This Is Absolutely Beautiful

This is absolutely beautiful

Our Story | Act I - The Start (knj)

Act I - The Start (Part 3)

Pairing: Namjoon x (f) reader

Genre: Fluff, smut, angst

AU: strangers to friends to lovers and much more than that which I cannot spoil just yet.

Synopsis: The story of you and Kim Namjoon, and the change he brought into your life. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s hopeful, and it’s also exactly the opposite.

Warnings for this chapter: entirely way too cute to handle, not so explicit smut (it’s written pretty vaguely), soft smut, a cheesy dance scene

WC: 5 k

Series Masterlist

Act I Playlist

Special thanks to: @joyfulhopelox​​​ for this beautiful banner and holding my hand every step of the way, the two writing groups I am a part of that are always full of support and honestly, f-ing Taylor Swift, for an abundance of inspiration.

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Tail As Old As Time | Part 1

Pairing: Jungkook x (f) Reader AU: Mermaid AU, Mermaid JK x human reader Genre: fantasy, fluff, angst and smut

WC: 4833

Synopsis: Help someone in need - that’s something you always do. So when you run into a man, seemingly lost and confused, you can’t hold back - you offer to help him. What you don’t expect is to become part of his little mission to find his older brother and you definitely don’t expect to find out about his… species.

Warnings for this part: cursing, mention of JK being homeless (tho he technically isn’t), some parts will make you sad because he’s adorable and clueless, hot bartender Tae is always a warning lol

Important Author’s Note: I have been working on this idea since January. I posted the first part on May 2nd. Last night, July 18th, I deleted it. Why? Because I’m a damn idiot. But, I had time to sleep it off and I’ve decided I am not dropping this story. Too much of my time and my hard work went into it. It doesn’t deserve this, you don’t deserve this and frankly, I don’t deserve it either. So here you go. Merkoo is back. Expect Chapter 2 in August 💙

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Romancing the Tome (M)

Author: kpopfanfictrash

Contributors: @baebae-goodnight​ for this moodboard aka Bee’s death.

Pairing: You / Yoongi

Rating: 18+

Warnings: bondage, dirty talk, switch!Yoongi, obscene levels of sarcasm

Word Count: 22,306

Summary:  Min Yoongi is many things: renowned archaeologist, versatile hat-wearer, on a bit of an unlucky streak with his work and kind of an ass. What he isn’t, is fluent in Latin. Meaning, Yoongi can’t quite determine if he’s being led astray on his most recent archaelogical expedition. Enter you, cultural linguist and all-around badass. The goal? Treasure. The means? Your teensy, tiny car. The problem? Min Yoongi is so damn annoying, you might just kill him first. (HAPPY BIRTHDAY @m00nk1ld !!)

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This whole story made me go Awwwwww

the likelihood of being on your mind

summary: you don’t think about jeon jungkook that often, but when you do, it’s always followed by feelings of antipathy. and really, why think of him when you could be thinking about soccer captain, kim seokjin instead? you have your heart set on seokjin. there is nothing you want more than to make him yours. but of course, jungkook has to throw a wrench in it. 

genre: fluff; a little angst but like, not really; childhood friends/neighbours to lovers, slight enemies to lovers, college au

warnings: arguments, a small physical altercation, degrading names, mentions of parental separation / divorce

word count: 18.2k

author’s note: this fic was changed several times because i just could not decide what direction i wanted to take it. it’s the longest thing i’ve written on here as of yet but i hope it doesn’t drag. please enjoy it a lot! likes, reblogs, comments are always appreciated, thank so you so much! sidenote: some readers may not find the oc/jungkook and/or their actions ‘agreeable.’ they are meant to frustrate you, annoy you, aggravate you. i think characters which pull these sort of feelings from you, as well as love, kindness, and change, are important in story-telling. happy reading~! :] 

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Writing advice from my uni teachers:

If your dialog feels flat, rewrite the scene pretending the characters cannot at any cost say exactly what they mean. No one says “I’m mad” but they can say it in 100 other ways.

Wrote a chapter but you dislike it? Rewrite it again from memory. That way you’re only remembering the main parts and can fill in extra details. My teacher who was a playwright literally writes every single script twice because of this.

Don’t overuse metaphors, or they lose their potency. Limit yourself.

Before you write your novel, write a page of anything from your characters POV so you can get their voice right. Do this for every main character introduced.

I absolutely loooooove this

The Fifth (Jungkook x OC)

Pairing: Jungkook x OC

Genre: Teasing, banter, slowburn fluff (is that a thing?), idiots to lovers

Word count: 7.9 K

Warnings: Insinuations of sexual harassment (not from Jungkook)

Summary: Jeon Jungkook is the world famous golden maknae, capable of anything, afraid of nothing. He's also the worst date you've ever been on - and now he wants a second one.

(Part 1 of 2)

You barely waited for the car to stop before you began grabbing your stuff - your bag, your phone, and what remained of your dignity. You threw the door open and had one leg out, ready to get this hideous night over with, when you decided to give him one last look. One last chance to look even the slightest bit ashamed.

No such luck.

He sat in the driver’s seat, staring straight ahead as his hand clutched the steering wheel, as though ready to zoom away the moment you closed the door. You stared at the baseball cap on his head - the same cap he’d worn throughout the date, even inside the damn restaurant. Filled with the sudden urge to take it off and smack him with it, you opted to scoff instead.

“Good night, I guess,” you muttered, unable to keep the disdain out of your voice. If he noticed it, he didn’t show it.

