Stigma

Chapter 15

When Jungkook arrived at work, Jin was teetering at the top of a ladder outside the door while Namjoon was desperately trying to hold it down. Jungkook internally thanked the lord that it wasn't Namjoon on the ladder.

"Jin! Let me do that." Jungkook said, shrugging off his jacket as he approached them.

"Oh thank god." The older man said, swiftly climbing down from the ladder and hugging Namjoon as if he was returning from a life endangering situation.

"What's going on?" Jungkook gestures to the piles of bins just inside the doorway.

"We're putting up our halloween decorations. Jin wanted lights up there but he's terrified of heights and hasn't actually managed to hang anything yet." Namjoon shrugged, gesturing to the tangled string lights in Jin's hands.

Jungkook chuckled and took the lights, climbing up the ladder without a fear in the world.

"I'll take care of these, you guys can start on the inside."

"Are you sure you don't want help?" Namjoon asked, holding the ladder.

"If I want to break something I'll call for your assistance." Jungkook joked, feeling the glare on his uncle's face though he didn't look down, too focused on draping the lights perfectly.

It was starting to look gloomy outside again, and Jungkook quickly finished up, hoping to get inside before it started raining.

He smiled at the interior, the already cute decor enhanced with the autumnal additions. He carefully placed pumpkin centerpieces on each of the tables along with new candles his uncles had purchased.

Jin was draping a fall garland over the display case, and Namjoon hung LED lights over the book cases in the corner of the bakery, giving the room a warm glow.

"We're about ready to open, Jungkook do you mind working the register today? There's some baking I want to get done in the back."

Jungkook nodded, though not overly enthusiastic. He preferred working in the back, alone and able to listen to his music. He likes the comfort and monotony of baking. It was a creative outlet and a time to be alone with his thoughts. A part of him hoped business would be slow today only so he didn't have to interact with too many people.

He resigned himself to preparing the expresso machine and all of the coffee syrups, arranging and rearranging them until they seemed satisfactory.

Unfortunately for him, the morning rush began and he was forced to socialize and make small talk while expertly filling drink orders. He had to admit though that the new autumn decor really did create a nice ambiance.

A few hours into his shift, the rush had become more of a trickle and the traffic in and out of the bakery slowed down significantly. He was starting to get bored as he drummed his hands against the dark countertop.

The bell rang just then and a tall blonde man entered the bakery. He looked to be about 6 feet tall, and wore sunglasses too large for his face. He was dressed immaculately though, and looked slightly out of place in such a small establishment. He didn't know why, but Jungkook suddenly felt a little wary.

The tall man strolled towards him, and Jungkook tried to avoid looking him in the face until he was standing right at the counter. The man took off his sunglasses, and Jungkook had to admit he was very attractive.

"What can I get for you?" Jungkook smiled, trying to push away his uneasiness.

"What do you recommend?" The man asked, attempting to make eye contact but Jungkook kept his eyes trained on the screen where he had to punch in orders.