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I guess a two weeks break does nothing to make this easier, does it?
I stand still like a statue in front of the door leading inside the classroom and then start wondering if it’s really such a good idea to be here after all.
I got here early so the room should be empty, that gives me a chance to get inside without attracting attention, but what if only Yoongi is inside?
Or maybe the door is actually locked because I came by too early and I’m going to have to wait, which means I have more chances of meeting people and I’m not too sure if I want that.
Oh goodness, what have I done? Do I try the door? Do I run away and wait in my car?
“Y/N?” I hear a familiar voice from behind me and my breath hitches in my throat, body tensing up instantly.
I slowly turn around to find Yoongi standing behind me with an apologetic smile, a cup of coffee in one hand, keys in the other.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just surprised to see you here, let me unlock the door for you” Yoongi says, kind and soft eyes meeting mine as he does exactly that, door opening for me before he turns on the light.
“Here you go, no one’s set to get here before a dozen minutes so… just make yourself comfortable, I’ll leave you to it” he assures me, about to get away to leave me my space but my body reacts before my mouth can say a word and I grab his wrist to make him stay.
He turns to me with wide, shocked eyes and I release him quickly, heat taking over my face just as much as discomfort fills my soul. “I-I’m sorry, I… can we talk? I won’t be long” I ask, eyes going to stare at the floor, this is so embarrassing and nerve-wrecking, but I need to do it before I chicken out.
“Of course, come on in, I’ll close the door to make sure no one comes in too soon” he murmurs before stepping aside to let me in, his tail nervous as it sways behind him, I’m not the only one hating this right now.
I make my way to my desk to set down my bag by the window before turning to Yoongi as he comes back from his own, keys and coffee now out of the way, fingers instead clenching and relaxing by his sides over and over again, eyes meeting mine in hesitation, although his orbs are also warm and soft, attempting to be comforting, something I don’t know him for, it’s… a nice change.
“Take your time, there’s no hurry” he states calmly, his voice soft when he hears me sigh, my voice locking up on me as I fidget on my toes, why is apologizing so hard?
My grandmother didn’t teach me to be such a coward when it comes to owning up to my mistakes. If I do something bad, then I need to admit it and then share my regrets over what I did, I need to make it better, even if the act was justifiable.
Acting like a bully is never the way, don’t do to others what you hate happening to yourself, she used to say.
I breathe in and out slowly. Come on, Y/N, you can do this.
“I want to apologize for what I did last time, about the message on the drawing. I… I thought I could get this sick sense of satisfaction but honestly, it just made me feel terrible and it’s not like doing so can change the past. I was mean to you and I want you to know that I’m sorry, I regret it.
You haven’t done anything to me since we met again to deserve anything like that, it wasn’t right of me to do what I did” I finally manage to say, heart beating wildly in my chest, but it feels freeing to own up to my mistakes, my conscience wasn’t dealing with my actions very well, I’m sure grandma would be proud of me.
It should go well from there, except that the silence that greets my words… it makes me start regretting coming here at all, body twisting uncomfortably under the gaze I can feel on my form, my eyes unable to look up from my feet, what is Yoongi thinking right now?
Maybe he hasn’t forgiven me as I had previously thought? It’s not like he has to, right? What I did was like shoving a burning knife into a fresh wound, it’s not the kind of thing that can be forgiven that easily.
But what more can I do? I just poured my heart out right now, I can’t do it twice! I wouldn’t even know what else to say!
His feet make a few steps in my direction to get closer before stopping so there’s still a good distance between us, nothing to make me feel cornered and I hear his shaky breath before he clears his throat quietly.
“I… I more than deserved this message, Y/N, I… I messed up your whole life, I made you miserable, I bullied you and I took everything away from you, for the simple reason that I could. I was sick in the head and you were this unlucky prey that became the target of all my anger, you suffered so much because of me.
So you don’t have to apologize to me, Y/N, if anything, I should be the one apologizing, so I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry. I could apologize for the rest of my life and it would never be enough, but I’m still going to do it, until the day I can fully atone for what I did, if it’s even possible”.
His voice is so… sad, more than I’ve ever heard from anyone and when I look up to meet his eyes, I can see so much honesty in his gaze, along with guilt, extreme guilt.
I swallow thickly as I process the reality facing me. We’ve both let the past get such a strong hold on us all these years, that I wonder if we’ve even really allowed ourselves to live our life since that fateful day. We can’t keep going like that forever, it’s no way to live.
“It’s in the past, Yoongi. You’ve changed a lot, you’re not who you used to be, and I… well I’m still working on that, but slowly, I think I can make it there too, to who I want to be as an adult, and I think it starts here. I can’t spend my whole life stuck in the past and you shouldn’t either.
I might not be able to act like it’s fine just yet, but I don’t want to keep a heart filled with darkness anymore, not when I have someone so bright and kind next to me, it makes me feel like I don’t deserve to be by his side” I counter with a dry chuckle and run a hand through my hair with a sigh.
“Are you talking about… Jimin?” he asks softly, ears twitching on top of his head as he processes my words and I blush a little, eyes going back to stare at the floor for safety.
“I mean… you know him, he’s always smiling and trying to help. He got mad at me last time but it was only because he cares about you, he likes you a lot, even I can see that. We talked yesterday and… I think things are okay now…
I just don’t want to make him sad or mad again, he’s been so nice to me and I wish I could do the same for him, focusing on the past wouldn’t help that purpose” I mumble sheepishly, unaware of the smile growing on the cat’s face, tail faster in the way it excitedly hits through the air.
“That makes me really happy to hear, Y/N, really happy. Jimin cares a lot about you, I know that to be a fact and I was afraid that the friendship between you two would be over before it even really started.
He had been a mess since that day, I guess that explains why he was strangely happy today when I saw him, you two already talked it over” he muses and I start regretting opening up so much about that, heart embarrassed and cheeks going a tone of red.
Is he going to tell Jimin what I just said? Oh gosh, I hope he doesn’t, I would be mortified!
Distraction, I need to change the subject, anything but this!
I open my mouth a few times before closing it just as fast, his eyes slightly amused at the blush going on in my face, why does it feel like he’s understanding more about me than I know myself at the moment?
“Erm… I… you… do you have time? I actually had a few questions about the last project? If you don’t mind?” I try, teeth going to bite the corner of my bottom lips because I’m unsure it that was the right direction to take, but when I look up at the exact moment when his ears perk up, tail curling up behind him, I register his happiness before I even take a look at his face or hear his voice.
“Of course you can! Ask me anything, let me just get the last class’s plan, I’ll be back before you know it” he chirps happily before rushing to his desk with eagerness, something that softens my heart the slightest bit.
Jimin’s POV
Today, I feel as if the last two last miserable weeks never existed, as if my heart never squeezed in nervousness in my chest, as if I never almost brought an end to a new wonderful friendship with someone who doesn’t see me as a bird hybrid, either as a fascination or as a source of trouble, but who sees me just as… me.
Just as Jimin, that one guy who likes his family a little bit too much, that guy who would get himself into trouble even when it’s not necessary because he thinks that’s what he has to do.
This morning, Jin was pleasantly surprised to see me running around the house with a smile on my face as soon as I woke up, eager to get started with my day, he’d laughed happily and even had to threaten me with a skipped breakfast to get me to calm down a little, the complete opposite of what he had to do just yesterday morning.
Yoongi looked confused but happy nonetheless when he came by to eat breakfast with us before leaving with Jin to their respective workplaces and my colleagues were simply relieved to see me back to my former good mood that I’m usually known for.
It made me realize just how badly I had handled the situation with Y/N, that it impacted not just me, but everyone around me. That realization has something pleasing to it, because doesn’t it mean that they just care that much about me?
“Jimin-ah, how has it been going with that friend of yours? You look like such a weight has been lifted off your shoulders, did you see her yesterday?” Hoseok asks me as he comes to join me by our lockers so we can gather our belongings to leave for the day, his guess spot on, I guess I’m really an open book with them.
I turn to him with a grin and a firm nod of the head, heart tingling proudly at knowing that we finally could fix our misunderstanding.
“I did! Jin hyung actually left me with Y/N at the grocery store when we went yesterday and then went back home without saying anything, only told me with a text message once he was in the kitchen to ask her for a ride because he had something urgent to do but we all know it was just one of his tricks. I felt so bad to impose myself on her like that but she never complained even though she looked uncomfortable and ended up taking us both to a park I never knew existed.
Once there, we talked about what happened and managed to clear the air between us. She wasn’t avoiding the drawing lessons because of me like I thought, she was just busy with work, she should be there today and I’m so excited about it” I chirp, completely focused on my story while Hoseok smiles at me until I feel an arm wrap around my shoulders.
“Whoa, Jimin-ah, finally made a step to get things back in order, good job” Taehyung claims happily, his stripey tail waving behind him as he stares at me with bright eyes, his voice humming as he opens his locker besides mine to grab his bag.
“Well, technically, I didn’t really make the step, Jin forced it, but I’m glad he did” I counter, hear his laughter as he releases me to have a better look at the smile on my face.
“Maybe, but the result you got wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t open up, which means you also had a say in what happened” he retorts and I tilt my head with a small shrug, wings flapping delightedly behind me.
I guess I did make good use of this opportunity, but it’s also thanks to Y/N who opened the door, literally and figuratively.
“Thanks for saying that, Tae” I muse, a giggle leaving my lips at my own happiness. It feels good to feel good.
Looking at the time on my phone, I realize that I don’t have that much time left before I need to get to the school,so with that in mind, I quickly grab the last of my stuff and wave my friends and colleagues goodbye before hurrying out of my workplace and to the destination I’ve been thinking of all day.
Yoongi should already be back from driving Jin back home from the rehabilitation center since I have the car, which means the door should be unlocked when I get there.
Just thinking about the close bond they have together makes me smile, not many would get out of their way to drive their friend around like Yoongi does, the same way Jin does sometimes when the cat’s car needs to stay at the garage overnight to get fixed.
I get inside the vehicle before driving out of the parking lot and towards Y/N, a happy hum leaving me as I drive through the traffic, something I usually don’t like all that much. It’s funny how I’m more excited to see her than I am to see Yoongi this time.
It must be because I always see him since he spends a lot of time with Jin and as close as we are, I know he’s more of Jin’s best friend than he is mine, which is fine, really, I know Yoongi loves me and I love him just as much, that’s enough to me.
But a best friend of my own? That’s Y/N, if she wants to be that person for me, I wish she could see me as hers too.
We should exchange phone numbers, I don’t want to depend on these classes to see her and talk to her. Not knowing what was happening to her during the last two weeks was nerve-wrecking and I don’t want to go through that again. What if work takes her away from me a second time, and a third time?
I shake my head at that. Here I am, already talking as if we’re dating.
Slow down, Jimin, you’re getting too excited about her being back, you’ll scare her away at this rate. Her not being afraid of you is taking too much space in your brain, take it easy, I scold myself, I don’t want to mess up a second time, once was enough.
I finally reach the huge building and as I pull into the parking lot, I notice her vehicle already parked in an empty area. I look at the time, surprised because it’s still pretty early, but I’m not complaining, that means I get to see her sooner, so I proceed to park right next to her car.
I should always do that from now on, find her car first and then park right next to it, that way I’m keeping her from having to face a stranger when reaching her door, it’s going to be me she’ll see instead of a nobody. Ah!
Still, I hope she’s not too anxious today, she does look like she tends to avoid people on reflex, I did notice a pattern yesterday at the grocery store.
Thankfully, Yoongi doesn’t take verbal attendance when he enters the class, he does it by himself since he’s pretty good at remembering everyone’s faces and names, and by doing so, he makes sure that most people aren’t aware if someone’s present or not, something I know he does entirely for Y/N.
I was serious when I told her yesterday that no one really pays attention to that sort of stuff, she doesn’t have to worry about people staring at her.
I overheard Yoongi talk with Jin in the middle of the night once, was it last week? He’d mentioned that she’s developed such a strong fear of people, humans and hybrids alike, so he’s trying to lower her burden by making it so that attention isn’t given to the people taking his lesson.
That means no class presentation - not for a while anyway - , taking the attendance by himself, giving individual work and him walking around the class to help others instead of waiting for them to come to him at the front, things of the kind.
Those are all small attentions that Y/N might not realize herself, but in the end, all accumulate to improve her comfort while at school. It makes me wonder just how bad her past was to require all those efforts, what part Yoongi played in this ordeal for him to try so hard.
Then he said that he’s hoping that in maybe a few weeks, she’ll be more at ease to start including more people around her because he can’t really destroy the lesson’s experience just to avoid her discomfort, he believes that if he does things at a slow pace, it might help her get out of her protective shell.
He also hopes for me to be a good help to her considering how close we were during the two first classes, that I’m the only one who doesn’t make her close up on herself and shut off from the world.
That revelation made me swell with pride, the idea that he believes I can help her to that extent making me feel important.
I enter the building and walk up the stairs to reach the class, wondering if she’s already inside since I didn’t see her on the way, it’s the only place I can imagine her being at, I don’t think she’d wander around all by herself.
Once I reach the door, I notice from the small window besides it that the light is turned on and so, I push it open to find…
“That’s right, you have to use a darker shade and blend it out, that way, you end up having a great shadow effect without looking exaggerated, the way you did it made it look too pale, it didn’t bring the impact desired” Yoongi explains as he bends over Y/N’s desk while she looks focused on the paper in front of her, brows furrowing and teeth biting on her bottom lip as her fingers follow his instructions.
I freeze at the sight, unsure if I’m seeing right, I must be hallucinating.
What’s that? They’re interacting peacefully? There’s no tears, no anger, no fear?
Curious and excited, ripples shaking through my feathers at the sight, I quietly make my way to my own desk next to hers to have a better view of what’s going on, but there’s no avoiding Yoongi’s sharp senses when his ears perk up at the slightest noise I make and his eyes come to meet mine.
“Hey, Jiminie, how are you?” Yoongi asks, his words making Y/N look up from her work and I’m momentarily stunned by her beauty, hair tucked behind her ears as her wide eyes stare up at me, lips parting and tongue licking her lips-
No, Jimin, bad bird. Don’t go there, you just met her. Gosh. But she does look beautiful.
“Hey hyung, hi Y/N, I’m feeling really great today, how are you two?” I ask as I pull back my chair to take a seat, unable to keep my eyes from sparkling when she smiles at me.
“Hi Jimin, I’m doing alright, Yoongi was showing me a few tricks from the last project because I had some difficulty with it” she comments softly and Yoongi huffs lightly with a shake of his head.
“You did really good, you just needed some guidance with the blending out part. Other than that, we can really see the black and white effect, you managed this by yourself so give yourself some credit” the cat counters and Y/N blushes lightly at the praise.
Wait. She’s blushing?
No no no.
I scoot closer to her, feel the way her body turns stiff at the sudden proximity and I hum as I look at her drawing, try to pretend like I’m not noticing her blush deepening or the way possessiveness flares within me at the idea that Yoongi might make her shy.
I want them to become friends, but nothing more, he can’t take her from me, he already has Jin hyung.
Yoongi snorts, the sound barely noticeable but when I look up to meet his eyes, he’s grinning at me like he saw right through me. I gulp and quickly turn my attention back to her drawing. Crap.
“Well, I have something to do before the students start coming in but you two are welcome to stay here, people should start arriving soon anyway” he excuses himself as he straightens up before making his way towards the door, his tail swaying happily behind him and the next thing we know, he’s exiting the class and leaving the two of us alone.
Silence swallows Y/N and I and now realizing that I might have overdone it with getting closer to her, I scoot away just a little, watch as her shoulders relax almost instantly.
Yeah, that might have been too much, my bad.
She clears her throat, a hand going to rub the back of her neck and she stares at me briefly before looking back to her paper, her cheeks still a pretty pink, why do I suddenly feel like touching them? They must feel so soft under my lips-
Eyes widening, I shake my head and pinch my thigh to try and bury those thoughts away, goodness, what’s happening to me?
“It looks good” I say to focus on something else, my sudden words taking her aback. I point at the drawing when she turns to me and she smiles sheepishly, eyes creasing prettily.
“Thank you, I had fun doing this one, I just struggled a little when it came to the shadows so Yoongi’s help was great, he’s very good at explaining, I understand why he took on that job” she says, seemingly pleased with the end result.
“You two seemed… alright with each other. Did something happen before I arrive?” I ask, unable to stop myself, I want to understand. Just yesterday, she’d said that she would try but that it seemed hard, but what I saw… that didn’t look hard at all.
It makes me feel divided. Part of me wants to remain the only person she’s comfortable with, I want to enjoy that for a bit longer, but I know that it’s very selfish of me, it can’t be comfortable being scared of everyone all the time, I just… she’s myfriend.
She hums as her gaze turns to her drawing, pens settled down besides it. “I apologized to him, it felt good getting it off my chest after all this time thinking about it. He ended up apologizing as well, then we talked a little about- anyway, yeah, I asked him questions about the project and then you came in” she says softly, looking as if a burden has indeed left her.
I nod, proud of her, that she could go through with it as she wanted. She looks up to meet my gaze and makes a small smile that warms my heart.
“I’m going to try and cut the strings linking me to the past from now on. I might not be able to forget, I don’t want to forget, but… if I can stop hurting because of it and focus more on the present… I think that would be great, for everyone concerned” she states and I feel my wings flap in pride behind me, as if her willing to make this step is a personal victory of mine.
“That’s great, Y/N, really. I’ll help you reach that goal, together I’m sure we can make it there, to a happy future” I blurt out before slapping a hand over my mouth at the way I just assumed that she would want or even need my help. My tongue really has a mind of its own sometimes.
She turns to me though, eyes looking surprised. “You want to help me?” she repeats, as if she can’t believe it, to which I nod seriously.
“Because we’re friends, aren’t we? What kind of friend would I be to let you face this alone?” I say, watch as her eyes widen slightly and silence surrounds us again.
I shift nervously on my chair, heart beating nervously against my rib cage. Does she not want to be my friend? Are we not after everything that happened?
I see her eyes start to glisten and fear takes over me, that I might have gone too far. My wings fold tightly behind me as I try to think of what to say to assure her that it’s okay if she doesn’t want to be my friend, even though the words would feel like ripping my heart in half but then she smiles brightly, one I’ve never seen on her before and it takes my breath away, the way it shines like the sun.
My heart calms down at the sight and I feel a strange feeling spread throughout my whole body, warm and comforting, like honey drizzling over my soul and sweetening everything that might be sour and bitter within me.
“I… it’s been so long since I had a friend, I’m sorry, it just makes me very happy. I wasn’t expecting you to say it aloud like that, to confirm that we are, I didn’t… I wasn’t sure” she murmurs and I sigh out in relief, a hand going to ruffle my hair with a nervous giggle as I try to not focus too much on how sad those words are.
“Thank goodness, for a moment, I thought you were going to say that you didn’t want to be my friend” I admit, watch as she shakes her head quickly, eyes widening in shock.
“No! I would never say no to that, plus I’d be crazy to refuse the only person that doesn’t scare me, I like spending this time here with you” she lets out shyly and I straighten up, soul tingling with pride at her admission.
She likes spending time with me?
Her eyes suddenly dart to the door and the warm cocoon that was enveloping us disappears without warning when she tenses up before bringing her attention to her intertwined fingers, legs turning fidgety as one foot starts bouncing on the floor.
Confused, I look up to see a big group of hybrids and humans coming in, loud conversations taking over the class as they rush to their desks with energy, their mood bright and bursting, which makes sense considering that most of them have had time to get closer during the last weeks.
The class has become a much more comfortable space since the beginning so people converse a lot more than they used to.
I bring my gaze back to her, see the way she startles when someone laughs loudly, it makes me want to hide her from her fears, to make it all better for her, but how can I do that when I don’t even know why she’s scared in the first place?
She closes her eyes and starts doing breathing exercises to keep calm, it makes my heart ache, wings restless to wrap around her, if only I could do that, maybe then she’d feel better?
I guess the only thing I can do for now is to remain by her side and try to not make things worse.
The classroom keeps filling until every desks are taken and Yoongi comes back shortly after, a stack of papers in hands that he proceeds to give to every first desks of every rows so they can reach the back of the class quickly.
Once sure that everyone has one in front of them, he clears his throat to get the attention on him, which brings a slow end to the conversations still going on, something that helps Y/N in calming down, thank goodness.
“I do believe that everyone has a paper in front of them? If so, take a look at it, there are in total four different types of lining to avoid everyone ending up with the same thing. Today’s project should be fun, I want all of you to be inspired by what is already drawn and complete the drawing. Use the lines to get a shape and have fun with the possibilities” he explains with a smile and I perk up because I love these kind of projects, there’s something really fun in giving free reign to my imagination.
