Hello!!! So... here's another chapter of the story! I 'm so sorry for not being able to update for a very long time. I got so, so busy, and really, I still am. In fact I have an exam tomorrow evening, an exam I have not studied for yet. So pray for my soul :(

Anyway, here;e the new chapter! I was originally going to extend this until the end of the part, but it got too long, and I would need like four or five thousand more words to finish. But I wanted to update you guys already, so I cut it here.

Enjoy!!

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15

The rest of the week went by like a blur for the young designer.

Park Jimin was enjoying it a little bit too much, in his opinion. The work was great and rewarding—there was always progress, thanks to the effective operations of their rather small but productive team. Day by day, they saw their concepts and designs coming to life.

The people he was working with were even better. Hoseok, being the sweetheart that he was, always made sure to compliment everyone, including Jimin, when it came to their work and outputs. His small gestures of appreciation never failed to make Jimin’s day, no matter how tired his body or mind was at the end of it. His other officemates were stressed, yes, but they always wore that small, comforting smile, as if telling Jimin that they just knew that they were going to pull through.

Four days before the anniversary night, the supplies all arrived in their department. For immediate and total control over the details of the venue, the team had decided to oversee and actually work hands-on on the design. The rooftop garden where they decided to hold the event was a lot bigger than they could handle, but they had staff to help them with setting up.

Even with all the progress, however, Jimin still could not shake off the uneasy feeling that he felt—a feeling that only grew as the days went by, sometimes even stealing hours from his already-deprived sleep. What if the wind on the rooftop garden ruined their designs? It was not only going to put their efforts to waste, but it would also jeopardize the company, which would be having investors as guests, of course. Or what if it rained? They already checked the weather forecast for the whole day of the anniversary, and it was fine. But then again, he never really trusted the weather men. What if it rained on the night of the event itself?

And he being the addition to their team and actually the one person who proposed and pushed the idea of holding the event in a rooftop garden did not help. Not at all.

When he had told Hoseok about this, the man simply chuckled at his worries, and gave him a pat on the head.

“You worry too much.” The older had said. “It’s good, though. We need someone who could stay on high alert even when everything is going according to plan. And that someone is you.”

He got the same response when he had told his actual boss, Jungkook, about it. The younger only smiled at him and told him that he was entitled to feel how he felt, but also reassured Jimin that they would surely do great.

Jungkook.

The boy who had been adding to the mentally-exhausted male’s worries. After they reconciled during that lunch with the design team of Pink Princess,  the originally-troublesome and moody male’s behavior had gotten a lot nicer, to the point that he had the older feeling… things. It just kept on getting worse, and being the busy man that he was, poor Jimin could not even have time for him to think things through.

It was like he was falling down a spiral staircase. And he could not do anything to stop it.

But no matter how wrong it was, no matter how many times Jimin mentally reprimanded himself for not doing anything to stop it, every single night that the younger came by in the department, dressed handsomely in his long-sleeves and slacks, with his coat hanging over his shoulder, the light and warm feeling settling in his chest kept on coming back.

But his feelings could wait. He could settle them once his deal with said man was over.

 

Jimin sighed and closed his eyes. He then took a couple of deep breathes before opening them again and straightening his back in front of the mirror, and smiling.

“You have a long and big day ahead of you, Jimin.” He said to himself out loud. “Fighti—ahh!”

The startled male clutched his chest and panted, afterwards turning his head to glare at the offending device on his bed. “God… I really should start drinking less coffee.” He mumbled as he reached for his still-blaring phone, unlocked it, and turned the alarm off. “And I really gotta remember to turn off the alarm. It’s useless anyway.”

Despite him not getting enough good night sleep, Jimin still woke up ahead of his phone alarm, only for it to sound when he least expected it to. He had turned it off a few days back when he had enough of embarrassing screams of surprise early in the morning, but he quickly turned it back on the next day after he woke up late for work.

Damn his alarm and his body’s great way of torturing him.

Jimin was still sleepy, but the looming anniversary night was enough to keep him on high alert. He sped through his usual morning routine—take a bath, double check contents of his bag, recharge his phone a bit, and dress up. Since it was a special day, he also decided to add something that usually was not part of his morning preparations, breakfast. He had bought a pack of instant coffee, bread, and instant oats the night before specifically for what he was sure was going to be a hectic, but fulfilling and fun day.

