Stigma Love's Algorithm [ A BTS x Reader Poly ]

Chapter 11: The Cake and the Confusion

"Yoongi," I sighed, pretending to be exasperated while desperately trying to cover up my nervousness. "You're acting like a kid on Christmas Eve. It's not that exciting."

He leaned in just a little closer, his voice teasing. "I don't know... sounds pretty exciting to me."

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, my face turning a little warmer. "Okay, fine. I'm getting you a gift, but it's a surprise. I'm not telling you what it is yet."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued now. "A surprise, huh? You know, this is starting to sound like a big deal. Are you sure I won't find out before my birthday?"

I shook my head quickly. "No! You won't. I'm very good at keeping secrets."

He gave me an amused look. "That's debatable."

Before I could respond, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I turned around to see Yeona standing behind me, arms crossed with an eyebrow raised.

She was wearing that mischievous smile that always made me a little nervous.

"Are you two done with your secretive little chat, or do you need more time to plan your surprise?" she asked, her voice light but with a hint of teasing.

I blinked, flustered. "Yeona, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, please. You two have been giving each other these looks all day," she said with a wink, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "I'm not blind."

Yoongi chuckled, clearly entertained by my growing awkwardness. "She's just trying to cover up the fact that she's been planning a huge surprise for me. She's terrible at keeping secrets."

"Hey!" I protested, flustered. "I can keep secrets just fine!"

Yeona just smirked. "Sure, sure. We'll see. But if you need help, just let me know. I'm excellent at keeping surprises under wraps."

I gave her a playful glare, trying to recover from the teasing. "I don't need help," I said quickly, changing the subject. "I've got it covered. Besides, you wouldn't tell Yoongi if I did ask, right?"

"Oh, I'd keep it a secret," Yeona said with an exaggerated wink. "For a price."

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but laugh at how much she was enjoying this. "I'll keep that in mind."

She walked away, still chuckling to herself, leaving me feeling even more flustered. I glanced at Yoongi, who was still watching me with a teasing glint in his eyes.

"You know, you're really starting to get a reputation," he said with a smirk. "The way everyone's looking at you, I think they're starting to figure out your secret."

"I don't have a secret," I said quickly, maybe a little too quickly. "I'm just... I don't know... working."

"Right, just working." He grinned at me. "So what's the deal with all the cake talk, then?"

My eyes widened. "Cake talk? What cake talk?"

"Oh, don't play dumb. You've been talking about cake all week. You even asked Jae if he knew the best bakery in town. What's going on?"

I groaned internally. Of course, Jae would have spilled the beans. "It's not what you think," I said, trying to brush it off. "I was just... uh, planning something for work. You know, a little office celebration or something."

Yoongi tilted his head, clearly unconvinced. "Uh-huh. Sure. A celebration. With cake." He raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "I'm not sure I believe you, Y/N."