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Kim Taehyung was not exactly thrilled at the idea of attending his company’s party tonight. Usually, he was one to enjoy socializing with others, but he had been so tired these past few weeks working on his new upcoming album that he wanted to enjoy the little free time he had. Attending a stuffy cocktail party filled with higher-ups and managers was not his exact idea of fun.
He certainly did not want to see him either.
From the moment he joined Big Hit Entertainment, Taehyung tried to be as friendly and polite as possible to his new labelmates. He knew that as an outsider, it would take a while before everyone started treating him as part of the "family", but he did his best by going around the company building and introducing himself to his new coworkers. Everyone responded very warmly and made him feel welcomed. They would invite him out for lunch or drinks, or they would simply stop by Taehyung’s designated studio to see what music he was working on. It was a relief to be able to work in such a supportive environment.
The only one who seemed to have a problem with Taehyung just happened to be the same person he was dreading to see tonight.
Min Yoongi, or Agust D, as he was known, was probably the most insufferable person Taehyung had the misfortune of coming across. He had not always viewed the rapper this way. In fact, August D was one of his favorite artists and probably the deciding factor as to why Taehyung chose Big Hit over other companies. He was known for being a bit of a recluse who did not like attending music shows or award shows, so Taehyung had not really seen him outside the concerts he had attended. He could not help but feel a bit star-struck and giddy at the idea of being labelmates with his idol.
It all started six months ago, when Taehyung was making his way around the company for the first couple of weeks after joining. He had already visited a few of the producers and other labelmates, but he had still not introduced himself to the rapper. He was worried he would start rambling and acting like a fool in front of him. His manager had reassured him that the rapper was a really nice, humble person, very different from the persona he portrayed on stage, but he was still nervous about meeting an esteemed senior.
He had heard from his manager that the busy rapper was finally back in the studio after taking a few days off. As nervous and apprehensive as he was, Taehyung knew it was time to stop making excuses and finally introduce himself. He grabbed the bottle of wine he had set to the side for this occasion and almost ran towards his senior’s studio. Maybe he should have asked his manager to help set up the introduction, but he was too impatient to wait any longer.
Taehyung’s hand swiftly moved to the door and gave a couple of knocks.
Silence…
He tried a second time, this time slightly louder than the first, but the response was the same. Maybe his manager had been wrong, and the rapper was not at the studio today. Taehyung moved towards the handle to confirm the room was indeed locked when, to his surprise, the door opened.
The studio was about the same size as the ones for the other in-house producers, but with all the dark furniture and dim lights, it seemed to appear much scarier than the other ones he had visited. The only bright light in the room was coming from the computer’s monitor. A small figure, with messy blond hair peeking from under his headphones and wrapped in an oversized hoodie, was staring at the computer, slightly nodding to whatever melody was playing through his headphones.
"Hello?"
"Who the hell is ….?" The figure on the chair removed his headphones and turned around to stare at Taehyung with an incredulous look. Taehyung was a bit taken aback; he certainly was not expecting the great Agust D to look like a lost kitten when working on music.
"Sorry, my name is Kim Taehyung." Taehyung bowed formally to the confused man on the chair. "I just recently joined the company…"
"How did you get in here?!"
"The door was unlocked." Taehyung pointed back towards the door. "I knocked twice but…"
"And you just enter places even if you don’t hear an answer?!"
"Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude, I just wanted to check if the door was locked so I could confirm you weren’t in here."
"Well, not hearing a response should be enough. It’s rude to just go around trying to open doors like a thief."
It was true that Taehyung should not have touched the door handle and gone back to his own studio. But he did not think this over-the-top reaction was necessary. Seeing as he was the new kid around, he did not want to get on his senior’s bad side. He took a big breath before he carried on.
"I apologize for my carelessness. I will be more cautious in the future." Somehow these words made the rapper snort out, but Taehyung chose to ignore it. "I wanted to stop by to properly introduce myself since I joined the company a couple of weeks ago, and to give you this." He extended his hand towards Agust D. to give him the bottle of wine he had been carrying.
"Wine?" asked the older man as he inspected the bottle of wine his junior had given him. A confused look still on his face.
“I hope you enjoy reds. I was unsure what your preference is, but this one is….”
“I drink whiskey.” Was the deadpan response the older one gave as he cut Taehyung off. Feeling startled, Taehyung stopped talking and just stood there awkwardly. Why couldn’t this man be normal and just say thank you for the gift?