Tonight, his, Hoseok’s, and the rest of the team’s efforts were coming to life. They were finally going to see it all realized.

He deliberately took his time finishing his food and trying to enjoy the first breakfast he had had in days before he brushed his teeth to leave for Pink Princess.

Since he knew that the day was going to be long for him and the crew, Jimin decided to conserve some energy and actually took the cab all the way to the office. Yes, it was very taxing on his tight budget, but he could spend some just for today. A few extra thousand won would not hurt, he supposed. And besides, thanks to his slow breakfast-eating, he was surely going to run late for work if he walked like he usually did.

Because the traffic was not all that heavy, Jimin made it to the office three minutes before eight—earlier than he had anticipated. Throughout his whole stay in Pink Princess, the young designer had made some friends, friends who he greeted as he walked along the halls to get to the elevator and the design department afterwards. Just when he was about to leave.

It made him feel bad whenever the thought crossed his mind. Just when he had managed to actually make good friends out of the people in the company, his collaboration with Hoseok and his team was about to end.

“After tonight,” Jimin said to himself just before he entered the department. “There won’t be any more reason to stay here.”

The crestfallen boy sighed. He was still composing himself when the door opened to reveal a grinning Hoseok.

“Oh, Jiminie, you’re here!”

“Well… yeah.” Jimin nodded, surprised. “Good morning, hyung.”

The older must have noticed the difference in Jimin’s behavior when his face contorted to that of puzzlement. “Are you alright?”

“Uhm… yeah.”

“Oh, you’re nervous, aren’t you?” Hoseok chuckled. “Well… I am, too.”

“Wait, I though there’s nothing to worry about?”

“Well, yes. Really, everything’s going smoothly.” The older answered. “But Seokjin-hyung just gave me the list of all the personalities who were confirmed to come later tonight. And I’m telling you, the list was making me nervous.”

Upon hearing Hoseok’s words, Jimin’s heart rate immediately went up in nervousness. The former let out a laugh when he noticed the anxious expression that was suddenly plastered on the younger’s face.

“Hyung!” Jimin protested, hitting the older’s chest lightly. “You’re not helping!”

“Share the burden, my little friend.” Hoseok responded before sauntering off to the hallway, leaving Jimin to protest once more over being called “little”.

 

 

“Momo.” Jungkook called the attention of his secretary as the two of them walked out of the board room after a meeting. Among the more important agenda in the said meeting was their partnership with Pink Princess, about which Jungkook only gave a glimpse of.

“Yes, sir?”

“Have you double checked our confirmation to Pink Princess’s anniversary night?” He asked. He gave the employees who greeted him along the way a small nod of acknowledgement as the two of them reached the special elevator.

“Yes, sir.” The girl answered. “They have even replied, indicating that they received our confirmation. I have already printed the details, sir. Do you want it on your table later?”

“Yes, please.” Jungkook answered. There was a short moment of silence before the man continued. “Come with me later to the anniversary night, okay?”

“Okay, sir.” Momo answered. Once the two of them reached the topmost floor, the two parted ways for the female to grab a copy of the details her boss was asking for. Jungkook, on the other hand, headed straight to his office and sat down on his chair.

The office was quiet, as usual. The deep breath that he took sounded loud in the silence of the room. Turning around on his chair to face the computer screen, the doe-eyed male groaned at the time reading on the device.

“Oh god… why is it so slow?!” He ranted, facepalming himself in frustration. He had been bored with his office recently, but the prospect of an elegant and fun night was making his boredom worse.

It was killing him.

“I bet that guy’s having fun right now with the team.” Jungkook mumbled. He envied the older, who he was sure was enjoying his time with Pink Princess’s design team. Jimin looked so tired every night when he fetched him. But despite that, the look of fulfillment in the older’s eyes was undeniable.

And to be honest, Jungkook was proud of him. But he would not tell him that.

It was just too bad Wings would not know of his achievement. Not that Jimin would mind, Jungkook thought. He knew the older was not all about fame and recognition. He was all about work and appreciation.

Or wait.

Maybe he could actually bring people with him to the anniversary night? People who would know how to make Jimin feel appreciated.

People who actually knew him.

