Page 18 of Damian & Jun, Episodes 1-4 (The Residency Boys #6)

Jun had prepared for this. He took the microphone over from Jaewoong. “We were together when I realized what had happened. He offered to help.”

At that moment, the doors opened up and no less than five police officers, Bak Gyeong, and a few of his lackeys bustled into the room.

Yohei’s arm slid down Jun’s back out of view of the cameras and tightened on Jun’s waist. Damian stepped to the other side of the podium. Jun’s heart tripled in time.

Bak Gyeong glared across the room at Jun. “You! You’ve given me a heart attack, young man.”

Cameras flashed everywhere.

Jun froze.

Damian said something at Jun’s side, and Mi Hi was suddenly at the mic, telling the crowd to please let the police through. Fans and reporters alike stumbled back in surprise.

Each step Bak took closer made the buzzing in Jun’s ears louder. He couldn’t feel his legs. In moments, Bak’s entourage was clustered in front of the podium. The only thing that felt real was Damian’s chest behind his back.

Bak’s face was sweaty with two hot spots in his cheeks. He brushed at his loose jowls as he tried to shove past Damian, Yohei, and Geun to get to Jun. Richard casually strolled forward and held out his hand.

“Richard Reevesworth.”

Bak nearly swallowed his tongue. “Bak Gyeong.” He went on in Korean, glaring around. “What’s the meaning of this?”

Geun leanedforward. “You all right, boss?”

“Yeah.” Jaewoong cocked his head to the side. “You’re looking a little flushed. You should be resting.”

The spots in Bak’s cheeks darkened. He looked around, his eyes catching on Gigi, then Damian, and Richard again. “What’s the meaning of this? You can’t hold press conferences without my permission.”

“I held it,” Damian countered. “Jun was very worried that there was a false report out.”

“Jun can’t appear in press conferences without my permission. It’s in his contract.”

“Which contract?” Damian asked.

Bak blinked at Damian. “You speak Korean?”

Damian frowned. “I am speaking it.”

Bak shook himself. “The contract is between me and Jun. It’s not a matter of public conversation.”

Yun took that moment to step forward. “As Mr. Gang’s legal adviser, this is a contract I’d like to review. Please send a copy to my office.” He offered Bak his card.

Bak’s eyes blazed, He turned toward Jun. “You…you! We’re going back to headquarters now.”

“No,” Jun said. Damian was still holding him, Su-jin was tucked into his side, and Geun and Yohei had stepped into place on either side of him. Bak’s goons had crowded in, but no one was touching him.

“You can’t say no,” Bak hissed, looking around. It was obvious he wanted to say more, but the room was going quiet, everyone picking up that there was a showdown going down. There were multiple phones being held up, recording the entire thing

“No,” Jun said. “I’m not going back to headquarters with you. We don’t have a performance or a recording scheduled.”

Bak practically panted. He turned toward the police with him, pasting on a smile. “As you can see, Mr. Gang is going through an episode. Please help me get him home so I can get him help.”

“Do you have proof that Mr. Gang is not of sound mind?” Mr. Yun said, right as one of the police officers stepped forward.

“How can there be more proof than him being missing?”

“I was never missing,” Jun heard himself say as if from far away.

Damian spoke. “It seems to me that Mr. Bak is the one who seems more out of touch than Gang Junseo. We’ve all been with Mr. Gang for hours, and he’s shown no signs of being in distress.”

Bak sputtered.

Jun swallowed and squared his shoulders. This had certainly been one outcome of this press conference. “Uncle Bak, please go.”

The room buzzed. Bak looked between Jun and the crowd and back to Jun. The police were frozen in the middle.

Bak bellowed, “Have you been drinking? Who are these friends of yours? I told you to be careful what company you kept.”

Jun closed his eyes for a moment and then shook his head. He turned to Damian. This was over. All the signs of one of Bak’s explosions were present. Bak would bring down the roof any minute. That was not publicity he wanted to be a part of. Su-jin was already shaking, face pale.

“We need to end this.” Jun turned to Damian. “Can you, please?”

Damian signaled to the hotel assistant. “Close the conference, please.”

She nodded and went to the microphone, apologizing and asking everyone to leave. He tucked an arm around Jun, pulling him away from Bak and toward the door to the green room. Jun went willingly, keeping a hand on Su-jin as well.

One of the police officers followed, tapping Jun on the shoulder. “We need to speak to you.”

Jun shook his head.

“We just have to talk to you alone, to make sure you’re not under duress.”

Jun looked to Damian. Was there any way out of this?

Damian grimaced. He nodded to the police officer and pointed to the green room. The noise around them was rising as the fans and reporters were speaking animatedly to each other, trying to understand what was happening.

Jun looked back. Two of Bak’s goons were speaking with reporters, delivering messages with very sure demeanors.

As he went through the doors, he caught Mi Hi’s eye. “Can you find out what they’re saying?”

She nodded. “Can I counter it?”

“You speak for me.” He nodded.

She grinned and ducked back out of the green room into the crowd.

The door closed, leaving all the members of 5N, Damian, Richard, Mr. Yun, and two police officers inside. One breath later and the door jerked open, Bak cramming himself through, followed by two goons.

