Archive of Our Own ^beta

“I thought I should let you know that I’m in the process of hiring your replacement.”

Of all the things that Jeongguk had thought he would hear when Kim Namjoon called him into his office during the last hour of his Monday shift, this was not on the list. He’d been expecting a, ‘Here are some documents that I need you to proofread by tomorrow,’ or maybe a, ‘I need you to work some overtime this week,’ or in the worst-case scenario he thought he was going to get, ‘The coffee you left me was lukewarm this morning.’

But not this.

“I- Mr. Kim, I- I don’t understand.” Jeongguk tries to keep calm, tries not to panic.

“How many times do I need to ask you to call me Namjoon-hyung?”

“I’m sorry, hyung.” Jeongguk swallows. He tugs at his tie that seems to be tightening around his throat like a python, stealing the air from his lungs. "Are you firing me?”

Namjoon props his chin on top of his open palm and leans forward on his large desk. His silver tie falls onto the varnished mahogany tabletop, draping over the gold-plated sign that reads, Kim Namjoon, Chief Executive Officer, Bangtan Recording House.

“Technically speaking, yes.”

Jeongguk’s eyes prickle but he blinks rapidly, keeping his breathing even. He has worked so hard to convince everyone in this office that he’s not just a desperate college student working for money, not just some kid who wants a one-year secretarial job before disappearing in a cloud of dust with a new referral on his résumé. He wants to stay here and if he wants to stay he refuses to be known as the baby-faced man who cried like a child that one time.

Despite his best efforts to look calm, though, Namjoon doesn’t seem to buy it, because he laughs and leans back, posture relaxing.

“I’m just messing with you, Jeongguk. Calm down.” Jeongguk can barely stop his mouth from un-hinging as he watches Namjoon take his glasses off and wipe at them with his tie. “You’d think after a year you’d know that we all like to mess with you at every given opportunity. I would never just let you go like that, Guk.”

At the sound of his nickname, Jeongguk’s muscles unknot and he drops his head in his hands.

“Don’t do that to me, hyung. You scared me so much. I thought… God.”

“You’ve done so much for this company, Jeongguk, and you’re only a secretary. I’d be mad to let someone so hardworking go. But,” Namjoon leans back over the desk again and gives Jeongguk a serious look, “I wasn’t lying. I am hiring a replacement for you.”

Jeongguk bites his lip and digs his nails into the leather sofa. “I don’t understand.”

“Jeongguk,” Namjoon stands and starts to pace the room, “as I said, you’re only a secretary. I’m aware that you’re focussing on your studies, right now, but-”

“If this is about university, hyung, I swear I’m not prioritising my studies over work! I reduced my course to part-time so that I don’t have as many units to focus on.” Jeongguk speaks quickly, gulps when he realises he just interrupted his C.E.O. He bows his head, cheeks starting to flush. “I’m sorry, it’s just- I promise, I’m not just here for the money. I truly want to get into the recording business and I thought any position here would be enough. I would’ve been happy to be a cleaner, anything. Just so I could get some experience in a real office and see how the business really works. I couldn’t be more grateful to be your secretary and I have no plans of leaving, not any time soon.”

Namjoon holds up a hand before Jeongguk can continue any further. Jeongguk mumbles another apology, heart racing, but Namjoon is looking at him fondly. Jeongguk wonders if the other somehow can tell that his heart skips a beat when he grins at him, dimple flashing on his face.

“Jeongguk, I’m already well aware of everything that you just said. I know you prioritise this job over your studies, which is precisely why I'm worried about you.” At the quirk of Jeongguk’s brow, Namjoon nods like he expected this reaction. “You should be devoting your time to college, not to a secretarial position. You take far too many hours on and you spend far too much time late in the office, even when it’s not required. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it more than you’d know, we all do, but I’m worried about your health. You push yourself too hard and I don’t think you get enough sleep.”

“I’m fine, Mr. Kim.” Namjoon glares at him and Jeongguk blinks a few times. “Sorry. I’m fine, Namjoon-hyung. I promise. I sleep on my breaks if I’m really tired." Namjoon's frown deepens. Jeongguk's tongue becomes tangled and he waves his hands in the air. "Which isn’t often! My course isn’t too hard either and I-”

“You’re only 22 years old, Jeongguk. Even if the things you say are true, you should be out living your life as a young adult, not spending every hour making sure our case files are in order, not making phone calls for me when you’re not even on-the-clock. You should be out making friends, spending time with girls." Namjoon clears his throat. "Or boys. Or whatever you’re into."

I’m into you, hyung. I like spending time with you.

“If I don’t do those things then they won’t get done, hyung. I don’t want your business to fail because I missed a file or messed up an appointment with a new client. You have a legacy to uphold and you’re still young and…"

Namjoon grins at him, walking over to ruffle his hair, one of his favourite things to do. Jeongguk reaches up to right his dark locks, swallowing down a hitching breath that tries to make its way out of his throat.

“You’re so cute, Jeonggukkie-ah,” and doesn’t his heart thump at that, “but you needn’t worry so much. I know my father is proud of where we’ve taken the company.

“Where you’ve taken the company, hyung.”

“No, we. This team is amazing and together we’ve risen leagues above our rivals to the point where they’re resorting to malicious tactics just to try to get the upper hand back.” Namjoon chuckles, shaking his head. “But they don’t realise that the reason for our success is this passionate group of hardworking people who genuinely care about their jobs.” Namjoon sits down next to Jeongguk and looks over at him. “You’re a part of that team, Jeongguk. I could never let you go. But I care about you as much more than a secretary.”

“You- you do?” Jeongguk’s breath thins and he clutches at the couch, staring at Namjoon.

God, you’re beautiful. I love you.

“I do. You’re a good friend, Jeongguk.” His shoulders slump at that, but thankfully Namjoon is too busy reaching over to some papers on his desk to notice. “Which is why I’m doing this. I’m hiring a second secretary, someone you can train to take on your position. I can’t have you run off your feet the way you are, not with a clear conscience. Don’t worry, they’re not taking over your job completely. They’re just dividing the work with you.”

Jeongguk bites his lip as he looks at the files Namjoon hands him, at the job description and some of the applicant’s résumés. He understands that Namjoon is worried about him, but all he hears is that he thinks he can't handle his current workload.

“But, hyung, I can do it. I’m fine, I promise. I won’t let you down, I swear.”

“Jeongguk,” the C.E.O.’s voice is firm as he rests a hand on the younger’s shoulder, “I’m not asking you. I’m telling you. I’m dividing your work into two, whether you like it or not. You need to find a better work-life balance and I need to stop expecting so much of you. I know you won’t let me down, because you’ve never done it before.”

Jeongguk feels himself swelling with pride and he tries his best to fight the foolish grin that works its way onto his face.

“If you’re worried about having your purpose stolen from you, don’t be. I will have the new secretary focus on the more menial tasks, doing the coffee rounds and answering phone calls. This way you’ll have more time to focus on the case files and auditing, the more serious matters.  You’re the only one I trust to do this.”

I’m the only one he trusts?

“O-okay. Okay, hyung.”

Namjoon smiles again as he pulls Jeongguk into a hug that he all but melts into. Jeongguk catches sight of himself in the window reflection and scowls. His eyes are wide and sparkling and if it was any more obvious that he is completely infatuated it would be written on a neon sign above his head.

Namjoon’s cologne clouds around his head as they pull apart, making him dizzy. He’s glad when there’s a knock at the door to offer a distraction, fearful that the scent would have driven him to do something stupid like confess his crush.

"Yes, Jimin?"

“Mr. Kim, they’re trying to page you down in the kitchen. They said it was urgent.”

Namjoon growls to himself as he glances at the clock. “In the kitchen… How many times do I have to tell him to…” He looks at the two young men who are watching him with curious expressions as he rearranges his features into something a bit more nonchalant. “I think we’re done here, Jeongguk. The three files there are the applicants I’ve narrowed the pile down to. I want you to be the one who makes the final decision. You’ll be working in close quarters with this person, after all. "

"Of course, sir. Of course." Jeongguk looks down at the sheets on the desk. "I'll be extra thorough. I'll do police checks and background checks and I'll-"

"Ah, our Gukkie." Jimin's hand appears on Jeongguk's shoulder, stopping him from embarrassing himself any further. "Always going above and beyond." Namjoon is smiling knowingly. 

"You don't need to get too crazy about it. It's just a secretarial position after all. I know you’ll make the right decision.” Jeongguk nods dumbly as he glances back over to the papers. “Alright, I guess I’m heading off. You’ll lock up, won’t you?” When Jeongguk nods again, Namjoon grins and ruffles his hair once more, before he turns and leaves, humming to himself as he does so.

Jimin whistles, a low, patronising sound.

“Wow.”

“Don’t say anything, I don’t want to hear it.”

“You’re pathetic.” Yoongi’s voice appears from nowhere as his head pops in the doorway. “I think you were one second away from getting on one knee for a moment there."

“Were you two just listening in the entire time then?” Jeongguk strides over to the papers and pretends to busy himself with them when he’s really just tries to hide his flushed face.

“Pretty much.”

“Don’t you have work to do?”

“It’s four thirty. We clock off soon. We’re not all over-achievers like you.” Jimin walks up behind Jeongguk to peer at the applications.

“I prefer the term, ass-kisser.” Yoongi smirks from the doorway. Jeongguk grunts, which only makes the two older men laugh. “Either confess how you feel or go get dicked down. Seriously kid, your desperate is starting to show.” With that the A & R Co-ordinator turns and heads back out the door.

“See you tomorrow, hyung!” Jimin’s voice is loud in Jeongguk’s ear as he props his chin on his shoulder.

“Unfortunately.”

Jimin can probably feel how tense Jeongguk is because his giggle is warm on his skin when he says, “We were only teasing you, Gukkie. Relax.”

Jeongguk sighs and collapses back onto the couch. “Is it really that obvious?”

“Yes, it really is, but Namjoon is the most unintelligent intelligent person on the earth, so you have nothing to worry about. Besides, he friend-zoned you pretty hard there, didn’t he?” Jimin sits down beside him and despite his humorous tone, he seems to realise that Jeongguk is genuinely bothered because he rubs his knee comfortingly.

“I just… really like him, hyung.”

“I know you do, Guk. Maybe now that you won’t have to work as hard, you’ll be able to find a way to show him that.”

“But that was how I was showing him.” Jeongguk pouts as he rubs his eyes. “I stayed behind so many times and did his filing for him and logged his computer off and… I thought he’d notice but he just thinks I’m a try-hard. You all think that.”

“Guk, don’t be silly. Everyone knows how hard of a worker you are. If you do little things to impress him, that’s fine, but we all know that you genuinely care about this business. No one here thinks badly of you. If they do, I don’t know about it and I know all of the gossip, don’t you know? Speaking of which, word is going around that Seokjin-hyung has a secret lover.”

“Really?” Jeongguk appreciates what Jimin is trying to do so he goes along with the subject-change as best as he can, despite the way his heart aches.

“Yeah. Word at the water cooler is that he’s been fucking someone in the food pantry. Can you believe it? Someone saw him coming out of there just after clock-off time with hickeys on his neck last week.”

“Gross. Well, good for him, I guess.”

“I guess. There better not be cum in our morning tea. I don’t know if I can eat those scones anymore.”

“Jimin!” Jeongguk laughs and shakes his head.

“Ah, there’s my favourite little rabbit-toothed smile.” Jimin pinches his cheek, making him swat his hand away. “Now come on you ass-kisser. Let’s get out of here. I’m not doing overtime for you.”

--

Namjoon is in meetings for most of the next morning and Jeongguk would normally attend to take notes for him, but his boss insists that he stay back and meet the new applicants, insists that he can take his own notes. Jeongguk wonders if he’s become too pushy, too needy and maybe that’s the real reason Namjoon is doing this, so he doesn’t argue too much, not wanting to annoy him any further.

It doesn’t take a long time after meeting the three applicants for Jeongguk to decide which one he wants as his fellow secretary. The woman is far too indifferent and the older man is too arrogant. The younger guy is perfect, smiley and enthusiastic and kind, young and willing to listen when Jeongguk gives him advice. He doesn’t seem bothered that Jeongguk is younger than him, unlike the older gentleman who sneers when Jeongguk points out that Namjoon prefers a smaller typeface on his notes. He doesn’t seem phased when Jeongguk explains that he’ll mostly be doing odd jobs to start with, unlike the woman who scoffs and claims that she worked as an assistant for Steve Jobs for three years.

By the time Namjoon arrives back from the meetings he’s surprised to see that Jeongguk looks more exhausted than he does. He listens to Jeongguk’s comments with that same proud smile before he nods and agrees to hire the younger gentleman.

“Congratulations, Mr. Kim Taehyung.” Namjoon smiles at the young man when Jeongguk brings him into the office at the end of the day, already having dismissed the other two. “You’ve shown that you’ll make an excellent assistant and an excellent partner for Jeongguk here. Don’t worry, you’re in great hands with him. I’m confident that he will show you the ropes and have everything in order for you within no time.”

“Thank you very much, Mr. Kim.” Taehyung bows deeply and then turns to Jeongguk and does the same. His eyes are wide and attentive, taking in his surroundings with eagerness. “To you too, Mr. Jeon. It’s my honour to work with you both. I’ve heard great things about Bangtan Recording and about both of you.”

Jeongguk’s eyebrows rise at the idea of his name ever being mentioned outside of the office, but he quickly dons a polite smile and bows back in response. The guy might be a bit of a kiss-ass, but it would be hypocritical of Jeongguk of all people to judge him for it. 

Namjoon talks with the two of them, outlines what he wants to see from them both within a week’s time, before sending them on their way. When the door closes behind them, Taehyung gives Jeongguk a smile so bright it almost blinds him.

“Well, I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, Jeon Jeongguk-ssi. I’m really looking forward to you teaching me.”

Jeongguk thinks he wouldn’t mind having a desk opposite a beautiful face like this as he bows once again. “Just Jeongguk is fine. No one here is too formal, as you’ll come to learn.”

“Right. Tomorrow then, Jeongguk?”

Jeongguk smiles.

“Tomorrow.”

--

Tomorrow goes well, as does the next day. Taehyung follows Jeongguk around like a puppy, but he finds he doesn’t mind so much. It’s nice to see someone as enthusiastic about his work as he is. It’s nice to have someone listen attentively when he talks about alphabetising files instead of looking like they want to fall asleep. It’s nice to have someone bobbing their head in agreement when he explains how important it is that he get a hard-copy of Namjoon’s schedule on his desk at 9am sharp, instead of rolling their eyes and telling him to stop being a suck-up.

The trouble starts slowly and subtly.

It’s barely noticeable at first. Jeongguk has been focussed on getting into the flow of his new work routine. It’s not like things are drastically different as he still answers the phone most of the time and organises Namjoon’s appointments for him while Taehyung learns the ropes. He still stays later than anyone else in order to look over his work and make sure nothing in them is incorrect or unaccounted for. The biggest change is that now when he does these things there is a new desk across from his and someone who sends him a smile over it every now and then.

“Jeongguk, can you please get me a latte from across the road?” Namjoon’s voice is tired through the speaker on his phone. Jeongguk is already jumping up from his seat after a, “Yes, sir,” when his phone rings again and he sees Namjoon’s office number once more.

“Sir?”

“Jeongguk, I totally forgot that you don’t collect coffees anymore.” There’s a deep chuckle over the line that fills Jeongguk’s stomach with butterflies. “You know what they say about old habits. Please forget about what I just asked you. I’ll call Taehyung.”

“It’s really no problem, hyung.”

“Jeongguk, I want you focussing on tomorrow’s meeting with Mr. Bang. I need all of those files in order and you’re the only one who I know can have them done by then. I don’t need you distracted by coffee runs, okay?”

Jeongguk tries not to bounce in his chair at the compliment. He wonders if the grin he’s wearing is evident in his voice as he answers, “Of course, sir,” before hanging up.

He watches as Taehyung’s phone rings and he answers it just as professionally as Jeongguk trained him to. Taehyung nods to himself as he listens to Namjoon’s order before he’s hopping up from the desk with a smile on his face.

“Well, I guess this is where my real work begins.” Jeongguk chuckles at Taehyung’s wink as he walks past his desk. “Wish me luck! Oh hey, do you want anything?"

Jeongguk startles, never having been offered a coffee before. He’s used to getting them, not being given them.

“Uh… sure. Yes, I would love a cappuccino.”

Taehyung clicks his fingers, shoots some fingers guns at him and then walks off with a whistle.

“He’s a bundle of sunshine, isn’t he?”

Jeongguk nearly screams when Hoseok materialises in front of him. He puts a hand to his chest as he looks up at the Customer Service Representative. 

“He is,” he breathes out his response. “He might even give you a run for your money, hyung.”

“I’d like to see him try.” Hoseok flashes him his self-titled “sunshine grin” before rearranging his features into something more natural. “But really, he seems good. He's as keen as you were when you started, only he’s not cripplingly shy or socially awkward.”

Jeongguk frowns at him but decides not to take the bait. “I think he’ll be good for us. As good as a secretary can be, anyway.”

“Well, I saw him staying back at lunch time yesterday to check that the expense reports were organised by date. So, who knows, he might even give you a run for your money, Jeonggukkie.”

Jeongguk’s brows furrow because he had already organised those expense reports earlier that morning and he was pretty sure he told Taehyung that, but, oh well. At least the guy is proving his enthusiasm.