Snapping his fingers, pleased with his idea, the young CEO grabbed his phone and quickly called his secretary to his office. When the girl arrived, she was bringing with her the document that Jungkook asked for.

“Oh, put it on my table, please.” Jungkook gestured to his tabletop, prompting the woman to come closer to put the folder on the table. “Can you call Min Yoongi and Kim Taehyung to my office?”

“Min Yoongi, the music department head, sir?” Momo asked, to which the boy nodded to.

“And Kim Taehyung.” The boss added. “Park Jimin’s officemate in the design department.”

“Oh, okay, sir.”

Momo then bowed before leaving the office to do the task. Once she was gone, Jungkook grabbed the file she brought and began reading it.

While he was on it, memories of the last time he had talked with the pale musician crossed his mind, sending shivers down his spine. Kim Taehyung was not really someone Jungkook thought he should worry about, but Min Yoongi was a completely different matter. The man terrified Jungkook.

But despite that, the reputable man was known to be a very rational and reasonable person. Jungkook knew Yoongi was not going to do anything that could jeopardize anyone.

Moments later, the doorbell to his office sounded, indicating the arrival of the people he was waiting for.

“Who is it?” Jungkook asked through the intercom.

“Min Yoongi, sir.”

Jungkook let out a sigh. It was to be expected—Yoongi’s floor was closer to his than Taehyung’s, so it stands to reason that he would arrive first.

But still, the CEO would have liked it more if there was someone else in the room with them. Someone who could call the ambulance in the case Min Yoongi decided the murder him. Or maybe the cops.

“Good morning, sir.” Min Yoongi addressed the younger once he was inside the office, proceeding to take a seat on the chair near the younger’s table. “You called me, sir?”

“Oh, yeah.” Jungkook replied, trying his best to sound assertive. “We’re still waiting for someone else from the design department, so for the meantime, make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you, sir.”

After the brief exchange, silence once again filled the room. And while the pale male did not seem to mind it, Jungkook did. But instead of trying to strike up some conversation about business or anything else relevant, he decided to pretend to be busy reading the details of the anniversary night.

“Jimin.” Yoongi suddenly said, causing the younger to slightly jump in his seat. “How is he doing?”

“Oh… he…”

“I still am against this whole thing.” Yoongi continued, not even waiting for his boss to finish talking. “I am not doing anything only because Jimin asked me not to interfere.”

“Yes, he’s doing great.” Jungkook answered. “Our deal’s about to end, anyway, so it will be all over soon.”

“For you, that is.”

At that, Jungkook raised his brow in confusion. The older’s words did not make that much sense to him.

“What do you—”

He was about to ask the older about what he meant with his words when the doorbell sounded again.

“Kim Taehyung, sir!” A deep, but energetic voice sounded through the intercom when Jungkook turned it on, and even though it was but a brief moment, he could almost swear he saw Yoongi stiffen when the newcomer introduced himself.

Upon unlocking the door, the male’s bright smile figuratively filled the room when he entered. After a few steps, Kim Taehyung suddenly stopped in his tracks and pointed his fingers at the other visitor. “Oh, Yoongi-hyung?”

“H-Hi, Taehyung.” Yoongi answered, waving at the younger. He did not see the weird look Jungkook suddenly gave him because of his sudden change in behavior.

“You knew each other?”

“Well, he’s Jiminie’s friend, so it only makes sense that we know each other.” Taehyung chirped. It was as if he was not talking to the head of the company he was working at.

“Oh, I see.”

“Well then, I’m assuming he’s the other person we were waiting for?” Yoongi asked, gesturing to the other male who had already occupied himself with the figurines.

“Yes, he is.” Jungkook answered. “Then I shall start. Kim Taehyung-ssi, please take a seat.”

The said boy snapped his head towards the younger at an alarming rate, a blank look on his face before complying and taking the seat opposite the music head’s. Once the two were settled, Jungkook placed the details of the anniversary party on his desk, and pushed it towards the other two.

“I was thinking of taking the two of you to Pink Princess’s anniversary party later tonight.”

“Yaz!!!” Taehyung suddenly exclaimed, clapping his hands and immediately reaching for the folder to scan its contents. “I was actually thinking of asking you if I could come, but I don’t think that would be necessary.”

“What?”

