Chapter 34 - House of Cards

Chapter 34 - House of Cards

Jimin and Jungkook held hands and sat down next to each other on the couch in Namjoon's apartment. Namjoon sat on a rolling stool and pulled up close to them.

"Have either of you looked at your phones or watched anything on the news?"

"No, we wanted to be alone undisturbed, so we turned off our phones for the entire time." Jungkook explained.

"It's your honeymoon, we understand. We didn't want to bother you guys either." Namjoon said now looking at Jimin. "Guys, we're in crisis mode. We've got a situation on our hands worse than anything we have ever dealt with in the past. Things are bad."

"Just tell us what it is please." Jimin squeezed Jungkook's hand.

"Where do I even fucking start?" Namjoon looked down rubbing his temples, "The news of your relationship has been leaked to the public, specifically ARMY. Even the marriage is now open record."

"What, how did this happen?" Jungkook looked at Namjoon, praying that he would reveal this as some sick joke. The two of them always knew that the news of their relationship would come out, but they had vehement hope that they would control the timing and content of the message.

Namjoon continued to speak without answering Jungkook's question, "It gets worse. Hobi was outed as gay as well. And Tae's relationship with KJ was also mentioned. Yoongi's relationship with Huwana was also exposed. Every secret we held dear as a group has now been put out there by a credible witness."

"WHO?" Jimin and Jungkook said in tandem.

Namjoon looked away. He really didn't want to see their faces when he answered the question. But he corralled his courage and turned back towards them to face them man to man. "Jae." Namjoon paused to let them absorb his words.

"He went on television and gave an exclusive "insider" interview. He also claims to be writing a book where he will tell everything that happened while he worked for OT7. Yoongi can stop the book. Jae will end up in jail and the book will get an Injunction. But the interview as for the interview, there was nothing we could do. If we had tried to stop it, we would have had to admit that we paid him off. He did sign a non-disclosure, so ultimately, we will get him. But a lot of damage was done.

"He went on television the morning after your wedding to do the interview. It was the same day he was released from the hospital so his jaw was wired shut and his eyes were still slightly swollen from the beating Jungkook gave him. He was a pretty sympathetic figure.

Anyway, he told everything. He started by telling everyone that you two are married and had been secretly dating for years in a gay relationship. He also outted Hoseok as being gay. How he knew some of this, I'll never know. He spilled the beans about Yoongi and Huwana.

He said that the only reason Jungkook didn't get prosecuted for breaking his jaw was because Yoongi is fucking the DA. Which is technically true, so we can't really go after him for that. But as you can imagine, Huwana is facing some real heat. A lot of questions are being asked.

Thank goodness, he didn't know KJ's name or else she would have been dragged into this as well. But he did know that she and Tae were seeing each other because apparently, he was there that night when they exchanged numbers in the club. So now everyone knows that Tae is dating as well.

So, we have about five epic scandals on our hands. It's a nightmare. And when we add the fact that he outted me as the person who paid him not to talk, well you can call that six epic scandals. The worst part is I gave him $1million dollars to keep quiet, and the first thing he did was take my money and run straight to the press. Apparently, I didn't do a very good job. Anyway, we've shut him down. He won't be speaking anymore. But the damage has already been done."

"There's been backlash? Already? Is that why all of the security?" Jungkook asked.

"It's bad guys. Credible death threats against…almost all of us but especially you two." Namjoon was so disappointed.

"Who is threatening us?" Jungkook asked, holding Jimin's hand even tighter now.

"Fans. It's all over social media, especially twitter. We've received physical threats at the studio. Someone even managed to send threatening letters here to the apartment building. The tour has been postponed for the remainder of the week. Things are good in Amsterdam but there are protests against us at Incheon. We had protestors here too, but the police were able to run them off."

Listen, I seriously doubt that anyone has the means or desire to get to us that badly. People are hurt. They feel deceived. Most of this is just bluster, venting, anger and it will fade. But..."

Namjoon paused again. This time he did not have the courage to look them in the eye. Instead he looked down at his hands that were shaking slightly as he gave them the next bit of news.

"There is more that I need to tell you. I don't want you to panic ok? We've got security on both your parents and siblings and their families. There were credible threats made against your brother and his family Jungkook." Namjoon looked up when he said Jungkook's name.

"What? But my sister in-law is pregnant. And Ki is just a baby. Who would make threats against them? They aren't part of this. Who the fuck would do this? All of this because of fucking Jae? I should have killed him when I had the chance!" Jungkook was showing a rare form of anger. Not as combustible as the day he attacked Jae, but definitely close.

"Jungkook!" Jimin snapped angrily. "Calm down RIGHT NOW." Jimin, who knew his husband so well, immediately took control. His voice had a calming effect on Jungkook that was remarkable. Jungkook took a few breaths and then sat down as if nothing had happened.

Jimin held Jungkook's hand again and spoke very firmly, "You don't speak of killing people. It's not you. Your family will be ok. We have the best security team in Korea. Not to mention that no one even knows anything about them or where they live. We planned it that way, remember? They will be ok. I promise."

"Jungkook ran his fingers though his hair, stood up and began to pace the floor. I need to go see them." Jungkook said, looking around the room as if looking for his keys.

"No." Namjoon said firmly. "We have relocated them temporarily to a location in Ireland. Your brother and your parents. They wanted to go on a vacation and the timing worked out perfectly. They are very happy and they have no clue what's happening. You trying to go to see them will only cause problems. Especially since we know Sasaeng's are probably going to be following you now.

"Jimin, your parents know everything that's happening. Someone sent a threatening letter to their café. We put security on them immediately. Alex is fine since he's in college in the States. Your parents are leaving tomorrow for an extended visit with him. Call them when you can, but both of your families will have security indefinitely, well at least until we can get things calmed down." Namjoon felt sick having to be the one to give them such horrible news.

"All of this is four fucking days?" Jimin said incredulously.

"It's a fucking roller coaster of shit and we keep sinking deeper and deeper. Things are moving fast. I'm trying to hold it together. I would have never imagined things falling apart this quickly."

"Streams have dropped by 71%, we've been disinvited to all of the major award shows in Asia for 2021. The UN council has revoked our Ambassador status. And we've been dropped as the official tourism spokespersons for Korea. Let's not even mention record sales plummeting, and YouTube hits down. Everything. It seems as if ARMY has largely turned their backs on us – here in Korea anyway. We are still holding somewhat steady in Countries that look at these things more liberally but home is what matters most in my heart. Right now, "home" doesn't feel very welcoming. I know some people can't accept homosexuality for religious reasons or whatever, but I really think most of this is about crushing people's dreams you know? People really think they have a chance at dating one of us. It's our own fault. It's a fantasy that we appropriated. This is the type of scandal that has destroyed other groups. I have to do whatever I can to keep it from destroying ours. Otherwise we may be looking at very early retirement."