I turn to see what kind of lines Y/N has and notice how she’s frowning at them as if they insulted her personally, it makes a smile form on my lips.
“What the heck am I supposed to do with that?” she grumbles to herself and I keep in a giggle at the way she pouts at the paper before patting her shoulder to bring her attention to my own.
“Want to switch?” I offer, watch as she takes in the lines I have, eyebrows furrowing lightly before she nods, mind already getting more ideas with this one.
“Please, that would be really nice of you, but are you sure? Mine looks tricky, I have no idea what could be done with it” she lets out, eyes meeting mine in hesitation.
I grin and switch our papers. “Watch me” I let out, pleased when I hear her chuckle at my confidence.
“Alright, birdie, do your worst then” she lets out, a teasing smile on her face at the childish nickname that slips through and I scoff before poking her side with one wing, her cute giggle I get in response a sweet melody to my heart.
“I’m not a child, youdo your worst, I’m going to do my best” I retort and she laughs, the melodious sound reaching straight to my soul and echoing there over and over again, gosh I love it.
“How about a competition then? Let’s see which drawing ends up being the best” she attempts and I narrow my eyes at her, not expecting this competitive side of her, it’s a nice surprise.
“Deal, this is a war then” I agree and at that, we both start working on our own drawing, focused like never before, a drive to win fueling us, but mostly just a need to enjoy this moment between the two of us.
“I’m so winning this” she mumbles to herself and I laugh. “You wish”.
a.n- Ah I missed this couple! Sorry about the late response anon but I hope you enjoy this! <3
A big warm thank you to @chateautaeand@alpacaseok for beta reading this and squealing with me about this Jungkook
As always feedback appreciated, a reblog and a like goes a far way. Send me an ask!
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People assume that leadership of a company is the most stressed when things are not going well, when the stocks are plummeting and market share is dwindling. However, what most don’t know is that the most stressful time is actually when your company is thriving, because unlike the earlier ways there are no problems to solve, the biggest problem is to predict how others might steal your spot, how your consumers might get bored of you, how even a slight mistake might lead to the downfall. It’s a practice in predicting human behaviour – something inherently difficult to quantify.
Collaborating with Saga was supposed to be a reprieve from the workload, it was supposed to be a way for Jungkook to finally gain the respect of his employees as he transitioned from part-time to full-time. Yet, he still overheard their snide comments, still had to bite his tongue when he received scathing looks from people who blamed nepotism for not sitting in his seat, people who made his job inherently more difficult, sending in sloppy reports compiled by interns. It was infuriating, and Jungkook was so so tired.
Running a hand through his hair, he walked into his dark apartment, tossing his jacket haphazardly on the floor along with his bag before trudging towards the couch and sprawling on it unceremoniously. He could feel every muscle in his back ache, a dull pain that made him whine. He didn’t think he even had the energy to turn on the lights, let alone make it to his bedroom. However, as much as he tried, he couldn’t shut off his brain, strategies from the earlier meeting roaming around like flies, buzzing annoyingly.
With a sigh, he sat up, reaching into his pocket for his phone and dialling your number. Talking to you always relaxed him, especially when he was having trouble with work. It helped that you could organise his thoughts, ask him questions that instantly made him see solutions instead of problems. It was reassuring, and his heart eased a little even as the dial tone rang out crispy through his phone.
“Hey Kookie! How’s my baby?” you answered cheerfully, and in his tired state Jungkook couldn’t help blushing a little, the endearments making him feel soft and fluffy. He knew you were equally as busy, your new job taking a bit to adjust. He didn’t want to invite you over. He knew that he should refrain because you had told him about your first big project and all that you needed to prepare for it, but it had been a long week without seeing you. Too long without the caress of your lips against his, and the longing manifested as a quiver in his lip.
“I’m… okay. Sorry, are you busy?” he asked, throat suddenly dry as he tried to control the wobble evident in his voice.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” you asked, the concern lacing your tone bringing out his vulnerabilities as he laid his head back, staring at the ceiling, eyes tracing the beam of light escaping his blinds and dividing the darkness into two.
“Long day,” he sighed, loosening the top few buttons of his shirt before continuing, “Long week. Miss you.”
“I miss you too, baby,” you assured softly, the conversation petering out as the two of you sat in silence till Jungkook apologised again meekly. It didn’t take you long to make up your mind, leaving work to catch a cab to his home, stopping only to pick up some food.
When you entered the code on his door, you were met by darkness, eyes taking a little too long to adjust as you took off your shoes and jacket, following the trail of Jungkook’s things to the living room where the man sat hunched on the couch. Placing the take out boxes on the coffee table, you kneeled in front of him, aligning your face to his as you held it in your hands.
“Hi sweet boy,” you cooed, kissing the little pout on his face. Jungkook couldn’t take a deeper breath even if his lungs allowed it, drowning in your intoxicating scent as he wrapped his arms around you and held you tight, burying his face in the crook of your neck. Lifting you up, he placed you in his lap, grip still an iron vice around you as he nuzzled into you, relishing the way your fingers softly massaged the back of his neck.
“I missed you,” he breathed, finally looking at you, eyes roaming your features. It had only been a week and somehow he had forgotten how beautiful you were, how just looking at you made his heart skip a beat. The soft smile on your lips felt like champagne in his veins, bubbling warmth through him till he had no choice but to capture it with his lips.
Jungkook wasn’t a shy virgin anymore, months of practice with you had turned him confident, albeit a little cocky at times about his ability to turn you into a squirming mess within minutes. But sometimes when he was exceptionally stressed and needy, he forgot about his preconceived notions about how sex was supposed to be. He forgot about the worries about pleasing you just right so you wouldn’t leave him, and he forgot about everything else but the taste of your lips and the feel of your touch. In those times he loved the way you pampered him, instructed him, called him a good boy in that sultry tone that made his mind blank and his blood fizzle. The same tone you were using now.
“Does my Kookie wanna be a good boy,” you said against the skin of his clavicle, your kisses having since departed from his lips to his jaw to his neck, leaving him blissfully sinking into the cushions. His breath came out in little pants, his hands flexing by his side because to truly be a good boy meant now touching you with your permission.
“Please baby,” he gasped just when your teeth nipped at the skin of his Adam’s apple, lust shooting through him and manifesting in the tightness of his pants under you.
You cooed at him, always ecstatic when he submitted so easily, relishing how you could provide him the solace you knew no one else could. Your fingers slowly unbuttoned his shirt, feeling the strong muscles he’d work so hard on, mouth relentless in tasting the slightly salty skin. As you kissed down his chest, you swiveled your hips against his, his cock already hard beneath you providing the perfect amount of friction to have those breathy whimpers escape his lips. Usually you would pull his pants down and sink him within you, ride him till he was mumbling incoherently and cumming within seconds, but it had been too long since you’d had him and you needed to cherish each moment, stretch it out so that by the time you were done his knitted brow and bags under his eyes would disappear.
With his shirt wide open and chest decorated with the blooming scarlet granted to him by your lips, you stood up, watching him as he peered at you from below his lashes, head tilted back. His hands quivered by his sides, chest rising with each breath but he didn’t dare move, and a proud smile made its way to your face. You ignored his little whine as you took his hands and walked him to the bedroom, you heart hurting a little at how tired he seemed, steps heavy and shoulders tight.
“Strip,” you commanded as you sat on the edge of the bed, watching how he slowly revealed more of his skin to you, your panties getting damper as he shrugged off his boxer to stand proudly in front of you. You were still in awe of how beautiful he truly was, rippling strong muscles protecting the most gentle heart underneath.
Standing in front of him, you looked up at him, running your hands over his shoulders, slowly coaxing him into contentment. His eyes fluttered, goosebumps rising as you traced the tattoos on his right arm before your fingers moved to his chest, roaming over his pebbled nipples and solid abs and trailing over the little path of hair that led to his hard dick patiently waiting for you.
“Tiger… baby,” he groaned when instead of gripping his cock like usual you just caressed it with a finger, your nail tickling him in a way that made his dick weep. The more you teased, the more he felt his legs shake, mind turning into the pink mush he craved so much around you. He never thought it was possible to lose yourself in someone this easily. Jungkook was used to hiding himself, being strong so his parents thought he was reliable, being stoic so his friends wouldn’t baby him, but with you he felt like he could be himself, raw and vulnerable because you would never hurt him.
When another featherlight touch threatened to make his knees buckle you guided him to the bed, laying him over the sheets and climbing to lie next to him. He looked over at you, confused, expecting you to straddle him and put him out of his misery but you just smiled, kissing him till all his thoughts floated away.
“Wanna forget everything today?” you whispered, hand cupping his jaw and lips pecking his nose. He felt as if he was melting into the mattress, nodding breathlessly as you started stroking him in earnest. He couldn’t help the high pitched whine that escaped him when you suddenly picked up speed, eager to reach his end. He was on the cusp, legs stretching out as his head leaned further into the pillows. His toes were tingling, sparks shooting up and down his body chaotically.
Seeing the stretch of his neck, so eagerly displayed for you, your lips started sucking on the skin, bruising it deliciously, his moans a chorus swelling through the room. You knew he was close by the way his thighs were shaking, quivering under your forearm and so with a tight grip at his base, you stopped.
“No no no,” Jungkook whined, fists clutching the sheets below him before pleading at you, begging for a release. But you knew Jungkook, knew that if you edged him a few more times he would melt away his stress when he finally came. With a placating sloppy kiss, you straddled him, legs stretching over his thighs as your hand began it’s movements once again, slowly torturing him.
The way he was keening had you throbbing, your pussy clenching over nothing and when you edged him once again he developed that dazed look on his face that made you almost push your panties to the side and climb on. Yet you decided to pull more of those sweet groans when you decided to lick his tip, relishing the salty bittersweet taste.
Moaning loudly, you closed your lips around him, sucking deep till your nose met the little hair at the base of his dick. One swallow around his flesh and Jungkook felt as if he would lose his mind, his breaths turning into wheezes as he tried his best not to cum, tears lining his eyes.
“Please please please I’m gonna cum,” Jungkook protested, yet you didn’t let go. His brain felt like it was escaping out his ears, muffling all sounds as he concentrated on not cumming without your permission. He wanted to be good so bad, wanted to please you, worship you, love you. His mind was filled with just a chorus of your name, the way your nails were taking over his abs making him heady. When he thought he couldn’t control himself anymore, you released him, his orgasm ebbing away just like his sanity. It felt as if he was in a different plane, floating peacefully in bliss from being so good for you. He didn’t cum and he didn’t care that tears were easily streaming down his face, he was so happy that he followed your instructions, and even happier when you kissed him, whispering affirmations in his ear.
“So proud of my Kookie,” you cooed, lying over him, kissing every part of his face, hands wiping his tears. “My good boy. My best boy. My favourite boy.”
Jungkook repeated your praises, mumbling incoherently, eyes closed and unaware that you had shed your ruined panties. You smiled at him, kissing him once more, as he easily let you invade him with your tongue. You guided his poor tortured cock into you, letting your walls envelope him in your warmth, the stretch making you moan softly.
You matched his bliss when you started rotating your hips, the angle making you see stars. It wasn’t long till you lost your patience, changing the pace to one that was faster, more haphazard, one that made the sounds of your bodies colliding echo around the room even louder than Jungkook’s begging.
“Please baby! Please wanna touch you! Wanna so bad,” he cried, hips thrusting into you trying to match your pace on shaky legs. It seemed impossible how many endorphins were rushing through him, making it seem as if he had already cum when he knew he was still harder than he had ever been.
“Go ahead baby,” you moaned and the words had barely left your lips when he was looping his arms around you to pull you to his chest, his grip so tight that you could barely move. Yet the change helped your clit grind perfectly against him bringing you closer, agonizing him as you got tighter around him. His begging was barely recognizable as words, full of yearning, drool dripping as he mouthed at your chin, bringing your orgasm to the cusp.
“Cum for me Jungkook,” you whispered, right as you fell off the edge, muscles quivering under his hold, his loud whine filling your ears. And seconds later he was cumming, unable to stop how he spasmed, squirmed from the euphoria flowing through him as he breathlessly moaned your name again and again.
When the tide had ebbed, you stayed close, holding him tight and whispering how much you loved him, how proud you were of him. He didn’t care that the two of you were messy, sticky with sweat, his mind too frayed to want anything other than the comfort you provided.
It seemed like hours till he was able to speak again, answering your questions about different video games he liked as you brought him back to earth, your fingers gently running through his hair. He noticed that somehow the two of you had changed positions, his head now laying on your chest as he curled around you.
“How are you feeling, my pretty boy,” you checked in, and Jungkook couldn’t help blushing at the endearment. He never thought being called pretty by you would make him feel so alive but the praise felt like a balm to his earlier torture, the haze melting into love as he looked up at you. You smiled at his glistening doe eyes as you kissed his forehead, loving the grin that showcased his teeth and scrunched his nose.
After pampering him with a bath and listening about his day, you changed the sheets, cuddling your giant loveable boyfriend and assuaging his worries. Sometimes you wished you could take his stress away from him, steal it away so it wouldn’t burden his shoulders. But looking at him now as he cutely kisses you, relaxed and boneless, you were happy to give him at least this temporary reprieve.
“I love you, you know that right?” you asked him, gently stroking his cheek as he gazed at you adoringly.
“I do. Thank you for loving me,” Jungkook whispered, kissing your lips once again. “I love you more than anything, my soulmate.”
You giggled at his silly belief but still picked up his hand from where it laid on your waist.
“My soulmate,” you acquiesced with a kiss to his pinky before intertwining yours against it, enjoying the way he smiled before drifting off to sleep.
Genre: (Inaccurate) Historical AU || Strangers to lovers AU || Supernatural AU || Implied smut || Fluff || Angst
Summary: Picking which road to go down is easy when you think about how alone you would be without Jungkook, even if he hadn’t been the most honest with you from the start.
Word count: 9k
Tags/ warnings: angst, fluffy-ish, minor mention of blood, self deprecation, more lying, soft yandere kook, mentions of murder/ killing, definitely probably an unhealthy relationship, too much talking about dates it’s slightly confusing me thinks that is all
Notes: after a two month hiatus i have returned to my favorite child, i don’t really have an excuse except i’m ass at multitasking and shouldn’t have started a second series basically right after starting this one, so i recommend maybe going back and re-reading the last chapter like i had to unless you have sexy good memory
“Of course I’m mad Jungkook” you look at him in disbelief, “What if they had been thorough in their search? What if they found out you were the one who killed that man? Are you stupid?”
Jungkook swallows thickly, bottom lip jutting out into a pout as you berate him. He was more upset that you seemed genuinely angry with him that the possible consequences of getting caught because he couldn’t keep his anger in line. It wasn’t his fault the seedy old man had touched you without consent, what was he meant to do? Let the man go? That would go against all his morals and values.
“I told you it wasn’t me” he gently grabs your hands, his thumbs running over your palms. He looks down, eyebrows furrowing as a sad pout moulds onto his face, surely you couldn’t be angry at him when he looked so upset!
You look at him with a deadpan look, pulling your hands from his own. Because even if Jeon Jungkook looked like a kicked puppy, you weren’t about to forget the crime he had committed. And you would make it clear that if you were carry on knowing each other then he wasn’t allowed to go around killing men or women. Or anyone for that matter whatever they identified as. No killing.
By some miracle you’d made it out of the village without any other issues; you’d been so scared when you’d been stopped at the gate, convinced your life was truly over when it had hardly even begun. Turns out the men couldn’t care less about the murder, forced into the job last minute by the head of the village because no one had volunteered, simply asking the three of you to step away from the wagon so they could take a look for anything suspicious.
It seemed the man who had harassed you hadn’t been liked by many, the chief of the village only going ahead with protocol to appease his higher up in the capital so he himself wouldn’t be arrested.
They hadn’t even looked into any bags, their eyes skimming over what you were carrying, mindless hums passing through their lips as they prodded a bag or two, giving the three of you a curt nod and wishing you luck on your travels.
You’d thanked them, not missing the way their eyes had lingered at your chest as you climbed back into the back of the wagon; and it took all your will power not to kick them where the sun doesn’t shine. Namjoon seemed to share your anxiety, the way his shoulders had stayed tense until you were far enough from the village a clear sign, he had shared your sentiment. Only relaxing slightly once far enough to be considered safe.
You didn’t blame him. Felt a little sorry if anything.
It wasn’t every day that you have to travel with two complete strangers. One a four-armed demon who had arguably (definitely had) twisted morals, who was stubborn beyond belief sometimes and a foreigner who may still be wanted dead by the royal family because they believed you were a spy. (Something you will soon find out is a law that was demolished 6 years ago along with the fact there was a new king)
“Now you must think I’m stupid” you shake your head, “what other demon would have been in that small village?”
“Probably a lot” Jungkook argues, “I’m not the only demon and you know that”
You release a heavy sigh, fingers coming up to pinch the bridge of your nose, “No killing people, okay? It’s not right”
“I would never” Jungkook says, lie easily slipping through his cushiony lips. Anything to appease you.
You make eye contact with him, searching for something behind his onyx eyes, only to find nothing. He didn’t seem to be lying, Jungkook had no reason to lie to you. Maybe it was a little naïve of you to believe that Jungkook could do no wrong; maybe you were biased because he’d only ever shown you kindness. He treated you as an equal, not some house maid that had to cook and clean all day, nothing more than a tool for him to boss around to feed into some fucked up superiority complex. You’d liked to believe Jungkook was as honest with you as you are with him, and it felt easy to read him, like he wore his heart on his sleeve and if he were to ever lie, you’d know.
“Okay, I believe you” you whisper, heartrate picking up as he smiles down at you so brightly. How could someone so kind kill a man? Sure, he threatened Namjoon here and there but you saw where your demon friend was coming from, the world was a shitty place and not everyone can be trusted.
Namjoon clearing his throat catches your attention, “We’re almost at the capital” he informs.
You look up at the sky, full moon hanging high above the three of you, illuminating the path for Namjoon as he meanders down the dirt road towards the large gates of the capital.
You peek over the walls of the wagon, lips quirking into an excited smile as you catch the faint silhouette of a few high-rise buildings. It was hard to see in the silver glow of the moonlight, but you imagine it looked exactly how Taehyung had described it in his notebook. Tomorrow you’d have to take a look over his notes again and plan out how you’d spend the next three days here with Jungkook.
You turn your head to look at said demon as he snakes his arm over your shoulders, his eyes trained on the path ahead, his own smile quirking onto his lips.
“If it looks this beautiful in the moonlight it must be ethereal during the day” you tell him, smile widening when he turns his head to look at you.
Your eyes close briefly when he leans forwards, a gentle kiss being pressed between your eyebrows.
“Yes, but nothing will ever match your beauty” he murmurs against your skin, your eyebrows furrowing at the ticklish feeling.
You let out an unattractive scoff, pushing his arm from your shoulder as you sit back down, view of the capital being obscured by the walls of the wagon. Jungkook sits back too, a knowing smile on his face as he starts packing up both of your things into his backpack.
He just adored how shy you could be something, and he didn’t mind playing your little games if it meant he could see the strawberry pink flush of your cheeks, illuminated by the silver moonlight.
Jungkook wishes he could engrave this moment into his mind. You always had looked like a fairy in the cool glow beneath the moon, so undeniably beautiful he wanted to keep you all to himself. No one in this world deserving enough to see you looking so delicate, no one but himself. He find it hard to keep his hands to himself, wanting to caress your soft skin, kiss every inch of your body until you understand its beauty, maybe leave a love bite or two so you’ll remember him even when not together. He wonders if you’d trace the sensitive skin, pressing on it just to feel the dull ache, or if you would leave them out in the open for anyone else to see; a sign that you’re taken.
The rest of the night went by in a blur, entering the capital was easier than you had initially assumed it to be, you believe because it was so late into the night the guards were laxer than they would be during the day. It didn’t seem to be common for visitors to arrive so late, the three of you the only ones waiting for the gate to be opened, what lay beyond the walls silent, everyone having gone to bed or closed their shops until sunrise.
A guard had recognised Namjoon, more than happy to hurry up the process of getting you into a decent inn so you wouldn’t have to camp out in the wagon until morning; understanding your backs must ache and eye weary from a long day of travel.
The woman at the front of the inn was more than happy to house the three of you for the next few days, a beautiful smile on her face as she handed Namjoon and Jungkook a key. She’d then turned to you, assuring you that you were more than welcome to come and sit in the bar area downstairs and embroider with her during the day, she was having trouble with a project and would be extremely happy if you were to help out at some point.
