Agent of Destruction

Namjoon liked the Sun Room even less than the Stardust Lounge. The tropical theme was a little overdone, what with the ocean sunsets painted on the walls and the coconut-shaped dishes, but the most disconcerting thing was the large man who followed his every movement. Guess they’re curious, he thought, pretending not to notice. The room was a little over half-full and Namjoon worried someone would recognize him, but everyone seemed too buzzed to give him a second glance.

“Mr. Kim!”

Here we go, he thought nervously as the lieutenant came down a staircase and headed straight for him. “My name is Park Doyoung,” he said, stretching out his hand. “Welcome to our little club.”

Namjoon shook his hand and gave a curt nod. “You said you could supply my needs?” he asked quietly.

“Of course, sir. If you’ll follow me.”

He led Namjoon back up the stairs, then stopped abruptly and turned to look at him. “Is there a problem?” Namjoon asked.

“No sir, merely a choice.” Doyoung held his arms out and smiled. “Would you like to begin with business -” he pointed to the right - “or pleasure?”

He pointed to the left and Namjoon suddenly understood. “I work before I play,” he replied.

Doyoung seemed pleased by this and led him into a large office. The walls were painted a soft green and devoid of the beach motif Namjoon had seen everywhere else. “Not a fan of the tropics?” he asked, gesturing to the walls.

“Sometimes we need solace from enjoyment, wouldn’t you agree?”

I’m not sure we enjoy the same things, Namjoon thought, but he just looked around the rest of the room. “I didn’t notice these when I came in,” he said, nodding at a large set of windows that overlooked the main lounge.

“They’re disguised as part of the mural,” Doyoung replied, perching on the edge of his desk. “In this line of work, it’s necessary to keep a close eye on things.”

Namjoon turned away from the windows. “And you find this line of work… profitable?”

Doyoung laughed. “Extremely. This is a foolproof business: the demand never decreases, while the supply is nearly endless. No one loses.”

I could think of a few losers. “How much do you clear a month?”

“Anywhere between three hundred to four hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”

Namjoon couldn’t keep the shock from showing on his face. “A month?!”

“Like I said, Mr. Kim; it’s a foolproof business.”


******


“Is everything okay, Jungkook?” Jimin asked.

“Yeah, I’ve never known you to randomly call meetings in the middle of the night,” Taehyung said.

“Especially without Namjoon,” Hoseok added.

“That’s why I called the meeting,” Jungkook said, scanning the room. “Where’s Jin?”

“On his way,” Yoongi replied. “Just tell us what’s going on so we can go to bed.”

Jungkook pulled his knees into his chest and laced his fingers together. “I’m not really sure how to start.”

“At the beginning, preferably,” Tae grumbled.

Hoseok elbowed him and nodded at Jungkook. “We’re listening, Kookie.”

Jungkook took a deep breath. “It’s about Namjoon. You all know how weird he’s been acting.”

“He’s just under a lot of pressure,” Hoseok said immediately.

“Shh!” Yoongi snapped.

“It’s not just that,” Jungkook continued. “I overheard something the other night, in our dressing room. Namjoon was having a weird conversation with a man I didn’t recognize.”

“On the phone?”

Jungkook shook his head. “He was in the dressing room.”

Everyone sat up a little. “Maybe it was a staff member or something,” Jimin guessed.

“That’s what I thought, until Namjoon said he didn’t want us to know the man had been there.”

Yoongi frowned. “Why wouldn’t he want us to know?” he wondered.

“What did the guy say?” Hoseok prodded.

“He said he was looking forward to Namjoon’s visit at someplace called the Sun Room, and that he would be happy to supply him with… something.”

The door opened and Jin came into the room. “Sorry I’m late,” he apologized, sitting between Jimin and Hoseok. “What’d I miss?”

“Jungkook overheard Namjoon talking with someone about something called the Sun Room,” Hoseok replied.

“In our dressing room,” Tae added.

Jin raised an eyebrow. “Someone came into our dressing room to talk to Namjoon?” he repeated.

Jungkook nodded. “And Namjoon said he didn’t want us to know about it.”

An odd look crossed Jin’s face and he folded his arms. “Go on.”

“There wasn’t much else. Namjoon just said that he looked forward to accepting the man’s invitation tonight, then they both left.”

“And where exactly where you during all this?” Yoongi asked.

“Behind the changing screen. I ducked down so they wouldn’t see me.”

Jimin shook his head. “I’ve never heard of any Sun Room before. Besides, isn’t Namjoon meeting with Sejin all evening? Sejin wouldn’t let him just run off somewhere like that.”

“Unless he isn’t meeting with Sejin,” Jin mused.

“What are you saying, that Namjoon’s sneaking off somewhere and lying about it?” Yoongi demanded.

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Taehyung sniffed, “what with how weird he’s been acting.”

“That’s enough, Tae,” Jin said shortly. “We obviously don’t have all the information, so let’s not jump to any crazy conclusions.”

“I agree,” Hoseok said. “This is Namjoon we’re talking about, remember? He’s not that type of person.”