“You know, as Jiminie’s friend,” Taehyung continued, ignoring the look Jungkook was giving him. “I really think I should be there to, how do you put it… appreciate, his efforts for the past, what? Two weeks?”

“Exactly why I called you here.” Jungkook nodded, smiling at the thought to knowing Jimin to the point of thinking the same way as Taehyung, who was undoubtedly closer to the short designer that he was. “I wanted to bring people close to him to the event so there would be people to support him.”

“Wow, for someone who’s just using him, you’re quite kind.” Yoongi butted in, yawning afterwards and pointedly ignoring the glare the CEO gave him, and the puzzled look Taehyung wore.

“Using?”

“Anyway,” Jungkook interjected, trying his best to change the topic as fast as he could. The scoff from the oldest of the three did not go unnoticed, but the CEO knew better than to dwell on it. “I’ll be asking Momo to bring the two of you a copy of the details later. Let’s just meet again here in the office before going there, okay?”

“Understood.” Taehyung and Yoongi chorused. Farewells were then exchanged among the three before the older two left the office to go back to their respective tasks.

Once they were out, Jungkook could not stop a sigh from escaping his lips. Yoongi did not have to put it that way.

He was not just using Jimin.

 

 

“Wheein,” Hoseok struggled to get his voice to the other side of the rooftop garden. “When was the last time you checked the weather forecast for tonight?”

“Just a while ago.” The girl answered while she, Hyejin and Byulyie continued to discuss among themselves the locations of the electricity outlets and the adjustments that needed to be done. “Still clear, sir.”

“Okay!” The department head answered. “Jihyo!”

“Oppa!” Jihyo responded, running towards the older to talk to him more comfortably. “What is it?”

“ETA of crew?”

“Twenty minutes from now.” She answered, checking the watched on her wrist. “That would be 3:30 PM.”

“Okay, good.” Hoseok nodded in understanding. “Please call Jimin here. I need to talk to him.”

“Okay.”

Jimin was in the middle of receiving the packages of supplies and design elements when his phone rang, prompting him to pull it out of his pocket and answer the call.

“Hello?” He asked, putting the device back to his pocket and putting in both buds of his earphones into his ears for ease of hearing. He then continued signing the papers after Jeongyeon and Seokmin finished checking the contents of the boxes.

“Jimin-oppa.” Jihyo’s said. “Hoseok-oppa wants to talk to you. Please come to the rooftop.”

“Okay. Thanks, Jihyo.” Jimin answered. He then removed his earphones and turned to the other two. “Hoseok-hyung called me to the rooftop. Would you be alright here?”

“Who’s gonna sign the papers?”

“Jeongyeon, do it.” Jimin answered, giving the clipboard to the said girl before heading to the elevator of the building and heading to the rooftop. Once he arrived, he headed straight to the long-faced man’s spot.

“Hyung, you called me?”

“How are the supplies doing?”

“So far, so good, hyung.” Jimin answered. “Another batch will arrive later.”

“Good.” Hoseok nodded. “Did Joshua-hyung report to you about the fireworks?”

“Yes, hyung, they’ll be here at 4:00 PM.”

“Good.”

The older then let out an exhausted sigh before speaking again. “It’s almost over, Jiminie. You did great.”

“Everyone did great, hyung.” Jimin answered, smiling. “We worked so well together.”

“Yeah…” The department head nodded. “We will miss you, Jiminie.”

“Aww, come on, hyung! Not now!” The younger protested, laughing as he hit the older’s shoulder. “I’m gonna cry if you continue!”

“Okay! Okay! Not now!” Hoseok answered, chuckling at the shorter’s emotional personality. He knew Jimin was an extremely emotional person. He loved to tease the younger about being a cry baby during their breaks—something that Jimin intensely denied even though he knew it was true.

They were surely going to miss working together. Or just being together, in general. Over the course of less than a month of knowing each other, Jimin and Hoseok have already formed a great friendship.

The manpower the team was waiting for arrived twenty minutes later, just as Jihyo had reported to Hoseok. They went straight to briefing the team on what to do to complete the designs and actually prepare the venue for the event before doing the tasks assigned to them.

Jimin accompanied the personnel back to the ground floor of the building to pick the supplies and bring them to the rooftop. Given that there were lots of boxes delivered, it required them a few trips up and down the service elevator before the managed to secure everything. Once all the materials were sorted, the team, along with the staff, started their work.

