It was already after seven, and Jeongguk was supposed to be leaving, but he had some things to finish up first. His body ached from sitting for so many hours without taking a break, but he didn't stop working.
A while later, he heard a knock and glanced towards the door, only to see Namjoon peek inside.
"Kook, it's after seven. You should go home."
"I still have some things to do." He focused on his computer again, scrolling through a site with potential investments he could do. He heard Namjoon sighing and then the light click of the door closing.
"Look, I know after what Yoongi said to you that day, you feel like you have to prove something, but you don't, Kook. You'll always have a lot of work, and you won't be able to finish it in one day, no matter how many hours you'll stay here. And it's normal, you're a CEO, you'll always be busy. So stop working for today and go to the cafe. I'm sure Taehyung would be excited to see you there earlier than usual."
"You're right, hyung," Jeongguk muttered as he rubbed his tired eyes with tiny fists.
Namjoon glanced around the office, hesitant, and cleared his throat. "Can I ask you something?" He noticed the other giving him a questioning look as he picked up his things. "Are you and Taehyung friends? We haven't talked about this at all, and I was just wondering."
"Yes, kind of."
"I'm just saying because it's the first time after your father—"
"Hyung. I know."
"I get it, you don't wanna talk about it." Namjoon smiled at him with a dismissive hand gesture and pivoted on his heel.
"It's not that I don't wanna talk about it. It's just that I don't know what to say about it." He released a faint sigh. "Maybe he's just another one of my hyungs?"
Namjoon broke into mild chuckles as he shook his head. "Sorry to ruin it for you, but we have never cuddled you because we couldn't sleep otherwise. Yes, Yoongi told us," he explained when he espied his baffled look. "He's special to you, and you can't even hide it anymore. I'm sure you know the reason too. You just have to come to grips with it." He gave him a firm nod as a goodbye, followed by a mellow smile, and then exited the office.
But is this really the reason or am I just lonely? Jeongguk heaved a long sigh as he dragged his feet to the door. He resumed to plod down the hallway and got into the elevator. He faked a smile to those who greeted him and arrived at the lobby. Once he was out of the building, he slipped into his car but didn't start driving right away.
He just sat there, gripping the wheel, wallowed in his thoughts. How can I know if I want him... for him? He felt outright confused after what Namjoon said to him. He had no idea about these things, he never craved anyone, he had never fallen for anyone. In school, he just had some crushes, but nothing too serious that managed to baffle him so much as it did at that moment.
A while later, he started the engine and drove towards the cafe. To be honest, he didn't want to see Taehyung because that would make everything even more confusing. But he said that he would pick him up, and he had to talk to Inguk too.
He reached his destination soon enough, and once he parked the car outside of the cafe, he drew in a mouthful of soothing air before he entered. He spotted Taehyung right off, sitting on a stool behind the bar with what seemed like a pouty expression on his face.
"Hey." He forced a smile and noticed how Taehyung snapped his head in his direction, his pout reshaping into a beam in no time.
"Hi! You came earlier." Although it was almost eight and Jeongguk should have finished work at seven, the older felt relieved that he didn't stay at the office until eight thirty as usual.
"Yeah, I was too tired to continue. Can you call Inguk?"
"We're not ordering takeout. I told you that I will be cooking dinner from now on."
"I know, I just want to talk to him."
"For what?"
"Just business things," the lie rolled off his tongue uneasily, and he could only hope that Taehyung wouldn't perceive it.
"Business with Inguk? What kind of business?"
"Tae, you wouldn't understand. It's just some boring stuff." He tried his best to sound smooth and nonchalant, even though he was rather anxious about lying to him. He saw the boy shrug before he went to the kitchen, and after a few seconds, he came back with Inguk.
"Hey, Kook, what's up? I'm kind of busy."
"Taehyung can help in the kitchen. I need to talk to you."
"He doesn't know how to handle the kitchen, Kook."
"Whatever, come on." He rolled his eyes as he headed towards an empty table that was as far away as possible from the bar.
"Just tell the chefs to wrap up the packages." He received a reassuring nod from the boy and rushed to the younger. "Why the sudden urge to talk to me?" he questioned with slight irony as he took his seat.
"Okay, you're twenty-nine. You're kind of old, right?"
"Are you here to mock me for being old?"
"No, you dumbass, I'm trying to make a point. You're older, so you're supposed to know more things than me."
"It depends on the subject."
"How about friends and relationships?"
Inguk tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Friends yes, but relationships? Do you know me at all?" Sarcasm was apparent in his tone this time.
"Right, I thought so." He sighed heavily as he dropped his head.
"But still, tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help." Inguk leaned against the table and focused his full attention on the seemingly confused boy.
"Okay. How can you know if you really want to be with someone or if you're just lonely?"
"Okay, you lost me."
"Hyung!"
"I'm kidding." He let out an amused chuckle. "I'm just gonna say this because I know you for years now. If you were just lonely, wouldn't you be looking for someone to fuck?"
Jeongguk's eyebrows bumped together in a frown as he mulled over his inquiry, and he found himself nodding at last.
