01. The Linchpin | Reliability Kth

01. the linchpin | reliability • kth

index | next

pairing: taehyung x reader word count: 1.900 genre: drama, light angst rating: pg-13 warnings: cursing au: ceo/office trope: enemies to friends to lovers tags: ceo!taehyung, office!au, best friend!yoongi, unresolved emotional tension, mutual pining, slow burn crosspost: ao3

summary: a predictable mistake in buying shares becomes the perfect opportunity for taehyung to show everybody in the company no one is above his rules. what he didn’t know was that his plan would backfire making him question what the real meaning of trust is

A/N: this story began as a drabble bc i love dramatic scenes, whether in movies, television or books. confrontation is always one of my favorite things about them so i decided to try to write one for the first time ever. clearly i still have a lot to learn but i hope you like it!

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Another meeting, another group of incompetent people that I can't believe I hired. Sitting at the end of a long wood table, I scrolled through my phone reading a few emails while all the shareholders took their positions. It was absurd that I had to call a meeting on Friday night because of a predictable and, quite frankly, stupid mistake but here we were.

“Mr. Kim, we're ready” my secretary said discreetly as she handed me a folder filled with documents.

“Thank you” I replied as I got up from the chair and started spreading the papers on the table in front of me.

“Good evening! First, I would like to thank you all for coming on such short notice. The reason for this emergency meeting is to talk about the purchase of a few Min Industries shares” I paused and gazed into the eyes of everyone present. Some of them were curious, tired, others frightened and one in particular very angry.

“I believe all of you realized that ever since it happened our company has started to fall into devaluation, thanks to someone’s stupid and hasty decision” I continued while looking at the documents before me. “I don't want an explanation about what happened or why it happened, just how we are going to solve it” I turned and faced my main suspect, “Today”

“Mr. Kim, if I may, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that there is nothing legally wrong with the purchase” said Lee Sung, one of our oldest and most efficient lawyers. Still, it was a matter of principle for me and everyone knew that.

“I understand, Mr. Lee, but this is not what I'm worried about” I began calmly walking around the table while elaborating my thoughts, “You see... although Min Industries doesn’t compete directly with us they have affiliates who do. Therefore…”

“Therefore it’s smart to buy the shares precisely because it gives us more control over the affiliates” said Y/N, interrupting me.

I couldn't help the smirking that escaped my lips. Y/N took the bait and it was all I needed. From the beginning, I knew she was the one leading the expansion project and everything was going well until she put my credibility with Min Yoon Gi in check.

Yoon Gi and I are old friends, practically brothers, but our families have a particular rivalry that has lasted for almost 50 years. It is nothing that explicit or dramatic. An outsider wouldn't see the animosity, for example. I see it as a truce, however, it's still a delicate matter for our parents and grandparents. When we both took over the businesses, we agreed that we would not repeat their mistakes and promised to interfere as little as possible in each other's company. If it was strictly necessary, we would have to talk before any steps were taken. That was the deal and that is why I was furious at Y/N's audacity to make a decision like this one. She was aware of our family's situation even if not exactly about what I had promised my friend.

“Are you serious, miss Y/LN?”

“Why would I be kidding?” she replied looking confused, twisting the pen between her fingers like she was bored.

“I have no idea, but to call that a smart decision, one that immediately impacts my company's profit, not to mention my personal reputation, seems like a joke. And a bad one to say the least” I said, staring at her intensely as I approached her chair.

The atmosphere got heavy and I couldn't care less. I was right and everyone knew it. Y/N took a risk, as she is paid to do, but the risk was not worth it and she needed to take responsibility for it. If it was anyone else I would have already fired without even calling a meeting. Luckily, she's a key part of the company and one of the shareholders as well so I decided to scold her in front of others to send a subtle warning that nothing goes unnoticed by me and that measures will always be taken, regardless of the level of the hierarchy. This is my way to send a warning because I don't do threats.

Y/N gulped and shifted in her chair, visibly uncomfortable with my proximity.

“So I'm going to ask you again, miss Y/N: are you serious?” I crossed my arms and tilted my head to the side, watching her try very hard not to lose her composure. I had known Y/N for a long time and she always managed to be as cold as me, yet on occasions where her professionalism was questioned her replies used to be impulsive.

“Mr. Kim, I'll be frank” she started, standing up and walking towards the pulpit next to the projection screen. “It was indeed a risk on my part to put Vante Enterprises ahead of such a high-profile acquisition and, for the embarrassment caused, I sincerely apologize”

“Why do I feel like there's a 'but' coming?” I asked, sitting on the chair that she left vacant.

“But"

“See?” I turned to Seo Nu sitting on my left. He laughed politely because I laughed first. Deep down he didn't think it was funny and just wanted to suck up to me. Clever.

“But I still believe that in the long run, we’ll reap great results… excellent results, in fact! Here's a chart” Y/N pointed at the screen in front of us and began to confidently defend her decision, clearly and calmly, completely different from the Y/N of a minute ago who I thought would lose her temper.

* * * * * * *

The meeting room broke out in applause as soon as Y/N finished presenting a chain of detailed information regarding the shares, and although I was surprised by the level of research she prepared, I was unable to hide my dissatisfaction as CEO by confirming that Y/N still didn't understand the problem.

“Could you guys excuse us?” I looked at Y/N and then at the other shareholders. Since the person responsible presented herself there was no need to keep putting on a show, right? I got up, buttoned my jacket, and returned to my original spot on the table to organize the papers I had left lying there.

While arranging them all in a pile, the room emptied and Y/N approached.

“You love to exaggerate things, don't you?” she snarled looking me up and down.

“You love to ignore the rules and interfere with what doesn't concern you, don't you?” I fired back mimicking her attitude.

Y/N stopped for a moment and studied my expression. For a split second, I could feel a question in the air as if she wanted to know if that's what I actually thought of her — a nosy and unprofessional person who ignored her superiors on purpose. I didn’t. She looked hurt. Still, her voice gave no indication that my response had affected her.

“I love my work! It's great and you pay me well” she said, taking the papers from my hand. “Oh, what do we have here?”

“Don't be childish, give me the papers Y/N” I motioned my hands and closed my eyes feeling exhausted.