You’d eagerly nodded, smile so wide your cheeks had started to hurt. No one had ever wanted you to help them with their embroidery before!
She reminded you of the mother you’d never had, something so soft and warm about her that you couldn’t help but say yes to everything she was saying. You’d have to sit with her at breakfast and ask her what the capital was really like, and maybe she could even look through Taehyung’s diary with you and make a plan to make the most of your three days in the capital.
“Good night” you wave to Namjoon as he unlocks the door to his own room adjacent from yours and Jungkook’s.
Namjoon waves back, dimpled smile making a brief appearance before he scuttles back into his room, door being locked from the inside.
Jungkook pulls out a pair of pyjamas for you to wear, throwing them onto the bed as you flop onto the mattress.
“Get changed before you sleep, pretty” he reminds you, smiling when you reply, muffled by your head being stuffed into the layers of silky blankets on the bed. Though he assumes it must be something along the lines of ‘can’t be bothered’ to ‘in a minute, kook’
He rummages through his bag, trying to find his own sleep clothes (he liked to pretend to sleep beside you even if his body didn’t need it like yours did, something so blissfully domestic about laying beside you, your calm breath a beautiful symphony in the dead of night), however his focus is trained on you. The slow raise and fall of your body as you just lay there, unmoving, exhausted.
He tuts, abandoning his task as he pushes himself up from the floor, sauntering over towards you with purpose in his steps.
You let out a surprised squeak when his first pair of arms snakes around your waist, easily lifting you to sit up.
“Come on” he encourages, one of his arms stretching to grab your discarded clothes, placing them in your lap.
“But ‘m sleepy kookie” you whine, falling back onto the mattress with a dramatic sigh.
Jungkook, amused, lifts you up again, this time by pulling you up from under your arms, like one would a baby. And maybe you were his baby, the most precious little thing in his life. Truthfully, he doesn’t mind moment like this, adores them actually. Each time you rely on him, he can prove to you that he is good enough to provide for you, and he can only hope that with small moments like these you were slowly falling in love with him. He knows you’d never love him as much as he loved you, that was impossible! No one could love anything as much as he absolutely worships your very being, but he believes one day you’ll love him. He believes you already do, why else would you have stuck around for so long? He just knows you’re a little shy and being the considerate person that he is, he’ll wait a little longer before he tells you his master plan. Surely you’d be thrilled.
The perfect plan to keep the two of you together for the rest of time. Even thinking about it makes his cheeks burn, dusted a light pink, like the sunsets that you like to watch each evening while he reads you passages of his favourite books, maybe even feeding you a slice of fruit between pages just to make sure you’re not hungry before bed.
You don’t complain as he easily slips your shirt from your head, sighing in bliss as he kisses your bare shoulders before helping you put one of your sleep shirts on. He does the same with your pants, placing a feather light kiss to your ankle as he helps you change. Fingers skimming your pretty skin, he has to stop himself more than once from running his tongue along the expanse of it, wanting to relish the feeling of you in as many ways possible.
Once done, he leaves you to flop back on the bed, reminding him of a sleepy floppy bunny, as he lifts a few of the blankets, before lifting you to tuck you into bed; something had seemed to be a routine at this point. He wouldn’t be able to count on his four hands the number of times he’d been able to tuck you into his bed, safe from the world, if only for a night.
“Thank you” you whisper, voice laced with sleep.
Jungkook brushes your hair from your face, deftly tucking it behind your ears.
“Anything for you” he whispers back, a fond smile on his face.
He waits until you’re asleep, carefully slipping from the bed, trying his best not to wake you because he knew you were a light sleeper. Rummaging through his bag he bites his lip as he pulls a map from one of the pockets. Trying his best to stay silent, as unrolls the paper, humming to himself as he scans the map, finger tracing the library he needed to visit. He wondered if books were more expensive in the capital, Taehyung would usually collect the ones he wanted, and it was easier to give his friend a few coins each month and whatever was left, Taehyung could keep. Jungkook never had much care for money anyways.
He nods in thought, turning towards the bag once more, praying to the devil down below that he had enough for the specific book he wanted, no… needed.
He rummages around until he finds the small pouch of money. Opening the drawer strings, he cringes at how much the two of you had left. Saving had started to get harder over the last few years. After the new king had risen to power and demons had become public enemy number one, the villagers hadn’t been as generous with putting their coins into shrines.
And Jungkook was now facing the consequences.
His whole life he had relied on the money humans would leave at his shrine, it was easy to live off, even after you’d started living with himself and Taehyung, the donations were generous enough he never had to worry about money for food, clothes or books, but looking now, money was starting to become an issue.
He wouldn’t tell you this of course. He couldn’t have you worrying, he couldn’t let your pretty little head come up with a stupid idea (like leaving him), just because the two of you had to be a little frugal with your money until he figured out a way to earn a decent living once again.
Maybe he could sell Taehyung’s art, it wouldn’t sell for a lot, Taehyung was by no means a well-respected painter, that is why he had struggled for years before he’d met Jungkook. But that didn’t mean his art was worthless, they would have to at least sell for a couple of pennies a piece.
Jungkook thinks you wouldn’t be happy if he were to sell Taehyung’s art. You adored it, having spent hours a day letting Taehyung teach you the basics of painting, and after finally getting a glimpse at his art, you’d stay hauled up in Taehyung’s room, connecting with him through his artwork even if he wasn’t physically with you anymore. You’d be crushed if any of the pieces were to disappear.
Maybe he could take a few of the smaller pieces? The ones you wouldn’t notice went missing, he just needed a way to earn a few extra coins. The last thing he needed was for you to starve. Or even worse, you to leave him because he can’t provide for the two of you. And if you were to find out, he could jut out his bottom lip, maybe even shed a tear or two until you forgave him, he’s sure you’d understand his struggle if he cried a little.
+++
Namjoon was suspicious.
He’d been thinking for a few days, ever since he’d spoken to you at the beach about the village in-front of the mountains and how you’d met Jungkook. It all seemed… off. Nothing was falling into place. Odd pieces of the puzzle that didn’t connect, or worse, that one puzzle piece that goes missing, impossible to find and so the picture will remain incomplete. Forever.
He had considered asking you a few more things about Jungkook but decided against it. Not only was Jungkook constantly glued to your side, the few times he strayed away from the two of you, he seemed to be lurking close by enough to be able to listen to your conversations. So, asking you was out of the question. For now.
And from what he had seen, you probably weren’t the best person to ask about the demon.
Sure, you lived with him, probably knew a lot more than you were letting on but either the demon was threatening you to not say anything, or you genuinely didn’t know all that much. Both seemed just as likely. Namjoon had been on the receiving end of Jungkook’s threats more than a few times during this trip and knew how scary he could be, but Jungkook was also extremely secretive. Like how he clearly didn’t want you know about what happened in the village 6 years ago.
Namjoon was also suspicious of the fact that you seemed to have forgotten a lot of what happened in your life over the last few months. By no means was he a doctor, he’d given up on that dream long ago, but nothing made sense. You seemed so confused, genuinely asking him for help, and no matter how hard he tried to think of ways your memories had disappeared, the conclusion always led back to Jungkook. Suspicious Jungkook who definitely had a few too many secrets.
And so, Namjoon had the bright idea to follow the demon to wherever he may be going instead of interrogating you back at the inn while you had breakfast with the nice front desk lady.
It wasn’t all that surprising when Jungkook walks into a library, the demon always had a book in his hands. And with how much he read, Namjoon wasn’t all that surprised he needed a new book so soon into the trip.
What alarmed Namjoon was the location of the library, hidden in the dark crevices of an alley way on the outskirts of the capital. A place you’d have to have known prior to the trip happening, either having visited this location before, or someone who knew of it telling him before the trip had begun. It was in too much of an obscure place to be any old library.
Namjoon waits for Jungkook to enter the building, his foot tapping against the cobblestone path for what felt like a minute before he decides that he should just go in.
It looked like any other library, shelves stacked up to the ceiling, books organised by category, clearly labelled with large wooden signs, hung on the end of each shelf. The young boy behind the front desk hadn’t bothered to look up at from his own book as Namjoon wanders inside. (If he had, Namjoon would have seen the third eye the boy had)
It’s fairly easy to spot Jungkook even among the tall bookshelves with his broad back and slightly suspicious looking navy cloak, Namjoon tries his best to stay a fair amount of distance between the two of them. He wondered how good Jungkook’s senses must be as a demon and the last thing he wanted right now was to get caught. That would be the end of him, and he promised his mother he would be home within a week.
The village boy slips to hide behind a nearby shelf once Jungkook stands down one of the isles, fingers lightly skimming over the spines of a few books. He peeks up at the wooden sign, checking what sort of book Jungkook could be looking for.
His eyebrows furrow. ‘Conversion theory’
In all his times spent at libraries he’d never seen that genre of book. And Namjoon, although his friends back at the village make fun of him, quite likes to read. He had taught himself how to, never having had gone and learnt from a scholar, but he liked to live the lives of other through the pages.
He himself was trapped in his mundane life on the farm, nothing more going for him. But he could adventure the globe through a book, learn the history of his land, picture what life beyond the vast sea must be like, and so much more, just from paper and ink.
He takes a look at another shelf, gulping when he reads the sign.
‘Demonic entities’
Namjoon has to slap a hand over his mouth as he looks around, finally taking a look at the library properly; completely forgetting he was here to see what Jungkook could be trying to find.
Mixed among the humans were other beings, just like Jungkook.
+++
You watch Jungkook shove an unfamiliar book into the backpack, “You bought a new book?” you ask absentmindedly, more focused on brushing the knots out of your wet hair. You felt like a brand-new person, freshly washed, smelling a little less like dried blood and sweat after the incident from the day before.
You’d washed your hands at the previous inn, but the stench of blood had lingered, even then you don’t know if that was your mind playing tricks on you. The wound still fresh as you think back on the good times with your pretty kitty.
You wondered if you were okay, feeling so numb to the fact that another companion of yours had died. That was the third one in under two years. You thought you would have cried more, wanting to lock yourself away from everyone else a wallow in self-pity until your head hurts and your skin is dry from the salty tears. But you felt the opposite, wanting to finally go out and explore. Maybe you were a shitty person for moving on so fast, but maybe it was for the better. Or maybe that was a smaller part of you trying to convince yourself it was all okay when in reality it really wasn’t.
You could only hope that your cat would have a better life when reborn. That would be enough to let you sleep peacefully at night.
Jungkook hums, “Something about the history of this land”
You nod, never having been fond of history. It felt a little a little unconventional, why would you focus so much on what has already happened when you have the whole future to look forward to?
“I was thinking we could go out for lunch; I saw a nice place on my walk this morning” Jungkook turns towards you, happy with how far down he’d been able to stuff his book into the bag.
He doubted you’d ever rummage through his stuff, seeming more content with him riffling through the bag to get clean clothes or a snack. But better to safe than sorry. Especially since it was becoming evident you could read now; he would hate for his plans to be ruined because he was kind enough to share his knowledge with you.
“Sure” you reply, handing him the hairbrush to be put back neatly into the bag.
Jungkook was right, the small building the two of you had entered was more than nice. It even had two floors! (The owner explaining it had been inspired by building from the countries overseas who had places to eat with more than the ground floor like the hanoks) The outside was lined with small flowers, vines clinging to the walls, climbing their way up to the balconies above the ground floor.
You don’t ask when Jungkook requests the private balcony area on the second floor, assuming it was so the two of you could eat comfortably without worrying someone would try and hand you into the royal family or freaking out because Jungkook had four arms.
You watch the bustling streets, watching some kids play a game you weren’t familiar with, a few stealing loose fruits from crates, giggling as a few elderly people chase after them.
You wonder if that is what a real childhood looked like. All the children in the capital seemed so happy, happy with their parents and siblings, happy with their lives. The perfect life you could only ever have dreamt of becoming a reality.
You wouldn’t say you were jealous. If you hadn’t left the home you’d grown up in, your life would have been completely different. Your friend would still be alive, maybe you would have married by now. His father wouldn’t have approved, but you supposed you could have run away together. If you’d run away would the outcome, be the same? Would he have died because he had married a spy? You suppose he wouldn’t have been safe either way.
Regret is a fickle thing. There have been so many moments in your recent life where you wish you could just go back and change what has happened. You wouldn’t care if the future was different, that is something the you of then would have figure out. Because the you of now wanted to go back and change all the times something had led to the death of someone you loved so dearly.
You would convince your friend to stay home, he wouldn’t have died a brutal death. You would tell Taehyung he shouldn’t go down to the village, you’d go alone because if you could survive the disease once you could do it again and then he would still be by your side. You’d have taken lil meow down with you to breakfast the other morning, that way you’d still have your furry companion.
You regret not knowing, which in hindsight sounds stupid because how were you meant to know all of these bad bad things would happen? And it was easy to feel sorry for yourself, and the small, selfish part of you thinks that you feeling sorry for yourself if justified. Because why were you still alive and they weren’t?
Maybe you regret being born, you didn’t really have much say in the matter, but maybe it would have been better if you hadn’t tried so hard all your life to stay alive. Fighting tooth and nail to survive in a world that clearly didn’t want or need you.
If you hadn’t been born you wouldn’t be a bad omen to those around you, and everyone you’ve ever loved wouldn’t be dead. Jungkook may have been a special case, born blessed as a being that is unable to die. And maybe that’s why you stayed, because no matter how unlucky you may be, Jungkook would never fall into the hands of death because of you.
If you hadn’t been selfish, childish, then the poor cat would still be alive. Roaming the mountains free of burden. If you hadn’t been selfish and wanted to spend just a few more moments with your friend you’re your childhood, he wouldn’t have suffered an unjustified death. If you hadn’t agreed to stay in the hanbok, then maybe Taehyung could have waited out the winter with what food you’d eaten, and neither of you would have contracted a disease. He would still be alive and happy, carefree as he carries on the same routine he had for years without you coming and interrupting his peaceful life with his friend.
“Y/n?” Jungkook calls you, tugging at the sleeves of your cloak to catch your attention.
Your eyes flit up to meet his own.
“Are you okay?”
You hum, waving him off with a quick smile. It was easy to smile while looking at Jungkook’s face. Maybe it was because you didn’t want him to worry, so a smile was easy, or maybe Jungkook just had that affect. Such a nice face that you have no other choice but to smile too brightly at him. Or maybe you smile because you don’t want him to ask too many questions that you yourself don’t know the answer to.
He watches you for a moment longer, trying to gauge if you were lying or not. But then he sees your eyes light up at the array of food laid out on the table before the two of you.
“You bought so much” you mutter in awe.
“Well, aren’t you going to eat?” he asks, nudging a pair of chopsticks into your hands.
You nod slowly, “I’m trying to engrave what it looks like into my mind”
Jungkook laughs, a fond smile on his face as he just watches you, “No need, we’ll just come back in a few months and eat here again” he tells you, easy smile on his face.
“Okay” you grin.
Jungkook’s eyebrows furrow when you push yourself from the cushion on the floor, feet light as you skip your way over to his side of the table.
You lean down, pressing a kiss to his cheek, “Thank you for the food, Jungkookie” you smile.
Jungkook feels his heart stop, his fingers moving on their own as they wrap around your wrist.
Your head tilts in question, your breath hitching when he pulls on your wrist, so you’ve leant down once again.
You bite your lip to stop the big smile that threatened to pull onto your face when he presses a kiss onto the apple of your right cheek.
“You’re welcome, my lovely” he replies, motioning for you to go and sit down, “Now hurry and eat before the food gets cold”
“Yes sir” you mock salute, giggling when Jungkook rolls his eyes, tone teasing as he tells you to hurry up and sit down.
+++
You grip onto the sleeve of Jungkook’s cloak when a large group of people move in a clump down the narrow street.
You look up at Jungkook in confusion, ready to ask if he knew why so many people were moving in tandem, but your mouth clamps shut when you see the annoyed crease in his brows.
“Burn the demons!” a burly looking man shouts, the posse of people following him repeating his words with just as much enthusiasm.
Jungkook pulls you back into his chest when a new wave of civilians shove their way down the street, although their movements lack the mesmerising movements like the sea’s waves crashing against the shore, more shoulders bumping shoulders, the delicate crash of the waves replaced with grunts as they all bounce off one another.
“What’s going on?” you ask, voice raising in hopes that Jungkook would be able to hear you.
Either he does, or choses to ignore you as his fingers take a hold of your hand, dragging you into a narrow alley way beside the building the two of you had just had lunch in. You try and pull your hand from Jungkook’s fingers feeling as though they were going to snap with how tightly he was holding your hand.
“Jungkook what’s going on?” you ask, voice a little breathy as you try and catch up with Jungkook’s long strides.
The demon slows down a little, apologetic furrow of his brows as he watches you try and catch your breath, “They must be protesting” he mutters, and you simply nod.
“Against demons?” you ask, watching Jungkook release a long sigh.
“I should have told you” he turns towards you, “Not all demons are kind, my love. Some do bad things, and so they get punished” he explains, hoping the worry evident in his tone is enough to convince you of this white lie. It was technically half the truth, but you didn’t need to know the full problem, you losing your memories of what happened the night years back had already helped him move forwards in his plan.
As long as you believed it was the same year, where you were a wanted spy, and he was a harmless demon that was worshiped by all then everything would be okay. His plan would continue to run smoothly and then he could hold you in his arms without worrying about trivial human matters like death.
“Was there a bad demon here then?” you ask, worried you’d get caught in-between the conflict.
Jungkook nods, hand coming to rest on his chin as if in thought, “It seems so, we should head back to the inn for the rest of the day, just in case”
“That’s probably a good idea” you agree.
Jungkook takes a step before stopping. You make a noise in the back of your throat in question, watching as he releases your hand, turning to face you as he rummages through the pockets of his cloak.
Your head tilts up to look into his eyes when he pulls what looks to be a small pocketknife from the confines of his cloak.
“What?” you ask when he thrusts it in your direction.
“Just in case something happens and I’m not there, you’ll be able to protect yourself” he leans down to take a hold of your right hand, placing the pocketknife into your palm.
Your left hand traces the intricate design of the handle, wood having been carved out into small delicate flowers, painted with so much care there were no smudges or random pieces of colour bleeding into one another. It truly was pretty, like nothing you’d ever seen before.
“Jungkook I—I can’t” you shake your head, not daring to sheath the actual blade.
“You know I’ll always be by your side to protect you, but just in case” he pushes your hand away when you try to give it back, “Please, I’ll be able to rest easy knowing that if anything were to happen to me, you’d at least be able to put up a fight”
You swallow, eyes flitting back down to the pocketknife before you look back at Jungkook. Even with the warm afternoon sun being obscured by the roofs of buildings, in the dingy alleyway that was nothing more than grey cobblestone, greened with moss and small weeds, Jungkook looked so pretty. He looked so calm, unlike how he had been moment ago in the street. You sometimes wonder if he had lied about being a demon, he looked nothing like the scary beings that old wives’ tales made them out to be. Maybe he truly fell from the sky, an angel sent to help guide you in life.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he scoffs, finger pushing at your forehead.
You sigh, “I was imagining what I could do with this thing” you dangle the offending weapon between your thumb and forefinger
Jungkook laughs at that, “You can’t kill a demon with a measly knife” he waves you off, easily slipping his fingers between your own as he pulls you out the alleyway.
“Then how am I meant to defend myself”
“That’s what I’m here for”
“But you just—”
Jungkook presses a finger against your lips, “I’ll always be there for you, but it never hurts to have a back-up plan”
+++
You’d been thinking for a few days about the conversation you’d had with Namjoon about the part of your life that you felt, had gone missing. Maybe you were paranoid, or just plain stupid. Or maybe you imagined the incident that happened in the village. Or you were overthinking everything. All seemed like possible answers but no matter how hard you try to remember, you can only ever think back to the moments before the rocks had been thrown at you, enamoured by how intricately made the wooden bunny was.
And then blank. You couldn’t recall anything after that. Like it never happened. Seeming swallowed into a blackhole, making no sign of ever returning.
You faintly remember a dream, but after the first day of waking up it had been pushed to the furthest corner of your mind, Taehyung’s death taking up most of your thoughts. And whenever you try and think back to it now, you can only seem to remember how fresh the air had felt, and the soft scratching of golden grass on the backs of your hands as you wandered into the horizon. The sky a bright blue that otherwise hurt your eyes, a dull pain in the back of your head that would return when you would think too hard about what may have happened in your dream.
