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South Korea was not an unknown country. With thousand year old palaces, delicious food and mind blowing nightview, South Korea was a favourite holiday spot for almost all of the western World. And the fact that even industrially it was ahead of most of its competitors gave it an added advantage. Overall, South Korea was a dream destination for a lot of people on all four corners of the world.
The corporate world in South Korea was no joke. Extreme pressure, late working hours, and lack of sleep for days was not unknown. Be it a regular office worker, or a high powered attorney, every single person in the South Korean corporate world had to face hardships if they wanted to stabilise their place.
Kim Taehyung was no exception. Being born and brought up in Daegu, he was a simple yet very intelligent boy. Although his dream was to become a singer, he ended up going to Lawschool in Seoul, where he met Jeon Jeongguk.
Jeon Jeongguk’s story was also quite similar to Taehyung’s. Born to an extremely poor family in Busan, Jeongguk vowed to be the first person to buy his parents a new house once he started earning. Being an extremely passionate and driven young boy, he got a chance to go to one of Seoul’s biggest Lawschools on full scholarship since his family couldn’t afford it. There, he met Kim Taehyung.
Saying that everything was simple ans easy between them from the very beginning would be a lie. As a matter of fact, it was quite the opposite. They were both always up each other’s necks, in class, and during extra curricular activities as well. Neither of them liked what the other students called, “A silver medal”. No, the both of them wanted gold, and would settle for nothing less. This often led to a lot of sexual tension and unresolved emotions between the both of them, and the fact that Taehyung was extremely pretty, and Jeongguk was extremely hot, didn’t help either of their cases.
However, it all ended when the both of them were partnered for a semester project. Needless to say, neither of them were very happy about it, but they decided to not dwell upon it too much, and just do what they had to and keep out of each other’s way.
This project, however, proved to be a life-changing point for the both of them. After talking, and becoming somewhat acquainted with one another, they both started warming up to each other. Within a month, they had become quite close, and both of them had figured that what they felt for the other went a little more than simple friendship. However, they decided to keep quiet, as they both knew that unnecessary drama was the last thing they needed in their lives.
But there’s a saying...”Alcohol does what humans cannot...” So one night, a party during semester break had led to both Taehyung and Jeongguk getting extremely drunk which in turn had led Taehyung to shove Jeongguk into a wall as he hoarsely whispered into the latter’s ear that everything about him drove Taehyung crazy. Jeongguk, in turn, had flipped their positions, held Taehyung by his waist harshly, as he whispered back, that the feelings were mutual. The rest of the night was a blur of Jeongguk’s lips on Taehyung’s collarbones and Taehyung’s moans being the only music to Jeongguk’s ears. The next morning, Taehyung woke up, body devoid of any clothing, in Jeongguk’s bed, with the said male right beside him, condition not too different from his own. As their antics from last night started coming back to Taehyung, he started panicking, not knowing what this meant for the both of them. He was shaking, and crying not knowing what to do, when Jeongguk woke up and assured him that everything he said last night was true, and he meant every word. Jeongguk promised Taehyung that he truly truly loved him, and this was not a drill. They decided to give their romantic relationship a shot, and there they were, seven years later.
Things hadn’t always been easy for the both of them.... even in college, they both liked to keep their relationship private. The fact that they had started arguing less, giving each other more opportunities, and even sitting together during lunch didn’t go unnoticed by the students and professors, but they just assumed that they had become close when they paired up for the project. It was a tough world out there, a d nobody put too much thought as to WHY the two most brilliant students of the batch had suddenly started arguing less, and behaving more cordial towards each other.
And as of the present day, Taehyung was lying on the couch of his two storey apartment, an apartment he shared with his husband. Yes, Jeongguk and he had graduated and gotten a place together. It hadn’t been easy the first couple of months, Jeongguk working for a legal consultancy firm, and Taehyung being a part of the Legal Department of a business enterprise. The corporate world took a toll on their health as well as their relationship. They didn’t have time to talk to each other, or even sit and have dinner. They occasionally tried to fit in a movie night, since that was their tradition since college days, but with the increasing work pressure, and both of them trying to make it into the corporate world, the movie nights became less and less frequent, until it was almost nonexistent.
