I didn't expect them home this soon. I probably should have. The minute they heard about my near fainting spell probably upset them to the point they couldn't completely focus on work. Now, I have other things to explain to them, and I haven't remotely prepared myself in how to handle it.
I openly glare at Korain one last time. "Let's get comfortable for this." I walk over to the area with the two oversized couches and have a seat. I don't begin explaining until everyone is seated. Korain stands in a corner observing but I honestly don't care where he plants his feet at the moment. "So, almost fainting isn't the only thing that happened to me today." It's not hard to miss how Jk shifts his eyes back and forth between me and Korain. "When I was leaving a fitting room while I had been shopping I ran into an Army member." I pause for a second. "Literally ran into her. I was coming out of the fitting room door while she was walking toward a vacant stall. Since I was wearing what I am now, you can imagine what kind of conclusions she made."
"Did something bad happen?" Tae hesitantly asked.
"Other than running into her? No. She was perfectly respectable and kind. She tried to ask me for a selfie, but I declined. I explained to her how we were trying to remain under the radar and asked her not to say anything." I pull her business card from my back pocket. "She mentioned something about willingly signing an NDA to protect us. So, I explained to her how I wouldn't be able to handle that, but that the managers would. I asked her for her email and she gave me this." I pass the card over to Namjoon.
"Was there anything else that happened that you aren't telling us, Daisy?" Namjoon is all business, and I respect him for acting that way at this moment. Even if there is a part of me would rather have my soulmate over the leader of BTS right now.
I sigh. "The only other thing that concerns me was her occupation."
He glances at the card and nods. "Korain, is there anything you would like to add?"
"She acted irresponsibly! She should have called out for me the minute it happened!" Yeah, that's what he is torn up about, and I completely disagree with him.
Jimin's eyebrows raise. "She acted irresponsibly?!"
"Doesn't sound like it to me." Yoongi added. His stoic expression firmly in place. His seated posture rigid.
"No, it sounds like she respected her." Tae added.
"It sounds like she acted calmly and rationally to me." Hobi folds his arms over his chest as he backs me up.
Jk grits his teeth. Bunny and I are going to have to have a talk about whatever *this* is. "It sounds like she reacted very responsibly."
Jin calmly states. "I think Daisy did what she could at that moment."
Namjoon takes a different approach. "Korain, what do you think would have happened had she ran away and got you?"
"I'm only suggesting she let me do my job." Korain spoke through gritted teeth.
"Daisy, what did you do after you got out of the fitting room?" Namjoon asks me.
"I immediately told Korain that we might have a problem, but that we shouldn't discuss it in public. I paid for my purchases, we left, and I relayed what happened after we walked in the door."
"When did he start shouting at you?" Jk asks.
"Only after I got angry at him for not trying to understand my point of view and reasoning."
"Korain, have you called Han-bin yet?" Namjoon asks.
"No, not yet."
"Then come with me. We will call Sejin and have him get Han-bin so we can discuss the situation one time and not have to repeat it over and over again."
I sigh and sink further into the cushions of the couch. I glance over at Jk. He looks to still be wound up. I catch a glimpse of my bags that are still by the door. "Jk can you help me carry my purchases to my room please?"
I truly don't need help, but it's the best reasoning I can think of to get him alone for a couple minutes. Once we both walk in I take the bags from him and sit them on the side of the bed furthest from us. Then, I sit on the opposite side. "Sit beside me please."
He dawdles for a moment before reacting to my request. Once he is beside me I grab his hand in my own and look him in the eyes. "Tell me what all that was about." I wait for a minute or two and when he doesn't respond I sigh. "Jk, I can tell you don't like him. I can't see you being the type of person to openly hate someone. So, why exactly do you act with such animosity towards Korain?"
He sighs and kisses the back of my hand. "A couple of years ago, while we were on tour there was this group of girls. Five of them. Each of them were Army. I remember one being my stan and another Jimin's. I know the other three were also stans but I can't recall for certain whose. Korain was only just starting as a member of our security team. He was doing his job by blocking them from us with his body while we were on stage. I don't know how it started. I think one of them might have flirted with him. But they tried to convince Korain to let them backstage. He claimed he would under one condition. That one of them gift him with sexual favors."
My eyes widen. How the hell does he still have a job with Big Hit for something like that?
I know my shock is apparent. Jk grips my hand tighter and quickly continues explaining. "Nothing happened. Not really. One of them got really defensive with him. I even heard her shouting at him over the music. Daisy, there were tears in her eyes. Tears in a few of their eyes actually. Luckily, one of the other security guards, Juwon I think, overheard the commotion and switched spots with him. I think he radioed Han-bin too but I'm not certain."
I ask the question that bothers me the most. "How does he still have a job with Big Hit?"
Jk shrugs for a second. "I know they were considering firing him. They put him through some kind of training program instead. Han-bin explained it was because nothing actually happened, and it was their word against his."
"He claimed it didn't happen?" Was it possible that this whole situation was a misunderstanding?
"I really don't know any more of the details. I didn't ask. But, when I see him, when I think of their tear stained faces. I can't. No, I won't accept that kind of behavior against Army. Not against any female. Not if it's in my power to stop it." Fierce bunny. So much like his BT21 creation. Not surprising in the least either.