Namjoon lifted himself from the rolling chair and laid back on the couch. There were no tears falling, but the hurt and despondency lived within every pore in his face. It was time for Jimin to go to work.

Jungkook looked at Jimin and asked softly, "Do you need me to leave so you can have some time alone?"

"No. I need you." Jimin smiled. He pulled off his coat and shoes and sat on the couch next to Namjoon.

Jungkook did the same and sat in a chair that was slightly further away so he could give the two of them some sense of privacy. He couldn't help but wish he had some popcorn.

"This is big, isn't it?" Jimin started gently.

"You have no idea." Namjoon shook his head, grabbing at his temples again.

"OH, I have some idea. I have watched many-a-pop star fall because of dating rumors. Add in a little gay-ation and we've got quite the situation." Jimin smiled but was serious.

"I'm trying to navigate these rocky waters Jimin. Do we just pull back and let this play out? Maybe take a hiatus for a few months. Do we hide behind law suits? Do we just come out and deny it all? I like that plan. Let's just deny it." Namjoon wasn't joking.

"If you were to ask my advice, I would say none of the above. We fight. Tell me you didn't know the minute you pronounced us man and wife that all of our lives would forever be changed. Tell me you didn't know that."

"I – I knew that." Namjoon said.

"So, what's different between then and now?" Jimin said.

"I didn't think it would come so soon." Namjoon replied.

"OH, I see, so you had plenty of courage to face it - as long as it wasn't an eminent threat?" Jimin teased.

"You're twisting my words asshole. That's not what I meant at all." Namjoon rolled his eyes at Jimin.

"Then what did you mean? Tell me in your own words?" Jimin said

"I don't want to let us down. How I manage this crisis can make or break us. This could be our final days as a group if I don't get this right. I'm scared Jimin." Namjoon put forth his heart felt admission.

"I'm not." Jimin said. "Do you want to know why?"

Namjoon's interest was piqued. He looked up from his hands and now looked at Jimin without saying anything.

"Because you taught me years ago that loving myself, accepting myself, speaking myself and defining myself was critically important to my happiness. Let's stop a minute and think about what we are defining as a "scandal" here," Jimin used finger air quotes," Yoongi is dating a hot successful woman who adores him, Tae is developing a relationship with a beautiful talented actress who adores him, Hoseok is dry fucking a sexy hot counter-intelligence agent who adores him, and I fell in love with the man of my dreams and married him. In what kind of fucked up world are any of those things scandals? I call that happiness. Of the many things that my young husband has taught me, the most important has been that life is too short not to be happy."

Jimin looked over and Jungkook. Jungkook aggressively nodded in agreement, "Fuck unhappiness," he said backing up Jimin's assertions. Jimin smiled and gave him the thumbs up, then turned back to Namjoon.

"When's the last time you went on a date Namjoon? Don't answer that. Hold the answer in your head. This success we've had with OT7 has been a helluva ride. We have achieved more than we ever dreamed, more than we were even entitled to because of the love and support of our fans. But we always knew that there would be other chapters we needed to read in this book. OT7 has been like reading a 38 Chapter book, but never going past Chapter 15."

"I mean Chapter 15 is really good, but Chapters 16 and 17 have all the sex scenes," Jungkook chimed in.

Jimin, despite himself, laughed out loud at Jungkook's analogy, "Thank you, babe."

We can't continue to postpone our happiness for the sake of someone else's. We have power, we have money, we have peace of mind, we have our health. If our careers ended today, we could still live very happy lives. Stop looking at this as if we have everything to lose, and maybe look at this as we have everything to gain." Jimin stopped speaking and waited for Namjoon's response.

Namjoon smiled, splashing his dimples at both of them, "Everything to gain huh? Like finally getting to the sex scenes?" He laughed hard and held his side.

Jimin had done the heavy lifting, he now looked towards Jungkook to bring it home. He met Jungkook's gaze as a sign for him to continue speaking to Namjoon.

"Joon, this is big situation, but it's not too big for you; especially with the six of us by your side. We're your brothers and we will never hold anything against you. We're going to make sure that Jae is shut down, we're going to go out there and perform better and harder than we ever have before. We're going to show everyone why they loved us in the first place. No matter how this ends, we win." Jungkook walked over and gave Namjoon a high five. Just as Jimin predicted, Jungkook's final words were exactly what Namjoon needed to hear.

Huwana and Yoongi came rushing into Namjoon's apartment. Namjoon turned quickly to look at them both, "Please tell me you have good news."

Yoongi kissed Huwana and yelled, "Got HIM! Thanks to my brilliant and sexy girlfriend."

"YES!" Namjoon exclaimed and punched his fist in the air.

"Mind filling us in?" Jimin asked.

"Jae. We shut him down. He's rotting in jail as we speak. He signed a legally binding non-disclosure contract when he signed on the be a dancer. That means he's not allowed to talk about anything that occurred while he was still employed. Guess what? On the day that Jungkook beat his ass, he was still employed. We didn't fire him until a couple days later after he signed the agreement accepting the bribe. So, none of the information is admissible in court. And the interview he did was a violation of the non-disclosure agreement, so he's going to jail for at least the next two years. We will also sue his ass when he gets out." Yoongi was ecstatic. He and Huwana stood next to each other doing the Seesaw dance.

"I understand the contract stuff, but why is he in jail?" Jungkook questioned.

"PURJURY" Huwana said simply. "He was under oath at the time I took his statement. He told several lies that were easily contradicted by video evidence. Judges don't like to be lied to. She threw the book at him." Huwana smiled and started to Seesaw dance with Yoongi again.

"Huwana, but what about the assault? You covered for me and didn't prosecute me because of our friendship." Jungkook said looking ashamed. "Aren't you going to get into trouble if that comes out?"

"Ha-Ha, Jae made that same assertion under oath. He REALLY got in trouble for that one. Jungkook, had I ever met you before the night you came to the police station?

"No." JK

"So, you can't exactly say we were friends then hm?" Huwana said, "And did I give you any special treatment while you were there?"

"No." Not that I'm aware of.

