[A/N: I was planning to add a little scene at the end of this chapter but after finding no time whatsoever to write for two weeks straight, I decided to not make you guys wait for any longer (it's also not thoroughly edited so sorry bout that loves). Anyways, enjoy! :*]
It's Tuesday afternoon. Jungkook just finished his major executive meetings and currently reviewing performance sheets of the new interns. He is having a productive day and he loves it. The warm cup of coffee adds to the calm ambience of his bright office, meanwhile what he is seeing in these reports is more of the helter-skelter kind. Half of the criticisms written by department managers is arbitrary and repetitive, almost as if they are concerned about sending interns home instead of figuring efficient ways to keep them.
He gets it. The competition is hefty and teams need members who are ready for work. For this reason alone, Jungkook can't count the number of times he has pushed the company to hire skilled workers through job postings instead of bringing in fledgling interns, only to judge them ruthlessly with unrealistic expectations.
To give them credit though, some cases will be so exhausting that the manager won't see the worth of wasting their time. One of those cases laying ahead of Jungkook at the moment, is repetitive phone complaints received by an intern's mother asking to shorten his son's work hours at night.
It makes him laugh a good amount.
Kim Daohan is known for being a hard worker, staying later than others at the office to impress his bosses. He was a specific one Jungkook laid his eyes on since the orientation. He is obedient and overly kind, which is cute to the extent that he is taken advantage of.
Lucky for him, Jungkook knows the perfect someone who can light a match in him. A little bold could definitely sharpen Daohan's image and increase his character value.
And get ahold of his mama.
...
His department members are leaving the office for a coffee break as he is walking in. Then there are Kevin and Jimin hunched over a phone on Kevin's desk, laughing their asses off at whatever they are watching.
"Would you like to join us, Mr. Jeon?" Mr. Kyung asks passing, a kind smile on his face as always.
"Thanks for the offer Kyung-nim. I am busy with something at the moment," Jungkook responds equally amiably. He normally wouldn't skip an opportunity to spend off-time with Mr. Kyung due to the fatherly respect he bears for the older man, but he is on a mission right now.
His attention drifts to the elegant arch of Jimin's back as he laughs heartily at something. He is dressed in creamy tones today: a formal sheer blouse wrapped tightly around the waist of his figure, leaving in its awakening silky collarbones and a sparkling simple silver necklace, paired with some loosely-fitted pants.
It's almost a little too much to process because god he is so pretty.
"Alright, take it easy," Mr. Kyung's tap on the shoulder brings him back abruptly. Before Jungkook scrambles for an answer, he has joined the others over the elevator.
Jungkook clears his throat and tries to remember why he was here in the first place. His heart is suddenly beating faster at the mere through of approaching the duo, unsure of how he is going to meet Jimin's eyes, if he has to. He chooses to come behind them, hooking his chin over Kevin's shoulder and blending in.
"Is that your baby sister?" he poses upon noticing the cute baby on the screen, earning a nod from Kevin.
"Do you know him?" Jimin asks mirthfully, directing a big smile at Jungkook the moment their eyes meet. It's a silent hello. Perhaps because he readied himself enough, Jungkook doesn't panic and smiles back at him easily.
"Yup. I met him when I visited Kevin's house."
"Sunbae always invited himself over," Kevin giggles when Jungkook hits him at the back of his head.
"Your mother invited me, you traitor. I have manners."
"That you do," Kevin mumbles as he scrolls through his camera roll of cute baby faces. He has the audacity to run his mouth when Jungkook could headlock him in a matter of seconds lurking over his back. "Look, this is when she grew her second tooth!"
"Wait wait wait–" Jimin takes a step back, looking confused. "You said your family lived in L.A."
"Yeah."
"So you two knew each other from America?!"
"Yeah!" Jungkook and Kevin echo, blinking big at Jimin simultaneously. For a moment Jungkook feels like his biological older brother, but the stupid thoughts are quickly shoved away when Kevin turns in his hold and wraps his arms around him like a snail and whines about loving him nonstop.
"Oh my," Jimin hides a laugh behind his hand as he watches Jungkook shake him off of himself. It finally works when Jungkook yells that they are in the office.
"You are on for a new mission," he fixes his shirt, this time serious. Kevin looks at him attentively. Good. "Are you friends with any of the interns?"
"I join them over lunch sometimes. But we don't hang out much outside of that. Just a few times with the girl from HR. Sasha, do you know her?"
