Chapter Text
He stared up at the bright sun as it beat down on the city around him. The street was devoid of any life besides himself and the large black bird that cackled at him from the tree nearby. Just one. He thought to himself as he squatted at the corner. If I can just sell one CD today it will be worth it.
“What will be worth it?”
Startled he blinked, his gaze coming down to the tall Westerner standing in front of him. “Sorry.” He said, giving a quick jerky bow. “I didn’t see you. Do you want one?” He asked, gesturing to the CDs in front of him.
“Maybe.” The foreign man shrugged. “Are they worth it?” He asked, mirroring the teen's earlier thoughts.
“I worked hard on them.” The teen answered honestly.
“But are you any good?” The olive-skinned man pressed.
The teen bit back the snappish reply on his tongue. “I’ve been rapping for a while now.” He answered politely.
The man smiled. “And you think you’ll get noticed selling CDs on a Seoul street corner?” He asked skeptically.
The man’s smile irked the teen, and the words were out of his mouth before he realized it. “I’m more likely to get scouted here than back home. At least here people will hear me.”
“Is it really worth it?” The man asked again. The teen was quiet, studying the man in confusion. “If you want, I’ll buy you a bus ticket back to Daegu right now.”
This time the teen blinked. “Who are you?” He asked quietly.
“Someone who can help you get back home. Or, I can help you succeed.” He watched the teen, a mischievous smile playing in his mercurial eyes.
“How?”
“Do you want to know? It will be hard.”
“I don’t care,” the teen said rising. “It can’t be harder than not rapping.”
“No wonder my brother pointed you out to me.” The westerner mused. “Okay then. The next man who passes by here, give him a CD. Just give it to him. He will be wearing a black suit and talking on the phone to a young man that you will need to meet. It will still be a while, but you will be very successful.”
The teen crossed his arms skeptically. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because,” the man smiled, “you have something to say, and you might just say it’s my job to make sure that people like you get to say what you need to say.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
This time the smile reached the man’s lips. “You are just like my brother. You have my attention. If you ask for something sincerely, I will see that it happens, on one condition.”
“What?”
“Don’t hold back. Speak your mind. You have something to say that this world needs to hear. Say it.”
“Who are you?” The teen asked slowly.
“Just call me Mr. M.” The man with the mercury eyes smirked. Then he grabbed the teen’s hand and pressed a few bills into it. “For the CD.”
Then he was gone. The teen blinked, surprised. For a moment he peered down the empty street, trying to see where Mr. M. had disappeared to.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
It was nearly an hour later when the man on the phone came by. He paused by the teen’s corner as he spoke. “Listen, Namjoon-ah, I’m sure we’ll find another rapper. He wasn’t the only rapper in Seoul.”
“Excuse me,” Yoongi called out. The man in the suit turned. “If you’re looking for a rapper, listen to this.” He said, holding out a CD.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Mercury smiled as he watched the exchange. Apollo would so owe him for this.