“Right.” His fingers visibly tightened around the steering wheel.

You waited for him to say something else but when he didn’t, you were done. You were out of patience, finally, after three hours of possibly the worst night of your life. Without another word, you stepped out of the car and slammed the door of his fancy Hyundai shut, walking straight to the entrance of your building. You turned one absolute last time to look at him; even through the window of the car, this late at night, you could make out his sharp jawline, aquiline nose, and the scowl under that stupid baseball cap.

He was gorgeous. He was sensational, he was adored, he was worshipped. But above all, you decided, Jeon Jungkook was the absolute worst date ever.

“Is the coffee machine still not fixed?” You slam the side of it and groan when it simply gurgles. “How are we supposed to perform at our best if we don’t even have caffeine in the morning?”

Seulgi clicks her tongue from behind you, typing something on her laptop, a steaming mug of green tea in her other hand. “There’s literally a coffee cart in the lobby.”

“I know, I saw that,” you mutter, walking over and sinking in your seat next to her. “But the crowd in front of it was insane. Is it some new popular brand I don’t know about?”

“Doubt it,” she says, sliding her cup over to you which you accept gratefully. “I think they put it up for BTS. It’s their first official day back, right?”

You freeze for a moment, mid-sip, before going back to work. Seulgi seems to remember it then, too.

“Oh, do you think Jungkook will seek you out?” she wonders, eyebrow raised under her glasses. “I mean… to apologise or whatever?”

You snort. “Not likely. He barely had anything to say to me that night; I doubt he’s going to start today.”

“You never know. You both work at Hybe - it’s just a matter of time before you bump into each other again.”

You give her a look. “I’ve been working at Hybe for four years and he still asked me out at the liquor store across the street. And after that disaster of a date…” You shudder. “I’m not holding my breath.”

“Yeah, it’s probably for the best,” agrees Seulgi, who, by virtue of being in the very same liquor store but in the adjoining aisle, was the only person who knew that you’d been on a date with Jungkook. It also meant that you’d vented to her and only her about it - and thankfully, she’d been just as disgusted when you’d told her about the baseball cap.

“I have to say, though,” she continues, getting up to pick up a sheaf of prints from the other end of the table, “Jungkook is not the one I would’ve pegged to be that aloof on a date. Taehyung, maybe - and only maybe. He could’ve been having a bad day - he was still serving…”

You tune her out partly, having heard all this before. You’ve considered all this too, but so far, Jungkook has not only taken you out on the worst date of your life, he’s also denied you your morning coffee. You have no patience, especially when you begin reliving that horrendous night six months ago.

It’s true, he’d been back on a break from his military service. The whole country knew about it, which was why you weren’t only surprised that he was in a liquor store across the street from Hybe, but that out of all the things he could’ve been doing on his few days back, he chose to go out with you - and bomb it. He’d picked you up in a stale mood, barely greeting you before he zoomed away towards the restaurant whose name he’d texted you the previous night. When you’d stepped out of the car, your jaw had almost dropped at his attire: faded jeans, a hoodie and trainers that he’d probably worn to the gym that morning. To top it off, he’d thrown on that ridiculous baseball cap just before entering.

You’d followed him in a daze. When you’d found out the name of the restaurant, you’d searched it online and carefully curated your outfit, keeping in mind how refined it was. Not only had Jungkook made no such effort, he’d chosen a table next to the kitchen and taken his seat first, leaving you to sit right next to the kitchen door. He’d barely made any conversation, looking at his lap, the menu, his phone any time you tried to initiate dialogue. Finally, by the time your food had arrived, you’d lost all interest and instead chosen to at least make the best of the free meal you were getting.

Less than five bites in, the door behind you had opened with a bang and knocked your chair - and you - into the table, making you choke, when you’d felt a trickle of something ice cold down your chest. You’d turned in horror to see dark red wine make its way down your shoulder and chest, permanently staining the dress you’d spent a quarter of last month’s salary on. While Jungkook had initially made no effort to help you out, perhaps it was the sight of your top getting more and more translucent by the second that compelled him to sullenly offer you his hoodie - but, you reasoned, only because he was wearing a jacket over it.

The rest of the night had gone just as abysmally, until you’d opted to decline any dessert from the waiter, ignoring Jungkook’s affronted expression. You just wanted to get home.

It’s a few more days before you consciously think of him again. Seulgi drags you into the conference room where the entire marketing team has just concluded a meeting, leaving behind them an empty room of coffee cups and stray laptop chargers.

“It’s a gold stud,” she mutters again, shuffling over to where she was standing to hopefully spot her missing earring. Tugging on her ear, she suddenly gets down on her knees, peering under the table.

“I’m going to be screwed in this meeting,” you mutter worriedly, setting a file to download before placing your laptop on the table and helping Seulgi search. “Check in the cushion of the chair in front of you.”

“Believe me, they won’t even make it to your part of the presentation,” says Seulgi absently, and you can’t help but think she’s right. “They always go on and on about print for some reason and I just can’t understand - holy shit, it’s here!” She pops up, holding the tiny stud in her hand like a talisman. “You were right!”

“That’s great,” you say hurriedly, scrambling to your feet. “Now can we -”

The glass door opens with a soft squeak, interrupting you.