"And how long were you detained?" Huwana asked another poignant question.

"I guess about two hours." Jungkook said.

"Yes, I would say I detained you and questioned you for about two hours," Huwana went in for the kill, "And Jeon Jungkook, were you allowed to leave during the time you were detained? Or make any phone calls?"

"No."

"Correct and finally Jeon Jungkook, is it true that you gave me a full confession of your actions that night?"

"Yes," Jungkook answered, starting to smile slightly. Yoongi began to Seesaw behind Huwana's back again.

"Jeon Jungkook, did you have to pay a fine for the misdemeanor you were charged with?" Huwana was smiling now also.

"YES, A big ass fine." Jungkook laughed.

"How much?" Huwana asked to close out her interrogation.

"$100,000!" Jungkook was laughing fully now.

"So you see, I followed the letter of the law. You were questioned, detained, charged, fined and released. I vacated the charge because you confessed and paid the fine. Nothing to see here. Judge saw it that way too. I've been doing this a long time kiddo. I know how the law works." Huwana and Yoongi were lost in their own Seasaw world.

Jimin smiled and looked at Namjoon. "Well look at this, you've already put out your first fire. NEXT!" Jimin yelled.**

Jimin and Jungkook headed back to Jungkook's apartment. Both of them were barely out of Namjoon's place before they were dialing their parents.

They both spoke with their parents until they had reassurances that they were ok. Jimin ordered another three security guards for he and Jungkook's families. He wanted to make sure they were safe.

Jimin sat down at the computer as soon as he walked through the door. The Pilot had dropped all of their luggage in the hall way. Jungkook carried it in while Jimin began searching twitter and Instagram. Namjoon was right. Social media was ablaze with the rumors of the OT7 scandals. He navigated over to the OT7 twitter page and the news was even worse. Remark after remark was beign made about how fans would no longer support OT7 for being gay or for dating. Every faction of the fandom seemed to be in agreement that OT7 was now the most hated group on the planet.

Jimin logged into Fan Café. The reaction there, by far, was the worst. His own people of South Korea were turning against him and his brothers. The interview of Jae was posted and being played over and over on social media. Even though Jae was in jail, his interview and his side of the story were controlling everything. The fandom was at a fever pitch.

Once Jungkook was finished bringing in the luggage, he sat down on his compouter and joined Jimin in searching posts across the different social media platforms. The death threats were terrifying. Many of them seemingly very credible. People seemed to know where they lived, their work schedules, practice schedules. It seemed like a playbook for how to access the members. Jungkook grew uneasy.

"Jimin this isn't good." Jungkook said wearily.

"I agree. It isn't, but we need to know what's out here." Jimin said.

Just as Jimin was about to switch over to Tik Tok, he received an email. It was the latest of 115 emails that Jimin had received while he was away on his honeymoon. This latest email however, was special. It was a link to Derrick's website where all of Jimin and Jungkook's wedding photos were stored. Jimin stopped everything.

"Jungkookie, our wedding photos are here." Jimin said softly.

Jungkook left his computer and walked over to Jimin's. "Wow, you're beautiful. You really surprised me with the black hair. You can see it on my face. Everyone is so happy. Happy Jimin. Jimin, I'll give up everything to be with you. None of this matters: the fame, the money, the power, none of it, unless I'm with you." Jungkook kissed the top of Jimin's head.

Jimin continued to scroll through the pictures. "These are lovely. Derrick really out did himself. Look at you putting your hand in the cake. My God I love you silly man. Look at little Ki. She looks beautiful. Look at her hair."

"Ya' I did her hair! Did I tell you?" Jungkook smiled proudly.

"You did? Jungkook, it's fabulous. Well now we know what you'll be doing if our career as Idols ends." Jimin said. He and Jungkook both laughed. Jimin turned to Jungkook, "I love you. Nothing else matters to me." Jimin said.

The two of them put their social media search on hiatus for a couple of hours to look through their wedding pictures. They relived every moment with fondness and happy hearts. They sifted through until they reached the pictures of Jimin and Tae dancing to Mic Drop with Jungkook's mom. Jungkook gently rubbed his mother's face on the computer screen.

"She had so much fun Jimin. She was so happy for us. And you dancing with her, it meant the world to her. I think she may like you better than me now." Jungkook laughed.

"Oh I doubt that, she loves her Kookie. But yeah, I know what you mean. My mother is pretty fond of you too." Jimin punched Jungkook in his healthy shoulder.

"I'm tired Jimin. Do you mind if I go to bed? Now that we don't have to leave tomorrow, I want to get a little extra rest. You kind of wore me out over the last few days." Jungkook squatted next to Jimin at this computer.

"Go ahead. I need to comb through a few more posts. I need to know how the fans feel." Jimin said as he turned his attention back to his computer.

Jungkook went to bed. Jimin stayed up the entire night, searching through posts and reading comments. Jimin, as well as the other members kept personal accounts under pseudonyms. He logged into his personal account to dig deeper into the chat rooms. It seemed like everyone was truly against them. Some of the things being said were vicious and heartless. People were wishing illness and death upon them and their families. Jimin didn't think he could stand looking at it any longer. He was physically sick to his stomach with some of the vile things being said.

He decided to log off, but before he did, he clicked into one of the Jikook chat rooms that he often visited under his pseudonym. He expected to see the same miserable behavior from this group of fans. But what he saw actually surprised him. Many of the fans outside of "Jikook" nation were calling for their heads, but fans within the nation were overwhelmingly supportive. They were planning pro-gay protests and pro-Jikook rallies. They even had flags made with Jimin and Jungkook's pictures on them. Jimin knew this small faction of Jikookers existed but he didn't know they were so passionate about their love for he and Jungkook as a couple. He stayed in the gc's on twitter for the next three hours talking with the different members. Trying to find out how they truly felt. One thing was for certain, he was loved in Jikook nation and he was definitely safe there. Jimin was amazed at the level of effort the Jikook shippers were willing to extend to protect them.

When Jungkook awoke the next morning, his first sight was of Jimin sprawled out asleep at the keyboard of his computer.

"Oh, sweet Jiminie, did you stay up all night?" Jungkook asked of Jimin.

Jungkook picked Jimin up and carried him to the bed. Jimin mumbled in his sleep, "No, I have to keep searching. I found it." Jungkook had no idea what Jimin was talking about. He tucked him into bed and kissed his soft lips.