The stage and the sound system, courtesy of Wheein, Hyejin and Byulyie, was setup in accordance to their carefully-prepared plan which took into account all the electric sockets, pathways, all other setups and the live wires that they needed taped onto the floor of the garden.

Through the careful calculations of Joshua, Jihyo and Soonyoung, they also placed the multitudes of fireworks that they wanted to light up the night sky for the majority of the duration of the event. They were placed far enough from the building that they did not endanger the ears of their guests, but still close enough for the night lights to amaze people on the rooftop.

Chan, Seokmin and Jeongyeon did their best on executing their plans for the placement of the tables, chairs, the carpet and the flower-adorned fake pillars. Under the supervision of their department head, Hoseok, and careful watch of Jimin, they managed to take into account all possible happenings for the night—from the path of the guests upon entering the garden, the place where they could socialize, the path for the crew, to the route to and from the stage.

The whole afternoon was busy, but the team knew better than to completely exhaust themselves. Seokjin have asked the small team to stay and join the celebration, and in order for them to have fun and enjoy their efforts, they had to have a little more energy remaining after all the preparations.

“Jihyo, how are the fireworks doing?”

“Completely ready.”

“Wheein, the stage and technical?”

“Up and running.”

“Jeongyeon, was the design followed?”

“A few adjustments have been made to make room for errors, but all is well.”

“And Jimin?”

Hoseok lastly asked, turning to his right to face the said male. He gave the shorter a bright smile before asking, “Are you ready?”

The young designer looked around him to meet the gazes of the people he had worked with for the past days. All he got in return were the happy expression everyone was sporting. Though exhaustion was evident, as shown by the bags under their eyes and the sweat on their faces, they looked like something else.

They looked accomplished.

Turning his attention back to the man who had started it all, the man to whom Jimin thought he owed such wonderful experience of working with the design team of Pink Princess, the man whom he thought he owed for the great, new friend he had made, Park Jimin finally smiled, his eyes crinkling to small crescents and his cheeks bunching up.

“Yes.”

“Good. Thank you, Jiminie.” Hoseok said, sincerity laced in his voice. Jimin was surprised when all of a sudden, he and the rest of the team gave him a small bow.

“Y-Yah!”

“Oh my god, Jimin-hyung’s crying again!” Seokmin exclaimed, causing everyone to laugh. But not without engulfing each other in a warm group hug.

“We did great guys!” Hoseok cheered, making everyone jump up and clap in agreement. “Tonight, we will have lots of fun and enjoy the fruits of our labor! Let’s all go back to our department and prepare!”

“Oh my god, I’m so happy right now.” Wheein said, wiping fake tears with her fingers and causing everyone else to laugh again. “Let’s now design ourselves! Pink Princess design department—”

“—And Park Jimin of Wings,” Seokmin cut in, pointing his two index fingers at the said male, who was still smiling widely.

“Yeah, and Park Jimin of Wings.” Wheein continued, correcting herself. “Fighting!”

 

 

Jungkook came out of his office’s bathroom, clad only in his bath towel, after taking a shower in preparation for the anniversary night. The lights in his office were all to compensate for the darkness caused by the closed blinds. He cast a look towards the red tuxedo and red pants he was planning on wearing for the night.

The young CEO could not help but smile at the memory that started flashing in his mind.

“S-Sorry.”  Jimin muttered his apology even before he was completely up from the floor. “A-Are you alright?”

“Yes.” The man answered, now shaking off the invisible dust particles on his red suit and pants that Jimin deemed more expensive than his life.

“I’m sorry again.” Jimin bowed down in apology before turning on his heels to continue walking to the elevator. It was alright, really, if he just did not catch the sharp and harsh words muttered by Mr. Red.

“I get that his eyes are small, but he can’t be too blind. Even blind people won’t run into me that easily.”

He could not believe his ears. Did Jimin just hear the man putting all the blame on him? And not just that – he flat out insulted Jimin.

Unfortunately, though, Jimin was never one to stay quiet at times like this.

“E-Excuse me? What did you say?” Jimin asked, turning to face the man again.

Mr. Red scoffed, riling Jimin up more. He really did not care if the man was filthy rich. He was raised well by his parents, so he was not going to let anyone step on him like that.