Jun made both of his hands into fists.

Mr. Yun appeared right beside him. “Don’t say anything. Be calm.”

Jun gave him a jerky nod and turned away, giving Bak his back. Richard caught his eye. The man nodded in approval, and Jun’s chest opened up, letting him breathe. Damn, Damian was not kidding about what his dom could do.

Mung had appeared at Richard’s side. She was translating.

“All of you are coming back to headquarters. This is a rebellion,” Bak bellowed, stepping toward Su-jin.

Yohei smoothly moved Su-jin behind him, stepping in front of Bak.

Mr. Yun wiggled his way forward. “Mr. Bak, could you please explain how this is a rebellion?”

Bak sputtered. “This isn’t your problem. Get out. This is between me and my talent.”

“Actually, this is between me and you.” Yun pushed his glasses back up his nose. “I represent Gang Junseo, who you seem to have the most issue with.”

“Jun doesn’t have a lawyer.”

“I assure you he does. Me.” Mr. Yun rocked back and forth on his feet, stimming.

“He’s fuck sure not paying you, so who do you really work for?”

“The nature of payment between myself and Mr. Gang is not a topic open for discussion.”

Damian stepped around Jun, still holding him, and damn, it was grounding to feel Damian’s thick hands gripping his arms. “Forgive me, Mr. Yun, but this is very interesting. Exactly how would Mr. Bak have reason to presume that Jun couldn’t be paying? Mr. Gang is a very successful idol.”

Bak blinked.

“Please enlighten us.” Damian applied pressure, his tone mocking. “Are you privy to all of Jun’s bank accounts? Do you know how he spends his money? Surely there are parts of his life that are not under your purview as his professional manager.”

The world seemed to be moving in slow motion . If only someone had told me exactly how strange it was that Bak had so much control of my life.

“I—” Bak looked left and right and zeroed in on Mr. Yun. “I might not know everything he does, but I know how much he gets paid. You better hope someone else is paying you because, otherwise, you’ll be as shit out of luck as his other creditors.”

Damian laughed, like a shield, throwing the lie back across the room. The sound cracked something inside of Jun, making him unfurl inside his chest. “That seems unlikely. 5N is a highly profitable group. Their last world tour was sold out. The only thing that would sink 5N now is bad management.”

Sweat stood out on Bak’s brow, and his eyes tightened in fury. “And who are you?”

Damian smirked. “A friend. And an international contract lawyer. I work with Reevesworth Industries. That watch you’re wearing probably came in on one of our cargo carriers.”

Bak’s nostrils flared. “Jun, tell your friend to stay out of our business.”

“Tell me who owns SP4700Y,” Jun said, softly but clearly.

“That is confidential business knowledge.”

“Until I have all the information on my contracts, who owns my contracts, and where the money is going and coming from, I’m not setting foot in BBB3.

” Jun drew up to his full height. “I won’t be making any appearances or keeping any commitments made through BBB3 until this information is made available to me and my legal representatives. ”

Bak tried to laugh. But there was an edge of panic in his eyes.

“Consider that the same for me,” Yohei said, crossing his arms. “Last quarter's earnings seemed rather slim, don’t you think?”

“Yep. Count me in.” Jaewoong pointed at himself.

Geun crossed his arms and grunted, shifting his feet to stand firmly with Jaewoong.

“Then I guess Su-jin will just have to carry your asses until you get them out of your rears.”

“No.” Su-jin stuck his head out from behind Yohei. “Jun’s the boss. If he’s out, I’m out.”

“None of you can afford the lawsuit you’re courting,” Bak hissed. “You’ll be paupers when you’re seventy.”

“Mr. Gang and his fellow band members are asking for reasonable legal confirmation of their responsibilities, Mr. Bak,” Yun said. “They’ve been kind enough to make this request verbal. But if you would like to see them in court, we are quite happy to make the request formal.”

“Unless there are no contracts?” Damian murmured.

Bak blanched. “There are contracts!”

“Then prove it.” Damian’s voice was as dark and smooth as a coil of old-fashioned licorice. “You can send them to Mr. Yun’s office. Until then, none of us want anything to do with you.”

“You—you don’t speak for them.”

“ You don’t deserve to speak to us,” Geun said.

His eyes were heavily lidded, and he looked more dangerous now than when their makeup artists had tried to dress him as the worst of the bad boys.

He looked…like a predator. The veins were standing out on the backs of his arms, and his shoulders were loose.

It was as angry as Jun had ever seen their quiet, laid-back vocalist.

Bak gaped.

“We’re done.” Damian put a hand on Jun’s shoulder.

The police sputtered.

Jun’s lip lifted in a snarl. “I’m going to guess Bak is the one who told you I was missing.”

“We still have to go through the procedures.”

“Two minutes,” Jun snapped. “I’ll talk to you out in the hallway, alone, for two minutes. Bak can’t be there.”

Damian gave Jun a nod. If he wasn’t so angry, Jun wasn’t sure he could have let go of Damian’s hand and walked out into the hall.

Two of the police officers followed.

Jun spun around to face them. “So, what do I need to sign so you know I’m not missing officially?”

They ignored him, reaching for his arms. “Mr. Gang, you’re under arrest for destruction of company property.”