“What are these projections? How come I have never seen them before?” Y/N's voice came out louder than before depicting a mixture of shock and disbelief. “There is no actual proof that these companies are connected, it doesn't make sense” she walked back to the pulpit, eyes glued to the documents to compare the numbers and references with the slides she had spent hours preparing.

“Y/N give me the papers, that information is above you” I demanded in a firm tone. “Besides, my intention with today's meeting was to get you to find a solution to your own mess but even that you weren't able to”

“How can I solve it if I don't have all the information, Tae Hyung?” Y/N lowered the papers she was gripping so tightly in front of her face and I could see red, teary eyes along with the angry tone in her voice. She hadn't called me Tae Hyung since college and that felt like a blow in my stomach.

“If I had known that the companies were connected I would have thought twice before buying the shares... I…” Y/N's voice failed but she cleared her throat and continued “...this is your fault!”

“Mine?” I asked dumbfounded.

“You left me in the dark and I made an important decision without having all the information” she pushed the papers onto my chest and started pulling the projector's wires angrily, “This is not what I call trust”

“Seriously? Are we going to talk about trust? Bit ironic, don’t you think?” I started chasing her around the room while she collected her belongings and threw them into a big purse.

Y/N snorted like what I just said was absurd.

“You know very well the situation between my family and Yoon Gi's. I always made it clear that we don't do business with them and yet you went there and did it” I placed my hand on top of her purse, preventing her from continuing what she was doing. “Where is my trust in you now?” I questioned her almost in a pleading tone.

Y/N pulled the purse off the table in one swift motion and I almost lost my balance.

“You know what? You're right. I was wrong” she said, looking defeated. “I shouldn't have shown interest in shares that involved Yoon Gi's company, but you definitely shouldn't have hidden these documents from me either” she continued taking a few steps back, slowly moving away from me. “And that's where you fucked up. You're still obsessed with secrets and rules, keeping everyone who tries to help you away"

“Wait a minute” I interjected. This was unfair, it was not like that.

“I'm not done talking” she gazed at me very seriously and I had no choice but to stop and listen. “I know that we have differing opinions on many things and I have teased you too much in the past 10 years with my analysis and requirements, but I never... I say never... would do anything that would harm the company”

“I know” I whispered, feeling kind of dumb for blurting it all out like that.

“It doesn't look like it” she placed the purse on her shoulder. “For me, you're trying to find a reason to get me out of here”

My jaw dropped in shock. Y/N had no idea how much I valued her work, and at this very moment, I didn't know what to say first. An apology? An explanation? A plea? I could have said anything, but I didn't. Not even a fucking sound. My mouth remained open as my thoughts flew through my mind at a frightening speed, making it look like I was confirming her impression.

“I’m gonna save you the trouble. I quit”

Y/N gave me what looked like a small bow or maybe a quick nod as if to excuse herself and then left the room without another word, leaving me leaning against the table without understanding what had just happened, finding myself, for the first time in a long time, completely alone.

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𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 ❤ 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝗸! 𝗶 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ revised version: 09.25.2021

reliability • kth

pairing: taehyung x reader 

chapters: 10

genre: drama, light angst 

rating: pg-13 | p-15 (final chapter)

warnings: cursing, sensual innuendos (and later on) kissing, implied mental health struggles, brief description of panic attack

au: ceo/office 

trope: enemies to friends to lovers 

tags: ceo!taehyung, office!au, best friend!yoongi, unresolved emotional tension, mutual pining, slow burn 

crosspost: ao3

summary: a predictable mistake in buying shares becomes the perfect opportunity for taehyung to show everybody in the company no one is above his rules. what he didn’t know was that his plan would backfire making him question what the real meaning of trust is

☆ disclaimer: this is a work of fiction taken from the depths of my imagination, which takes place in an alternative universe (AU) and has no real connection with people, places or organizations. everything you will read is fictional and created by me. i do not authorize its reproduction, translation or publication, partially or entirely © mrsparknamjoon

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CHAPTER 01: the linchpin ↳ word count: 1.900 ↳ release date: december 11th, 2020 ↳ revised in: september 25th, 2021

CHAPTER 02: family matters ↳ word count: 2.155 ↳ release date: december 20th, 2020 ↳ revised in: september 25th, 2021

CHAPTER 03: a little honesty never killed anyone ↳ word count: 1.671 ↳ release date: january 7th, 2021 ↳ revised in: september 25th, 2021

CHAPTER 04: take it back ↳ word count: 2.750 ↳ release date: january 14th, 2021 ↳ revised in: september 25th, 2021

CHAPTER 05: once upon a time ↳ word count: 3.184 ↳ release date: january 17th, 2021 ↳ revised in: september 25th, 2021

CHAPTER 06: too blind to see ↳ word count: 2.258 ↳ release date: february 8th, 2021 ↳ revised in: september 25th, 2021

CHAPTER 07: a double-edged sword ↳ word count: 4.738 ↳ release date: february 22nd, 2021 ↳ revised in: september 25th, 2021

CHAPTER 08: hanging by a thread ↳ word count: 2.909 ↳ release date: march 22nd, 2021 ↳ revised in: september 25th, 2021

CHAPTER 09: careful decision, heartful declaration ↳ word count: 4.197 ↳ release date: march 28th, 2021 ↳ revised in: september 25th, 2021

CHAPTER 10: what do you see? ↳ word count: 5.662 ↳ release date: january 25th, 2022

masterlist

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ON GOING⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

↳ snowed in chapters: 06/10 pairing: jimin x reader genre: fluff, romance tags: single dad!jimin, journalist!reader, strangers to lovers

thanks to your dog you met the cute but guarded neighbor. thanks to a snowstorm you discovered he could be much more than that. would the two of you be ready for new beginnings, even if your pasts left deep scars?

alternatively: how you and park jimin fell in love by christmas

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COMPLETED

↳ dear soulmate word count: 3.614 pairing: namjoon x reader genre: romance, fluff tags: soulmate!au, idol!namjoon, strangers to lovers

once a year, the system assigns soulmates according to the sincerity of their submission letters. ready to have your lives completely changed, namjoon and you sign up for the program, receiving on the first week of january the highly anticipated green envelope with each other’s message

