A sleepy Jungkook dozing off on the counter would have been cute in any other circumstances, but as it where, Taehyung couldn't blame his boyfriend for excessive drinking since he'd been unable to reach him earlier to tell him he was on his way. Besides, Namjoon had run into unexpected traffic and by the time the idol walked into the Twirling Dragon bar, Jimin was biding Johnny a good night. "Come on Guk, we have to go home now," he said, getting ready to carry his friend if need be.

"Jungkook? Are you alright?" Taehyung was quick to hook his arms around him, a little concerned by the boy's failure to stand straight.

Jungkook's eyes were still shut, but he'd recognized the man's cologne anywhere. "Tae?" Letting his body tumbled forward, he inhaled the beloved fragrance, nuzzling up to his boyfriend's bare neck. "Missed you."

"Me too," Taehyung confessed, not willing to make excuses for his tardiness, nor bring up anything work-related. "Forgive me for showing up so late."

"Hyung!" Somehow, Jungkook managed to locate Jimin with his eyes half-closed. "You met him as a trainee. You know him as an idol. But tonight, Kim Taehyung is simply my most wonderful and very, very handsome boyfriend!"

Jimin and said boyfriend glanced at each other briefly before turning their attention to Jungkook who obviously had lost all his filters as he rambled on. "Tae! You remember Park Jimin, right? The bestsest hyung-friend ever!"

How could Taehyung forget the man who had been there for Jungkook in his stead? "Thank you." The first words that came out of his mouth where also the only ones he could think of, despite being aware that they fell awfully short against the gratitude he wished to express for having taken such good care of the boy.

Namjoon cleared their throat, and Taehyung snapped out of his considerations to promptly introduce his manager. "Nice to meet you," the man said with a slight bow.

Remembering their last phone conversation, Taehyung could guess why Jimin looked like he wasn't at all pleased to see him. Perhaps now was the time to address the lingering doubts the other might yet have about his commitment.

Jimin, however, did not give him a chance to explain himself. "I don't know how long this has been going on, but if I recall correctly, you were supposed to provide some kind of proof you weren't fooling around because your record isn't exactly tipping the scales in your favour."

"Hyung-ah," Jungkook whined, "be nice, please."

"Bun, how much did you drink?" Taehyung asked, tucking a loose strand behind Jungkook's ear.

"A little. But not so much that I can't tell when someone's being rude."

Taehyung straightened his shoulders and faced Jungkook's guardian of sorts as if he were about to request permission to date him. "I understand your concern, Jimin. I know I have failed him once, but I won't fail him again. You have my word."

Jimin shook his head disapprovingly. "Your word is no-good."

Except Taehyung had nothing more to offer. It was Namjoon who stepped forward. "For what it's worth, Taehyung just put his career on the line in order to come here. I'm not sure what other proof you need to understand that Jungkook means more to him than anything else."

Jungkook's eyes finally opened wide. "What? Tae, what did you do?"

"Nothing you have to worry about, bae. It's my life after all. I should be able to make some decisions for myself, don't you think?"

Neither of them had noticed how the bar has started to crowd all of a sudden. The flash of a photo been taken nearby brought them all back to a rather distressing reality. A throng of mostly young women had gathered outside while some had even managed to get in, waving ID cards to prove their legalness.

"This cannot be happening. Not again!" Jimin was seething, understandably.

Jungkook, aware of the imminent danger, was sobering up by the second. He released Taehyung's arm, believing it was the rational thing to do. After all, if pictures were taken, Taehyung would have a hard time explaining his presence by his side.

Taehyung's heart, however, may have a broken a little at the sight of his boyfriend seeking shelter next to another. "Don't let go of me," he urged, holding his hand out for Jungkook to grab. "You're not facing this alone. Not this time."

Namjoon was doing his best to get the intruders out but how many determined fans could one man fend off by himself?

As unprecedented events called for innovative decisions, it was Johnny who ushered them toward a hidden backdoor leading to a deserted alley. It wouldn't remain vacant for long though, which is why they all stumbled out in a rush. "Take a right at the end, and you'll arrive on the main road where you might grab a taxi."

"My car is in the parking lot," Namjoon reminded him.

"Then make a left, and another left. Just be careful. If things escalate, I'll call 112. There's a precinct nearby. Police should be here in three minutes tops. Now go! And good luck!"

There was barely time to thank the bartender for his kindness and quick thinking.

Fortunately for our runaways, sheep mentality had every passerby on the street focused on the bar's main entrance and not on its remote parking lot. The four of them got in the black sedan and left as quietly as possible.

