Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"…this is the chairman of the Northwestern Songwriters Guild…"

"This is—"

"Turn this way, please!"

"Can you step more to the left—"

"May I introduce Mister—"

"Yah," Seokjin bleated under his breath before he turned towards the flurry of flashes and faces. He smiled, first strained, then genuinely when Taehyung and Jungkook popped up in front of him and formed a heart with their combined hands. Jimin flashed a "V" sign next to Taehyung. The crowd responded with a smattering of chuckles.

Namjoon nodded—to acknowledge one more polite yet brisk request to turn another way and in agreement with his hyung. The corner of his left eye twitched. The barrage of camera flashes burned his eyes. His contact lens sat gummy and thick. He mentally noted to remind everyone to use eye drops after the cameras were gone.

The esteemed Golden Note Hall's grand reopening lured media coverage from all over. The music hall marked its two-hundredth anniversary with a week of shows and displays.

"Over here, please, BTS!" Someone didn't wait for them to respond. The roar of snapping and clicking cameras drowned out the next introduction.

Uh oh. Namjoon carefully inserted a shoulder between Jimin and Hoseok as he stepped forward, his hand out to offer a handshake. He caught the flinch Hoseok couldn't stifle. The name went by too quickly, drowned out by camera clicks and voices. The microphone shoved towards Hoseok also meant there was no chance to ask for a repeat of the name.

Jimin aimed at Namjoon with a relieved smile as he slipped past him. He stepped to the side. Hoseok hopped back as well, a little too quickly, but he covered it with a cute and enthusiastic, "Our leader, Kim Namjoon!"

Crap. Namjoon winced inwardly.

The hall invited a lot of talent. The media frenzy was not a surprise. But BTS's invitation to perform was to everyone, including themselves. And some found K-pop puzzling. After exchanging text messages with the studio yesterday, they opted to introduce each other with the Westernized names.

Namjoon took Hoseok's lead, though. He introduced the others the same way. And the wide-eyed, "Oh shit" look Hoseok tried to hide retreated. Poor Hoba.

"Namjoon," Hoseok murmured. His shoulder bumped against Namjoon's arm as he shuffled close for a group photo. He settled a hand on Namjoon's lower back. "Sorry, bro."

"It's okay," Namjoon said out of the corner of his smile. Another reporter asked Jungkook (whom he called Junk-kook) to look this way for a photo. And…

Snap snap snap!

"Great!" someone from somewhere shouted. "BTS, move this way, please!"

"Great!" Seokjin repeated with cheer. His knuckles knocked against Namjoon's hand. He grasped two of Namjoon's fingers, briefly but desperately, before a moderator prodded him to move along. His grip slipped off as the red carpet staff herded the members to yet another reporter.

"Over here. This way."

"Stop here for a second. One more photo!"

Snap snap snap!

"Thank you," Namjoon called out. He glanced behind him; their poor staff with their own equipment struggled to keep up. But every time he slowed his steps, someone else armed with a clipboard and a walkie-talkie hurried him and his members along.

An event coordinator huffed as he ushered the members down the carpet and towards the next reporter.

"Look this way!"

"Can you boys stand more to the—"

"BTS, this is Mister…"

"That was harder than dance practice!"

Jungkook punctuated it with a belly flop onto Jimin's bed.

"Hey!" Jimin complained as he bounced off the bed. He hopped up to his feet before he did his own belly flop onto the carpet.

Behind a camera, one director chuckled.

"Okay, let's wrap up for today," Sejin announced. He shook hands with the directors as they filed out of the room. They filmed in Hoseok and Jimin's room. Before they flew into the United States, Hoseok and Jimin drew the largest suite. The two crowed about their victory all the way to Los Angeles's LAX.

Sejin waited until the last of the camera crew left. He sat down on the sole chair in the room across from Namjoon's perch on the bed. He considered Namjoon with an arched eyebrow.

Namjoon wished he could hide behind Seokjin and Yoongi, but the hyungs made themselves comfortable sitting stretched out on the other bed.

"I thought we decided on the Westernized style." There was no reproach in Sejin's voice. Namjoon fidgeted all the same.