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↳ like no other [+18] word count: 6.937 pairing: taehyung x reader genre: smut tags: exes!au, shameless smut, big dick!taehyung, possessive!taehyung

great chemistry is an extreme waste when people are terrible at communication and feelings

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↳ the dinner [+18] word count: 1.888 pairing: namjoon x reader genre: smut tags: slice of life!au, shameless smut, boyfriend!namjoon

the thought of having Namjoon fuck me hard while everyone else was downstairs, and could look up at any time and catch both of us, had my pussy throbbing.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ↳ hangsang word count: 1.268 pairing: yoongi x reader genre: light angst, fluff tags: slice of life!au, established relationship, musician!yoongi, boyfriend!yoongi

on a particular difficult day, while feeling at your absolute lowest, you confess to yoongi he would be better off without you

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↳ reliability chapters: 10 | word count: 31.424 pairing: taehyung x reader genre: light angst, drama tags: ceo!taehyung, enemies to friends to lovers

a predictable mistake in buying shares becomes the perfect opportunity for taehyung to show everybody in the company no one is above his rules. what he didn't know was that his plan would backfire making him question what the real meaning of trust is

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DRABBLES

#24 namjoon x reader || action, fantasy || 493 words

#35 taehyung x reader || romance, fluff || 599 words

#54 seokjin x reader || angst || 806 words

#89 yoongi x reader || angst || 1.301 words (oops?)

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WORKING ON

↳ chaptered the messers (become the messies) ∙ yoongi x reader

↳ one shots reality or illusion ∙ jungkook x reader selfless ∙ namjoon x reader how much love (how much joy) ∙ hoseok x reader

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SOON

↳ short stories last night ∙ namjoon x reader back to you∙ jin x reader unexpectedly ∙ yoongi x reader aligned ∙ hoseok x reader the lake ∙ jimin x reader next to you ∙ taehyung x reader everything & everywhere ∙ jungkook x reader

↳ series dangerously in love ∙ bts mafia!au

↳ chaptered one for the laugh, two for the show ∙ jin x reader

06. too blind to see | reliability • kth

previous | index | next

pairing: taehyung x reader word count: 2.258 genre: drama, light angst rating: pg-13 warnings: cursing, alcohol consumption au: ceo/office trope: enemies to friends to lovers tags: ceo!taehyung, office!au, best friend!yoongi, unresolved emotional tension, mutual pining, slow burn crosspost: ao3

summary: taehyung seeks advice from yoongi and ends up realizing that there are some unresolved feelings he needs to figure it out

A/N: this was probably one of my favorite chapters to write. working on the relationship between tae and yoongi is refreshing, because yoongi comes in as the voice of reason (and maybe even the reader's voice too a lil’ bit) and is a very important thing for the protagonist's development.

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“This is concerning” Yoon Gi said as he took the glass from the waiter's tray, “And it also doesn't make any sense. Y/N would never resign without good reason.” He paused briefly to face me, as I remained silent trying to find the right words. “What did you do, Tae Hyung?”

I fidgeted in the armchair a couple of times and ran my hands through my hair before revealing in a tone that I hoped was casual and aloof enough as if things like this happened all the time and I was perfectly okay with the consequences.

“I may or may not have humiliated her in front of the shareholders just to make a point about how wrong it was to go behind my back to buy your shares and then in private question her trust”

“Tell me you're joking” Yoon Gi looked me up and down, his expression a little difficult to read. He looked angry but at the same time confused, as if he hadn't heard me right. Apparently, my attempt at sounding casual failed. I could only mumble sounds. Words? What was that? I suddenly became desperate. Who was I trying to fool? Yoon Gi or myself?

“Tae Hyung! Are you stupid?” he placed the drink on the small table between us, “Why did you do that?”

The real reason I didn't know. I simply did it. Impulse? Yes. Stupidity? For sure. Ego? Most likely. The more I replay the incident in my head, the more ridiculous it gets. Saying it out loud? Mortifying.

“I know, I know” I started defending myself, “In the beginning, the shareholders were all nice and everything was great. They sucked up to me the way they never sucked up to my dad. However, as the years went by I started to deny their perks and demands and they responded by doing the absolute minimum. Didn't affect Vante as you would expect, instead left me with a bunch of shit to do and stress level through the roof” I explained.

Yoon Gi took another sip of his whiskey and, still holding the glass close to his mouth, he pointed his index finger at me making the liquid stir inside. “From where I’m standing you shouldn’t have used Y/N in your so-called revenge plan. You should have talked to her about it first and come up with a plan together to fuck those assholes”

“Yes, we already established that I am a jerk” I lowered my head, pouring more soju, “When I first heard she bought the shares I got really pissed, I’m not gonna lie. I explicitly told her you and I had a deal and she had to come to me first” I continued to defend myself, after all, there was some sort of logic behind my fuck up.

“She bought shares in which company?” Yoon Gi asked.

I squinted for a moment trying to remember names, “FL and Losna"

“Not many people know I own Losna, Tae” he pondered, “It may have been an honest mistake on her part”

“She knew about FL though!”

“I don't care, you’re wrong”

“Yoon Gi” I cry out.

I wanted his help to make sense of all of this and also get some moral support, not to take Y/N’s side and tell me the truth so bluntly. We have been brothers since we were ten years old, which means I hope he will lie to me and spare my feelings — it’s called good manners.

“Tae Hyung” he mimicked me in a sarcastic tone, obviously making fun of my pain, “Listen, I’ll talk to my lawyers about this to see how we can reverse the deal. At least with FL. Losna doesn’t matter much”

Yoon Gi was always mature, sensible, and responsible, there was no way he would spare my feelings. Deep down I knew that and understood he was the only friend who could get me right on track. Did I enjoy our little dynamic? No. Did it work? Every goddamn time.

“What about your dad? What will you tell him once he finds out?” I asked, making Yoon Gi laugh.

“The truth” he replied.

I crossed my arms and stared at him in total disbelief, “You say it like it’s easy…”

“It's not easy at all, but unlike you, my friend, I have this thing called uh…” Yoon Gi paused dramatically looking around as if he had lost something in the armchair, “...balls, so it’ll be fine” he smiled, not showing his teeth.

