" He paused, exhaling as he took off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose before sliding his glasses back on and looking back at Namjoon. "Yoongi isn't even the issue today, all right? I managed to resolve his last fight with a bit of diplomacy. The parents weren't too happy, but I explained to them in private that Yoongi was a teenager growing up in a broken home and was struggling to handle his behavior as a result of living with different parents-"

Namjoon frowned, crossing his arms. "That makes it sound worse like it is, like they're supposed to pity Yoongi. That's not-"

Mok sighed again. "Look, Namjoon, you can't have it both ways. The cleanest way to resolve the situation was to blame Yoongi's home life for his actions, to make it sound like his family situation was making him unstable, which isn't really that far from the truth, Namjoon. And I understand that you don't want any thinking of your children as vulnerable, but the hard truth is that they're going through a really tough time of their lives right now, and being split between two families makes it a lot harder. I'm not trying to blame anyone. Sometimes, that's just how it turns out. I get that. Your family isn't the only one going through something like this, just the largest one in this school. But the short story is that I informed the parents a little bit about Yoongi's home life so that he didn't have to deal with allegations or harsh repercussions. All right?"

The principal on Namjoon's left looked over at Namjoon with a half-smile. "We all know that Yoongi's a good kid, Namjoon. Nobody here is doubting that."

Mok sighed again, seemingly his only response to dealing with the Kim family. He blamed more than one gray hair on his head on them. "But like I said, this isn't about Yoongi."

"Jin?" Namjoon asked, worried. "Is this about the scholarship? Jin was really anxious about it. But they haven't decided who the recipient is yet, right?"

Mok shook his head. "They haven't, but this isn't about Jin either."

"Hobi?"

Another shake of the head. "He's been fine in school, although he sometimes engages in antics along with Yoongi."

"What sort of antics?" Namjoon asked, tilting his head.

"Teenage boy stuff. Writing on the bathroom stalls, sticking gum on someone's seat, stuff like that. They're co-conspirators, but Yoongi is the leader for sure."

The younger principal sighed, wanting to defend Yoongi's motivation, but he couldn't actually defend the actions themselves.

"I think Hobi idolizes his older brother quite a lot," Mok admitted, tapping his index fingers together thoughtfully. "But it's still vandalism and harassment. That said, we can never actually prove it's Yoongi, so most of those files remain unresolved, but we all unofficially know that your son - sons - are behind them. But, like I said, that's not my concern today. It's about the triplets."

Namjoon blinked. "The triplets? All three of them? They're not vandalizing the bathrooms too, are they?" he joked, chuckling because of course his three little angels would never ever-

Right?

"No, nothing of the sort," Mok said with a weathered smile. "But I wanted to discuss their future at this school with you."

Namjoon shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable in a chair that forbid the mere notion of comfort. "I'm sorry, their future? What does that mean?"

"Well, they're currently freshmen, so they have three more years here, and a few adjustments should be made."

"What sort of adjustments?" the other principal spoke up, wanting to remain involved in the conversation.

"Well, for various reasons, the registrar and the staff here have tried to keep them together in at least several classes for their comfort here, and that's been fine so far since all freshmen have to take the same basic required courses, but your sons are going to get to choose their electives pretty soon, and I don't think it would be beneficial to force them all into the same classes when they're likely to have differing interests."

Namjoon frowned but nodded slowly. He understood Mok's point; if Taehyung wanted to take an automotives course and and Jungkook wanted to study history and Jimin wanted to learn basic computer programming, why should they all be forced to pick the same class and leave two of them unsatisfied, sitting in a class full of information they didn't want to learn? "So they'll stop having classes together?"

"It won't be all at once," Mok said by way of confirmation. "There are still some general graduation requirements that they each have to meet, but as they complete more years here, they are awarded more elective credit, so over time, they will have less and less class together."

Namjoon sighed. He didn't like the thought of the triplets separating more than they already were but what other choice did he have? "I understand...I just wish there were a way to keep them all together, for at least one class every year."

"Well, that's the second part of what I wanted to discuss," Mok acknowledged with a nod. "There is one class that they could all share every year."

"Which class?" the younger principal said, leaning forward once more.

"Gym."

"No," Namjoon immediately said, shaking his head and leaning back as far as he could in his seat as though to put physical distance between himself and Mok. "No, that can't happen."

The corners of Mok's mouth tightened and turned downward as though he'd been expecting Namjoon's response but was disappointed with it nonetheless as the principal to Namjoon's left turned to look at Namjoon, curiosity in his eyes.

"Namjoon? What's wrong with them having gym together?"

"Because," Namjoon said tersely, looking at Mok across the desk with narrowed eyes. "Jimin isn't in gym. And he's not going to be in gym."

"But he would have both of his brothers in his class," Mok said calmly. "I really think it would be for the best. I understand your reasoning for having him withdrawn both in high school and in his previous school, but I think he's had enough time to adjust to public school, and it's an important class to focus on maintaining health and body fitness."