Hoseok squirmed on his spot on the carpet by Namjoon's feet. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry," Namjoon jumped in. "I thought it was better if we were consistent." He nudged Hoseok with a socked foot from behind.

Hoseok's mouth snapped shut.

"We used our Korean names during the tour," Namjoon said hastily. "And Army's been chanting our names as—"

"Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi…" Jimin and Taehyung sang out. They didn't finish after Seokjin's well-aimed balled sock bounced off the top of Taehyung's head.

"This was your idea," Sejin said slowly. Sejin arched an eyebrow at Hoseok.

"Yes, sir," Namjoon said. His foot tapped Hoseok again when Hoseok opened his mouth. He squeaked. Oops.

"It was my idea," Namjoon said, louder. "I'm sorry I didn't let everybody know. It was…a last-minute decision."

"Hm," Sejin said. "Very well. I see your reasoning. I'll let the studio know."

"There's going to be a lot of media coverage on us," Namjoon added. "I'm sure how we're introduced is the last thing they're focused on." Or at the very least, it was at the bottom of a list of grievances against a K-pop group performing at an American opening ceremony for the renovated music hall.

Sejin made a face. "True enough."

"The media will find something else more disagreeable," Yoongi muttered. He pulled at the collar of his well-worn blue-gray t-shirt. He had griped about their shirts' themes; they were for American groups none of them were familiar with.

Sejin shot Namjoon a warning look. Namjoon grimaced. He nodded, a lump back in his throat.

"We're here for four days. We'll show them tomorrow why they invited BTS," Namjoon declared. Behind Sejin, Jimin and Jungkook made fighting signs in agreement.

Sejin smiled faintly. "We know you boys will." He clapped his hands over his knees as he rose.

"There is a buffet-style dinner offered tonight for all the guests. The stylists will be here in an hour to help you boys get ready. Meet us at the staff suites by the elevators."

"Thanks, Sejin-hyung!" the younger members chorused.

As soon as Sejin left, all eyes were on Namjoon.

"Joonie," Hoseok mumbled.

"It was a good idea, Hoba," Namjoon said before Hoseok continued.

"Rapmon-hyung is right," Jungkook added. "He's right about Army. We should keep our names the way they are."

"I don't see why we changed them in the first place," Yoongi grumbled.

"Yoongi," Namjoon started.

Shrewd eyes slid over to Namjoon.

"I know, I know," Yoongi sighed. He scrubbed the top of his hair. "At least we got to dye our hair back to black for this."

"But hyung," Jimin teased. "You looked cute in dyed hair."

Seokjin threw his other sock at Jimin.

"That's what you said about me, punk!"

Namjoon snickered as Jimin pretended to gag and die from Seokjin's sock.

"Namjoon-ah," Hoseok murmured.

"It's fine." Namjoon reassured Hoseok. "It's what we should have decided on."

Namjoon curled his left hand over his knee. He should have insisted. Then his members wouldn't have struggled on the red carpet.

Not that they stopped long enough to offer introductions or interviews. The event warranted a range of guests from music to television. It meant a concentration of media from all interests.

"I would have forgotten, too," Jimin jumped in. He pretended to sway left and right. "All those names. And cameras!"

There was a camera everywhere. Their vehicle almost struck an overzealous reporter upon their arrival. The man had jumped into the car's path to shove his camera close to get a photo of the passengers. Thank goodness for tinted windows.

"Even Music Bank wasn't this crazy," Seokjin agreed. "I almost forgot my name."

"Which version?" Jungkook asked with a grin.

"Both!"

"Stick with what we know and what Army knows." Namjoon pointed to himself. "Kim Namjoon."

"Rap Monster!" Jungkook hyped.

"No fair, I want to be Rap Monster!" Taehyung snickered. He ducked when a sock flew towards him.

"I'll be Jung Hoseok, dance leader!" Jimin cackled. A sock flopped on top of his head.

"Gross!"

"Stop throwing my socks!" Seokjin complained. He squawked when far too many socks flew at him. "I only want mine back!"

