PERSONA ✓

31.

After their dinner, which consisted of Yoongi vacuuming half the pizza slices into his mouth, the others headed home for the day.

Namjoon caught Hoseok's arm, as he was the last to leave. "Hey, Hobi. Are you feeling okay?'

Hoseok seemed surprised for a second, but then settled into an easy smile. An expression Namjoon would see on his face before the mind control—and it was odd to see it now. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? I mean... I did sort of attack you... sorry."

"It's cool," Namjoon assured him. "And I'm fine. But are you? I mean, it must be a little weird, getting mind controlled again."

Hoseok shrugged. "I'm fine. I... I gotta get home. But tomorrow, we should all talk. Make a plan."

Namjoon, though curious at the way Hoseok seemed to be more confident, nodded. "Yeah. See you later."

The door shut behind Hoseok.

"I think Seokjin hyung gave him a nice pep talk," said Jungkook. His feet were propped up on the table, a half-eaten pizza slice that he'd wrestled from Yoongi in his hand, hovering inches away from his face.

Namjoon rolled his eyes. "Feet off the table, Kook."

Jungkook rolled his eyes but complied. Suddenly the expression fell off his face and he became serious. "Hyung, about Doyoon..."

"What'd you find?"

Jungkook scooted over and patted the seat next to him. Namjoon sat down and Jungkook glanced around cautiously before holding out his wrist. He slapped his watch twice and above it, a glowing, holographic screen appeared.

Namjoon choked on air.

Jungkook looked at him, concerned. "Hyung?"

"Jungkookdidyoufigureouthowtomakeholograms?"

"...huh?"

Namjoon waved at the hologram, his hands flailing. "You made a hologram."

"Yeah." Jungkook blinked. "Is it that big of a deal?"

"YES."

Jungkook shrugged. "Tae helped me, so I shouldn't take all the credit. Anyways, you're missing the point, hyung. Lee Doyoon."

In the air, Jungkook swiped upwards. On the holographic screen came an image of a middle aged man, with light brown hair and a pointed nose. He had high cheekbones and angry-looking eyebrows. It looked like an ID picture, because he wasn't smiling, but staring at the photo, Namjoon wondered if he even had the capability to smile.

"That is one angry dude," Namjoon said.

"He used to work for E.C.O., as Daehyun said. But he was fired about 4 years ago for accidentally creating an explosion that blew up one of their labs."

Namjoon's brow furrowed. "How long did he work there for?"

"14 years."

"...and he blew a lab up by accident?"

"That's what I thought," muttered Jungkook. "But I did more research..." He made a grabbing motion in the air and the screen changed, pulling up an article. "This is from 4 years ago... he got interviewed 'n mentioned he was making technology that could preserve nature. He got fired a week later, the same week Daehyun got recognition for making preservation technology as well."

Namjoon's brain lagged a bit, but he said," So... Daehyun stole his work, and this dude got angry and blew up a lab, and then lost his job, and then 4 years later stole mind control tech from the previous Shadow in order to mind control our Shadow?"