“Ha ha, very funny” I slowly clapped my hands.

“I wasn't trying to be” his eyebrows arched in surprise, “Natural talent, perhaps?”

“Sure, let’s go with that” I scoffed, “Can your natural talent also help me get back on Y/N’s good side?”

Yoon Gi narrowed his eyes, “Is there more you’re not telling me? Did something else happen?”

This man knew me very well, so much so he knew exactly when I was hiding a piece of information. If I wanted his help, I should tell the full story with Y/N, not just the meeting/humiliation part, so that's how I spent the next fifteen minutes detailing our conversation (or should I say fight?) at the building's emergency stairs.

When I finished, Yoon Gi took a few seconds to digest it all and then tilted his head sideways, biting his lip, trying to read my body expression. “Why are you so desperate to get her back?” he finally asked.

Thank God, an easy question to answer. “Because she is the best and I need her”

“Nah, I don't think that's it” he shook his head and shifted his body, now sitting more on the edge of the chair with a smirk on his face.

“What? What are you trying to say?” I disputed.

“You like her” he pointed his fingers at me, the smirk still intact on his face.

“I what?”

“Like her” Yoon Gi repeated and chuckled as he leaned back in his armchair again, probably satisfied with his ridiculously inaccurate and delusional remark. Unbelievable.

“Since when do you get drunk with only two glasses of whiskey?” I wondered.

“Don't deflect, Tae Hyung”

“I'm not” I shrugged looking around. I wanted to leave so bad. “I don’t know where you got this impression but I don’t like her”

“Don't deny it, Tae Hyung” Yoon Gi rolled his eyes.

“Fine, I’ll play along” I took off my blazer feeling annoyed with this line of questioning, “What made you think I like Y/N?”

Yoon Gi wasted no time. “Gee, I don't know, maybe it has to do with the fact that you talk about her all the time?” he leaned in to pick up his whiskey from the table, “Or how you find any excuse to work late just to see her for a couple more hours?” he asked before taking a sip.

“No no, forget it, I think it's because she never let you shoot your shot, not even in college, and you are secretly obsessed with the tug of war you two play” he seemed to be talking to himself, “It irritates you so damn much but at the same time is exciting, isn't it?” he finally looked at me and smiled. “You hate being told no but she makes it cool, doesn't she?” he lifted the glass as if he wanted to make a toast.

I looked to the glass, then to his face, then back to the glass. What is happening? Where did he get all this from? Why so many details?

“You have to stop reading webtoons, I'm serious” was all I managed to say.

“How can you be this oblivious?” Yoon Gi snorted. “I’m actually a bit sad for you”

“I don't see why” I blinked, confused by his statement. “I'm fine, she's fine. We'll see each other tomorrow” I smiled, sipping some of my soju after raising the glass. This was something worthy of a toast.

“You poor thing. No you won’t, she won’t come back” he shook his head. “I’m sorry to be the one to break it down for you but not only is she ‘the one that got away’, she’s also an amazing professional who just got an amazing opportunity”

When I called Yoon Gi earlier tonight this was not what I had in mind. As time went by I felt worse about how unable I was to resolve the situation.

“Opportunity?”

Yoon Gi pursed his lips for a moment organizing his thoughts. “Y/N is free to do whatever she wants and, honestly, I don't blame her. Ten years with you would take a toll on anybody”

“We’ve known each other for twenty” I replied, pretending to be offended.

“I’m not anybody, first of all” it was Yoon Gi's turn to be fake offended “And you're like my little brother, so it's different” he crossed his legs.

I sank in the armchair imagining Y/N disappearing from my life and never stepping a foot on Vante again: a bitter taste came to my mouth and I felt my chest tighten. 

“You really think she would do that? You know, go work somewhere else?”

Yoon Gi blushed and shyly nodded, “I would if I was her”

But she can’t go. I made a stupid judgment call and it’s not a good enough reason for her to quit. Maybe there is something more she isn’t telling me. If I could just talk to her one more time, if she gave me another chance, I would shut the fuck up and listen. She could demand anything and I would give it to her. A raise? More vacation days? Less overtime? I am willing to do whatever to get her back.

Seeing my sad face, Yoon Gi added, “Give her some space, Tae. Actual space, okay? Don’t call her, don’t text her, and for God’s sake, don’t chase her down some stairs”

Yeah, he's right, I shouldn't be pushing too hard, but then how am I going to show her how sorry I am? Me and my fucking ego ruined everything, that's great.

“I think the first thing you need to do is figure out how you truly feel about her" Yoon Gi started once he noticed the shift in my mood, “I can talk all night long about the tiny details I noticed throughout the years but it won't make any difference because you have to look back and see it for yourself”

I could honestly feel how much Yoon Gi cared. His tone of voice was soft and even a bit sweet, leaving me with no choice but to lift my chin and meet his concerned and loving gaze.

“I can be wrong though, I don't know” he quickly added, uncrossing his legs and placing his hands on his lap. “To be honest I was waiting for the day when you would come up to me and tell you guys were finally a thing. I kinda hoped you were at least working on it at this point. It's been a decade in the making, maybe more” he laughed trying to lighten the mood.

“I-I don't know, man” I confessed.

It was strange for me to hear out loud that Y/N was different because I always knew she was, since and the first time we met. There was something about her that attracted me and at the same time drove me crazy. I hated the way she treated me, always acting like she was superior, but I loved the way her indifference encouraged me to be better and overcome my own limits.

I never felt the need to label our relationship because it had automatically been labeled as 'incompatible' from the get go. It didn't matter how beautiful I thought she looked in a ponytail while studying late at night at the college library, how I envied her attitude towards life or her extensive knowledge in any subject, nor the good relationship she had with all the teachers, classmates. and now Vante employees, Y/N and I were not close enough to create a bond, let alone a relationship. We had no time, opportunity or desire to, I suppose.

Her position in the company felt like meant to be one of my mom’s shenanigans so it was surprising how long it took for shit to hit the fan. At some point, we were bound to have a fight or even fall out for good but I guessed that would happen within the first two years, not now. Besides, in the ten years she spent here, three were dating a guy from London. On and off, of course.