"Oh she offered me her coffee this morning!" Jimin comments unexpectedly. The two look at him with their eyebrows raised. "I was standing by the coffee machine and she was kind enough to offer me hers. We had a nice chat."
"Okay..."
"Uh-huh."
"You guys are being weird." Jimin laughs shyly, giving Jungkook a little push on the shoulder and nudging Kevin's foot. There is no reaction, until Jimin notices that they were looking behind him:
At the mirthful figure of Kim Seokjin.
"You are so dead," Kevin giggles to the collar of his shirt, shifting far when Jimin tries to snatch more answers from him.
"He is already plotting your romance story," Jungkook bites his lip to stop himself from laughing.
Then Jin shouts from the doorway of their wide working space, "You think! I already have him reserved for someone!"
And Jungkook doesn't feel like laughing anymore.
"R-reserved?" Jimin turns around in shock. He looks like a lamb. "Is he matchmaking?"
Jin disappears and they are all awkwardly staring at each other.
"Don't worry about it. He is full of shit," Jungkook sputters in a hurry. "Anyway, Kevin. Can you get intern Kim Daohan to leave the office at the standard work hour?" he skips towards the door, barely catching himself from slipping by holding onto the frame.
"That's the mission?"
"That, and if you could also become besties and teach him how to stand up to Choi from IT. I heard he gets the poor guy to do footwork."
"Oh," Kevin lazily raises his eyebrows, like he is unimpressed by the simplicity of the task. "Sure."
Jungkook chuckles. "Thanks Kev! See ya!" he taps on the door before he makes a run.
He will die if he doesn't find out who Jin is shipping Jimin with this very moment. Unlike the time meme pictures of him in a Yoda costume landed in his work email and Jin agreed to be fired but didn't open that damn mouth of his, Jungkook won't let him off the hook easily.
...
And of course, he is being a bullhead. So Jungkook has to ask random questions until Jin slips and reveals a crumb of a hint about Jimin's secret admirer.
"Did you hear them directly say that they liked Jimin?" he skips around the reception table as Jin moves from left to right, grouping stacks of paper together.
"I wouldn't tell you, even if they did."
"Aha! So you didn't hear them say it."
"That's not what I said."
"Did you see them together? Did you see them interact?"
"Jungkook, shut up and get lost."
"Gladly. The first second you tell me who it is, I am a puff of feathers. Think about it, hyung. It's a pretty good deal!"
Silent treatment.
"Jinnnieee please, I swear to god I won't tell anyone–"
"Leave me do my job, Jungkook," Jin is adamant but Jungkook can tell he is the slightest bothered. Jungkook has an abominable knack for getting on people's nerves, as seen, and Jin by coincidence, has a patience limit.
"You are the one who started it!"
"Started what?"
"The reservation!"
"Oh, that. Was that what you were talking about?"
Jungkook's eyes shine. He helps Jin order the stack on his arms but it only earns him a cross look so he removes his hands and blinks prettily, shifting until Jin is uncomfortably squished against the side of the tall table. "So? Stop being a tease and tell me about the reservation already, you disgusting adorable freak."
Jin makes a face. He has an unconvincing look in his eyes. "You already know that I reserved the vegetarian restaurant at ABCD for you and the businessmen from EFGH on Friday at lunchtime."
Jungkook is angry.
"It is not funny," he huffs.
"And I'm not a comedian. Now if you would–" he tips his hip against Jungkook's harshly and gets him to topple away, "move, so I could do my actual job."
Jungkook scoffs like a kid. His eyes are sending daggers Jin's way.
"Did you even update your schedule?" Jin sighs loudly, dropping everything in his hands on the table with a thud and resting against it for a moment.
"Out of everything Jin hyung, isn't that your job!" Jungkook yells inappropriately loud, not minding the person passing behind the open glass door. They can turn back around, for all he cares about.
"Exactly my point!" Jin grumpily bursts too, head bouncing in annoyance. "Get off my desk so I can get back to it!"
Jungkook snarls at him, leaning in his direction courageously and mouthing endless I hate yous. Only when Jin threatens to hit him with a roll of folders Jungkook enters in his office. He doesn't stop mouthing from the crack of his door though, at least not until Jin removes the flowers of a vase full of water and lauches in his direction.
Jungkook breathes manically, pasted on the back of his door with a hand in his heart.
That was close.
Doesn't mean he is giving up though.
If Jin refuses to tell him about the mystery admirer, Jungkook will find out himself.
Humph.
...