But both of them understood it, they empathised with the other, and didn’t force anything on them. They knew that they were in this fight together, and that they had to emerge victorious, no matter how long it took.
It was Jeongguk who made the first move. He was working late one day, and the only person left in the office was his boss Jung Hoseok. They got to talking, and before he knew it, he had already told Hoseok how much the corporate world was taking a toll on his and Taehyung’s relationship and how he missed the days when the both of them could just sit and cuddle all day, without having to worry about deadlines and board meetings. What Hoseok told him that day was something he never forgot...
Keeping one hand on Jeongguk’s shoulder, Hoseok sat on the chair such that he would be at par with Jeongguk. Then, he slowly looked into his eyes and said, “Mr Jeon, the corporate world is not easy.... if you’re having problems coping up here, and you’re afraid that you are losing out on time with your boyfriend, then you are going to have to solve this by yourself. I was once in your place, new, fresh, and I wanted nothing but to create a position for myself. And that ended up costing me way more than I imagined. In two months, I had landed in the hospital thrice, and had broken up with my boyfriend of three years, because I truly didnt have time for him. But god gave me another change, a year later, I bumped into him at an invitation, and the moment I saw him, I was reminded of everything that we’d shared in those three years, everything we’d been through, and everything I had given up JUST because I cared more about a fucking job. I approached him that night, heart heavy with feelings, and a whole bottle of scotch in my system, and in front of so many people, cried, apologised and asked him for one more chance to be the boyfriend he wanted, the boyfriend I could never be. And I’m so glad when he agreed to give me a chance because trust me, if he didn’t then we would both regret it. As of today, we are married and have adopted a son.”
Hoseok smiled softly as he took out his phone and showed Jeongguk his lockscreen. It was a photo of a mint haired young man, with kitten eyes and a gummy smile. He had his head thrown back, and he was laughing, and in his hands, was a young baby, not more than two months old.
“Thats my husband Yoongi, and our son Jimin.” Hobi smiled fondly at the photos. “We got married a little more than a year back, and then adopted him. He’s our little bundle of happiness.” Hoseok smiled.
“Jeongguk, I know what you’re going through because some years back, I was right there. Now maybe the dynamic between you and your boyfriend is different from what the both of us had, maybe he’s more understanding, more willing to make sacrifices and more patient. But always remember one thing… the Corporate world is hard, and Jobs are important, but nothing, and I repeat NOTHING is more important than your family, and people who care about you. Jeongguk if I had decided to not win Yoongi back, then I’d probably have my own firm by now, but I did, and here I am today, happy and content. I would NEVER trade my current life with anything else, if it meant I couldn’t be with him and my son. So Jeongguk, no matter what happens, don’t mess up your relationship with him over some corporate job because you might not be as lucky as I was, and few years down the line, you may regret it.” He gave him a pat on the shoulder, and left.
When Jeongguk reached home that day, he found Taehyung sprawled across their shared bed, snoring softly. One look at his face, and Jeongguk knew that he loved Taehyung too much to let him go... No, Taehyung was too ethereal and angelic, and if he left, Jeongguk wouldnt be able to cope up. Taehyung looked so beautiful when he was sleeping, and it was at that moment that Jeongguk knew that he was willing to do anything to save his relationship.
That night, Jeongguk went to sleep, cradling a sleepy Taehyung in his arms. And by the way even an asleep Taehyung unconsciously cuddled closer to Jeongguk, and rested his head on the latter’s chest, Jeongguk knew that Taehyung loved him very much, and would never do anything to hurt him intentionally.
The next morning, Jeongguk woke up earlier than usual. It was a Saturday, and although generally Saturdays meant more work, this Saturday, for a change, Jeongguk wasn’t burdened with Work, and neither was Taehyung. Jeongguk went down to the Kitchen, cooked some breakfast for the two of them, and made some coffee. Then, he took the food to their shared bedroom which was on the other side of their apartment.
On entering their room, he saw that Taehyung was fast asleep. Keeping the food tray on the table, Jeongguk went up to Taehyung and started giving him soft kisses all over his face, knowing very well that he would wake up to that.