Jungkook wanted to get back up to Namjoon as quickly as possible. He showered and dressed and headed straight to Namjoon's room to get the latest on their schedule. The tour had been postponed for three days because of protest. But what was the plan? How were they going to handle this? Jungkook needed to know.

When he arrived at Namjoon's he was surprised to see Kwang and Hoseok there. He entered the room quietly and sat down.

"Hey Kookie. Where's Jimin?" Namjoon said.

"He's still sleeping. He had a long night. Pretty upset with some of the stuff he found on social media," Jungkook explained. He walked into Namjoon's kitchen and got himself a cup of coffee as he listened to them discuss the latest events. He was very, very curious about why Kwang was involved.

"Jungkook, nice to see you again man," Kwang said as he slapped Jungkook gently on the shoulder.

Namjoon began to explain everything that Jungkook needed to know, "Jungkook, someone has hacked into our server. They were able to access our OT7 social media accounts and leak some pretty bad stuff. We called in Kwang to try to help us figure out where it is coming from and to help us identify and arrest the hacker."

"What? This just keeps getting better doesn't it?" Jungkook said in frustration. "What was leaked?" Jungkook was almost afraid to ask.

Kwang took over, "They got into your photographer's website first. The pictures were pulled directly from there and then posted to twitter and fan café using a third-party access code. They bypassed the firewalls and every encryption protocol on the server. It was seamless. Definitely a pro." Kwang leaned over and spun his computer around so Jungkook could see the leaked photo. It was the photo of him and Jimin and their first kiss at the wedding. The next leaked photo was of them eating cake out of each other's hands. The third wedding photo was a picture of them during their first dance, Jungkook was leaning into Jimin kissing his forehead.

"Oh my God, Jimin���s going to freak out when he sees this." Jungkook put his head in his hands. It was just a matter of time before Jimin would be up monitoring twitter to see that latest news on the scandal.

Hoseok walked over to where Jungkook was standing and put his arms around him, "Welcome back kiddo. Jungkook it gets worse." Hoseok said, bracing Jungkook for the next set of leaked material. "Kwang, show him the video."

It was Jungkook's worse nightmare. Somehow, someone had the video footage from cameras in the practice rooms at HB studios. The footage showed the entire assault between Jungkook and Jae. Jae could be heard threatening to attack Jimin and Jungkook could be seen throwing him against the mirror and cursing at him profusely. It was a true embarrassment to Jungkook, Jimin and his family. Jungkook was so ashamed.

Kwang started again, "There's one more video they posted that I don't really understand. I mean it's not incriminating in any way. Seems odd they would post this," Kwang said as he showed Jungkook the last video.

The last video was indeed an odd one to post. It was the outtakes of footage from last year's summer package where Jimin and Jungkook were posing together. There was nothing special about the moment. Jungkook was laying in Jimin's lap while Jimin sang to him and stoked his hair. Jimin could be heard saying, "I love you to the moon Jungkookie," and Jungkook could be heard saying, "I love you to the Sun Jiminie." Both being very silly as they waited for the time to pass between photo shoots.

"OK, that's an odd one. Still strange that it got posted. Whatever. Joon, what's the fallout from this? More death threats?" Jungkook again, was afraid to ask.

"Pretty much doubled. This is all of the confirmation that some of these people needed. Now they know this is real and not just a rumor, they are starting to swarm. The threats have gotten much worse. I've cancelled the entire set in Amsterdam. We may have to cancel Switzerland and Sweden as well. The good news, there haven't been anything escalating regarding your families. Everything is aimed directly at you and Jimin." Namjoon walked around the apartment thinking.

Kwang gave the room an update, "It'll take me two days max to shore up your infrastructure, put some additional encryption in place and thicken your fire walls. I'll also have a pretty good sense of who did this and how to find them. Don't be surprised if the attacks are not coming from Korea. We have no way of telling who did this until we can narrow down the exact server and then hopefully an IP address. But don't worry. I will find them. I'm pretty good at this." Kwang smiled. Hoseok seemed to melt a little.

"Are you two back together?" Jungkook asked curiously.

"Yes, we're giving it another try," Kwang said proudly. Hoseok smiled in agreement.

"Damn, a lot has changed in four days, hasn't it?" Jungkook said.

Jungkook sat down with the triage team for another three hours as they listened to Kwang detail his plan for catching the hacker. With the tour being postponed and all of the members being under lock down, Jungkook was restless and at odds. He wasn't sure what to do with himself. He wanted to talk with Jimin and show him the leaked photos before he saw them on social media, but he didn't want to wake him. He decided to go visit Tae.

Tae was sitting at his window contemplating whether or not to call KJ. She probably never wanted to speak with him again after all of the drama over the last few days. He talked himself into making the phone call. He dialed her number and just at the time when he was going to hit the dial button, there was a knock at the door.

"Its Jungkook. Open the door boy." Jungkook called from outside Tae's door.

Tae opened the door and gave Jungkook a welcoming hug. "Welcome back, how was it?" He said as he pulled Jungkook inside.

"It was amazing. I'm more in love than ever. But coming back to this shit storm kind of ruined the memory, you know?" Jungkook said sadly.

"Tell me about it. I was just about to call KJ to break things off. I can't allow her to go through this." Tae said.

"Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, she is pretty wonderful Tae," Jungkook smiled. "I think it would be awfully presumptions of you to assume that she's not a fighter or at least willing to fight for you." Jungkook said again.

"I don't want her to get hurt," Tae said.

"She's the only name that's been kept out of this so far, I think she may be one of the lucky ones. Anyway, call her and feel her out first. Don't just make assumptions. She deserves more than that." Jungkook said happily.

"Well you're feeling wise today, aren't you? You're right. I'll call her in a few. But first tell me, how did that strange butt thing work out? Did you love it?" Tae made his famous purvey face.

"Let's call KJ, shall we?" Jungkook said.

Tae took a deep breath and dialed her number again. She answered right away.

"HEY Baby, I was wondering if you were going to call me before you left. Or did you already leave? Are you in Amsterdam already?" KJ asked confused.

"Hi KJ. I'm actually still here in Korea. Before I lose my nerve, I need to tell you something." Tae jumped to the topic quickly.

"My relationship with you has been exposed to the public. The good news is that no one knows your name or anything about you. The bad news is that they will eventually find out. "

"Ya! I saw that interview from the guy Jae. He was at the club that night. I remember thinking back then, I wonder what Jungkook would do if he saw him all over Jimin like that. I guess now we know." KJ broke into laughter.