"So I'm gonna assume that there is someone you're interested in and I'm gonna ask you this. Do you want to just fuck this someone?"
The younger hadn't really thought about having sex with Taehyung. Not even when he had made him hard. All he had thought about was having Taehyung close to him, cuddling him, caressing him, and kissing him too.
He slowly shook his head as a response and saw a smile spread on Inguk's lips. "I think you have the answer you want."
"I'm done." Taehyung shot out from the back with a hearty smile, but it disappeared at light speed once he perceived Jeongguk's puzzled, gloomy expression. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly as he scurried to him and hugged him from the back.
Inguk chuckled at the sight. "Don't be so worried about it. He's just having boy problems."
"Boy problems?" Taehyung questioned with a frown as he stood straighter.
"Inguk," the younger said strictly as he cast him a warning look.
"What?"
"Thank you and we'll be leaving now." Jeongguk sprang up from his seat, uneasy.
"Wait, you didn't tell me who it is."
"Bye, hyung," Jeongguk hissed as he strode towards the exit, and Taehyung trailed behind him with slow steps.
Boy problems? You didn't tell me who it is? Does Jeongguk.. have a crush on someone? The older pouted at his thoughts as he got in the car. He even lied about talking to Inguk about business things.
In the next ten minutes that rolled by, not even a word was said between the two. Taehyung was sunk in his seat with his head turned towards the window and his arms crossed listlessly over his chest. He couldn't get the idea of Jeongguk having a crush out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried.
Similarly, Jeongguk couldn't get the idea of wanting Taehyung more than a friend out of his mind. He was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't realize Taehyung hadn't said a word to him since the moment they got into the car.
Soon enough, they arrived at the house, and Jeongguk parked the car. They stepped outside and headed towards the door, still in absolute silence. All Taehyung wanted was to go to his room, and he was ready to do that when he remembered he had told Jeongguk he would cook dinner.
So the older shuffled to the kitchen, and Jeongguk followed him. "Do you want help?" he asked as he watched him wash his hands.
"No, you can do whatever and I'll call you." Taehyung's tone was quiet and somewhat cold.
Only then Jeongguk was able to realize that something was wrong with him. He kept staring at his back as he neared him and leaned against the counter beside him. "What happened?"
Taehyung cast him a glance before he went to the fridge to take everything he needed. "What do you mean?"
And the younger followed him again for no apparent reason. "You don't seem okay."
"I'm just tired I guess," he uttered with an inaudible sigh and started preparing the ingredients for bibimbap.
"You don't have to cook if you're tired." He placed his hand on his shoulder, giving it gentle squeezes.
But Taehyung reached for a plate a second later and caused him to retract his hand with a pout. "I don't mind."
Jeongguk eyed him for a stretch, keeping the pout on his face. "Fine, I'll go take a shower then." He discerned the boy nodding right away, but he didn't leave. He stayed there beside him, examining his downcast expression for a little while longer. When Taehyung didn't give him another glance, he sighed and made his way to his room with droopy shoulders.
What happened to him? The younger couldn't help but brood over why Taehyung wasn't in a good mood. He did great today in the photoshoot and he seemed okay when I went to the cafe. Now what? He undressed and got into the shower. He wasn't the type to take long showers, so he finished in almost eight minutes.
After some time, he went back to the kitchen and spotted the older still cooking. He sat on a chair, eyes riveted on the boy who still seemed troubled and moody. "I'll take care of your payment tomorrow. I need to talk about it with my hyungs first." He decided to make some small talk, hoping that Taehyung would start talking to him.
"Okay."
He stayed silent after that as he didn't know what to say or do. A few minutes later, Taehyung seemed to have finished cooking and was ready to leave the kitchen. "Where are you going?"
"I want to take a shower and sleep." Taehyung halted but didn't turn around to look at him.
"You don't want to eat?"
"Not really."
"Hey," Jeongguk breathed out as he burst out of his seat and hurried to his side. "Tae, what's wrong?"
"I told you, I'm just tired."
The dark brown-haired boy placed his fingers beneath his chin and lifted his head slowly, making him meet his gaze. "I know you're lying."
"You seem to know well about lies," Taehyung found himself murmuring as he pushed his hand down.
"What?"
He heaved another sigh and took a small step back. "I'm sorry, forget it."
"Wait, you're mad at me?" Jeongguk was throughout bewildered by now, and he grabbed his hand as Taehyung attempted to leave again.
"I'm not mad, I just want to sleep."
"I'm not letting you sleep unless you eat something." An edge of sternness crept into his tone. "If you don't want to tell me what's wrong, fine, but you will eat before sleeping."
"Okay." Taehyung caved as he didn't want to fight him anymore. "I'll take a shower first. You can start eating." He pulled his hand away and trudged to his room.
To be honest, Taehyung didn't know why he was so moody and bothered by the fact that Jeongguk had a crush. He didn't have a right to be mad at him for this reason either. And of course, he couldn't tell him that. He was sure that Jeongguk would find it weird because he himself found it weird enough.
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I'm really excited about the next chapter. It's gonna have 3 parts and I hope I can publish them all tomorrow.
Wearereallyclose🤫💜🌹