Jimin, sitting in the front, waited until they had placed enough distance between them and the mob to express his gratitude.

"No need to thank me. It was the least we could do, after putting you in such a tight spot."

"Is it always like this?" Jimin asked, still concerned with Jungkook's safety.

"No. But it's getting a little out of control, what with SNS and instant geopositioning."

"Shouldn't you hire a bodyguard? Or maybe two?"

Namjoon giggled at the cute advice. "I do. For now, that is."

The man was buff, Jimin could tell. But muscles were no match for the likes of sasaengs who were basically idol hunters. The ride remained silent after that. Taehyung and Jungkook held each other's hands until Namjoon finally parked in a quiet street, following Jimin's directions.

Taehyung stepped out of the vehicle to give Jungkook a proper goodbye kiss before facing Jimin. "I'm sorry we had to meet again like this. And I do not expect you to believe me when I promise to do my best to keep Jungkook safe. But the fact is, he's my only priority now."

Taehyung's resolution was welcomed with a shy smile. "If Jungkook trusts you, then I suppose I can show a little faith in you as well."

—

Back in the car, Namjoon broke the silence first. "So, you've made your choice." This was not a question, and Taehyung knew it.

"I didn't need 24 hours. It was actually one of the easiest decisions I've ever made."

Namjoon bit his lips, something he did when he was turning things over in his head. That's when Taehyung was hit with the realization that his resolve may have a direct (and final) consequence on the man's employment.

"Please don't tell me I just put you out of a job."

"Ah. So only now has the thought crossed your mind!" Despite the recrimination, there was nothing reproachful about Namjoon's wide grin. "Don't worry about me," he added to ease Taehyung's budding guilt.

"Do you believe it was selfish of me?"

"Does it matter, what I believe?"

"Hyung, you know I value your opinion."

"Well, since you asked, I actually found it is very brave of you, to stand up for someone."

"It felt like I was more standing up for myself."

Namjoon didn't comment, giving the other some time to come up with the right words to express what was on his mind.

Taehyung finally opened up. "If making it big in the music industry requires that I lose the best thing that's ever happened in my life, then the choice is a no-brainer. Anything I accomplish is meaningless if I don't have Jungkook to share it with."

The manager could only nod. "I can see how good you two are together. It's a shame others cannot — or will not — recognize it."

Despite the strength and comfort those words provided, the dread of what was to come crept within Taehyung's heart. "I'm scared, hyung."

"Understandably."

Perhaps Namjoon had more to say on the matter at hand, but for the time being, he remained focused on the road. It was one of those car rides one wished would never end, because Taehyung was aware that by tomorrow morning, South Korean netizens would be informed of his and Jungkook's whereabouts the previous night. And he wasn't quite ready to confront Bang PD again so soon.

Perhaps the chairman would hold a press conference and make a big deal out of the fact that Kim Taehyung had breached the terms of his contract, which justified Big Hit's decision to cut him loose. Or perhaps Taehyung would hear from a lawyer telling him in fancy legal jargon that he'd face charges for his inability to follow management orders.

Nope. There was no way Taehyung was ever getting out of Namjoon's car, his only safe place for now. Looking out at the city lights brightening the night sky, he tried to breathe like Jungkook had taught him to, in order to calm his nerves down. By the time he noticed they were nowhere near his dorm, the driver had pulled over by the Han river running under Bangpo Bridge.

"Why are we here?"

Namjoon was not known for shifting ground about, so he simply asked, "Taehyung, do you trust me?"

"Of course I do." He'd entrust the man with his life if it came to that.

"Okay. Good. Do you have somewhere you can stay for the night, other than your dorm room?"

Taehyung shook his head. "My parents live halfway across the country."

"You can sleep at mine then. We'll drop by your place so you can gather your stuff."

Taehyung was more than relieved because it sounded like Namjoon actually had a plan. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me yet. I must make a few calls first and hopefully, obtain some answers."

"What answers?"

"Some things don't quite add up. But don't worry about it right now. We must get your backup plan ready."

"I have a backup plan?"

"Not yet. But I'm working on it. And for that, I require your permission to share the Sweet night track that was removed from your album."

"Sure, of course. Do you need it now?"

"Do you have it on hand?"

"I have the song on my phone. I wanted Jungkook to be the first one to hear it."

"Great. Get ready to play it."

Namjoon dialled a number which rang three times before someone picked up. "I hope you have a good reason to call at this hour, Joonie," a sleepy voice complained.

"Hyung, I have the best reason."

"I doubt it, but lay it on me."

"Listen to this."

—

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