Rewrite the Rules

The Line in the Sand: Part 77

The air in the Taipei Grand Oasis Hotel hung heavy with tension as we were ushered into Hoon's room. A storm cloud seemed to permanently reside above his head these days, and today, it crackled with an electric fury. All the members, along with me had been summoned to a late meeting.

"Where the hell have you been all day?" he barked, his voice sharp enough to cut glass. "We had a meeting, and you weren't there. This isn't going to happen again, Kim Namjoon. It's time for your little girlfriend to be off this tour. She's nothing but a distraction, and that's a problem."

My stomach clenched. Hoon's words stung. He'd made it abundantly clear he disapproved of my presence, but this was a new low.

"There was no meeting today," Namjoon interjected, his voice surprisingly steady. "There wasn't anything on the schedule."

I nodded my head in agreement.

Hoon's gaze snapped towards me, his nostrils flaring with irritation. "And who are you to argue with me?" he sneered.

"I'm right," Namjoon said, his voice firm and unwavering. "We checked the schedule this morning – nothing about a meeting." A muscle ticked in his jaw, a silent promise of a fight if needed. "And for your information," he continued, his voice hardening, "my phone isn't working here either. There seems to be some kind of signal issue. If it was an emergency, you could have called Emma."

Hoon's face contorted in a mixture of anger and something akin to disgust. "Don't think for a minute I'd ever call her," he spat, his voice dripping with disdain.

Namjoon swung his gaze towards the other members, searching for an ally. "Was there a meeting before I left this morning?" he asked, his voice laced with a steely glint.

Yoongi, ever the voice of reason, spoke up, his tone laced with barely concealed anger. "Not at all," he growled, echoing Namjoon's sentiment.

Hoon, cornered and frustrated, resorted to his usual tactic: threats. "I don't care at this point," he snarled, leaning forward on his desk, his face inches from Namjoon's. "I think it's time you make a choice, Kim Namjoon. BTS or your little girlfriend, Emma." His words hung in the air, an ultimatum delivered with venomous clarity.

The air crackled with tension. Namjoon's voice, usually a soothing balm, held an iron resolve, "I choose Emma."

Hoon's face contorted in fury. "If you choose her, you're not choosing BTS!" he roared.

Unflinching, Namjoon met his gaze. "I choose Emma," his voice unwavering.

The table seemed to shrink as Hoon leaned across it, his voice barely contained. "So, you're throwing it all away for a girl you barely know?"

"This isn't about leaving BTS," Namjoon countered, his voice thick with emotion. "This is about my life, my future. And I believe Emma is part of that, just like BTS is."

Hoon's voice dripped with venom. "You'll regret this decision. You'll mark my words."

A fist slammed on the table, shattering the tense silence so loud, I screamed and the others jumped.

Jin, eyes blazing, stood up. "Enough," he growled. "I choose Emma."

My head snapped up, eyes stinging with tears. Jin met my gaze, his own welling up.

Jin repeated, his voice firm yet laced with sadness, "I choose Emma."

Yoongi pushed himself up from his chair, his voice measured yet carrying a weight of conviction, "I choose Emma."

Hobi scrambled to his feet, his chair scraping back with a screech. Tears welled in his eyes as he choked out, "I choose Emma."

Jungkook, the youngest, stood tall, his voice ringing clear, "I choose Emma!"