“- looking at different concepts just because you’ve all come back - oh. Excuse me.” A man in loose pants, a bomber jacket (in April?) and a fedora on his head strides in before stopping to a halt. Taking one look at him, you know he’s talent, probably a producer or a sound technician which means you have no business talking to him unless it’s strictly about work. The moment he spots you and Seulgi he stops talking, and both of you bow immediately.

“We’ll just be out of your way,” says Seulgi quickly, and you nod, picking up your laptop when you notice the person he’s with.

“Wait, I - I know you,” says Jungkook, eyes wide with confusion and wonder.

All thoughts of not talking to artists go straight out the window. You frown, taking a moment to process that he’s talking to you. “Excuse me?”

Next to you, Seulgi’s eyes widen. The person with Jungkook only raises his eyebrows, but you aren’t really looking at him anyway. Jungkook, having already shown more interest in you in the last five seconds than he had during your entire date, seems to be realising something.

“Lia!” he exclaims suddenly, making you raise your eyebrows. “Your - your name is Lia… right?” He frowns, looking incredibly doubtful, as though afraid of answering a question wrong in class. “We met in the - in, um…”

You can’t find words - any words. Sure, the date had been terrible. Maybe you’d expected too much from men; maybe you’d even come to expect that Jeon Jungkook was a diva in real life, insulted at the idea of dating the common folk. What you didn’t expect, though, even for a moment, was that he wouldn’t even remember you.

You consider watching him struggle for a bit but it gets too painful, your humiliation eventually taking over. “Uh, actually, we’ve - we’ve never met,” you interrupt him, shutting your laptop in your hands, the snapping sound making him jump. “You must be thinking of someone else. Excuse me.” You sidestep the men and exit the room with Seulgi, deliberately not looking back.

“He remembered your name,” points out Seulgi eventually, sounding uneasy. “And he did… no, I can’t. God, what a jerk.”

What a jerk indeed. You intend to use the slowly bubbling anger to help you approach this meeting a bit more confidently and you mentally talk yourself up as you simultaneously curse Jungkook. To your absolute horror, he catches up to you when you’re on your way, running up next to you in the middle of a corridor.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” you hiss, taking a deliberate step away from him when you notice someone walk by and frown at you two.

“So we have met,” he says, sounding far too victorious for someone who’s evidently run up two flights of stairs to catch up with you.

“Good job. Now, if you’ll excuse me -” You try to walk around him but he keeps up with you easily.

“Look, wait, I’m sorry - I didn’t forget, I just needed a moment to place you, I - will you stop for one second?” Jungkook slides abruptly to stand in front of you.

You bump into him before jerking back. “Do you have a problem?” you ask in a low voice. Behind him, you see people filing into the room where your meeting is about to take place.

“No, I just want to apologise for - well, for -”

But you cut him off again when you spot your boss making her way into the room. “Listen, I don’t know what you’re talking about but I really have to go -”

“Okay, but can we talk after you’ve -”

“I wouldn’t count on it. Goodbye, Jungkook.” Nudging him out of the way, you half-jog away from him, laptop in hand. You make it inside just in time, greeting people on the way as you approach the front of the room, plugging in your laptop to the projector. As the screen loads, you notice Jungkook outside across the corridor, still standing in the spot you left him.

---

After your meeting, which ends up going reasonably okay but extends by over an hour, you stop by the cafeteria for a protein bar before going back down to your desk. You’re about to pack up for the day when you notice a purple post-it on your bulletin board, pasted over the picture of you and your brother at his eighteenth birthday party. You sigh, having a feeling what it is.

Make six copies of the LA proposal and leave it at our desks before you go? Thanks.

Ever since your boss made it clear that you can expect a promotion decision by June this year, barring any complications (her words), it’s almost like she expects you to willingly perform chores for extra credit. You suppose you should be grateful there’s a thanks at all at the end, so you set the files to photocopy and tiredly make your way over to the copy room, protein bar in one hand. You take a large bite and push the door open, only to see someone already in there.

“Hi.” Jungkook, seated on the table next to the copy machine, smiles timidly.

You choke - literally. Clutching the doorknob, you cough until the piece of protein bar in your throat dislodges itself, while Jungkook hops off the table in a hurry and leaps over to pat your back.

“How -” you wheeze, sure your face is beet red by now, “- do you manage to do this to me every time?”

“Sorry,” he mutters with an awkward smile, stepping back once you start straightening up. “Thank God you came, though. I was starting to think I’d have to wait here all night.”

You stare. “How did you know I’d come here? Did you leave that post-it on my desk?” you ask suddenly.

“No. But I saw your boss leave it and I asked to confirm if it was your desk and she said yes…” He smiles again, looking like a woodland creature from a Pixar film. “She’s really nice.”

“Sure. How, uh… how did you know what department I’m in? I’m pretty sure that never came up.”

“Um…” He rubs the back of his neck, looking slightly uneasy now. “I asked at reception and the lady told me… it’s not private or anything, right? I mean, she wouldn’t have told me if it was. Right? She was really nice, too, so…”

You try not to roll your eyes; of course everyone’s going to be nice to Jeon Jungkook. “So you decided to corner me in the copy room?” You look up at him for confirmation. He’s a good five or six inches taller than you but you hold your ground.

“Kind of,” he admits. “I wanted to apologise. I swear I didn’t forget you… Lia. I just - it took me a moment to place you from - from our - from October.” He pauses, screwing his eyes shut before opening them again. “Which brings me to the other thing I need to apologise for.”