Nothing adds up.
It had been winter the day you’d gone down to the village with Taehyung, you were sure of that, you remembered how soft the scarf was Taehyung had gifted you, a gift for your first winter spent with himself and Jungkook. And if what Jungkook had said was correct; that you’d been passed out for only a few weeks, then there was no way it should have been that far into the spring once you’d woken up. Flowers in full bloom, sun not shying behind the clouds throughout the day.
But why would Jungkook lie?
Your fingers gently brush over your cheek, contemplating whether it was possible for such a deep gash to heal in such a short amount of time, with no evidence left behind. No scar, no tender tissue or discoloration. You’d woken up like nothing had happened. Maybe that was common? But as a child such a deep wound would take months to fully heal.
He wouldn’t lie, would he?
You fall onto your back, mattress cushioning your fall. Your head turns towards the door of the inn room, Jungkook’s large backpack coming into view.
Maybe he kept a diary like Taehyung did?
Jungkook had gone out for a walk that morning, whispering to you while you battled between staying asleep or finally waking up, sun peeking in through the windows, encouraging you to peel your eyes open. You’d hummed and waved him off when he asked if you wanted to join him. And that was less than an hour ago.
He did say he would be gone for a few hours… that would leave you with more than enough time to quickly snoop through his bag and see if he was hiding anything.
You felt a little bad because you knew that looking through people’s stuff was wrong. Really wrong. And you think Jungkook would be disappointed if he ever found out you’d gone and peeped into the bag while he was gone. But, if you wanted to figure out the anomalies in your life, Jungkook may be the perfect place to start.
You don’t know what you would do if you ever found out he was actually lying to you, and that’s why you pause when your fingers make contact with the bag.
Whatwould you do?
Maybe it’s better you never know.
Or maybe Jungkook had done nothing wrong, and you were being paranoid. What if he found out you’d gone through his stuff, and kicked you out of his home? Left you stranded, leaving you to fend for yourself. You both knew that was impossible, your best bet would be to hide in the forests, no one usually ventured into the woodland. Although, you doubted you’d be able to survive of wild berries alone, the thought of having to kill an animal making you feel squeamish.
Then what? You’re back to square one where you die alone, unwanted by another person?
You swallow.
But what if he never found out?
What if he never found out and you got the answers you were looking for? It would be easy to put everything back in the backpack the way you’d taken it out, and it’s not like he would notice miniscule changes in the packing.
You look at the door, waiting to see if he would walk in. When he doesn’t, you turn back to the backpack, fingers deftly pulling the strings open.
You carefully remove the layer of folded clothes, placing them neatly beside you. Soap, hairbrush, sack of apples, more clothes, a map. (What you fail to notice is his ‘history’ book wasn’t in the confines of his bag, because who would need a book on history when you plan to buy supplies?)
Your shoulders slump forwards when you find nothing. No notebooks, no pieces of paper with anything written on them, nothing. You even look into the pockets, nothing.
With a defeated sigh, you start to pile everything back into the bag, only praying that you were putting them all back in the correct order and hadn’t messed up.
You tie the top of the bag, pushing yourself up off of the floor.
Deciding you’d take a break in your investigation, breakfast sounded really good right around now. So, you skip downstairs with Taehyung’s notebook secured under your arm.
“Morning!” the inn owner calls out to you, smiling as you plop yourself down at one of the bar stools.
“Good morning, do you have some ink and a quill?” you ask, thanking the woman when she tells you she’ll be right back.
Your legs swing back and forth as you wait, peering around the room.
“Do you know where Namjoon is?” you ask when she places the ink in-front of you.
“Said he was going to check on the horses, he already ate so I imagine he wouldn’t be back until lunch time” she replies.
You nod, opening a new page in Taehyung’s notebook.
You flip back one page, checking the latest date, making sure you had the year correct.
Taehyung’s latest entry had been November 1859, written the day before the two of you planned to visit the village. You didn’t read too much of what was written, respecting that it was Taehyung’s private thoughts, although from what you caught a glimpse of, it spoke of the things you both needed to buy in the village.
You supposed if it was already spring then it must be 1860, which further confuses you. Deciding to brush off the suffocating feeling that consumed your body, your tongue pokes out as you figure out exactly what you want to write.
“1860? That was a while ago wasn’t it… I hadn’t even opened the inn yet. Do you plan to write a novel?” the inn owner asks you.
You look at her with wide eyes, “A while ago?” you ask, confusion heavy in your voice.
She nods, “Yes, I heard novels of recent history are popular these days, with the new king rising to power”
“What year is it now?”
“This year it would be 1865”
“Right now? It’s 1865?”
She nods, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as you start to flick through the pages of Taehyung’s diary.
“Are you okay dear?” she asks.
Your head shoots up to look into her eyes, “Yes!” you slam the notebook shut, “I’ll be back in a minute”
“But my—your breakfast!”
“I’ll come back for it” you call out to her as you sprint up the stairs, lungs squeezing for air as you push open the door to yours and Jungkook’s room.
You fall onto the bed, careful as you pull open Taehyung’s notebook once more.
When you said you had never lied to Jungkook, that was a lie in itself. You learning how to read and write so well was meant to be a surprise. You wanted to show Jungkook how quickly you’d progressed in both skills, how you’d practiced with Taehyung while doing chores, and sometimes you’d dream of studying certain characters that you found difficult.
You did plan to surprise him when you got back to the hanok, maybe by asking if you could read to him before bed, not the other way round.
You flick to Taehyung’s most recent entry once more.
[November 1859;
Tomorrow me and y/n]
Your eyes zero on your own name. That was definitely your name.
If you’d been with them in 1859, how was it currently 1865?
You knew you hadn’t had the best gauge of how much time you’d spent with them but basing it off the seasons it shouldn’t have been more than a year. It definitely hadn’t been a year since Taehyung died. If you’d woken up weeks after the incident, then Taehyung shouldn’t have been dead for more than a month.
Taehyung wouldn’t have written the date wring so many times, would he?
From the few times you’d been in his room it seemed he kept more than one notebook. When you’d first met him and asked what he would write down every other day or so, he had told you about his habit of writing. How he liked to document special moments in his life so he could go back and read about his past in years to come.
How likely was it that he had gotten the years wrong all this time?
Taehyung was quite a meticulous person, not the type of person to guess a date and go with it. He was particular about small details like that.
You chew on the nail of your thumb, but why would Jungkook lie?
Say it hadn’t been weeks, and it had actually been years.
How were you alive? Without food or water surely, you would have died. If it had been 6 years, then how come you hadn’t aged at all?
That would explain how the wounds you had gotten from the village boys would have fully healed, but nothing else made sense.
You slam Taehyung’s notebook shut when the room door opens. Your heartrate speeding up as Jungkook saunters into the room. You look at him with wide eyes, swallowing thickly as he roves his eyes over your body.
You see his eyes slightly narrow, as if trying to gauge what you were doing before he came into the room.
“What were you going?” he finally asks, eyes trained on the notebook tightly clasped by your fingers, his own tightening on the woven bag in his hands.
You stay silent for a moment, mind racing a mile a minute as you try to find a decent lie. Something believable enough that he wouldn’t ask any more questions, because your heart felt seconds away from beating right through your chest with how hard it was pounding against your ribcage.
“Jungkookie?” you eventually say, tone a little sweeter than usual.
He looks up at your face, head cocking to the side in question.
“I have a request”
“Only if you answer my question” he prods, clearly unsatisfied with turn of conversation.
“It is about that actually” you look down at your lap, fingers fiddling with the hem of your shirt, “I was looking through Tae’s list, and he says the royal palace is really beautiful”
Jungkook is silent for a moment, and you keep your eyes trained in your lap, scared that if you were to look into his eyes, you would spill everything you had discovered within the last hour.
“Is that all?” he eventually asks, easy smile on his face; because you were just too adorable. Of course he would take you sight-seeing if that’s what you really wanted, nothing to be embarrassed about.
You nod, breathing a sigh of relief when he agrees.
“Let me just put this stuff away” he says, “Then we can leave”
You watch him pull the book he had purchased the day prior from a woven bag, your eyes narrowing when there is nothing written on the cover of it.
“Jungkook?” you ask, he hums, not turning towards you as he tries to shove it further inside the bag, “Is that history book interesting? I think I want to try reading harder books now, not just children’s poems.”
Jungkook pauses, eyes meeting yours briefly before he turns to the backpack once more.
“I don’t think you’d like this one, love. The vocabulary is hard, even for me” he explains.
You hum in understanding, deciding it was best not to prod any further.
“Ready to go?” Jungkook stands up, hand stretching out to help pull you up from the bed.
“Yeah, I still have to eat breakfast before we go”
Jungkook sniggers at that, nudging your shoulder as he tells you how breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that it was closer to lunch time now than it was breakfast.
You shrug, explaining that even breakfast can be eaten at lunch sometimes.
+++
How well did you truly know Jeon Jungkook? Why had it taken you so long to ask this question?
You knew it was because he was the closest person you would get in this life that would always be a constant. He liked you, he couldn’t die, so why would he leave you? Just like yourself he had no one else in this world. And maybe you were cowardice, projecting your own insecurities and fears onto him, but it was true was it not?
Loneliness was simultaneously the best and worst thing that could happen to a human. It was a valid fear, as humans were social creatures that overall worked better as a team than in solitude. Two pairs of hands are always going to be better than one and being able to confide in another person should be second nature, because no one should have to deal with their pain alone when they had so many that cared for them.
Loneliness however can force you to learn to love your own company. If there is no one else around, you can only rely on yourself. And at the end of the day, you are the only constant in your life. Forced to fend for yourself, live for you, and you only.
But that scared you, what was living if it wasn’t for other people? Forced to marinate in your own thoughts, figure out your own feelings and live just because you want to or feel obligated to because you were given life so maybe you should live it out for a while.
Unless you’re Jeon Jungkook. He never seemed alone.
You believed that you would stay with him for a long time, because he had nowhere else to go just like yourself. And wherever he went, you think you would follow, because you were scared of being alone. Scared of the solitude that some found comfort in.
But why would you blindly follow him? Because he was kind enough to house you? Feed you? Put a roof over your head and help you develop skills that otherwise you would have no resources to do so? Even if he had been lying to you, deceiving you even.
If Jeon Jungkook was a colour, he would be grey. Muted, his character unimposing until you peel back the layers upon layers that he shields his being with only to find black. Onyx. A dark plain that can only be described as Jeon Jungkook, the ghost of a hand pulling you into his warm embrace until you settle down and thin sticky vines trap you beside him with no escape, remaining by his side for the rest of his eternal life.
Even with a small crack in what is Jeon Jungkook, a lie exposed to you, you chose not to say anything.
Why?
Because he’s familiar, and you’re scared of being alone.
Why would you willingly fall headfirst into a spiral of solitude when you could remain by his side, acting oblivious as he plays you like a puppet. Chipping away at your very being until you’re too warn down, leaning on him for support like he had planned from the start. He’s never hurt you, his caress gentle, and words sweeter than fresh honey or sugar cane. Blindly guiding you further into his abyss, steps away from the point of no return.
But you’re okay with that. Willingly holding onto him like he holds onto you, like the two of you are the only two left in the world, needing nothing more than each other to survive.
Now you find yourself at a crossroad. Why walk down the path of loneliness when you could walk down the path towards Jungkook, who happily waits for you at the end of the road with his arms wide open? It seemed obvious which path you would choose. And maybe you were spineless, allowing someone you barely knew to swing you around like a doll on some strings instead of facing your fears.
Maybe Jungkook was scared of being alone too. You’d never considered living an eternal life, simply living day to day hoping you’ll wake up tomorrow. But you worry how lonely he would feel if you were to ever leave him, a twinge of empathy flaring up at just the thought of it. Left to live alone for the rest of time. If you could live together, without the fear of desolation… walking the ways of life hand in hand with no one but each other.
And that’s why as you shut the book stuffed away inside the lower depth of Jungkook’s bag, you say nothing. Washing away what you had read from your mind, smiling happily when the demon re-enters the room, freshly washed, looking like the epitome of ethereal as he flops onto the bed, beckoning you to come over with a kiss to your cheeks, his own flushed the prettiest shade of dusty rosy, pink.
↬ synopsis: a horrific case from 1993 has resurfaced 29 years later, leaving kim taehyung & mei yuna to argue in favour of the public to keep the defendant in jail. the only problem? the pair despise each other.
pairing — taehyung x female oc
genre — fluff, angst
word count —4.3k
chapter warnings/tags — very domestic, kissing (just a little bit), past exes, oc’s mom lowkey fancies taehyung, sexual innuendos, some hostility, childhood trauma, mentions of abuse, mentions of mistreatment, overall a little sad for taehyung :(
A few hours later, Yuna woke up in a cold sweat. She looked to her side for her phone, checking the time just to see it was 4am. She had a huge headache and she felt extremely hot. Taehyung was still sound asleep and she did her best to get out of bed without waking him. Thankfully, she succeeded but almost stumbled as she stood on her feet. She threw on her robe and quietly made her way downstairs for some water.
Taehyung would roll to his other side, hugging the duvet closer to himself, still asleep, but something would tick him awake. He then almost immediately opened his eyes and looked around without moving his body.
The shuffling outside of the room was enough to let him know that she was probably going down because she was hungry. He huffed quietly and just laid there, waiting for her to come back.
Yuna stepped into the kitchen, heading straight to her little medicine cupboard above her toaster, opening it and stretching her arm up to grab the box, however she struggled. The box was too far deep in the cupboard, so she had to try and use her fingertips to inch the box closer to her.
Losing control, the plastic box fell on the counter, causing a pretty loud thump, making her jump.
Hearing this, Taehyung would jump out of bed and run downstairs in a panic. As he stepped in the kitchen and saw her all good and well and let out a sigh of relief.
“Can’t sleep?”
She looked back at him over her shoulder, her hands scattering to collect the sprawled out boxes of pills.
“Something like that,” she replies, shrugging it off.
Taehyung frowned and stepped closer to her, gently placing the back of his hand against her forehead.
“Baby, you’re warm.”
“Yup, I feel it too, I feel like I’m in an oven,” she grumbles, popping the tablets into her mouth and gulping down some water. “Maybe I got food poisoning, I don’t know..”
Letting out a heavy sigh, he pulled her into a hug, giving her a kiss on top of her head. “If you don’t feel better in the morning, I’ll take you to the doctors.
Yuna leans her head against his chest and nodding. "Gosh, this just had to happen at the worst time. We could be getting the date of the hearing anytime now. Imagine it’s this week? Fuck, I’m gonna have to call in sick in a few hours.”
“Let’s just hope you get better. If you don’t, I’m pretty sure Giana and I will make it work for all of us.” He pet her hair, kissing her head again. “Wanna try and fall asleep again? Maybe it will help?”
“Yeah.. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep in my room, it’s too hot in there. I’ll stick to the living room couch,” she tells him with a small smile, patting his shoulder and walking past him with a glass of water in hand, taking it to the living room.
Upstairs was always warmer than downstairs, and seeing as she was already burning, with barely anything on her body, the best choice would be to stay downstairs.
“You can go back upstairs..”
Taehyung frowned again, following behind her into the living room, “I wanna stay with you, to make sure everything is alright.”
His concern for her made her feel all warm inside. She rested her head on his shoulder, looking straight ahead. “I’m not a child you know. I’ve been sick before. It’s nothing I can’t handle,” she boasts, trying to lighten the mood. “But.. I appreciate it,” she finally says with a sigh.
He smiled softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. “Is it just a fever? Or do you feel like it’s something else?”
“I’m not sure.. it might just be a fever since I feel like I’m burning up. I should be fine in a few days though,” she tells him reassuringly, smiling lazily and closing her eyes for a few seconds to see if she could fall asleep.
Taehyung nodded and he kissed her head yet again. He noticed she was trying to sleep again, so he remained silent.
Yuna fell asleep within a few minutes with Taehyung by her side, indicated by her light snores. Normally when she got sick like this, she’d be a mess; fidgeting and moving about, struggling to sleep. It seemed that just his presence itself could make her feel a hell of a lot better.
Taehyung just sat there, watching her sleep peacefully. After a couple minutes, he fixed her a bit, moving to lay her down properly on the sofa, whilst he got up to sit on the carpet.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her, her symptoms were physically visible and he didn’t want her getting more ill.
When morning came, Yuna was still lying on the sofa. Assuming he was next to her, she had a look around, not seeing him anywhere until she looked down to see him fast asleep on the floor. She carefully knelt down onto the floor, brushing her hands through his hair to wake him up. “Tae.. you’re gonna be late for work,” she whispers in his ear.
Taehyung rubbed the tiredness off his eyes, slowly waking up after some struggle. He turned his gaze on her with a soft smile. “Feeling better yet?” He stretched, his arms above his head, hearing his bones crack in the process. His back was pain due to the uncomfortable position he fell asleep in.
“Yeah, somewhat better," she places her hand under his back, pushing him to sit up. "You’re so silly, you should’ve just slept with me on the sofa. There was more than enough space,” she scolds him, rubbing his back.
Taehyung stood up to fix his clothes and look at the clock on the wall. “Shit, it is pretty late. I don’t even have time to go home and change..” Letting out a heavy sigh, he fixed his eyes on her again, his smile making a comeback. “I’ll let sir know that you’re sick, so don’t worry about that.”
Yuna nodded and flashed him a small smile, standing up along with him and placing a small kiss on his cheek. “Are you going home after work or will you be coming back here?”
“I’ll probably go home to grab some clothes, but if you don’t mind, I want to stay here and take care of you.” He wrapped his arms around her to pull her into a hug, as he rest his chin on the top of her head.
“Yeah, no that’s perfectly fine..” His words definitely sparked something inside of her, making her feel all ‘lovey dovey’ inside and have her heart racing. She smiled to herself and looked up at him with so much adoration, she seriously looked like she was in love.
Taehyung would come back to her house after several hours, wearing a simple pair of black dress pants and a grey sweater, his gym bag full of clothes over his shoulder. He locked his car, putting the keys into the bag and gently knocked on the door, fixing the bag on his shoulders. His hair was damp as he just got out of the shower.
Yuna opened the door for him with a smile. Yikes, it felt like she was waiting for her husband to come home.
“I could open the door to this everyday,” she laughs softly, eyeing his wet hair and his choice of attire. She moves aside to let him in and close the door behind him. “How was work? I hope it wasn’t too hectic.”
As soon as he entered, he dropped his bag to the floor and pulled her into a very long kiss, one hand tenderly cupping her cheek as he made her stumble back into the house. Oh, he was latched onto her. The kiss was so long, he was close to just eating her face off, but he couldn’t let that happen at the front door, so he finally pulled away, out of breath and smiling down at her.
“It wasn’t too bad, but I missed you so much.”
How could he respond so casually like he didn’t just have his tongue down her throat. Yuna was still recovering, clearing the throat, “I missed you too. I didn’t realise how boring it would be being alone.”
Yuna left his side and went and sit on the sofa, looking at him expectantly for a few seconds hoping he’d follow, before her phone started ringing on the table. Her screen lit up, seeing it was her mother that called.
“Hey mom,” she says with a sigh, leaning against the sofa. It was typical of her mother to be such a chatterbox.
“I’ve got a pretty bad fever but I can handle it, you really don’t need to come over—” her mother’s words over the phone cut her off, insisting she come and take care of her daughter, which Yuna was not allowed to refuse.
“I hope that wasn’t an ex of yours that was calling you,” he heard her talking to someone, but didn’t hear good enough to know who it was.
“It was actually my mother. She was just checking up on me, then I told her I was sick and now she’s gonna be here in the next 5 minutes.” Talk about her mother only had her realising that this would be the first time Taehyung would be meeting her, and they weren’t even in a relationship.
His eyes shot wide open, as he took his time to understand her words.
“I’m aware this will be your first time meeting my mother, but don’t worry, she’s really easy going and fun.”
When it finally hit him, he ran to the door and grabbed his bag, then quickly ran upstairs. “And I look like a complete mess!”
Yuna didn’t have the physical abilities to chase after him, so she let him do what he must for a couple minutes before a knock was heard at the front door,!indicating her mother had arrived. Taehyung was rushing to try and look presentable but honestly, it didn’t matter. He could waltz around naked and he’d still look good.
She huffed and headed for the door, opening the door to be engulfed by her mother’s open arms.
“Yuna! Are you doing okay?” the older woman frets, squeezing Yuna in her arms and pulling away, her hands reaching up to touch her face.
