Trusting (KTH)

Chapter 32

It was one week and several cities later when the other shoe dropped. It was hard to imagine what else could possibly go wrong. Oh but this was the biggest problem of all.

It was so bad this time that the managers didn't even come to tell Taehyung. They woke up Namjoon and assigned the job to him hoping it might be slightly easier if they heard it from a closer friend.

Namjoon was still asleep when the manager came into his room to shake him awake. After giving him a few minutes to get upright they told him the news. They offered to show him the evidence but Namjoon looked stricken and quickly declined. Hearing about it was bad enough, he really didn't need to see it first thing in the morning.

Namjoon rubbed his face before he asked the manager. "Can this wait at least until they wake up? It's not like anything is going to change between now and an hour from now. Let's give them a few last minutes of peace."

The manager begrudgingly agreed, leaving Namjoon to figure out what he was going to say to the couple. The idea of going back to sleep was an impossibility so Namjoon got ready for the day and headed to his parent's suite down the hall. This was one of those times he needed some advice and he really wasn't sure where to turn.

Sitting his mother and father down he told them the news. Both were initially shocked, unable to even formulate a response to what they had heard.

"Mom, dad, I need to tell Taehyung and Clara. How can I even do that?" Namjoon begged his parents for a magical solution to make this nightmare go away.

"Very carefully son. Very, very carefully." Namjoons father wanted to give better advice but was similarly at a loss for words. "There really is no good way to share this kind of information. Just know that at the end of the day we'll be there for them and for you trying to offer whatever you need to get through."

Namjoon just stared at them, shoulders slumped in defeat. "You know, I'm starting to feel guilty that we asked Clara to stay in Korea. I asked her because I wanted to fulfill my promise to Namsoo to watch over her but sometimes I wonder if I've done the opposite. Keeping her close only led her down this path. Maybe she would have been better off back in the United States."

"Namjoon-ah," his father came to sit next to him and pat him on the back. "I understand what you are saying. I'd be lying if I said I never had the same thoughts. But we both know this is where Clara belongs. Even if we decided now we did make the wrong decision it's not like we can change the past. If we could, your brother would still be with us and everything would be different. Maybe Clara's life was destined for hardship no matter where she lived and who she loved. We can never know. All we can know is that we are all at this spot now, and if we are serious about supporting her we need to do whatever it takes to get them through this."

Namjoon glumly nodded, then checked his watch. The managers left Namjoon with instructions that he had to let the couple know before their 9:30 gathering for breakfast in the main suite. Namjoon scoffed a bit thinking about it. The thought anyone was going to eat breakfast or proceed like business as usual after the news got out was clearly a fantasy.

Namjoon took a deep breath and made his way down the hall to Taehyung and Clara's room. Filled with dread he knocked firmly, hoping nobody would hear him.

Shortly after Clara answered the door holding the little tiger in her arms. "Oh, hi Namjoon. I wasn't expecting you. Would you like to come in?"

Namjoon gave a tight smile and nodded his head, making sure the door was shut tight behind him. "Clara, I need to talk to you and Taehyung for a minute, is he here?"

Clara looked confused. "Yes of course, he's just getting dressed. I can go and get him. Is something wrong?"

Namjoon couldn't bear to make eye contact. "Why don't you just get him and we can talk together. It's a little complicated."

Clara nodded and quickly scurried into their bedroom to find Taehyung. "Hey", she said quietly as she gently touched his arm, "Namjoon is here and he says he needs to talk to us about something. It seems like it might be serious."

"Ok, give me just a minute and I'll be out."

Clara returned to the living room and let Namjoon know that Taehyung would be out shortly. Taking a seat on the couch she squirmed a bit as awkward silence fell over them. After what felt like a lifetime Taehyung eventually joined them.

"Hey Hyung, what's up?"

Namjoon had rehearsed everything he wanted to say but as he looked at the nervous couple he froze. He dreaded everything he needed to say and couldn't figure out how to actually say the words. Tears began to well up in his eyes as he tried to remember how he could possibly start the conversation.

Clara got up and moved to sit next to him, gently rubbing his arm as she looked him in the face. "Joon, what's wrong?" She quietly asked. "Are you ok? Did something happen to you?"

Namjoon shook his head 'no' while he tried once again to compose himself.

"No Clara, it's nothing like that. I met with the managers this morning and something has come up that I need to talk to you about."

Namjoon tried several times to restart the conversation but trailed off, again not quite willing to actually say the words.

"Hyung, you are making me nervous, it can't be that bad." Taehyung reassured him as he invited him to continue.

"It's just...the company found another tape of you and Clara that's been circulating online."

Taehyung breathed a sigh of relief. "Well it can't be that bad right? I mean basically Clara's identity, the twins, my parents...everything is already out there. It can't possibly be anything new. What else is there to uncover?"

"Tae...it's a sex tape."