This should be good. You fold your arms across your chest, choosing to let Jungkook ramble on. He’s remarkably different than he was that night. He’s far better dressed, to begin with, in a white t-shirt and a smart black jacket, jeans and combat boots. Most importantly, there’s no baseball cap. He’s also said more words to you in the last two minutes than he had in three hours during your date and from the embarrassed look on his face, he knows it too.

“When we, um -” He breaks off, clearing his throat. “When we went out, I was - well, firstly I was on a break from service,” he reminds you, shrugging, “but I also wasn’t… I mean, I wasn’t in a great place. And, uh, I think I took that out on you. And our date. And I’m sorry.”

The strange thing is, you can tell he means it. He genuinely is sorry, but the actual apology itself is so half-arsed that you simply stare at him in disbelief.

“That’s it?”

Jungkook’s eyes go wide - very wide. It takes you off guard for a moment. “Um… I, uh -” He stutters, clearly not knowing where you’re going with this. He looks so pitiful trying to decode your comment that you roll your eyes, grudgingly deciding to help him out.

“Do you remember what you told me? On our date?” you prompt.

His frown deepens. “Um… about - about what?”

“Exactly,” you say forcefully. “You didn’t say anything! You wouldn’t talk to me, you wouldn’t look at me - and you wore a fucking baseball cap inside a restaurant,” you snap, unable to let that detail go.

Jungkook takes a deep breath, as though just remembering the extent of how horrible the date was. “Yes. Yes, I - I do remember that. Although -” He breaks off again, apparently deciding not to say anything.

You raise your eyebrows. “Although what?”

“It’s not important.”

“Oh, just say it.”

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, looking extremely uncomfortable. “You were… a bit overdressed. I mean, you looked great,” he adds quickly. “But… it wasn’t that fancy a restaurant.”

You’re stumped for a moment, mostly because you’ve had this thought more times than you’d care to admit. “Well, it wasn’t KFC either,” you retort, albeit a little weakly.

Jungkook bites his lip. “Anyway… I am really sorry. You were actually being very nice and I was…” He rubs the back of his neck again, “... not cool,” he finishes.

You observe him, frowning. He’s refusing to meet your eyes, leading you to believe he’s truly apologetic. But there’s still something there to unearth.

“Why did you ask me out?” You ask the question that’s been on your mind since the moment you got into his car six months ago. “I mean, you clearly didn’t want to be there. Why bother at all?”

“Um… my friend told me -”

“Oh, please don’t tell me it was a dare,” you interrupt in a low voice, scathing but with a fear starting to bloom that you haven’t felt since high school.

“What? No, no… it wasn’t a dare. The date was real,” he adds, rubbing the back of his neck again. It’s his nervous tic; you’re surprised you don’t hate it. “But he did convince me and...” He sighs. “It’s really stupid.”

“Oh, I believe you. But I still would like to know why you asked me out on a date where you played nothing apart from One Direction’s greatest hits in the car.”

He gasps. “It included their solo works, too!”

You roll your eyes. “My mistake. Are you going to tell me or not?”

“Fine. I used to have a crush on this girl and my friend thought that going out with someone else would help me get over her.” He rolls his eyes. “I was really pissed off because I didn’t want his help but he insisted and I was just determined to prove him wrong. And… I took it out on you. And I’m really, really sorry.”

“Oh.” The momentary panic in your chest fades into something else and you’re not sure you’re meant to like it. It’s suddenly harder to meet his gaze but you force yourself to do so. “So, your friend just… he just told you to walk up to a random girl and ask her out? What if I was a sasaeng or something?”

“No, we knew you weren’t,” he answers tiredly, shaking his head. “Or he did, at least. He said he recognised you from Hybe.”

You frown. You have virtually nothing to do with the artists; your job is in digital marketing and sponsorships, unlike Seulgi who’s actually part of creative production. The closest you come to interacting with the talent at all is at launch events where they’re centre stage and you’re shunted to the corner with the rest of the suits. You wonder if this friend is another member of his band before deciding it’s far too much of a coincidence. You change tacks.

“Right. How do you know her? This girl?”

He looks a bit taken aback, like he hadn’t expected you to cross-question him about this. “Um, she’s a friend.”

“Did you ever ask her out?”

“No, she has a boyfriend. Why are we talking about this?”

It’s a good question. You remind yourself that this is none of your business, even you can’t help but feel slightly insulted. “I don’t know. But, you know… I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.” You move to walk past him.

Jungkook wrinkles his nose. “Oh, no, I got over her ages ago. That’s not what I meant…” He huffs, apparently frustrated at not being able to express what he does mean. You feel him turn to watch you as you make your way over the copier and punch in a couple of commands, noticing him jump slightly when the machine comes to life.

“Look, I’d really like to make it up to you,” he ventures again, bravely. “Do you think… can I take you out on another date?”

You don’t even bother turning around. “You’re kidding me, right?”

“Um, no, I just thought -”

“Listen, Jungkook, I appreciate the sentiment and all but, really, I think we both learnt our lesson when it comes to dating. Each other, at least,” you clarify, waving your hand. You turn back to the copier, staring at the paper slowly disappearing into the machine until he comes to stand next to you.

“Look, I know you had a terrible time last time - and it was my fault,” he adds quickly, “but I’m not a bad date! I swear. I just - I feel really bad about how it all ended and how it’s not fair to you and -” He breaks off, taking a deep breath. “Please let me make it up to you. You can - you can choose the restaurant.”

“What if I don’t want to go to a restaurant?”

“We can go somewhere else, too,” he suggests, but you can hear his voice perk up.