Taehyung could hear the older woman as he changed into a polyester white button up shirt, leaving the first few buttons undone, exposing his tatted chest a little. He huffed and went back downstairs, forgeting to dry his hair.
Whilst walking down the stairs, he fixed his rings, making sure they wouldn’t slip off his finger, as he called out to her, “Yuna, have you seen my—?” He stops abruptly, finally being in the presence of her mother.
Yuna met eyes with him over her shoulder, not having enough time to appreciate his outfit. “Seen your..?” she trails off, waiting for him to finish his sentence but he didn’t seem to budge.
“Honey.. what is Mr Kim doing in your house?” she asks, staring at the man on her staircase in awe.
Mrs Meiknew him?
Of course she did, Taehyung was all Yuna would complain and bitch about everyday after work, and no matter how much hate she expressed about the man, her mother would always find ways to make him seem better than he actually was. The term 'handsome’ would be thrown about quiet a lot by the older woman.
“Ah, hello there.”
Yuna was just waiting for her mother to freak out, and it happened a few seconds after Taehyung came down. Her mother let go of Yuna and threw her arms around him, gushing over the fact her 'handsome’ work colleague was in her house. “Oh, Mr Kim! How are you doing? You shouldn’t be standing, come come, sit,” her mother ushers him towards the sofa, leaving Yuna dumbfounded at the door.
Taehyung didn’t know how to feel. Looking over his shoulder at his girlfriend, he forced a tight smile, before turning around to face her mother, sitting down on the sofa beside her.
“I’m fine, thank you, but please, call me Taehyung. I’m also sorry for being here whilst you’re visiting your daughter, but she’s sick and I wanted to take care of her. Apologies for any intrusion.”
The shock on her mother’s face was understandable. “Yuna! You never told me Taehyung was your boyfriend!” she gushes, gesturing for her daughter to come and sit behind her, which she hesitantly obliged to, taking a seat next to her mother. “Um, mom.. he’s not my boyfriend yet..” she whispers to her, hoping she’d understand and keep her mouth shut.
Taehyung’s ears would perk up at her words and immediately frown, raising a brow as he leaned back catch a glimpse of the girl from behind of her mother.
“Oh, I’m not?”
She smiles nervously at Taehyung, her eyes gesturing towards her mother and bringing a finger up to her lips for him to stay quiet. Her mother didn’t notice since her full attention was on her coworkers. She didn’t want to tell her mother she and Taehyung were in a relationship just yet, for the sake of her own being. Her mother would probably go into cardiac arrest if she got told now so suddenly.
He immediately understood, yet him being himself, he showed a huge smirk and rested his back on the sofa, as his hands landed on his thighs. “That’s not what you were saying last night..”
Her mother snapped her head towards Yuna, who couldn’t do anything but narrow her eyes at the man.
“Excuse me?”
Taehyung would simply shrug as he got up and fixed his shirt, still sporting that god-forsaken smirk of his, “I didn’t know you call someone you have sex with a ‘friend’, but alright.” He then acted all innocent, as he turned his gaze to her mother with a smile. “I’ll make us some tea, how about that?”
Without waiting for an answer, he disappeared, walking to the kitchen.
Her mother turned around to look at Yuna in complete shock. The older woman was going to question it, but Yuna stopped her, getting up from the sofa and and following him into the kitchen.
“If you’re gonna say something like that, you should’ve at least said it correctly..” she mumbles, standing behind him. “We didn’t have sex, I sucked you off,” she whispers, hoping her mother wouldn’t hear.
“You are acting as if me fucking you in your office didn’t happen, baby,” he winks at her, making a start on the tea.
“My mom doesn’t need to know that..” she rolls her eyes with a knowing smile and backs away from him, standing beside him and leaning against the counter.
“Shouldn’t you go to your mother? It’s pretty rude to leave your guest alone,” he raises an eyebrow at her, carefully pouring the steaming hot water into the mug.
Tuna rolls her eyes and heads out of the kitchen and back into the living room, thankful her mother was still on the sofa and not wandering around. “Taehyung is almost finished with the tea..” she tells her, taking a seat next to her.
“Honey, you know you can tell me if he’s your boyfriend right?”
Of course she knew, she trusted her mother more than anyone else in the world. “Okay.. so he is my boyfriend..”
Oh, the smile on her mothers face was to die for “How long have you guys been dating?”
Before Yuna could give her an answer, Taehyung was making his way into the living room with a hot cup of tea in hand, handing it to the older woman, who carefully took the fine china from him, so as to not spill the beverage onto herself.
Her mother briefly thanked him and took a small sip, making sure not to burn her tongue in the process.
“You make a very good cup of tea Taehyung,” her mother praises, showing him an appreciative smile. “I hope Yuna isn’t forcing you stay and look after her. I’m sure you’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Taehyung cocker a brow at her words, his eyes moving back and forth from Yuna and then to her mother. He frowned and cleared his throat, “What do you mean by that? Why would she be forcing me?”
Was it obvious he was growing a little tense?
“Oh it’s nothing bad! Her last boyfriends usually wouldn’t be around whenever she was sick, so I’d always come over and take care of her. This is the first time a boyfriend of hers has ever voluntarily took care of her,” her mother gushes, rubbing Yuna’s back gently, who smiled awkwardly ahead upon being reminded of her shitty exes.
“Ah, I see..” He then cleared his throat again, feeling bad for judging her mother too soon; he was getting mad at the lady and already got his guard up. He then shook his head, trying to get rid of the guilt in his stomach. “Well? I’m not one of her exes and I don’t plan on being one anytime soon. If she feels sick or needs me here with her, I shall be here with her and for her.”
Either Yuna was hearing things, or she was smiling like an idiot for no reason. Everything he said was making her heart race and her insides feel warm and giddy, and it seemed like her mother had the same reaction.
“Ah.. We’ll I’m glad. On a completely different note, I should probably get going. I only came over to check on Yuna, thinking she was alone, but thankfully she’s in safe hands, so thank you for that, Taehyung.” Her mother stands up, grabbing her bag and heading to the door.
Now it was just Taehyung and Yuna stood at the door. She let out a sigh of relief, thankful their first meeting went a lot smoother than she had expected.
“You good, Tae?”
"No, not really,” he responds dismissively, walking past her back to the living room and sitting down on the sofa with a huff.
He was too quick to jump to conclusions with Mrs Mei. Taehyung had to stop thinking that just because his mother was a bad person, it meant every mother was just as bad.
Yuna hesitantly followed after him, taking a seat next to him. "Do you mind..” she starts, tugging at her bottom lip, deciding on whether she should ask such an intrusive question. “Do you mind telling me about your mother? I mean you don’t have to, I understand she may be a sensitive topic for you to get in to.”
Taehyung would sigh, looking down at the rings adorning his finger and fidgeting around with them.
“No, it is fine. I guess you should know about my past if we’re planning to spend our near future together.”
Hearing him mention the pair spending their lives together popped another thought in her mind. So far, things were going so well with their relationship, she didn’t stop to think about her plans for the future with him.
Were they serious serious about this?
She brushes her thoughts away to the back of her mind, focusing herself on him.
He cleared his throat, turning his gaze on her, and showing her a slight smile. “Just— please, do not feel bad for me. The last thing I need is pity.”
Yuna nods quickly, knowing well she’d still feel pity for the man whether he liked it or not.
Taking a deep breath, he nodded, scratching his prickly chin, “Well.. My parents always wanted to have a son. My father owned a firm, similar to the one we work in, and thought only his lawyer son could inherit it. They didn’t have any luck the first time around, having my older sister, Imelda.”
In all the years she’d known Taehyung, she had no idea he had an older sister, and quite frankly, she couldn’t really imagine it.
“So they tried once again and, much to my dismay, they had me. They believed that I was perfect for their sick plan of fitting me into their dreams, but I wasn’t doing great at school. I prefered spending time with my sister, y'know, cooking and playing with dolls, instead of studying everyday and going to the firm with my father.”
Yuna could only nod intently at his words. Understanding how difficult it must’ve been to grow up and being forced to live your parents’ dream was not an easy one.
“After some time, they understood I wasn’t the perfect son they imagine me to be,” he swallows loudly, hesitating to mention the worst bit, not really wanting to hit her with something that would definitely leave a scar on her mind. It did explain how he ran away and came here after being almost being forced to partake in an arranged marriage.
She squeezed his hand a few times, noticing the concern and worry in his eyes, reassuring him that he could continue.
Taehyung was still hesitating to go on, and he couldn’t face Yuna, not after the bombshell he’s about to drop on her, so he turned away from her, resting his back on the sofa and throwing his head back to avoid her eyes.
“My father would beat me for any little mistake I made and I was treated worse than his guard dogs. If I got a bad grade, they didn’t let me have dinner and if I retaliated or even tried to run away, I’d be stuck in a state of constant fear, not knowing what he’d to do me next. And that wasn’t even the worst part,” Taehyung pauses, taking a moment to himself to collect his thoughts.
“My mother would stand there and watch. She wouldn’t even try to stop him.”
Honestly, Yuna was in disbelief. You’d only ever hear about parents mistreating their kids on the news, but it certainly hit her a lot harder knowing that he was subjected to such treatment. What’s worse was she couldn’t even do anything to console him since he refused to accept her pity.
"Are you.. still in contact with your parents..?” she asks quietly.
“They haven’t contacted me since I ran away. I only keep in touch with my sister, but I hear they’re in the city right now. My mother is from around here and I heard from Imelda her father finally died.”
Finally?
“Don’t you think you should pay your mother visit? I mean, it’s probably the last thing you wanna do, but maybe some catch-up with her would help?”
Taehyung sighed for what felt like the tenth time, as he hid his face in his hands. “I don’t know. I’m still mad at her for everything.”
She hums and leans back against the sofa with him. “Maybe.. your mother had no choice? You haven’t heard both sides of the story so you should sit down and get some answers, don’t you think?”
Yuna had a point. Taehyung was pinning a lot of the blame on his mother, maybe his father was hurting her too?
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” he concludes, standing up from the sofa, “I’ll call my sister and ask if our mother is here, and if she is..” he bit down on his bottom lip, looking over at her, as he hid his hands in his pockets, fidgeting with his fingers.
“…You think you can come with me? I really don’t feel like confronting her alone.”
She stands next to him, the pity she’d been trying to hide for so long, now peeking out. “Of course I’ll come with you.”
Yuna was going through her phone, waiting for Taehyung to come out of the shower, when a very important email caught her attention. She sat up in bed and opened the email, finally reading that the date for the hearing had been set.
3 days from now.
“Taehyung?” she calls out to him, getting out of bed rushing over towards the bathroom, which he was already leaving.
“Yeah?” He brushes the drenched strands of hair away from his eyes to get a better look at her.
“Look,” she hands him her phone to take a look at the email that was sent to them by their boss. “They’ve set a date for the hearing. It’s three days from now.
Taehyung merely gave her an 'are you being serious?’ look, "What? You’ve never been to a hearing before?” he pouts, pulling at Yuna’s cheeks and walking into her bedroom.
“Come on!! Are you not excited? Or at least scared? Worried? This is a world class case, you know. There’s gonna be a lot of press and we’re gonna have to do interviews, like how they do it in the movies.." goes on and on about it until they’re both lying in bed.
"Yeah, I know.” Taehyung kept staring up at the ceiling, and when he felt her eyes burning into him, he shifted his head slightly to glance at her.
“I can see many emotions coming out of you right now, but I must admit, I really wanna put a close to this case. It’s one of my least favourites to be honest.”
“Mhm, agreed. Hopefully after this, things will go back to normal..” she mumbles with a sigh followed straight after.
’Normal’ would mean.. Taehyung and Yuna going back to nothing more than work colleagues.
She didn’t want that.
“Goodnight, Taehyung.” She leans in to place a kiss on his cheek before turning her back towards him and falling asleep.
⤑ Arrogant King! Kim Taehyung x Consult! female reader; icequeen!au
~!~
Crown Prince Kim Taehyung - Records Journal entry of November 13th, 2020.
“Winter brings many things. Christmas, cold weather, presents and lastly; my birthday. Some would dread having a birthday so close to Christmas but I didn’t mind. There were more gifts and more to celebrate. However year after year, no one could seem to give me the ultimate Christmas gift. The one I’d been patiently waiting for, for years. Where, oh where…when, oh when will this dear thing I’ve lost, return to me?”
Y/N:
It’s going to be a tough one. Of course, they warned me of such things. Everyone did, even my own father. The half-assed grin he showed me this morning was enough to down my spirits, not that I’d ever let him know that.
With my block heels clicking as I walked up the stone stairs, my nerves were starting to get the best of me. I felt hot flashes hitting different parts of my body, and I regretted the thick black and white blazer I wore. Under the blazer, I wore a long-sleeve black blouse and some crimson red dress pants with flare bottoms.
My slim leather briefcase was slung over my shoulder by its longer strap and my cell phone was tucked snug in my pants pocket.
As if a higher power heard my cry, a gust of cold wind hit me, pushing my blazer open a bit. A small smile pulled at the corner of my lips, and I thanked the cold November air that was washing away the nervous sweats that were accumulating on my forehead.
The stairs weren’t that long, but it still felt like it was teetering on being too much. There were three sets of square double doors, the middle one being the larger one.
There were 4 guards, all standing guard with frowns on their lips. One of them spotted me, raising an eyebrow at me before his lips pulled up into a smile.
“Open the doors!” He shouts to the other guards, “It’s just Y/n.” He holds eye contact with me the whole time he’s announcing my presence to the other guards.
His eyes rank down my body, the lust in his eyes making no attempts at being subtle. I’m not in a mood to muster up a forced but polite smile. I only nod, watching as two other guards open the doors.
“Everyone said you were starting today.” The first guard said, taking a small step closer to me.
“Are they?” I spoke with no interest, “I didn’t think I’d be the talk of the palace.”
“Of course you are!” He chimes flashing a toothy grin, “Everyone is excited to see you go toe-to-toe with His Highness, Prince Taehyung.”
I rolled my eyes at his words, “I’m not here to go toe-to-toe with His Highness, I’m here to do a job.” I stated, taking a small step back to put more space between us. He smelt of cheap cologne, old spice deodorant, and breath mints.
My face cringed in a reaction as he opened his mouth to speak again, but I cut him off.
“You really shouldn’t be gossiping about the royal family, they can fire you for breathing too hard so tread lightly and know your place.” I scolded, noticing the stain on his white dress shirt, and the way his in-ear radio was carelessly clipped to his shirt.
Ugh, he’s a complete mess.
“Serious about your work, just like your father, I expected just as much. See you around Y/n.” He said winking at me before grinning again.
My face scrunched up in discomfort before I took swift steps towards the opened doors into the huge high ceiling entrance way of the palace. The white walls accompanied by some white pillars are a sight to marvel at. The hard marble floor has beautiful gold designs while a long strip of a thick and fiery red carpet was laid out.
Anyone would stop to stare at the marvelous architecture and atmosphere but I strolled right through, having seen the inside of the palace many times.
My middle school and early high school days were filled with after school days in the palace, trailing behind my father silently, observing and taking mental notes of everything he did.
My father has been The current King, Kim Taejoon’s advisor since before I was born. He was originally his Majesty’s consult, a temporary advisor for Prince’s during the process of coronation and marriage pursuing.
He assisted His majesty in preparing for his coronation to King. He was also there in assisting with the finding of a bride, who is now Her Majesty Queen Kim Minji, previously Park Minji of the Busan kingdom.
Through that marriage, The Kingdom of Seoul, which was previously the Daegu kingdom before expansion, controlled the most kingdoms of all the rulers. This made it so Gangwon-do was the only province not under The Kim’s Royal family and their monarchy. Gangwon-do neighbors the Seoul province which is home to the Royal palace.
The Gangwon-do province is under the Min Royal family, who were the rulers of the Daegu Kingdom before The Kim family came into power. The history is messy and a bit ugly, so it’s understandable that the Min Royal family sees no possibility of the two families merging.
King Taejoon and Queen Minji had 2 children, a son, and a daughter, though not much is known about their children. Unlike other royal families, ever since the rule of King Taesung(The current King’s father), the children of the royal family are kept out of the spotlight till a certain age.
His Highness Prince Taehyung’s face wasn’t known to the public till he was 19 years old. He’s turning 25 next month and I can’t say the country knows much about him. I’d only seen him in passing when I was tailing my father in the palace. He didn’t speak much, often showing scoffs or sadistic smirks in reply to things. But it doesn’t matter what I think of him, it matters what the Kingdom thinks of him.
I was assigned to Prince Taehyung’s consultation, and if I do well, I could be assigned his advisor. I’d be set with a wonderful job and wonderful pay for life.
A lot of friends ask me why I settled on such a career, seeing as Royal advisors have no social life and basically have their whole lives revolve around their royal client. I’ve seen that first hand, watching my dad miss family events, birthdays, and important milestones in my life.
Though the lack of his presence has caused us to grow distant, I can’t say I’m mad at him. I sort of wish I resented him but from the moment I was born, my father was always all about the royal family. I never had any other expectations.
My father has nothing to do with my decision to take this career path, and I can’t pinpoint what the turning point was, but the royal family interested me.
“I know it’s easy to say everyone is human and though that is true, never put yourself on the same playing field as royals.” My father says sternly, “They are not your equals, and will never be. They look at common people like us through a lens of constant pity and obligation.”
I stare up at him, my 15-year-old mind not fully understanding the heaviness of his words.
“Never mistake their kindness for fondness, I have seen first hand the royals believe they owe loyalty to no one, not even their own people.”
Those are words my father has drilled into me since I told him I wanted to pursue this field of work. A consultant’s job is to not be seen and to barely be heard. I understand, and that may have worked with His Majesty Taejoon, but Prince Taehyung is another case.
I know my place. I am a commoner, an obligation to the royal family but I am going to my job well. I will not spare Prince Taehyung’s feelings. If in the presence of those who look down on me as having nothing…I’ll make sure to retain my honesty.
At the end of the entryway stands a familiar figure. Her hair slicked back just like mine, but flowing down her back into a nice ponytail.
She wore all black; her blazer, her blouse and the pencil skirt were all black. Her heels were even black, with red bottoms making an appearance with the slightest foot movements. Her pink painted lips stretched into a friendly smile and I smiled back.
“Michelle, it’s so good to see you!” I say as I get closer to her. She opens her arms and pulls me into a hug. I wasn’t really prepared for it, but I returned anyway.
She smelt of a heavy fragrance that was also pulling my senses into a tight hug. As we pulled back from the hug, I readjusted the briefcase hanging from my shoulder.
“I knew with your father’s recommendation, you would be His Majesty’s choice for Prince Taehyung’s consultation. He said something about, a young person such as yourself would understand the Prince well.” She chuckles at the statement, her eyes scrunching closed to show some crows feet.
Michelle is youthful for her age, though I don’t know exactly how old she is, she has been the Queen’s advisor since I could remember. She says her youthful appearance is due to her constant smiling. She was so different from my father in her methods.
Unlike my father who was stiff and often aloof to His Majesty’s attempts in establishing a friendship, Michelle was more like girl pals with Her Majesty. Michelle was always smiling and radiating a kind aura, just like the Queen.
Though it could be that a Queen’s duties differ from a King’s duties. That doesn’t mean Michelle’s job isn’t tough. She studied the history of South Korea, along with extensive political studies. She needs to know everyone and everything, since she would be advising her Majesty.
It must have been harder for her, since she isn’t native to South Korea; maybe that’s why we relate to each other so well.
But the studying for such a job never stops. We must always keep up with things changing around the world, and how they could affect South Korea. It’s a job that requires you to change along with the times, leaving barely any time for something else.
“I can’t be certain if I could understand him, but I’ll do my best to assist him.” I answered, straightening out my blazer.
“I’m sure you will, the coronation process is always so hectic, so I wish you the best of luck. His highness is gonna be tough to mold.” She whispers, before waving her hand for me to follow her. I stroll right next to her, knowing exactly where we were headed.
This whole wing of the palace is strictly political. As we exited the entryway, the hallway we were walking through almost acted as a balcony, giving a preview of the large ballroom that was the center of this wing.
We took a turn to a completely walled hallway. We were headed to the executive conference room. That’s how it always happens. It’s nearing December and the royal family meets to sort through the plans for the coming year.
“How is it going?” I asked as we turned another corner, the walls now a rich creme color with gold details and gold light fixtures.
She kisses her teeth, “Not so well, Prince Taehyung is less than enthusiastic about this stage of his life. His Majesty is usually pretty lenient with the Prince since he shows potential in his political plans for the kingdom, but the two are butting heads.”
