"TO TAME A PHANTOM"
─ CHAPTER 1: THE ACCIDENTAL HIT ──
[PRIVATE CHAT: Taehyung ➔ Jimin]
kim Taehyung
Chim. Chimney. CHIM CHIM. RESPOND.
kim Taehyung
I’m in the south wing elevator of the Kim Corporate Tower. I have the package.
kim Taehyung
Repeat: The Velvet Gucci Blazer has been successfully rescued from my toxic ex's apartment.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
First of all, your code names are tragic.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
Second of all, you have the wrong number.
kim Taehyung
Jimin stop playing, I’m literally sweating through my shirt right now.
kim Taehyung
The security guard downstairs looked at me like he knew I didn't belong on the VIP floor. If I get arrested for breaking and entering over a blazer, you’re paying my bail.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
If you're sweating through your shirt, you're going to ruin the silk lining of the blazer.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
And I’m still not Jimin.
kim Taehyung
Then who the hell is this?? 😭
UNKNOWN NUMBER
I’m the guy currently looking at the HD security feed for Sector 3.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
If you’re the boy in the French beret clutching a garment bag like it’s a newborn child...
UNKNOWN NUMBER
You just bit your bottom lip. Stop doing that, Sweetheart. It's a dead giveaway that you're guilty of something.
kim Taehyung
ARE YOU BUILDING SECURITY?! PLEASE I CAN EXPLAIN IT'S LEGALLY MY BLAZER WE BOUGHT IT TOGETHER DURING THE SPRING SALE—
UNKNOWN NUMBER
Calm down. I don't care about your domestic disputes or your blazer.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
But you might want to know that an actual, highly professional corporate espionage heist is happening on the floor right above you.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
And because you bypassed the service elevator biometric lock with a literal hairpin—which was shockingly impressive, by the way—the main security matrix thinks you are the accomplice.
kim Taehyung
NO. NO NO NO. I AM AN ART CURATOR. I HAVE SENSITIVE SKIN. I CANNOT GO TO A HOLDING CELL.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
Then I suggest you do exactly what I say.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
The elevator doors are about to open. Don't look at the camera. Just keep your eyes on your phone and look pretty.
─ CHAPTER 2: THE SECURE LINE ──
The south wing elevator of the Kim Corporate Tower was a hyper-minimalist capsule of brushed titanium, frosted glass panels, and seamless LED strip lighting that hummed with a low, expensive vibration. Kim Taehyung stood dead center on the polished black granite floor, his leather loafers shifting nervously as the digital floor indicator ticked upward toward the VIP levels. He was suffocating under the heavy weight of his oversized knit sweater and the structured wool of the stolen velvet Gucci blazer clutched tightly in his arms. The air inside the shaft smelled faintly of expensive citrus ozone and corporate wealth, a stark contrast to the scent of stale espresso and old canvas that usually followed him around the Monet Gallery.
Every time his phone vibrated in his palm, his heart did a violent flip against his ribs. He stared at the glowing screen, his vision blurring slightly behind his silver-framed glasses. The unknown number on his screen wasn't a glitch, and it certainly wasn't his best friend Park Jimin playing a joke. Whoever was behind the texts was currently watching him through the high-definition security camera nestled discreetly in the upper corner of the elevator ceiling—a camera Taehyung had deliberately tried to avoid looking at by angling the brim of his classic black beret downward.
[SYSTEM: USER 'JEON JUNGKOOK' HAS ADDED 'UNKNOWN NUMBER' TO THE JSI HQ SECURE LINE]
Jeon Jungkook
Team. We have a stray puppy wandering through Sector 3.
Jung Hoseok
OHO? A puppy? Is he cute? Did you adopt a pet mid-mission, boss? Because if it's a dog, I am officially in charge of buying the chew toys. Jackson and I can set up a bed for it in the logistics lounge.
Jackson Wang
Why is the puppy wearing a beret on an active heist? Is it fashion week in the financial district or did he just take a wrong turn on his way to an indie film screening? His silhouette on the monitor is highly cinematic, I'll give him that.
Min Yoongi
Why is there a civilian on our tactical frequency, Jeon? I am currently lying prone on a freezing concrete ledge trying to calibrate a high-velocity scope, and the vibration of these text alerts is messing with my crosshairs. Clear the channel before I clear it myself.
Park Jimin
TAEHYUNG?! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU IN A JSI CORPORATE ESPIONAGE CHAT?!
kim Taehyung
JIMIN?! HELP ME!!! A SCARY MAN WITH A DEEP VOICE IS THREATENING ME THROUGH MY SCREEN 😭😭 I don't know who these people are or why they're talking about snipers and tactical gear! I just wanted my blazer back from my ex's penthouse!
Kim Seokjin
Excuse me? Let me make one thing clear to everyone on this network: no one threatens anyone around here except me. Jungkook, did you launch an unapproved kidnapping or are you just collecting pretty boys now? Namjoon, look up from your terminal, your boss is causing an international incident.
Kim Namjoon
I'm already pulling his digital footprint, Jin. Keep your voice down. Let's see... Kim Taehyung, 24, Head Curator at the Monet Gallery. Clean record, zero criminal associations, and an extensive history of highly dramatic public tweets about iced lattes, vinyl records, and French jazz. He’s completely harmless.