How was I supposed to compete with him? Not that I thought about competing in the first place but if I hypothetically did I wouldn’t stand a chance. Even with me being obviously more handsome, successful, and richer than him, they had a bond and intellectual compatibility I could never match.

“It's okay,” Yoon Gi assured with his hand on my shoulder, “that's why I told you to give it some thought and figure it out. It's normal, you have been close for so long that it might be hard to distinguish at first”

That's it? 

I'm just used to thinking of Y/N as a partner and not as a potential lover? Is it okay to change my mind at some point? Does she even care? What would she say? Wait, what would I say to her? 

This is all happening so fast.

I'm scared.

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𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 ❤ 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝗸! 𝗶 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ revised version: 09.25.2021

09. careful decision, heartful declaration | reliability • kth

previous | index | final

pairing: taehyung x reader word count: 4.197 genre: drama, angst rating: pg-13 warnings: cursing, tears, lots of angst au: ceo/office trope: enemies to friends to lovers tags: ceo!taehyung, office!au, best friend!yoongi, unresolved emotional tension, mutual pining, slow burn crosspost: ao3

summary: time seems to drag on until taehyung is finally able to pour his heart out for Y/N. everything led up to this very moment. he's ready!

A/N: the amount of work i put into this chapter speaks for itself. i'm very proud of the final result, especially taehyung's declaration. please enjoy and get tissues :')

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SUNDAY, 10:01 a.m.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When I woke up the next morning and checked the time I realized three things: 2 missed calls from my mom, 1 text from Yoon Gi, and 1 very vivid dream still in a replay. My night was agitated, to say the least. I woke up several times, switched positions more than I could count, and my brain refused to cooperate or shut off. Where should I even start?

After breakfast, I decided to call my mom first.

“Finally” she answered the phone.

“It’s 10 a.m., mom” I yawn.

“Listen, Hyun Jae hurt her foot while we were visiting the wedding venue so the ceremony will have to be postponed”

I immediately stop stretching and focus on the gravity of what I just heard, “Oh, wow. Is she okay?”

“Yes, it’s just a bad sprained ankle. We’re at the hospital right now” my mom replied, kind of whispering, “She’ll have to wear that boot thing for a few weeks”

“I see” I glance over to the kitchen clock, “Since you’re in the hospital with her, I assume Ye Jun is too and our visit to the tailors is canceled”

“Yeah” my mom sighed. “Oh, I ran into Y/N” she added more cheerfully, which immediately made me imagine the worst scenario possible.

“At the hospital?” I asked a bit desperate, getting up from the dinner table.

“No, calm down. At the coffee shop near the venue. I stopped by before the meeting and she was leaving”

Phew.

“Was she alone?”

My mom could sense something was up so she asked suspiciously, “Yeah, why?”

“Nothing” I answered with a smile, happy that the english dude wasn’t around,

“Did you talk to her?”

“Just a quick hello” she was still very skeptical of my line of questioning.

“How was she? Did she look sad or something?” I started pacing around the kitchen.

“No, she was smiling, very polite as always” my mom replied obviously fed up, “What’s going on Tae Hyung? What happened between you two?”

“Nothing” I assured her.

“Did you apologize like I told you to?”

“Yes, I did” I paused, “Profusely”

“Then why are you worried? Aren’t you on good terms now?”

Last night’s discussion came flooding back and I had no option to tell her a semi-truth.

“Yeah, we are”

Semi because we reached an agreement but it wasn’t the best or most ideal one. Technically we are on good terms. Realistically? Well, we pretty much ended our relationship. How do you label that? How do you explain this to a third party? Especially to my mom.

“Great!” she cut me off, ending the conversion, “Listen, the doctor is back to discharge Hyun Jae. I gotta go”

“No problem” I turn on my heels, heading to the bathroom, “Wedding postponed, tailor’s appointment canceled. Got it”

What I need now is a long shower to properly wake up, make me forget the realistic dream, and relax. Lying to my mom is exhausting and I don't like doing it, but I'm not ready to tell her the whole story.

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SUNDAY, 12:30 p.m.

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“The answer is no” Yoon Gi tells me when I called him back after his ‘wanna hang out?’ text.

“Come on, please?” I beg.

“For the hundredth time, I don’t play tennis and neither do you”

“How dare you?” I gasp overdramatically, “ I’m an excellent player”

“Excellent faker” he points out.

Maybe I’m not the best player around, but I sure looked cool trying it. Yoon Gi doesn’t get it.

“Can we please just go out and do something productive? I can’t stay around the house. It will give me too much time to think about Y/N”

“We can go to a shooting range” he suggests like it was something completely normal, the only obvious choice.

“To a what?”

“Shooting range” he repeats, “Guns. Bullets. Loud noises. Stress reliever”

“I know what it is” I scoff.

“I don’t hear a no in that sentence, therefore I’m texting you the address right now and will meet you down there in half an hour”

“Yoon Gi!” I protest.

“Hanging up, can’t hear you, goodbye"

And just like that, the call ended. I found myself staring at the screen completely unsure of what just happened and questioning if I consciously agreed to shoot a gun. A real one. Then the text popped up.

min yoongi | 12:35pm: 21 Bongeunsa-ro 2-gil, Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu

He is serious, okay.

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SUNDAY, 01:09 p.m.

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The shooting range didn't look as scary as one normally would in movies. From the street, the entrance looked like an ordinary restaurant, to be honest. In my mind, shooting ranges were a dark, tiny and underground space with dim lights and strong manly men judging me from afar. The reality was quite the opposite. Very spacious and colorful with extremely organized rooms and various types of weapons, not to mention the staff, which included men and women of different ages. It had a gym vibe, come to think of it.

After entering, meeting Yoon Gi at the counter, and going over all the bureaucratic stuff that involves shooting a gun, we were taken to a small room with 6 individual cabins.

“You can definitely pretend the target is the english dude” Yoon Gi said after we chose the last two cabins in the back, “I won’t judge you”

“Jesus man, you’re a savage” I replied putting on my safety glasses.

