The Missing Piece

Chapter 12

Jungkook jumped into the car and slammed the door closed. He clambered into the back seat of the minivan where Namjoon was already buckling his seatbelt. Felling confident that the driver wasn't paying any attention, and couldn't see anyway, they tangled their hands together down by their legs.

"Did he say he's meeting us there?" asked Jungkook.

"Yes. They're all coming in for the same time, although I haven't spoken to Yoongi this morning, but I think I told him the time last night."

"Hoseok will remember." Jungkook agreed.

They were all on their way, in their separate groups and cars, to the HYBE complex, where they had requested an emergency meeting with their CEO and immediate management team. After Seokjin, Jimin and Narae had left them all the night before, the remaining five members had debated how they should even begin to explain their situation and also, who needed to know.

They thought about telling managers one by one but reasoned that it would take too long and cause too much separate uproar. Better to have it all done in one go with the top dogs and then see what they wanted to do. From former experience, they all expected the company to take over the situation once it was in their hands.

"Also, I think they're more likely to act responsibly and fairly if there's more people present." Taehyung had pointed out. No one knew exactly what they were worried about, but everyone agreed there was some truth to this statement.

They'd made a short list of people who absolutely had to know, including the obvious management team from their side and one or two other department heads from other areas of the company. Choreography, and probably editing for a start. But they could work this list out with the managers and producers once they were in the know. For now, it was just Bang Sihyuk, Park Jiwon, who'd travelled over specifically for the meeting, and Manager Sejin. A formidable crowd!

"Was he alright when you spoke to him?" Jungkook followed up, wondering how Seokjin was faring after the events of last night.

"He was, he sounded a bit tired, but I think we can put that down to a good night rather than a bad one." Namjoon grinned, letting his hand curl around the skin of Jungkook's waist. They shared a brief look, both remembering their own good night just past.

"He's a bit scared." Namjoon added after a moment. It surprised Jungkook.

Sharing issues was one thing but the older members, and none more so than Namjoon and Seokjin, had always shielded the younger ones from bigger concerns. Interaction with management mainly happened between their leader and their eldest and Jungkook was used to hearing the result and accepting it blindly. So it was strange for Namjoon to let on that either of them were worried. He took it for what it was, a sign that he was Namjoon's partner now, not just his hoobae.

"I'm not sure who the others will bring. Not Narae for definite. Maybe I should have left you at home." Namjoon continued, looking nervously out of the window. It was a short drive in, so they were nearly in their company's neighbourhood.

"No, it's good that Narae's not going. Just in case. But I want to be there with you. I mean, what if they don't believe what we say?" Jungkook added, grinning cheekily at Namjoon.

Namjoon lowered his voice to a whisper. "What will you do to prove it?"

Jungkook silently slid his hand across their legs and wrapped it around the loose crotch of Namjoon's shorts. Namjoon gulped and pulled up his hood, obscuring as much of his reaction from the driver as could be helped. He didn't have the heart to pull Jungkook's hand away.

"Let's just hope they don't ask us to prove it then." Namjoon muttered, trying not to get hard.

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