“I said,” the man started, taking on a smugger pose. “that you can’t be too blind to bump into me.”

“Ah, the nerve…” Jimin mumbled to himself. “Yah! Are you seriously blaming me on what happened? It was an accident, okay? We both did not see each other.”

“If you were careful enough, you wouldn’t have collided with me. But you weren’t only blind, you’re also careless… Ahh… I wonder what a person like you is doing here.”

Oh.

“I could say the same thing to you.”

“I can’t be bothered. I’m too busy I don’t even understand why I’m letting you waste my time.”

Jimin sighed. He always wondered how rich people live. If it was like how this man did, then he would rather live a simple life.

The brat was rude.

“Listen here, Mr. Red.” Jimin started, getting really worked up. “I don’t know how your parents raised you. It was an accident, and the least you could do was accept my sincere apology a while ago and just shut that insolent mouth of yours. Now I don’t care how much money you have in your bank account, I am not afraid of you. And if anything, you should be scared one here, because that attitude of yours would make you end up alone.”

The flash of a scandalized look on the rude man’s previously stoic face was reward enough for Jimin. “Now, I won’t waste any more of your time, Mr. Menstruation Suit – ”

“Mr. Menstruation Suit.” Jungkook chuckled to himself. It was weird how the memory which previously riled him up every single time was now making him laugh and feel nostalgic.

The young man’s reminiscence was interrupted when the phone on his office table lit up and dinged, indicating the arrival of a new message.

 

From: Cinderella

All is set, sir. See you later.

And congratulations in advance.

 

“Congratulations in advance?” Jungkook’s eyes narrowed at his phone at the vague massage of his contact. What was that even supposed to mean?

“Maybe she’s congratulating me for the collaboration… ah, we’re so great. Always one step ahead.” The young CEO felt pride bloom within him as he put the device back down onto the table before going to his chosen outfit for the night and donning it.

Keeping track of the time, Jungkook finished his preparations a good hour and a half before the scheduled time of the event. After making sure that everything in his office was fine, he left for the company lobby where he had agreed to meet the other two.

However, to his dismay, he only found one of them on the ground floor.

“Taehyung’s late.” Yoongi immediately said once his boss was close enough. “He said he’s sorry.”

“Oh god,” The younger groaned, resisting the urge to run his hands through his styled hair. “Of all times, why now?”

“He’d probably be here anytime now, don’t worry.”

“Isn’t that guy afraid of losing his job or something?” Jungkook asked. “He’s the same troublesome employee from the design department, right? And now, he’s running late for an appointment with me?”

“Well, knowing Taehyung, maybe he isn’t.” Yoongi stated matter-of-factly. Silence ensued right after he answered the younger’s rhetorical question—an uncomfortable one, at least for the doe-eyed male who had never been at ease around the older since he learned that he knew about his arrangement with Jimin.

“What happens,” Yoongi started again, causing Jungkook to look at him abruptly. “Once your deal with Jimin is done?”

It took a few moments before the CEO opened his mouth to answer. “Uhm… nothing, I guess?” He answered, nodding to himself. “We go back to the usual employer-employee thing.  Professional stuff. Before you actually found out about this whole thing, we had agreed to never tell anyone about it. But then again, that part failed, so yeah.”

“What are the terms of this arrangement?”

“Things started off bumpy between us, actually, the two of us bumping in the hallway on the day of his interview, I think.” Jungkook smiled, once again remembering the whole incident. “So I agreed to let go of all of that. I also promised a large increase in his salary. That one, I actually think he deserves. The guy works really well.”

“And then?” Yoongi asked, wanting to know more of the deal from the other party.

The younger looked up to the ceiling, trying to remember more. “Well… the money… ah! We also agreed to not fall for each other.”

“Oh.”

Yoongi nodded in understanding. Just as expected.

“That one won’t be a problem, really.” Jungkook chuckled. “I’m straight, and he sort of despises my behavior, so… there.”

“And what happens if that… I mean any of the contracts is breached?”

“Hmm…” The CEO thought for a moment, not really remembering any terms that provided for the punishment scheme. “We really haven’t talked about that yet. He actually already breached one when he told you about this—”

“It’s not his fault, I’m just good at catching on things and he’s terrible at lying, well, at least to me.”

“Yeah, he explained that to me already.” Jungkook said. “Well, I don’t know. I don’t really think any of the other contracts would be broken.”