Not too long after Hoseok stops wasting time chatting to Jeongguk, Taehyung returns with the coffees. Everyone flocks over to him to collect their drinks and Jeongguk watches as each and every employee takes an opportunity to talk to him, watches how widely Taehyung smiles at all of them and how everyone seems to hang on his every word. Jeongguk gets it, sort of. The guy is somewhat captivating with his big grin and his dark, soulful eyes, his soft, ash brown hair and his deep, musical voice. Still, Jeongguk can’t help the twinge of jealousy he gets when he watches as even Yoongi-hyung seems to fall for his spell. It took two months for Jeongguk to get Yoongi to even smile at him, but right now he’s laughing as Taehyung hands him his drink.

Jeongguk tells himself that he’s being silly. It’s a good thing that Taehyung is outgoing and that everyone likes him. Just because he’s not awkward like Jeongguk was when he started doesn't mean that Jeongguk has a reason to dislike him.

He doesn’t realise he’s been staring at him until he watches him get up with Namjoon’s coffee and start walking up to his door.

Taehyung yelps when Jeongguk’s hand wraps around his wrist. He almost looks as though he's dancing as he tilts and sways in an attempt to save the coffee from splashing, the plastic lid keeping its contents from overflowing onto the carpet.

“Geez, Jeongguk! You almost had me spilling all of that on you. What’s wrong, dude?”

Jeongguk frowns at his informal language but decides not to pull him up on it. It isn't his place and he's really not good at being assertive anyway. “I’m sorry. I just saw what you were doing and I panicked!”

“Panicked? What for? I’m just taking Namjoon-hyung his coffee.”

Namjoon-hyung?

Jeongguk grits his teeth.

“Mr. Kim doesn’t like being disturbed for non-work-related matters. He prefers his coffee to be left on your desk so that he can come to collect it when he’s ready.”

“But it will go cold, won’t it? It’s okay, Jeongguk.” Taehyung uses his free hand to peel Jeongguk’s fingers off of his wrist. “I’m sure he won’t mind.”

Jeongguk watches in disbelief as Taehyung waltzes up to the door and knocks on it, a flash of annoyance making him cross his arms and watch with a twinge of sadism. Namjoon will put Taehyung in his place and that will surely wipe that confident grin off of his-

“Yes, Mr. Kim?” Namjoon opens the door with a smile adorning his face. “Ah, my coffee! Thank you!”

“Anything for you, Namjoon-hyung.”

Jeongguk holds his breath, waits and waits and…

“You’re doing great, Taehyung. I knew Jeongguk would train you well.”

Taehyung turns his head to glance at him, smiling widely. Too widely. “Oh, he’s an excellent teacher, hyung.”

Jeongguk clenches his fists.

He’s mocking me.

“Jeongguk?” The younger’s head snaps up to see Namjoon peering around at him. “I left you those travel reports from last week. Did you look at them?"

Jeongguk looks over at his desk, sees the papers sitting there and flushes with embarrassment. How had he missed them? Never in the past year has he missed anything that Namjoon has left on his desk for him.

“Oh, I took those and did them earlier, hyung.” Taehyung’s cheery voice pipes up and Jeongguk looks over at him to see him rocking on his heels like a young child awaiting praise. “I had some spare time and I thought Jeongguk seemed a little tired. It didn’t take me long to organise them and put them into the system.”

Both Namjoon and Jeongguk gape at him. Taehyung glances between them and falters.

“Was that- did I do something wrong?”

Say yes. Say yes.

“Wrong? That’s amazing, Taehyung. You’ve been here for a week and you’re already giving Jeongguk some competition!” He sends Jeongguk a wink that would normally make his heart flutter, but he’s too busy trying to keep his face straight. “I’m proud of you both.”

Jeongguk is already turning to go and swamp himself in his work, in need of a distraction, when Namjoon calls his name. He waves him into his office and Jeongguk feels himself start to sweat.

Is Namjoon going to scold him for not picking up those reports? Is he going to tell him that Taehyung is far better than him already? Is he going to fire him and have Taehyung as his full-time replacement? Is Jeongguk perhaps being a little bit paranoid? 

“Jeongguk.” Namjoon closes the door when Jeongguk walks in. “Are you alright?”

“Sir?”

“You seem a little off. I just wanted to check that everything is going well with you.”

Jeongguk’s shoulders sag. Oh. 

“I’m fine, hyung. Really. I’m just a little stressed.”

“Is everything going well with Taehyung? Do you think he’s a good addition to the team?”

Jeongguk looks into Namjoon’s eyes and for a moment he gets lost in them. The older man looks so hopeful, optimistic that Jeongguk’s next words will be positive. The younger shifts from foot to foot as his stomach somersaults.

“He’s great, hyung. Really. He’s doing great.”

Namjoon looks so relieved that Jeongguk forgets all of his previous irritation.

“I’m so glad to hear it. You’re doing such a great job with him, Jeongguk. I know with your guidance he’ll be the best secretary I’ve ever had. Or, the second best I should say.”

Jeongguk leaves Namjoon’s office with pink cheeks and his bottom lip caught between his teeth in an attempt to stop himself from giggling.

Taehyung appears in front of him with a smirk. Jeongguk’s happiness disappears in an instant.

“What were you talking about?” Jeongguk is shocked at his rudeness and so he thinks he’s justified when he pushes past Taehyung without a word. The other doesn’t seem phased as he follows Jeongguk to his desk. “You two seem close.”

“We are.” He keeps his tone clipped – but still professional – as he rifles around on his desk, refusing to look at Taehyung. He can still see his knowing grin out of the corner of his eye. He looks like he’s about to say something further, so Jeongguk quickly shuts his computer down, picks his things up and leaves without giving him another glance.

It’s the first time Jeongguk has left for lunch early in the whole year he’s been there. The others look shocked when he strides into the staffroom.

“Wow, guys. A few days with another secretary and Jeongguk is already getting lazy.” Hoseok leans back in his chair and grins at Jeongguk.

“Whoa. A whole three minutes early?” Jimin giggles. “That’s scandalous, Gukkie. I hope they don’t give you a strike for this.”

Jeongguk rolls his eyes as he joins them, trying not to make his bad mood too evident. He’s always been nothing but business-like whenever he’s in the office and he’s not about to let his image go just because a new employee is annoying him.

Still, it bothers him for the rest of the day. There’s something about Kim Taehyung that doesn’t sit right with him and as the hours tick by his loud laughter and big smile starts to irritate Jeongguk more than it pleases him. The way he gets along with everyone so easily and the way he manages to finish all of his work so effortlessly, lazing around at his desk and not once getting told off for it when Namjoon strides by, it drives him up the wall.

By the time five o'clock ticks around Jeongguk can’t wait to leave, another first for him.

It plagues him even when he’s at the gym that night, even when he falls into his bed and attempts to sleep.

Why didn’t Namjoon scold Taehyung for bringing his coffee to the office? He used to tell Jeongguk off for that all the time when he started. Why didn’t he tell Taehyung not to interfere with Jeongguk’s work when he admitted to taking the travels reports from his desk? And why is he okay with Taehyung calling him hyung? It took half a year before Namjoon told Jeongguk he could call him hyung. Six whole months. Jeongguk had felt so special, being one of the few staff members who could refer to their C.E.O. as such. He was overjoyed to be so close to him, to be the only one Namjoon trusted… because that’s what he had said, right?

He’s being silly, he tells himself. Tomorrow he is going to go to his best efforts to be professional. He will get along with Kim Taehyung, even if the other tries to annoy him, which Jeongguk is pretty sure he’s been doing. He will kill the other with kindness and he will prove to Namjoon that he’s the only secretary he’ll ever need, the only man he’ll ever need.

--

He almost pulls it off at first. Taehyung looks pleasantly surprised at the smile Jeongguk sends him when he sits down across from him the next morning, fighting the twinge of annoyance that he gets when he sees that Taehyung is at the office before him (Jeongguk has always been the first at the office, always).

He doesn’t even let it get to him – much – when Taehyung knocks on Namjoon’s door with his coffee. He tries to keep his thank you as sincere as possible when Taehyung puts his own coffee down on his desk and says, “Cappuccino, right? I remembered.”

Jeongguk does scowl as he drinks it because it’s the exact temperature Jeongguk likes his coffee and Yoongi used to complain that Jeongguk always gave them to him when they were just slightly lukewarm when he first started. But when Taehyung glances over and asks if it’s good, he smiles and tells him it’s excellent because that’s what a professional does.

Jeongguk really does think he’s doing a good job until 11:30am rolls around and he’s just gathering his notes and laptop for the weekly meeting round when Namjoon approaches his desk.

“Jeongguk, I was thinking I’d bring Taehyung along for transcribing today.”

“Oh?” Jeongguk looks down at his things, frowns at them before looking back into Namjoon’s eyes. “But I always do the transcribing.”

“Yes, that was before we hired Taehyung, Guk.” Jeongguk wants to be mad, but how can he when Namjoon uses that nickname while looking at him like that. “It’s better that he learns all of this as soon as possible.”

“I’d be honoured, hyung.” Taehyung appears next to him and puts a hand on his forearm. Jeongguk’s eyes narrow in on the movement, watches as Taehyung rubs their C.E.O.’s arm lightly. “I really can’t wait to immerse myself properly in the company culture. There are still a lot of people I haven’t met yet and I think this is the perfect opportunity to do so.”

Jeongguk can’t help the snort that escapes him at the sickly sweet tone Taehyung dons. Both of the older men look over to him and he blushes. “Excuse me.” He coughs a few times to try and cover up. “Cold season.”

“Don’t get sick on me, Jeongguk. The rush is about to start and I need you in top condition with all the clientele that are undoubtedly going to start coming in."

“That’s what I’m here for,” Taehyung says brightly, fingers tightening on Namjoon’s arm. “If Jeongguk gets sick, I’ll be here to offer relief. Don’t worry, hyung!”

Jeongguk can only stare at Taehyung’s long fingers as they trace the hem of Namjoon’s cuff.

Why isn’t he pushing him off?

“Of course. Silly me. I’ve got the best secretaries in the world.” Namjoon finally steps back and Taehyung finally lets go of him, but he still stands far too close for Jeongguk’s comfort. “Well, we better get going, Taehyung. Got those typing fingers, ready?”

Taehyung looks up at Namjoon through his eyelashes, says in a rather sultry tone, “Oh, my fingers are always ready, sir.”

Jeongguk gapes at him, wonders if (hopes that) Namjoon will fire him on the spot, but the C.E.O. only laughs, tilting his head back.

“Perfect. Let’s go.”

Taehyung winks at Jeongguk as he follows behind Namjoon.

That’s the final straw.

--

Maybe Namjoon was right. Maybe Jeongguk hasn’t been getting enough sleep. He’s been acting a little high-strung lately, but what he just did was downright insane.

After all, only a crazy person (or a sleep-deprived college student – same difference) would wait for their co-worker to leave the building at the end of the day before practically assaulting them.

Yet here he is, staring at Taehyung who is looking right back at him with shocked eyes as he is pushed up against the brick wall of the carpark.

“Jeo-Jeongguk?”

“What are you doing with Namjoon?”

For a moment Taehyung looks terrified, but then he relaxes and cocks his head to the side.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie,” Jeongguk hisses. “You’ve been throwing yourself at him. It’s embarrassing. What are you planning? Are you trying to sleep with him? He’s our C.E.O., how could you be so unprofessional?” 

“Why? Are you jealous, Gukkie?” Taehyung grins at him.

“Don’t call me that,” Jeongguk growls.

“So what if I am trying to sleep with him? What’s it got to do with you? You’re only his secretary after all.”

Jeongguk feels a stab to his heart, but he barrels onward. “You’re only his secretary as well. You can’t sleep with your boss.” 

Taehyung smiles sardonically.

“It must be hard for you to be pining over him for all of these months then, huh?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jeongguk states, echoing Taehyung’s earlier words.

“Please, Jeongguk. Besides the fact that it’s painfully obvious that you’re in love with him, everyone has already told me. They warned me all about your little crush.” Jeongguk tries not to look hurt, but he can’t quite hide the pang of pain that travels through him. Do people really gossip about him? His friends? He must show his insecurity on his face because Taehyung’s gaze becomes sympathetic. “Look, Jeongguk, I don’t want to be your enemy. I just happen to really admire Namjoon-hyung and-”

“Stop calling him that.” Jeongguk presses him into the wall again, making him gasp as his head comes dangerously close to the bricks. “You don’t get to call him that. And don’t talk about him like you know him. You know nothing about him. I’ve known him for a year. You don’t even know the half of how great a person he is, the amazing things he’s done. You don’t even- ah!”

The world spins and the air is knocked from Jeongguk’s lungs. Taehyung had taken advantage of his impassioned speech to catch him off-guard, flipping them around so that now Jeongguk is the one held against the wall.

“You’re pretty cute, you know that Jeongguk?” Taehyung leans close and smirks as Jeongguk leans back further into the wall to try to keep some space between them, his eyes wide and worried where they were previously enraged. “Your crush is adorable, but this is an adult world and you’re still just a kid. I’ve already gotten leagues further with Namjoon in one week than you could in one year. We go to the same gym you know.” Taehyung smiles fondly as he seems to be recollecting something, eyes trailing off and he chuckles. “I have been having plenty of conversations with Namjoon-hyung and I know more than you might think. I’m really sorry that there’s already bad blood between us and I promise it wasn’t my intention to step on your toes, Jeongguk. But I like Namjoon and I’m determined to have him. I won’t let anything get in my way.”

“It- It won’t work. He’ll see right through you.” Jeongguk struggles against the wall, gasping for breath. “He wants someone who is sincere about their work, who is hardworking for the sake of being hardworking, not someone who only does it to suck up to him. I don’t need things to go quickly with him. He was on his way to falling for me before you came along!”

Later on, Jeongguk will bash his head against his bathroom wall and ask himself why he said everything that he did, but right now he’s angry and not thinking rationally. Taehyung seems far more in control than he is, smiling lazily, eyes dancing as he takes in what Jeongguk says.

“I’ve got an idea.” He smirks, finally letting go of Jeongguk and stepping back. Jeongguk leans against the wall as his adrenaline rush leaves him dizzy. “How about a little bet?”

“A… bet?”

“Yes. You’re so convinced that our boss likes you. Why not bet on it and make the office a little bit more fun? 200,000 won. I bet I can get him to fall for me before you can.”

Jeongguk gapes at him.

This isn’t professional. There is nothing professional about this, but Jeongguk is competitive and crushing hard and neither of those things lend themselves to thinking straight, so he narrows his eyes and nods.

“You’re on.” Jeongguk grabs his hand and shakes it quickly. “I’ve got this in the bag.”

“I can’t wait to see how this plays out.” Taehyung’s smile is rather genuine and his eyes twinkle like he’s more amused than he is determined. He seems to be taking this far less seriously than Jeongguk, which only makes him despise him more. He hates laidback people like him, people who get handed everything and work hard for nothing. “Well, I guess I’ll see you next week, Gukkie.”

“Don’t call me that!” He growls out but Taehyung only laughs and spins on his heel before disappearing into the carpark.

--

When Monday morning rolls around, Jeongguk is secretly hoping that Taehyung has forgotten about their bet. Jeongguk wishes he could blame the conversation on being drunk or something similar, unable to believe that he would ever do something so stupid when he’s sober.

But when he approaches his desk in the morning and sees Taehyung taking his coat off as he sits at his own, the smirk the other sends him tells Jeongguk that the encounter is still as fresh in his mind as it is Jeongguk’s.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Taehyung asks, voice almost gentle. It infuriates Jeongguk who puts his things down on his desk none too gently, Taehyung watching him with that condescending smirk the entire time.

Jeongguk should use this as his golden opportunity, laugh and say he was only messing around and of course he doesn’t have a crush on Namjoon and of course he would never compete in a bet at work because he’s a professional, but Taehyung’s eyes are bright and shining, and-

“Of course I am. Why? Are you hoping I’d quit? Worried that you’ll lose?”

“I’m more worried about you. I don’t want you to embarrass yourself.”

Jeongguk scowls as he sits down and turns his computer on. “Well, you don’t need to worry. I’m an adult. I’ll be fine."

“Right.” Taehyung laughs to himself. Jeongguk clenches his mouse so hard that his knuckles turn white. He tries his best to ignore Taehyung and the way his light hair seems to reflect the fluorescent lighting as he checks his many emails.

About fifteen minutes later, Jeongguk is so encapsulated by his work that he almost misses when Taehyung murmurs, “Show time,” before hopping up from his desk.

“Hyung! Good morning!” Taehyung sends his biggest grin to Namjoon as he walks into the foyer that their desks occupy. Jeongguk watches in disbelief as Taehyung waltzes right up to him and wraps him up in a big bear hug.

Namjoon, thankfully, looks just as shocked as Jeongguk feels.

“What was that for?” He asks as he pulls away. Jeongguk is grateful for the fact that the older man has got his hands full. He’s not sure he could bear to watch Namjoon wrapping his arms around him.

“Sorry! I just missed you over the weekend, that’s all.”

“Seriously?” Namjoon raises an eyebrow, but he smiles. “You’re so affectionate, Taehyung. You’re like the polar opposite of Jeongguk. I don’t think he’s ever hugged me before, not of his own volition.”

Jeongguk squeezes his eyes shut for a moment. He’s right. Jeongguk has always maintained an almost clinical demeanour, always tried to be a good worker before anything else. Being younger than everyone else he had been eager to prove that he was serious about this position, about advancing within the company. Crush or not, he had always tried to show Namjoon the civility that he deserved as his boss, even in recent times when he had gotten closer to Jeongguk and insisted that he call him hyung. He’s regretting all of that now, because Namjoon clearly doesn’t think of him as anything more than a loyal employee and it cuts him to the heart.