“Why is that?”
Michelle sighs, “His Highness feels like his father is rushing the process, and if it feels rushed and forced the general public will be more reluctant to accept him.”
Well…that makes sense. I don’t have to say anything for Michelle to look at me with a pressed smirk.
“Exactly.” She said when she held my gaze, “Prince Taehyung isn’t stupid he’s just difficult.”
“It would have made things easier if he was an airhead.” I said under my breath. Michelle giggles as she catches wind of my words.
“It’s easier to mold stupid.” She muttered in agreeance as we came to a heavy looking door, guarded by too many men in white dress shirts and black slacks.
They gave both of us a nod of acknowledgement then Michelle stepped forward and opened the door. I followed in behind her, a wave of goosebumps hitting my skin at the difference in temperature. The room was a bit colder than the hallway, leaving my body to react.
Why would they have the AC so high? It’s November for goodness sake.
She gently closes the door behind her and comes to stand beside me. We stood near the door, waiting for a time to introduce our presence.
“That’s such a shallow approach.” A deep voice said. The room was wide, and long but the ceilings weren’t too high. There were no windows and the walls were alder wood panels. In the middle of the room was a large rectangular table that stretched out. There were many seats at the table but right now there were only a few people.
His Majesty King Taejoon sat at the head of the table. Sitting to his right was the Queen. Beside the Queen was a lovely young lady. Princess Cho-hee sat there in sweats. She looks like she was dragged out of bed. Seeing as It’s 9am on a Saturday, I can understand her carelessness.
Her eyes were glued to her phone and she wasn’t tuning in to the conversation at all.
Sitting to the left of King Taejoon was who I presumed to be Prince Taehyung. From where we were standing, the King was directly facing us, so I could see Prince Taehyung’s profile.
He leaned back in the chair, his arms crossed over his chest in a bored manner. He stared up at the ceiling and wasn’t looking at the King as he spoke.
His hair was black and a bit long. His bangs were almost in his eyes, but not enough to obscure his sight. His hair had curls in it, so I’d say it was permed. He had strong features, looking a lot more like his father than his mother.
He wore a white shirt with a grey cardigan. His fingers were graced with some rings and his hands were also so pretty. He oozes high class and wealth.
“Excuse me?” King Taejoon responds.
The Prince looked at his father, a dull and bored expression in his eyes.
“You claim that you want to mend things with the Min family, by forming an allyship with them. I agree with that. But through marriage?”
“You just don’t want to get married.” His Majesty argued.
Taehyung smiled, nodding his head, “That’s partially correct, but I’m looking at the bigger picture. Mending things with the Min family through marriage is lazy.”
The room grew heavy as the Prince’s sharp tone didn’t match the smirk on his lips.
“Marrying the Min Family’s princess doesn’t actually resolve anything. Why are we all dancing around the issues with the Min family and their kingdom? It’ll be a slap in the face to them to try to fix things through marriage.”
“What do you suggest, son?” The King raised an eyebrow at Taehyung. His tone revealed true curiosity, but his face showed doubt. He wasn’t sure what the Prince was going to suggest, seeing as the history with the Min Kingdom is a rough one.
“We need to find a place and time to discuss things. We’ll probably have to involve the United Nations. A formal apology needs to be issued to them, followed by a plan that will show growth for both Kingdoms. It’ll be a long road but it’s better than an allyship formed by marriage.” Taehyung says, followed by a yawn.
“Can you guarantee success?” The Queen suddenly speaks up, looking at both her husband and son. Her fiery eyes didn’t give anything away. That’s one thing the Queen was always good at. Her eyes were always kind and sweet no matter the situation, but I’m certain her thoughts were racing.
“No, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they spit in our faces,” Prince Taehyung says confidently. He fiddles with the rings on his fingers while pondering.
“It’s most likely they’d spit in our faces either way. We can’t be surprised. We’re cleaning up grandpa’s mess.” Prince Taehyung says it casually but an audible gasp sounds through the room. It almost felt like the room got colder and a miserable stillness fell over the room.
I was almost scared to breathe too loudly. Everyone except for Prince Taehyung had gotten visibly stiff. Princess Cho-hee even stopped to look up from her phone. Her eyes started around the faces at the table.
His Majesty, the King, was staring at his son with harsh and surprised eyes. Prince was unaware, still focusing on his rings.
Prince Taehyung’s grandfather….King Taesung. A true tyrant. I shivered at the thought of the man, hoping Michelle didn’t notice.
Prince Taehyung’s Grandfather King Taesung started off as commander and chief for the Daegu Kingdom when it was under the Min family’s rule.
The path taken to bring the Kim family to the power they have now was an awful one. Overtaking the Min family and gaining rule of Daegu. The Min family fled Gangwon-do, a province that was also under their rule. Over the years King Taesung conquered more and more provinces. After conquering the Seoul province they moved the capital from Daegu to Seoul and called it the Seoul Republic of South Korea.
King Taesung made no attempt to conquer Gangwon-do, leaving the Min family in power of the province to this day. King Taesung was an awful ruler. Harsh, demanding and cold hearted. He struck fear into the people, and only craved power.
I never met him before he died, only heard of him through history books and from my father. My father became King Taejoon’s consult while the kingdom was still under Kim Taesung’s rule. My father often spoke of how no warmth could be felt from that man.
His presence commanded respect and he carried his authority on his shoulders. Under his rule, the economy did…okay. There was no growth and most of the population lived middle class lives. King Taesung did not care about the options of his people. The people had no trust in the Kim royal family.
Those who spoke ill of King Taesung would be jailed or worse. He severed alliances with other countries, removing all of the Seoul Republic of South Korea. The Gangwon-do Republic of South Korea stayed a part of the United Nations, having them gain support from America, France and more.
King Taesung’s thirst for power weakened the country in the long run.
They try to speak as little of him as possible. Not only for the sake of the politicians, but for King Taejoon. Though it’s never been confirmed, it’s said that King Taesung was very abusive to his children.
I whole-heartedly believe the only reason my father let me shadow him starting in high school was because King Taesung died a few months before that.
King Taejoon has been doing his best to regain the people’s trust in the Kim family and undo the damage his father created. The Seoul Republic of Korea has mended their ties with many other countries and are now part of the United Nations again.
Under King Taejoon’s rule, the economy soared and the people were doing better. Things are going well, but there is an underlying panic among the general public.
The public barely knows Prince Taehyung and are worried if they’ll land themselves another tyrant King.
“What?” Prince Taehyung said after looking up from his hands. He looked at his mother and father, his perplexed facial expression proving that he truly didn’t feel the shift in the air.
“You’re such an idiot!” His sister hisses at him.
The Prince shows a playful smile to his sister before turning his attention back to his father.
“I am not going to be married off as a deal to keep peace but grandpa was an autocrat.” Taehyung adds before turning his attention back to his rings. He fiddles with them, randomly adjusting them while everyone else is left with the tense atmosphere caused by his words.
I took in a deep breath through my nose, knowing that his plainspoken attitude would be left for me to deal with.
As if he hadn’t noticed us before, the King holds eye contact with me. His eyes grow wide with excitement, and he glances at his son. Taehyung was still occupied by his rings, now moving onto the watch on his wrist.
“What do you think Ms. L/n?” He asks me as a small smile appears on his lips. I wasn’t expecting him to ask my opinion. I should be honest right?
My eyes flicker to Prince Taehyung who was no longer looking at his watch. His eyes were on me. He still looked bored but his body language changed. He leaned back on arm rest on the chair so his body was facing my way.
I held eye contact with him for a moment, moving my attention back to the King. But not quickly enough to miss the way Prince Taehyung’s eyes moved down my body.
“Your Majesty, you’d like my opinion on the Min family matter?” I clarify.
The King nods, “Yes! And just call me Mr. Kim. I’ve known your father for too long for all these formalities.”
“I believe…” I trail off, moving my eyes back to Prince Taehyung who was now staring at me with narrow eyes. He no longer looked bored. He looked like he was waiting to meet my eyes again. When our eyes met he raised his brows swiftly as if to tease me.
Ugh. There he goes. I heard he likes to act like that. When I was briefed on the Prince’s general behavior, I was warned he likes to flirt to distract from his work. He flirts as if to show that he takes nothing seriously. He’s a jokester in some ways and oddly overserious in others. That’ll be no problem for me to deal with.
I can’t lie, he’s a very beautiful man, but none of that matters. I’m only here for a job. Pointless flirting and teasing from Prince Taehyung is just something that comes with the job. I hope he doesn’t take me for a woman that can be swayed by looks. My father raised me stronger than that.
“I believe that Prince Taehyung is right,” I look back to the King, “The method of mending ties with the Min Royal family is going to need more than a marital union. It would be seen as a shallow and lazy approach by the Min family.” I answered honestly, ignoring the small grin that appeared on Prince Taehyung’s face.
He turns to the King, “Do you believe it now that a consultant said it?” The grin now held a sinister undertone.
The King ignores the question and waves me forward. Michelle leaves her spot beside me and makes her way to stand by the Queen. I walk the other way and walk till I am standing beside his Majesty, putting me between him and Prince Taehyung.
I left some space so I wasn’t too close to them, adjusting my briefcase strap on my shoulder. The King shows me a wide smile.
“I’m so glad to see you Y/n! I would always see you following behind your father and here you are! You’re going to by consulting my son! Oh how time flies.” He said. Prince Taehyung, who couldn’t keep his eyes off me, was now reaching into his pocket to grab his phone. He started scrolling through text messages.
Ugh, rude.
“Taehyung, this is Y/n! I told you she would be your consultant! She knows her stuff and I believe she’ll help you over the next year.”
He was fiercely typing something, and I heard the phone as he pressed ended and sent a text message. Before his father could yell at him to pay attention, he was looking up at me.
“Yeah, I remember you telling me.” He answers his father while holding eye contact with me. He had a playful glint in his eyes.
“Does she know the schedule?” He turns back to his father.
“I’m certain she does. Y/n is always on top of things.” The King looks at me expectantly. I notice the Queen also watching me with a small smile.
I didn’t expect the King and Queen to act so familiar with me. I’d only see them in passing when I was shadowing my father. Though I remember my father speaking often of how close King Taejoon always attempted to get.
He called my father his friend, very often.
“Yes,” I answer, noticing now that everyone’s attention was on me.
“His Highness Prince Taehyung turns 25 next month, he will be having a celebration and his Majesty will announce the succession. The coronation is next year in September. Prince Taehyung should have the proper studies and traditions complete by then. He is also expected to be engaged by December next year.” I explained, looking at both Prince Taehyung, the Queen and the King.
The only one smiling was the King. He nodded his head confirming that I was right.
“Y/n?” The Queen’s smooth voice called out. I looked at her, waiting for her comment.
She leaned forward a bit, “Do you believe you will be able to meet those deadlines?” She wasn’t doubting me, but the look in her eyes asked a different question.
My son is difficult, are you sure you can handle him?
“Certainly.” I answered confidently.
“All this talk of engagement is pointless! I already have a person in mind!” Taehyung exclaimed, causing his mother and his sister to roll their eyes.
“You’ve been saying that forever!” His sister contends, “We know you’re lying! Stop trying to stall on things.” His sister looks at me.
“Don’t entertain him on that notion. He doesn’t have anyone in mind. He’s been pulling my parents legs for a few months, hoping to stall the process.” She explains glaring at her older brother.
Prince Taehyung abruptly turns to me, surprising me as he took one of my hands in both of his.
“Marry me?” He said breathlessly, his eyes wide and twinkling.
I stare down at him, not amused or moved.
I gaze down at him for a moment, sure that the annoyance I’m feeling is visible on my face.
A scoff sounds from Cho-hee. The princess grins, “She didn’t even blink. She’s not moved at all.”
Prince Taehyung drops my hand, the dreamy look in his eyes fading.
“Your heart wasn’t stirred?” He asked.
“No.” I answer.
“Not even a bit? Your heart didn’t skip a beat?”
“No, your highness..” I answer.
Cho-hee snickers, “Yeah Tae, not every woman wants a prince to sweep them off their feet.” Cho-hee looks at me again, eager to share something.
“He also asked the 52 year old pastry chef to marry him.” She informs me.
I’m sure he did.
“And that random female bodyguard.” The Queen added.
Cho-hee leans over to her mother, “He sees no significance in marriage or love. You gave birth to a robot mom.” I noticed Michelle, who was silent behind the Queen, stifled a giggle.
Cho-hee whispered loud enough for everyone to hear causing Prince Taehyung to snap back.
“And you’re a gremlin so I guess mom was giving birth to all types of weird things!”
Cho-hee gasps, “Take that back!”
Their banter becomes background noise as the King asks for my attention again.
“Y/n, please take good care of my son.” He says in a low voice.
“Of course.” I bowed slightly, glancing at The Prince Taehyung who was back to scrolling on his phone.
I don’t have much more to say to him, but rather turn to Michelle.
“I’ll show you where your office is.” Michelle says kindly. I nod, make my move to follow her. I stop short and look at Prince Taehyung again.
“I look forward to working for you, your highness.” I bow slightly. Prince Taehyung looks my way. I watch his eyes move from my face and down to my…chest? No…my neck. He glances at my neck and back up to my eyes.
“Flattery doesn’t work on me.” He mutters, and stares at his phone screen.
“Thankfully, I am here to do a job, not win you over.” I say sternly.
Fuck! I shouldn’t have said that! He gawks at me with wide eyes, surprised by my comment, while Princess Cho-hee covers her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing.
The King simply watches our interaction silently with the Queen smirks.
I bow once more before walking around the table to get to Michelle waiting patiently at the door.
“That was a bit too far.” She said as we exited the room, “Your father–”
“My father’s methods are not my methods.” I cut her off, “I won’t let him walk all over me. My father was too passive. I am not.”
❄…❄…❄…❄…❄
So, how are y’all feeling about this? So, idk how long i want this series to be. according to my outline its gonna be 12 parts but i never stick to my outline. Please let me know what you think! :DD
This story is gonna have a lot of world building and a lot of information (Kingdoms, history, politics), so please PLEASE if you are confused about anything, ask me in the inbox!
The warmth I’m feeling isn’t coming from the hot shower I just stepped out of. It was a warm feeling in my chest, along with the nervous patter of my heart. So I’m spending the night here? The rain doesn’t show any signs of stopping, and the cracking of thunder is enough to keep anyone inside.
Hoseok gave me a long sweatshirt of his along with some basketball shorts. I used the towel he provided to dry myself off and slip on the clothes he gave me. As I’m staring at myself in the partially fogged up mirror, I get a flashback to what happened in the car.
My skin still tickled with his soft but wanting touches. I’m also shocked at my actions. I really dug my hand into his pants with no shame. I stroked his dick, and begged for him to fuck me in the back of his car.
I shook my head, as if to shake off the embarrassment of the past events. As I removed myself from my thoughts, I recognized the sound of another running shower. Hoseok must be using his other bathroom to take a shower. I hung up the towel and grabbed my rain soaked clothes.
I stepped out of the bathroom, my hot skin being met by the cold air that circulated the hallway was refreshing, and caused me to sigh in bliss.
I shyly looked side to side, staring at the hallway that led to more rooms, and the way that led to the living room. I took small and hesitant steps towards the other doors down the hallway, not sure what I was looking for.
I came to a door that I thought was a closet and opened it, surprised to see a washer and dryer stacked on top of each other in the cramped space. They were clearly the newest model, and still had that new appliance gloss. The dryer already had something in it, making my stand on my tiptoes to glance in through the clear circular door. I recognized the shirt, and came to the conclusion that it was the clothes Hoseok wore on the date.
He must have thrown them in here while I was in the shower. I opened the dryer and tossed my clothes in, my eyes reading all the dials before setting them and pressing start.
The dryer hummed quietly while the clothes tumbled and turned inside. It was only a light vibration as well. Very different from my dryer, which was loud and echoed throughout my place.
Hoseok is clearly a man of luxury, even with the most simple things. I closed the door and walked down the hallway to the balcony-like area. I slowly made my way down the stairs and to the living room, finding time to gawk around at the decor. It’s simple like Hoseok, yet luxurious. It’s nothing overbearing either.
Hoseok doesn’t seem like the type to flaunt his wealth in excess. No big mansion with a bunch of unused rooms, but rather a comfortable and roomy condo. I stared into the darkness that was outside, and the other buildings in the distance.
Seeing as the whole left wall was glass, it made the room feel a bit larger. Small threads of light from other buildings giving me a sliver of the raindrops floating down towards the ground. I watched lightning whip through the sky, the thunder that followed being a loud rumble.
Speaking of rumble, my stomach makes a grunt sound, reminding me that we weren’t able to get dinner. With my hand pressed to my stomach, I shyly turned towards the dark walk way, strolling up the two small steps and cautiously venturing into the space.
My hands move along the wall hoping to find a light switch. My feet shuffled carefully, and I inched around, trying to keep from crashing into something.
My fingers run across something circular and hit it. Lights come shining on and I wince at the brightness, turning the circular dial to dim it. I look around to see a medium sized rectangular table with a few chairs. It seems to be a dining table, but with different sheets of paper scattered all about. There were opened binders and files carelessly thrown down.
You’d think Hoseok would have left them in a hurry, so he didn’t have time to clean it up.
I looked to my left to see some of the kitchen. It was barely visible, but the dining room lights gave me enough to see the switch for the kitchen. I switched the lights on and strolled in, my feet making a slapping noise on the cool tile floor.
The kitchen matched the penthouse perfectly. All the appliances were a shining silver while the medium sized island, cabinets and all the countertops were a smooth black wood. The tile floor was an imitation of white oak wood that kept the place from seeming too dark. It was spacious and unlike the dining room, very clean.
Everything has its place and would make anyone uncomfortable to move it. The coffee machine next to the mug rack that was next to the blender, before the gas stove interrupted the smooth countertop.
On the other side of the stove was a rice cooker and a toaster. All the appliances showed signs of being used, but were cleaned wonderfully.
I turned my eyes to the large two wide door fridge that had a drawer at the bottom as the freezer. I approach the fridge, staring at it. I glanced around me, as if I was doing something bad.
Is it okay for me to open his fridge? Should I wait for him to come back before I ask if I can cook something? I reached a hand out to rest on the handle before opening one of the doors.
Hoseok’s fridge was stocked beautifully. All the water bottles lined up like the aesthetic posts I would see on Tumblr. The condiments were organized and all the foods were set in certain places. Now I really feel bad to go in there and mess it up.
I open the other door and scan all the foods and items, deciding on some beef japchae. I started to take out the ingredients, taking the cuts of beef that were wrapped in one of the fridge compartments. I moved to the cabinets, getting more comfortable as I pulled out the needed items.
I found all the seasonings and bowls I would need while I hummed a song I heard on the radio.
I jump slightly when I heard a door closing, followed by footsteps coming down the stairs in a bit of a rush. I keep my eyes on the entrance way that connected the dining room with the living room. It wasn’t long before Hoseok’s figure rushes through, his cell phone pressed to his ear.
“No, no! Move it to next week! I will not let them threaten me in such a way.” He hissed into the phone, striding to the papers spread out on the dining table. He throws a glance my way, and I notice his eyes move about the kitchen. He saw all the things I took out and looked back at me in question.
I couldn’t answer, as the person on the phone had grabbed his attention once again. He wore a simple Tee with a colorful graphic on it, along with some black basketball shorts. I giggled at the butterflies building in my stomach. I’ve never seen Hoseok in comfortable clothes like he is now.
I took a deep breath as my eyes stayed on him. He was looking through the different sheets of paper on the table. He was muttering something, whether to himself or the person on the phone; I can’t be sure.
His brows furrowed as he stared down, listening to whatever was being said to him. I leaned against the counter, my arm pushing some of the items I laid out. His hair was still damp, and disheveled. Probably the results of a towel being roughly rubbed over it.
“They aren’t going to get a better offer. I am not going to use my time off to try to prove myself for some petty investment. I won’t call them, I won’t even send out an email.” He barked, rolling his eyes.
Whoever he was speaking to, was slowly pulling him into a bad mood. My mouth scrunched up bitterly, hoping that work wouldn’t take up all his time tonight. I turned my focus back to the food, taking out the meat preparing it.
I was zipping around the kitchen, Hoseok’s business banter fading into the background. I put the pot on the stove and got it nice and hot for the beef. Hoseok still stood at the table, making me wonder why he didn’t take a seat.
He probably was hoping to not waste this night with work as well. His reluctance to sit down showed his effort of finishing the call quickly.
