Page 68 of Damian & Jun: Episodes 5-8
Alice gave Jun the phone and initiated a video call from her computer. Pearsen hung up the phone call and accepted her share.
“Well, this is going to be fun,” Pearsen said. “Give me an hour.”
Damian came back in, phone in hand.
“DaSu.” Jun waved to Damian. “If someone is using your identity, does that make taxes more complicated?”
“Quite. What did you find?” He came closer.
Alice pointed to the title still on her screen. “His dad’s primary residence is in Jun’s name.”
“Oh.” Damian looked at it, but instead of seeming upset, he grinned like a wolf. “He fucked up. Good work, Alice.”
“This is good?” Jun looked up at Damian. What was he missing? How could this be good?
“Identity theft is a crime. And he can’t get rid of the evidence even if he sells the house.”
Jun swallowed. “Do I own the house, or does he?”
“Legally, you own it. Whether or not you want to claim it, I’d wait. We don’t know what baggage he’s put on your identity. There could be a lot of debt, too.”
“But you’re using my US identity today.”
“I’m using it, but you’re not fully assuming it. And now that we know this, I’m not going to just go trigger all your records as if you’re back. We’ll let Pearsen and Ash find out what is attached to your name. And then we’ll make a criminal report for fraud.” Damian held out an arm. Jun leaned into him. “This is going to take a long time to unravel, but we will.”
Jun breathed out through his nose, dragging calm into the emptied spaces in his body, willing it to grow. Now was not the time. “I want to shake him, just…” Words failed him.
Damian hugged him. “You’re not the only one.”
Jun straightened up and sighed. “What is this going to do to his kids? Like, why even get your kids tangled up in this? I’m assuming he actually wants these ones.”
“We won’t be able to control what the judges say, but they are your half siblings. You can choose to make allowances for them and/or request the judge to provide for them in the rulings.”
Jun nodded. There were already enough hurt children in the world, like Damian’s niece he’d had to leave behind and Dana.
He took another deep breath of air. “Am I still making a statement today?”
“It’s coming together, probably around six this evening. That’s the fastest it looks like everyone can arrive. If this wasn’t so high profile, I don’t think they’d try, but Mi Hi and I threatened to put you on a live feed online and just let you talk to fans, including saying that the police wouldn’t work with you. A few other K-pop idols offered their support, saying that Bak Gyeong had made them uncomfortable.”
A warm feeling seeped into Jun’s chest. “Do I know them?”
Damian nodded. He pulled out his phone and showed Jun the messages. None of them were other BBB3 talents, but there were some big names, including JezyJ and Cyrus, two foreign-born K-pop idols he’d always gotten along with well. Yun Hee, a second-generation idol from the group RORI, had given him a shoutout as well.
Émeric and Collin dropped by an hour later with suits for both Damian and Jun. Jun tried his on with Collin helping in the bathroom. He looked good. Businesslike, not flashy like Damian had dressed him a few days before. Collin settled his collar and helped him adjust the vest under the coat.
“No tie?” Jun asked. He checked himself in the mirror. The bruises showed up clearly against the black of his button-down shirt.
Collin shook his head. “I don’t think you need it. This is business, not full formal. But let Émeric see.”
Jun stepped out. Émeric stroked his chin, clearly considering. “It works. It works. Not my favorite for you but appropriate. A good balance between who you are and the situation.”
They had lunch at their desks, and then people started arriving. First Mi Hi, dressed in a suit with her hair up and makeup on. She had Gigi with her, also dressed professionally in a wide-legged pantsuit and blocky pumps. Information started rolling in from the investigators on the South Korean side. Jun got Yohei on the phone at one point to help sort out the information that was coming through concerning former BBB3 talent.
There were seven missing individuals, though not officially. They had merely gone silent on all socials, had no currently listed addresses, and no known employment. Four were young women between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one at the time of disappearance, and there were three young men between the ages of twelve and twenty-three with Rei being the oldest.
Rei had not been located as a patient in any mental hospital or facility. And while he could have been released or become homeless, the gaping hole of knowledge felt damning.
“Time is running out.” Damian called everyone together. “Here’s what’s going down so far. The local FBI office has agreed to facilitate taking Jun’s statement. It looks like South Korean police may join us via teleconferencing. That’s still being negotiated. Right now, the biggest issue is proving that Jun is not under duress when giving the statement. One of my advisers has suggested, Jun, that you agree to undergoing a lie detector segment in the interview.”
