A Modest Proposal (Kim Namjoon/ BTS) (#SerendipityAwards)

7. What Are You Doing?

Jungkook’s mouth fell open. “Holy shi-”

“Hey! What did I say about swearing?” Seokjin bellowed, instantly pulling a reign on the curse the maknae was about to spew.

“This is bad, right?” Jimin began nervously. “If the reporter discovers our secret contract with MSL, things will get out of hand.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Yoongi stated, his demeanor surprisingly calm. He ignored the disapproving look Seokjin shot him. “We need to stop him before he leaves.”

Namjoon sighed as he rose. “Then what are we waiting around for? Let’s get to it!”

The boys bounded out of the room, their feet leaping over the tiles in their haste to stop the reporter from leaving with the wrong file. Namjoon ran his eyes down the length of the long corridor, but he couldn’t spot any sign of the elusive man. “He couldn’t have reached the elevator already, could he?” The question hung over them as the leader scrambled for the next course of action.

Looking at it bleakly, they didn’t have too many options. If the reporter boarded the elevator, it would be infinitely difficult to catch hold of him before he discovered the contents of the file. They would have to gallop to get there and Namjoon didn’t know if they could make it in time.

But the leader suddenly straightened as a wild idea struck him. The elevator was situated past the lounge, where the videography team had been instructed to stay until the departure of the reporter. Was it possible to enlist their aid?

“Does anyone, by any chance, have the contact number of the videography team?” he inquired with his usual alacrity that never failed to spur the members into action. But all of them shook their heads, with the exception of Taehyung who held up his phone.

“I have Ji Ah Noona’s number,” he said helpfully, already beginning to dial it. The members looked at him in astonishment and Namjoon raised his eyebrows.

“And exactly why do you have it?” he asked curiously, instantly regretting his inquisitiveness. Taehyung barely noticed as he handed his phone over to the rapper.

“Well, we just happened to exchange numbers when she drove you to the hospital-"

“That’s not important,” Yoongi interrupted Taehyung, his palm wiping the sweat off of where it had pooled in droplets on his forehead. “Is there anything she can do about this?”

“Let’s find out,” Namjoon replied tersely as he waited for Ji Ah to answer, his hand tightly gripping the smartphone.

She did, on the second ring, her voice ringing out cheerfully through the speaker. “Taehyung-ah! What’s up?”

“It’s me, Namjoon,” the leader cut her off before Ji Ah could speak further. “We need your help.”

Ji Ah stared at her phone, beginning to harbour a sneaking suspicion that Taehyung had given her his number on purpose. “Well then, Mr. Kim? Missing me already?”

Namjoon rolled his eyes at her insolence, trying to assuage his rattled nerves. “Look here, I don’t have the time for this. If you peek out the door, you’ll see a man heading your way.”

Ji Ah’s interest sufficiently roused, she moved towards the door, pushing it open gently. Sure enough, a stout man carrying a folder, a burlap slack slung over his shoulder, was walking towards the elevator. “I see him alright.”

“I need you to stall him in any way you can,” Namjoon stressed urgently. “He’s a reporter who has the folder which holds the MSL contract.”

“What?” Ji Ah almost shrieked, startling So Min into spilling juice over her pants. “How the hell did that happen?”

“No time to explain. Can you do it?” Namjoon realized he was almost pleading, but this affected her as much as it affected him. They had to rectify the situation somehow before it was too late.