Glow

... in for a ₩

The guys tried to make it seem normal afterwards. Yoongi, Namjoon, and I sat around the desk with the flash cards to practice my Hangul. Seokjin and Hoseok worked on making food, Jungkook deciding he wanted to make sweet treats instead at the other end of the kitchen island. Jimin and Taehyung going over my translated letters from their kid-ARMYs, seeing if they can understand the English translation.

But by what was normally bedtime everyone was awkwardly not moving towards their rooms. I didn't know what to expect, but they seemed to, and whatever it was that wasn't happening made them all the more nervous.

Taehyung kept his tablet on the fridge, the news showing silently as they kept busy. Hoseok put his phone next to Seokjin's while they cooked, both constantly glancing at their phones whenever there was the slightest variation in the background noise. Namjoon and Yoongi had their Weverse app open on the tablet, keeping the screen just bright enough that they'd get any messages immediately. 

It was Jimin's iPad dinging that made look everyone look like meerkats, heads turned to focus on Jimin. Taehyung's face going pale meant that whatever it was, it wasn't good. The iPad dropping from Jimin's fingers to clatter on the floor. Taehyung wrapped himself around Jimin, and I'm note sure if it was to give or get comfort.

Several things happened all at once. Seokjin turned off the stove and covered the pan with a lid. Hoseok put the mixing materials down and quickly moved to Jungkook's side, the two of them clinging to each other. Jungkook's doughy fingers from kneading a sweet dough left debris on Hoseok's shirt, ignored as tears welled up in both their eyes.

Even as the kitchen worked to recognize something was wrong and not make it worse by making a mess, Yoongi closed the app and opened his work email. Namjoon looked over his shoulder to confirm what he was looking at before heading over to Jimin to pick up the iPad and take a read of what he saw. Even as he reread Jimin's iPad his phone in his pocket went off, notifying him of an incoming email, and he pulled it out without even glancing at it.

After he was done with looking at what Jimin received he turned to the phone in his hand, absently putting the iPad down on the couch next to the two soulmates, and sat in the club chair next to them to read.

'Did you get the same thing from the byeonhosa?' Yoongi asked without even looking up.

'Yep.' Namjoon spat out, his jaw ticking from his emotions. 'Fucking lawyers.'

'Agreed.' Yoongi replies.

'I'll get my family's byeonhosa on the phone, then.' Seokjin says calmly, reaching for his phone, walking out to the balcony for a bit of quiet.

'What happened?' Hoseok squeaks. Jungkook swallows his fear and nods his request for more info.

'They are suspending us while they look into if what we did violates the very basic agreements of our contract.' Yoongi says deeply, his brow furrowed.

'Even worse, we're possibly going to be held liable for any action against the company or us that they have to handle on our behalf during our suspension.' Namjoon adds, his anger coloring his voice.

I blink looking at them, then at the four who are emotionally distraught from this.

'Did you expect them to say this?' I ask quietly.

'No! Gods no...' Yoongi tries to not shout in reply. 'We knew they'd reply, and even be upset at us, but we've never been suspended before. Hell, they never even brought the lawyers in before... ever.'

'Pd-nim Bang would always call us directly and yell at us, put us on punishments like extra work or practice, but it was always... personal.' Taehyung choked out, his eyes bouncing amongst the hyung line like he's looking for answers.

'But that was with BigHit. It's now HYBE. Is he still in the lead there? Is he still the big boss?' I ask as quietly as I can.

When I finish asking Namjoon looks at Yoongi and they silently both nod. Hoseok walks over, Jungkook clinging to the back of his shirt, and stands next to Namjoon. 

'Our contract was with BigHit. Does HYBE now have our contract?' He asks hesitantly. Namjoon's sudden violent turn in his seat to stare into Hoseok's eyes at that question makes the poor man jump and shriek in fear and confusion, Jungkook wrapping his arms around his waist and burying his head in his back, shaking in fear.

'That's what our lawyers are going to look into.' Seokjin says as he steps back into the room, closing the glass door to the balcony. 'They agreed to take us on pro-bono for up to a year. The exposure they will get during that time will more than keep them afloat financially. If it drags on over a year they will revisit the rate at which we can expect to pay them.' He says, nodding to Namjoon, who nods back, taking his notebook out of his pocket... then putting it down and getting up to leave the room.

'Hold on, I need a new notebook just for this.' He says firmly, striding out of the room and down the hall to the studios.