It's never too late to backpedal from a disaster, they say. Here is the thing, backpedalling as a word isn't in Jungkook's dictionary. Either he wasn't ever introduced to it or he dumped it in a huge garbage can somewhere along his development — whichever the case, he is too deep into the pedaling business to figure out which way he is going.
Actually, he doesn't really have a choice, considering the fact that two hours within his decision to secretly follow Jimin around the office, he has managed to run into the biggest cabinet in the office and gave himself a glob on the head.
Oh cut him some slack. Listen to his logic and dare say it doesn't make sense:
If someone has an interest in Jimin, they will obviously want to be around him. Hence, if I follow Jimin around, I will 100% run into them.
It's a genius idea!
Well it works until it does. Jungkook manages to tiptoe around the man's silhouette a good two hours – working at his desk, going to the bathroom, talking on the phone at the balcony, working some more...nothing suspicious.
When Jimin heads to the snacks room Jungkook finally gets crumbs of a conversation between Jimin and some familiar-looking woman from another department he can't remember for the life of him, but a douchebag decides to greet Jungkook loudly in his hideout (a.k.a. outside the door), and Jungkook has to escape before Jimin notices him lingering around for nothing, which is how he hits his head at this massive cabinet in the corner, groans so loud the office shakes, and runs to his room like a headless chicken trying to hide his face on his stomach to save himself from further embarrassment.
Of course, Jin has to walk in that exact moment Jungkook is wailing in pain. He stares at the massive bump on his forehead, and like he wasn't the reason Jungkook is in this pitiful state spits out,
"You are in idiot, Jungkook."
Jungkook doesn't know how many times he has to say this for it to truly resonate with every soul existing in the universe, but he hates Kim Seokjin from the bottom of his heart.
...
Two weekdays pass by. The Thursday sun rises bright and hot on the glass wall of Jungkook's office. Honestly? It feels like the same fucking day as two days ago.
Jungkook solved every business problem, wrapped up every report, had every client meeting, but he made absolutely no progress on the mystery admirer. He is consumed. He can't think about anything else. He can't function without that stupid I already have him reserved for someone ringing in his ears every two seconds.
This was not supposed to affect his health.
Jungkook was not supposed to spend his lunch break stalking Jimin's social media, but at least it is helping him feel better than eating any magical dish could. He scrolls through his followers to identify employees from the office, takes notes of his feed activity for any hint of likes, comments or stories — nothing.
There is absolutely nothing and Jungkook is going crazy.
Just as he is melting into his office chair, groaning in irritation and a lessening tolerance for anybody that might knock on his office door, somebody knocks on his office door.
Jungkook huffs, pushing himself to a seating position and praying that it's Jin so that he has a reason to explode in this wholicle for a jacked up reservations universe. Without even hearing his answer, the person on the other side swings the door open and suddenly Jungkook is eye to eye with Jimin.
He freezes.
Every cell in his brain gathers into an emergency meeting.
What is the plan?
There is no fucking plan, we handle him as he comes!
This dumbass doesn't have the skills of a five year old to handle Park Jimin, are you guys aware of the stakes here?
Jungkook is urged to protest to that because a five-year-old, not even a teen-year-old?!
Hush, we can't think when you trigger the feelings Koo. Breathe, will you.
Look. We raised him to 23. He got this.
You're right. We witnessed the baby through his first sex, I think we can pull off anything here.
Awh, the days. Remember how we had to nurse him until he mustered up the courage to touch Darwin's dick? Golden memories.
Oh I bet those days will be returning very soon. Wink-wink.
Awh, Jungkook are you blushing?
Jungkook practically stomps his feet as he stands, closing his eyes for a brief second to hold himself together — a clear indication that the meeting is dismissed. When he opens them, Jin is also there with his arm thrown around Jimin's shoulders, and a shit-eating grin on his face.
Jungkook narrows his eyes.
"Did you skip lunch? I was hoping to see you at the cafeteria," Jimin says.
It's just impossible not to blush at that. Isn't it plain cute that Jimin was looking forward to eating with him... Jungkook's conscience dashes through the bars just then and causes him to wonder whether Jimin would still look forward to eating with him if he knew Jungkook was literally five steps behind him everywhere he went the past days in the office.
Jungkook very aggressively shoves the guilt back to its confinement area.
"Yeah I wasn't very hungry today," he scratches the back of his neck.