"Okay then 'Apanman.'" I roll my eyes good naturedly at him.
He quickly realizes that I'm not mad. That I'm able to understand and accept his reasoning. "Ya! I'm a much better hero than a red bean bread man."
"But isn't it nice to realize that a hero doesn't have to be strong? He just has to be a hero to someone." I smile warmly at him. Then go back to being serious. "You do need to rein in this anger a bit though. I understand your reasoning, but it's not okay to be so angry with one individual." I sense he is going to defend himself so I quickly add. "I'm not saying what Korain did wasn't wrong, but perhaps there is more to the reason he is still with us than you know. Or perhaps the story that you know isn't the same as the truth. Look, I'm not telling you to go search for answers. I'm just telling you to try to work past it if you can."
He sighs but nods. "That is part of the reason I started boxing. To help deal with the anger I feel towards him."
"Part? What's the rest?"
"Because it's fun." He gives me a bunny grin. I roll my eyes and check him with my shoulder.
My stomach growls loudly interrupting the both of us. "I guess it's supper time."
Jk nods and leads me back downstairs to the others.
Jimin greets me with a smile. "We were about to order pizza!"
Yoongi frowns. "It's not going to be what you are used to. I was reading the menu, and double checked it on Naver. Brazilian pizza is pretty different."
I shrug. "I'm up for trying new things. 'When in Rome.'"
Tae frowns in confusion. His adorable eyes and brows even turning with the expression. "We are in Brazil not Italy."
I nearly giggle at his misinterpretation. "It's a saying, an analogy. In this case I was simply overstating that I don't have a problem with something different, even if I do have a preference." I turn back toward Yoongi. "So tell me about this Brazilian pizza."
As it turns out, he is definitely not wrong about it being different. Where I would typically get a hand tossed pizza, or deep dish if I'm in the mood, Brazilian pizza is only offered as an extremely thin crust. Also one of my favorite parts about pizza, the sauce, is either extremely thin or nonexistent. I try not to frown about it. I'm too hungry to be that concerned. I am excited by the fact that the crust is supposed to have a thin layer of cheese in it though.
"Okay, tell me about the pizzas that are on the menu."
We end up ordering ten entree pizzas.
We order one called 'atum.' It has tomato sauce, raw tuna, and onions. Personally, I'm not planning on eating that one. I hate the smell of tuna. Although I have only smelled the kind that comes in a can, so perhaps if it's fresh I might have a differing opinion. Huh, I wonder if atum is Portuguese for tuna. I quickly search it on my phone and feel silly for not considering the possibility earlier.
We order one brócolis. Which Jimin was vehemently against. It has tomato sauce, mozzarella, broccoli, bacon slices, cream cheese, and oregano. I was really excited about that one. I really need to work some green veggies into Jimin's diet.
We order four Calabresa pizzas. They have calabresa sausage (a Brazilian staple), tomato sauce, onions, and oregano.
And two frango com catupiry pizzas. The toppings being shredded chicken, tomato sauce, cream cheese, and oregano.
The last two entree pizzas we order are portuguesa pizzas. The toppings on them are tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, tomato slices, calabrian sausage, ham, onion, bell pepper, boiled eggs, and olives. When we were discussing it they were originally wanting to order four of the portuguesa. I asked if it could be the calabresa instead since I wasn't completely sold on the idea of boiled eggs on pizza.
I also talked the guys into ordering a few dessert pizzas. Two of them were banana com canela. The toppings were sweetened condensed milk, banana slices, and cinnamon powder. The last one was brigadeiro. The toppings were sweetened condensed milk, chocolate powder mixed into the milk, and strawberry slices. Why they had to ruin strawberries like that I had no idea.
I end up glad we ordered four of the calabresa, because out of the entree pizzas it's definitely my favorite. The calabresa not very different from Italian sausage in my opinion.
I did like the brócolis too, which I did manage to get Jimin to try. Although the sneaky mochi took the broccoli off before eating it. Then he tried to claim that he still got some of the vitamins because it touched it. I guess I had some fact checking to do in that regard, but I was pretty damn sure he was completely wrong.
The portuguesa was weird strictly because of the egg like I expected. But if the egg weren't on it I would probably attempt to devour a whole pizza. The mix between the sausage and vegetables was delicious.
I did try a bite of the atum pizza, but I was quick to realize that I plain just don't like raw fish. The texture is just too weird for me to get behind. This provoked a discussion about sashimi which I claimed couldn't be much different, and of course they argued their own point. Needless to say, despite my claim, I will have to try sashimi sometime. Yay me...
The banana com canela was to die for, but I had eaten so much of the others that I could only stomach one slice. I did frown at the brigadeiro though, moping about not being able to eat the strawberries.
After supper was over and the dishes cleaned and put away, Namjoon turned to me. "Daisy, some of the others were saying you wanted to have a discussion with us. Did you want to do that now?"
A part of me is scared to have a group discussion of any kind. I always hated debate and speech class. I skated by with a D in both. The other part of me knew that it would be smart to just get it out there. Over and done with.
"Yeah, I suppose we can do that."