Glow

Summonses

The next day the lawyers Seokjin had hired for BTS needed a face to face meeting. The video call was difficult at best; the talking over each other that is standard in the group not being easy for the computers to send over clearly, thus the decision to make an actual face to face meeting...

The representative of the group needed to be decided next. Each person wanted to go, each feeling their need to be heard, to express their feelings of betrayal by HYBE. At one point they were even throwing notebooks at each other. I quickly ducked the first few and got the heck outta dodge.

A few hours later, I came out to relative quiet and to BTS sitting around the island, the notebooks being parsed and the questions being categorized and strategized. Namjoon is the backup to call if questions are raised at the meeting, but Hoseok won the right to represent them at the meeting.

I'm not quite sure if I got it right, but I get the feeling that his father's job, his ability to focus on details, and his very real leadership aura (especially when teaching dance steps) made him the final winner.

Seokjin seems relieved as he works on the counter near the stove. While making a snack he occasionally smiles and nods with what's being discussed.

Yoongi is frowning as he goes back and forth between three different notebooks, trying to find one that relates to the current thread of questions being organized for the meeting.

Hoseok and Namjoon are both watching the maknae line as they also go through notebooks. At one point Namjoon turns to go back to his room, likely to find another notebook, but Hoseok puts a hand on his arm, and Taehyung shouts he found it as Namjoon turns back to find out what Hoseok wants... effectively stopping his leaving.

Both Jimin and Jungkook are going through a small stack of notebooks, comparing questions they find. When Taehyung asks to look at one of theirs from the other end of the island... Jungkook doesn't even look up, he just chucks it at him. Thankfully Taehyung catches it, one handed, but it's a near thing, with a Hoseok shrieking and ducking, leaning into Namjoon, who just hug-catches him instead of letting him fall.

****

'Ok, I think we have the basics figured out. I go to hear their initial plans, I call Joon if they say something along the lines of follow HYBE's lead, or if I'm not sure what to do, and to hand over the basics of the questions we need answered  whether by them or by HYBE.' Hoseok looks tired, rubbing his red eyes as he blinks at the group surrounding him.

'When is the face to face meeting? What are the protocols?' I ask, curious.

'Hobi's in one room, they are in another, a glass window separating them. There's a speaker system that they just put in, with push button controls. It's basic, but it'll get the job done. There'll be a drawer that goes between the rooms as well, so that documents can be passed through.' Seokjin answers.

'I'll have the passcode texted to me when they're all away from the main areas of the office, with visual cues as to where to go once I am in.' Hoseok adds, grimacing. 'It feels so sterile, but I understand their concern.' Everyone nods in agreement at his statement.

'Which bodyguards are going with you?' I add.

'There's five who have already met their soulmates and are volunteering to take Hobi. About thirty, maybe more now, have either met their soulmate or have had their partner that they were in a relationship with find their soulmate. It was hard for the ones who lost their partner, but I think everyone is happier for the finality that having a soulmate brings.' Yoongi replies.

'I've talked to a couple of the producers from BigHit... err, HYBE.' Jimin adds in. 'The soulmate thing hasn't spread past anyone who was with us on tour, so the office isn't in an uproar over relationship issues, but I think there's been some concern with the other groups getting caught up in this, especially the international musicians.'

'How is everyone over there?' Asks Jungkook.

'It's really tense. No one is speaking out of turn, afraid to muddy the waters further against us.' Jimin replies.

'Yeah, I've heard from Bang-PD-nim. He's trying not to be heavy-handed in how he throws his weight around, knowing if he loses his seat as CEO he can't support us like he's always done. I can't get into who's out for us, it's more complicated than that, but the international concerns are really what is driving this suspension.' Namjoon says, sinking further into his seat in a club chair.

'Is what you're getting from Bang-PD-nim useful to the lawyers?' Yoongi asks.

'Maybe... not right now though. We need to understand what it is we're fighting, and let them know what we are willing to leave for. We need to draw a line in the sand, as it were. The fence-sitting that HYBE is doing isn't helping anyone, them or us, and needs to end quickly.' Namjoon sighs.

'Is there anyone in politics that could put a good word in for us?' Jungkook says softly.

'Nah, that's a bad idea.' Yoongi quickly responds. 'This is an internal matter. I know we've been on the right side of politics because of the progressive party being in control currently, but that could flip at a moment's notice. Hell, we might be the reason they lose influence if we try to have them help. Us being carriers of what the newsies keep calling a health scare could easily put the conservatives in a position of power, and I'm not sure that would be good for anyone.'

We all stared at Yoongi, for a moment, shocked.

'Yah! What he said. Don't try asking someone else to fight our fights for us!' Seokjin  shouts, stunning us all into laughter.