“But what if one does?” Yoongi asked suddenly, turning his head to meet the gaze of the younger and hold it. “What happens if… hypothetically, one falls for the other?”

The boy’s doe-eyes, which were already big on their normal state, grew a bit larger at the question. It was for a brief moment, though, since the CEO immediately fixed his expression just as fast as it had changed.

“We’ll… figure something out, in the event that it happens.” He answered, nodding. “Though I just about sure nothing of that sort would happen.”

“Oh really?” Yoongi asked, still looking at the younger, who suddenly grew uncomfortable under the strong gaze. It baffled him how the older, despite his height and frame, managed to be so intimidating even for someone as well-versed and experienced in the corporate world as him.

One, two, three seconds passed since the pale man posed the question towards his boss, and he was yet to give a reply. Just when Jungkook was opening his mouth to answer, a loud, booming voice resonated inside the deserted lobby.

“Hello guys!” Taehyung shrieked, entering the lobby calmly and with class—a stark contrast with his carefree, loud enunciation. “I look great, don’t I?” He asked before turning gracefully on his heels to give the other two a full view of his attire.

“Can’t deny that.” Jungkook admitted as he fixed himself to prepare to leave. “It that attire the reason why you’re late?”

“Oh, don’t be too dramatic, I wasn’t that late,” Taehyung answered with a full grin. “Sir.” He added after a moment, before turning to the oldest of the three. “Why so quiet, hyung? And by the way, you look great! Not as great as I do, but somewhere up there.” He laughed before turning again to face the entrance, failing to notice the red that colored the pale man’s ears.

Momo arrived a little bit later after Taehyung’s arrival, complete with her stunning—in Jungkook’s eyes—dress and rushed apologies for running a little bit late.

“It’s okay, you’re not that late.”

“Wow…” It’s okay for Momo-ssi to arrive later than me, when you basically roasted me just a few seconds ago for arriving earlier than her?” Taehyung rolled his eyes at the younger.

“Okay, now that we’re all here, we should get going.” Jungkook announced, pointedly ignoring the taller’s remark and walking ahead of the other three. “We wouldn’t want to be late for the anniversary night.”

Deciding not to waste any more time by bantering, the four headed straight for their respective vehicles, with Yoongi and Taehyung going to their own self-driven cars, and Jungkook and Momo to the company’s special vehicle reserved for corporate night events.

Thankfully for the group, the traffic was with them, as they arrived a little bit early at the venue even though they left a little later than planned.

“Good evening, sir.” A man who they assumed was a clerk in the establishment greeted them as soon as they stepped foot into the lobby. “Are we here for ‘Night of a Thousand Stars’ anniversary celebration of Pink Princess?”

“Yes.” Jungkook answered, prompting the man, who still bore an obviously tired and rehearsed smile, to lead the way to the elevator leading to the rooftop garden. Along the way, they passed by other people in formal night attire.

“Uhm… do we know those guys?” Taehyung asked as when the four of them were finally in the confines of the elevator. It was a long way up, since the building was a skyscraper.

“Nah… I don’t think we actually know them.” Yoongi answered, shrugging. “I think they’re heads from other companies.”

“Ahhh… I don’t like them.” The younger groaned. “They’re scary.”

“Hearing that from someone like you is unbelievable.” Jungkook commented, side-eyeing the taller male as his secretary busied herself with her phone. “You’re basically insulting me lately like I am not your boss.”

“Well,” Taehyung shrugged. “Jiminie said you’re kinda nice, so I guess it’s fine.”

“He said what?”

“And… we’re here.” Taehyung chanted happily when the door of the elevator opened, saving him from having to answer the CEO’s question. He was gone even before the party could stop him, off to probably find his best friend.

After recovering from the initial shock from being ignored by his employee, the doe-eyed male was immediately taken aback by the scenery before him.

Right in front of the door of the elevator were arcs decorated with flowers and leaves leading to the main area, where tables were setup. The pathways were carpeted—and every now and then there were seemingly stone pillars with light coming from underneath them. There were flowers on top, of course, probably due to Seokjin’s request, but despite that, they did not look too much.

