"He doesn't look busy now," Jimin said as he glanced back at the dark red-haired boy.
"Yes, Tae, go and tell him to come here."
"You want me to go there now?" A deep frown settled on his features as only the thought of being near to that CEO had his stomach shriveling with anger.
"Yeah, why?" Jimin asked.
Taehyung heaved a sigh, his mouth set in a hard line. "Nothing, I'll just go," he muttered, defeated, and dragged his feet to the bar. "Um." He cleared his throat to attract Inguk's attention, but unfortunately, he drew Jeongguk's eyes to him as well.
"Tae, everything okay?"
"Yeah, I just wanted to ask if you could help us with something?" He tried his best to ignore Jeongguk's penetrating stare.
Inguk nodded and made his way out of the bar as Taehyung waited for him. When he was ready to follow Inguk, Jeongguk's voice impeded him from taking another step.
"Not even a hi?" His voice was smooth, subdued, and a low chuckle accompanied his derisive inquiry.
Taehyung glared at him stony-faced, unamused at his provocative behavior. "Why would I say hi? I don't know you."
Jeongguk tilted his head to the side in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Just because I deliver your food doesn't mean I know you. And I won't be delivering your food anymore so." He lifted a contemptuous shoulder and pivoted, but a grasp on his wrist froze him in his tracks. He wrenched his hand once the realization of what just happened thundered down on him, his face twisting into a scowl. "Don't touch me."
His words and vicious tone startled him — he wouldn't lie — but he dismissed it. "And what are you gonna do? Are you gonna quit?"
"No, I'll ask Ten to deliver your food and I'll do the serving."
"Inguk won't accept that."
"Then I'll quit," he hissed, but of course, he didn't mean it. He would never quit for that stupid, obnoxious CEO.
"You wouldn't do that. You need the job."
"But I don't need you yelling at me for a simple mistake, and I'm not having it anymore." He swiveled around and trudged to his friends, leaving Jeongguk once again without knowing what to say.
"Everything okay?" Inguk asked, concerned, since he saw the little scene between him and the CEO.
"Yes."
Inguk didn't seem convinced but decided to talk to him later about it. "So as I was saying, it is a risky move when you don't have enough money in case something goes wrong. But you have to start small. Find the perfect place. When you find a good location, you can start making plans. You can either build the cafe from scratch or find an empty building. I suggest you go with the second option because it will take a lot of time and a lot of money otherwise."
The three boys were engrossed in what Inguk was saying and didn't notice a certain someone who stood close to their table, listening to their conversation.
"You need someone to fund you?" Jeongguk's nonchalant voice caused them to jerk their heads to him.
"Um, what?" asked Seokjin.
"Hello, Jeon Jeongguk, CEO of JK Auto Company."
"Auto meaning cars so why would you fund him?" Jimin cocked his head to the side, bewildered.
"Well, may I have a seat?"
The cold CEO didn't seem so cold at that moment to Taehyung's eyes with his cordial attitude and smile. The others nodded in response, and Jeongguk's small smile widened as he perched on the chair.
"Jeongguk, your order is ready," Inguk informed when he felt his pager buzz.
"Have Ten to serve it here."
Inguk snorted at his words and retreated to the kitchen to prepare his food since they had already wrapped it up.
"So yes, my company is all about cars, but we have many connections in literally everything."
Taehyung huffed a muted laugh and lowered his head in an attempt to hide his sneer. It felt like that stupid CEO — as he thought at the moment — was bragging to them and couldn't help but get irritated.
"Something you'd like to say?" Jeongguk raised an eyebrow at his grimace.
And Taehyung cast him a disdainful look. "You sure know how to brag."
"I'm just stating the facts. If the truth sounds like bragging to you, it's your problem," Jeongguk shot back, voice thick with scorn and confidence.
"What is happening exactly?" Jimin asked with furrowed brows as he glanced back and forth at the two boys.
"Nothing." Jeongguk flashed him a kind smile. "Our company helps people who want to open their own business. We just ask for half of the earnings of the first year only. And of course, it's a win-win situation because we will help you build your customer base."
The boys took a moment to let everything the CEO just said sink in. "Isn't half of the earnings a little too much?" asked Taehyung.
"Good question," he said with a taunting smirk, and his sneering tone only fueled Taehyung's distaste for him. "We will invest a lot of money. If something goes wrong or if it turns out to be a flop, we will lose all the money we invested. Your friend won't lose anything."
"But why is your company doing that?" Jimin asked, still confused.
And Jeongguk just shrugged. "It's boring only dealing with one thing. We have enough money to make investments in everything we want. And if things go well, we will make a lot of money out of it. You can think of it as charity."
"We don't want your charity," Taehyung tossed off, annoyed.
"Wait, I want his charity," Seokjin said with a small voice. "I mean, half of the earnings is a little too much, but since you'll help me build my customer base and I won't lose money, I'm in."
"And don't forget that it's half of the earnings of the first year only," Jeongguk added.
"Have you done this before?"
"Of course. Many times since I started handling the company." Jeongguk's food finally arrived then.
"Why would I trust you?" Seokjin questioned, still doubtful about the whole thing.
The CEO shot him a bored look. "I'm a billionaire. Why would I waste my time talking to you if it was just a scam? I don't need your money. But you need mine."