“I want to go to the bird observatory in Bukhansan National Park.”

“I - okay.”

“But only at night, when the birds are asleep.”

“Um…” You can hear the frown in his voice. “Why?”

“Because then I can wake them up.” You turn to face him with a straight face. “They start making a ton of noise - it’s kind of like an animated version of metal music.”

Jungkook swallows, clearly trying to mask the confusion. “Well… okay. We can - we can try that.”

“But if they don’t wake up, you have to be absolutely quiet. Oh, and we’re not allowed to take food or drink inside,” you add.

“That - that sounds… so fun.”

You roll your eyes. “Right. Okay.”

“Okay?” His eyebrows snap up and his eyes go wide, face shining. You almost feel bad.

“Okay… my copies are done,” you clarify, reaching over and pulling out the warm paper from the copier tray. “I’m sorry, dude, but it’s just not a good idea.” You give him a mildly apologetic glance before moving to exit the room, stopping momentarily at the door. Turning around, you frown at him. “Were you really ready to take me to a bird observatory?”

He’s made no move to follow you out. “I’ll let you pick the music, too,” he offers.

For the first time in Jungkook’s presence, you smile, you humour albeit directed partly at him. “Boy bands aren’t really my thing.”

—

A couple of weeks later, Seulgi asks you for a favour. Kind of.

“Summer.” She drops a thick spiral bound notebook onto your table where it narrowly misses your laptop. The cover is glossy, like a magazine page, with the Hybe logo and multiple papers, post-its and tags sticking out of the side. Your first thought is a Burn Book.

“What?”

“Summer,” she huffs, falling into the chair beside you. “It’s summer, which means summer launch party, which means I need an entire team on board to oversee all the arrangements including the campaign launch, the goodies, social media, fan management, the pop-up store -” She breaks off, groaning loudly. One or two people look over and you duck your head behind your laptop screen.

“Yes, but just like summer itself, doesn’t the launch party happen every year?” you ask from the corner of your mouth, knowing the answer. It does; you know this because not only is it obvious, it’s also the one night you get one hundred percent off because all your commitments need to be done and delivered well in advance, leaving you free while the creative and event management folks scurry around to set up the party.

“Well, yes,” she answers, “but Taeyeon put in his papers yesterday, which means that for a whole twelve hours, nobody thought to let me know that we’d be one member short in guest management.” She sighs again, loudly.

Without looking at her, you continue typing out your email. “Why do I feel like you’re building up to a favour?”

“Oh, thank you for offering and yes, it’d be great to have you on board, thanks a lot, Lia.” She says the whole thing in one breath and sinks back into the chair.

You would be annoyed at the presumption but it’s hardly the first time you’ve depended on each other like this. Plus, if your manager is aware of you picking up extra slack, it’ll only help your case for a promotion. Moreover, Seulgi genuinely looks like she’s bursting at the seams from a bandwidth point of view. “Happy to help, I guess. What do you need?”

A lot, as it turns out. The launch party is only a week away, which means vendors and suppliers and consultants are constantly on speed dial. Thankfully, you have directly replaced Taeyeon in guest management which means your actual work - mingling to make sure high profile guests find their places and have what they need - is limited until the actual night of the party.

On the day of the party, you arrive in the afternoon, your dress and make-up in a separate bag at Seulgi’s insistence. You find her talking to a young girl with her hair in a bun, holding a bouquet of orchids in either hand.

“- theme of the night to be drilled into their heads by the end of the - oh, hi.” She turns to you, looking somewhat demented. “We were just talking flowers.”

“Got it. You needed me to set something up?”

“Yes, it’s right over here.” She provides an instruction to the florist before sweeping away, motioning for you to follow her. She reaches a guy you vaguely recognise from the celebrity endorsements team and holds out a hand, into which he deposits a sheet of paper. “Guest list,” she declares with a flourish. “You, Jieun and Minho -” she points to the same guy with her thumb - “will take care of one group each. Don’t worry, you have the easiest one.” Ignoring the dirty look Minho throws her, she steers you away.

“You know, Minho can have the easiest one if he -”

“No, Hybe doesn’t want a woman looking after the celebrities so he has to. Don’t ask me why, I don’t want to get into it,” she adds immediately, still scanning the paper. “Jieun is taking care of sponsors, Minho as you know is taking care of celebrities, which means you get…” She flips the sheet of paper to hand it to you dramatically, “... press.”

“Huh.” It’s not too bad. However, since the press is also the first to arrive, you head inside the hotel soon after to get ready. You’re straightening your hair in the bathroom when you get a message from Seulgi. Listen, you know I’m your friend and totally in your corner when it comes to stuff but if Jungkook tries to talk to you, please don’t engage. You know how pissed off the managers get when the artists are seen with employees - I just can’t afford that shit tonight.

You sigh, suddenly feeling sorry for her. We haven’t spoken since he randomly apologised that day. There’s like two hundred people here. You’ve got nothing to worry about.

You place your phone down after replying, feeling a sense of foreboding in the pit of your stomach. You wish you hadn’t said that. Of course, it’s true; you and Jungkook haven’t had a jot of interaction since the day he cornered you in the copy room. You’ve passed each other in the corridors a couple of times but it’s always been so busy and he's always surrounded by people, so you aren’t surprised. In fact, you have a feeling you embarrassed him a bit that day. While it felt mildly good at the moment, you found yourself if you’d maybe been a bit harsh when turning him down.