“Hold on a second,” Jimin interrupted, “Taehyung’s got a point too. Namjoon hasn’t been himself for weeks. We all assumed he was occupied with tour stuff, but now I… I don’t know.”

“So what, you think Namjoon’s a sneak and a liar?” Jin exclaimed.

“Don’t gang up on him,” Yoongi snapped.

“Oh, so now you’re on his side?” Taehyung said sarcastically.

“It’s better than the cold shoulder you’re giving everyone,” he shot back.

“Guys, let’s not-”

“No, let’s,” Taehyung said, swiftly getting to his feet. Yoongi got up too and they stood toe to toe before Hoseok leapt up and wedged himself between them. “What are you gonna do, fight?” he asked.

What is going on?! Jungkook wondered desperately. He never would have predicted them being at each other’s throats like this and it distressed him deeply. “Hoseok’s right,” he said, standing up slowly, “we shouldn’t fight. Namjoon wouldn’t want-”

“Namjoon’s obviously got other priorities over us, Jungkook!” Taehyung snarled. “He lets the managers do whatever they want, disappears at random times and now he’s sneaking off by himself, so excuse me if I don’t care what Namjoon wants!”

“That’s not true and you know it!” Jimin exclaimed. “You love Namjoon just as much as the rest of us, even if he’s acting weird right now. We all just need to calm down and think about this logically.”

“But there is no logic, Jimin,” Yoongi huffed. “Nothing has made any sense since we arrived in the States, and no one seems to care.”

His voice broke slightly and the feel of the room changed as he looked down at the floor. “I can’t keep going like this,” he whispered.

“Yoongi-”

Yoongi left the room abruptly and Jimin looked back at Taehyung. “Happy?” he asked.

“Jimin,” Jin said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s all just take some time and cool off. We can discuss this again later.”

They all left the room, but Jungkook sat stiffly on the floor and pulled his knees into his chest. That was a nightmare, he thought with a shudder.



******


Namjoon’s head was practically spinning as he followed Doyoung out of the office and across the catwalk to the “pleasure” side of the room. Four hundred and fifty thousand dollars a month?! How is that even possible?!

Doyoung pushed back a heavy curtain and led him into a large circular room. This one rather resembled the room in New York, except for the tropical colors on the walls and curtains. Namjoon could see a few other clients around the room, but they were sprawled on couches hidden by gossamer curtains and never looked at him twice.

“Would you like a selection, or do you have a particular item in mind?” Doyoung asked ingratiatingly.

“I'd like to see what you have,” he replied, taking a seat on an empty couch.

Doyoung snapped his fingers and soon a procession of young girls emerged from a hallway, all wearing bikinis and loosely tied sarongs. None of them looked a day over fifteen and Namjoon almost shook his head in disbelief. News of my preferences must have traveled from New York, he surmised.

His expression must have changed because Doyoung took a step forward. “Is this not acceptable?” he asked.

You idiot, he thinks you're unhappy! Think of something!

An idea came to him and he waved Doyoung over. “They're lovely, it's just… well, I'm in the mood for a different type of service tonight,” he whispered.

Doyoung nodded understandingly and sent the girls away with a wave. “I'll have our most profitable one sent to our best room, since you're so keen about our little operation. Please, follow me.”

He led him down the hallway to the last room and unlocked the door with a tiny gold key. Inside was a luxurious suite, complete with a bar and a crisply made bed piled high with pillows. “Please make yourself comfortable,” Doyoung said. “It will only be a moment.”

Namjoon went inside and the door closed behind him with a snap. Okay Namjoon, how are you going to fake your way out of this one?

If his previous selection had been noted, it was likely that what had - or had not - transpired was also noted. I can't play the same card twice, he realized.

He was still thinking when there was a polite tap on the door. “Come in,” he called, shoving his anxiety away.

A young man came in and bowed respectfully. “Good evening, sir,” he murmured. “My name is Woohyun. Is everything to your satisfaction?”

He clasped his hands behind his back and Namjoon realized he was referring to himself. “Yes,” he said hastily.

“Would you prefer to wash, sir?”

“No, I'm-I’m fine,” Namjoon stammered. “Come in, please.”

Woohyun closed the door and stepped into the room. He was very handsome, with rugged features and a tall, lithe body that peeked out from his half-buttoned shirt. He wore a little makeup, but it only accentuated his dark lashes and large brown eyes. I see why Doyoung considers him valuable, Namjoon thought to himself.

“Are you nervous, sir?” Woohyun asked, taking a step forward. “Perhaps a drink would help?”

“Yes,” Namjoon said in relief, “a drink would be great.”

Woohyun went behind the bar and Namjoon glanced at his watch. I just have to kill thirty minutes or so, he thought.

“Would you like a cocktail, sir? I'm a trained bartender,” Woohyun said.

“Uh… a martini, I guess.”

Woohyun started pulling out ingredients and Namjoon watched in fascination as he tossed and flipped and spun things until he had two perfect martinis ready on the counter. “Here you are, sir,” he said, dropping in olives before handing a glass to Namjoon.