“Well, I better head inside and start my work. We’ve got a busy week ahead of us, lads.”

Jeongguk takes one look at Taehyung, at the smug smile on his stupidly attractive face, before he jumps up from his desk.

“Hyung!” His voice is a little too desperate and he clears his throat when Namjoon turns to face him with a raised brow.

“What is it, Guk?”

Jeongguk’s stomach flips as Namjoon’s eyes wait upon him expectantly.

“I… uh… you look… good… today.” It takes him what feels like a lifetime to get the words out as he stares down at his own shoes. He doesn’t want to see Namjoon’s reaction.

“Uh, thanks, I guess.” Namjoon looks down at his suit and chuckles. “I’ve been wearing the same suit for a month straight, I’m pretty sure.” He looks over at Taehyung just as he pulls a face. “Not that I don’t wash it. I’ve got several of the same outfit. It’s more efficient.”

“Oh hyung.” Taehyung shakes his head. Jeongguk finally lifts his gaze to watch as Taehyung leans over and brushes his hand over the lapel, letting his fingers linger for a moment. “If that’s the case then why do you have a food stain right here?”

Namjoon looks down at his jacket with horror and Taehyung uses the opportunity to flick his nose. Namjoon stumbles back, knocking into a potted plant and nearly toppling it over. Taehyung bursts into laughter.

“Your- your face!”

“That’s enough.” Namjoon’s cheeks are coloured pink and he smooths his hair down, but his lips are twisted up in an embarrassed smile. “Geez, things sure have gotten crazy since we hired you.”

Jeongguk watches the whole exchange in utter disbelief, watches as Taehyung looks up at the taller man and says, “That’s not a bad thing, I hope.”

Namjoon grins. “Definitely not a bad thing. Right Guk?”

Jeongguk blanches, nearly bites his own tongue as he responds with a strained, “Right.”

He refuses to look at Taehyung for the rest of the day, but he can see the twinkle in his eyes shining at him from across the room.

--

Jeongguk regrets making the bet with Taehyung more and more as each day passes. The other man is shameless, taking any opportunity to touch Namjoon when he greets them in the morning, making sure to slyly let him know how much extra work he got done when he leaves them in the evening.

Jeongguk, in comparison, has done absolutely nothing. Every time Taehyung gives him that proud smirk after he’s succeeded in making their C.E.O. blush or getting to touch him in some way, Jeongguk is driven by jealousy to try to one-up him. But he’s got close to zero experience with dating, only ever having had one boyfriend before, and that person had asked him out, not the other way around. He has no clue how to woo Namjoon, no clue how to make him desire him the way Taehyung so easily does.

He tries finding excuses to touch him, like his more successful co-worker always manages to do, but his attempts come across as unnatural and uncomfortable. Namjoon laughs when he reaches up and almost pokes his eye out, telling him that his glasses were crooked, asking him why he didn’t just say something. Jeongguk’s face is the shade of a plum when he brings Namjoon a bagel from the break-room, wanting to tell him that he saved it for him. But Namjoon plucks it out of his hand and ruffles his hair, asking him if Seokjin sent it for him. Jeongguk is so embarrassed that he says yes. All the while Taehyung is at his desk with his hand over his mouth, stifling giggles that make Jeongguk’s blood boil.

He is ready to give up by the fourth day. He just isn’t good at this. Namjoon will never see him as more than a little brother. He wants to tell Taehyung that he’s quitting the stupid bet, but then Taehyung walks up to him with that smug grin and asks if he’s, “Ready to see me win your man’s heart?”

Jeongguk is too headstrong for his own good, because he just emits a dry chuckle and says, “I’d like to see you try.”

When Taehyung knocks on Namjoon’s door with his coffee, Jeongguk watches helplessly as Taehyung “trips” and spills some of the liquid on his lilac shirt. Namjoon curses, stumbling back. Jeongguk's mouth hangs open as Taehyung gasps and quickly lunges for the man’s clothing.

“Oh sir, I’m so sorry! I’m so clumsy! Quick, get it off of your skin before it burns you!” He reaches for the C.E.O.’s shirt and quickly untucks it from under his belt.

“Taehyung, please. I’m fine, stop.” But Taehyung has already pulled the shirt loose and has pulled some tissues from his pocket. Far too convenient, Jeongguk thinks, but Namjoon doesn’t look suspicious.

The youngest employee watches with a fire in his belly and a lump in his throat as Taehyung pats the tissue over his crush’s shirt and down, down toward his belt until the motion is one inch away from being scandalous.

Surely this is it, Jeongguk thinks to himself. Surely this is where Namjoon realises what kind of person Taehyung is and fires him on the spot. Surely this is the moment where he gathers Jeongguk into his arms and tell him that no one could hope to be half the secretary that he is, half the friend, half the lover…

It’s a foolish fantasy and nothing more than that, he realises, as he watches Namjoon grab Taehyung’s wrists and pull his hands away from his body with rosy cheeks.

“Oh sir, I’m sorry. What was I thinking? First I spilt coffee on you and now I’m touching you so inappropriately. At work! Oh my gosh, you must think-”

“Taehyung, it’s fine.” Namjoon holds onto his hands for a moment and Taehyung bites his lip, looking away like he’s bashful, but he takes the opportunity to wink at Jeongguk and the younger gasps. That bastard. Namjoon lets go of Taehyung, drawing his gaze back to meet his. “I’m clumsy too, I know what it’s like. I know you got carried away. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“Hyung.” Taehyung sounds so enamoured that it make Jeongguk sick and he understands why Yoongi is always talking about throwing up around him now. “You’re surely the best boss on the earth.”

Namjoon chuckles, telling him to go relax and head back to his desk. “This is why I keep spare shirts in my office. Usually it’s me spilling my coffee, but you never know.”

Taehyung giggles like it’s the funniest thing in the world and then the door closes. The older man’s face turns malevolent and he wanders over to Jeongguk with a wide grin.

“That’s how it’s done, little Guk.”

Jeongguk stares resolutely down at his desk.

“Hey…” Taehyung’s tone has softened, “are you alright?”

Something inside of him shifts, turns ugly.

“Don’t- don’t you fucking ask me that.” Jeongguk’s voice is low and grating. “Don’t pretend to care.”

Taehyung watches him with wide eyes before he sighs and steps closer. “Jeongguk, I-”

“Just wait, Kim. I’m going to win this bet and I’m going to leave you begging for mercy in the process. Just wait.” With that Jeongguk pushes up from his desk, ignoring the way Taehyung raises his eyebrows, before storming off to the break-room. He needs a coffee. He needs to get away from the office and Namjoon and Taehyung. Being away from his desk is a welcome respite and Jeongguk feels somewhat liberated as he wanders around the building. Eventually he finds himself downstairs in the kitchen talking to Seokjin. The other looks surprised to see him there but doesn’t comment on the fact that he’s technically slacking off.

“Hey kid, I accidentally made too many muffins yesterday. Want one?”

“That sounds lovely, thanks hyung.”

He sighs as Seokjin hands him the sweet. The other watches him eat it, head resting on his hand as he leans over the small kitchen island.

“No one has ever looked so depressed while eating my cooking before. What’s your problem? I know it isn’t my food. It couldn’t possibly be.”

“No hyung, it’s not that.” Jeongguk speaks through a mouthful of blueberry goodness. “It’s just…” he swallows and looks away, “what do you think of Taehyung-ssi?”

“Namjoon’s secretary?”

“I’m Namjoon’s secretary.” Jeongguk sharply corrects him. Seokjin quickly raises his hands.

“Whoa, okay! Sorry. I meant Namjoon’s other secretary. The new guy, right? I haven’t gotten a chance to have a proper conversation with him yet, but he seems lovely. He raved on about my scones. It made me pretty happy.”

“Don’t you think he’s a little fake?”

Seokjin is pulling ingredients out and plopping them on the bench as Jeongguk munches on his muffin. “Fake how?”

“Like, he seems lovely, yes. But is he really?”

“I don’t know. Like I said I haven’t had a proper conversation with him.” Seokjin pauses to mumble some numbers to himself as he pulls some onions out along with a set of scales. “Why? Do you think that about him?”

"I- I don’t know. I just… he gives me a weird vibe, hyung.” Jeongguk watches as Seokjin chops the onions with a practiced finesse, weighing the cuttings until he’s satisfied with the number on the display. “He doesn’t seem genuine. He seems like one of those people that is really nice and polite on the surface, but then you get to know them and they’re actually a gossiping, backstabbing bitch.”

“Yikes. Don’t you think you’re judging him a bit harshly?” Seokjin starts cracking some eggs into a bowl. “Do you actually have any evidence for what you’re saying, or is it just a feeling?”

“Well, I think..." He realises that he can't tell Seokjin about the bet, so he just settles for the second most annoying thing that Taehyung does. "He makes it look like he’s a really hard worker, right? He’s going over and above to get everything done, doing more than what’s expected of him and all that. He even did some of my work without even being asked to. Like who does that? He has an ulterior motive, I’m sure of it.”

“Sounds like you with Namjoon.”

Jeongguk is glad that he finished his muffin already, or else he may have choked on it. As it is he coughs and splutters up a few crumbs, making Seokjin hiss and quickly spray disinfectant all around him.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on, Guk. Don’t act dumb.” Seokjin waves the bottle in the air before gesturing to him with it. “Don’t you do the exact same thing? You put in all this extra effort just to impress him. It’s pretty cute, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a bit hypocritical to call Taehyung out on it, don't you think?” Jeongguk looks away, bites his lip. Seokjin sighs. “I can’t blame you. Namjoon is one hot piece of ass after all. You’re lucky you get to be so close to him. I’m stuck down here in the kitchen away from all of the fun all of the time.”

“Hyung!” But Jeongguk giggles and puts his head in his hands. Seokjin smiles with endearment as he watches him.

“Just give Taehyung a chance, Gukkie. He might be better than you think he is.”

Jeongguk sighs. “I don’t know, hyung.”

But the conversation is over, Seokjin handing him a spoon and asking him, “Is this too salty?”

When Jeongguk wanders back to his desk, he’s surprised to find that over an hour has passed. He hadn’t meant to be away so long, but it was strangely freeing and he feels more relaxed than he had in a while. Maybe it was the blueberry muffin, or maybe it was Seokjin’s advice, or maybe it was something more. Either way, he hums happily to himself as he approaches his desk.

Taehyung jumps up the moment he sees him.

“Where have you been?” He hisses, grabbing Jeongguk’s arm. Jeongguk yanks it away and glares at him.

“I was busy being away from you. It was quite nice, but you just had to ruin it didn’t you?”

Taehyung blinks a few times, then frowns and starts to speak. “Jeongguk…”

“Jeongguk!” Namjoon’s voice crackles in Jeongguk’s ear. He turns to see the man striding over to his desk. “Where the hell have you been?”

Jeongguk’s eyes widen. It’s pretty rare for Namjoon to use any sort of language when he’s on the job.

“I-”

“I just had to reschedule three appointments. Three. They moved the meeting with the C.E.O. of E.M. Entertainment up half an hour. You know they’re our rivals, you know how important it is that we meet with them to maintain a good standing with them. I had to cancel on a client who was potentially going to sign on for a new record deal. It was an absolute nightmare and you weren’t even here to deal with any of it. I had to dump it all on Taehyung who hasn’t even had proper experience with our scheduling program. Thank goodness he has worked in this field before. He saved the day. And he did it all while answering his phone calls and yours.”

“I- I’m sorry, hyung, I was just…” Jeongguk watches with wide eyes as Namjoon pinches the bridge of his nose.

“I hired Taehyung so that you could focus on your other work. Not so you could slack off. You really let me down, Jeongguk.” Namjoon glares at him, sees his big wide eyes and he must look terrified because Namjoon rubs his forehead and turns to Taehyung. “Tae. You did great. I want you to come with me to transcribe all of today’s meetings. Jeongguk can take over the coffee run. Jeongguk, I want to see you in my office before the end of the day, okay?”

Tae?

Namjoon's frown deepens, his tone becoming exasperated as he repeats, “Okay?”

“Yes, sir.” Jeongguk nods quickly and turns to his computer, opens the scheduling program and waits for the words on his screen to unblur as he fights the stinging in his eyes. Namjoon walks off, shuts his door rather loudly and Jeongguk collapses onto his desk, head in his hands.

“Jeongguk, are you okay?” Taehyung is standing over him with a pitying look.

“Don’t ask me that.” Jeongguk fixes a withering glare on the older man. “This is your fault.”

For the first time since he’s met him, Taehyung looks annoyed as he frowns and crosses his arms. “How is it my fault that you weren’t doing your own job?”

“I only left my desk because I can’t stand being around you.”

Taehyung scoffs as he strides back over to his own computer, sitting down in his chair. “Well, aren’t you a hypocrite,” he says, “going on about how unprofessional I am when you can’t even ignore your emotions enough to do your job. You think I like working with a kid? But you don’t hear me complaining and wandering off, do you?”

“You're not that much older than me.” Jeongguk mumbles. "So stop calling me a kid."

“You sure act like one. Why would Namjoon ever look twice at you when you behave like such a brat?” With that Taehyung turns to his computer and starts typing, acting as though Jeongguk isn’t even there. Jeongguk turns back to his own screen, willing this horrible day to end quickly.

--

Namjoon ended up wanting to see Jeongguk so that he could ask what was going on, telling him he’d never seen him act the way he had in the whole year that he’d known him. Jeongguk had claimed it was just university stress and apologised profusely, promising that it would never happen again. Namjoon dismisses him with a  plain goodbye and zero hair-ruffling. 

Jeongguk stays late that night, later than he ever has before. He feels incredibly guilty for the way he acted. As much as he hates Taehyung, he can’t say that he was wrong. He’s been acting like such a child lately, so taken by jealousy and this stupid bet that he isn’t doing his job properly. He is ashamed of himself and so he stays late and tackles as much of the work he's been skimping out on as he can. Taehyung’s computer is still logged in, so he even proofreads the transcripts that the older man hadn’t gotten around to doing yet and sends them off to Namjoon under Taehyung’s email address. He doesn’t mind if he doesn’t know that Jeongguk did it. As much as he wants to impress him, he knows now that he’ll never win his heart by sucking up, so why bother? He’s always been a hard worker and it’s time that he proved that his reasons for doing so are genuine, no matter what the other staff might think.

He ends up falling asleep at his desk. He guesses he really is exhausted, physically, mentally, emotionally and every other way that doesn’t have a name. He’s just on the verge of snoring when something shakes his shoulder gently.

“Jeongguk? Jeongguk, wake up.” Jeongguk groans in his throat, lifting his head off the desk. The imprint of the edge of his mousepad is now tattooed to his cheek and he wipes some drool from the corner of his mouth. He sees there’s some on his desk and goes to wipe that too before realising that he’s not alone.

He yelps as he looks up to see Taehyung hovering over him with an oddly tender look on his face. He jumps back in his chair, nearly falling off of it, as he clutches at his chest.

“What the hell? Are you trying to kill me?” He glances around the darkened office and then suspiciously at Taehyung. “What are you even doing here? It’s,” he looks at his computer screen, at the time that bounces around from corner to corner on the screensaver display, “11:35pm.”

“What are you still doing here? Asleep at your desk?" Taehyung casts an eye over his rumpled suit. "Were you planning to spend all night here?” 

“No. Fell asleep. Obviously. I was working late and I guess I was tired.”

“Oh. Well, I was doing the same thing.” Jeongguk stretches and yawns, tugging at his tie.

“Why weren’t you at your desk then?” He smacks his lips, eyes still bleary with sleep but not missing how uncomfortable Taehyung looks.

“I was in the break-room. The couches are far more comfortable in there.” Taehyung walk over to his computer, presses some buttons and then the screen that was illuminating him goes dark. He looks over to see Jeongguk watching him, so he glances away and scratches at his jaw as he stutters nervously.

“I- uh… anyway, I guess I’m going to go.” Jeongguk thinks he’s rather cute like this, when he’s not overly cheerful or flirting with the love of his life.

“Taehyung-ssi.” Jeongguk stands up from his desk, his bones popping and creaking after being in such an awkward position. “I’m sorry.”

Taehyung nearly falls over as he whirls around. “You what?”

“I’m sorry.” Jeongguk looks down at Taehyung’s feet instead of meeting his eyes. “I- you’re right. I’ve been acting like a child. I can’t believe how unprofessional I’ve been. It’s not your fault that I keep making mistakes. It’s not your fault if my… crush doesn’t like me back. I’ve been jealous, I guess. But I promise, I’m going to be completely professional from now on. I won’t let anything like what happened today ever happen again. That must have been really stressful for you to have all of that work dumped on you.”

Jeongguk finishes his apology by bowing. When he rises up it’s to see Taehyung’s flabbergasted expression. Jeongguk is surprised to see his cheeks turn red as he opens and closes his mouth a few times.

“Uh… anyway… that was all I wanted to say. So, I… I’ll go too.” But Jeongguk doesn’t move, overcome with embarrassment.

Taehyung seems to gain confidence from this, because he clears his throat and then strides over to Jeongguk, putting his hands on his shoulders and making him look up at him in surprise.

“I’m sorry too, Jeongguk. I have also been acting rather unprofessionally. But that doesn’t mean I want you to act like a complete stranger. I’ve been having fun messing with you. A little unprofessionalism is okay from time to time, you know. I’m sorry for getting angry at you earlier and for calling you a kid. I guess I was a little stressed.” Taehyung takes a deep breath and then smiles. His deep voice is gentle as he stares directly into Jeongguk’s eyes. “Do you want to call off our bet? The whole thing was a little stupid.”