But you can’t worry about that now. Packing up your stuff, you head outside to drop your bags in your beat-up car before going back inside, trying not to trip over your heels.

A couple of hours later, the party is in full swing. The CEO is giving a speech on stage while everyone listens. Waiters glide around with glasses of champagne while the room generally sparkles. Standing near the sound station with Jieun and Minho, where you’re far away to not be considered guests but also close enough to help in case someone needs it, you stealthily pull down the hem of your dress.

“Just try not to sit at all,” mutters Jieun, sounding sullen. “It makes your dress ride up and then you have a creep commenting on it and his posse laughing, all because he was decided worthy of being a CEO to one of our sponsors.” She scoffs. “Arsehole.”

You frown. “Do you want a drink?”

“I’d love one. But I’m a lightweight and the buffet doesn’t open for hours.”

She’s right. Besides, as staff, you can’t quite accept champagne the way the guests do. No, if you want to drink, you need to sneak a quick one in the lounge or, like Minho, roam around with a flask attached to your hip under your jacket.

You bite your lip as the CEO cracks a joke and everyone laughs politely. You wish Jieun hadn’t brought up food. You haven’t had a chance to eat ever since you got here and although there are hors d'oeuvres being offered to guests, you know you aren’t one of them.

Once the speech is over, there’s a series of further introductions until a host comes on, a minor television personality who calls out names of top management, a couple of top sponsors and Hybe’s artists. You tune out; as Seulgi rightly said, the small group of journalists are the most low maintenance guests in attendance, treating you more like a host and less like the glorified maid Jieun seems to be perceived as.

It’s another half an hour before you come to a decision. Secure in the assumption that the journalists are going to be occupied as long as there’s a speech going on, you mutter an excuse to Jieun and Minho and slip out, determined to find food before your stomach starts growling in public. You only need to make it to the bathroom so that you can retrieve the half-eaten protein bar you have in your clutch, when you look up and see you’re not alone.

The mirror on the wall shows only one other person in the corridor. Hardly daring to believe it, you whip around to see, in the wildest coincidence that you still feel you should have seen coming, Jeon Jungkook, looking dapper in a suit and slicked back hair, eyes wide and surprised.

“Lia!”

Shit. You want to run but you’re frozen on the spot - and you honestly have nowhere to go. Plus, when he starts walking towards you with a smile, you find you don’t quite have the heart to run away from him.

“Jungkook,” you greet him in a low voice, moving to side-step him.

“What are you doing here?” he asks.

“I’m… working. What are you doing here?”

He raises his eyebrows. “I’m… also working. Technically.”

“No, I mean -” You shake your head. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the hall with the rest of the band? Oh, my God, does Minho know you’ve left your seat? Does Seulgi?”

Jungkook frowns. “I don’t know who any of these people - wait, is Minho the guy who showed us to our seats?” When you nod, a bit frantically, he nods in understanding. “He told me where to find the bathroom. And I’m not sure but I think he offered me a drink.”

“It’s probably cheap whiskey, so please tell me you turned him down,” you say uneasily.

He grins, and it’s gorgeous. “I’m good at keeping my alcohol down,” he informs you, “but I’m not in the mood for whiskey tonight.” There’s a pause. “Can I buy you a drink, though? I mean, no offense, but you look like you could use it.” He grins again, as though to let you know it’s a joke.

You make a sound between a chuckle and a choke. “It’s an open bar. Or is this your sneaky way of asking me out again?”

“I mean, I’m not calling it a date but if you want to...”

“You should really get back to your seat before someone notices.”

But it’s at this moment that Jungkook seems to have noticed something. His eyes fall to what’s below your face and he frowns. “Hang on, is this…” He looks up at you again, as though trying to solve a complicated math problem. “Is this the same dress you wore on our -”

“I - what?” you sputter, immediately pulling the hem down again. “How - how do you even remember that?”

He gives you a look. “I wasn’t completely out of it, you know? I told you you looked good. But, seriously, how fancy did you think our date was? Or -” He ignores your burning cheeks, “how casual is this party? Why am I being forced to wear Louis Vuitton?” he demands, tugging at his tie.

“Okay, don’t ruin your outfit,” you implore tightly, reaching up to swat his hand away from his collar, “and please get back to your seat.”

For a moment, it looks like he’s going to argue but then he nods reluctantly, like a child being told what to do. You wonder if he’s used to this. You give him a gentle nudge. “Go back to your seat, Jungkook,” you repeat, hoping he listens, Seulgi’s pleading text from a few hours ago floating through your mind. You take your leave and just as you round the corner, you turn subtly to see Jungkook walking away in the other direction, looking tall and lithe as ever, and you breathe a sigh of relief.

As it turns out, your relief doesn’t last very long at all. When the chief guest of the event comes up on stage to make a speech and begins with “In 1964, when two teenagers had only dreams of changing the world…”, you hear Jieun groan next to you. You understand her; the heels and the dress and the tantalizingly close alcohol and the lack of food are turning this into a bit of a nightmare. Plus, given that most guests are in jackets, someone has turned up the AC and you can feel goosebumps erupt on your arm.

You train your eyes to the journalists’ table. It’s only six people, and they seem reasonably well taken care of. Jieun’s already been called over by more than one of her guests to be asked nonsense questions, each time having to walk precariously in her high heels and artfully bend such that her dress doesn’t ride up. Minho’s guests aren’t quite as entitled, which is probably why you don’t think you’re imagining the faint scent of whiskey from him.

