CHAPTER 40

"Bang PD's on a meeting right now," the secretary explains, "he has a thirty minute break before a reunion. You can use this free time if you please, I'll let him know you're here.""Thanks, Eunji." Namjoon bows.He goes to the cafeteria and makes himself the first cup of coffee. He left in a rush this morning and if it hadn't been for Yoongi he would've forgotten to put on his shoes."Long time no see." a female voice says behind him.Dora.Namjoon clenches his jaw, the last person he needed to see today. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to relax all the muscles in his face. He has to keep it cool."Good morning." he politely greets, not waisting his energy to turn his head towards her.Dora giggles and takes his words as an invitation to sit with him. She sits on the armchair next to Namjoon's. "Dummy, it's almost noon—oh, sorry. I shouldn't speak so comfortable to you, what we had ended years ago and it's been a while since the last time we talked, hasn't it?"Namjoon takes another sip, trying to avoid any kind of small conversation with her—if she gives him another reason to hate her, he kills her."Why are you not in the office?""I need to do something important." he replies coldly."Oh, I see." she takes a noisy sip, raising her little finger the way she did years ago.Namjoon wishes Bang PD's meeting could finish earlier so he could have an excuse to run away."How's Seokjin doing?" Dora blurs out a few minutes later.Namjoon lowers his cup and glares at her, his dragon eyes studying her for a few seconds. As if you cared. "I think I made myself clear the last time we talk. What I've with Seokjin is just business, we belong to the same team.""That's it?""Dora," Namjoon pronounces her name reluctantly. "Stop it. Let him alone, why do you care so much? What do you want now?" Is she completely sure she had the crush on me instead of him?Dora blinks, the corners of her lips curled upwards. "You know what I want, Namjoon. But," she clears her throat with a pitched sound, which makes Namjoon bite his tongue. "Why do you care if I ask? I thought all you had was business."Namjoon massages his temple with his free hand. "Look, if you want to know something about Seokjin go and ask him. Or you could just let him alone. It's been almost seven years since you both ended your university years, shouldn't you move on?""Like, what you had with Seokjin," she shakes her head with her eyes closed, ignoring what Namjoon said, "would have never worked. You didn't belong to each other, you'll never belong to each other. Oh, Namjoon, you and Seokjin are still so different. It doesn't matter he has gotten himself involved in our kind of business, Seokjin wasn't made for this world and you knew it, Namjoon. Actually," she giggles, "he can quit, don't you think? Like, I don't want to be the one who says it but he's not that good at his job. You see, I found out when I worked with him in the Hawaii case."Namjoon tightens his hand around the cup, wishing he could cut off his ears to stop listening to her nonsense and irritable pitchy voice. That's it, for a moment he swears he's going to kill her. It takes him all of his self-control to keep his facial expression as neutral as possible. I can't risk it. Jin already went through so much because of her, I can't let the story repeat again.Dora puts a lock of her black hair behind her ear when Namjoon stays silent, staring at the wall in front of him.He takes another sip."Is he still single?"Namjoon clenches his jaw. "Don't cross the line, Dora. Even if what I had with Seokjin didn't work, you know we'll never forgive you. For your safety, I hope this is the last time you talk to me—this time I actually mean it. If you talk to me again or mess around with Seokjin I'm going to kill you."Namjoon places the empty cup on the coffee table and leaves.* * *"Namjoonie! Namjoonie! Namjoonie! How did it go?" Taehyung runs to him like a kid when his boyfriend steps a foot inside.Namjoon takes off his jacket with a smile, his frustrations slipping away—Dora and Bang PD have been able to burn all his energies in their own way in less than two hours."Hey there, bubs." Namjoon kisses his forehead and then his lips. "Where are the others?" he holds his hand and walks him to the living room."Yoonie with Hobi, Jimin trying something new up in his room but he said not to call the firefighters lest the smoke turns black, and Seokjin is in his room playing games."Namjoon chuckles, but hoping in the inside Jimin won't destroy their home. "What about Jungkook?""Playing games with Seokjin." he mutters reluctantly. "Can we pretend he doesn't exist?"Namjoon shakes his head, his dimples displayed. He kisses Taehyung's cheeks. "How is Hoba feeling?"Taehyung pouts. "He threw up his breakfast, but now's sleeping. Seokjin will prepare his bath in the evening."Namjoon caresses his chin. "Perhaps we should