Taehyung hung about on the ground floor most of the day, watching the customers drink and make stupid choices with their finances. He didn't understand the whole appeal towards gambling, but if some person came up to ask him what he would reccomend to try out in the building, he would immediately say the slot machines. An easy option. If they ask about poker, he would say he's a new employee so he's no expert and to ask someone else.
Leaning against one of the walls with his arms crossed, he yawns out and raises a hand to fumble with his earring. He contemplates the pros and cons of leaving this job.
So far, and to his surprise, Seokjin had made no attempt at bringing up Friday night. He assumed he would at least complain about the hangover he had to gruel through in work the next day or at least bring up the subject of his eccentric friends, Namjoon and Hoseok. The sound of Seokjin's voice in his earpiece snaps him out of it.
"Taehyung, there's a suspicious looking man out near the front. Real fishy."
"Yeah?" He leans up on his toes to look over the line of slot machines and groups of people to the front door, walking in that direction.
"About five foot seven, stocky.. Looks like he's in his fifties. Wearing a blue polo shirt, black baggy leather jacket." The younger is looking around with a look of confusion, wrinkling his nose upwards. Then he rolls his eyes with a chuckle once he sees the man chewing on a toothpick, expressionless.
"Seokjin-hyung, that's Seung."
"Who?"
"Seung. He's one of the new guys..?" Taehyung says, confusion in his tone after hearing the other's reaction. He didn't meet the new employee?
"With.. the toothpick?"
"Yep. Soo employed him."
"Goddamnit. Ah, don't be mad, Taehyung-ah! There's been so many new people around here I can't keep up." Seokjin sounds like he has reached his limit of patience in this job.
"I'm not mad." He's quick to reassure the other and smiles, "Wait.. Really?"
"You don't know? People have been fired left, right and centre and are being replaced by these guys. More than half the time I can't tell if they work for us or not. There's no uniform rule for them apparently-"
"That's weird." He continues to stare at Seung as he was right in his line of vision until he looks up and they make eye contact. Taehyung gives a half hearted wave before walking about the casino, listening intently to the older.
"Yeah.. Sorry, I thought you knew. It's been a real shit show since Soo-Hyuk arrived not gonna lie. I'm one of the handful left that has not been removed."
"Oh."
"Yeah. I mean.. First of all, my hours have been all over the place. One day I'm in from morning to closing up, then I'm in for three pointless hours. I don't know how long I'm gonna last here!" There's no truth in that laugh he forces out and Taehyung can only reconsider about what he knows about Soo-Hyuk's plans with the casino. Another one of their schemes that Taehyung obviously wasn't notified about or included in.
Later on, Taehyung is back upstairs in the surveillance room eating his lunch when Seokjin comes in with his own. The taller one sits on the counter as he opens the paper wrapping of his sandwich bought from the deli around the corner.
"You know how you're mates with Namjoon and Hoseok?" Taehyung asks as he wheels back in his seat from the counter, twisting the cap off his bottle of orange juice. It has been on his mind for some while.
"Yeah." Seokjin can't hold back his chortle, puzzled by where this was going.
"How do you guys know each other?" He tilts his head before taking a swig, licking his lips after.
"Well, Namjoon n' I met at a festival."
"A festival? Really?" His eyes crinkle at the sides as he laughs. Taehyung found it hard to imagine that taking place.
"I swear! Incheon World Music festival last summer.. Amazing hip-hop. He lost Hoseok in the crowd and I happened to be another tall person so I helped him look for the guy." Seokjin is grinning as he remembers that fun night before he shrugs and takes a bite from his sandwich. "Then we ended up sticking together and getting drinks."
"Losing Hoseok at a festival. Wonder what that was like for him."
"Honestly? Namjoon seemed stressed but meanwhile he was just at one of the stalls queuing for a burger. Sober as fuck." Seokjin giggles, "Actually.. So was Namjoon." His brows pinch together as he raises a finger, "Then we got drunk as fuck." He laughs out, Taehyung joining.
"Have you heard from them..? After Friday." Taehyung is prying but Seokjin is used to it.
"No, Namjoon isn't great at texting, not gonna lie about that. Takes him ages to reply to anything." Seokjin snickers with a shrug as he briefly takes out his phone to check in case of a coincidence before slipping it back into the pocket of his suit jacket. "Have yet to organise another night out."
"Uh, he doesn't talk much?"
"Nah, not the type for texting!"
Taehyung nods and turns in his chair back to look at the monitors. So, Namjoon isn't one to text back or talk in depth about his job. Not good at communicating? Also, he lives in the most expensive hotel in Seoul. Taehyung really shouldn't be thinking about him so much. He twirls his hair between his fingers and sighs, propping his feet up onto the table and lightly tapping the Gucci leather loafers together.
Seokjin purses his lips. "Did you enjoy that night, by the way?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah! It was fun." He gives a smile.
"Yeah? I know they're not normal types of people. Not your usual bunch." Seokjin is sounding like he would understand if Taehyung had a more 'moderately' fun time.
"Can I ask.. one more thing?"
He nods.
"What are their jobs?"
"Uh-" Seokjin makes an awkward noise and cuts himself off with a laugh, averting his gaze from Taehyung's stare. Clearly he threw him off with the seemingly loaded question.
Taehyung arches a brow.
"I'm not allowed tell you."
".. What?"
"I'm sorry, Taehyung-ah. They told me not to say anything."
His face scrunches up at that and Seokjin groans, hiding his face in his hands as he blurts out in a high pitched tone, as if lifting off the imaginary weight from his shoulders. "I knew you would eventually ask and I told them that but they were so persistent and I really don't wanna be in the middle of this."
Taehyung is beginning to feel nauseous with anxiety from his friend's response. He didn't expect Seokjin to hide something from him. He subconsciously twists his bottle cap back and forth. "You can tell me, Jin."
"No, no.. I can't. Taehyung, I can't. I only know a bit of what they do, anyway."
"That bit being what? Is it really that bad?"
Seokjin groans, still leaning back with covering hands. "Y-Yeah! But I swear I only know the basics."
"Then what are the basics?!" Taehyung laughs a little and Seokjin drops his hands, frowning apologetically to his agitation. The younger has spent way too long wracking his brain for ideas on what these two do for a living.