Namjoon barely tasted it as it went down, but it was probably the best martini he'd ever had. “How did you learn to do that?” he asked.

“I… I trained for several weeks in a very upscale bar,” Woohyun said as he put everything back. “I was their best performing bartender.”

“I can see that,” Namjoon replied. He detected a small tremor in Woohyun’s hand as he downed his drink in one gulp, but Woohyun didn't elaborate any further. “Is there anything else I can do to make you more… comfortable?” he asked.

“Well, I…”

Think, Namjoon!

“Would you massage my shoulders?” he blurted out. “I've just been so… so tense lately.”

Woohyun nodded and Namjoon shed his jacket before sitting down in a chair.

“Would you like me to remove your shirt?” Woohyun asked.

“No, I'm fine,” Namjoon assured him, so he set to work kneading the muscles in Namjoon’s shoulders. “That feels great,” Namjoon said truthfully.

“A celebrity like you must experience a lot of stress,” Woohyun replied.

“You know me?”

“Of course, sir. I own two of your albums.”

Namjoon didn't quite know what to say. “Which two?” he asked finally.

“Wings and The Most Beautiful Moment. I even got your picture in the album package.”

Namjoon felt weirdly uncomfortable, but he didn't know if it was due to the conversation or the persistent way Woohyun was rubbing his knotty muscles. “Do you have a favorite track?” he grunted.

Woohyun hesitated. “I Need U really speaks to me,” he said quietly. He didn't offer any more details and Namjoon wondered if he had hit a nerve. “I'm glad you're a fan,” he attempted. “Would you like an autograph while I'm here?”

“We're not permitted, sir.”

“Of course,” Namjoon said, mentally kicking himself. Stay focused!

Woohyun moved onto his neck and Namjoon let out an audible groan. “I didn't realize how badly I needed this,” he mumbled.

“If you lay on the bed, I can-”

“No, no, I'm fine here,” he said hastily. “Where are you from?”

“Incheon,” he replied, “but I came here two years ago. I like Miami; it never gets cold here the way it did back home.”

Despite his words Namjoon could hear a trace of homesickness in Woohyun's voice. “I'm from Sango-dong,” he offered.

“I've never been to Seoul,” Woohyun replied. “What's it like?”

“It's the best city in the world,” Namjoon said proudly. “So many new things are happening there at any given moment, and you feel like you can become anything you want to be.”

The pressure on his neck lessened and he glanced back to see Woohyun swipe at his cheek with one hand. Is he crying? Namjoon wondered.

“It sounds nice,” Woohyun murmured, going back to his task.

“It is,” he said lamely. He got up suddenly and stretched his arms out, then turned to face Woohyun. “Thanks for that. How about another one of those delicious martinis?”

Woohyun's face brightened and he willingly went back to the bar as Namjoon checked his watch again. Still have some time, he mused. He watched Woohyun toss the shaker into the air and catch it behind his back. Maybe I can have a little fun.


******


Hoseok let out a sigh of exasperation as his call went to Namjoon's voicemail again and he hung up in defeat. Where could he possibly be at this hour? he wondered for the hundredth time.

He thought about Jungkook’s disaster of a meeting and sighed again. For a minute I thought Yoongi would punch Taehyung, he thought. We can't possibly maintain this for much longer without someone getting a black eye.

The elevator door opened and he sat up hopefully, but it was just a bellboy with a room service cart. Hoseok gave him a polite smile and sat down cross-legged in front of Namjoon's door. I'm getting an explanation out of him, one way or another, he thought determinedly.

After nearly twenty minutes of waiting the elevator doors opened and Namjoon stumbled out into the hallway. “Finally!” Hoseok exclaimed. “What kept you out so late?”

Namjoon just laughed and wagged his finger at him. “Funny,” he giggled, “very funny guy.”

“Are you okay?” he asked as he got up. Namjoon lurched forward and Hoseok caught him with some difficulty. “Whoa, someone's had a bit to drink, haven't they?” he grunted as the smell of vodka hit him.

“I drank a lot,” Namjoon stated happily.

“Come on then,” Hoseok said, lugging him to the door. “I can't believe Sejin let you do this.”

“Sejin? Who's that?” Namjoon asked.

“Don't worry about it,” Hoseok sighed. He helped Namjoon lay on the bed and pulled his shoes off while Namjoon stared at the ceiling. He started mumbling to himself in a strange mixture of Korean and English that sounded like gibberish and Hoseok shook his head. No one's getting a straight answer out of him tonight, he thought ruefully.

He pulled a blanket over Namjoon and set a bottled water on the nightstand. “You're gonna be in bad shape tomorrow,” he murmured.

“We had rum too,” Namjoon announced sleepily.

“I'm sure you did,” Hoseok said soothingly. “See you tomorrow, Joon.”

He left Namjoon's suite and tried to shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach. Could Jungkook be right? he wondered. Is Namjoon keeping secrets from us after all?

Notes