CHAPTER 4

The next day, Taehyung came to JinHit quite early. He couldn’t sleep last night as usual, so he thought he could go for a jog and then get dressed for the day.

He entered his office, and saw Jungkook standing in front of his desk, reading a newspaper. “You don’t have to come this early”, Taehyung said, as he walked past Jungkook to his chair. “I think you should see this” Taehyung looked up and took the paper from Jungkook.

The headline read: CEO feeds a man!

Taehyung immediately stood up. “What is this?!” Below the headline was a picture of Jin feeding Namjoon, but Namjoon’s face was blurred out. “Apparently, someone took their photo last night at Sunshine”, Jungkook said. Taehyung immediately rushed out of his office. “Sir!”

Taehyung went up the hallway to Jin’s office and slammed the door open to see Jin’s head in his hands. “Jin hyung...” Jin looked up as Taehyung walked towards him. “Who even follows us? Sunshine is a restaurant where many celebs come. How could a reporter get in?”, he said. Taehyung put a hand on his shoulder. They heard rushed footsteps. Jimin entered the office, almost slipping. “Hyung, are you alright?!” Jin shook his head. “Joon didn’t even call...”

“He must be busy. At least the reporter had the decency to blur out his face”, Jimin said. Jin put his face in his hands. “The company phone hasn’t stopped ringing...I don’t want him to leave me” Taehyung rubbed Jin’s back. “He won’t leave you over a small matter” Jin nodded. “The reporters will be here soon, and we have no proof whatsoever to deem the photo false”

“We can always testify for you...”, Jimin began.

Taehyung sighed. “We can, but we’ve already discussed that we shouldn’t speak in our CEO’s favour because the public might think that he gives us more projects as we’re his friends. And moreover, we were there at the restaurant. The reporters will probably say something like ‘you’re his friend so you’ll naturally defend him’”, he said.

“Mind if I give a suggestion?”

The three turned their heads to see Jungkook standing in the doorway. He walked towards them. “I know it’s been only a day since I started working, but you can trust me” The three looked at each other, silently debating. “I’ll take that as a yes. So...you remember that Yoongi hyung and I were also there, sitting right next to you”, Jungkook said.

Jimin nodded. “Yeah, we saw you both. But how will that help?”

“Yoongi hyung will make up something that’ll prove that Mr. Kim-"

“Call me Jin”

“-Jin hyung Sir was feeding his friend as some sort of a game. Like it wasn’t serious”

Taehyung nodded slowly, looking at Jungkook. He seemed sincere. “I think that’ll work. If someone else who’s not our friend gives a statement, the public might think of it as nothing” Jin nodded, agreeing. “I’ll call him to post something right away”, Jungkook said, turning and taking out his phone.

“Hello?”, answered Yoongi.

“Hyung, did you read the headline?”

“Who hasn’t? Why did you call though?”

“Because of that”

Jungkook quickly explained what Yoongi had to do. “Yes, absolutely. I’ll be glad to help” Jungkook sighed, relieved. “Thanks, hyung. Post right now”

Jungkook ended the call, and turned towards the three. “He’s gonna post right now” A minute later, their phones beeped. Yoongi had posted a small video on social media, tagging Jin. He said in the video, “ *laughs* you completed the dare, Jin hyung. Good for you, otherwise the punishment was gonna be fun. Let’s hang out next time too”

“That’s perfect”, Jimin said, looking at Taehyung. Jin nodded. “Thank you so much, Jungkook. How can I thank you?” Jungkook smiled, glancing at Taehyung. “Well, don’t fire me. I really need the money” Jin sighed, smiling. “We won’t”

Just then, Jin’s secretary knocked on the door. “The reporters want a statement, Sir”

He stood up at adjusted his suit. “Let’s meet them, shall we?”

...………...

As Jin came out of JinHit, the swarm of reporters who were already waiting outside now ran to circle around him. The security came in between, keeping a distance between them and Jin.