And Jeongguk was right, because in a few seconds, Taehyung was wide awake, looking at Jeongguk with his large puppy eyes and boxy smile. Jeongguk put in all his effort not to coo at the boy who was currently below him, but failed. Taehyung had some insane power over the former, one little gesture got him weak in the knees for his boyfriend.
“Hey...” Taehyung said in his soft morning voice and GOD Jeongguk swears that he would have melted then and there, if that wasn’t a Physical Impossibility.
“Good Morning Beautiful... I made us some breakfast... and I need to talk to you, it’s important.”
“The change in Jeongguk’s voice got Taehyung very worried. He immediately sat up, got off the bed and walked upto Jeongguk. Then, taking his face between his pals, he softly caressed his cheekbones.
“Gukkie what happened?? Is everything okay??” Taehyung’s voice was laced with concern.
Jeongguk sat him down and told him everything. About his conversation with Hoseok, how much he loved Taehyung, and how he couldn’t imagine a future where the both of them were not together. Taehyung in turn held Jeongguk’shand and promised him that he was not going to leave him, and that a question of a second chance won’t even arise, because they are going to face all the struggles together. By the time they reached the end of the conversation, both of them were crying, because they realised how important they were to their significant other. They ate their breakfast, which had become cold, and spent the rest of the day tangled in each other’s arms, the other’s soft breathing being the only thing they heard.
And they were right, they worked it out. They promised each other that no matter what happened, they would try to keep atleast half an hour free everyday just so that they could talk to each other. They started telling each other about the cases they were dealing with, which is a big advantage for people whose significant others’ have the same profession as them, because they can help each other out. They used to be so tired after work, but somehow one of them always managed to come home before the other, and cook some dinner, or bring some takeout. On Fridays, they would just cuddle up on the couch after a hard day of work, and switch on some cheesey rom-com. It mostly ended with Taehyung falling asleep on Jeongguk’s shoulder, and Jeongguk carrying Taehyung, bridal style, back to their bedroom. Some weeks were hectic, but they still made it work.
And here they were, so many years later. They were both working as senior attorneys at two of the biggest law agencies in Asia, and were two of the biggest names in the world of Corporate Law. Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jeongguk, Jeon Jeongguk and Kim Taehyung.... no matter what happened, their names somehow managed to come together.... EVERYWHERE. And Taehyung and Jeongguk wouldn’t have it any other way. They loved it.
There was another fun thing about their relationship.
THE WORLD DIDN’T KNOW THAT KIM TAEHYUNG AND JEON JUNGKOOK WERE MARRIED...
It’s funny honestly, if you come to think of it. Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jeongguk were known for never having lost A SINGLE CASE in their entire career. Newspapers and Magazines often wrote articles about what would happen if they ever came face to face in the courtroom... who would face their first courtroom defeat, and how would that person react to it?? A lot of people had written various articles about this topic... most of the people had put their money on Taehyung being the one who’d lose his first case, since whereas Taehyung used his wit and sarcasm to bring the Jury on his side, Jeongguk was a more dynamic and offensive with his words, and he used his technique of attacking his opposition left right and centre in order to win the case. But both Taehyung and Jeongguk knew better. When it came to resisting the other’s charms, Taehyung was surely better. Taehyung knew that if he and Jeongguk ever came face to face in court, all he had to do was give Jeongguk his BEST puppy dog eyes and he would be on the floor in matter of seconds. Thats the power Taehyung had over Jeongguk.
They were both so different in their approach towards everything, and that was what they believed had got them together in the first place.
And now back to the present time... Taehyung was lying on the sofa, still clad in his Black Suit and Tie, in the two storey apartment he shared with his husband. Yes, husband. Taehyung smiled to himself as he absentmindedly caressed the silver band on the fourth finger of his left hand.
“Come back Mr Husband, I miss you...” Taehyung said to himself.
And as if on queue with Taehyung’s thoughts, there was a click on the door, and Jeongguk walked in. He smiled as he saw Taehyung lying on the couch, and proceeded to go to him and sit at the head of the couch, taking Taehyung’s head on his lap.