"KJ, this is serious. I'm worried about you. I don't want you to be exposed to this. The fandom is not accepting of me having a girlfriend. There have already been death threats against other members and their families. If you don't get out of this now, you could get caught up in this mess." Tae said affectionately.

"Tae, don't we have security?

"Yes, they've been shadowing you since the news broke." Tae said.

"Ok then. Nothing is going to happen to me. BUT, I guess this means that all of our dates will need to be at your place." KJ giggled. "Why are you still in Seoul again?"

"Tour was postponed due to protests, death threats, you know general fuckery." Tae spat.

Jungkook laughed at Tae's use of the word fuckery.

"Does that mean you're free tonight? I understand if you're in crisis mode and need to be with the fellas, but I would love to see you if you have time for me." KJ said shyly.

"I would love to see you, KJ. My place 8:00?" Tae looked at Jungkook and gave him a thumbs up.

"I'll let you borrow the butt plug," Jungkook whispered smiling viciously.

Tae turned beet red and used his hand to cover the phone. He turned his back on Jungkook to make sure that no "butt plug�� conversations were overheard by KJ.

Tae and KJ said their goodbyes. Tae immediately jumped on Jungkook's back, "You're an ass, you know that?"

Tae and Jungkook kept each other company for the next several hours. Jungkook still didn't want to go back to his place because he didn't want to wake Jimin. But after a while, he missed him. So, he said goodbye to Tae and headed back to his own apartment.

Jungkook walked into the room, Jimin was already up at the computer.

"Oh Jimin, why are you awake? And can't you take a break from the computer? I wanted to talk to you first before you got back online. There's something I need to tell you."

"I need to get more information. What did you need to tell me?" Jimin was focused on his computer searching through fan café looking for the latest posts about the OT7 scandal.

"Jimin, look at me please." Jungkook said sweetly. "Jimin someone hacked into Derrick's photo website and then our SNS accounts and posted some of our wedding photos. They also posted the video of me attacking Jae. I have no idea how they were able to pull the surveillance footage from the practice studio, but they did. It's horrible. Very embarrassing. Our parents will probably see it.

The death threats have doubled against you and me. Now that people know the truth, it's a full shit storm unfolding. But Namjoon has it under control. We've added even more security for our Moms and Dads even though there haven't been any additional threats. Hoseok asked Kwang to look into the hack and right before I left, Namjoon was cancelling the entire month worth of tour schedules. The plan is just to lay low for a while and let this boil over." Jungkook sat in Jimin's lap and kissed him softly on his forehead.

"Jungkook, there's more leaks." Jimin said rather calmly, "Look."

Jungkook looked at the screen, another video stolen from Derrick's server had been posted to OT7's official twitter account. The video was another clip from the summer package. This one was from 2019, Jimin and Jungkook were in the water in Fiji. While Derrick was cleaning two of his filters, Hoseok had picked up the camera and began filming Jimin and Jungkook without them knowing. They were in the water with their foreheads pressed against each other. Jimin was saying, "I love you more than anything, I hope you know that." Jungkook was heard saying, "Anything is everything, so that's a lot of love." They both are seen smiling and laughing and chasing each other. They yell at Hoseok to "CUT" and stop filming them.

In addition, more wedding pictures were posted on Instagram and fan café.

Jimin scrolled down to view the comments underneath the pictures and video. "Jikookers are very supportive, aren't they? Jungkook, there are people out there who love our relationship. A lot of them."

"That's nice Jimin, but are there enough of them to save our careers?" Jungkook said skeptically.

"Yes. I think so. Jungkook look at this. There are petitions and everything. We're getting huge support from the gay community. Even those who are strictly OT7 are supporting us. Jungkook, this isn't so bad." Jimin said.

"You're being so positive Jimin. But we've got to figure out where the leaks are coming from and stop them. Otherwise, we'll all be destroyed. Thank GOD we destroyed our sex tape. At least we don't have to worry about that looming over our heads." Jungkook was still sitting in Jimin's lap as he perused gc's on twitter.

"Jimin, are you in a group chat on twitter?" Jungkook asked suspiciously.

"Yep. This is where you get the truth and learn how people really feel. I'm using my pseudonym, "I love Jungkook_13"

Jungkook burst into hearty laughter. "How many gc's are you in?

"I dunno, at least 25 different ones. I mostly just go in and lurk, but I respond sometimes too. They all think I'm really insightful."

Jugnkook laughed again. "I freaking love you so freaking much!" He wrapped his arms around Jimin and squeezed. **

Over the next 24 hours, 3 more leaked videos and 10 new photographs were posted to official OT7 SNS accounts – all of them involving Jimin and Jungkook. Kwang assured them that he had a handle on the situation and that the trace would take some time. But Namjoon was impatient and finally decided to just temporarily shut down all social media accounts belonging to OT7, including twitter, Instagram, snap chat, tick tock and fan café. It was a sad day for the group, but they all understood and supported Namjoon's decision.

News came in later that evening that OT7 had been dropped from their PUMA endorsement. Not because of anything associated with the scandal but purely from a financial perspective. The comeback album, for the first time in ten years, failed to chart at number one. YouTube streams, even of the old videos, continued to drop. OT7 was untouchable. No one wanted to touch the sinking ship. Namjoon was still amazed at how quickly things were falling apart.

The seven members congregated in Namjoon's office at HB agency.

"These fucking leaks. They're making everything worse," Namjoon said.

"Well not exactly," Tae said, "It seems like Jimin and Jungkook have quite a following and quite a bit of support. There is a strong movement growing there. It also seems like those true ARMY really want to see us dating. It's a mixed bag Namjoon. It's not all bad."

"It doesn't matter. Our records sales have fallen significantly. I'm not sure where we go from here. People are demanding refunds on the Asia part of the tour. I think we're going to have to go ahead and head out for Europe. They seem to be the strongest support right now. I've got the marketing and PR teams running numbers to see where we're falling off. It is mostly here in Korea. That hurts." Namjoon sat down and rubbed his hands through his hair roughly.

Everyone looked to Jimin to be the voice of reason. But Jimin had no words he wished to offer in this situation. He stared at his phone, no doubt tracking social media.

Yoongi spoke as he walked around the room, "I need to talk to each of you. I have set up individual meetings with our finance team. Jikook let me know if you two would prefer to meet together or separately. Anyway, the city of Seoul may be planning to come after us for increased taxes. The plan is for us to make sure we allocate a portion of our portfolio to overseas markets. The company is well divested so even though stocks are taking a hit, we're still relatively stable. But your individual finances need another layer of protection. Let's get out in front of this before we're forced into bankruptcy.