I glanced towards the rice cooker, now that I wanted to pair sides of rice with the glass noodle dish. I looked in his, his eyes trained down on the table while he focused intently. I took small steps in his direction, my movement catching his attention right away.
As I got closer, he put a hand on my lower back, turning his phone away from his mouth to look at me. I leaned in a bit, the fresh smell of his soap tingling my senses.
“Can I use the rice cooker?” I whispered, trying to keep my voice down so as to not let my presence be known to those on the phone.
He smiled and rubbed my lower back in a very loving manner, “Yeah go ahead princess.” Unlike me, he didn’t whisper but spoke loudly, the tiny chatter I could barely hear from his phone had gone quiet. I went back to the kitchen and began with the rice and rice cooker.
“I was talking to my girlfriend.” Hoseok said as a matter of fact. He pauses and scoffs, turning his back to me while his tone grew sharp.
“Mr. Robins, I told you it was my time off. Don’t act surprised now! You’ve already cut into an important night so might as well finish this.”
When Hoseok speaks again it’s been a few minutes. I’m cooking the beef in the pan, the cackling and sizzling of it in the pan drowning out his words.
“Tell them I said that such petty threats do nothing for me. Let them know that my offer has an expiration date.” He pauses, glancing at me.
“Also Mr. Robins, don’t call outside of work hours anymore. I allowed it in the past, but let’s not make it a habit anymore. So tonight is the last time. But yes, talk to you soon.”
I turn my focus back to the meat, cooking it evenly before moving it to a plate. I start to put the noodles in the pot with boiling water and move to cut the vegetables I set out.
“Let me help.” Hoseok says from beside me. I jump, surprised to see him so close. His phone was no longer with him and set on the dining table. He looked down at me with a kind smile, his dimples on display as he did so.
“Okay,” I giggle, “Can you cut the vegetables for me?” He nods, and moves to the sink to watch his hands.
“You made yourself comfortable,” He chuckles, looking over his shoulder at me.
My cheeks warm up, “See, I knew you were going to say that. I was going to wait to ask if I could use your kitchen but I got hungry.”
We work in a comfortable silence, the sound of water boiling and the clunk of the knife hitting the cutting board. I drained the noodles and checked on the rice in the rice cooker.
We work efficiently and Hoseok turns to randomly smile at me every few minutes. I giggled each time, asking him if something was wrong. He’d only smile and shake his head no. The noodles were just about done, and I was lightly stir-frying them with the beef and the vegetables. Hoseok was washing the dishes.
This moment felt very domestic and I loved it. It wasn’t long before I was plating both meals and bringing them to the dining table. I gently moved some of the papers to the side, shuffling others together into stacks. Hoseok swiftly washed the rest of the dishes while I set the table.
His quick movements revealed just how hungry he was. I can’t be surprised. I’m sure his lunch was earlier in the day, and the rain killed our plans. He saw me shivering and thought it’d be better to cancel the dinner reservation he had for after the movie.
We eat in silence for a bit, our stomachs were crying out for some food. The pleased exhale as he eats has me thanking my mom in my heart.
The times she’d make me stay with her in the kitchen has come in handy. That’s how she’d try to bond with me, since work kept her away a lot. I naturally picked up on her recipes and at the young age of 12, I could cook dinner for the whole family.
That’s how the dream of becoming a chef manifested itself. My parents supported it, believing that’s what I was really going to pursue. But it was a phase I held onto for a year.
“It’s good?” I asked, taking my chopsticks and grabbing my side of rice. I put some rice in my mouth, watching Hoseok for an answer. He chewed and swallowed the noodles before grinning at me.
“You know it’s good.” He answered in a teasing manner, “I might have you over here every night.” He looks down at his food, missing the way my eyes widen at his words.
Have me over here every night? He was too focused on his food to notice my still figure. By the time I snapped out of it, a pregnant quiet fell over us.
Once again it was a comfortable quiet. We were simply enjoying each other’s company. We’d talk every once in a while, Hoseok finding something to say that would cause me to laugh. Was he always this funny?
I narrowed my eyes at him, realizing that he was speaking his thoughts more. I enjoyed it, gladly listening to whatever he’d have to say.
“What time do you need to wake up tomorrow?” His question was coming out of left field, seeing as he was previously talking about how much he enjoyed the seasoning on the beef.
“I’ll need to get home then get ready, so probably 8 am. They have me coming in later, since I’m only doing paperwork.” A slight pout on my lips as I spoke. Ugh, paperwork. It’s what I dislike the most about my job but I’ll be confined in my office doing just that.
“Okay, I’ll drive you home, then to work.” He informs me, taking some more noodles in his mouth.
I could only nod in response, and we returned to silence. We never really said that I’d be staying the night, but a wordless understanding was met. As I finished my food, I noticed Hoseok glancing at his phone, checking the time. I drummed my fingers lightly on the table, curious if he had something he had to attend to.
I waited till he was done with his food, looking up to meet my blank expression.
“What’s up?” He says simply, putting his chopsticks into the bigger glass bowl.
I lean forward, setting an elbow on the table, “Do you have something to do? You keep looking at your phone.”
He blinks at me, trying to figure out how to respond. The guilty look on his face told me everything I needed to know.
“I just have some contracts I need to write up. I didn’t want to ignore you while yo–”
I cut him off, vigorously shaking my head.
“It’s fine,” I reassure him, “I know you’re a busy man, and you weren’t expecting me to be staying here so you don’t have to entertain me. I’ll watch TV or something.”
He raises an eyebrow at me, his hair now dry and ruffled out like it was just brushed.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” I confirm, reaching my hand out to smooth out his hair.
~!~
I only watched TV for an hour before I was growing bored. I grabbed the remote, flipping through the channels. I passed various shows, seeing the scenes flash on the large flat screen for no more than a second. I groaned into defeat, deciding that I’d just review some medical notes from my email.
I noticed my purse carelessly thrown on the loveseat adjacent to me. I stood up, grabbing the pursue and situating myself in that same loveseat.
I figured that since Hoseok was somewhere in the condo working, I couldn’t disturb him much from the living room. I glanced around me, looking at the spiral stairs that led to the second level.
Using bluetooth, I connected my phone to the Bose soundbar that the TV was using as an output. Music always helps me study and review. Whether it was patient files or some techniques that I had to brush up on.
My phone showed that it was 11:47pm. After a long day of work, I would have been knocked out on my bed, knowing that another tiring day was waiting for me in the morning. I took note that my phone was at 56%. I’d had to go bother Hoseok for a charger soon.
I hit shuffle on my studying playlist, and opened up my emails to review patient notes. I won’t be working those cases till next week but it was good to show up prepared. I keep the volume low, leaving it just loud enough to fill the living room. If it’s too loud, Hoseok will let me know.
I’m looking over files and notes on a burn victim, along with the progress on Mrs. Choi. Her physical therapy is going well. It’s moving slowly but they believe she will walk again, however it seems her motivation is dwindling.
Her husband shows no signs of progress. He is still in a coma that leaves doctors to truly unable understand the length of the damage he has from the car accident.
The notes were a lot. Long detailed files and charts for patients. I’ll be the one typing all these up when I head back to work. As the song changes to something with a faster tempo, I start bobbing my head to the beat. Soon my shoulders join in, having my body do a stiff and closed off jig in my seat.
My attention was on the notes, so I wasn’t putting much effort into my rhythmic movements. I’m sitting there reading for some time, and when I check the time again it’s 12:54am.
I take a break, locking my phone and dropping it in the loveseat as I stand up. My playlist is still on, a funky R&B song coming on just as I’m walking towards the dining room. I was going to head into the kitchen to get a glass of water.
I stop my steps, letting my hips sway to the beat in the middle of the living room. I close my eyes, mouthing the words and slowing my movements to the breakdown of the song. I let the song get to the chorus before I stroll to the dining room.
I walk to the beat, switching on the dining room lights. I could faintly hear the song, singing the song under my breath now. I don’t bother turning on the kitchen lights. I grab a water bottle like this as if my own home and dash back to the living room.
I barely turn off the dining room lights as my feet shuffle along the floor. I’m back in the center of the living room, opening the bottle to take a sip of water before setting it on the center table. The space between the center table and the couches was enough for me to dance.
I just felt like dancing, forgetting that I wasn’t in my own apartment. However, Hoseok’s presence somewhere else in this place brought a sense of safety and comfort. The notes were all forgotten about as another song came on,having me rock to the beat.
I’m circling my hips in a provocative manner, bending my knees and holding one arm up as I do so. I stick my tongue out a bit, feeling myself. My confidence is growing since I’m by myself. Or so I thought.
I keep dancing, closing my eyes as if it could help me hit the high notes the singer was reaching. The slow winding of my hips momentarily stutter to a stop when two hands enclose either side of them.
I jump, the touch startling me. I felt Hoseok’s chest against my back and his breath on the back of my neck. I let out a shaky breath as his crotch lightly brushed my butt. I hear his shallow breaths close to my ear. His hands are big, his hands are hot and grip me just right.
Trying to shake off the hot and heavy atmosphere falling over us, I kept dancing as I was, humming the song as if nothing had changed. My butt brushing his crotch every movement.
“Are you done with your contracts? That didn’t take too long.” I said over my shoulder.
“I worked quickly cause I could hear you having your own little party out here.” His voice was playful. He placed a kiss on the back of my neck, causing goosebumps to rise all over my body.
We establish a steady rhythm, his hips moving with mine. It wasn’t crazy sexual, but I was impressed by how fluidly his hips moved, along with the bit of distance he kept between my rear end and his crotch, like he was worried I wouldn’t like him pressed on me.
“I was reading some notes, but the music distracted me.” I answered, as a slower track came on. Our bodies swayed in a sluggish fashion. I lean my body back into him, my whole body pressed into him. I leaned my head back, and closed my eyes.
“I can relate.” He says softly.
“Oh yeah,” I mention, “You said you wanted to be a dancer?” His hands on my hips are replaced by his arms enclosing my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder, his cheek against my cheek.
He giggles at the uncertainty in my voice, “Is it still hard to believe?”
“A little bit.” I reply, “What type of dancing did you do?”
Hoseok inhales and exhales slowly, looking forward like he could see the memorie playing before him.
“I’d dance whatever I could learn,” He says vaguely, “I was just happy to be dancing.”
“You can still dance…with me. I’ll always be your dancing partner.”
“Thank you for the offer Y/n…I’ll gladly think about it.”
“I mean I’m no professional, but I can stay on beat, and I like to have fun so you’ll never be bored.”
He opens his mouth and closes it again, deciding not to speak.
“But before you can even ponder on my offer, you have to show me your dancing skills! I need to see what you got!” I challenge, and his arms pull me in tighter to him. I could feel the steady hits of his heartbeat against my back.
The song faded to quiet, before another track began. It picked up a bit more than the last track, fun and quick tango beat to it.
Hoseok let me out of his arms, spinning me around to face him. I was astounded by the speed in which he spun me around. He clasped one hand of mine in his. He moved my other hand to rest on the bicep of his arm that had it’s hand placed on my waist.
He straightened his posture, tilting his chin up a bit while he gazed down at me.
“Just follow after me okay?” He said quietly, as if we were dancing in secret.
I tried. I tried to keep up. The first few steps were rough. He was clearly moving a bit slower for me, waiting as I caught onto the basic steps, before he picked up the pace. It was easy to dance with Hoseok after that.
He was truly leading me, surprising me with some quick spins and other flares of flavor.
I giggled as he spun me, bringing me close to his body. My chest was falling and rising as I tried to catch my breath, staring back into Hoseok’s eyes.
It was only a second as he began to move his feet again, having me follow along with the rhythmic steps.
Now my arm was wrapped around his shoulder and neck, while my other hand was clasped in his. I yelped in surprise as he dipped me. So low I was worried he’d drop me. As he brings me back up, I let go of his hand and wrap my other arm around his neck.
He brings his face close to mine as we stand there, catching our breath. I, breathing a lot more heavy than him.
Hoseok shows a soft smile, wrapping both his arms around my waist.
“Wow,” I say in-between small gasps for air, “You really can dance.”
Hoseok chuckles at my dazed expression, leaning forward to kiss my lips. A peck so quick, by the time my eyes are fluttering closed, he is pulling away.
“Do you want to get back to your patient notes?” He licks his lips, his eyes flickering down to my lips.
I shake my head, “I want you to kiss me again.”
He hums in response, leaning in close to kiss me again. A short peck, followed by a lingering kiss. His arms around me tightened and melted into him. Our heads tilted as we deepened the kiss. My heart hammering in my ears, and my stomach twisting into nervous knots.
His lips are soft, warm and welcoming. Everytime we kiss, it feels like I’m trying to get a message of my feelings to him. Hoseok, however, kisses me slowly and in a cherishing manner. Like it’ll be the last time he kisses me, like he needs me to breathe.
Each and every time, I’m left weak in the knees. My heart is squeezing with delight. He doesn’t always say how he feels. A lot of time he’ll say it randomly or in passing, as if he didn’t want a whole moment around it.
But the execution of his actions make me feel warm inside.
The small touches, his hand on my back, the way he’ll pause a work call to listen to whatever I have to say. Picturing him as the same cold gentlemen I met nearly 4 months ago, makes my heart grow in size.
But that also makes me wonder, should I be the first to tell him I love him? Hoseok is so casual about things, whether it’s due to his discomfort or he doesn’t see the significance, that he might not say such words right out.
The way he calls me his girlfriend now, although he didn’t ask me to be his girlfriend, shows he doesn’t see a need for all the formalities.
He sighs as he draws his lips away from mine, kissing my cheek, my jaw and then a small kiss on my neck. He hides his face in my neck, my arms tighten around him so we were hugging.
I bring a hand up to rest on his hair, “Thank you for such a fun date.”
“You don’t have to lie Y/n, I know it was sucky.” He says, his lips brushing against my skin.
“It wasn’t at all. I had fun, I always have fun with you.”
“I’m not exactly the life of the party Y/n.”
“You’re a lot more fun than you think. You’re also a lot kinder than you realise. I know you were probably exhausted, but you still went to the movies with me.”
“And you cooked for me,” He smiles. I know cause I can feel it against my neck and collar bone. I thought he was going to say something else, his statement felt incomplete so we stood in silence as I waited for him to speak again.
When he didn’t I listened to his soft breathing.
“You’re clearly tired, so let’s get you to bed okay?” I said. He drew back from me, staring at me with jaded eyes, and I could only giggle at the tired pout on his lips. He was totally starting to fall asleep in my arms.
I pinched his cheek and pecked him on the lips before stepping out of his arms and walking over to my phone left forgotten in the love seat. I disconnected it from the soundbar from my phone, and switched it off.
Hoseok goes to turn off most of the lights, leaving the small doorway light on. I followed him up the stairs, my strides slowing down as we got to the hallway.
He stopped walking, leaving me just a view of his back. He looked to the door on his left, before turning to me.
“So here’s the guest room.” He said gesturing to the room.
I awkwardly nodded, rubbing my hands together and walking closer to him, opening the door to see a plain but nice bedroom.
A larger twin size bed with a desk closet and a TV.
I stare at the room, knowing that Hoseok was also watching my reaction.
He’s being considerate. He doesn’t want to make me uncomfortable by assuming I’d want to share a room with him, but damn I’d like if he’d at least ask me. I don’t want to deal with the horrifying embarrassment of telling him I want to sleep in the same bed.
The rain was still falling, the occasional thunder sounding, but this time further away.
“Alright,” I say, turning to face him. I muster up a smile, and open my mouth to speak.
Hoseok is looking at me with a rigged smile.
“Good n-”
“Y/n?” Hoseok cut me off, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He looks off to the side as he thinks.
I blink up at him, knowing what he wants to say. This shouldn’t be a big deal! Why are we both feeling so nervous? I’ve already had my hand around his dick for goodness sake!
“I want you to come sleep in my room…with me.” He finally looks at me, staring at me with a cute uncertainty.
I laugh, “Good! My goodness! I thought you weren’t going to say anything!” I chime, stepping out the guest bedroom. I closed the door behind me and saw Hoseok’s scoff of disbelief.
“What?” I ask.
“You were just going to watch me stress like that? Why didn’t you say you wanted to sleep in my room?” He complained.
“Oh please! I don’t need to be the one making all the first steps!” I hissed, poked his chest.
“Plus, you’re the one that led me to a guest bedroom! I’ve already had my hand around your dick for fuck’s sake!” I add, giggling and the wink he gives me.
“Do you want it in your hands again?” He whispers, stepping closer to me. I back up, pressed against the guest bedroom door. He smirks at me, placing a bashful kiss on my cheek.
“Stop messing around!” I say, slipping past him while he snickers at my shyness.
“Or, would you rather have it in your mouth this time?” He jeers. My eyes widen and I start screaming as if to run from the embarrassment that was manifesting it’s in my warm face.
He laughs at my cringing squeals, taking my hand in his and leading me towards the door at the end of the hallway.
His room is dimly lit, but I could make out the beautiful ivory colored walls. The bed was a large king size bed that sat low. The black bed frame was low, only lifting the mattress off the floor a foot or two. The bedsheets were a rich and dark green, tying together the whole aura of the room. There was a tall lamp that stood on the left side of the bed, and it was the only light on.
Though it was nothing compared to the lights fixtures in the ceiling, it didn’t leave me completely blind and in the dark.
I wasn’t aware of how weird i must have looked, standing there, staring at his room like I’d never seen a bedroom in my whole life.
He squeezed my hand, pulling me out of my daze.
“I’m sorry what did you say?” I asked, blinking at him.
“I was saying that the bathroom is that way.” He pointed to a door on the further right side of the room, “It’s the door on the right. There is an unopened toothbrush if you want to brush your teeth.”
He released my hand and scratched the back of his head. He looked down at the floors as he spoke, making me want to giggle at the embarrassment that was showing itself in his red ears.
It made me feel better to remember that it isn’t just me that has never had such intimate and close moments with people. Something like having my own toothbrush at Hoseok’s place is a big deal. It’s an unspoken step into new territory.
“Thanks.” I said softly, walking around him and further into the room. The room was spacious but also cozy. It was pretty simple and showed that Hoseok doesn’t spend much time here. He works all the time so I’m sure he just plops down and sleeps.
He doesn’t sit in here to relax or anything like that. I heard the door close as I walked towards the bathroom, followed by the sound on Hoseok sitting on the bed.
I brushed my teeth swiftly, admiring the bathroom as I did so. One of those big showers with the tile walls, and glass doors. There was also a big white bathtub on the other side of the room. The sink was large and in the middle of a long rectangular marble counter. I stare at myself in the crystal clear mirror, feeling a bit out of place as I stare at my extravagant surroundings.
I continued to brush my teeth, and rinsed my mouth thoroughly, I set the purple tooth brush in the cup that held another orange brush. I used one of the towels to wipe off any water from around my mouth and walked out the bathroom, shutting off the lights.
When I step out I’m met by Hoseok laying on the bed, his back to me. I couldn’t be sure if he’d fallen asleep, but I didn’t want to wake him. He was under the blankets, and looked like he’d settled in for the night.
The lamp on his side of the room was off, leaving the room in almost complete darkness. The moonlight shining through the window provided enough light to let me see the outside of his body. I tiptoed over to the bed, lifting up the blankets and sliding in. The bed and everything around me smelled like Hoseok.
I smiled to myself, and looked up at the ceiling before closing my eyes and turning onto my side. My back was facing Hoseok, and I tried to keep some space between us. I wasn’t sure how much space he wanted.
I slowly started to fall asleep, the comfort of the heavy blankets and the scent of Hoseok around me lulling me.
I was barely awake when I felt Hoseok shift beside me, muttering something in a hoarse voice.
“So far away.” He grumbles, before I felt some more shuffling. He slid his arm under my body, causing me to hum in response, since I was barely awake.
My eyes stayed closed and I turned my body so I was facing him. That’s clearly what he wanted, as he wordlessly curled his arm up, pushing my body till my head was on his chest. I was too sleepy to say anything. All I could do was cuddle closer and rest my hand on his chest.
“Are you awake?” He asks softly. When I don’t reply, he shifts slightly so his face is buried in my hair.
I fell asleep peacefully as his hand found my back and rubbed soothing circles.
~!~
“Why did you choose today of all days to follow the speed limit?” I mutter at Hoseok. He chuckles but keeps his eyes on the road. He wasn’t going his usual speed today, and though I find his speeding distasteful, today it would have come in handy.
We woke up late, which is no surprise. I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well in my whole life. Being in Hoseok’s warm embrace soothed me all the way down to my soul. Although we were running late, he was still in a good mood.