“Do you need anything else?” Agust D finally asked, putting both men out of their misery.
"What? Oh no…sorry I will be on my way." Taehyung had planned to chit chat with the senior for a little bit, but that idea was quickly discarded after the terrible meeting they had. Taehyung gave a curt bow and left the studio.
The next few times they ran into each other were not any better. Taehyung initiated conversation those rare times they ran into the elevator or in the hallway, but the older man always defaulted to staring at him as if he had grown a second head and giving no reply to any of his questions. It was true that Taehyung tended to ramble a lot, especially whenever he was nervous, and perhaps this was overwhelming to an introvert like his senior, but he still harbored some hope that they could mend things. Eventually, he grew tired of the older man looking at him weirdly every time he tried to talk to him and instead chose a more subdued "hello".
So, it should not be a surprise to anyone as to why he was dreading tonight’s event. It is one thing to ignore your rude senior when walking down the hall; it’s another to try to do that in a room where other artists and higher-ups are gathered. He really was not in the mood to try to make small talk with that insufferable man. An insufferable man who happened to be really cute, but that was beside the point.
~~~
The event turned out to be as boring and stuffy as Taehyung feared, but at least the food was good. He was grateful that all the other artists in the company were there to help pass the time, but he admitted he was starting to get bored with it all. He just needed to stay put for another hour or so before he could manage to make an exit.
It was in the middle of this internal debate when he noticed the smaller figure with messy blond hair and baggy clothes standing by the bar on his own and shamelessly watching highlights of some NBA game on his phone. At least no one could accuse the infamous Agust D of missing out on such an important meeting. Taehyung smiled to himself because it looked as if the rapper had just come to this meeting directly from his studio, which was most likely the case.
He knew better than to try to approach him; he knew that his sole presence seemed to upset his senior, and he had decided it was best to stop any further interactions. But he was also bored and still had another hour to kill. He decided to risk it and say hi. Even if he got the cold shoulder, it would at least give him something to pass the time. He quietly approached the older man, who was too absorbed in the game to even notice his arrival. Considering how their previous meeting had gone, Taehyung was careful to wait until a commercial break was playing before speaking up.
"Hello."
His greeting seemed to have taken the other man out of his dream-like state, startling him a bit. It seemed as if the older man had a tendency to get startled quite easily. He could not help but find this over-the-top reaction slightly cute.
"Sorry, I did not mean to bother you; I just wanted to say hello."
"It’s ok; you are not bothering me." Replied the other man as he began putting his phone away. Was it his imagination, or did he sound a bit shy?
Taehyung took his time ordering his drink and even made a small joke with the bartender. Now that he had managed to get the attention of his senior, he suddenly felt nervous and did not know what to say. Maybe this had not been a great idea after all.
After what seemed like forever and unable to stand the silence between the two of them, Taehyung blurted out an overly enthusiastic "Great party, isn’t it?" which was met by a deadpan expression from the man next to him. As he internally cringed at his own behavior, he wondered why he felt the need to act like a human golden retriever every time he was in the vicinity of this man.
"You sure are a strange person." Was all the great Agust D muttered before he took a sip of his drink. As Taehyung’s accusatory eyes darted to his face, ready to blurt out a not so nice response, he noticed the man’s lips were slightly turned upward. Was it possible that he had managed to make this stoic man crack a resemblance of a smile?
Perhaps it was a sign from the universe that he needed to buy a lottery ticket.
But he did not have enough time to be shocked by the other man’s action. Maybe it was the alcohol or perhaps Taehyung’s own awkwardness, but the other man seemed to want to keep the conversation going.
"Are you working on new music?" was the blond man’s follow-up question. Taehyung mentally counted to five so he would not roll his eyes at the question. He was a musician; what was this man expecting him to do inside a studio? But this was the first time the older man seemed to have taken a genuine interest in what Taehyung was doing. Responding in a sassy way would not be helpful at the moment.
"I am trying!" Was Taehyung’s honest response, "I am stuck in this one song. I am not exactly sure how I want it to progress. I go from thinking it will be a hit to thinking it is the biggest garbage I’ve ever come up with."
"Have you been working on it daily?"
"Yes. I just want to be able to crack the code and be able to move to another song."
"Ah, that’s the problem. You need to step away from it. Give yourself a break."