Jeongguk frowns and pushes his hands off of him. “What? No way. I’m not letting you win like that. I’m determined to get Namjoon to love me and you’re just the competition I need to get motivated. I will win this, you can count on that.”

Taehyung blinks, mouth agape, but then he grins once more and claps a hand on Jeongguk’s shoulder. “Alright then. But I’m not going to go easy on you, I hope you know that.”

“I would be angry if you did.”

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then, hey?”

“You will.” Jeongguk smiles, finding it easy to do so now that a weight has been lifted off of his shoulders. He hates fighting and he hates not getting along with people. He had let his jealousy turn him into an ugly person, but now he is confident that he can continue this bet in a far more friendly manner. He’s confident that he will win.

--

He hadn’t realised people were aware of the tension between himself and Taehyung until he came to work after they'd made amends. Several people come up to him during the day and make comments about how the two of them are suddenly acting like friends, or at the very least, acquaintances. Even Namjoon smiles when he walks by their desks at morning tea, seeing them discussing a case file together. He brushes his hand on Jeongguk’s shoulder and says, “I’m glad you two are getting along.”

Jeongguk’s breath hitches and he has to cough to hide it.

“Your boner is showing,” Taehyung whispers in his ear and Jeongguk shoves him lightly before smiling to himself.

It’s better like this, he realises. Better that he doesn’t feel hurt when Taehyung runs after Namjoon with his coffee, only feels a competitive edge that urges him to one-up the older man. When Namjoon returns from an appointment, Jeongguk jumps up and puts an arm around his shoulders as he gets him to look over the report he laid out on his desk for him. His arm shakes as he does it, but Namjoon doesn’t seem to notice as he offers no reaction. It’s like the little affection never happened. Still, Jeongguk sends Taehyung a proud smirk, chest puffing up and the other silently claps, mouthing, “Well played,” with a cryptic smile on his face.

He can’t say he likes Taehyung just yet, still hating how easily the other has slotted into his position and how easily he has gotten to a place that took Jeongguk months to get to, but he tries his best to push this bitterness aside. Taehyung is older than him, Jimin reminds him when he confesses his feelings once during a lunch break.

“Not to mention that you were still only 20 when you started. No offense, Guk, but you were extremely shy and most of us were certain you wouldn’t last a month. If Namjoon wasn’t such a saint, you undoubtedly would’ve been fired. You were a stuttering mess and you made so many mistakes. But” and thank goodness for the but because Jeongguk’s frown had been deepening with each of Jimin’s addendums, “you’re a hard worker and it showed. Even though you were lacking the social skills, you made up for it with your attention to detail and persistence. Don’t take it personally that Taehyung is doing so well. He’s clearly a social butterfly so he’s got that up his sleeve, but he also had you training him, Guk. Knowing you, you probably taught him everything he needs to know and more. It’s no wonder that he’s caught on so fast.”

Jeongguk leaves the break-room beaming.

Later that night, when he’s getting ready to leave, he notices that Taehyung is still typing away at his desk. He looks at the clock and then heads over to the older man.

“Taehyung-ssi, when are you planning to leave?"

Taehyung looks up at him, skin and hair bathed in the blue glow of his computer screen.

“You can call me hyung, you know.”

Jeongguk, for some reason, feels oddly embarrassed by this, looking down at his feet and kicking at the ground.

“Hyung, then.”

Taehyung smiles, head leaning into his hand as he watches the younger.

“I’m just going to finish updating these accounts. I won’t be long, don’t worry about me.”

“Taehyung… Taehyung-hyung. I used to think I needed to stay every night to prove how hard-working I was. But I eventually realised that if I really wanted to prove that, I’d get twice the amount of work done in the normal work hours, not during overtime. It’s more of a bother for you to stay behind anyway. Payroll will lose it if you start doing it too. They almost had my head when I was making a habit of it.”

Taehyung watches him speak, eyes flitting from his mouth to the darkened corridor.

“I’ll be fine, honestly Guk. I’ve got two more accounts before I’m done.”

Jeongguk leans around to appraise his screen.

“Hyung, these don’t need to be finished until weeks from now. Come on, don’t do this to yourself. Come walk me out of the building?” He hadn’t meant to sound so needy at the end there, but he hates to see Taehyung going down the same road as him. As much as he doesn’t like to admit it, Namjoon had been right to split his workload. Jeongguk hadn’t realised how tired he was until his C.E.O. had pointed it out to him.

Taehyung raises his eyebrows. “What, are you scared, Guk?” He smirks, leaning forward.

“Hey, it can be pretty creepy here at night. I might need someone big and strong to guide me down the dark halls.” Taehyung laughs. It doesn’t look like he is going to give in so Jeongguk decides to relent. “Well, just don’t stay too late, hyung. The rush has only just started. We’re going to have ten times the amount of clients needing our help as promotion season starts.”

“Right. Don’t worry about me, Guk.” Taehyung is still looking around the room, an almost guilty expression on his face.

Jeongguk only smiles before turning and leaving the room with a wave of the hand and a goodbye thrown over his shoulder. As he walks down the halls, only the dim wall lamps illuminating his path, he realises that he’d let Taehyung call him Guk. He didn’t mind so much. Maybe the guy isn’t as annoying as he once thought.

He’s just heading for the elevator when he hears footsteps running up to him. For a split second he’s about ready to jump into fight mode. He is terrified as he turns, thinking that he’s going to see a zombie creature like on the games he plays when he’s got spare time at home (read: when he’s avoiding doing his university assignments).

Taehyung stops in front of him, panting a little. Jeongguk lowers his fists, frowning.

“You scared me, hyung.”

“Sorry.” Taehyung huffs a breath before flashing a grin. “You’re right, I can finish those reports another time. I don’t want anything bad happening to you. I’d feel really guilty."

Jeongguk rolls his eyes. “You know I’m not actually scared, right?” He presses the 'Down' button and listens to the elevator shaft starting to rumble with the sound of metal pulleys hard at work.

“Sure you aren’t, Guk.” Taehyung wraps an arm around his shoulders, making him squeak when he pulls him in against his chest. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

“Get off me.” Jeongguk squirms out of his hold just as the lift doors open. He hops in, putting space between them. “Weirdo.”

Taehyung follows him in with a smile. “That I am.”

It’s silent for about half of the ride down. Taehyung clicks his tongue a few times and then says, “Jeongguk, are we friends?”

Jeongguk whips his head over to him, surprised.

“Um… I don’t think so…”

Taehyung pouts.

“Oh.”

“I can’t be friends with you. We’re rivals. We’re at war.”

“You make it sound so dramatic.” The older man laughs, eyes crescent-shaped. “So, we both like the same guy. That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

“Yes, it does. I can’t be friends with my competition.”

“Fine.” The lift doors open and Taehyung easily matches Jeongguk’s large strides to keep up with him as they head for the carpark exit. “But once this bet is done and one of us has won… then can we be friends?”

Jeongguk falters. He glances over to Taehyung’s big, sincere puppy-dog eyes and his heart melts a little. 

“Fine. I guess we can try.”

“Yay!” Taehyung sounds genuinely excited as he grins. “I guess I’ll have to start really wooing Namjoon so that we can be friends sooner.”

It’s Jeongguk’s turn to pout. Taehyung giggles at him, poking his cheek and making him flail his arms. 

“You’re so cute. If you learnt how to use that to your advantage I’d bet you could have Namjoon in love with you in no time.”

“No more bets, please.” Jeongguk blushes, thankful once more for the dark so that Taehyung won’t notice.

Perhaps Seokjin was right. Perhaps the man beside him isn’t nearly as bad as he thought, after all.

--

Despite Jeongguk’s denial of Taehyung’s friendship, he finds himself drawing closer to him with each passing day. Now that he’s not actively trying to hate him, it’s hard to refute how captivating Taehyung is, how interesting he is to watch, to listen to. Anyone would be drawn to him like a moth to a flame once given the opportunity.

Their rivalry continues, but it’s in good humour now. Taehyung even gives Jeongguk some tips that he employs, or at least tries to.

With Taehyung's encouragement, he learns things like how to compliment Namjoon more naturally,

("Ah, hyung, your... shoes are really shiny today."

Taehyung had made fun of him for the rest of the day.

"Oh, Guk, your shoes are so shiny, it's taking my breath away.")

how to find excuses to touch him more often,

("Jeongguk, why are you touching my neck?"

Namjoon twists to see Jeongguk quickly pulling his hand back.

"Um... you had a grey hair."

"On my neck?"

Taehyung, perched around the corner and listening in, smacks his palm into his forehead.)

or even how to do the thing that Taehyung does where he bats his eyelashes and looks incredibly sexy.

("He asked me if I had something in my eye and then gave me some eyedrops to borrow." Jeongguk sighs while they wait for the elevator together.

"How can you mess up batting your eyes? Show me what you were doing."

Taehyung laughs for the entire elevator ride down.)

Despite his constant ineptitude, Taehyung only ever teases him lightly, always finishing up by telling him he's cute and that he doesn't need flirting when he looks like he does. Jeongguk always shoves hims away and bites the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling too wide.

One morning Taehyung hands Jeongguk the coffee Namjoon had asked for, saying, “Okay big boy. You keep bragging about how good you've gotten at flirting. Show me then.”

Jeongguk grabs the coffee with a confident smirk that fades as he walks up to Namjoon’s door. Every fibre of his being is telling him that it’s wrong to be knocking on his door just to give him a drink, but he sees Taehyung do it every day and so he raises his fist and bangs on the door twice, like he always does.

Namjoon opens the door with a look of confusion that only deepens upon seeing Jeongguk with his coffee. Jeongguk is far too nervous to make eye contact, head bowed.

“I- uh, your coffee, hyung.” He thrusts the drink forward far too fast and some of the liquid dribbles out of the spout and onto Namjoon’s shoes. Jeongguk gasps and starts apologising profusely. He quickly puts the coffee down on a nearby coffee table, grabbing some tissues from a nearby box. He kneels at Namjoon’s feet and starts wiping his shoes off. When he finishes, he bows and apologises once more, before realising that he is kneeling at his boss’ feet, looking up at him in what could only be called a provocative position.

Namjoon looks so taken aback that Jeongguk jumps up and bows once more before quickly retreating, closing the door quietly behind him. He runs to his desk, collapsing into his chair with his ruby-red face in his hands.

“Oh my god.” Taehyung’s hands slam down on the arms of his chair, steadying its spinning and making Jeongguk face him. “That was amazing. It was even better than when I did it!"

“That was mortifying. I’m never going to be able to look him in the eyes again."

“Jeongguk, that was perfect. You played the innocent act to a T.”

“What are you talking about?" Jeongguk groans as he replays the scene in his head. "That wasn’t an act. I was just a clumsy, nervous idiot.”

“Maybe, but all he saw was you acting adorably and then kneeling at his crotch. If it was me I would’ve popped a boner right then and there! Shit, I have one just from watching, feel.”

Jeongguk shrieks as Taehyung grabs his hand, giggling and kicks at his shins to stop him. “Get off of me, pervert.” Taehyung laughs a high-pitched squeaking laugh as he flits away. “Namjoon is a gentleman, of course he isn’t like that.”

“I bet he’s in there jerking off to the thought of your doe eyes looking up at him while you-” He’s cut off by the pen that comes flying at his head.

Later in the day, long after the coffee incident when Namjoon has, thankfully, looked Jeongguk in the eyes without any awkwardness, Taehyung walks up to Jeongguk’s desk, tapping on it to get his attention.

“Watch the professional at work.”

Jeongguk leans back in his chair and gestures for Taehyung to continue onward. The other does so with a smirk on his face and a mug in one hand. He knocks on Namjoon’s door. It takes a moment for him to answer and when he does he looks tired.

“Yes, Taehyung?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Namjoon-hyung. I just thought you might like this tea. It’ll help you relax. I know you’ve been stressed recently, what with all the clients we’ve been dealing with.”

Namjoon glances at the cup in his hands then back to Taehyung. He sighs and takes the drink. “Thank you, Taehyung. I have been a little stressed. It’s normal for this time of year, trust me. I’m sure Jeongguk has explained the rush to you.”

Jeongguk leans forward in his chair as Namjoon retreats back into his office, Taehyung following in after him, deliberately leaving the door open. He can only just see a portion of Namjoon’s back as he collapses onto a couch. Taehyung walks up behind him, in full view of Jeongguk.

“May I?” He rests his hands on the elder’s shoulders.

“Please.”

Jeongguk watches with wide eyes as Taehyung starts kneading Namjoon’s muscles, seeing the way Namjoon’s profile relaxes.

“Oh, that’s lovely, Taehyung.”

“I’ve been told that I have magic fingers.” Taehyung looks right at Jeongguk, sends him a wink. The younger scowls and crosses his arms, unable to help the twinge of jealousy in his chest.

“Indeed, you do.”

“I can feel how stressed you are, sir.” Taehyung runs his hands up Namjoon’s neck, threads his fingers in the hairs at the nape as he presses into his skull. Namjoon groans. Jeongguk pouts. He wishes it were him, wishes he had the confidence that Taehyung did. “I’ve got really long fingers you see.” He wiggles one hand in front of Namjoon’s face before returning it to his neck. “Some people made fun of me for it when I was young, but I personally don’t see the downside. They’ve got many practical uses.”

“I’m uh… sure they do.”

Is he flustered? Or is Jeongguk just being paranoid?

“They really come in handy, if you know what I mean.”

Jeongguk gasps at the same time as Namjoon, but the older man laughs immediately.

“Taehyung,” he says in a mock-scolding tone.

“What? We’re both adults. Can’t we speak about such things?”

“Get back to work, Taehyung.” Namjoon sits forward on the couch. He reaches up and rubs his neck, craning his head from side to side. “Wow, you really do have magic fingers.”

“If there’s any other way I can help you to relax, sir, just let me know.”

Namjoon chuckles again, his voice ever-so-slightly more serious when he says, “Out, Taehyung.” Taehyung giggles as he leaves the room.

As soon as the door closes he strides over to Jeongguk with a proud grin.

“See? You can’t beat a professional seductress.”

Jeongguk tries to give him a smile, but it feels awkward on his face. “I wish I could do that.”

“Do what? Give a good massage?” He tries to lighten the mood, but Jeongguk continues swinging back and forth in his chair with a sullen expression.

“Be confident like that. Flirt. Seduce people. I have no idea how to be like that. You’re so natural when you talk to people. You have everyone wrapped around your finger without even trying. I’m so awkward. If I tried to be like that, I’d only push people away, make them uncomfortable.”

“Hey…” Taehyung reaches out, but his hand hesitates in the air, hovering over Jeongguk before pulling back. He grimaces before his face changes. He walks around and sits on top of Jeongguk’s desk, patting his arm instead of whatever it was he had been hoping to do. “That’s not true. You might not be able to flirt like me, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Everyone has a different flirting style that they respond to and you need to play to that person’s personality to truly woo them. You just need to know the person better before you do it. Trust me, you're a great flirter, you just haven't realised it yet.”

“How would you know?” Jeongguk scoffs and kicks at his desk corner.

“Well you flirt with me just fine.”

“I’ve never flirted with you, hyung.”

“Guk, that is such a lie.”

Jeongguk frowns. “I haven’t.”

“Maybe not on purpose.”

“How can you flirt accidentally?”

“That’s the thing about flirting, Guk. It’s a natural thing. Flirting can be anything from making innuendoes to batting your eyes a little more than usual to just making jokes in a more intimate manner. A lot of people flirt without even knowing they do it. Hoseok-hyung and Jimin-hyung are both natural flirts. Hoseok even flirts with guys, despite the fact that he’s straight. It’s not something he plans to do, it just happens naturally.”

Jeongguk nods even though he doesn’t understand. “So when have I ever flirted with you?”

“The other day when we walked to the elevator together. And earlier when we were getting morning tea together. When you were completely comfortable you're far more open, not stiff like usual. You make plenty of flirtatious comments.”

“Like what?”

“Like when you said that you needed someone big and strong to walk you out of the building.”

“I was just being dumb. I didn’t mean it. I’m bigger and stronger than you are anyway.”

“I know, Guk. That’s what makes it flirting. It’s not serious.”

“I don’t know. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Taehyung groans. “I’m not explaining it well. The point is that real flirting comes naturally. All the stuff I've been trying to teach you is useless if you're not into it. Trust me, when the real time comes you'll know what to do. Besides with your beautiful looks, you don’t need flirting. Just sit there with your pretty face and that cute clueless look you get and the boys will come flocking to you.” Jeongguk flushes and shoves him out of embarrassment. Taehyung laughs and says, “Hey, that was flirting by the way. I was flirting with you.”

“Well, great. You flirt with everyone so it doesn’t mean anything, but thanks anyway.”

Taehyung watches him for a moment, before he says, “It only means something if you want it to mean something.”

Taehyung's gaze is suddenly a little too intense, so Jeongguk attempts to steer the topic away from himself. “So how am I supposed to know what someone’s flirting style is? How do you even figure that out?”

Taehyung’s face becomes playful again, his lips quirking on one side. “It’s not so much about figuring out their style as it is watching their mannerisms. It’s all about reading people, their body language, the way they speak. It’s pretty easy to figure out what will get them flustered then.”

“Well, great. I’m terrible at reading people.”