Just got word that LG is "reconsidering" our contract. This could be another one in the loss column. I'll keep you posted."

Hoseok spoke next, "Taking the site down has stopped the leaked pictures from being posted. Derrick's site hasn't had an intrusion since Kwang put in another server and additional firewalls. The last bit he needs to complete is the HB server. He will be reinforcing those firewalls as well. He also says that he has a lead on the hacker. He wouldn't give me any more information than that. I think at least this part of it will be over soon."

"That's really good news. Especially considering all of the leaks were targeted at me and Jimin." Jungkook said. He looked across the room at Jimin who still stared at his phone.

"We have a stakeholder meeting today to discuss our stock prices. It's still way too early to worry about anything where that's concerned. But if we continue on a downward trend through the end of the quarter, we will need to assess how we're doing things. I know this is rough guys. But we'll get through it. There are so many more Chapters to this story." Namjoon laughed and looked at Jungkook. The members dispersed. **

Jimin and Jungkook arrived home. Jungkook laid on the couch and closed his eyes.

"You look worried babe. Talk to me," Jimin asked. He sat down on the other end of the couch and removed Jungkook's shoes and massaged his feet.

"I AM worried. What will we do if things don't turn around? I want to perform Jimin. I don't want my career to be over." Jungkook said sadly.

Jimin laughed. "You���re over reacting."

"NO, I'm not. You heard Namjoon. This is a mess. It's much worse than we could have ever anticipated. We could honestly be looking at the end of our careers!" Jungkook seemed frustrated with Jimin's obtuse attitude.

"It's been a week. Yes, the fallout is bad right now, but this will die down. All scandals start out this way. People pile on and try to jump on the "right" side of the issue. But when things settle down, no one even remembers what they were angry about. I want to perform too. It's what I was born to do. I will perform again and so will you. Even if we have to go on a two-man tour hitting nothing but gay bars." Jimin laughed and leaned down to kiss Jungkook's toes.

"I guess you're right." Jungkook seemed a little less intense. "I like that by the way," he smiled.

"Like what?" Jimin looked around confused.

"I like you playing with my feet. I don't think we properly explored that on our honeymoon," Jungkook lifted his foot up to Jimin's mouth to make him kiss his toes again."

"Ohh, ohhhhh. I see. A little foot fetish, have we?" Jimin began massaging both of Junkook's feet. He kissed each of his toes individually. "You have very cute feet."

"I have other things that are cute too." Jungkook reversed his position so now his head was laying in Jimin's lap. Jimin leaned down to kiss him.

"I've been out of your ass for less than 72 hours, I want back in. What does that mean?" Jungkook said seriously.

"I have good ass." Jimin said in Satori. "He continued kissing Jungkook in his lap.'

There was a knock at the door.

"No, NOOOO. Just when I was about to go on a ass diving expedition." Jungkook crinkled his nose and complained.

"Ass diving?" Jimin laughed so loudly that his voice reverberated through the apartment. He hit Jungkook on the chest, "Why do you say these things?"

Jungkook peeled himself away from Jimin and went to open the door. He was surprised to see Kwang standing there.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" Jungkook said with surprise.

"Hey JK. Is Jimin here by any chance?" Kwang peeked around Jungkook looking for Jimin.

"Sure, he is. Come in." Jungkook stood aside and welcomed Kwang into the apartment.

Jimin stood from the couch and offered Kwang a hollow, "Hello."

"Jimin, can we talk alone for minute?" Kwang looked towards Jungkook with a sense of asking him for permission.

"Sure, I can leave." Jungkook headed towards the couch to grab his shoes.

"Nope. Jungkook please don't leave. I need you." Jimin said soberly. "I kind of figured you would be coming to see me soon." Jimin said to Kwang.

"Oh, so my visit isn't a surprise?" Kwang said politely.

"Nah. You're pretty good at what you do. I knew it was just a matter of time," Jimin said.

"What the hell are you two talking about? What was just a matter of time?" Jimin is everything ok?" Jungkook said as he looked at both Jimin and Kwang

Jimin invited Kwang to have a seat. He walked towards the kitchen and called over his shoulder, "Kwang, would you like some tea?" Jimin asked

"Will there be poison in it?" Kwang asked.

Jimin paused dramatically and thought for a moment and then he answered, "No."

"Then yes, I would like some tea." Kwang said sparingly.

Jimin boiled hot water and set it in front of Kwang with a selection of teas from which to choose. Jimin came and sat across the table from Kwang. Jungkook, feeling uneasy, sat in between them.

Kwang busied himself with constructing his perfect cup of tea. He spoke to Jimin matter-of-factly, "I was able to isolate the server involved in the hack. I triangulated the location, level of access and the site invasion until I was able to narrow down the exact IP address. I even found a user name sitting out there on the encryption file. PJlovesJJK. Interesting name, isn't it?" Kwang looked at Jimin and took a sip of his tea.

"Jimin, what's he talking about? PJlovesJJK, that's one of our usernames. What's going on Jimin?" Jungkook sat at the edge of his seat looking dead at Jimin.

"OK, you got me. What now?" Jimin said.

"Wait a minute. Jimin what are you admitting to? What do you mean he's got you?" Jungkook was visibly agitated.

Kwang gestured towards Jungkook, "Are you going to tell him, or should I?"

Jugnkook stood up. "Tell me what? JIMIN! JIMIN! Damnit JIMIN!"

Jimin looked down at his hands. He refused to make eye contact with Jungkook.

Kwang smiled, delivering a mini dimple explosion and looked at Jimin again, "Why did you do it Jimin? You just made matters worse by fanning the flames."

"Yes, why did you do it JIMIN?" Jungkook asked.

"Calm down Kookie, I can explain." Jimin looked at Jungkook. He honestly expected him to be angrier than he was but Jimin knew that he could get away with quite a bit of devilishness where Jungkook was concerned.

"Please explain, JIMIN!" Jungkook emphasized his name much too hard.

"Yes, please explain," Kwang reiterated.

"I'm initiating a purge. Starting a revolution if you will." Jimin looked hopefully at Jungkook.

"That makes no sense, JIMIN!" Jungkook emphasized his name hard again.

"Jungkook, we have to control our own story. We can't allow our fans to see our love through Jae's lies. So, I decided that if I leaked some of our love story…some of our more personal moments, ARMY would start to see how much we love each other. We aren't just some imaginary ship. We're real." Jimin looked at Kwang now.