"I understand that," Namjoon said through gritted teeth, "but those classes are full of wolves ready to prey on anyone who's weaker than them or different than them or-"

"Every class has its wolves," Mok interrupted, his eyes serious. "But it's not just the school system, it's the whole world. And while I understand that you believe your primary goal as Jimin's guardian is to protect him, I believe it's equally important as a parent to make sure you're raising your child by equipping him to handle his own future. That entails teaching him self-sufficiency as well as exposing him to negative elements to make him stronger and better prepared to handle adversity in the future."

Mok paused to continue on in a gentler tone. "You can't raise Jimin in a bubble and expect him to live in it his whole life, nor can you raise him in a bubble and then pop it when he turns 18 with no warning. He needs to learn so much in the next few years of his life while he's here: how to absorb new information and how to study, yes, but also how to create interpersonal relationships and how to communicate - whether positively or negatively - with others."

Mok leaned back in his chair but left his hands folded on the desk. "All of yours sons are trying to figure out all of those elements right now, even Yoongi when he punched that one boy. He was trying to resolve a conflict, but he needs to learn how to better communicate before he's released into the world as an adult. That's why we have punishments for those actions, so that he will realize that he needs to find a better way to resolve conflict. But I also do my best to use leniency because I also understand that this is all a learning experience for kids. High school is a big game of trial and error, whether it's relationships or problems or new experiences. These kids are young. They haven't had all the years that we have, all the memories - good and bad - that have shaped us into who we are. They need time to create those memories for themselves, and to learn from them."

He stopped to inhale before leaning back in toward Namjoon. "That's why I think Jimin needs to be enrolled in a gym class. I understand his problems in the past, but problems that aren't confronted and successfully resolved become triggers and traumatic memories in the future. The best way to handle his past problems in gym is to create better experiences to replace the bad ones. Otherwise, he may avoid physical activity or group cooperation his whole life."

Mok took in Namjoon's silence as pondering, and he got to his feet, waiting for the two others to accept his cue and rise as well, which they did. "This isn't a court order, Namjoon, but I would appreciate it if you thought about what I've recommended and discuss it with your children before rejecting a possible course of action."

Namjoon nodded, his eyes down, before he turned and left Mok's office, Yoongi's past principal following him out before shutting the door.

"What happened in Jimin's old gym class?" the principal asked Namjoon curiously, and Namjoon sighed.

"That was the first year Jimin came back to school, and the kids were just merciless towards him. Always teasing him for this and that. Maybe it started out as just for fun, but it didn't stop and it just got worse. And in gym class..." Namjoon sighed, massaging his forehead. "They had to start changing in the locker rooms, and the boys started making fun of Jimin for how his body looked. Partially because he's a smaller boy, but mainly because he was extremely pale since he was kept inside that house for five years and only went out once or twice. They started using derogatory terms and cruel nicknames that made him terrified to just change shirts in front of the other boys. That's around when Jimin's stutter kicked in, and they mocked him mercilessly for that, too."

Namjoon exhaled sharply, frustrated with how cruel boys could be. "This was before he made any really close friends in school. I mean, Jungkook and Tae were in most of his classes, but when they were gone, there was nothing stopping kids from being mean to Jimin. Then their mom got custody, and I didn't want to take the chance that they might end up at a different school or that Jimin wouldn't be in the same classes as his brothers, so I just pulled him out of gym. And I know it didn't fix all of his problems, but...he's a very vulnerable kid, and this is a vulnerable part of his life, and the locker room can be a very vulnerable place. I just...I just didn't want him to have to deal with that every day."

The principal nodded. "There's another boy whose father pulled him out of gym for similar reasons. I think he's friends with some of your sons? His younger brother is in Jimin's grade, if I'm not mistaken. Lee Minhyuk's son, Jooheon?"

Namjoon nodded. "Yes, I know Jooheon. He used to be good friends with Jin, but then...I'm not sure. But he's pretty close with Jimin and some of the others, I think, or at least I see them together every now and then."

The principal nodded. "Maybe there's friends because they have that in common. But either way, I think you should think about what Principal Mok said. Maybe it would be better for Jimin to get back in gym. Maybe he'll have a better experience this time. And he'll have his brothers there with him to make sure no one picks on him. It might even help him regain some of his self-confidence. And if that bullying was the cause of his stutter, then maybe it would help alleviate that."

Namjoon sighed, pinching the base of his skull between his thumb and index finger. "Being a parent is hard."

The principal smiled sympathetically. "Being a good parent is even harder."

Namjoon chuckled. "You're not wrong. Thanks for meeting us, Eric."

Eric smiled at Namjoon. "I like keeping up with the kids. I didn't know all of them very well because they weren't all constantly being called down to my office, but from what I know, they're good kids. And I still like to hear how Yoongi is doing, of course. He's a smart kid, Namjoon. Just sometimes he doesn't use his head."

"Sometimes," Namjoon echoed quizzically before laughing with Eric.

"Shoot," Eric said, checking his watching. "My lunch hour is almost up. I have to drive back down to the lower school, so I'd better getting going. It was nice seeing you, Namjoon. Best of luck with your kids!"

"Thank you, Principal Nam," Namjoon said with a smile, waving as the principal jogged out of the building to his car, huffing slightly.

Namjoon knew that he'd only really appreciated Mr. Nam's concern for his kids before today, but he was starting to realize that maybe Mr. Mok deserved a bit more appreciation as well.