“Yes, yes you are.” Taehyung laughs again. “But that’s okay. It just takes practice. I’ll give you an example. Namjoon is a lovely guy, but he’s more on the serious side. Just from watching the way he interacts with his staff and his clients, I can figure out lots about him.”

“Like what?”

“Like how exhausted he is, how much he needs to relieve some stress. That’s why I focussed my flirting on bringing him things that would help him relax. I’m indirectly telling him that I’ve been paying attention to him. I also can tell that although he is serious about business, he likes to laugh. So, I focus my flirting on being playful, on joking around. That’s how I know I can get away with making those sexual comments to him.”

Jeongguk regards him with raised eyebrows, trying not to seem to impressed. “How are you such an expert on this? Are you some sort of a slut?”

“Guk!” Taehyung kicks at his chair, making him laugh as he rolls back. “It’s got nothing to do with that. I just know how to read people.”

“Oh yeah?” Jeongguk grins up at him as he scoots his chair back to its previous position. “What’s my flirting style then?”

Taehyung grins too, big and wide and sinister. “Oh, Gukkie. You’re the easiest to read of everyone with those big eyes of yours.”

Jeongguk frowns at him, watches in confusion as Taehyung leans down and puts a finger under his chin, forcing him to meet his eyes.

“What are you-”

“You’re such an adorable person, Jeonggukkie.” Taehyung’s face is close, a smirk playing at his lips as he speaks. “You’re so shy and awkward. It makes it so easy to play with you.”

“I- hyung…” There's the hint of a touch on his arm, over his bicep, and his skin erupts into goosebumps. 

“I knew within minutes of meeting you that you’re the type to get flustered easily.” Jeongguk realises that he has his eyes squeezed shut when he hears a thump, opening them to see that Taehyung has hopped off his desk is stepping closer. “I only need to move in close, like this,” he steps in between Jeongguk’s legs, pushing them apart, “and tell you how beautiful you are and I’ve got you wrapped around my finger.”

Jeongguk holds his breath, eyes closing again. He suddenly has no idea what’s happening, what time it is, where he is. He can only smell Taehyung’s cologne, strong and heady, can only hear his heart racing in his chest.

"You're so pretty, Jeonggukkie," Taehyung coos, his voice close, really close, too close.

Then his skin is turning cold and he wrenches his eyes open to see Taehyung stepping back, an insouciant expression on his face.

“Told you I know how to read people.” With that, Taehyung turns around and heads back to his desk, sitting at his computer and resuming his work like nothing had ever happened.

--

The next day Jeongguk walks into the break-room early for the second time in his life, once again trying to get away from Taehyung. This time around it’s because he’s too embarrassed to meet his eyes after what had happened the previous afternoon. His footsteps are quiet as he pads into the room, rubbing his eyes, so no one hears him enter. They’re all yelling at each other anyway, so really they were doomed not to notice him. There's a big ruckus going on and he is surprised to hear his own name being shouted.

“There’s absolutely no way that Jeongguk will have the balls to do that. I’m putting 20,000 on Taehyung.” Yoongi slams some notes down of the table. Jeongguk can’t see it, all of the bodies crowded around it blocking his view.

“But Jeongguk has the emotional connection. Everyone melts when they see his cute, innocent look and Namjoon is no exception. Taehyung is good, but he’s too good. Namjoon might not take him seriously. I’m putting 25,000 on Gukkie.” Jimin gently places his own notes on the table.

“That’s bold considering Namjoon has been seeing that look for a year now. If he really cared about Jeongguk he’d have fallen for that a long time ago. I’m putting 100,000 on Tae.” Hoseok grins at everyone’s shocked expressions.

“100,000? Are you insane?"

“Not insane, just confident.”

Only Seokjin seems to be disinterested in the matter as he sits in the corner. Other employees, some that Jeongguk never even speaks to, start yelling their own bets. Seokjin rolls his eyes and they end up pointed right at the door, right at Jeongguk.

“Guys.”

“What, hyung? Just because you think you know Namjoon, doesn’t mean shit.” Yoongi smacks the table. Hoseok nods in agreement.

“Have you seen Taehyung’s ass? Anyone would want to bang- oh.”

“Oh fuck. Guk…” Jimin sits up from the table. “Shit.”

“So you’re all betting on me now?" Jeongguk looks around at his friends, noting their guilty expressions. "Am I just a joke?”

He steps backwards.

“Wait, Jeongguk! Don’t go.”

Jimin lunges for him and holds him in place. The other employees dissipate, feeling awkward, until it’s only Jeongguk’s hyungs left behind.

“Why would you do that?” Jeongguk is more angry than he is upset, embarrassed that the whole office knows about his pathetic crush. “You’re supposed to be my friends.”

“Guk, I promise, we aren’t making fun of you. Really.” Jimin slings an arm around his shoulders. “We are just entertaining ourselves. We know about the bet you and Taehyung have.”

“You know about that?” Jeongguk glances at them all, watches them all nod. “How?”

“Tae. He got drunk with me and mentioned it. Don’t get mad at him, he wasn’t trying to embarrass you. Anyway, we thought we'd join in. We can't let you two have all of the fun.”

Jeongguk rubs his forehead and pulls himself away from Jimin. He walks up to the table and sees the stack of money.

“So, what are the odds then?”

“Do you really want to know?” Yoongi looks warily at him. “They aren’t in your favour, Guk.”

“I figure that. Just tell me.”

“Right now, the pool is 210,000 won on Taehyung and 90,000 on you.”

Jeongguk nods, not at all surprised. At this rate he’d put money on Taehyung too, but his pride is stung and so he reaches into his pocket and pulls his wallet out. He chucks 30,000 won on the table.

“There. Now, I have a bet to win.”

--

Jeongguk has been doubling down on his efforts to woo Namjoon ever since he found out about the inter-office bet. Taehyung has been nothing but encouraging, which is honestly odd. There’s a lot of money at stake, not to mention their reputations now that they know the whole office is watching them. He wonders if Taehyung feels sorry for him and that's why he's going easy on him. Even after three months of trying, Jeongguk feels no closer to winning and as each day passes he grows more and more disheartened.

The only positive is that his relationship with Taehyung gets stronger and despite his initial denial, it is clear that the two of them have become friends, or something like it. Jeongguk doesn’t mind. He really does like Taehyung. He finds himself looking forward to seeing him each day, wondering what weird thing the other will say or do to make him laugh. 

The two of them unconsciously follow a routine that sees them walking out of the building together each night. After Jeongguk continuously caught Taehyung trying to stay late, he started pestering him. Each time when he asked why, Taehyung said it was to get ahead in his work, but Jeongguk knew that he was lying because he’s already months ahead on their budgeting and travel-booking. He didn't ever push the matter though, instead urging Taehyung to leave with him. Each time they went through the same routine, Taehyung denying him until Jeongguk gave up, but just before Jeongguk could reach the elevator he would hear the familiar footsteps. After a few nights in a row of this, Taehyung puts up less and less of a fight and ends up jumping up from his computer the moment he sees Jeongguk approaching with his coat and briefcase in hand, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and saying, “Can’t have you walking around without your big, strong man to protect you, now can we?”

Jeongguk ignores the shivers that try to wriggle their way down his spine.

He finds himself wanting to know more about his co-worker. Despite their newfound camaraderie, he realises that he doesn't know as much about him as he'd like. For someone so open and social, he seems to keep his cards close to his chest.

Taehyung already has his computer off and is sitting on his desk when Jeongguk approaches him on the present night. He's fiddling on his phone. The glow on his face makes him look somewhat ethereal, pink and yellow hues highlighting his sharp jawline and angular features. Jeongguk watches him like he's in slow motion when he raises his head, their eyes meeting in the dim room. 

"What took you so long?" Taehyung hops off of the desk and stretches his hands high toward the ceiling, something popping in his back and he groans, tilting his head backward. "Ah, it feels good to stand up. Sitting at this desk all day is slowly killing me."

Jeongguk tears his eyes away from the column of his throat, a smug smile on his face when he says, "Maybe if you didn't hunch over all day you'd be fine."

"Excuse me, Jeonggukkie, I have perfect posture." Taehyung trots after Jeongguk as they make their way out of the building, flipping light switches as they go. "So, how did things go with your Romeo while I was out today? I was sad that I missed out on your awkward attempts at flirting."

Jeongguk hadn't made any attempts at all, actually. It felt strange to go up to Namjoon without Taehyung's amused eyes following his every move, giving him sly thumbs-up or good luck gestures and patting his back when he inevitably embarrasses himself, telling him that he was getting better even when he wasn't. No, it had been a rather boring day with Taehyung running errands for most of the afternoon and Jeongguk wonders how he ever found this job entertaining before he arrived. 

But Jeongguk is still Jeongguk at the end of the day, competitive as ever, so he dons a smirk and says, "I'm pretty sure I've won the bet."

"Oh?" Taehyung raises a brow as he presses the elevator call button. "Well? Tell me all about it. What horrible excuse for seduction did you try this time?"

"Uh..." Jeongguk probably should've prepared a lie in advance, not great at improvising. He picks the last thing he remembers his heart skipping a beat over. "I took him his coffee and when he grabbed it I put my hand on top of his and we made eye contact."

"But I brought him his coffee today." Taehyung tilts his head to the side, ashen locks swaying in the air. "Right before I left, remember?"

"Oh. Right. It was another one."

"But Namjoon never has coffee twice in one day." Taehyung's lips are slowly twisting up in a grin as Jeongguk stares resolutely at the number above the lift and why does this damn lift take so long. "He always preaches about how you shouldn't have caffeine after 2pm."

"It was a tea." Jeongguk says, voice quiet because he knows he's messed up.

A hand grabs his shoulder right as the lift dings, the doors sliding open. "Ah, Gukkie, you're such a bad liar." Taehyung laughs as he guides them both into the elevator. "Really, you're so bad."

"Shut up." Jeongguk shakes his shoulder until Taehyung's hand falls away. "It's hard to do anything without you there."

"Aw." Taehyung puts a hand over his heart. Jeongguk tuts, not having meant to admit that. "That's so sweet, Guk. You need me for support?"

"Maybe I do," Jeongguk sighs, leaning his head against the wall and closing his eyes as the rumbling of the pulleys passes through his body. "I'm just so bad at flirting. I tried to figure out his flirting method, or whatever that shit you were going on about was. I just can't do it. Everything I try he either doesn't notice or he just laughs at me for."

Taehyung watches him pouting before he puts his briefcase down on the ground and steps towards him. Jeongguk doesn't notice until he's standing right next to him, brushing a hand over his exposed wrist.

"Jeongguk," his voice is low and lilting, "you need to learn to be more bold."

"What are you doing?" Jeongguk turns, back to the wall, which isn't very intelligent because Taehyung's eyes glint and he presses forward, one hand coming up to rest by Jeongguk's head, effectively caging him into the corner of the lift. "Tae, stop."

"Guk, how can you expect Namjoon-hyung to take you seriously when you never make a real move. You know he thinks of you as little brother, right?"

Jeongguk squirms against the wall, looking everywhere but at Taehyung's pretty milk chocolate eyes. "I- I know that. I don't how to fix that though."

"Like this." Taehyung leans closer and then closer still. "Show him how you feel physically. Erase any doubt in his mind. Make him see you as a man instead of a boy."

"I can't." Jeongguk tilts his head down, looks at the way Taehyung's shoes are knocking into his own. One moves forward, standing in the gap between his legs. "I- we're at work. I'm not like you, I could never do this." 

The lift judders and the doors open. Taehyung steps back but doesn't make to leave. There isn't likely to be anyone else in the building, so there isn't much chance of the lift moving again anytime soon, the doors closing again when no one trips the sensors. It's silent but for the sound of Jeongguk's strangled breathing. 

"It's not hard, Guk. Pretend that I'm Namjoon-hyung." Taehyung stands up as tall as he can, jutting his chin forward. He looks ridiculous and it relieves the tension in Jeongguk's shoulders ever-so-slightly. For a moment he was terrified that Taehyung was coming on to him.

"Ok. What am I supposed to do then?"

"Do what I just did to you. Show me how you really feel. Make me see how serious you are."

"I- this is so dumb. There's no way I'd ever be able to do this to my boss." But Jeongguk steps forward and takes a deep breath. He starts walking up to Taehyung until they're chest-to-chest, but the other doesn't budge. "What are you doing?" Jeongguk whines, embarrassed when the other starts laughing. "You want me to do this, so play along."

"I am, Guk. Do you really think Namjoon is going to be impressed if you walk up to him like that. He'll just think you're going to give him some files or something." Taehyung smirks, voice patronising when he says, "Come on, little one. Or are you just going to let me win? If you don't have the guts to do something so simple, then you might as well just give me the money now. Because I won't hesitate. I'll walk right up to Namjoon tomorrow and I'll-"

He's cut off, breath escaping his throat in a winded gasp, when Jeongguk surges forward, a hand on Taehyung's chest making him topple back against the wall. 

"Ow, Guk..." But Jeongguk is angry, tired of being the helpless, awkward little one, so he doesn't give Taehyung a moment to breathe, stepping right up against him, using his underemployed muscles to hold the older man against the lift wall. 

"There." Jeongguk tightens his grip on the other's biceps, fingers digging into his flesh through his shirt. "Think he'd believe me now?"

Taehyung doesn't answer, lips parted and eyes dilated. Jeongguk falters, letting his fingers loosen. 

"I- uh..." Taehyung's voice cracks before he chuckles, hand coming up to press against his forehead. "I wasn't expecting you to be so aggressive."

Jeongguk sighs as he steps away and just like that the moment is gone. He feels an uncomfortable weight in his stomach, so he snaps, "What were you expecting? You were provoking me with your weird flirting lesson shtick. God, you piss me off."

"Sorry," Taehyung reaches down for his briefcase, voice still just a touch breathy. Jeongguk presses a button. The doors open and he immediately steps out, hoping that whatever that strange and awkward moment was will be left behind in the small room. Taehyung follows behind him, says, "I do it on purpose you know. Piss you off." 

"I know you do."

"You give such cute reactions. I can't help it."

"You're a dick." 

"That's a bit unprofessional, don't you think?" Taehyung's voice is back to its carefree, musical tone. It puts Jeongguk at ease somewhat. "Using such vulgar language against your co-worker."

Relax, Jeongguk. He doesn't have feelings for you. He's just helping you out.

"Well," Jeongguk pulls his swipe card out of his pocket, listening to the tinny sound effect as he presses it against the kiosk, "I'm not on-the-clock anymore. So you're not a co-worker anymore, you're just a regular dick."

He hears a ding behind him and then Taehyung says, "Maybe. But also a friend, right?"

Jeongguk stops, turning to see Taehyung's hopeful expression. 

Would he really call Taehyung his friend? Even with this bizarre situation they've got themselves in? Because what kind of friends corner each other scandalously in empty elevators when no one else is around? What kind of friends compete with each other to seduce their boss, even when their boss isn't there? What kind of friends spend all day flirting back and forth, like Jeongguk knows that they do, no matter how jokingly they mean for it to be? 

"Do you want to come home with me?" Jeongguk answers. "To have dinner and hang out? I only have ramen and Netflix but, I don't know. It might be fun."

Taehyung suddenly becomes flustered, cheeks colouring, eyes wide and mouth opening and closing as a strangled noise escapes him. It's a look that Jeongguk has never seen on him before, used to his constant confidence and care-free attitude.

Then he smiles, lips straining and cracking like they can't quite cope with just how widely Taehyung's grin stretches across his face, eyes wrinkling at the corners and he nods. "I'd love to do that, Guk."

It should be weird. This should be weird, Jeongguk thinks. After their awkward moment in the lift, after months of having nothing but a work relationship (and a rocky one at that) it shouldn't be at all comfortable having Taehyung in his house. 

"Sorry it's a mess." 

Taehyung looks around like he's in an art museum, taking in every detail. "If you think this is a mess you're going to hate it when you visit my place."

Jeongguk flushes at that and he's not entirely sure why. 

He hands Taehyung a beer from his fridge and they chat while Jeongguk cooks some ramen. It's so easy to talk, but Jeongguk suspects that this is only because Taehyung talks at a mile a minute and changes the subject too fast for Jeongguk to make it awkward.

They sit on his couch slurping hot noodles and watching a random movie on Netflix. It's not very good and they talk over most of it. Taehyung asks him lots of questions, listening attentively when Jeongguk tells him about his hometown, about his experiences in high school, about how he heard of Namjoon and decided he wanted to be just like him.

Jeongguk jolts when Taehyung tries to slide out from underneath him without disturbing him. Jeongguk blushes to the roots of his hair when he realises that he'd fallen asleep on Taehyung's shoulder.

"Sorry," he mumbles, rubbing his eyes. "I didn't realise how tired I was."

"Ah, Gukkie, it was cute. Don't worry." Taehyung moves off of the couch now that he's free, stretching again, only this time Jeongguk studiously avoids watching the way his skin is revealed as his untucked shirt raises up. "I would've let you sleep, but I need to go home. It's, like, midnight."

Jeongguk nods, still feeling bashful. Staring down at his twiddling fingers, he doesn't notice Taehyung leaning down with a fond smile.

"Goodnight, Jeonggukkie." 

His lips leave his cheek bright red and Taehyung chuckles to himself, before waltzing out of the front door and leaving Jeongguk in a lonely silence.

