Can I help you?

Chapter 73

Jhope wakes up and is in a daze. Sarah isn't next to him. "I didn't dream it, did I?" He looks around and touches his neck. The necklace is gone. There is a knocking on his door. He walks to it, half sleepy and opens it. Jungkook comes in. "Hyung, we need to get ready now, I needed to come and wake yo-" He suddenly bends over. "Is this yours, Hyung?" He hands Jhope a paper. Jhope isn't all that awake yet and rubs his eyes to see what it is. "No, it isn't mine. It's just abou-" He suddenly is awake. It is a card from a hostess club in Tokyo. "Sarah!" Jungkook looks around him. "No, she was here last night." "Hyung, are you still dreaming?" "NO! I swear, I found her and brought her here." "Well, where is she?" "She ran off again, but this is a clue!" Jungkook looks at the note. "Or someone just shoved it under your door for free advertisement and you dreamed all that." Jungkook walks off again. "No, I'm sure." It's hers, it must be! Jhope is packing his bags. "Where are you going?" "To Tokyo." Jungkook sighs. "Listen here, hyung. Even if you found her yesterday, you brought her to your room, and she ran. She does not want to be found. And you can't be the one to find her anyway, she will just run again." Jhope is still stuffing his suitcase. "Listen to me, hyung, this is a wild goosechase. You literally have nothing to go on." Jungkook sounds a bit more urgently. Jhope is not listening. JK decides to call in RM.

RM comes running to the room. "What is going on here? We still have 1 more concert to do before we go back to Korea. Where we also have 2 more concerts." He sees Jhope having packed his bags. JK hands him the card. "Is this the reason you are dashing to her? This is barely proof!" RM raises his voice. Jin joins too. "Namjoon is right. You can't bail on us like this. Let's go find her later, after we finished the tour. Come on, we need you to focus." Jhope is gripping his luggage so tightly his knuckles turn white. He knows RM talks with reason, and what he says makes sense. Yet his heart is restless. RM softens his tone of speech. "We all miss her, but going like this to Tokyo, is madness." Jhope bites his lip and is having a hard time. "She told me she loved me..." He says with a voice, heavy in tears. "And then she just left..." Jimin goes to Jhope and hugs him. "Hyung..." RM taps him on his shoulder. "I don't even know why. She loves me... I love her... why can't we just be together?" RM looks away. "Joon?" Jin notices RM's awkward behaviour. "Do you know more?" They turn to him now. RM is a bit stressed. "There is a situation... And you all..." He looks at V and Suga "...should be careful too." "What is it Namjoon?" Suga asks firmly. "I was not allowed to tell anyone. I should not have known even myself. We can't act upon it." Jhope looks at RM. RM takes a seat and the others are still standing. He tells them everything. "You can't be serious?"Jin says "For real?" Suga asks. "Does every female employee have to sign that ridiculous clausule?" V asks. "It's to protect us against Sassaengs..." "That might be true, but I want to love her. They aren't sassaengs..." Suga says. "Still they are bound." Jin and Jhope finally seem to get Sarah's behaviour. Jin needs to sit down and is really dawning upon him, Every word and sign was there.... Jhope sits on his suitcase too, visibly shaken up too, realizing that all this time why she did what she did. Jungkook holds Jin and Jimin is still near Jhope. "So... this is all because.." Jin starts, staring at the floor in shock. "...Because of a contract..." Jhope continues.

Suga crosses his arms, he knew half of it already since he figured it out a while ago. But the contract thing is new to him. He is very cross. "I'll get to Big Hit and tell them what's what." "No, None of us can. They will get in trouble if we start to rebel against the policy." "But it's not fair!!!" V shouts. "I know but for now I haven't found a solution now... So please, stay calm and carry on as if nothing is happening. As if you aren't dating." "But but..." No one can find the right expression at that moment. "So let's focus on our career for now. Okay?" RM holds his hand in front of him. "Let's do our cheer and everyone cheer up, please." The maknaes join hands. Jin and Jhope are the lasts ones to place their hand. "BangTanForever"

They finish their concert tour and can finally enjoy some free time. Jhope is walking around. "I am going to Tokyo." "Calm down. Rest a bit first." "I don't care, I am going." Jin is trying to sooth Jhope. "I'll come with." Mary says. "I speak fluent Japanese. You will need me." V is hesitating, but eventually also joins Mary. "I'll go with you too." Jin is doubting. I would love to join, but my WWH will stand out too much. The less people go, the more likely we will not get recognised. He stands down. RM is quiet in the sofa, and Emma is holding his hand while looking at him. He is the leader and needs to be in control, but he is unsure himself. Stay strong Joonie. She squeezes his hand. "Very well. You three can go on a trip to Japan. But I warn you, if you can't find her in a week, you come back home and completely give up on her. You got this?" They nod and run up to plan and pack. "That was a brave decision you made, Joonie." Emma kisses him softly and forces his head on her chest, to rest his weary head while petting through his hair.

Mary organizes their trip to Japan. They leave in the dead of night, to avoid press or sassaengs. 3 hours later they land in Haneda. They take the train to Tokyo and check into a hotel. "We can only check in our hotel from 3pm today. For now this love hotel will have to do. Let's get a few hours of sleep." Mary books 2 rooms. They each go up to their room and Jhope enters a basic room. "This love hotel looks pretty much like a normal one." He does see condoms and tissues next to the bed. He misses Sarah.

---------Next chapter will have some Taeri smut... You can skip to 75 if you want.---