Just as you think it, a fifty-something man turns and locks eyes with Jieun, raising a hand slightly. “There’s a gun in my parents’ safe in their Gangnam apartment,” she mutters from the corner of her mouth. “If I go over and this guy asks me to come closer, I want you to shoot me with it.”

“I’d rather shoot him.”

“Works either way.” Plastering on a fake yet very pretty smile, she makes her way over. Your need to find food now transcends your own hunger; you feel so bad for Jieun that you’re willing to slip out again, even if it means leaving your own guests unattended a little longer - especially when they’re nowhere near as annoying as hers.

“Hey, Minho.” You tap him on the shoulder. “Will you text me if my guests need anything?”

“Oh, sure, ‘cause it’s all about the guests.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” You slip out from the door behind the sound station, continuing to pull the hem of your dress now. It’s a normal black cocktail dress, nothing fancy. Overdressed, my arse.

You head to the lounge; it’s where normal guests go to dine. Since it isn’t dinner time yet, you’re hoping you can sneak in a couple of appetizers in a napkin. You enter the stairs, hoping to draw less attention to yourself when somehow, in a sea of coincidences, the one that finds you is in the form of Jeon Jungkook yet again, this time entering the same flight of stairs from the bottom.

“Shit,” is all he says, like he’s expecting to be scolded.

To be fair, you don’t disappoint. “What will it take for you stay in your seat, Jeon?”

There’s a momentary pause before he grins. “I could tell you but you already look pretty pissed off.”

“Seriously, dude, what the hell are you doing? Do you know there are people who can get in trouble if they lose track of you?”

He swallows, eyes narrowing slightly. “Fun as that sounds, I’m looking for food. I’m starving,” he confesses, looking a bit embarrassed.

You stare at him before sighing. “Finally, something we have in common,” you mutter. “But you know you’re a guest, right? The food being passed around in there is for you,” you inform him, trying not to sound too accusing.

“Yeah, I know.” He shifts a bit uncomfortably. “We’re not allowed to - I mean, we’re not encouraged to eat out there. Most of us put on weight in the military and we need to lose it before our comeback in a couple of months.” He sticks his tongue into the inside of his cheek again. “But I’m too fucking hungry to care right now.”

You frown, running your eyes up and down his figure, noting how perfectly fine he looks. Incredibly fine, in fact; the suit does him wonders, making his figure look tall and fit as he stands at the bottom of the stairs. Finally, you start walking down, motioning for him to join you when you pass him. “Come on, then,” you say, business-like. “Help me find the lounge.”

When you do find it, Jungkook throws the door open and begins walking straight for the buffet before you grab his arm and yank him back.

“Ow, what the -”

“You cannot be seen sneaking food from somewhere else while the event is going on,” you state firmly. “It’ll be a disaster. Stay in here and I’ll get it.”

“Get the quiche!” he whispers loudly as you walk away, ignoring him. You skim the buffet as quickly as you can, loading up a plate with two of everything and four mini quiches before scurrying back into the stairwell.

“Don’t judge me,” is all Jungkook says before reaching for the plate and placing it on a stair, loosening his tie and taking off his fancy jacket which, if you’re not mistaken, probably costs about four months’ rent. Adequately prepared, he picks up a quiche and, before you can process it, places the entire thing in his mouth and moans, sinking backwards.

You watch him in mild interest, still standing, as he slowly chews and swallows, eyes closed the entire time. When he’s finally done, he opens his eyes and gives you a lazy smile. “That was good. Thank you.”

Biting your lip, you realise you’re actually smiling. “I can tell. And I’m not judging you,” you add, taking a seat on the opposite side of the plate and pressing your thighs together.

Jungkook points at the piece of fried chicken in your hand. “I know why I’m starving. Why are you?”

“I had to fit into this dress,” you confess, “and it’s pretty skintight, so I’ve eaten nothing since breakfast.” You expect him to give you a disapproving look or make a statement about how that’s not healthy, you know. But he only frowns slightly before nodding once. You wonder if he relates.

“Don’t worry,” you say after a moment. “I never judge a good appetite. And it might be the only thing I found out about you on our date,” you remind him as you pop a fried shrimp into your mouth.

He shakes his head, reaching for a shrimp as well. “When are you going to forgive me for that?”

You eat in silence for a moment. “I already have,” you tell him, realising it’s true. “Look, it wasn’t a great night, and I was pretty pissed off the last time we spoke, mostly because you didn’t remember me for a moment there. But you were going through something, too, and… you apologised. And I accept it. There’s really not much else to it.”

“Huh.” Jungkook chews thoughtfully. “Well. Thank you, Lia.” For a few seconds, neither of you speak. “I really would like to take you out again, though,” he says softly.

You sigh inwardly. “That’s not necessary, Jungkook. Besides, I work for Hybe. I can’t be dating the talent. I’d get fired.”

He looks up, frowning. “I work for Hybe, too.”

You scoff. “Believe me, the way I work for Hybe and you work for Hybe are completely different. I can actually lose my job without breaking a million hearts and losing the company half their revenue.”

He processes this. “Then why did you say yes the first time?”

You shrug, your cheeks heating up a bit. “I was intrigued. Thought it might be worth the risk.” You look up, suddenly realising how he might interpret that but the moment to correct yourself has passed.

If Jungkook picks up on it, he doesn't say anything. "What was the worst part about the date for you?" he asks after a few seconds.

You chuckle, almost choking. "What? Why would you ask that?"