"He is probably saving space for our Thursday Regular, aren't you Jungkook-ah?" Jin teases. Jimin laughs silently, watching Jin's side profile with a look that could be described as endearment. But of course, when you first get to know him you are bewitched by his charms. Then one day you are put in the spotlight and you realize you have been feeding the enemy under your roof.
Okay maybe it doesn't have to be that dramatic. Still, Jungkook is mad at him.
"Who said you were coming?" he says before he can stop himself.
"Are you gonna kick me out? It's not like you own the restaurants in Seoul," Jin snaps back.
Jungkook puffs an annoyed chuckle. "You know what maybe I wish I did own all the restaurants in Seoul. Then I wouldn't have to put up with whatever it is that you are trying to do."
His impulsively uttered words immediately sour the mood in the room. Jin is putting a valiant effort to not let this affect his day but it's obvious from the jittering of his feet and the coloring of his ears that he is battling an internal epiphany. Meanwhile, Jimin has retreated to a thoughtful abandon, unsure of his place in this sudden turn of events.
Jungkook can tell he is leaning towards leaving. He doesn't want Jimin to leave.
If anybody should leave, it's Seokjin. He is the reason Jungkook has lost sleep the past couple of days, as lightly as you would want to take his devotion to the matter of Jimin being match-made with a potential candidate.
He just desperately needs to know.
"I know what this is about," Jin twists his mouth. There is a depth to his voice. It's poking at Jungkook all the way across the room, twirling and making him feel small in it. "You wanna go there right now? Really?" his eyes flash towards Jimin for a brief second, charged with some sort of emotion that sets Jungkook on fire.
Stop, don't say it, please. Not in front of him, please.
"You punk," Jin takes a step forward, heavy and charged. "All I do is take care of you. Are you really gonna go this far because of a–"
Jungkook's eyes shut closed tight, and he doesn't hear if the sentence is ever completed. It is likely that Jin stopped talking but it could also be his anxiety blocking himself from processing a potentially damaging experience.
His cheeks heated up from embarrassment and heart racing like a horse on his chest, Jungkook thinks that this is worst than any type of small he has ever felt in front of Jimin. He is frustrated. Hates to feel this way. Absolutely can't stand it.
Why do you want to know? a little voice in his head whispers then.
But Jungkook can't answer. It's a dangerous question and Jungkook is terrified for his life. He knows that the moment he answers, there will be no turning back, and he is not sure if he is ready to burn any bridges.
By the time he opens his eyes again, Jin has left the room.
"He wanted to give you space. He said he would be back at a better time," Jimin says with concern in his eyes, hand so close to touching his shoulder.
Jungkook's mind is hazy. He is having difficulty processing things, which should be enough of a proof that he is overwhelmed. He tries to say something but it comes out as incoherent syllables.
Jimin doesn't hesitate anymore. He makes Jungkook sit on one of his visitor couches and brings him water, using the coffee table as a seat to be able to stay close to Jungkook, probably. The heat hasn't left Jungkook's body but he feels less pressured and panicky, so that's a good sign. He is glad he is not alone right now.
He looks up. Jimin smiles apologetically.
"Overwhelmed?"
Jungkook looks down at the cup in his hands which he notices he has a death grip on. He doesn't answer.
"You look like you are about to cry any second now," Jimin chuckles softly. "You can go ahead. I don't mind."
Jungkook flushes in more red, reconsidering whether it is a good idea to have Jimin here anymore.
"Why, I have seen you wail your ass off. You have nothing to be shy about."
Jungkook blinks fast, heart stuttering. "W-w-when?" his eyes are wide open and he can't swallow, but that only grows the smile on Jimin's lips to the point that a few of his teeth are on sight.
"You once paid for the nose for a cheap-ass shirt and then cried about it."
Oh dear God. Jimin remembers that shit. This is suddenly not helping anymore. Jungkook grabs at him immediately, trying to get him to stand up. "Out, out out out–"
"Jungkook-ah!" Jimin laughs and resists, pushes back at him until Jungkook stops dealing and buries his face in his hands instead. He can feels fingers on the back of his head. "It was cute, come on."
"I should have stayed in the U.S. forever," Jungkook mumbles into his hands. Jimin giggles again. This time it's quieter, like he is waiting for Jungkook to look up again.
"You problem is that you get embarrassed really quickly."
Jungkook peeks in between his fingers, watching Jimin. It only encourages the older man to press his point.
"Why do you even take Jin-ssi seriously? He is obviously messing with you."
That makes Jungkook drops his hands, a hefty sigh leaving him. "He overdoes it."