He side-eyed me, “I’m not actually into violence, you know that. It’s just playing pretend. Let loose”

I knew that, but sometimes Yoon Gi's ability to analyze a situation impassively rather than emotionally, scared me a little bit. Sure, I could imagine Eric as my target, but I didn't really want to hurt him, so what was the point?

“Who are you imagining for your target?” I asked genuinely curious.

“Myself” he cocked and fired so quickly and confidently my jaw dropped.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Yoon Gi smirked with eyes still on the target, which he hit perfectly, “Long story”

After that, I pressed the intercom button on the side of my cabin to request staff assistance. I think Yoon Gi invited me here because he needed to, and I could see he had a lot on his mind to stop and teach me how to shoot this thing.

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MONDAY, 08:41 a.m.

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Monday morning finally rolled around, and as I was in the car heading to Vante, a million things came to mind. My playlist was on shuffle and the universe, being the prankster that it is, started playing a terrible sequence of sappy songs that remind me of Y/N. I've never been the guy to get attached and this is all very new. Kind of strange (and wonderful) how I discovered this new side of me thanks to her.

“Good morning, Mr. Kim” Eun Ae got up and bowed as I stepped out of the elevator.

“Morning, Ms. Gwa” I bowed back, “What’s my schedule for today?”

“At 9 you have a conference call with Mr. Song Kang Dae, at 10:30 a meeting with our lawyers and a 1 o’clock lunch reservation at La Yeon with your dad” she followed me into the office.

“Busy day ahead, I see” Y/N smiled and bowed to us.

The second my brain registered it was Y/N's voice, my heart skipped a beat. I wasn't expecting her so early.

“Hi, Y/N”

“Excuse me” Eun Ae said quietly, shutting the door on her way out.

“Eun Ae didn’t see me get in, don’t get mad at her” Y/N explained.

“Mad? No, it’s fine” I sat at my desk, “Your papers should be somewhere right here…”

“Okay” she replied.

A few seconds of very uncomfortable silence passed before Y/N herself broke it.

“So I…”

“Found it!” I shouted, grabbing the file and going around my desk to give it to Y/N.

“Oh, great” she smiled without showing her teeth, which I thought was a bit weird like she was suddenly annoyed for some reason, “Where do I sign?”

“Here, here, and...right here” I pointed to the colored arrow-shaped post-its.

I was trying to be as professional as I could before jumping into the most important part. Finding the perfect segway for a confession is harder than it seems and I was no longer paying attention to what Y/N was doing, all I could do was rehearse in my head what I was going to say next.

“Uh” I began after she and I were finished with the paperwork, “I was wondering if I could talk to you about something else before you leave”

“Sure! I need to tell you something too” she fixed her posture and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Y/N seemed nervous, maybe she should start.

“Yeah? Please go ahead”

“No, you go first!”

“It’s okay, you can start” I insisted.

“First things first, you don’t have to worry about my shares, I’m in the process of selling them back to you. Lee Sung is helping me with that, actually” she dried her palms on the navy blue skirt, “You also don’t have to worry about me working for another company because the NDA I signed is still valid and…”

She paused again as if she was afraid to say whatever it was she wanted to say. Ironically it made me feel better about what I wanted to share. She was just as nervous as I was and that was probably a good sign.

“And?”

“I won’t be working in Korea”

“W-what?” I muttered, eyes wide.

That’s not a good sign at all. In my brain, all kinds of sirens went off.

“I’m moving to London”

And then the sirens stopped, making room for an excruciating silence. I felt like I was deaf because her lips were moving but I couldn't understand a word. My mouth was completely dry. Face was hot, very hot. Hot enough to make my eyes start to sting and the tears come out to relieve them.

“This isn’t how I planned to tell you. I’m sorry” was the first thing I heard when my world started spinning again, “Please know that I’ll always be thankful for you taking a chance on me, teaching so much about the business, and of course, trusting me to help expand Vante beside you” she continued.

“Oh… I…” I stuttered, failing to give Y/N a proper answer.

“It’s a lot to take in, I know” she stared down at her lap.

My facial expression is either hilarious or very scary right now, thank God she's not looking directly at me. I'm trying my absolute hardest to fight back the tears by staying completely still.

“I feel like it’s the right moment to explore other opportunities. I’ve done pretty much the same thing over the last decade and it’s time to try something new” Y/N explained while playing with a loose thread on the sleeve of her white shirt.

“Uh...That’s all I had to say” she suddenly looked up and smiled at me, “Now you go”

Everything I had rehearsed and planned is gone. I have no idea how I was going to start, what I was going to say. I better get straight to the point and just say it. Quick and easy.

“I…”

She watched me intently, eyes searching for something in mine. I eagerly tried to do the same and convey everything I was feeling and that my throat wasn’t allowing with that stupid lump. It was so tight that I thought I was going to die of asphyxiation.

“You...ah” I finally managed to speak and clear my throat, “You ran into my mom yesterday”

“Yeah, I did!” Y/N nodded surprised, “She was so sweet. I hadn’t seen her in a while”

I smiled.

“That’s it? That’s what you wanted to tell me?” she chuckled.

“I know! Silly, right?” I made a silly face and got up, “Anyway, I don’t wanna keep you”

Y/N got up too and as she was talking towards the door she stopped and turned to me, “Isn’t this awkward?”

“A little bit, yeah” I agreed, hands in my pockets, “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Please don’t make this harder” her expression got serious, a bit darker even.

“I’m not. I’m concerned about you”

“I’m not having this conversation with you, it’s not gonna end well” she started walking again.

“I don’t mean to start a fight, Y/N” I grabbed her wrist, “It’s just…" I let her go once she turned to me, “I can’t watch you walk away like this. It hurts too much, especially because it’s all my fault”

“You already apologized, I accepted and we need to move on” she looked away.

“But…”

She immediately turned and looked me dead in the eyes, “I thought a lot about this, I promise you” 

“You quitted in the middle of an argument”

“I did, but as soon as I calmed down a couple days later I thought about coming back”

“What?” I crossed my arms, “Why didn’t you?”

“That’s when the ‘thinking’ began. I spent a month figuring it all out. Once I reached my decision I immediately went to your house”

“But you didn’t say anything that night” I narrowed my eyes.

