An Echo In The Forrest [3] || Vkook

41

"Ok, people," Minho bit out through clenched jaws, "this is it. This is were we put our foot down."
They were about to go out to an ocean of journalists, reporters, media outlets, everyone and their cousin twice removed.
The legislation probe had lead to a bill so poorly worded it couldn't get off the ground, which they all knew was on purpose.
The government hadn't wanted to bury it in committee because of the ruckus from the LGBTQ+ community that'd been energised by everything leading up to this, 'The Team Dick Movement', as it was called, informally, among Team Dick, privately, when nobody heard them, but that didn't stop the government from washing their hands with the issue when it didn't pass, giving a weak, 'We did what we could, but, alas.'-excuse, that didn't fool anybody.
Taehyung and Jungkook stood off to the side, arms around eachother. Tae let go of one of his hands and placed it on Jungkook's cheek, "What ever happens, it's you and me, baby." he assured Jungkook.
"Forever." Jungkook whispered.
"Forever." Tae nodded.

"Are you, one hundred percent, sure, you want to do this, my love?" Hobi took Minho's hands and searched his face, "Life will never be the same for you, and it's dangerous?"
Minho pulled him in an kissed him, in a more we're-home-alone-and-about-to-make-love kind of way than he normally would out in public, "I love you." he said very silently, "And I'll try to stay out of it as much as I can, you know that, but, if nothing else works?" he softly caressed Hobi's cheek, "I won't hesitate, and my parents and everyone we love are prepared and protected as well as can be, knock on wood." he kissed him again, "I just wish there was some way to keep you out of the fire, my love." he whispered, holding him close.
"You and me both." Hobi sighed and leaned in to him, "I wish I could protect you, my love."

Yoongi was pulling on his suit, feeling like he'd suffocate from his tie. He righted it.
Taehyung came and stood beside him.
"Are you wearing heels?" Yoongi hissed.
"No?" Tae answered, surprised at the question.
"Huh." Yoongi huffed, "You seem taller."
"Stop fidgeting." Taehyung said, forcefully prying Yoongi's hands of his collar and tie knot.
"God dammit," Yoongi whined, "why do we always have to look like a flipping boy band?" he fiddled with his tie again.
"Stop fidgeting!" Tae slapped his hand away, "And we're successful, young, men with a purpose." he helped Yoongi right his tie, "The tailor makes the man." Tae shrugged.
"Blah, blah, blah." Yoongi moped.
"OMG! Stop. Fidgeting!" Tae complained when Yoongi started working his pants, "You're not gonna get shot, Yoongi!"
"Oh?" Yoongi stopped, mid-motion, struck by insight, and exhaled, deeply, "Thank you." he turned to Tae, "I didn't." he shrugged.
Taehyung pulled him close with an arm around his shoulders and kissed him on the side of the head, "It's fine, Hyung." he comforted, "Just squeeze my hand if you can't calm down out there. Minho made sure it's a covered table."

