_
_
_
_
_
_
_
Amidst the morning hassle of the downtown coffee shop Jeongguk found himself visiting to grab his morning coffee every day, the young man clad in midnight blue suit peacefully sipped his latte, whilst seated at the very back of the small shop, concealed from the direct view. The sweet aroma of coffee that lingered about the shop was always welcoming and calming, therefore Jeon Jeongguk found himself here every morning, despite his busy schedule.
But unlike other days, he had seated himself down in a vinyl covered cushion seat. He was awaiting someone's arrival. The café was getting less crowded by the minute, the busy hours coming to an end until only a few customers are left including Jeongguk. The usual peacefulness started to fall upon the place as the crowd thinned.
Jeongguk was staring out of the glass window at the busy street when he heard the faint tingling of a bell, announcing the arrival of a customer. Dress shoe heels tapped against the wooden floor rhythmically as they closed up on Jeongguk, until stopping right before him. Jeongguk averted his gaze from the glass to the tall man standing before him, clad in a black suit. His hair was parted from the side, revealing his forehead. He was undenialbly handsome.
"Mr. Jeon" Kim Seokjin's voice was velvet smooth; a perfect combination of melody and roughness, perfect, just like his whole being was.
"Jin" Jeongguk said, signaling him to take a seat opposite of him.
"What's up? It's unusual for you to tell me to meet you outside of your office" Jin said.
"Right to the business? Don't fancy spending time with me?" Jeongguk said, a smile playing at his lips.
Jin chuckled. "If I didn't fancy meeting up with you, I wouldn't even have picked up your phonecall, Jeongguk"
Jeongguk grinned at him. Jin had been a trusted ally of the Jeon Corporation. He and Jeongguk were friends. Jin also did business with Taehyung, making him unbiased. Therefore he is close to both Jeongguk's and Taehyung's companies. Which is why Jeongguk wanted to meet up with him.
"I need your help"
Jin raised hos eye brows at Jeongguk, suprprised. "You what? You need my help? Jeon Jeongguk needs my help for what?"
"Please, Jin. I'm desperate" Jeongguk said. Jeon Jeongguk wasn't the person to go around asking for help. He always did things on his own and succeeded in them. He'd never felt so vulnerable as much as he was feeling now. But desperate times calls for desperate measures.
"You know I'll do anything if it's in my power, Jeongguk. We've known each other for years" Jin sighed, "Is this about Taehyung?"
The name of Jeongguk's lover made him look up from his cup of latte. "Yeah"
Jin sighed.
"I love him" The words felt heavy in his mouth. He never thought he'd be saying such a thing to anyone. Ever. He never thought he'd be talking about his love life to anyone but Yoongi. And yet here he was. He never thought he'd have to seek help from anyone in regard of his love life. But confronting Jin about this seemed like the best idea in his head.
Jin stared. "I'm sorry, Jeongguk. He has no choice but to-"
"I know, okay? This isn't about me. I'm not doing this only for myself. But there's something strange about this whole thing"
Jin furrowed his eyebrows together. "What do you mean?"
"You see" Jeongguk said. "It's strange that this thing happened all of a sudden.What happened with that actress...what's her name? Ah! Rose! Apperently Taehyung threatened her but she still didn't agree to let it slide. Taehyung can ruin her whole career but she still filed a lawsuit, going against him. And that says something" Jeongguk leaned forward on his seat. "She didn't do this alone. She wouldn't risk her whole career just for some clout. Someone was behind her, planning this whole thing. So she has no choice, even after Taehyung blackmailed her, but to go according to the plan. Someone had planned this whole thing out. I don't mean the marriage, I mean what happened with their new product."
Jin stared at Jeongguk with a tensed look. He then cleared his throat. "Well...now that you mention it...It's quite strange"
Jeongguk nodded eagerly.
"I don't understand what you're asking me, though" Jin said.
"You have men. I know you have many people who can find this kind of information from. I was wondering if you could help me find information on this case. I need to find who did this. I need to- "
"Stop Taehyung from getting married to Jennie?"
"That's-"
"So Taehyung can be yours again?"
"I'm-"
"Jeongguk sweetie" Jin said, "I understand why you're doing this. You love him and you can't let him go. But did you forget that he's actually the enemy of your family? For generations? You're literally trying to help your enemy get his reputation back. Your sales have risen drastically. At this rate Jeon Corporation might as well get the best Company of the year award at the Precedential awards ceremony"
"I don't care about any of that! Taehyung is my boyfriend and I'm just trying to help the person I love. We both want to be together and it seems impossible right now!" Jeongguk fumed.