“Min Yoongi posted a video online, tagging you. What dare did he give you?”, one reporter asked.

“Did the dare had anything to do with the photo of you and that man?”, another asked.

“Yoongi gave me a dare of feeding any person in the room. Since that man was my friend, I decided it was better to feed him than a stranger. Yes, somebody took a photo of that. It was an invasion of privacy”, Jin said, as the cameras clicked and the reporters noted his every word.

“Will you find that reporter and sue him?”

“I’ve no such plans right now”, Jin said.

“But why did you choose a man? Is this an indirect hint about your identity or something?”

Before Jin could answer, Yoongi answered for him.

“Is this relevant? I decided to play with my friend and tease him a little. How dare you question his identity?”, he said. Half the reporters now crowded around Yoongi, the security struggling to maintain the distance.

“Are you friends with Jin?”

Yoongi nodded. “I am. In fact, I’m also friends with Taehyung and Jimin”

The reporters noted that. Before they could ask anything else, Yoongi said, “Thank you for your time, we must go now”

The reporters shouted questions at Yoongi and Jin, who went back inside to JinHit.

“Why-How did you come?”, Jin asked. They were in Jin’s office. Yoongi smiled at Jungkook. “He said he might need me. So I came” Jungkook grinned. Taehyung couldn’t help but wonder how can somebody meet such a big rapper. Unless he was a childhood friend or relative.

Jin smiled, shaking Yoongi’s hand. “Thank you so much” Yoongi smiled. “I didn’t come forward myself. The credit goes to Jungkook for the idea” Jimin patted Jungkook on the back.

Just then, Jin’s phone rang. He hurried to pick it up. “Hello?”

“Hey, Jin”

“Joonie. Why didn’t you call?”, Jin said.

“I-I thought your career might be over because of me. You know some of the public still doesn’t accept gay people like us”, Namjoon said.

Jin smiled. “Just don’t leave me...and everything will be fine”

“Silly. Why would I leave you? Don’t think such things”

Jin ended the call, saying they would meet up at the restaurant. That gave Taehyung an idea.

“Let’s have dinner tonight at Sunshine. No feeding men tonight. Or woman”, he said.

Everyone laughed.

...………...

The rest of the day was carried out as usual.

Jungkook and Taehyung were in the car, going back to JinHit in the evening after shooting at the park for a scene. Taehyung had to pick up a few things from his office, then they both would go straight to Sunshine.

“Jungkook?”

“Yes, sir?”, Jungkook asked. He was sitting beside him in the back seat.

“How do you know Yoongi? He’s a big rapper. No offence”, Taehyung said.

“None taken. When I came to Seoul, I was in a bar, drunk. I didn’t know Yoongi was there too. He saw some men hovering over me and saved me. I didn’t know what they were going to do with me. Yoongi hyung took me to his house as he didn’t know my address. I didn’t have a home, honestly. I had left my parents behind in Busan. That night, I spilled my secrets to hyung while being drunk. The next day, he gave me the house keys and told me to stay here till I find a job.”

“Now you have a job. Are you moving out?”

“Um, he hasn’t said anything yet. And I haven’t mentioned it either. I guess we both want each other’s company”, Jungkook said.

“How long have you been staying with him?”

“3 months, I guess”

Taehyung scoffed. “Wow, you couldn’t get a job in 3 months”

“It’s not my fault. Nobody wanted to hire an engineer”, Jungkook said.

Taehyung was surprised. “You’re an engineer?”

“Yes I had done my graduation from an engineering college”

“How the hell did you even end up here? You should be working for some big tech firm”, Taehyung said.

“It’s not that easy. High paid positions require experience”, Jungkook said.

Taehyung nodded. He hesitated before uttering the next words. He seldom said it to strangers, except his best friends.

“Thank you...for your and Yoongi’s help. You’ve somewhat earned my trust”