Jeon Jungkook
Let's focus. Taehyung.
kim Taehyung
Yes, sir?! I mean—Mr. Scary Security Director Man! What do you want from me?!
Jeon Jungkook
Look at me through the lens of Camera 4 all you want later when you’re sitting across from my desk. Right now, look at the end of the north hallway through the glass elevator door. Notice the two men in tailored charcoal grey suits standing near the fire exit?
kim Taehyung
...Yes. I see them. They look incredibly mean. And frankly, their suits are terribly tailored. The shoulder pads are completely uneven and the trousers don't break correctly over their shoes. It’s an aesthetic crime.
Jeon Jungkook
Those men aren't fashion critics, Sweetheart. Those are the actual data thieves, and they are currently carrying suppressed sub-caliber sidearms under those poorly tailored jackets.
kim Taehyung
[Hyperventilating in text]
kim Taehyung
THEY HAVE GUNS?! SILENCED GUNS?! JIMIN, TELL ME HE IS JOKING. I AM AN ART CURATOR. I HAVE SENSITIVE SKIN AND A LOW TOLERANCE FOR PHYSICAL CONFLICT. I CANNOT GO TO A HOSPITAL OR A HOLDING CELL.
Park Jimin
Kook, stop scaring him to death! Tae, babe, just breathe. Look at my text. Ignore Jungkook's tone, he just likes to act like a cinematic villain when he’s behind a console.
Jeon Jungkook
Jimin, stay in your designated extraction position and keep the engine running. Taehyung, you’re going to walk right past them when those doors slide open. You’re going to tilt your head up, lock your eyes onto your phone screen, and act like you own the entire square footage of this corporate complex.
kim Taehyung
I can't do that! My knees literally feel like warm jelly! If I step out there, they’ll see right through me!
Jeon Jungkook
You can, and you will, Sweetheart. Because if you don't, I’ll toggle the electronic door locks from this console and leave you trapped in that glass box until they notice you. I promise you, their interrogation methods are much less enjoyable than mine. Head up. Shoulders back. Walk. Now.
─ CHAPTER 3: THE WALK OF FAITH ──
The elevator chimed with a crisp, electronic note that sounded terrifyingly loud in the narrow metallic shaft. The frosted glass doors smoothly glided open, exposing the wide, pristine stretch of the VIP corridor. The floor was a gleaming expanse of white marble polished to a mirror finish, reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. At the very end of the hall, standing directly in front of the reinforced mahogany doors of the executive suite, were the two syndicate thieves. Up close, they looked even more imposing than they had on the monitor. Their dark grey suits were stiff, and their eyes darted around with a cold, predatory alertness.
Taehyung gripped his phone so tightly his knuckles turned stark white. His thumb hovered over the screen, trembling as the cool air of the hallway rushed into the elevator carriage, carrying the subtle scent of expensive wax and danger.
[JEON HQ - MAIN SECURE LINE]
kim Taehyung
I’m walking. I’m actively walking right now. If I die today, I want it known that I died for fashion. Jimin, you get my limited-edition vinyl jazz records. Don't let Jin-ssi scratch them!
Kim Seokjin
Excuse me? I have pristine, heavily insured hands, Taehyung-ah. I handle priceless artifacts and multi-million dollar logistics accounts on a daily basis. Your vintage records would be safer in my velvet-lined study than within a five-mile radius of Namjoon, who literally broke his mechanical keyboard spacebar this morning just by typing an email too aggressively
Kim Namjoon
It was an entirely accidental structural failure, honey 🐨. The spring mechanism under the plastic was clearly faulty from the manufacturer.
Min Yoongi
Focus up, civilians 🎯. Target 1 and Target 2 are shifting their weight. Their heads are turning toward the elevator bay. Taehyung, do not look at them under any circumstances. Keep your eyes locked on your screen. If you make direct eye contact, your pupils will dilate from the sudden surge of adrenaline, and they’ll instantly know you’re a liability.
Jackson Wang
Look at that stride on Camera 3 though! 😲 For a supposedly terrified museum curator, he’s holding that garment bag like it’s a seasonal runway accessory. 10/10 for dramatic presentation. 👑
Jung Hoseok
He is absolutely serving high-fashion visuals under extreme tactical duress! We absolutely love to see it 😍✨.
kim Taehyung
THEY ARE LOOKING STRAIGHT AT ME. THE TALL ONE JUST STEPPED INTO THE DEAD CENTER OF THE HALLWAY 😱. OH MY GOD HE’S REACHING INSIDE HIS JACKET LINING. THIS IS THE END. GOODBYE WORLD, TELL MONET I LOVED HIM 🖼️🙏.
Jeon Jungkook
He’s reaching for his security badge to check your clearance level, Taehyung. Calm your breathing. Your heart rate is spiking on my monitor. On my precise mark, drop your phone 📱.
kim Taehyung
WHAT?! 🤯 Why would I drop my perfectly good, limited-edition phone on solid marble?! Are you insane?!
Jeon Jungkook
Just trust me, Sweetheart. Drop it. Now ⚖️.
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