"I'll get all your favorites."

Jungkook confiscated the plate from Namjoon's grip. He grinned—a cheeky but also an unconvincing one—as he veered around Namjoon. He made a wide berth around an incoming producer who elbowed through to introduce his female companion to Namjoon.

"Wait—" Too late, Jungkook was halfway down the row of hot foods, tongs in one hand, Namjoon's plate in the other.

Namjoon grimaced, but he quickly smiled at the newcomers. He gestured towards the food and shrugged.

"I told the committee maybe we should have included some Chinese food," the woman giggled.

"I guess you boys don't see this kind of food in Korea, huh?" the man laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.

His smile hung wrong on his face, but Namjoon chuckled in return.

"No, I guess not, sir."

Namjoon's face felt stiff and numb by the time he reached their assigned tables. The two round tables were on the far side of the ballroom. Sejin was at the other table, deep in discussion with the staff sharing the space. But he glanced up when Namjoon squeezed past.

"They saved you a plate." Sejin looked amused.

Actually, it looked like they saved Namjoon three plates.

"Namjoon-ah." Yoongi gestured to the empty seat between him and Seokjin. "What took you so long?"

"Jungkook," Namjoon groaned. "Did you forget about our stage tomorrow? I can't eat all this."

"People kept jumping out to say hi," Jimin chortled from across the table. His plate held what looked like a dry green salad and a white sliver of fish. "He kept heading for the food so they couldn't talk to him."

"Jimin, that's all you got? Here, take some of this." Yoongi pointed to the trio of dishes with his fork. "Namjoon can't eat it all."

Namjoon raised an eyebrow at Jungkook. The youngest flushed.

"They thought JK didn't see them." Hoseok gestured with a half-eaten hamburger. "Not that he was avoiding them."

"All I understood was 'hello'," Jungkook mumbled.

"Stay next to me," Namjoon sighed. He dropped into his seat. He wasn't hungry. His insides churned too much. "I'll translate. You know I will. Don't worry about your answers."

Namjoon directed the last part to the rest of the table. He paused.

"Where's Taehyung?" There was an empty seat between Jimin and Jungkook. He stood up; his heart pounded as he scanned the room. Where did he go? Damn it, he should have kept track—there!

Taehyung was by the crepes station. The younger held his plate with both hands. He stared with round eyes at the griddle as the chef made a pale yellow circle with his spatula.

"Namjoon, your food is going to get cold," Seokjin pointed out as Namjoon pulled his chair back.

Namjoon's stomach twisted, more at the distance than hunger. He clapped Hoseok's shoulder when the dancer rose as well.

"I'll get him," Namjoon said. "Go eat."

"Namjoon-ah," Hoseok protested.

"I want a crepe, too," Namjoon said. He shrugged at the collective eyebrows that shot up. "They're good."

Namjoon didn't wait for a reply. He steered straight for where he spotted Taehyung.

Taehyung wasn't looking at the crepes anymore.

The younger member nodded to a broad-shouldered man who stood a head taller than him. It was clear it was to be polite and not in comprehension. He glanced around; his eyes locked with Namjoon's when he spotted him.

Shit. Namjoon had to stop to return handshakes and dispense respectful greetings. He kept his eyes on the young vocalist, though. He couldn't push past people. He wanted to. The distance between him and Taehyung yawned wider the longer he stood there. But there were too many eyes; too many smartphones up in the air. Too many would notice the leader of BTS darting across the room to fetch a member like a wayward child.

"Hyung," Taehyung blurted out when Namjoon reached him, at last. "He's Jonah Simmons."

Taehyung slipped into Korean despite his insistence to practice his English during their flight. But it wasn't panic in his voice. And Namjoon recognized the dark blonde and blue-eyed features before Taehyung said his name. The man now sported a clean-shaved look instead of his character's gristly stubble on his square jaw. They knew him from the American police show Badges. Jonah Simmons was recognizable even without his character's leather jacket and the badge.

"Sir, how are you?"

When Namjoon thought no one was looking, he surreptitiously scrubbed his palms down his black jeans.