He drove me back to my apartment, waited for me to get dressed for work, and is now driving me to the hospital. I won’t see him most of today, but we agreed to see each other tonight.
As we pulled into the Seoul Sky hospital, I had my passenger door opened before the car came to a full stop. I grabbed my purse, making sure it had everything I needed.
I leaned towards Hoseok, kissing him on the cheek before kissing him on the lips shortly. Two pecks on the lips before I pulled away beaming at him.
“I’ll see you later.” I said.
He showed me a small smile and nodded, “See you later.”
“Don’t work yourself too hard!” I exclaim as I step out of the car, “And remember to eat!”
I close the car door and Hoseok rolls down the window, “Even when you’re in a rush you still manage to nag me!”
“I nag you because I l-” My words stop short and I clasp my hand over my mouth. Hoseok, oblivious to what I was about to confess, raises his eyebrows at me in question.
“Because you..?” He trails off, but all I can do is smile awkwardly.
“See you later!” I shout and bolt away from the car. I don’t look back as I jog through the automatic sliding doors.
“Good morning Dr. L/N!” A nurse calls out to me. I stop in my tracks, recognizing the nurses at the front desk. I smiled, waving at them energetically.
“Good morning!” I chimed.
“You’re running a little late aren’t you?” The older nurse stated.
I nodded my head but before I could open my mouth, the rest of the nurses giggled.
“You don’t have to explain, we could see it through the glass doors. Time moves quickly when you’re in love.” The older nurse said.
I stood there a bit confused before looking behind me at the sliding doors. It really was a perfect view of where Hoseok had stopped the car. I turned back to the nurses who were cheesing at me.
“It’s wonderful to have you back Dr. L/n, let us know if you need help with anything.”
I thanked them, heading to my office quickly. I was in a rush so I settled on some black dress pants and a blue dress shirt. My hair was styled in a rush so it looks decent. I made it to my office, happy to see it again. It wasn’t locked, which is strange but I didn’t think much of it. I set my bag down and grabbed my white coat. I pulled it on quickly and went to my desk.
All I’ll be doing today is paperwork so I might as well get comfortable. I took my seat and turned on my computer, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before Jennie waltzed in here with all the work I’d have to do.
The computer switched on quickly, but something else took my attention. On my desk was a red envelope. I waste no time opening it, thinking it was a welcome back card. Oh how I was wrong.
Dear, Y/n. I am so glad to have you back. The whole department has felt incomplete since you left. I was very hurt when Jennie informed me that you weren’t allowing anyone to visit you as you recovered. You did not answer my phone calls either. I was sad to hear you got hurt and fell down the stairs. It seems your boyfriend isn’t taking good care of you. But I am glad you have recovered fully. Please come see me when you have the chance. This may be inappropriate but the absence of your presence has helped me realize something.
Sincerely Taemin.
I stared at the letter in confusion. Now what the hell is Dr. Lee doing? What is this? My face scrunches up in annoyance as I read over the letter again. This is completely inappropriate and leaves me feeling uncomfortable.
I’ve turned down Dr. Lee’s advances before, taking them as jokes but by the sound of this letter, he wanted me to take his advances seriously. I ignored the login screen of my computer and stood up from my chair with the letter in my hand.
I stepped out my office and headed down the hallway, knowing that Dr. Lee would be making his rounds instead of being in his office. I’d have to go around a bit before finding him. But sitting on such an issue would leave me unable to work all day.
I rounded the corner, greeting regular patients with a small smile. Some of them told me they missed me and others smiled at me with shining eyes. For a second I forgot about the awful letter Dr. Lee left for me. I am back at work and even though I’m stuck with paperwork, the atmosphere was enough for me.
I turned around a corner and crashed into a familiar person.
“Hey, there you are!” Jennie chimed. She smiled at me, wearing her usual red lipstick and that iconic slicked ponytail was just as sharp as ever. Her eyelashes look really long and she looked happier than usual.
“Yup, I’m back to work. It feels great.” I answer.
“I’m sure your date yesterday went well? You’re radiating happiness.” She mentions.
I raise an eyebrow at her, “Am I? Cause I’m pissed off.”
Her brows furrowed and she looked concerned. The question she was about to ask was clear.
“No, it has nothing to do with Hoseok. The date was…amazing.” My tone softens at the mention of Hoseok.
“So what’s got you so angry, so early in the morning?”
I handed her the letter, watching her face expression change as she opened it and read it.
The humorless laugh that struggles it’s way past her lips makes me wanna scoff all over again.
“This is weird.” She groans.
“It’svery weird.” I double down, “This is totally inappropriate. You know I am chill about many things, but I don’t like stuff like this at work from co-workers! How many times have I rejected him? This isn’t harmless banter anymore.”
I speak in a low voice, watching as different nurses and doctors pass us.
“Are you going to bring this up to Hose-”
I cut her off, “Of course not! I haven’t seen a jealous Hoseok and I don’t think I want to. He’ll come in here and scare Dr. Lee. Working here will be even more uncomfortable.”
“I know he’s on the second floor.” She says, and points towards the elevator not too far from us.
“I can’t be sure how he’ll react so could you come with me?”
“Of course! Did you think I was going to let you do that alone? Let’s go!” She takes hold of my arm and pulls me along.
While in the elevator she tells me about all the awful comments he’d make while I was gone. Jennie brushed most of them off but a few were too much.
He’d say, “Where is that boyfriend of hers?”
“That guy looks controlling. She doesn’t want me to visit her or he doesn’t?”
And a few more that were totally unfitting for a work environment. She wasn’t even going to bring it up to me, but she didn’t expect ‘love letters’ to start becoming a thing.
The elevator doors opened and before we stepped off we could hear chaos. Jennie and I looked at each other in disarray. We stepped off the elevator to hear loud yelling and shouting from different people. Other patients were running away from the noise, telling us that it was coming from our right.
Our stroll turned into a speed walk, and I hid the letter in my lab coat pocket. We turn the corner and the yelling is louder.
We see Dr. Lee and Dr. Shin, a newer doctor standing outside a familiar hospital room.
“Mrs. Choi?” I mutter to myself. Jennie and I approach the situation, Dr. Lee being the first one to see us. I don’t miss the way he smiles when he spots me. I had to fight a grimace off my face.
“What is going on?” Jennie askes, catching Dr. Shin’s attention this time. She moves her focus from Jennie and right to me.
“Oh thank you goodness you’re back Dr. L/n! Please calm these ladies down!” She cries, running her fingers through her auburn hair.
I take a look into the room, the door being wide open. There was Mrs. Choi screaming at the top of her lungs at another woman. This woman was a lot younger than her, looking to be in her late 20’s. Her hair was long and brown with soft waves. She wore stylish jeans with boots and a lovely top and a lovely trench coat.
From the wonderful jewelry on her neck and the rings on her fingers, she’s clearly someone who is well off. Both women were red in the face while they screamed at each other.
“Who is the younger lady? Why haven’t you called security?” I looked at both Dr. Lee and Dr. Shin.
“Well…” Dr. Shin hesitated to speak, looking down at her feet in guilt.
“So I was wonder why Mrs. Choi didn’t have any family? She was feeling so down lately and her husband wasn’t getting any better. The psychical therapists said she was losing motivation in their sessions so I tried to help.” Dr. Shin looked up to find my dubious face expression.
I crossed my arms over my chest, “What did you do?” I hate how accusing my tone was, but the hospital Dr. Shin transferred from told us she would cause trouble. A lot of nurses have been avoiding her. Some say she’s too spunky, and focuses too much on making her personality shine through.
“I did some digging and it turns out she has kids! There was no information on the son, but I was able to find her daughter! So I invited her daughter here as a surprise.”
Both Jennie and I groaned.
“You can’t do things like that!” Jennie scolded.
“I know, I know! But I didn’t think things would turn out like this!” She whined.
I couldn’t say anything to Dr. Shin as the argument between the two women was escalating.
“What is the daughter’s name?” Jennie whispers.
“Her english name in Helena. We don’t know her Korean name.” Dr. Lee answers.
“You don’t get my pity mom!” Helena shouts. She’s standing at the end of her mother’s bed tears running down her cheeks.
“You set me away! You pushed everyone away! You tricked yourself into believing dad was a bad person because you wanted an excuse for falling out of love with him! You could have just divorced him!”
“You don’t know what I was going through!” Ms. Choi shouts back.
Helena snaps back just as quickly, “You sent me away! You sent me away from you, dad…Hobi.”
Hobi? Who is that?
“I sent you away because I wanted you to be safe! I love you Helena!” Mrs. Choi’s voice was growing hoarse from the screaming and I was getting ready to jump in.
“Bullshit!” Helena spits, “Bullshit! You sent me away and never called. I never even got a fucking letter. I grew up without you. I graduated college without you. I moved on with my life without you. You never cared for me. You were so fucking focused on Hobi! You just wanted me out the way. No one would tell me where the fuck Hobi was so I couldn’t find him to even attend dad’s funeral.”
Dad’s funeral? So Mrs. Choi’s husband who is in the coma, is not the father of her daughter?
She vigorously wipes her tears off her face, “You keep telling yourself you did what you had to when in reality, you’re just a shitty person.”
“Am I?” Ms. Choi croaks, “Am I really that awful because I thought I deserved to be happy?”
“Your journey to happiness left a path of destruction for everyone else. You’ve lost you fucking mind if you believe anything you did was okay.” Helena’s voice toned down. The both of the basked in the heavy silence.
Helena let out a solemn chuckle, almost like her mother was the joke.
“Well,mom,” she emphasized the word ‘mom’, “Did you find the happiness you wanted?” I couldn’t see her face fully, just her profile…but she reminded me of someone.
She shows her mom a sarcastic smile, “I mean look at you. Look at where you are. Your new precious husband is stuck in a long sleep and they don’t know when he’ll wake up. Your legs aren’t working and you’re all alone. I only showed up so I could get the years of hurt off my chest. So since you can’t run away…” She gestures to her mom in the bed.
“I’m gonna finally say, fuck you mom. Dad was never the bad guy. Hobi might have been gullible enough to believe your foolishness but I always saw right through it. It was you…it was always you. You don’t deserve any happiness.” She finishes, glaring at the old woman staring back at her with sad eyes.
“I’ll be back tomorrow and the day after that. I will waltz in here every day and remind you that this is a product of your own choices. When you’re ready to apologize I’ll listen.” She grabs her purse from the guest chair and turns to face all of us at the door.
Her eyes flicker across each of our faces and I feel a prick in my chest. I feel weird. Should I know this lady? Something tells me I should know Helena but I’m drawing a blank.
She pushes past us and down the hallway.
No one speaks to Mrs. Choi and she doesn’t speak to us. We all can only shift in discomfort. No words could bring comfort after such harsh lashings were thrown. We can only look on in distraught cause for some reason…the pity we’ve felt for poor old Ms. Choi was no more.
♠—-♠—-♠—–♠
Alrightty, what did you guys think?! Things are progressing right! We’re moving into the next phase of the story! Yay!
Tell me what you think? What do you think will happen next? How do you feel about Mrs. Choi? Was she right in what she did?
Y'all ever dream about how hot and bothered it would make you feel to listen to Namjoon roast your existence and then you begging him to let you lick his sweat off his neck and chest ✋
Rm serving me drinks but he trips and spills the drink on me and then breaks the floor and burns down the building and then I give him a huge tip simply for blessing me with his presence
➬ Summary | Ever since the day he walked through the front door of your cafe hand in hand with his sweet daughter on one gloomy afternoon in the middle of winter, he had captured your heart without him even knowing it. All the time, you had chosen to stay on the sidelines, watching him mend his broken heart in silence while he teaches his own daughter that it was okay to be a kid despite the pain that they shared. You know you shouldn’t be so infatuated with him or let this feeling go any deeper. Because nothing could prepare you when you are forced to watch him move on, completely unaware that he is about to be breaking your heart into pieces.
↳ Ratings | PG-13,+18 / M for Mature; appropriate warnings will be applied on each chapter whenever necessary.
➥Cross post | AO3 | Inkitt (coming soon!)
➥ Author’s Note | Originally commissioned by @rm4lyf ; I have decided to release this one as a drabble series to present the timeline more appropriately and make the storyline work. Chapters will be posted weekly.
➥ Music Companion (link to playlist)|The LOFT- Glass Walls //Katie - Thinking Bout You // JERO - With you // Code Kunst - O (feat. Lee Hi) // Dxvn. - Drowning // Ja¥en x District - dying ember // Angelicca - Your Only One // GATS & Oh Genius - Lost In You // Adrian Daniel - Nobody
i can’t believe there’s only one more chapter and we’re done. it has been a roller coaster ride of emotion with this fic. brilliantly written! a story of grief, recovery, moving on, and finding new love eventually. Seokjin with a little girl is adorable!
➬ Summary | Ever since the day he walked through the front door of your cafe hand in hand with his sweet daughter on one gloomy afternoon in the middle of winter, he had captured your heart without him even knowing it. All the time, you had chosen to stay on the sidelines, watching him mend his broken heart in silence while he teaches his own daughter that it was okay to be a kid despite the pain that they shared. You know you shouldn’t be so infatuated with him or let this feeling go any deeper. Because nothing could prepare you when you are forced to watch him move on, completely unaware that he is about to be breaking your heart into pieces.
↳ Ratings | PG-13
↳ Warning | involves grief, graphic depiction of tragedy/trauma, graphic depiction of a car accident scene, character death
Looking back, you would sometimes compare your life to the stories that you have read from those romance novels that you have loved so much when you were younger.
You were sixteen when you began to harbour a crush on your brother’s best friend. Both of them had been inseparable since junior high, especially after they both entered the basketball team together, and Aron had always spent a lot of time at your house to allow you to ogle at him at every chance you got.
At first, you had known that it would be impossible for him to reciprocate the feeling that you had for him, and yet you did nothing to stop it when the feeling had developed at some point when you kept on seeing him around. Still, you didn’t think much of it when Aron started spending more time at your house, sometimes stealing his chances to slip away from your brother to be able to see you even if all he did was to tease and joke around with you like an older brother would.
finally finally finally… a look into OC’s past, what a tragedy indeed! No wonder she doesn’t drive and his brother pick her up and drop her off. This just shows that each person has its own healing, healing is not timebound. Each person has their own way of coping up and healing and moving on. For Seokjin its a year, but for OC, no. Up until now she has not opened herself up. Or maybe, it takes the right person? For OC it took Seokjin’s arrival to finally let herself move on and feel something again, while Seokjin it was shorter coz OC was there on the very 1st day.
We are nearing the end, and i wanted so much for them to have their happiness - together or otherwise. They both deserve it.
I can never thank you enough, Dia! this is such an amazing story. I don’t know what you do in your dungeon, but this surpass everything i could ever want or expected. Thank you for not cutting corners. I always tease you about splitting story and about exceeding the word count you yourself has set, but it only shows how dedicated you are to a story.
➬ Summary | With love, comes challenge. Especially when you are in love with the one man who is at the top of the world while keeping you on the other end.
➬ Genre | Artist/Music Producer!Yoongi, Established relationship!au, Angst, Fluff, Smut
↳ Ratings | +18 / M for Mature
↳ Warning | possessive Yoongi, a few events of jealousy, multiple smut scenes, implied public foreplay, clothed foreplay, dry humping, semi-public sex, exhibitionism, rough sex, breast play, biting, clit play, hair pulling, unprotected sex, multiple orgasms, self-masturbation (female), clothed sex, car sex.
↳ Word count | 22k words (I’m sorry for this T^T)
↳ Cross post | AO3|Inkitt (coming soon!)
↳ Music companion | Little Do You Know-Alex & Sierra | Youth - Daughter
➬ Author’s Note | Written as a commission for @minyoongail. | Thank you for giving me a chance to write for Yoongi again. Forgive me for the long wait. I hope you’ll enjoy this story.
THEN…
From the very first night you met Min Yoongi, you were instantly drawn to him.
To describe the moment perfectly, you could easily say that it had happened exactly the way wise people would describe this kind of attraction; that you were drawn to him like a moth to a flame.
It was an instant pull, the kind of attraction that you had never once felt for another person before. Not to the boys you have dated through college, not even for the hot specimen of a male sitting right next to your cubicle at the office you were attending through your internship.
To this day, you could only faintly recall the events which had led you into getting dragged along to the uncharted territory where Min Yoongi existed. It was Friday night, right on the weekly scheduled night out that you would spend with your friends, when the hours were getting late and the dive bar that you had frequently gone to each week felt too cramped and dull with all the men in suits who came in for a seemingly boring company party while acting like they owned the place.
“It would be fun,” you remembered one of them said as she suggested to try hopping into a different club instead of ending the night early.
Sooooo… i held off as long as I coukd coz i know its going to hurt. I read the teaser so i have an idea how much it will hurt. To be fair to the reader, we all have these kind of thoughts even if you’re not dating a renowned music producer. Its a given in any relationship, and i feel her with her struggles - the feeling of inadequacy, the sort of “power dynamics” (him being famous while her “normal”), the inner monologue of telling yourself that he loves you and that he’s faithful.
My chest was so tight the whole time i was reading this, up until the interview with Yoongi. After that i released a very huge breath. This is such a beautiful story, the way Yoongi makes it up to her with words and deeds, trying to prove to her that she’s loved and there is no one else.
It takes hard work to keep any relationship to work and this story is such a gem coz it gives you hope that there is happy ending.
➬ Summary | Ever since the day he walked through the front door of your cafe hand in hand with his sweet daughter on one gloomy afternoon in the middle of winter, he had captured your heart without him even knowing it. All the time, you had chosen to stay on the sidelines, watching him mend his broken heart in silence while he teaches his own daughter that it was okay to be a kid despite the pain that they shared. You know you shouldn’t be so infatuated with him or let this feeling go any deeper. Because nothing could prepare you when you are forced to watch him move on, completely unaware that he is about to be breaking your heart into pieces.
↳ Ratings | PG-13
↳ Warning | mentions of grief, implied/mention of character’s death
↳ Word count | 5,5k words
↳ Author’s Note | A longer chapter with this one (I’m sorry T^T) and another case of splitting a chapter into two to make things work. Roughly edited, so I might return to fix stuff once the story’s completed. I hope you’ll enjoy this one!
You can no longer remember the last time you found yourself in a moment like this. Surrounded by nothing else but warmth that you just want to embrace it forever and curl inside it to hide away from the painful world and never let go.
You had no idea what to expect when you came back from the back kitchen to find your older brother sitting in Seokjin’s booth. Never once had you ever imagined seeing both men sitting together and having a conversation the way they did, but watching it happening right in front of your eyes felt as if you were witnessing both of your worlds colliding together.
And surprisingly, you didn’t find anything wrong with it at all.
finally! thank goodness for Minhyun! i’ve said it before, i will not fault Seokjin for being blind. he just lost his wife and taking care of theor daughter as well. its too much to be honest.
but, finally! we’re going on a dinner! i am so excited for the next chapters.
and hello??? has anyone noticed how Dia split sweet melody into 2? i am not surprise anymore, really. thank you Dia, its just a testament of how much you work hard for every story you put out.
➬ Summary | Ever since the day he walked through the front door of your cafe hand in hand with his sweet daughter on one gloomy afternoon in the middle of winter, he had captured your heart without him even knowing it. All the time, you had chosen to stay on the sidelines, watching him mend his broken heart in silence while he teaches his own daughter that it was okay to be a kid despite the pain that they shared. You know you shouldn’t be so infatuated with him or let this feeling go any deeper. Because nothing could prepare you when you are forced to watch him move on, completely unaware that he is about to be breaking your heart into pieces.
It takes another two weeks before Minnie joins Seokjin and his daughter as they return to the cafe. This time, it had been Minnie who requested to go before Seokjin even had the chance to arrange for a special visit where they could all come together.
The moment Minnie suggested for them to go after working hours that day, he could already tell that there was something going on. That something wasn’t quite right.
As a matter of fact, he had noticed a lot of changes happening with his girlfriend for quite some time. Especially since she hasn’t been joining them on their hot chocolate and cinnamon bread dates after what had happened on their last visit to your cafe together.
yesssssss!!! finally!!! we’re almost finish (if Dia behaves & does not spend any time at her dungeon we only have 2 chapters, but knowing Dia she might end up having 1-2 extra chapters more, lol). honestly, i super love the development, Seokin finally realizing things and its ok that he took his time really. i admire Minnie, she wasn’t vindictive or angry at all. it takes so much maturity to read the situation for what it is and to let go peacefully. waiting for this fic was so worth it!
