Three.
Three.
Jeongguk, despite the urgency swirling around him, remained frustratingly detached. He operated on a strict schedule, prioritizing sleep whenever possible. Twitter was a distant realm, a world he rarely bothered to open.
Namjoon and Hoseok, however, were immersed in the digital maelstrom. They monitored the unfolding situation, but hesitated to disturb Yoongi, knowing he was deeply engrossed in composing new music.
“Do you think he’s seen it?” Hoseok asked, concern etched on his face as he stared at his phone.
“If he had, he would have contacted us,” Namjoon replied, carefully archiving screenshots of the images and text messages. He then forwarded everything to Jeongguk.
Jeongguk finally reached out to his manager, a ritual of seeking permission before making any public statement.
???? Hey. ???? Hi Hyung, I think you know why I’m calling. ???? Yeah. ???? Should I tweet, or will you handle it? ???? Tell me first who this is, and if the pictures are genuine or fabricated.
???? They’re real. His name is Kim Taehyung. I haven’t spoken to him in years, I don’t know what he’s doing with his life. ???? He was close to you? Judging by the photos… ???? Yeah. He was my best friend.
???? I see. That complicates things. If it were a stranger, we could issue a statement to draw attention to him. ???? NO. I don’t want that. He’s undoubtedly suffering right now. ???? He shouldn’t have shown those pictures to anyone.
???? I know. It’s just… he’s a good person. I’m sure he didn’t intend for them to leak. The person who tweeted them stole them from his folder, literally.
???? I see. Do you want to sue the guy?
???? Is that possible?
???? We can consult our lawyers.
???? Hmm, yeah.
???? You’ve gone quiet. Is there something else?
???? Uh…
???? Do you think it’s a good idea to contact him? Pretend to be friends again? Maybe they’ll stop hating him, and it’ll be forgotten.
???? Like, you both meet, take a few pictures, announce you’ve been friends all along?
???? Yes. Would that be okay?
???? Of course. Everyone has friends. I don’t see a problem with having a non-idol friend. He’s a man, there’s no need to worry about that.
???? Perfect! Thanks, Hyung. And could you maybe find his number?
???? *Sighs* I’ll try. Now sleep. You have a busy day tomorrow.
???? I will. Goodnight, Hyung.
???? Goodnight, Guk.
Jeongguk couldn’t sleep. He scrolled through Twitter, a grim procession of images and hateful comments. He clicked on Taehyung’s account link, but as expected, it had been set to private. The idol saw the image and a small smile touched his lips. "Bunny." It was his nickname from years ago.
He saw a flood of death threats directed at his childhood friend. He had to do something, and soon.
Taehyung had fallen asleep with Jimin and Seokjin while watching a comedy film. Jimin had suggested it to distract him from the deluge of negativity, and it had worked surprisingly well.
They hadn't heard his phone vibrate with incoming messages and calls because he had silenced it.
Jin, needing to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, woke up and noticed Taehyung’s phone blinking incessantly.
“Hey, Tae,” the oldest gently shook the youngest’s shoulder. “Wake up. Someone’s trying to reach you.” Jin handed Taehyung the phone before a bathroom accident could happen.
Taehyung rubbed his eyes, squinting at the screen. A torrent of unknown numbers. Confused and tired, he opened the chat and threw the phone away as disturbing images flooded the screen.
Jimin woke up with a gasp. “Tae, are you okay?”
Jin returned to find his friends staring at the phone, but not touching it. “It’s possessed, isn’t it? It kept blinking.”
Seokjin knew what was happening. The new messages were appearing on the display first, before making space for the following.
Taehyung didn’t deserve this. He just wanted to be left alone. He wasn't interested in dating a colleague, it would only bring trouble.
Jimin had enough. He grabbed the phone, found the SIM card ejector tool tucked into the smartphone box under the table, and popped open the tray. “Time to get you a new number.” He shredded the old card with a pair of scissors.
Taehyung could only watch, relieved that all his pictures were safely stored on the phone, not on the card. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done that myself.”
“I know. We’re here for you,” he said. They embraced in a tight hug for at least three minutes, and Jin smiled.
None of them could sleep. They stayed awake and talked about everything and nothing. Eventually, Taehyung confided in them about Jeongguk and his own awakening.