"Good afternoon," Namjoon said, when they were all seated at the table and the still photographers had slowed their snapping a bit, "and welcome to this joint press conference. We have a lot to cover today so let me just start with introducing everyone up here," he turned to the two lawyers, "to my right we have Mr Kim and Mr Lee, our lawyers, who are here to answer any questions concerning the legislation sorrounding our projects. And to my left," he turned to Jin, "Kim Seokjin, Kim Taehyung, Min Yoongi, and lastly, two I don't think need any introductions, but, Jeon Jungkook and Jung Hoseok."
He took a sip of water and looked out over the room, "Some of us in this room and at this table are gay. Some of us are not." he stated, "In the history of mankind, this has always been the case. Just because you didn't know we were there, it didn't mean we weren't." he paused, "And that is all anyone up here with me, is going to say about this, ever again."
A gasp susurrated through the room, and Namjoon got a feeling he was seated infront of a big field of empty husks of grain, rustling in the wind.
He left the floor to Jin, "Kim Seokjin?" he said.
"Thank you, Kim Namjoon." Jin smiled, cooly, "Yesterday our hotline for LGTBQ+ youngsters and people needing to talk, surpassed one hundred thousand calls in the less than five months it's been operational, and that is not counting the prank, threat, and, what we've dubbed 'sling profanities at a counselor' ones." he didn't want to look at the audience, but he did it anyway, and since he had no lenses or glasses, on purpose, he couldn't really see them, "Considering that, and the fact our government put forward a bill so badly written, the assembly had no choice but to vote it down, it makes me truly worried for the young people of this country." he paused, "We will not let that deter us though. Today, Mr Kim and I, handed over fifty thousand signatures demanding the bill be retracted and go back to committee for another round, to be thoroughly thought through and put forward again, and, together with a couple of human rights and LGBTQ+ organisations we're suing the state for endagering the lives of children and violating the Convention on the Rights of the Child." he looked out over them again, "Children, should grow up with a lust for life. With excitement as to what the future holds for them. Not fear and dread." he ended his part.
"Kim Taehyung?" Namjoon promted.
"Thank you, Kim Namjoon." Tae took over, "As it stands today, personal integrity of those who pay to watch illegally obtained pornography, even child pornography, trumps the integrity and privacy of the exposed." Tae got upset just thinking about it, "The laws in this country and many more around the world does not support tracking the viewers and removing those clips from circulation. Min Yoongi and I, together with our lawyer Mr Lee, are launching an international initiative to change that. Min Yoongi?" he looked at Yoongi.
"Thank you, Kim Taehyung." Yoongi looked out over the crowd, some were taking notes like crazy, "We now have the technology to tag illegal clips and trace them, but as Kim Taehyung said, the laws won't let us. Not even when it comes to child pornography, which I think we call all agree, is a disgrace. We will be working closely with the UN, UNICEF and Interpol to change that, so children will have the chance to at least retract the images of the illegal abuse, and let's be honest, documentation of rape, purpetrated against them." he looked at Taehyung before turning to the audience again, "Eveyone should own their own moments, be they joyful or horrendous and be in charge of them."
"Jeon Jungkook?" Namjoon grabbed the baton before the room exploded.
"Thank you, Kim Namjoon." Jungkook swallowed, "This country has given me so many opportunities and I am forever grateful for all the hard work from the people behind my success. I'm proud of who I am and what I've achieved. I'm proud of my country. I want nothing more than to continue to contribute to it's greatness." he had more to say, but turned to Hobi, "Jung Hoseok?"
"Thank you, Jeon Jungkook." Hobi said and thought to himself, 'Here we go!'
"Jeon Jungkook and I have done everything in our power to be able to continue our journeys as active athletes in this country. A country we both love and owe our successes too." he paused, "However," he looked out over the sea of journalists, "this has proven to be impossible." the still-photographers started snapping away again, "after months of negotiations and and offers from our side to try to make it work, bending over backwards to make our new circumstances the least possible bother to everyone involved, and not getting any leeway what-so-ever as to accomodate our security demands, stated by the police, Government, and just common sense, we are still without practise arena." Hobi sighed, "Therefore, I'm sad to say, we have no choice but to leave the country and continue our careers elswhere. All of us at this table share one thing, we've all been offered, welcomed, to other countries to pursue our crafts and live our lives as full citizens. None of us want to take those offers, we want to stay here, but, we have to work with the choices we have." he looked at Jungkook.
"I hope I'll still get to represent our country in the upcoming events in the future," Jungkook took over, "a country, as I said, I love and am very proud of."
"We all," Hobi continued, "are lucky enough to have the possibility, the opportunity, to do this. Many people don't, and I, we, will not rest until every person in this country are free to pursue their dreams while being true to who they are and have their lives be respected, as all lives should be respected." he turned to Jungkook.
"All we wanted was to run and jump." Jungkook said, "Do you proud. You made us activists instead. And so be it. I still demand the right to be who I am and continue on as the athlete I was born to be. One day, hopefully, in this country, as well as abroad. Thank you."

'Uproar.' Taehyung thought. The whole room errupted and people were shouting questions at them, all at once, just as Minho had warned them they would. They all calmly, leaned back in their chairs and waited for the room to come to order. Just like they'd planned.
Every question about their sexualities, and there were a lot, they answered with a smile and a shake of their heads, flat out refusing to go there, just like they'd promised earlier.
At the end of it, Tae felt like a wrung out dish rag, having dodged, answered and mopped up more stinky questions than anyone should ever have to do in their lifetime.
And when he finally got to step into Jungkook's arms, when they'd gotten out of there and it was all quiet, still, calmness, he suddenly got the feeling of being part of history.
Having an impossible love so great, it caused a nation to war against itself and demand a change of ways.
And for the first time in forever he knew, change was gonna come.