--

The next morning Jeongguk watches Taehyung as he taps away at his computer. He'd spent a good portion of the early hours of the morning freaking out, wondering why Taehyung had kissed him like that. Taehyung likes Namjoon. Jeongguk likes Namjoon. This is what he repeats to himself as a mantra until he's finally convinced himself of its truth. Taehyung is just affectionate, he concludes. He's probably just gotten comfortable enough to treat Jeongguk the way he treats other people. Not that Jeongguk sees Taehyung kissing anyone else's cheeks around here, but he's sure that he does it when he goes home with his other co-workers and lets them sleep on his shoulder, right?

Right.

He seems down today, Jeongguk thinks. No one else has pointed it out and Jeongguk wonders if anyone has even noticed. Taehyung still smiled big and wide in the morning and laughed at everyone’s jokes like normal. But he seems off to Jeongguk and he doesn’t place why until he looks over at him in that moment.

He’s staring at his computer, tongue poking between his teeth as he reads something on the screen. His lips are turned down at the corners, the bags under his eyes far more pronounced than usual, but what really worries Jeongguk is his eyes. They look so sad, so tired.

“Hyung.” Taehyung glances over at him and Jeongguk frowns. He looks even more tired now that light from his computer screen is shining from his side, casting shadows over his face. Jeongguk doesn’t really have any plans on what he wants to say, just wanting to hear his cheerful voice, so he says the first thing he can think of, “Why haven’t you been flirting with Namjoon lately?

Jeongguk realises that it’s true: He hasn't seen Taehyung make any moves for weeks. He definitely likes him still, surely. But it's suspicious, Jeongguk thinks. He used to use every opportunity to tease Jeongguk, flirting with Namjoon right in front of him and telling him not to mess with the master. Now he hands him Namjoon’s coffee, always giving some encouraging phrase like, “Go get him, tiger,” before pushing him towards the door. He no longer asks Namjoon to come and look at any files on his computer so that he can smirk at Jeongguk as Namjoon leans over him, chest nearly pressed into his back, instead emailing the files to Jeongguk and telling him what to do to get Namjoon to do the same to him.

Taehyung stares at Jeongguk for a long time, long enough that he wishes he'd never said anything in the first place. “I don’t know what you mean. I’ve been flirting.”

“Not properly.” Jeongguk keeps his voice as quiet as he can as he talks to him from across the room. “Not like you want to win the bet.”

“I’ve just had other things on my mind, Guk.”

Jeongguk doesn’t like this answer and if he’s one thing, he’s persistent. “Like what?”

“It’s got literally nothing to do with you, Jeongguk." His voice is cold, his eyes hard. "Can’t you mind your own business?”

Jeongguk stares with wide eyes, but Taehyung turns back to his computer, face now set in a frown. Because of him. Jeongguk put that there. There is a resounding ache in his chest when he quietly turns back to his own screen.

When Namjoon walks by later, Jeongguk doesn't even notice him.

At the end of the day, after Jeongguk turns off his computer, he slowly walks up to Taehyung’s desk. The other man looks no less drained than earlier as he taps on his keyboard. He doesn't look up when Jeongguk arrives, doesn't turn off his computer, grab his coat and say, "Come on Guk, let's get out of here," like Jeongguk wants him to.

“Hyung-” His voice sounds wobbly and he quickly clears his throat. “You shouldn’t stay overtime like this. Come home with me. I- I mean, stop working. Come out with me. To the car park. Ugh.”

Taehyung manages a small smile and for a moment Jeongguk feels his heart fluttering, hopeful. But then the smile transforms into a grimace and Taehyung turns back to his work. “I really can’t, Jeongguk. I have so much work to catch up on.”

“No, you don’t, hyung. You’re months ahead. I checked.” Taehyung closes his eyes, hands curling into fists. But Jeongguk isn’t good at reading people like Taehyung is, so he asks, “What is this really about?”

“This is why Namjoon will never love you,” Taehyung hisses.

Jeongguk blinks. Once, twice.

“What?”

Taehyung's face is almost foreign when he looks at him, his eyebrows flat, his eyes dull. Speaking in a monotone, he says, “You’re just a kid, Jeongguk. You just sit there and follow Namjoon around like a puppy. You pry into everyone’s business, pulling that innocent look when you’re hurt – yeah, that one – and hoping it will make him fall for you, but it won’t. He doesn’t care about you like that, Jeongguk, he will never care about you like that. When are you going to accept that?”

Jeongguk gapes at him, watching as he pants before taking a deep breath and turning back to his computer.

“He’s in love with someone else. You never even had a chance. Go home, Jeongguk. Just give up.”

So, he does. He turns around and doesn't look back as he sprints from the room, from the office as fast as he can. His mind is blank as he stands, catching his breath at the elevator. He waits, waits for the sound of footsteps, the feeling of an arm wrapping around him, pulling him into a warm chest, but none of that happens. The doors open and then they close and he’s going down, down.

It’s only when he’s halfway there that he realises that he’s left his briefcase behind. He slams the door button and waits for the elevator to stop. He hops out and runs up the stairs, adrenaline pushing him up the few flights. Maybe Taehyung will smile at him when he returns, tell him he was just messing with him. Maybe he’ll don that huge grin that brightens up Jeongguk’s day and everything will be okay.

When he tiptoes back to his office he’s surprised and disappointed to see that Taehyung isn’t there. He'd cleared out pretty quickly; maybe he listened to Jeongguk’s advice and left after all. That’s at least sort of positive. Maybe Jeongguk will have a text waiting for him on his phone, an apology and a promise to meet up some time after work again. Yeah. That'd be nice.

But then, just as Jeongguk grabs his briefcase, he hears a sound that is unmistakably a moan, someone groaning out, “Namjoon.”

His stomach has already turned to ice as he whirls around to face the C.E.O.’s office. His briefcase swings through the air, knocking over the lamp on his desk in the process. The clatter and bang it makes is unfortunately loud and Jeongguk stills as the silhouettes he can see through the frosted glass freeze and all the sound stops.

Then the door handle twists and Jeongguk watches in horror as a shirtless Namjoon peaks his head out of the door, his body glistening with what Jeongguk assumes is sweat and his skin littered with red marks. The button of his slacks is undone and there are scratch marks running down his abdomen.

“Jeongguk? Fuck.” Namjoon looks shocked to see him. Jeongguk can’t hold back his tears any longer, so he swirls around and sprints, once again, for the exit.

The elevator doors close in on him once more, but this time he’s suffocating. He takes huge gulps of air, but they don’t feel like enough and he watches the number on the lift with desperation. He feels like he’ll die if he stays in here, running out of fresh air what with the way he's desperately gulping it down.

So, Taehyung was fucking Namjoon all along. No wonder he had gotten sick of Jeongguk. He had been playing with him this whole time, but it must’ve gotten tiring watching some kid flirt with his boyfriend, or fuck buddy, or whatever he was. That’s why Taehyung had snapped.

He’s in love with someone else.

Just give up.

So, he does.

--

The next morning, Taehyung walks into work looking like he’s been awake for a month straight. He’s perched on his desk when Namjoon walks by and says hello to him.

“What are you doing? Normally you’d be on your computer by now.”

“I’m waiting for Jeongguk.” Taehyung meets Namjoon’s eyes for a moment before looking away, gaze resolute. “I need to talk to him about something.”

“Ah. When you’re finished, can you please send him in here? I need to talk to him about… something as well."

Taehyung nods. He waits until the door closes behind Namjoon before he collapses in on himself, sighing and rubbing his hands down his face. He sits with his head bowed, on the verge of falling asleep. He doesn’t hear the footsteps, doesn’t notice the person standing in front of him until he sees something fluttering all around him as he slowly bats his eyes open.

“Jeongguk!” Taehyung stands up. “God, I need to talk to you.”

“There.” Jeongguk cuts him off, spitting the word out. He gestures to the notes he’d just thrown at him. “There’s your fucking 200,000 won. I’m done.”

Taehyung looks down at the money, then up to Jeongguk and his red-rimmed eyes. He looks like a mess. He's not wearing his usual suit, instead dressed in track pants and a dirty-looking hoodie. 

“What?”

“You won the bet. Congratulations. I should’ve known you would win. Everyone else fucking knew, after all. I hope you’re really fucking happy with him, you piece of shit.”

With that, Jeongguk whirls around and storms back out of the room.

Namjoon quickly re-enters the foyer, looking at a shell-shocked Taehyung.

“Was that Jeongguk? What happened?”

Taehyung doesn't answer him, just stands up and quietly gathers his things from his desk, before walking out of the office.

--

Until now, Jeongguk had never once taken a sick day in his life. He had no idea how boring they were. What was he supposed to do with all of that time? He tried to play some video games, but he only got bored and searched for something else to do. He tried Netflix, but the sight of the home screen makes his stomach twist uncomfortably for some reason. He’s so restless at home that he decides to come back to work the next day.

When he enters the building, he’s so exhausted that he barely notices the deadly silence as he passes the other offices. Even the break-room is quiet.

It’s only once Jeongguk reaches his desk that he realises something is wrong.

Taehyung’s desk is completely bare, is the first thing he notices. He frowns over at it before he realises that his own desk is completely ransacked. His drawers are open and disorganised, his folders strewn about the room.

He must make some kind of noise because Namjoon appears from nowhere and grabs him by the wrist. He yelps under the harsh grip.

“Jeongguk,” he growls, “did you know about this?”

“Wha- know about what, hyung?” He tries to pull his arm away. Namjoon yanks him towards his office. Jeongguk cries out, “Ah, you’re hurting me, hyung.”

“About this, Guk.” Namjoon gestures to his office wildly. Jeongguk gapes at the room. It’s like his desk, but worse. Everything is overturned, the desk in shambles, all of the filing cabinets dented where someone bashed them to get them open. All of the documents have been pulled from their spots and thrown about the room. It’s like the scene of a robbery, but Jeongguk is afraid that the real situation is much worse. “Tell me that you didn’t know about this, please, Jeongguk.”

“What- I don’t understand. What’s going on?” Namjoon looks into his eyes for a moment, searching. Jeongguk feels nothing, even as Namjoon leans closer. Then he sighs and finally lets go of his arm. Jeongguk massages his wrist as the blood returns to circulate in his hand.

“Thank god. I would’ve been heartbroken.” Namjoon collapses onto his couch, rubbing his forehead. “It’s all gone, Jeongguk. Everything. Our financial details, the artist profiles, all of our future plans, all of our transcripts from the meetings. It’s all gone.”

“I- I don’t understand. Who did this?”

“It was Taehyung.” Namjoon slams his fist down on the coffee table, making Jeongguk jump. “It was Taehyung, damn it.”

“He… he stole everything?”

Namjoon casts an eye over him before heaving another sigh and hopping up. He strides over to Jeongguk and surprises him when he pulls him into a tight hug.

“It’s going to be okay, Jeongguk. We’re going to be okay.” Namjoon pulls away, offers him a tight smile. Jeongguk's face is blank. He can’t possibly bring himself to feel excited that his crush is touching him. Not right now. “Come on. Everybody is waiting.”

Jeongguk stumbles after his C.E.O. as they head to the Board room. Everyone is inside, Jeongguk’s eyes widening as he mentally takes stock of who is there. He does it automatically now, counting heads and compiling data. It’s his job after all. Everyone is there. Everyone but Taehyung.

“Attention, please.” Namjoon stands at the head of the table, Jeongguk sitting beside him. “As you’re probably well aware by now, we’ve had a crisis happen overnight. A spy from E.M. Entertainment infiltrated our organisation and stole precious information. That man was none other than Kim Taehyung, my secretary.”

There are gasps and murmurs and Jeongguk is shaking in his seat. Taehyung was a spy… His brain can’t quite process what’s going on.

“He played us all, but try not to think of him too harshly. He’s only doing his job and, fuck, did he do it well.” Everyone flinches at Namjoon’s language, but he barrels onward. “There isn’t much we can do at this point. E.M. has our information. There’s no getting it back. The only thing we can do is keep moving forward.

“We’ve been through hardships before. When I first became C.E.O. of this company, it was nothing. It had nothing, I had nothing. But I formed a team, a team I would trust with my life.” He looks over the room, at certain people who broaden their shoulders and stand up straighter. Down at Jeongguk, who is staring into space. He sighs, before continuing, “I have added several people onto that team. This is the first and only time that I’ve regretted hiring someone. The people in this room, though, all have a common interest. We all want Bangtan Recording House to succeed. With this passion alone, I’m confident that we can come back from this. It’s going to be tough, but it’s not impossible. We’ll just have to work hard. I know you can do it. I believe in all of you.”

Everyone claps and cheers and there are even some tears at the end of Namjoon’s speech. He smiles, proud of the family that he’s built. He knows that these people will pull through together. At this point, he’s only really concerned about one person, about one person who gets up and quietly slipped from the room as everyone else starts brainstorming ideas for the future.

Namjoon’s eyes catch someone else’s from across the room, someone who nods and follows after Jeongguk.

“Jeongguk!” The young man is sitting at his workstation, ignoring the fact that it is pretty much destroyed. He's staring over at Taehyung's desk. All of his things are gone, but Jeongguk swears he can still feel his presence. He can still see his blinding smile, his twinkling eyes. He swears if he reaches out he might be able to touch his soft hair and see the way his shoulders shake with laughter, might even hear the musical sound sinking into his ears, warming him up from the inside out.

“Jeongguk! God, there you are.” Seokjin pants, grasping his knees. “Geez, kid, you walk fast.”

“Hyung… he’s gone.”

Seokjin looks at Jeongguk’s blank stare and huffs before moving in front of Taehyung’s desk, breaking his eye contact with a person who isn’t there. Jeongguk blinks like he’s just woken up and he glares at Seokjin.

“What do you want?”

“To apologise.” Seokjin grimaces as he crosses his arms. Jeongguk raises an eyebrow.

“Apologise for what, exactly?”

“For not being honest with you. I can’t call myself your friend when I’m keeping something from you that I know would hurt you.”

“Hyung, you’re scaring me.”

“Jeongguk,” Seokjin looks extremely uncomfortable, “I’m sorry but I- it was me. The other night.”

“Huh? The other night?”

“With Namjoon.”

Jeongguk stares at him blankly. Seokjin sighs.

“Listen. I’m sorry, Guk, but I’ve been with Namjoon for about two years now. With him. The other night when you saw Namjoon coming out of his office, I was in there with him. I’m really sorry that I never told you. I shouldn’t have played with your feelings like that.”

Jeongguk stares at him with wide eyes, not blinking.

“You… you’re fucking Namjoon-hyung?”

Seokjin cringes. “Amongst other things, yes.”

“Oh… my gosh.”

“Like I said, I’m really sorry.”

There's silence. Seokjin doesn't push the younger, letting him think. His voice is quiet when he speaks up, asking, “Do you love him?”

“Yes, I do, Guk.” Seokjin smiles to himself. “I’m going to ask him to marry me someday."

Jeongguk nods slowly, frowning.

“Does Namjoon-hyung know about…?” Jeongguk doesn’t need to elaborate. Seokjin gives him a soft, apologetic smile.

“Yes, he does. Sorry, Guk. You’re sort of obvious.”

Jeongguk sighs, completely defeated. “How long has he known?”

“About six months now.”

Jeongguk shakes his head, runs his fingers through his hair. “He doesn’t mind? He never acted strangely around me.”

“That’s because he knows how you feel. He was in love with me for a year before we got together. He pined after me pretty hard, just like you did. He’s been in your position, so he knows how hard it can be.”

“I’ll have to remember to thank him. For being such a good boss. A good friend.”

Seokjin comes to sit beside Jeongguk on the desk. His gaze immediately returns to Taehyung’s space.

“Is it weird that I’m more relieved than I am sad?” Jeongguk asks, not looking at Seokjin. “That it’s you he loves.”

“Why? Who did you think he was with?” Jeongguk won't meet his eyes as he shrugs. Seokjin raises an eyebrow. “With Taehyung? Really?”

Jeongguk blushes. Is he really that easy to read?

“He- on that night- he was here… I thought… but I guess he was stealing everything. Getting ready to do all of this.” He gestures to his desk. “I thought he was with Namjoon. I thought-” His own sob cuts him off and he covers his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut. Seokjin pats him on the back.

“You know that stupid bet?”

Jeongguk laughs bitterly through his tears, sniffling hard.

“I thought he won. I gave him the money. I thought he got Namjoon to fall in love with him. I guess neither of us won.”

“You’re right, but I don’t mean that bet. I mean the office bet.”

“What about it, hyung?”

“You know I was in it?”

Jeongguk frowns. “I thought you refused to participate.”

“I refused to bet on either you or Taehyung winning Namjoon’s heart. Why would I bet on something I know is impossible?”

“Oh.” Jeongguk’s voice is barely a whisper as he wipes his nose on his sleeve. He looks up at Seokjin, who reaches down and wipes the tears from under his eyes with a tissue. “But what did you bet on then?”

“I bet on Taehyung.” Seokjin watches him frown. “I also bet on you.”

“I don’t-”

“While everyone else was focussed on your little high-school crush, I was watching something far more interesting develop. I could tell every time you came in for your lunch breaks. You've been smiling so much more often, laughing a lot too. But it only ever seems to be when Taehyung is around.” He watches Jeongguk frowning, waiting for him to cotton on. As soon as his expression changes, Seokjin smiles.

“I- I don’t…”

“Go after him, Guk. There’s two sides to every story. You can’t just let it end like this.”

“But he hates me, hyung.” Jeongguk wipes his eyes again, feels his heart ache in his chest. “He was so mean...”

“Maybe that was the only way he could bring himself to leave. Maybe he thought that if you hated him it would be easier.” Seokjin shrugs as he hops up off of the desk. “I don’t know, I can’t speak for him. But, like I said, there are two sides to every story. You should go and hear his before you make any decisions.”

