The King Likes Men

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The room is in an absolute uproar, full of elder men in suits all shouting and yelling at each other in an attempt to be heard above the others.

A horrible attempt really.

Namjoon let them. Let them get all of their yelling get out of their system while he just calmly watched them from his seat, pretending to be listening to their rambling.

He wasn't.

"Your Majesty please, you must reconsider!"

"This is an outrage!"

"This is completely illogical!"

Namjoon glances at his surroundings. Jungkook sat at his right, Geong Min at his left, Yoongi stood at the door, guarding and the Royal Queen Dowager sat on the other end of the table. Between them, were all the members of the three offices. 

The Office of Inspector General.

The Office of Censors.

And the Office of Special Advisers.

"We need for you to wed so that you may obtain you sovereign powers. We're in the middle of a cold war for pete's sake! And you've just given away a potential spot to someone who's dead!"

Namjoon doesn't react to that comment. Doesn't give it the time of day, not when he had already made a decision.

As long as Seokjin's body remains unfound, his spot will remain in the competition.

No. Even if Seokjin's body is found, his spot will still remain in the competition.

"If I may, Your Majesty, what was done today was rather improper considering that the public was expecting another in that spot."

"The public doesn't get to choose," Jungkook speaks up "Hyung does."

The advisers seem a bit taken aback. "Surely the royal siblings do not approve of such decision?" one of them says.

Geong Min and Jungkook glance at each other. "We see nothing wrong with it," they say simultaneously.

Chaos erupts once more into the room. 

Namjoon finds it a bit funny. Years ago one wouldn't dare speak to the king unless the king allowed you to, yet here they were all talking simultaneously like a bunch of elementary school students wanting to be heard.

"The rules are that if a candidate is to remain then he must participate in every test that is placed within the competition," one of the advisers suddenly states. Namjoon personally doesn't remember that being a rule but remains silent. After all there was no way he was taking back his decision.

"If that's the case," another speaks up, "then by the next event Kim Seokjin will be disqualified."

Geong Min boredly looks up to where the BigHit coordinators stand awkwardly at the corner of the room. "Adora," she calls out calmly, "What is the next event planned?"

The coordinator checks her tablet, fumbling a bit with it before she answers. "Considering that events involving the public often give an opening for rebels to attack," she begins, "We've decided that a small party would be simple enough to lighten the mood. To this event, the candidates will invite their family so that they may be presented to the public."

Mouths now shut, the advisers look grim. Namjoon guesses that it dawns on them that since Kim Taehyung is still in the competition then that means that Seokjin's family will be present as well, thus the issue is resolved.

"If I recall," Adviser Lee Byung-joon interjects suddenly, "Kim Seokjin's mother passed away a bit before the competition, no?"

The royal siblings all narrow their eyes. "That is correct," Namjoon answers mildly.