Jungkook hummed an unidentified tune as he was tidying the receptionist desk, his hands diligently wiping off the dust off the table and computer. It was a big day for the hotel and everyone was busy preparing for it ever since the last few days.

His ears had grown to love the sound of the vacuum cleaner that Jimin used to clean the lobby ever since last week. His eyes were so used to admiring Yoongi doing his daily check around the lobby for quick maintenance. Yep, even he himself thinks that it’s hella weird.

It had been two weeks ever since they had been preparing for this day. The biggest investors of the hotel decided to pay a visit to see how they are doing and also to take notes of things they need to make the hotel much more comfortable. Taehyung and Seokjin would be busy with countless meetings with them for the whole week, which means more work for Hoseok since he would have to handle the kitchen for the morning and the bar for the night.

The two brothers had been nagging to them for days long on personal hygiene and workplace ethics. Jungkook could see how the playfulness in Taehyung just disappeared and this is the image that he had always admired in the manager ever since high school, in which Seokjin would rather call it as Taehyung’s dark past.

Their nametags were renewed, their uniforms were upgraded from the dulled blue ones to a radiant red one, Seokjin insisted on them buying new sets of couches for the lobby and also Yoongi complaining (demanding, actually) that they should probably hire one or two more workers to help at the kitchen and maintenance works.

“They’re here. Get in your position everyone.” He heard Namjoon talking into the walkie talkie in his hand as soon as he saw three black cars outside the entrance. Jungkook nodded once at him and the bellboy walked outside to join Taehyung and Seokjin who had been waiting there ever since 10 minutes ago.

Jungkook patted his own nametag and muttered ‘you can do this, just don’t screw up’ and also ‘you’re great Jeon Jungkook’ as he nervously eyes the crowd outside. He could see a small group entering the hotel and he carved the most sincere smile that he could manage on his face and bowed as Taehyung introduced him as one of the staffs of Bangtan Hotel. He saw the warm smiles on their faces as the manager briefly explained to them the receptionist’s work scope and that made him feel all fluffy in the inside.

That was when his eyes suddenly caught the sight of someone that he never thought he would ever see again. That certain someone who made his school life miserable, the one who changed the crybaby Jeon Jungkook into the gangster Jeon Jungkook. The initial cause as to why he had to transfer schools halfway through the middle school.

The boy clearly saw him too, from the way he was suddenly gaping as he got a clear view of Jungkook’s face. Heavens know how much the young receptionist wished that he was suddenly granted a teleportation power or at least he have some kind of mask or anything, just anything he could use to cover his face

, the boy shouldn’t be here. In fact, no one who knows Jungkook’s real age should be among them because he couldn’t risk letting them know that he’s just an underage kid who ran away from home and was hired by Taehyung to work here. Taehyung already warned him about this a few days before when he told the younger to get rid of all his school stuffs out of the sight.

It was a situation that is out of control and Jungkook could feel his own heart beating so abnormally fast. It was as if he was getting a panic attack just at the sight of the boy again after all those years he spent escaping from him. He silently prayed that the boy would never remember a certain Jeon-loser-Jungkook that he used to bully during middle school.

A few minutes of Taehyung’s short introduction of him feels like hell with him trying his best not to grit his teeth and maintain the angelic smile on his face. When the manager finally called him to give out the VIP room keys, his smile was genuinely a happy one. He wanted to quickly escape from the boy’s sight- no. he just wished that he don’t even have to look at his face that seemed to just never change ever since the last time he met him, which was during middle school in the principal’s room.

Despite hating the boy, Jungkook couldn’t deny how good he was raised up in luxury to be that charming and handsome looking boy. However, judging from how he had been listening so intently to his mother’s comment about the abstract painting located right behind Jungkook, he had somehow mellowed down and became a mama’s boy.

But then again, no one knows what possibly had happened throughout the past years.

It all went well after the group moved to the café and decided to eat lunch before they take a rest in their respective rooms. Jungkook could almost breathe freely again but then he realized that one person still hasn’t moved at all to follow the crowd.

That one freaking person Jungkook wanted to escape from so desperately. Yes, him. Han Sanghyuk.

“So… Jeon Jungkook isn’t it?”

“Yeah, how may I help you?” it took all of Jungkook to reply with such civil tone, his fists clenching and unclenching under the receptionist table as he was trying so hard not to stutter. The hatred he felt bubbling up in him was real after hearing his name sliding out of the boy’s lips.

“Long time no see, Kookie pie.” he mocked Jungkook by calling out the nickname that Jungmi used to call him with a visible slight smirk on the corner of his lips. Jungkook gritted his teeth so hard he was damn sure his jaw was gonna be dislocated in a while.

Jungkook groaned as he slumped on his chair again, messing up his perfectly styled hair this morning with his hands. Why do they have to meet again in this awkward situation? If only he’s just another someone walking into the hotel asking for a vacant room Jungkook would have punched him so hard he didn’t care if he ended up in the jail after that but as a VIP in this hotel?

Well , guess who’s in deep deep trouble now?

***

“Okay I need you to print out the hotel’s check in and check out list—ah also, don’t forget to keep updating the customer’s personal satisfaction box too, and also—hey Jeon are you listening to me?” Taehyung frowned a bit as he waved a hand in front of Jungkook’s face before finally gaining his attention.

“Huh?”

“Jesus, this is really not the time to daydream Jeon. I just listed stuffs you need to do and I want it ready on my desk by tomorrow morning. I hope you at least listened to what I had been babbling about since the last 10 minutes.” The manager’s business tone was heard again and Jungkook bit his lips as he nodded once soullessly.

“I think I got it—maybe..”

Taehyung shook his head and he placed his files on the receptionist desk, his head tilted slightly and the mischievous smile he used to have on his face was back again as he stared at the young receptionist.

“It must have been so hard on you these days, with all the extra hours and all. I would like to thank you for that,” he patted the younger by his shoulders and Jungkook managed a stiff smile hearing that.

“You know you can tell me anything, just like the old days remember?” his sentence just provoked the memory they shared during high school and Jungkook automatically smiled even wider and nodded twice.

Of course he remembered it all.

Taeh