"Well, he has a point," Jimin said with a light chuckle.
"Relax, we won't sign anything yet. Just think about it and come to my office with a lawyer if you want to. My lawyer is going to be there too and explain everything in detail. Don't make any rash decisions."
Seeing how smooth and nonchalant he was with his speech, Seokjin could tell it wasn't the first time he had a conversation like this. "I'll think about it."
"Everything good?" Inguk sat at his previous spot as he didn't have a lot of customers at the moment.
"Yeah, Jeongguk helped us understand some things." Jimin smiled as he glanced at him.
"Really? No formalities, nothing at all?" Jeongguk scoffed.
"I'm probably older than you, anyway."
"Still, I'm a CEO at my big company and I'll probably help your friend with his business."
"You're not gonna help me though." Jimin shrugged a teasing shoulder, evoking a snort from him.
"You're all a bunch of kids who don't know their boundaries, huh?"
"Jeongguk, you're only twenty-three. You shouldn't be saying that," Inguk whispered, but everyone was able to hear him.
"Are you kidding!?" Jimin asked, completely shocked. "Seokjin is twenty-seven, and you call us kids? We're all older than you."
"All?" Jeongguk questioned as his eyes subtly traveled to the black-haired boy across him.
"Yes, we're twenty-four." Jimin pointed to himself and Taehyung.
"And I'm twenty-nine, as you know," Inguk said. "You're surrounded by hyungs, Kookie."
"Kookie? That's cute," Seokjin cooed.
"Let's not forget that I have more money than all of you have combined."
"Who cares if you have more money?" Taehyung snapped his gaze at him, aggravation pouring off his words. "That doesn't make you more of a person than us."
"Tae," Jimin cut in before the CEO could say anything. "Chill, it's okay."
His two friends knew about his issue with rich people. He disliked them because of how they acted and the things they said. Things like what Jeongguk just blurted out.
Seokjin noticed Jeongguk's stiff expression and offered him a soothing smile. "Don't take it personally. Rich people were never his forte."
"Inguk hyung, can I talk to you?" Taehyung asked in a hushed tone.
Inguk wordlessly rose to his feet and headed to the bar with Taehyung trailing behind him.
There was a moment of silence at the table the three boys were sitting. "Well, that was awkward." Jimin scratched the back of his neck as an uneasy giggle flew off his mouth.
"Taehyung seems to be quite short-tempered," the CEO commented.
"Tell me about it. He really needs to get laid," Jimin murmured at the end, but his remark was well heard from both.
"Jimin!" Seokjin whisper-yelled, throwing him a glare.
"I'm eating here," Jeongguk snarled with a scowl.
"I didn't say anything!"
"I don't need to picture the boy who delivers my food having sex with others." Jeongguk slammed his chopsticks against the table. He was done with eating.
"Who told you to picture him though?" Seokjin asked, eyes narrowing on him.
"Well, if I talk about people getting killed, wouldn't you think about that even if you don't want to?"
"Why would you talk about that?" Jimin asked.
"Why would you talk about Taehyung having sex?"
"Why are you talking about me having sex exactly?" Shock engulfed Taehyung's whole face upon hearing what Jeongguk said at last.
The three boys lowered their gaze, not really knowing what to say to the now pissed off black-haired boy who loomed over them.
Jeongguk cleared his throat and pushed himself to his feet. "Well, I have to go," he mumbled, scuttling towards the bar, and he could swear he could feel Taehyung's sharp gaze drill holes into his back.
"Kook, you're leaving?"
"Yeah." He took his wallet out and paid for the food, not forgetting to leave a tip. "So, um, what did Taehyung talk to you about?"
Inguk shot him a loaded look as he snorted. "Like you don't know already."
"Don't let him stop delivering my food."
"Why do you want him to continue, though? Obviously, you're not satisfied with his services."
"I am satisfied with his services."
"You literally told him to shut up today."
"Irrelevant. Just don't let him."
Inguk shook his head as a sigh emitted from his mouth. "I didn't, don't worry. He will give it another chance. Stop being an asshole to him!"
"Whatever. See you tomorrow." He trod back to the three boys then. "I thought I should say goodbye before I leave."
Taehyung's eyes popped in sheer disbelief. He's such a hypocrite. He has never greeted me, he has never said thank you, but now he thought he should say goodbye.
"Taehyung. A word?" Jeongguk asked as he set his gaze on him.
"No thank you, I'm good."
Jeongguk arched a haughty brow at his words as a corner of his mouth twitched.
"Just say whatever you have to say here," he murmured, twisting his head away.
"I expect to see you tomorrow."
"And I expect you to treat me like a human being, even though I'm a poor little boy in your eyes." Taehyung would never talk like this to a customer, but he didn't care anymore. He would talk to him as he deserved from now on.
Jeongguk could get mad at his inflammatory behavior, but he chose not to. It was more thrilling this way. "Well, if you want to start a business and become rich, you know where to find me." He offered him a sweetish, mocking smile as he wiggled a brow at him.
"I would never accept your help even if I wanted to start a business."
"Don't get all worked up." A guttural chuckle erupted from him as he observed his tense face tinged with exasperation. "It was just a suggestion, anyway," he carried on in his jeering voice, something that had Taehyung on the brink of lashing out at him. "Well, goodbye, guys." He presented a genuine smile to them and shuffled off.
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