Seokjin walks away, whistling to himself. Despite everything that has gone on, he’s pretty happy right now. He is about to be 100,000 won richer after all.

--

Jeongguk doesn’t take Seokjin’s advice right away. He needs time to mope, to wallow in his own self-pity. You know, all of the fun stuff. Namjoon makes him take a few more days off of work. He really doesn’t want to do that, but Namjoon says he’ll fire him if he doesn’t go home and sleep. Left with no choice, he does just that. He sleeps so much that he doesn’t know what day it is anymore when he wakes up, isn’t sure if it’s 8 am or pm when he checks his phone at first.

After a week has passed, he decides that he needs to see Taehyung.

He’s not upset, he tells himself as he looks up the address for E.M. Entertainment. He’s not heartbroken, he swears, as he hops in a taxi and tells them his destination. He is not in love with Kim Taehyung, he repeats to himself like a mantra, as he walks up to the entrance of the lush grey-stone high-rise building.

He strides up to the unnecessarily large front desk, to a woman who looks bored when she tiredly gives him a once-over.

“I need to see Kim Taehyung, please.” If his voice wobbles on his name, the woman doesn't notice.

“I’ll need your name and business so that I can page you up, sir.” Her voice is flat and disinterested.

“It’s a surprise that I'm here. He knows me, I promise.” Jeongguk grabs his phone out and opens his photo gallery, finding the selca that Taehyung had taken on his phone one day when he was bothering him at his desk. Jeongguk is looking up at his camera with a confused expression and he remembers being caught off-guard when Taehyung had called his name and suddenly there was a camera flash. Taehyung's eyes twinkle with mischief, bright smile blinding even in the photo. “Look. That’s us. That was two weeks ago.”

The woman doesn’t even look at the phone, sighing exaggeratedly while opening a directory. 

“He’s on level 15.”

Jeongguk is grateful for her indifference but glad that she isn't the receptionist for Bangtan Recording House.

The elevator ride feels like it takes eons. Maybe this building's elevator is even slower than the one in his workplace or maybe he's just that anxious that time has become a warped concept. Jeongguk decides it's the former reason (even though it's definitely the latter.)

As he stares at the rising number on the digital display, his heart beating harder in his chest with each increment, he contemplates exactly why it is that he is here if he isn't upset, heartbroken or in love.

He’s angry. That’s why, he decides, as the elevator jolts and groans to a halt. He’s angry, scorned. He’s been betrayed, Bangtan Recording House has been betrayed and he just wants to know why. That’s all. Then he’ll say, fuck you, Taehyung, and he’ll leave this building and never look back.

On level 15, Jeongguk tries his best to act like he’s supposed to be there. He’s wearing his suit, so not many people look twice at him and when they do they don’t look for very long.

He walks around for a long time, reading each plate on each door and realising that he knows nothing about Kim Taehyung, especially when he finally finds his nameplate.

Kim Taehyung, Assistant Creative Director, Eom & Matthew Entertainment.

"What the fuck?" Jeongguk stares with wide eyes at the plate. A passing worker makes a startled noise at his sudden outburst, glaring at him. He barely notices them.

Assistant Creative Director? Had no one run a background check on him when he was given the job? But of course, Jeongguk had been the one who had orchestrated his employment. Namjoon and Jimin had laughed at him when he'd mentioned a background check, dismissing him as overeager. He remembers how desperate he'd been to prove himself to Namjoon back then, scrapping the background check even though his gut had told him not to.

This is all his fault, he realises. He had fucked up right from the start. He was the one who selected Taehyung, he didn’t look him up properly, he made a stupid bet with him that ended up involving the whole company and he- he-

He fell for him. Hard.

It’s not like his crush on Namjoon. Jeongguk had always looked up to Namjoon, since before he even applied for the job at Bangtan. He was the reason he had applied for the job in the first place, moved by his story, his drive, his passion. Jimin used to tell him that he always looked at Namjoon with a dopey grin and a light in his eyes whenever the man held the floor at company meetings. Jeongguk was completely infatuated by him, inspired. He wanted to spend time with him, he wanted to listen to him talk for hours. He wanted to be just like him one day.

Conversely, Jeongguk had absolutely despised Taehyung. But they say that the line between love and hate is awful thin and they - whoever they are - are right, they’re so right. As soon as Jeongguk had decided he didn't have a good reason to dislike Taehyung, he could find no reason not to like him.

He isn’t infatuated by him, he doesn’t look up to him. He isn't inspired by him and he can't say that he wants to listen to him talk for hours. Instead, he wants to learn everything Taehyung doesn't say, wants to learn by watching. He wants to learn about all of the things that make him, him. He wants to know what he’s like at three in the morning when he’s delirious from lack of sleep, what kind of music he listens to when he's stressed, whether he's the type to pretend not to be crying at sad movies or if he's the type that openly bawls. He wants to know how he takes his coffee, if he even drinks coffee, whether he's scared of flying or not, if he prefers cats or dogs. Jeongguk, in turn, wants to show Taehyung all of the things that define him, too. He wants to go for walks with him, wants to hold his hand. He wants to flirt with him, to bite back giggles as he listens to the cheesy pickup lines Taehyung has up his sleeve, to kiss him and make him breathless and hug him and-

He doesn’t want to be like him, he wants to be with him and he’s only realising this now as he raises a hand to knock on his door.

But his fist remains frozen in the air because he’s not in love with Kim Taehyung, he’s not. He’s in love with whoever it was that sat at the desk opposite him for four months, sure. But not with Kim Taehyung, Assistant Creative Director of a media company. He doesn’t even know this man. The only reason he has come to see him is because he’s angry and he wants answers.

This is why he drops his fist, deciding to hell with the knocking, and just opens the door instead.

Kim Taehyung is hunched over his desk, staring at a computer just like Jeongguk has seen him doing for months now but it’s different because he’s got his own office and he’s wearing a fancy suit with a pretty tie and a gold nameplate on his desk and it’s not the same person. The man who jumps up from his chair and stares with wide eyes at the deranged Jeongguk panting in his doorway is far too put together, too expensive-looking. This man looks like he just walked off of the cover of Vogue, like he was born in the display window of a Gucci store.

“Jeongguk?” He asks in disbelief, wincing as the name comes out. 

"Who is this then?" A voice makes Jeongguk jump, turning to see a gentleman appear from behind the door, regarding Jeongguk with a judgmental eye. Jeongguk stares at him for a moment, already intimidated by the tall man. His suit looks even nicer than Taehyung's does, far more lavish than anything Namjoon would ever wear. His thick grey eyebrows are drawn into a frown, his salt and pepper hair styled back in such a way that it makes him look younger than he is, unlike the frown lines around his mouth that betray his age. 

"I- Father, this is my friend, Jeon Jeongguk." Jeongguk opens his mouth to give a scathing, 'I'm not your friend,' but Taehyung is giving him a desperate look and mouthing at him to shake the guy's hand, so Jeongguk bites his tongue and does so. 

"Nice to meet you, sir." Jeongguk gives the man a quick bow. 

"You don't know who I am do you?" The man emits a haughty laugh. Jeongguk decides that he hates him. "Taehyung, where do you find these people?" 

Taehyung's voice is strained as he gestures to the man, "Jeongguk, this is Mr. Kim Sung-nim, the C.E.O. of E.M. Entertainment." 

Jeongguk swallows, blinking, but he decides to say nothing more. The silence that follows is drawn out and tense. This man doesn't deserve his respect, especially not now that Jeongguk knows what kind of company he runs. Taehyung starts to fidget, stressed hands unable to stay still.

"Dad, can you leave us maybe?" Taehyung turns to his father with an apologetic expression.

"Of course. It's not like we were in the middle of any important discussion about what a failure you are before we were rudely interrupted by the plebeian company you insist on keeping." The man speaks cheerfully, despite the fact that his words are scathing. Jeongguk blinks a few times, shocked at the idea of this man being the father of someone so sweet. 

But then, Jeongguk remembers why he's here and he bitterly thinks that there's no doubt that Taehyung is this man's son.

The older man eyes Jeongguk over one more time before scoffing and leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

For a moment it's silent in the office, save for Taehyung's sigh of pure relief. Then Jeongguk rounds on him.

“Jeongguk, I can-”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jeongguk clenches his hands into fists, staring down at them as they start to shake. “How the fuck could you do that?”

“Jeongguk, I’m sorry.” Taehyung already has a tear streaking down his cheek as he stares at Jeongguk, but the younger doesn’t see, doesn’t look up. “I’m sorry to do that to you all, to Namjoon. I swear, I hated every minute of it. I felt sick the whole time and I swear I would take it all back-”

“Not that.” Jeongguk hisses, head still tilted down. Taehyung falters, petering off as he watches the younger man trembling. “How the fuck could you do that to me?”

Taehyung takes a sharp breath in and holds it, even as Jeongguk finally looks up and reveals his red and blotchy face, his eyes already puffy and his cheeks wet with tears.

“How could you do that to me-e?” He chokes on his words, rubbing under his eyes with his fist. “How could you spend months pretending like there was something and then just leave? How could you say you wanted to be my friend when none of it was real? How could you- you just leave like that, just say all- all of those horrible things and just disappear and never bother to contact me ever again?"

“I thought- I thought you wouldn’t want me to.” Taehyung tries to keep his breathing even, knows he’ll break down if he doesn’t. “I didn’t think- I thought after what I said, what I did, that you’d hate me.”

“Idiot.” Jeongguk turns around, making pathetic noises as he wipes his nose on his suit. “I do hate you. I hate you so much. I can’t believe that monsters like you and your father even exist. How could you hurt all of those people?”

“Guk, I-”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Right. Jeongguk, then.” Taehyung wipes his own eyes, grabs a tissue and holds it out for Jeongguk. He stares at it for a moment, grabs it and then stares at Taehyung’s hand for a moment longer. “Jeongguk, you’ll never know how truly sorry I am. I didn’t like that I was doing this in the first place, but I agreed to do it because it was easy back then. I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t care that there were people I might hurt. But I didn’t know Namjoon back then, I didn’t know Jimin, or Hoseok, anyone. I didn’t know you. But as I became friends with everyone… as I got to know you, I realised that I was going to hurt you all. It tore me up inside and I’ll never forgive myself.”

Jeongguk waves his snotty tissue at him as he snaps, “You could’ve said something. You could’ve told us. We could’ve worked something out. You destroyed everything Namjoon has spent years working for.”

“I didn’t… I didn’t give them all of the information.” Taehyung looks down at his desk, leans down to a drawer and pulls out a stack of folders and papers. “I couldn’t. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I gave them all of the archived expense reports and the list of your stock-brokers, but I didn’t give them any of Namjoon’s plans for the future. I just couldn’t, not after I met the guy and I realised how much he’s worked to get that company to where it is. How much you’ve all worked.” Taehyung laughs, voice dry and unhappy and not at all musical and Jeongguk hates it, hates him. “Even you, a secretary, worked harder than I’ve ever seen anyone in this building work.”

“You know,” Taehyung sits down. He gestures for Jeongguk to do the same. Jeongguk refuses, crossing his arms stubbornly. Taehyung watches him with sad eyes before continuing, “I used to hate your company. With a passion. I didn’t have a real reason to, though, I just hated Bangtan because that's what my father did, what everyone else did. Bangtan has always been on the top on without seeming to have to try.”

“Was on the top. You sort of ruined that.” Jeongguk takes the petty opportunity to make the jab. Taehyung flinches.

“Right. Anyway, everyone in this industry is jealous. No one can compete and no one knows why. My father decided the only way to find out was to attack from the inside. So, he set up a small project, put me in charge. He’s been working on it for almost a year, you know. I think it's the only time I've seen him work on something with genuine passion. We started with idols, tried to come up with a fake group that could work with your company and see if there was something dirty going on there. But Namjoon has actual taste and doesn’t sign just anybody. He cares about the quality of the music that’s coming under his name, unlike everybody else in this industry who only think in dollar signs." Taehyung's voice becomes more bitter as he speaks and it's like he's getting further and further away, the room growing and widening until they're miles apart. Taehyung isn't simple Taehyung the secretary anymore. He's one of the lead decision-makers for a successful company. He's from a completely different world than Jeongguk and the younger once again realises with a hot lash of pain in his gut that he knows nothing about him.

Taehyung doesn't notice Jeongguk's stricken expression, too busy rubbing at his temple like he's got a bad headache. “We tried other tactics, even tried posing someone as a maintenance man, but your receptionist wanted to know exactly why he was there so he couldn’t get in. He was just about to give up when my friend came up with the idea of applying for a job there. It sounded so stupid that I put in an application for the most recent position advertised. I didn’t expect it to actually work. You know the rest of the story from there. I met you, you taught me things I already knew and I started trying to figure out what it was that made Bangtan so successful.

"Dad was so sure that I was going to find something scandalous. Some evidence that Namjoon had been paying artists to sign up with him, making fake deals, or money laundering or anything. He was so convinced, but I knew as soon as I started looking that I wasn't going to find anything. The longer I tried to do my job, the more I hated what I was doing. In the end I was coming in only because I actually wanted to work, because I was having so much fun there, more fun than I've ever had here. I could've let it go on forever. I really could have. I would have been happy to start a new life there, but dad started putting more pressure on me, suspicious when I kept defending Namjoon. I told him that there was nothing, so he told me to steal everything, to steal your success. I didn't want to do it, but I felt trapped, Jeongguk. If I did the job I knew I'd be hated, but if I didn't my father would disown me. I'd lose my position here. I just felt like there was nothing I could do, so I did it." Taehyung pauses for a moment, eyes sliding over to Jeongguk's carefully blank expression. He smiles, almost fondly, and says, "You made it so difficult though."

"What?"

Jeongguk cocks his head to one side. Taehyung smiles again, but then his eyes become downcast and his lips pull into a grimace. "Jeongguk, I… I wish I’d never said what I did to you. About Namjoon." Jeongguk watches Taehyung lean over till he's got his head in his hands. "I’m sorry. I was just trying to hurt you. It was my original plan to seduce him and get information through him, you know. But I found out that he was with Seokjin. I saw them when I was scanning through your surveillance footage one night and I knew I had to try a different way. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I only wanted you to hate me so that I could leave without guilt. I could handle the others being hurt, to some degree, but the thought of hurting you… it kills me.” Taehyung holds a hand to his chest, over his heart as though he’s in physical pain right now.

“But you did hurt me." Jeongguk's jaw is clenched, his words ground out through gritted teeth. "You hurt me when you said that, then you hurt me when you left.”

“I know. I- I fucked up. I fucked up because I started liking you, Jeongguk. I knew that I was screwed the moment I first got in that elevator with you, when you agreed that we could be friends one day and I- I was so happy. I knew then that it was all over.” 

“Then why did you leave. You didn’t have to leave, you could have stayed.” Jeongguk’s tears have dried while Taehyung told his story, but he still chokes on dry sobs as he speaks. “You didn’t have to leave me."

"Jeongguk..."

"So was it all fake?" Jeongguk gestures to Taehyung, then to himself. "Was it all a lie?” 

“No! Jeongguk, that’s what I’m trying to tell you.” Taehyung stands up. Jeongguk finally sits down, just to be stubborn. “I’m trying to tell you that- God. I can’t-" Taehyung pulls at his hair, squeezes his eyes tightly shut for a moment. When he opens them again, he has a determined look in his eyes. "Listen. There were only a few things that were fake, okay? I never actually loved Namjoon. Not even a little.” He watches Jeongguk blanch and manages a wry smile. “Like I said, my plan was to seduce him. I only made the bet with you because I figured it would be entertaining, and it was. It was so cute watching you get angry, competitive, trying to flirt. Everything, it was just adorable. I only flirted with Namjoon to watch you get jealous." 

Taehyung waits for Jeongguk to speak, but the other is looking away with an embarrassed expression. He pulls his lips together in a tight line, before continuing on, “The only other thing that was a lie was what I said to you to hurt you that night.”

“You were right though. You said Namjoon will never love me, and you were right.”

“Please, Gu- Jeongguk. Forget what I said. Don’t you remember what I told you on the day we talked about flirting. All you need to do is blink your eyes and put on that innocent look and just about anybody could fall for you. You’re too adorable.”

Jeongguk blushes, pouting. “But you said that that look wouldn’t make him-”

“Forget what I said, Jeongguk,” Taehyung shouts, voice desperate. “Please. Just forget that night ever happened. Please, I’m begging you.”

“You know I walked in on Namjoon fucking Seokjin right after that.” Taehyung doesn’t look surprised by Jeongguk's interjection. He probably saw the two himself. Jeongguk rubs his hands down his face, whispers, “I thought it was you.”

Now Taehyung looks taken aback. “Oh?”

“Yeah. It hurt… so much.”

“Oh." Taehyung swallows, thinking about that for a moment. "That’s why you chucked that money at me the next day? I was so confused.”

“Yeah.” Jeongguk sighs, feeling exhausted in every possible way. There's a long silence where Jeongguk stares at his twiddling fingers and Taehyung stares at him. Jeongguk is still angry, so eventually he says, “Alright, we've established that you're an asshole. What now?"

Taehyung strides over to his window, looks out at the sweeping city skyline because it gives him something to do.

“I’ll return the files to Namjoon. I would send them back with you, but I- I want to do it in person. I know that everybody there hates me now, but I just… need to do it. For me. I can’t live with this guilty conscience plaguing me.”

“Is that all?”

“I think…” Jeongguk holds his breath. “I think I’m going to quit. Quit working here.”