"Do you understand what I mean Kwang? We can be happy, be ourselves and be successful all at the same time. We don't have to choose. But in order to do that, we have to have REAL fans standing beside us. We need those who love us unconditionally. We need to chase the rest away. If we sit back and allow someone else to control our fate, it could take years to purge all decenters. But if we pile it on, right now, get it all out there. Tell the absolute truth wherever we can. We can take the hit now and slowly rebuild later because there will be no more surprises."

"Jimin, you shouldn't have done this. You almost gave Joon a heart attack. Not to mention that embarrassing scene with me and Jae. Everyone saw me lose control and assault someone!" Jungkook said.

"Everyone also heard the horrible things Jae said about me. They needed to see your side of things. No one could blame you for attacking him after they heard what Jae said. It was your voice and your point of view that they needed to see. We have a following Jungkook. There is a HUGE following. The pictures worked. The video worked. The more pictures I leaked the more positive response we got. That's why I kept leaking the photos. We can see the people who really love us. I tracked our trending. As the opposition falls off, we will have true fans who will stick with us forever.

"Jimin, I don't know if this was the best way to go about this sweetheart." Jungkook said, with softness in his voice. He was a sucker for Jimin and he couldn't be angry with him even though he should have been.

"I didn't expose anything about Hobi and Tae because that's their story to tell. But this is OUR story. I had to tell our story. Please understand Jungkookie. Please?" Jimin implored Jungkook for his understanding.

Kwang spoke after a few minutes of silence, "Hobi always says that Jungkook is the hopeless romantic. But I'm starting to think it's you. I understand Jimin. As crazy as it sounds, I understand completely."

"Kwang what does this mean for Jimin? He's not in any legal trouble, is he?" Jungkook asked with a bit of trepidation. Huwana would not be happy with yet another Jikook legal matter crossing her desk.

"I should have authorities arrest him right now. But I can't. Jimin just happens to be the majority owner of the business that he hacked into. He technically just logged into his own accounts. Nothing illegal there. Now, the honesty and mistrust he created amongst his friends, is a different story." Kwang shook his head.

"Hack is a strong word. I really kinda logged into all of the websites with my own passwords." Jimin inhaled, shrugged his shoulders and scrunched up his face.

"Yes, I'm painfully aware. For two days, I've had the world's best forensic cyber investigators running after a K-Pop star who was using his own passwords. We couldn't figure out how the hell you were decrypting the firewalls. Thanks for the embarrassment." Kwang laughed happily, flashing his dimples all over the place.

"You can't tell anyone Kwang. Please." Jimin begged.

"I can't keep this from Hobi, Jimin." Kwang seemed appalled that Jimin would even ask.

"Yes, you can. There is no need to upset him or Namjoon, or Soekjin or Tae. Please just keep it between us?"

"Namjoon hired me to investigate this. What do you expect me to tell him? I am damn sure not telling him that I couldn't find the perp. Besides Hobi knows better, Namjoon knows better." Kwang was getting a little restless.

"Please. He won't understand," Jimin looked so innocent.

Kwang looked at Jimin and Jungkook. He had such fondness in his heart for both of them. He really felt the love of an older brother for both of them. Kwang relented, "Jimin, it's because of you and Jungkook that I have Hobi back in my life. I got another chance because of you two. I will forever appreciate you guys for that. I promise not to tell the other guys. And I promise not to tell Hobi…FOR NOW. I think we can let things settle down and maybe in a year or two, when he and I are safely married and he can't get away, I will tell him the full story." Kwang said as he smiled again.

Jungkook tilted his head toward Kwang, "So what ARE you going to tell Namjoon?"

"I'll make up something. Don't worry," Kwang lifted up to leave. He was so tall that he looked as if he was going to bump his head on the ceiling. He walked through the door signaling goodbye to Jimin and Jungkook.

Kwang took out his phone to send Namjoon a text:

Kwang to Namjoon: Caught the hacker. You can breathe. This is over

Namjoon to Kwang: Who was it? When can we prosecute?

Kwang to Namjoon: It's complicated. Sasaeng who was wanted on a series of other charges, can't reveal her identity. She's being prosecuted on the Federal level.

Namjoon to Kwang: We won't even get to face her in court?

Kwang to Namjoon: Nope, this is a matter of National Security. Let's just say, you weren't the only victims.

Namjoon to Kwang: Well give me her name. Surely you can give me that?

Kwang to Namjoon: Sorry buddy, I can't. The depths of her involvement is deep. Very dangerous stuff. The less you know the better.

Namjoon to Kwang: Why would she target us?

Kwang to Namjoon: You were not the only targets. Check the news, you will see a series of others who were also hit by an unknown perp. Trust me. We got her. You won't have any more problems.

Namjoon to Kwang: Thank you so much Kwang. You really are the best in the business.

Jungkook closed the door as Kwang walked away. He turned toward Jimin with a Fatherly look in his eyes.

"This was not good Jimin." Jungkook said.

"I know, but you get it right?" Jimin said, praying that Jungkook understood why he did it.

"Of course, I get it. I saw it too. I noticed a considerable shift in the public opinion once you started posted our pictures and video." Jungkook admitted. "But you betrayed your brothers. That wasn't right." Jungkook admonished Jimin

"I know, but it was for the greater good?" Jimin smiled and tried to appear coy.

"A lot of very bad things have been done in the name of "the greater good." Jungkook walked over to where Jimin was sitting and picked him up. Jimin wrapped his legs around him. "You were naughty Jimin."

"I think I should be punished. Can I pick my punishment?" Jimin switched to Satori

"Yep." Jungkook spoke back in Satori.

"I think a deep ass dive will teach me." Jimin panted and started to grind slowly on Jungkook.

"Good choice, baby," Jungkook laid Jimin gently on the bed and crawled between his legs.

"No tour for at least a month. That means no dancing, and plenty of time to recover from whatever you want to do to me." Jimin whispered in Jungkook's ear.