Taehyung was a bit confused by that. He turned to look at the rapper with a surprised look on his face. He found the older man looking back at him, a small smile playing on his lips. Ok, he DEFINITELY needed to get a lotto ticket after leaving this party.
"I know it sounds like contradicting advice, but it’s what you need to do. You have been so focused on it that you have lost your direction. Stepping away for a bit will help you see things with a fresh perspective." The older man’s voice was barely audible, and Taehyung found it comforting. "You may find out the song isn’t that great after all, or you may find out exactly what you need to add to it to make it shine. Whatever it is, you need to step away from it. You should also try working on other songs while you are at it. It will take some of the pressure off."
"Do you do that a lot?"
"All the time. There are many times when I get stuck on a song or melody and am unable to move on. When that happens, I just put it away for a bit and take a few days away from the studio."
"Wow, I never thought you would be one to struggle with it."
"Why not?"
"Well, for starters, you are known as this musical genius." This comment elicited a proper laugh from his senior, and Taehyung felt his stomach do a backflip. "One does not usually think of the great Agust D as having a creative block at all."
"Well, Agust D may be a musical genius, but Min Yoongi has definitely struggled with it."
Taehyung did not know why he felt a bit surprised, but seeing an artist of that caliber speak about something many up-and-coming artists struggled with made him seem less intimidating. On stage, this man was able to command an entire crowd with just a single hand motion, but here in this venue, leaning against the bar area and with the sound of muffled conversations going on in the background, Taehyung felt a different type of confidence emanating from him. A more subdued one that did not need to rely on the theatrics he displayed on stage. He felt a new appreciation for this man.
"Wow. I would love to pick your brain about music one day." Yoongi snorted at Taehyung’s choice of words. "I feel like I have so much to learn from you."
"I know we have not really talked much before and that you are super busy working on your own projects, but I would like to show you what songs I have been working on." Taehyung tentatively said He knew there was a chance his senior would just politely dismiss him, but he felt a growing need to continue connecting with him and learn more about him and the way he tackled musical projects.
"I don’t usually like giving my opinion on other people’s projects." Was the rapper’s quiet answer after a short pause. Taehyung could not help but feel slightly disappointed. "I feel outside opinions can sometimes have an influence on a project that has not fully materialized, and I would hate to do that to others."
"But I also know how difficult this industry can be. So I am always open to chatting with my juniors."
Those words caused Taehyung to break into a big, boxy smile. He was so caught up in his own giddiness about being able to approach his senior at any time that he did not notice the way Yoongi’s eyes shifted to the floor after seeing Taehyung’s big smile or the way his ears turned slightly red.
After clearing out his throat, Yoongi added "This upcoming week is a bit busy, but I will pay you a visit at your studio soon. If that’s ok with you?"
"Hyung… Can I call you hyung?" Yoongi snorted a second time and just nodded as he took a sip of his drink. "Hyung, you can stop by anytime. It will be such an honor to have you in my humble space."
They talked for a little while longer, mostly Taehyung just blurting out things with Yoongi laughing and nodding along, before Taehyung’s manager came to remind him they had a photoshoot scheduled for tomorrow morning. Feeling slightly disappointed at their time together being cut short, both artists parted ways. But Taehyung was glad they were now in a much better place than before. And for that, he supposed coming to this boring company party wasn’t so bad after all.
~~~
The next few weeks passed by on a whim. Taehyung followed Yoongi’s advice and decided to work on other songs and put the one that was giving him a headache to the side. It did not take him more than four days before inspiration struck him on his way to grab an iced coffee, and he had to run back to the studio. He finished the song that same night.
He thought about going to visit Yoongi at his studio to tell him the good news, but he was worried he would be a bother to him. He had heard from his manager that his senior was getting ready to travel overseas to meet with other producers for his new album, so he wanted to give him space. He saw him briefly at his company’s building, as he was heading home for the day while Yoongi was coming in. They smiled at each other, but neither made an attempt to talk to one another. Taehyung started to wonder if the interaction they had at the company party would be a one-time thing. Maybe he had just been polite and had no intention of stopping by at all?
After almost three weeks after the party, Taehyung heard a knock on his studio’s door one random afternoon.
"Come in."
The door opened, and a small figure peeked his head through the door. "Hey there, is this a good time?"
"Hyung! Please come in!"