Jeongguk sags in the chair, lips pouted. Taehyung turns around but doesn’t notice the younger’s behaviour. “You know, my father is the only reason that I have this job. I didn’t work to get here, I didn’t start at the bottom and rise through the ranks. I was born, enrolled in a snobby private school, attended university and then the moment I graduated dad gave me this job. That’s it. That’s my life story. I’m supposed to work here until dad dies, then I’ll take over until I die.

“But I don’t want to do that, not now that I’ve seen what a real company is like, what it’s like to be part of a family instead of just a business. Not now that I know what it feels like to do hard work. I don’t know… I was so scared of losing this job, but now that everything has been said and done, I realised I should've been scared of losing my other job, my job as a secretary. I- I was sort of thinking of crawling back to Namjoon and asking for my position back. Or for a job in reception, or as a cleaner or just anything. Then I can prove myself, I can work hard and prove that I care about your company, that I care about doing a good job. I want to prove myself to you all, to myself.”

Jeongguk waits patiently for him to finish, before he opens his mouth and with an expectant tone, says, “And?”

Taehyung startles, not expecting the younger’s dismissal of his speech.

“And what?”

“Is that all?” Jeongguk looks frustrated. “Is that all you’re going to do?”

Taehyung regards him for a moment before slowly answering, “Yeah, that’s about as far as my plans go. Why?”

Jeongguk lowers his head to hide the hurt, but Taehyung is watching him carefully.

“Nothing. I just thought… is there really nothing else you want to do?"

“Jeongguk… there are plenty of things that I want to do. But I’m not going to do them just yet. Just for now, while I figure out my life. This whole thing has sort of shaken me up.”

“Right then. Good luck with all of that, I guess.” Jeongguk stands up from the seat, sniffling one more time. “I guess I got the answers I was looking for. Thanks for nothing, asshole.”

With that, Jeongguk leaves a bewildered Taehyung gaping at him as he exits the room. He walks down the hall and heads back towards the elevator, not caring about the odd looks other employees give him as he walks past them with a blotchy face and reddened nose.

I hate him, I hate him, I really fucking hate him.

He gets a serious sense of déjà vu when he’s waiting for the elevator, only to hear footsteps rushing up to him. He hates that he doesn’t need to turn around to know who it is, so he only leans forward and presses the button a few more times as though that will somehow hurry the lift up.

“What did you mean?”

Jeongguk stares at the lift doors, willing them to open.

“What did you mean when you asked if that was everything I wanted to do?”

“What do you think it means, dumbass?” Jeongguk presses the button again a few more times for good measure. “You’re the creative director of a media corporation and you can’t even figure out a simple sentence. No wonder your company needs to steal our information just to succeed.”

Jeongguk is only being horrible for the sake of it at this point, something selfish and childish inside of him taking every opportunity to be petulant. He doesn't want Taehyung to know that the only thing he feels right now is a lingering tightness in his chest and an itching desire to touch the other man's soft hair. He's never touched his hair before, but he knows, he just knows that it's soft and silky.

Finally, the lift doors open. There’s a young woman inside, which Jeongguk is silently thankful for because otherwise he would’ve been stuck in a lift with Kim Taehyung  for the long journey down (he assumes that the other is going to follow him, because he's annoying like that) and who knows how long Jeongguk would’ve been able to restrain himself for. Probably not long.

Jeongguk steps into the lift. Taehyung steps in with him. He puts his arm out to hold the door and says, “Get out.”

Jeongguk gasps, opens his mouth, but Taehyung slams a hand down on it.

The young woman looks confused.

“But this isn’t my floor.”

“If you want to keep your job, you will get out of this elevator, right now.”

Kim Taehyung is sort of scary like this, Jeongguk decides. He’s used to a cheerful, smiley, mischievous young guy, not this angry, serious, boss-like man who is sort of scary, sort of terrifyingly hot. Jeongguk’s eyes widen as the woman grumbles but leaves the elevator.

The doors slide closed. Taehyung leans over and presses the button for the top floor. Jeongguk wrenches Taehyung’s hand off of him with a gasp.

“What are you doing?” Taehyung doesn’t answer him. The lift starts climbing up. “Why are we going to the top floor?”

It takes a few more floors for him to respond with, “That’s where I live.”

“Huh?” Jeongguk answers, even as the doors open and Taehyung grabs him by the wrist again, pulling him out into a corridor. “You- you live up here?”

“My father owns this building, Jeongguk.” Taehyung opens a glass smoke door, guides Jeongguk through it with a hand on the small of his back. The hallway ends with only one door with The Penthouse Suite written in gold letters on the front of it. Taehyung produces a keycard and then holds the door open for Jeongguk, who stumbles through it.

He doesn’t have time to gape at the lavish interior or the breathtaking views through the ceiling-to-floor windows, because he’s pushed up against the door and Taehyung's face is blocking his vision.

“What did you mean? What do you want me to do?”

Jeongguk holds his breath as Taehyung presses him up against the wood, bites the inside of his cheek to stop any untoward noises from escaping his mouth.

Taehyung sighs at his lack of response, letting his head drop.

“Jeongguk, I’ve apologised for what happened with the company. But I need to apologise for what happened with you." His fingers tighten around Jeongguk's biceps. "I didn’t know how important you would become to me so quickly. I didn’t anticipate that when I took this job I would fall in love with you. The bet was funny at first, but watching you with Namjoon, knowing you were already in love with him… it hurt. What I said to you on that night, when I told you to give up. I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to myself. I was trying to push you away, but watching how hurt you were was hurting me. I was on the verge of confessing to you right there, but I couldn’t. So, I told myself, ‘He’s in love with someone else. Just give up.’ I swear, if I’d known how much I would hurt you, I never would’ve-”

Jeongguk stomps down on Taehyung’s foot, cutting his apology off. The other immediately lets go of him and reaches down to clutch at his shoe.

“Ow! Oh my god, Guk, ow! What the hell?”

Jeongguk rolls his eyes at him before he grabs him by the shoulders and spins them around so that Jeongguk is the one pressing Taehyung against the door. The other barely has any time to react before Jeongguk is surging forwards.

Kissing Taehyung is not something Jeongguk had considered very much until recently, but now that he’s doing it he feels like all of his life has been leading up to this moment, like all of the study and hard work he’s done has paid off because he’s finally got the upper hand on Taehyung and it’s all he’s ever wanted.

“I don’t love Namjoon-hyung.” Jeongguk can't help but press his lips to Taehyung's a few more times after he’s spoken. The other is completely slack-jawed, brain still catching up, but Jeongguk doesn't mind his lack of response. It's sort of cute. “I don’t think I ever really did.”

“I- but you-”

“I do hate you. I swear, I hate you so much, but...” Jeongguk looks into his eyes, watches how they squeeze shut for a moment as he takes in Jeongguk’s words. “I haven’t ever felt this way about anyone before.”

Taehyung breathes loudly, like he’s just run a mile, so Jeongguk kisses his face, one cheek, then the other, his forehead and then his nose. Taehyung flinches with every touch.

“Hyung, are you alright? You look like you’re about to pass out.” Jeongguk smirks, cups Taehyung’s face in his hand. "Who's the big, strong man now?"

“Jah…” Taehyung pants, eyelashes fluttering and irises glossy with tears, “who is this confident person? Where’s my shy little Guk?”

Jeongguk giggles as he leans forward, kissing Taehyung’s lips again. They’re so soft, so perfect against his own, even if Taehyung is too shocked to reciprocate. “You taught me how to flirt, hyung. I know you well enough to know how to woo you, I think.”

Taehyung finally seems to catch up to the present, because he laughs. He laughs so much, head bashing against the wood as he throws it backward, that Jeongguk watches him with slight concern.

Once he's calmed down he grins and says, “God, I love you. Come here."

He finally kisses Jeongguk back and the other sighs into the kiss, happy. When they pull apart, they’re both flushed and smiling.

"I can't say it back." 

Taehyung leans back into the door, smile falling a little. But he nods.

"I guess I don't really deserve to-"

"Tae," Jeongguk returns his hands to his cheek, cradles his face and lifts it so that he's meeting Jeongguk's sincere gaze head on, "I really like you. But I don't really know anything about you. I really want to learn though, I want to learn everything."

"Oh," Taehyung breathes out, nodding quickly. "Okay. Alright, that's... good. Good."

Jeongguk laughs, nuzzles his nose into Taehyung's cheek. The other squirms in his hold.

"God, I can't take this. How are you so... okay with me? Why aren't you angry?"

"I am angry, hyung, and confused and hurt." Jeongguk leans back a little. "I'm so angry but I think I'm also not." 

"That... doesn't make sense."

"I know." Jeongguk laughs again, shaking his head. "The whole last few months haven't made sense to me. You don't make sense, Tae, but I really like you anyway."

"I'm really glad that you do," Taehyung murmurs, hand coming up to Jeongguk's chest, pressing against it and smiling when he feels how hard his heart is beating.

“I think Namjoon will forgive you, hyung. I think if you tell him the truth and return those files to him, he’ll understand. It might take a while, but he will. We all really liked you, you know.”

Taehyung bites his bottom lip into his mouth. “Do you really think so?” At Jeongguk’s nod he sighs, relieved. “Fuck, that would make me so happy.”

“I would have won that bet, you know. If it weren’t for Seokjin, that is.”

Taehyung raises an eyebrow. “You think so?”

“Yeah.”

“But you’re so awkward, Guk.”

“Am not.” Jeongguk pouts. This time, Taehyung leans up and kisses the pout away like he’s always wanted to. It was nice to kiss Taehyung, but to be kissed by him is even better and Jeongguk's muscles slacken in his body. He gasps when Taehyung's tongue flicks against his bottom lip, pulling away with flushed cheeks, to murmur, “What are you doing?”

“You forget that I’m a master of seduction, Gukkie.” Taehyung gives him a sultry grin. Jeongguk rolls his eyes.

"Right."

"I am. I could get into anyone's pants."

“Only my pants, hyung,” Jeongguk says boldly, but he cringes immediately afterwards.

Taehyung cackles and leans in to kiss him, whispering against his lips, “Ah, there’s my awkward baby.”

--

Jeongguk has been waiting outside Namjoon's office for a long time. He had had his ear pressed up against the door at first, listening as Taehyung repeated the same story that he'd told Jeongguk the previous day. When Namjoon speaks, he strains more than ever to hear, but their voices are too low and the roar of blood in his ears is deafening. He gives up, pacing the room for a while before he sits at his desk with his head in his hands. 

When he hears the door opening, he shoots up from his chair. Taehyung comes out with a blank expression.

"Well?" He follows behind Taehyung as he starts walking down the corridor. "Tae... c'mon, talk to me. Did he give you your job back?"

"No, he didn't, Guk." Taehyung doesn't say any more and Jeongguk trots after him like a puppy at heel.

"What do you mean he didn't? Of course he did, it's Namjoon. Did you tell him everything? Did you give him the files?"

They reach the elevator and Taehyung presses the call button. He doesn't respond to Jeongguk. As they wait for the elevator to arrive a group of employees walk by, gasping when they see Taehyung. 

There are whispers and murmurs, "What's he doing here?" and "Back to gloat?" and disdainful sneers. Jeongguk glares at them but they don't notice him. Taehyung sets his shoulders and acts as though he hasn't heard.

When the elevator doors slide closed, Taehyung finally speaks.

"He said that he would love to re-hire me, but he couldn't."

"What does that mean? Of course he can, he's the C.E.O. We'll just go talk to H.R. and-"

An arm snakes around Jeongguk's waist, pulling him close to Taehyung. Despite his initial boldness, he's still not used to all of the physical affection. He feels overheated when Taehyung leans down and kisses his forehead with a chuckle.

"The damage has already been done, Gukkie. Even if Namjoon forgives me, the chances that the other employees will is close to none. I was upset at first, but when I think about it, itmakes sense. Part of what makes Bangtan so great is your company culture, your laidback, happy, team environment. If I were here it would only create unnecessary tension."

"But-"

"I want my job back as much as you do, Guk. But think rationally. It just wouldn't work."

Jeongguk looks up at his resolute expression and sighs.

"I... what are you going to do?"

"I'll be fine, Jeongguk. I have plans. Why don't you ask me what I want instead?"

He looks into his eyes, arms tightening around his waist.

"What do you want, Tae?"

"I want you to be my boyfriend. I don't care where I work or what I do. Maybe I'll go back to university, get a new degree. Maybe I'll start my own business or something. I don't care, I just want to know you'll be there."

Jeongguk opens his mouth just as the elevator dings and the doors slide open. Hoseok and Jimin stop short upon seeing Jeongguk and then they gape in disbelief when they see who he's springing apart from. Only when the doors start to close again do they jolt forward into the elevator.

They side-eye Taehyung. Hoseok turns to Jeongguk. 

"Does anybody need to be punched?" 

Jeongguk frowns before returning to Taehyung's side, capturing his hand in his and glaring at Hoseok.

"Yeah, Namjoon for not re-hiring the best secretary he's ever had."

Taehyung laughs, surprised. Jimin's eyebrows raise sky-high before he's laughing too. He puts a hand on a very-surprised Taehyung's shoulder with a warm smile.

"You must have a really big dick if that's how quickly you got Jeongguk to move on from Namjoon-hyung."

Jeongguk is wrestling Jimin to the floor when the elevator arrives at their stop.

Taehyung looks a lot happier once the two leave, seeming to have forgiven him in a mere instant. He smiles as he watches them go. "They're good hyungs."

"Tae," Jeongguk's voice makes him look over as Jeongguk squeezes the hand that he's still holding.

"Yes, Guk?"

"I'll be there."

Taehyung kisses him right there in front of the receptionist. 

--

A month later, Namjoon calls Jeongguk into his office and tells him that he's lost his job. Jeongguk is on the verge of tears, thinking about getting onto his knees and begging when Namjoon laughs and says, "Got you again, Guk."

Jeongguk has to leave the room to breathe for a while.

When he returns, Namjoon promotes him to Market Research and tells him that he's confident that once Jeongguk has got his degree he will have no problems rising through the ranks. Jeongguk stands up and hugs him without hesitation while Namjoon fondly ruffles his hair.

The new position is an exciting change and Jeongguk loves his work more than anything, but he thinks the office is a little bit dull without Taehyung's grin there, a little flat without his musical laughter. He can't complain too much though, because Taehyung makes a show of waiting at his desk for him at 5pm each day, before walking to the parking lot with him. More often than not Taehyung comes to Jeongguk’s flat with him and stays the night there, rather than return to the place he's renting after his father kicked him out of the penthouse. Taehyung says he doesn't mind, that the penthouse was too large and always made him feel lonely. He prefers Jeongguk's creaky, tiny double bed because he has a good excuse to cuddle up to him.

On the current day, months after all of the dust has settled, Jeongguk is driving the two of them to Seokjin and Namjoon's engagement party. Taehyung wants to hold his hand while he drives, but he declines saying that the traffic is too busy for him to risk driving one-handed. Taehyung pouts and takes to running his hand along Jeongguk's thigh teasingly until Jeongguk gives up, pulling over with a growl before leaning over the centre console and kissing Taehyung senseless.

They arrive at Seokjin's house a lot later than they'd intended. The door is unlocked for them and when they wander into the dining room Jeongguk is struck by a dizzying sense of déjà vu.

“But he’s got all of those muscles. There’s no way that he doesn’t put them to use. I’m putting 20,000 on Guk.”

Jeongguk watches in disbelief as Yoongi puts some notes on the table.

“Muscles aren’t everything, hyung. Besides, have you seen those doe eyes? Jeongguk is far too innocent. I’m betting it on Tae.” Jimin puts his own money down.

“It’s absolutely Taehyung.” Hoseok makes everyone gasp when he puts 100,000 won on the table. “I’m sure of it. He’s got that look in his eyes, like he knows what he’s doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in the BDSM scene.”

"I have to agree with you." Namjoon is looking a lot more reserved than the others, but he still slides a few notes over the table to the larger pile. "I watched Jeongguk try to flirt with me for a year. He's not the one, believe me."

Seokjin is in the corner of the room, rolling his eyes. He sees Jeongguk standing at the door and grins sadistically.

“Guys.”

"Hyung, we do not have a gambling problem- oh."

“Guk! Tae!" Jimin jumps up and stands in front of the table like his slender body would ever hide the stacks of cash strewn about it.

"What did we miss, exactly?" Taehyung wraps an arm around Jeongguk's shoulder as he rests his chin on the other one.

Everyone looks incredibly uncomfortable, except for Seokjin who dons a malicious smirk.

“They’re betting on which one of you tops.”

Jeongguk blinks a few times before his neck flushes red and he quickly shakes his head. "Why would you- we don't-"

"Guk-ah," Taehyung's whisper is warm against his ear, spreading goosebumps over his skin. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

“See!” Hoseok points at the two of them with a grin. “I told you Tae tops. Look at that big dick energy.”

Yoongi looks disappointed, huffing and crossing his arms. "Can't believe I bet on Jeongguk."

Jeongguk is livid. Why the hell is everyone so involved in his love life?

He pulls out of Taehyung's hold and steps forward.

“What’s the pool?”

Jimin raises a brow at him before counting out the money.

“210,000 on Taehyung, 80,000 on you.”

Jeongguk growls in his throat. Taehyung giggles behind him, far more knowing than any of their audience, who watches with rapt attention as Jeongguk pulls his wallet out.

“There.” He slams a pile of notes on the table, making a third stack next to the other two. “We switch. Now give me your fucking money.”

--