"Okay then let that slide. Taehyung getting married to Jennie is only going to benefit their company. The two companies will merge and their sales will drastically rise, since Namjoon's company is popular too. Both companies will profit from this deal. And even if you do find who's behind this? What will you do? Tell the whole world who's behind this? And then what? Sure, the impression on people have on Tan corporation will go back to how it was, the popularity will rise. But then? Would it make up for the dmanage? The money they've lost? It wouldn't. Don't you think you're being selfish right now, Jeongguk?"
Jeongguk stared blankly at the cup of unfinished latte on the table. His heart clenched painfully as Jin's words sank in. He was nothing but right. Jeongguk is being selfish. He wants Taehyung. He needs him. He isn't ready to let him go.
"I will merge our companies" Jeongguk said after a while, looking at Jin dead in the eyes.
Jin chuckled. "Why aren't you doing it now?"
Jeongguk sucked in a breath. Why exactly was he not soing that? Why hadn't he already suggested the idea to Taehyung yet? It was the only option that could save them all. It'll not only make up for Taehyung's loss, also, Taehyung and Jeongguk will be able to be together. But why didn't it feel like an option?
Oh right...because their families were rivals.
Everything because of a stupid rivalry between families.
Only if he could bring an end to it? But Jeongguk was a coward. He could hardly confront his father about the dick he's being to Jeongguk. How could he say that he wants to merge his company with their rival's? It would also mean that he'd have to come out as gay to his father.
"I know that this is really difficult to you, Jeongguk. And I'm sorry that you are in this situation. It sucks. I wouldn't wish this on my greatest enemy. I want to help Taehyung too. I feel...really bad for him, I do. But there's nothing I can do. And he has no other choice than to merge with Namjoon. I hope you can make up your mind about Taehyung. I think you must, for his sake. In the meantime, I will find information about this. I will put my men to work, just because you asked me to and because this is very important to you. I will get going now" Jin said, rising from his seat and fixing his suit.
Jeongguk stood up with him. "Thanks, Jin. This means a lot"
Jin nodded. "I'll be going, then. Good bye, Jeongguk"
"Good bye"
Jin started to walk towards the exit slowly. He was a couple of steps away from Jeongguk when he halted and tunred back to face Jeongguk. Jeongguk looked at Jin in surprise.
"And Jeongguk?" Jin said, "You'd let him go if you love him. For his and your family's sake, I hope you let this whole thing go. Some things weren't meant to be"
With that said, Jin walked out of the shop. Jeongguk stared after him, confused. For Jeongguk's family's sake? What could he have meant by that?
Jeongguk shrugged to himself and tried to sip the last bit of latte in his cup. He picked it up only to realize that it's gotten cold. Annoyed, he set it on the table and walked out of the café to continue with that day's schedule.
-
Taehyung stared at his reflection on the massive mirror inside his closet while one of his staff fixed his tie, and another straightened the coat of his suit. He looked perfect, as always. There wasn't a single flaw from his head to toe. That day wasn't a special day, it was just another office day with a couple of meetings. But he had to look flawless. He would look flawless in whatever situation, because he was Kim Taehyung.
It was in the middle of checking his appearance when his secretary barged in to his room carrying his signature iPad.
"Change of schedule. The HQ Corporation had requested to reschedule the opening of the art centre and library. It's now on 14th this month, in 10 days" Jimin said.
"Oh" Taehyung said, getting lost in thought. "Then we'll have to tell our team to work harder to finish the work by then"
"Yeah I informed them. It's going to he difficult, though. How about we visit the art centre and library and check the progress? You don't have any meetings this evening"
"Yes, that would be good"
"Oh and you need to meet Jennie after work"
"What?" Taehyung turned to face Jimin. That wasn't part of that day's plan. "Why?"
"She wants to pick colours or something for the wedding"
"I don't want to meet her. Tell her to do that by herself" Taehyung said, angry.
Jimin sighed. "Taehyung it's your wedding"
"You know damn well that I didn't want any of this" Taehyung grumbled.
"I know"
"I didn't ask to be married off this young without even asking me about it. They've planned the whole wedding, Jimin. Can you believe that? They've picked out a date, a place and I didn't even know! It's not different from the way they decided to marry me to Jennie without even asking me if I even like her" Taehyung said.