“Sorry. I’ve been a bit busy. How have you been?”
"I’ve been great!" Taehyung’s chirpy voice filled out the small studio. "I went ahead and finally finished that one song after I followed your advice!"
Taehyung explained what the process was like and how Yoongi’s advice had been so helpful that he had managed to get started on two more songs after that. He also played the first minute of said song after he assured Yoongi the song was fully finished and he would not be changing anything else at this point.
"Sounds like you got yourself a hit there! I think everyone will love it."
"Thank you, hyung! But I would not have been able to get past my block if it had not been for your help."
"You are giving me too much credit, kid. Most artists figure it out on their own at one point."
“Who are you calling a kid? I am only two years younger than you.” Yoongi just smiled as he listened to Taehyung. “Some may say we are contemporaries!”
The two men kept chatting for the next couple of hours. Taehyung noticed that Yoongi was beginning to share more with him and would even make a joke back at him. He never thought that they would end up on such a good page after their disastrous first meeting.
“You know,” blurted Taehyung. “I really thought you hated me.”
Yoongi made a confused expression. “Why do you say that?”
“Because of how awkward our first meeting went!” Yoongi started laughing at this, and Taehyung rushed in to add “I mean, you were right to be startled, but I promise I did not mean to be rude and barge in that day!”
“I believe you. I was just startled and confused as to why you were there.”
“Right, but then every time I tried to say hi to you after that incident, I felt you were giving me the death stare. So I backed away.”
“I’ve been told I can be quite intimidating to new people.”
“Let it be known that it was you who said that and not me.” Yoongi playfully pushed Taehyung’s studio chair upon hearing his teasing.
“I don’t do well with new people. Especially those who are quite handsome.” Yoongi mumbled as his ears turned pink. This time, Taehyung did not miss this detail.
“Hyung, do you think I am handsome?” Taehyung’s smile grew as wide as his face.
“Shut up. You are annoying.”
“Oh, come on! You can tell me!”
“Are you always this annoying?” Yoongi’s ears were now borderline red.
Taehyung was having too much fun teasing Yoongi. He felt he could get used to it. “Only when my favorite hyung tells me I’m handsome.”
“Oh? Favorite hyung? That’s quite the downgrade from “favorite artist.”
Taehyung did not say anything and just looked back at Yoongi, slightly confused. The elder, having realized what he said, groaned as he facepalmed.
“How did you…?”
“I was just making assumptions.” Yoongi cut him off. “Nothing more.”
“No way, your “big-ego persona” is just an act.” Taehyung pressed on. “Did you hear that from someone?”
Unable to avoid the question any longer, Yoongi confessed. “After our first meeting, I think your manager was trying to do damage control and make sure I wasn’t upset with you. He met with my manager and casually mentioned it.”
“Oh..”
“Honestly, I was feeling a little embarrassed at how I lashed out at someone who looked up to me. So that’s also why I was avoiding you.” Yoongi added shyly.
“ There is a reason why people say you should not meet your idols in person.” Added Taehyung in a solemn tone.
Both men just laughed.
“Well, since it’s horrible for an artist to be mean to a fan,” Taehyung added while Yoongi rolled his eyes. “I think you will need to make up for it.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I would say you are blackmailing me now.”
It’s not blackmail, hyung. You need to make it up to me for traumatizing me.”
Yoongi smiled widely, giving Taehyung one of his signature gummy smiles. “Is that so?”
“Thinking your favorite artist AND a senior in your company hates you can affect your confidence.”
Yoongi laughed again as he stood up from the chair he was sitting in and walked towards the door.
“Well, would inviting you to lunch help you regain your confidence?” Yoongi scratched the back of his head as the tip of his ears turned pink again.
Taehyung just sat there with his mouth slightly open and a confused look. Did he hear him right? He was being dramatic as a joke, but he did not think Yoongi would want to spend any additional time with him.
“Unless you are busy? If you are busy, we can go another...”
“I’m free! I’m free!” Taehyung practically jumped out of the chair and headed towards Yoongi, worried the other man would change his mind.
“Aish, why are you always so loud?” Despite Yoongi’s harsh tone, a smile crept in.
As Taehyung and Yoongi closed the door of the studio behind them and kept chatting with one another, Taehyung remembered the words he muttered earlier about meeting your idols in real life. And despite their rocky start, he was glad he got to meet his.