"I love you, you naughty, naughty boy." Jungkook said. **

Gone were the days of talks of Billboard awards, American music awards, Kids Choice awards. OT7 were mortal once again. It was no longer a given that they were going to win everything, especially within Asia. The MMA and MAMA awards all continued to be awards for them, but the name OT7 for the remainder of 2021, did not carry the weight it once held. Streams fell a net of 60%. Endorsements that left, never returned. And for the first time in ten years, OT7's newest album did not reach number one on the charts. It did make a respectable #2 and that was good enough for the members. The one thing that never changed was the commitment from ARMY with attending their shows. Even after taking a brief hiatus for a couple of months to allow the threats to die down, OT7 continued to fill stadiums around the world. The fans who left, were fake fans. The fans who stayed were fans who would love them forever. Fans who stayed demanded their happiness and cheered for it. For the first time in ten years, OT7 had the best of both worlds.

And just as Jimin predicted, once old fans rolled off; new fans rolled on. The purge of the toxic fandom was complete. Those who held them to an unsustainable standard disappeared into the shadows of lesser K-Pop bands. The new breed of OT7 fans loved them for who they were.

As 2022 came around, Jikook became an absolute fan favorite. They starred in their own reality show where fans were given a behind the scenes look at their marriage. In February of that year, to celebrate their 1st anniversary, Jimin surprised Jungkook with a 4-bedroom penthouse on the North side of Seoul. It was one of the most luxurious buildings in the city. With bittersweet emotions, they moved out of the apartment complex with the members and struck it out on their own.

The year of February 2022 also ushered in a new surprise. Hosoek and Kwang came forward to publicly announce their relationship. It was never a huge secret, but it was a big step for Kwang to risk his entire career and his position in the industry to recognize his gay partner. They announced their engagement soon after.

By November of 2022, Yoongi and Huwana were married. Although Yoongi chose to keep his marriage private, it was not because he felt threatened to do so. Huwana was a private person and Yoongi wanted to respect her wish to keep their marriage confidential and out of the public eye. She didn't want her marriage to a famous K-Pop star to affect her professional stature. She wanted everyone to judge her for her work, not because of who she was married to.

Tae and KJ were still dating. Yeontan was now spending his days and nights with KJ whenever Tae traveled. The three of them became a little family. In December of 2022, Tae and KJ stared in a K-drama entitled, "The wandering hearts". It was their first time working together on a full script since they started dating. The film garnered critical acclaim and made both of them instant successes at the Box Office.

And Namjoon was dating. More specifically Namjoon was dating A LOT. He became known as the George Clooney of South Korea for his International Playboy status. Because his schedule was so busy, he chose not to settle down with one woman. But in the back of his mind, he knew it was just a matter of time before he found "the one". In the meantime, he enjoyed the search.

By January of 2023, OT7 was back on top. Record sales were booming, streams were back up and they were once again topping the charts. The fandom, once almost dissipated by their dating scandal and gay scandal, bounced back with over 20million registered ARMY members. Endorsements were back up and all seven members were wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. Jimin and Jungkook now led the division of HB agency that trained, scouted and debuted new talent. The newest member of the super boy band, 'Two Step' was none other than Soujin's little brother Anderson. He was now a heartthrob and a major Idol. Two Step was quick on the heels of OT7 for becoming the newest "it" band. They were hugely popular in the United States and had already garnered multiple awards there.

But even with all of the happiness and contentment the members were experiencing, there were still challenges that threatened to destroy it all. The members had to admit to themselves that years of touring with little to no breaks had wreaked havoc on their bodies. They were still young men but each of them suffered from some chronic malady or another. It was during one of their more candid meetings when Yoongi finally spoke up and said what everyone was thinking. They could always count on Yoongi to say the difficult things that had to be said

"I'm fucking tired. I've literally been touring almost nonstop for ten years. I walk like an old man. I've already got the onset of arthritis in both of my knees from all the years of pounding. I'm on the bottom when I fuck cause I'm just too damn sore to do much of anything for my wife. It's always the next schedule, the next schedule, the next schedule, when are we going to take a break; a real break? Not just four months off, I mean a real break?" Yoongi was agitated and exasperated. His tone may have been harsher than he intended, but he was happy to get it off of his chest.

"Both Jimin and I can barely lift our shoulders at times," Jungkook was trying to add to Yoongi's argument by agreeing with him on the worsening of old injuries.

"Nope, that was because you got shot, can't blame that on OT7," Tae interjected.

Everyone laughed, even Jungkook. Jimin slapped Tae in the back of the head.

"Finish your thought babe," Jimin said as he flirted with his husband openly by running his hand up his thigh and resting it on his crotch.

"Jimin, I can't concentrate when you do that. Anyway, our shoulders are not getting any better. They could use a rest. I'm also starting to have back pain more often

"That's because you pick up Jimin and cradle him in your arms every day, can't blame that on OT7 either," Tae interjected again.

"Shut Up, Tae," Jimin covered his mouth as he laughed loudly at Tae's antics. He hit him again in the back of the head.

"Yoongi and Jungkook are right. There are times when I can't even walk because I'm in so much pain – SHUT UP TAE DON'T EVEN SAY IT," Jimin warned as he burst into laughter again.

The rest of the members laughed also. "You kinda walked right into that one Jiminie," Soejkin said.

Tae laughed through shut lips, spitting all over Yoongi as he tried to contain himself.

Hoseok, who was like a different person these days, spoke to Namjoon, "I think what we are trying to say is that, we need some substantial time off to heal.- to have personal lives - to enjoy our spouses. We have more money than we can ever dream of, we don't need to keep touring right away. Or we could just do local tours around Asia for the next couple of years, so that we are doing simple overnight trips and not month-long trips. Our merchandising and endorsements are doing so well that we could live off of those dividends alone for the next two years. The fans will be there. As long as we give them new content, videos, RUN episodes, Jikook living episodes, and all of that stuff, they will be perfectly happy. They won't be upset if they have to wait a couple of years for a world tour."

"Since SK has eliminated the military service requirement, we now have more time. We can slow the pace of this roller coaster a bit and savor the smell of the roses. At the beginning of our career, that pending military service is what drove everything. Now that has been eliminated, we need to find different drivers for how we operate." Seokjin said proudly.

The seven continued to talk for a couple of hours. At the end of the conversation they had come to a surprising agreement: OT7 would be taking a hiatus for the next three years. They would continue to create new music as well as do local stage tours in Asian countries. They also would film new episodes of all of their reality series'. The only thing they were eliminating were the arduous world tours that had physically beaten them down so severely.

They all left the meeting happy and with a sense of peace. They were extremely satisfied with their decision. Jimin and Jungkook held hands and walked to Jungkook's brand new 2024 BMW X6, a gift from Jimin for Jungkook's birthday. They hopped in.

"Let's go home," Jungkook smiled.