He shrugs, but there's a smile lingering on his face. "People usually ask about the best part. In this case, I feel like I should probably ask the opposite. Don't worry, you won't hurt my feelings."

You don't quite believe him. He's cute and charming - and the biceps visible through his thin white shirt are more than welcome - but he also seems… young. It's strangely endearing.

"Um…" You dust your hands to get rid of the fried chicken batter. "Actually, the worst part had nothing to do with you. It was when the waiter accidentally spilled that red wine all over me?" You tug on the edge of your dress. "This outfit you were commenting on? It's been through a lot. Washing, scrubbing, dry cleaning…" You shake your head dramatically.

"Oh, man. The dress really made it through. It looks great." There's another pause where you see his ears redden. Then -

"Wait, do you have my hoodie? Lia, I've been looking for it for months!"

You freeze mid-bite, suddenly remembering that you have Jeon Jungkook's hoodie stuffed in the bottom of your laundry hamper. "Oh… that's right, I do. Well, I'll just wash it and dry clean it and, you know. Send it to your apartment."

He bites his lip. "I - I can't give you my address. I mean, you're nice but… I don't really know you that well," he adds apologetically.

"Fair enough. I can give it to your manager. Very official."

He raises an eyebrow. "You don't want to go out with me because I'm a colleague but telling my manager we went out is no problem?"

"Okay, fine. What if I place it in a secret location and give you a code to -"

"Jesus Christ," he exhales, laughing despite himself. "There's a much easier way for you to return it… but I don't think I should bring that up right now."

"No, you shouldn't," you agree, giving him a warning look. “I bet you don’t even remember which hoodie it is.”

“It’s a brown one.”

“Too vague. What brand is it?”

“I think Fila…” He frowns as he chews. “But you know what? You can keep it if you want.”

“I don’t want,” you say forcefully. “I will return it. Once we figure out an appropriate method, of course.”

“Sure, if you insist. Although -”

“Alright, you know what? I’ll make you deal,” you interrupt him when you see where this is headed. “If you can tell me five things about me that you remember from our date, I’ll consider a second one.”

Jungkook’s eyebrows shoot up. “Really?” He looks more skeptical than surprised. “You’ll consider it?”

“Yes,” you confirm. “Five things. If and when you remember them, I’ll genuinely consider another date. Not things I’ve reminded you about after, but things I actually told you or you noticed yourself.”

He nods slowly. “Interesting. Alright, challenge accepted.”

“Sure? You might lose.”

“Oh, I don’t lose.”

You chuckle in slight disbelief. “Some might call that overconfidence.”

He shrugs. “I call it self-confidence.”

“Whatever you say,” you murmur, nudging the last of the quiche towards him. "Go on, you can have it," you tell him when he offers it to you. "You seemed to really like it."

The tips of his ears redden again and he silently picks it up, shooting you a grateful look, when you remember something. "Shit, I was supposed to take food for Jieun,” you mutter, standing up and dusting yourself off. Jungkook follows suit, picking up his jacket.

“Why? And - who’s Jieun?”

“She’s a colleague,” you answer, gathering your phone and clutch, “and she’s having a horrible night. Her guests are a pain and honestly? She deserves some of that quiche.”

“It was some good quiche,” he agrees, straightening his jacket. Both of you sneak out together and while he shuffles to the corner to deposit the plate, you return to the buffet to steal a mini quiche in a stack of napkins before both of you hurry back to the hall.

“Now, please, please, just stay in your seat?” you ask him as you both near the hall.

“What?” Jungkook gives you a mock-affronted look. “Can you honestly tell me you didn’t have a decent time sharing a plate of stolen snacks with me?”

You raise your eyebrows thoughtfully. “It was a better date than the last one,” you allow, grinning when he laughs. It’s a lovely laugh, you have to admit. “Now for the love of God, before Seulgi or anyone else sees you talking to me, go back to your seat.”

“Why can’t anyone see -”

“You ask a lot of questions, Jeon,” you inform him. “And -” You sigh and look around in the empty hallway to make sure there’s no one around before swooping up to him, pulling out his hand and placing your quiche in it. “Hold this. Your collar is all messed up…” You reach up and fix it, taking care to yank on his tie a bit when he grins at you. “Now, go.”

“What if we go in together? Just to shock people? Imagine what -”

“Absolutely not,” you interrupt him, giving him a solid push as he laughs again.

“Christ, you need to loosen up.”

“Watch it, kid. I’m three years older than you,” you remind him.

For the first time since you’ve met him, Jungkook smirks. It suddenly occurs to you how close he’s standing. “Yes, but I’m five inches taller than you… noona.”

You can feel your cheeks heat up as you hold his gaze. You weren’t sure he was even capable of eliciting such a reaction from you. Taking a deep breath, you tilt your head slightly.

“Jungkook.”

“Yes, Lia?”

“Get the fuck inside.” You ignore how he guffaws, throwing his head back as you push him towards the door with both hands; he’s built like a goddamn wall. “Go in there and don’t let me see you roaming around again,” you warn him when you can’t get any closer to the door without being seen, feeling rather like a teacher. As you go around to enter through the back door, you turn back one last time to see Jungkook about to go in the main entrance, still looking in your direction. When your eyes meet, he holds up five fingers and winks at you, grinning when you roll your eyes.

It’s a beautiful smile. And you hate it.

---

Part 2 will be up shortly. Thank you for reading my very first fic on this site and let me know what you think!