"Come here" Jimin said out of nowhere. He had set his iPad on Taehyung's bed and was standing a few feet away from Taehyung, arms wide open in invitation for a hug.
Taehyung sighed seeing his best friend and quickly wrapped his arms around Jimin, who hugged him back. It was comforting, as always. The shorter male had always been the pillar Taehyung could lean on to everytime something went wrong. Jimin always had answers for his problems. But this time, even Jimin couldn't give Taehyung a hand to get out of this yarn ball of problems.
-
Taehyung's schedule went on smoothly, despite all the troubles eating away in his mind. Every time the fact that he had to need up with Jennie crossed his mind, a wave of stress washed over his body, making him despise what's about to come.
It had been a tiring day, as he and Jimin had gone to check the art centre and library and had walked around the whole place. When he arrived at the place Jennie wanted to meet him, the sun was already setting. And the only thing he wanted to go home to Jeongguk. But that's impossible.
"Taehyung! You're just on time! I just arrived too" Jennie chipped the moment Taehyung entered the fancy-looking shop with wedding decorations and grabbed his arm, hooking her own arm around it.
Taehyung smiled at her as they went inside the shop. The place was filled with various decorations for weddings. Taehyung really didn't get why they should choose a theme colour. Nor did he understand the difference between lemonade pink and flamingo pink, or much less why it mattered so much to Jennie.
Taehyung thought that him being there hardly mattered because Jennie was the one who chose everything. Taehyung had no interest in choosing anything at all. He kept getting lost in thought throughout the whole session. Other than Jennie's occasional don't you think this is good and the nod Taehyung gave, he had no other participence in the whole process.
It was after everything was done according to Jennie's liking they sat down. Taehyung was busy procrastinating when he heard Jennie speak up.
"Taehyungie where should we go for honeymoon?"
Oh there's a honeymoon? Shit, that didn't cross his mind. He shrugged.
"I want to go to Paris. Paris is so romantic" Jennie said.
Taehyung looked at Jennie at the mention of Paris.
He remembered when Jeongguk once talked about wanting to go to Paris. He had been there a few times, he had said. But they were just business trips where he had no time to actually peacefully look around. Taehyung remembered the way he said that he wanted to visit there with Taehyung.
"I love paris" Jeongguk had said, his starry eyes ever so dreamy. "Paris is a universe whole and into itself, hollowed and fashioned by history. Paris is ageless with those towering buildings and those massive cathedrals, those grand boulevards and ancient winding medieval streets. Paris is..." Jeongguk had stared at Taehyung, onyx eyes swirling with emotion. He would smile ever so dreamily and Taehyung's heart would skip a beat.
"I want to visit there with you" Jeongguk had said.
"I would want nothing else, angel" Taehyung had replied. Jeongguk's love for Paris was lovely and vast as paris itself. And Taehyung had wanted nothing more than to explore the finery and divinity of Paris with Jeongguk.
And he had hoped he would be able to do so because why wouldn't he be able to? He was wealthy and had everything he wanted, or so he thought. He thought that as long as he had Jeongguk by his side he had the whole world at his feet.
He had planned to take Jeongguk to Paris and show him all the things he dreamt of. But now...
"Oppa! Are you listening to me!?" Taehyung was awoken from his daze from Jennie's annoyed voice.
"Huh?"
"I was telling you about romantic Paris is!"
"Oh right"
"I have one of my friends living there and she says it's the most beautiful place with all those places lovers go. And I can't wait to see Eiffel Tower!" Jennie chipped.
"Do we need to go on a honeymoon?" Taehyung asked abruptly, as he was mentally considering the possibilities of events during a honeymoon. The mere thought of spending a couple of days alone with Jennie made his skin crawl.
"what?!" Jennie screeched. "Are you out of your mind?"
Taehyung sighed, exasperated. "I can't do this, Jennie. I don't want to marry anyone just yet"
Jennie rolled her eyes. "Taehyung you don't have any other choice. You need to do this for your company. And what's so goddamn hard about marriage, huh? Is it so hard to marry me?"
"I'm in love with someone else!" Taehyung blurted out.
Jennie stared at him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in surprise.
Taehyung just realized shat he'd said. This could cost him his company. Goddamit. Must he be so stupid and careless?
Before Jennie could say a single word, Taehyung was walking out of the shop as his fiance shouted his name after him.
~*~
Sorry for not updating earlier 🥺
How old are you guys?
I love you❤