“Hey husband...” Jeongguk softly said, while brushing the blonde bangs off his husband’s forehead.
Taehyung went ahead and turned to his side, nuzzling his face on Jeongguk’s stomach.
“I’m tired Gukkie” Taehyung said in a singsong voice.
Jeongguk looked at him sympathetically.
“Awh my poor baby, they make you work so hard out there. Come here....
“Jeongguk lifted Taehyung slowly, supporting his back until he was sitting in an upright position. Taehyung took the chance to snuggle closer to Jeongguk and wrap his arms around his torso. Jeongguk then proceeded to rest his head on top of his husband’s.
“Tae...” Jeongguk began, “it’s alright if you’re tired, we can always do a rain check you know?? I’m sure Yoongi Hyung and Hobi Hyung won’t mind... I’ll just call them and—“
“NO.” Taehyung interrrupted.
“Guk we always cancel on them last minute and it’s not fair. They have lives and jobs and we cannot keep doing this. Plus, I haven’t seen them in rlly long and I miss them.... I’m fine I promise... a little tired but don’t worry about me...” Taehyung rubbed Jeongguk’s arm and gave him a reassuring smile.
A couple of hours later, Taehyung and Jeongguk were in their car, heading towards the restaurant where they had planned to meet their friends Yoongi and Hoseok. In the last couple of years, Hoseok and Jeongguk had become quite close, and Taehyung knew Yoongi through a mutual friend. Hoseok now had his own law firm, while Yoongi was an established Film Director.
The two of them reached the restaurant and saw that Yoongi and Hoseok had already reached and had taken a table for four. They sat down together, and had a little chat over dinner. They hadn’t met in really long so they had a lot to catch up on.... this is how the four of them spent their evening.
“Yoongi and I are leaving for Hawaii tomorrow!” Hoseok announced proudly, intertwining his fingers with Yoongi’s.
“Oh my god Hyung thats great!” Jeongguk said, ecstatic. “You’re finally gonna get some time off!! Have fun!!”
“Send lots of photos okay!!” Taehyung added.
“Don’t worry, we will. Jimin is going for his school trip and we figured that this would be the best time for us to sneak out a holiday... its been really long since we’ve gone out as just the two of us, and I think we both deserve this...” Yoongi added, holding Hoseok’s hands a little tighter.
“I’m sure you do hyungs, have fun, and don’t worry about work while you’re there! We’ll meet you when you return!”
Saying this, the two couples parted ways.
“When Jeongguk and Taehyung got into their car to head back home, Taehyung stopped Jeongguk...”
“What happened babe??” Jeongguk enquired.
“Can we not go home right now?? Please...? I just really want to stay outside for a little longer...”
“Sure... where do you want to go??”
“Our place...”
Jeongguk smiled and kissed Taehyung’s knuckles.
“Our place it is...”
“Jeongguk drove his car to a deserted spot, at the outskirts of the city. It was what they called THEIR PLACE, since they used to come here a lot during their college years. It was calm, serenec and beautiful and Taehyung and Jeongguk used to come and spend a lot of time there, just talking, getting to know each other, enjoying each other’s company.
Jeongguk proceeded to open The sunroof of his car, and then reclined his and Taehyung’s car seats, so that they would be looking directly at the sky. Jeongguk took Taehyung’s hand in his, and they just stayed like that for a while, quietly, knowing that they were the only two people there, and that nobody could come here and take this moment away from them... Taehyung broke the silence first...
“Guk I love you.”
“I love you too Tae. I love you more than anything else in the world and I’ll do anything for you baby.”
“Me too Gukkie, I cannot imagine living without you.”
“Me neither baby...”
And as the night grew darker, the two boys just stayed there, enjoying each other’s company, holding hands... they had a hard life, and they knew it. They knew that if anyone found out that the two highest powered attorneys in South Korea not only knew each other, but were also married to each other, that all hell would break loose... being an attorney wasn’t easy, and having to live everyday, knowing that the next day you could be pitched against the love of your life in a courtroom wasn’t easy either. But Taehyung and Jeongguk made it work... and they knew that as long as they had each other, they would continue to make it work....