"And? You already know that is his personality but you kept him close all this time."
Jungkook chews on his lip. Jimin nudges his knee.
"How long have you known him for?"
"2 years."
"So he wasn't in the company when you came?"
"No," Jungkook shakes his head, throwing a pensive look at him. "I, um... I interviewed him actually."
"Oh! So you hired him."
"Arrgh," Jungkook groans loud, ready to bury his face back into his hands but Jimin doesn't let him, which leaves Jungkook slumping over like a funny leaf.
"You know that this is stupid, right?"
"I am stupid."
"Not what I said exactly, but not gonna lie, you do look a little funny right now."
"Ah, Jimin hyung, you can just leave if you will make fun of me," Jungkook stirs lazily just to make a scene but there is a smile tugging on his lips now.
"It's not my fault you are so easy to pick on. I get why Jin-ssi does it," Jimin says mirthfully, a full laugh leaving him when Jungkook smacks his hands on his thighs and even attempts to pinch him. "Yah!"
"This is me being nice. Come on, up and out."
"So that you can cry some more on your own?"
"I did not cry, hyung!"
"Your eyes are red. You are snotty. You have dark circles–"
Jungkook doesn't let him finish that. He doesn't fake it anymore and actually drags him to the door, which is easier than Jimin apparently thought it would be.
"Bye, Jimin hyung!"
"Okay okay wait, I have something else to tell you," Jimin wiggles to get him to stop. Jungkook pauses unimpressed, short of opening the door of his office. "Mrs. Yeori invited us over for barbecue this weekend. The team, myself and you too. And..."
Jungkook narrows his eyes.
Jimin cracks an awkward smile.
"Let me guess. Jin hyung, isn't it?"
"Don't tell me you are not gonna come because he is coming."
"So he said he was coming?"
"Well before you guys had that thing," Jimin circles his finger pretentiously," breaking out, he was actually very excited to be there. Not sure if he changed his mind though."
Jungkook thinks through. Jimin impatiently cuts him in the middle of it.
"You are coming, Jungkook. I don't care."
Just for the hell of it, Jungkook resists. Just to see what he is going to say. "You can't make me."
But Jimin suddenly pouts and Jungkook's breath catches on his throat. He was not ready. "You are gonna let me go alone?"
Jungkook blinks furiously. His grip on the door loosens and he realizes that's because he wants to hold Jimin instead.
"You are literally my one true friend in here, Gguk. You are seriously thinking of not coming?"
"What do you mean one friend. You are besties with the entire team. Especially with Kevin," Jungkook rolls his eyes, coming off as bitter, which makes him stop and question — was he always annoyed by those two getting closer every day or...?
Fuck he is doing that again. Abort, abort, abort.
But no, his brain pulls him right back into the swormhole and Jungkook adds on top of all that,
"And that other person."
Jimin's eyebrows furrow. "What person?"
Jungkook clears his throat, looking at his shoes and absentmindedly swiping his foot on the ground. "You know who I am talking about. The one Jin hyung is matchmaking you with. What, has he formally, already?"
Jimin doesn't respond for a bit. It leashes an army of ants over Jungkook's skin, the realization of what he said hitting him harder every second. Why did he bring that up now? Is he fucking okay?! Heart picking up its pace, he makes the mistake of looking up... and meets Jimin's unwavering gaze.
Goosebumps.
Jimin is blushing, but not the shy kind.
He takes another step forward, gets all up on Jungkook's space and nonchalantly dusts Jungkook's shoulders, the collars of his dress shirt, and when he grips on Jungkook's tie his eyes snap up again, locking indefinitely.
"I guess we will find out on Saturday," he says then, slow, provocative.
"W-what do you mean?" Jungkook swallows.
"Jin-ssi said the person will be there," Jimin smiles intentionally. "You coming or not?"
Jungkook stops breathing.
Fuck it.
"Yeah I'm coming."
Jimin's smile leaps into his eyes and it betrays a genuine satisfaction. Like he is happy to hear that but it's a secret. A secret that Jungkook can know but can't say out loud... ever.
"Cool," Jimin says and places his hand over Jungkook's on the knob, turning it while not cutting eye contact with the flustered younger man. Jungkook's skin is burning and his knees are weak as Jimin brushes past him, close, way too close, gives him a last smile sprinkled with some shy, and disappears behind the door.
...
Why do you want to know? the little voice in his head emerges.
To stop it from happening, Jungkook answers.