“I was planning on it but the topic of conversation changed really quickly” she grabbed her phone and looked at the time, “and I feel like it’s going to happen again right now if we keep diving into it”

I was already feeling restless and then the irritation crept in because I needed to know what was going on in her head. I'm tired of this fucking game.

“I get it and I respect your decision, however, I don’t understand it. At all”

“I’m sorry” she took a step backward.

“Don’t apologize for your feelings,” I took a step forward “just explain to me what’s going on and I’ll try my best to be supportive.” I paused for a second, studied her expression from up close, and grew impatient as she stood there with a blank stare, “If you don’t wanna work here because of me, that’s fine” I walked past her, going over to my desk, “The part that hurts me the most though is that we’re behaving like strangers right now and it’s weird”

“We both said things we can’t take back” she justified while I still had my back to her.

“I don’t care” I turned around, “What I do care is if you still respect me”

“What? Of course, I do” she sounded offended.

Now Tae Hyung, say it! Go for it!

“Great, because–”

“Please, you’re making this really hard for me” she interrupted.

Fuck!

“Why?” I sat down and propped my elbows on the table, zero patience left, ready to hear how I’m the one making this hard for her and not the other way around, “Why?”

“Because this is the toughest decision I had to make” she shouted, walking back to the couch and throwing her purse, “You think I wanted to walk away from this? From you? I had to. The argument we had a month ago was just the last drop of water in a glass that was already threatening to overflow”

She paced back and forth a couple of times, took a deep breath, and continued.

“I thought long and hard, the good, the bad, and everything in between. What you don’t seem to realize is that I didn’t recognize myself anymore” her voice was just a whisper. “I had no life, no plans, no nothing. I was on auto-pilot and I couldn’t take it anymore, it was too much. I had to take control of my life once and for all”

Y/N picks up her purse and approaches my desk.

“That’s why I’m starting over. I’m tired of holding on Tae Hyung, I need to let go. Please let me go”

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MONDAY, 10:22 p.m.

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“And that’s the last thing I remember. Her storming out of my office” I said before taking another shot of soju, “I don’t remember my meetings, what I ate with my dad, nothing. What time is it by the way?”

“Around 10, I guess. When did you start drinking?”

“Not that long ago, I think 7?” I squint, trying to look at my watch but it’s out of focus.

“She really fucked you up, huh?”

“Yoon Gi, I didn’t call you here for you to remind me of her” I pointed a finger at my friend, “I don’t wanna talk about Y/N”

“You brought her up” he sipped his drink sounding incredibly amused.

“You know what the worst part is? She didn’t let me talk” I pouted.

“No, I know you. If there’s one thing you do and do it well is talk. I think you had plenty of chances to say what you wanted to say. You didn’t because you were scared”

“I was about to. Twice!”

“If you only channeled the energy that goes to arguing with her towards confessing, oh man, your life would be so much easier”

“Oh, I’m sorry, when was the last time you confessed any type of feelings for another human being?” I took another shot and slammed the tiny glass on the counter of the bar, “What a goddamn expert you are, huh?”

“Tae, let me take you home. You need some sleep”

“No, no sleep!” I waved my hands in front of him, “What I need is to talk to Y/N”

“Absolutely not” he put his drink down and stared at me.

“Yoon Gi, please” I put my hand on his shoulder, “I’m doing this with or without you but I much rather if you were there”

“You...you just said you didn’t want to talk about her! Now you want to go see her?” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “What the fuck? I hate drunk Tae Hyung” he complained.

I shrugged, “I’m not drunk, I just changed my mind"

“I’m clearly in charge of a child. I can’t believe this” Yoon Gi got up and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair.

I did the same, knowing I was in good hands for the rest of the night, “Let’s go!”

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MONDAY, 11:05 p.m.

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“I’ll stay in the car, okay? Dong Hyun will park a little bit down the street so we can give you some privacy” Yoon Gi explained, “If you need anything, call. But try not to, okay? Handle your shit for once”

“Okay” I laughed and hugged him.

“Get off me” he pushed me out of the car.

Standing on the sidewalk in front of Y/N’s house, I waited for Yoon Gi's car to drive away to approach the intercom and press the button. A few seconds later, she answered.

“Yes?”

“Hey, it’s me!” I appeared in front of the camera, “I need to talk to you”

“It’s 11 o’clock” she whispered and I could tell she was pissed.

“Yeah, but I really gotta talk to you, can you just come outside?”

Silence.

“Hello? Y/N” I tapped the camera.

More silence.

I went back to the sidewalk, saw the living room light on, and yelled out her name.

“What are you doing here?” she opened the gate and walked over to me wearing a big cozy coat on top of what I guessed was her pajamas.

“Please don’t go!” I blurted it out.

“Stop!” she was full-on angry and stretched her hand out to keep me at a distance.

I approached her, her hand almost touching my suit, “I’m serious”

“Are, are you drunk?” she bent down to look up at my eyes.

“Drunk has such a negative connotation. I think inebriated is a better word for it”

“It’s late Tae Hyung, go home” she turned around to go back inside.

“I’ll be here all night if I have to” I dared, opening my arms.

She held the gate looking at me, “I’ll call the police

“That’s excessive” I cocked my head, “Do it, I don’t care” and shrugged.

“You think this is funny? Are you enjoying this?” Y/N quickly hushed towards me, leaving the gate open.

“No and no” I replied with a shy smile, “I came here because I need to tell you something”

“We said everything we wanted to say this morning”

“No, you did!” I scowled, “Why are you being like this?”

She hugged her coat tighter, arms crossed, chin threatening to tremble, “Please leave”

“Don’t go to London”

“What?” she blinked.

“You heard me. Don’t go. I need you here, I want you here. You belong with me”

Y/N expression was the purest form of shock, “Excuse me?”

“For the last ten years, I’ve been deeply and blindly in love with you. So much so it’s basically second nature to me. I didn’t have to question my feelings because they’ve always been there. You felt like home. You are home. I’ve been trying to tell you this since you came to my house. I’m so sorry it took this long for me to realize how special you are, how wonderful my life is with you in it, and how incredibly lucky I am to even know you”

Y/N’s mouth was slightly open, her expression more relaxed. No raised eyebrows or any indication that those words were bothering her in any way, so I kept going.