call the doctor.""Seokjin said he'll do it if Hobi doesn't improve in a few days.""Did Hobi say anything?""He barely talks. He has been sleeping a lot."Namjoon hums and pats the back of Taehyung's head. "I'm gonna see him.""Wait!" Taehyung holds his wrist tightly and Namjoon looks at him with a slight frown. "Um, can I ask you something? You need to tell me the truth and only the truth."Namjoon takes a seat next to Taehyung on the white sofa. "I'm all ears bubs.""Um, so what kind of friendship have Tiger and Jungkook?"Namjoon raises his eyebrows, his lips slightly parted. "Tiger and Jungkook? They like each other.""THEY WHAT?! HOW CAN YOU TELL ME THIS WITHOUT A WARNING?!" he gasps, the veins in his neck swollen."They're friends, of course they like each other. As far as I know Tiger dislikes us all, I'm glad he can rely on Jungkook when he appears. Don't you like that? Jungkook's the first person Tiger doesn't run away from, you should be happy Tae.""Tiger has someone to rely on?" he mutters to himself. "Well. . . maybe. . . that's. . . good? But why him? Why? Why him? Why he has to pick the person I hate most?"Namjoon blinks and takes his time to answer. "I thought you two were on good terms after the talk. What happened?""He made himself clear about something, but I don't know, I still hate him.""Why don't you try to give him a real opportunity? Once you told me you and Tiger are the same, remember?""That's supposed to be a secret I hope you didn't tell the others.""I didn't. What I mean," he makes a pause, "if Jungkook and Tiger can be friends, why you and he can't? A part of you likes him. Tiger does.""Then Tiger's stupid."Namjoon pats Taehyung's head. "Just give him an opportunity, alright? I'm going to see Hobi, do you want to come?"Taehyung prefers to stay in the kitchen eating his cookies, not in the mood to bump into Jungkook in the hallway.Namjoon observes Yoongi playing with Hoseok's hair for a minute and softly knocks on the open door."You're here," Yoongi says gently to not wake up his boyfriend, "how did it go?"Namjoon rolls his eyes with a sight. "It went, but all the paperwork is done.""Good."Namjoon leans forward and kisses Hoseok's forehead, just a light but long touch to not wake him up."Did Seokjin call you?""Huh?" Namjoon grabs his phone from his jeans pocket and unlocks the screen. "No, was he supposed to?"Yoongi shrugs and raises his head to peck his lips. "Must have been an excuse."* * *"No. No. No. No. No. I am not going with him. Absolutely not. Look at what happened last time.""Why do you talk as if I've said yes? Besides, what happened last time was Tiger saving both of our lives, so don't put the blame on me hon." Jungkook scoffs and shakes his head, looking at the opposite side."Lower your voice," Seokjin scolds them, "Hobi needs silence.""I'm okay." Hoseok answers with a raspy voice. "Their fights have become part of my daily routine, it would be weird if it didn't happen.""To all of us at this point." Yoongi plays with Hoseok's hair, seated on the stool next to him.Taehyung gasps, his arms crossed. "It's not funny. Am I the only one who doesn't like him in this house? Why no one understands me?""Because you make no sense."Taehyung raises a fist pretending he's about to punch Jungkook, but it only makes him laugh.The younger stands up and gets close to him, his forehead's almost touching. "Try to hit me and you'll wish you were dead before I crush your bones against the floor.""J - just stay away from me." Taehyung's heart skips a bit and slightly pushes Jungkook away.Yoongi leans forward on the island kitchen to have a better look. He doesn't believe Jungkook will actually punch him, but Taehyung's his boyfriend and Yoongi won't care how many stories Jungkook can tell him he's going to make him wish he wasn't born."Alright, see?" Namjoon claps his hands together. "That's why you need to spend time together. Going on a mission consists in helping one another, taking care of one another, create a special bond with one another -""Tiger will appear as soon as Taehyung sees Mimi's face - wait let's do it I want to see Tiger.""Tiger won't take over just by that woman's face. I can face her myself."Jungkook clicks his tongue. "Hah, that's how you reacted last time. Even with Bang PD. You know what, Tiger should officially join the Bangtan Boys, he does an amazing job on keeping us alive.""He already belongs to it because I belong to it." Taehyung growls. "You know nothing.""Whatever bubs," he says mocking Namjoon's nickname, "let's get this over with. The sooner we start the sooner we'll end."They won't find her, Hoseok thinks as he chews on his food.So far, lunch has felt better than breakfast. At least the food doesn't make all its way up when he lays on his bed, Yoongi's body providing him enough warmth and tranquility to fall asleep until he has to wake up again to take his promised bath.