Namjoon offered a hand as he hopped the last bit of distance to Taehyung. Taehyung sidled up so close, their elbows knocked together. "Congratulations on your single."

The small Netflix screen on Yoongi's laptop hinted at the actor's stature. In person, though, Jonah Simmons appeared larger than life. He seemed to tower over both him and Taehyung.

"Sir?" Simmons said—boomed, really. Simmons was loud enough that others nearby looked up.

"Is this your way of being polite, or am I getting that old?" Simmons's eyebrows went up and down.

Namjoon flushed. "No, no, not old. A lot of mad respect." He rubbed the back of his neck and offered a sheepish smile. "We watched your show Badges a lot on Netflix."

"Hah! That's right, it's on Netflix with subtitles now." Simmons winked at them. "I hope you boys weren't trying to learn English off of that. Some of the language got us in a lot of trouble back in the day."

Taehyung snickered. This much, he understood. He pretended to cover his ears.

Simmons chuckled and gave Taehyung a light slap on the arm.

"We were sad to hear you left the show. We don't get a lot of your new movies in Korea," Namjoon went on. "But we're excited when we heard about your collab with Freeza."

"Your rap—" Taehyung struggled to say. Finally, he gave two thumbs up.

Namjoon nodded. "It was an impressive debut." The single stayed within the top hundred in the billboards charts for three weeks.

"You make one album?" Taehyung tried again in English. Namjoon wanted to hug the younger for his efforts, but embarrassing him could wait until tonight.

"One album?" Simmons repeated. He flashed his patented toothy grin, the one Namjoon read online viewers named it Simmons's toothpaste smile. "Well, I hope to. Maybe even as many as you guys. How many is it now? One? Two?"

"Three," Taehyung said. Namjoon didn't have the heart to nudge him. It wasn't nice to boast, but Taehyung sounded so proud.

"Ha! No wonder you boys went on tour. Heard it was a blowout." Simmons mimed clapping. "Glad you made it to this."

"Thank you." Namjoon laughed nervously. He poked Taehyung's side when the other smirked. The vocalist enjoyed Namjoon's fluster a little too much.

"Are you boys liking the festivities?" Simmons glanced to his left and right. "No one's giving you guys any flack?"

It took Namjoon a beat to translate what 'flack' meant. He shook his head.

"No, everybody's been kind. It's been great."

"Good." Simmons nodded. "I'm more than happy to send another tweet, you know." He winked. "They did not know me to be polite when I was on television. I see no point now as a musician."

Namjoon blushed, unsure of how to thank Simmons properly for what he had done. He kicked himself mentally for not considering the possibility of running into the author of the tweet. It had publicly supported BTS's invitation. In less than an hour, the tweet garnered half a million retweets. It was such a big deal that KBS even mentioned it on their evening news before their departure to the United States.

Fortunately, Simmons didn't notice the awkward silence. He flung an arm across Taehyung's shoulders.

"So," Simmons drawled as he squeezed Taehyung against him. Taehyung squeaked even as he beamed at Namjoon from under Simmons's arm. "Sad I left the show, huh? You? Were you sad, too?" He clapped Taehyung's shoulder before he departed, promising to see them again soon.

Namjoon resisted grinning at Taehyung's glee as he followed the younger back to their table.

"I met Jonah Simmons!" Taehyung whispered excitedly.

Chairs creaked as Jimin and Hoseok leaned in.

"From the show?" Jungkook asked. His eyes widened when Taehyung's head bobbed.

"You met him? What did he say?" Hoseok demanded.

Jimin craned his neck to see. "He's here?"

"His single is still in the American charts," Yoongi pointed out. Despite his nonplussed expression, the rapper leaned in as well.

Namjoon's eyes darted left and right. No one seemed to have noticed. Yet.

"Guys, wait until we're upstairs," Namjoon murmured. He felt a pang when they slumped back into their seats.

"There was lobster, too," Taehyung said suddenly.

Seokjin perked up. "Where?"

And just like that, food took over the news about Jonah Simmons. Namjoon felt a pang when he saw Hoseok and Yoongi trying not to look for Simmons.