“You drive me crazy but I wouldn’t have it any other way! You taught me so much. You are fierce, smart, and funny. I love everything about you!” I chuckled, “From the way you tie your hair to how you handle our meetings. I’m in awe of how strong you are and how much work you put into everything you do” I paused, staring deep into her eyes, “I’m also very thankful to you for being by my side through many ups and downs. I never meant to take your generosity and support for granted, but I have, and it kills me to look back and realize I didn’t appreciate you while you were around. That I didn’t support you when you needed the most”

I could already see her eyes watering as the wind grew stronger around us. I knew it was cold but I couldn't feel a damn thing. The electricity between us was enough to keep me warm.

“And oh my God, I can’t imagine life without you and the thought of it actually scares the shit out of me so please, even though I’m remarkably late, please don’t marry him. Don’t go to London. Choose me. I’ll make up for it, I promise! I’ll spend the rest of my life making amends to you. I’ve never been this honest before, and not only do I need you to believe every single word I just said but also pay close attention to the following three: I love you, Y/N"

Y/N's tears streamed down her face as if they were a river previously prevented from its natural course. She didn't say anything. She simply lifted the back of her hand to her nose and looked away in embarrassment, squeezing her eyes shut, wishing very badly to stop the river from flowing any longer.

“You’re my choice. My only choice” I confessed once she opened her eyes again and faced me.

“Is everything okay, Y/N?” a male voice interjected, making the both of us snap out of our own little world.

What the fuck is he doing here? This cannot be happening. No, no, no!

Y/N got startled when she heard Eric's voice and quickly wiped away her tears without turning around. I, on the other hand, remained in complete shock and didn’t move a muscle.

“Yes!” she sniffed and fixed her hair, trying to regain a little composure, “Mr. Kim was just telling me something important”

Eric walked out and stopped by Y/N side, “Oh! Then would you like to come inside for a cup of tea, Mr. Kim?”

My eyes were certainly already red from before and started to burn even more now watching this scene. I’m confident that the tear stains were still visible on my face and, even though the street light was not the best, Eric had to be blind not to see it.

This is my karma. Having another man put his arm around the woman I love and comfort her when I should be the one doing it instead of being the asshole who put her in that position in the first place. 

It's time for me to accept defeat. At least I tried.

“No no, it’s fine. I said everything I needed to say. You guys have a good night, alright?” I bowed.

“Thank you, drive safe!” Eric said, bowing back.

“I almost forgot” I looked back at both of them and tried to smile,

“Congratulations on your engagement!” and then focused my attention on Y/N, not caring at all if Eric would notice it, “Be happy”

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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A/N²: in this chapter i wanted to express the feeling that we all have when something big and exciting is about to happen and you can't seem to concentrate properly until it does. to me, it feels like there are only fragments of conversations, actions or thoughts being registered into the brain, you know?

you don't pay much attention to the world around you so it's like flashes & there isn't much coherence to them because in the back of your mind the focus is 'the thing' it's about to happen. in tae's case, it's confessing his love for y/n.

hopefully my attempt to demonstrate that came off as natural instead of confusing. thanks for reading <3

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𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 ❤ 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝗸! 𝗶 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ revised version: 09.25.2021

drabble #35

taehyung x reader || romance, fluff || 599 words prompt: are you warm enough? warnings: none rating: g tags: strangers to lovers, bookshop!au

It was an atypical late afternoon at the bookstore. The autumn sky outside was painted in a beautiful orange and pink gradient, as if a rain cloud had dissipated and wetted the sun, applying a natural filter to the entire scene.

Taehyung was organizing the poem's shelf when he heard the doorbell announce someone's presence. The boy leaned back, still holding his favorite Moon In Soo book, and saw a girl with wet hair and clothes approaching the counter.

“Hello” she said.

“Welcome.”

“May I use your phone?” she asked, hugging herself.

Taehyung paused for a moment, confused by the question, making her blush.

“If not that’s okay, I don't want to bother.”

“Sure, here it goes” he handed the device to the girl, taking a few steps back and returning to the shelf he was organizing minutes before.

“Hi, it's me. My car broke down, my phone died and I need a ride home. Can you come and get me?” Taehyung heard her say, "But why? You work nearby" she asked the person at the other end of the line, “I'm soaked and cold from the rain.”

After a long pause she finally replied, “I understand. What if I wait for you?” and it made Taehyung's heart drop because obviously she needed help and the person didn't seem to care.

“Right. See you later” she ended the call and turned back to the counter, reaching out and handing the phone back to Taehyung, “Here. Thank you so much.”

“Wait!” he shouted, watching the girl walk towards the door, “I just made myself a cup of tea. Would you like some?"

“It’s okay. I have to go”

“Are you sure? You can stay a little longer, call someone else...” he looked at his feet, putting his hands in his pockets.

“I don’t wanna bother.”

"You are not bothering” Taehyung quickly looked up, meeting her eyes with an assuring expression, “I was about to close the bookstore.”

“So early?” she asked.

“It was a slow day, only two people came around noon. I think the rain scared everyone away.”

The way she laughed in response made Taehyung believe that he could help in some way. At least distract her a little from her own bad luck.

“I'm going to get more water. Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable.”

Taehyung came back minutes later with not only the teapot and a cup, but also a blanket over his forearm and a portable heater dangling in his right hand. He approached the mystery girl, now sitting on the leather sofa next to the door, and placed the items on the small table in front of her.

“What is it all this for?” her eyes widened, going from the table to Taehyung and from Taehyung to the table again.

“I thought you might be a little uncomfortable, so I brought some things to help” he smiled sheepishly, “Here is a blanket and there is chamomile tea over there. I'm going to turn on the heater too, just in case.”

An overwhelming sense of gratitude washed over the girl. She had no idea that there were still such nice people out there. The fact that not only he brought her tea but also other things to warm her, made her tear up.

Taehyung adjusted the heater next to her feet, opened the blanket, and placed it on top of her legs, respecting a safe distance between them. He then sat on his heels to calmly pour the tea.

"Are you warm enough?" he asked as he turned and handed her over the hot mug.