Fairy lights hung from the branches of the three trees on the rooftop garden, adding to the ethereal feel of the place. The red, purple, blue, and green searchlights situated at the corners of the garden were creatively concealed by a group of plants and flowers, and were held steadily pointing upwards to the cloudless sky. Smoke machines emitting small amounts of smoke were also situated right beside the searchlights, making the light beams more visible, as if they were pillars of light.

And the stage. The stage was not brightly lit—it was just sufficiently so, thus it did not really stand out from the rest of the place. Like it was not made to be the center of attention. There was not even a backdrop. Right behind the stage was spectacular view of the horizon.

“J-Jimin-hyung… designed this?” Jungkook stammered, not believing his eyes. It was then that he understood just how skilled the elder was that someone as meticulous as Yoongi let him into the company.

“Well, not really just him.” Yoongi answered, smiling. He remembered the first time he had seen Jimin’s work in person, back in college. He was just as mesmerized as Jungkook was. “But really, this is very much his aesthetic. That’s Park Jimin for you.”

“Oh my god…”

“Yeah, yeah, you can thank me for hiring him later. Not now—Oh my god what is Taehyung doing?!” The music department head exclaimed when he noticed the said male staring at the decorated tree with his mouth wide open. He then rushed towards the younger, leaving Jungkook with Momo.

“Sir…” Momo mumbled, stepping forward to get a better view of everything. “It’s… beautiful.”

“Yes, it is.” Jungkook agreed. And apparently, most of the people in the venue thought the same, since their phones were out to snap photos of almost every single setup. He turned to look at the female who was already in the middle of taking photos of the place. “Momo… you enjoy the night.” He said. “You don’t have to stick by me side. I’ll call you when I need you.”

“R-Really, sir?” The girl asked, happiness shining in her eyes. All she needed was a nod of confirmation from her boss before she went on her own way to look at the whole place.

And then, Jungkook was alone. He continued looking around the place, taking in every minute detail in the design, trying, and failing to find a failure.

“It’s… perfect.” He said to himself, smiling softly. “Jimin-hyung did so well.”

“Oh my god, Jungkookie!” A shrill voice snapped the young CEO out of his wonder, making his abruptly turn his head to look at the source.

“Hoseok-hyung!”

“You’re here already?” The man asked as he approached the two. He was already in his midnight blue tuxedo, and his hair was styled away from his face, exposing his bright forehead. “So… what do you think of the venue?”

“Hyung, it’s… beyond words.” Jungkook answered sincerely, looking around him, still in wonder of the setup. He had almost forgotten the other male after a few moments of looking around, had said male not asked.

“Looking for Jiminie?” Hoseok asked, surprising the younger.

“Well,” Jungkook answered, looking to the side to think. Really, he was not actually looking for the short designer, but now that Hoseok have mentioned him…

“Aww… so sweet.” Hoseok cooed, smiling at the apparent shyness the younger had. “Anyway, Jiminie’s still preparing. He volunteered to use the bathroom last, such sweetheart.”

“Yeah… so kind.” Jungkook agreed, nodding.

“You’re a lucky kid to have him, Kookie.” Hoseok noted. Silence then ensued between the two, with only the soft sound of the background instrumentals filling the still air. After a few moments, Hoseok spoke up again.

“Anyway, Jungkookie, follow me to your reserved seat!” He said, afterwards leading the way through the other guests who have already arrived. They continued walking up until they reached one of the two front most tables.

“Your seat’s here.” Hoseok said, pulling a chair away from the table to offer to the guest. “We’re just about to start, so wait up, okay?”

“Okay, hyung.” Jungkook answered, taking a seat on the chair pulled out. He pointedly ignored the stares that most of the people gave him when he occupied the front seat, choosing to turn on his CEO mode and exude his usual authoritative aura. And whip out his phone to check his social media accounts.

“Oh good lord, everything just looks so great!”

Jungkook looked up from his phone upon hearing the familiar deep voice that had bothered him for the day. He was met with the sight of Taehyung walking to their table with Yoongi and Momo behind him, still looking around like a child who got into a mall for the first time.

“Can’t agree enough.” The girl agreed as she once again put her phone up to snap another photo.

“I never realized I missed seeing his designs until now.” Yoongi added, happiness evident from the stark contrast of his face with his default scowl. The three of them then took their seats, with Momo seating beside her boss, followed by Taehyung and by Yoongi. Between the pale male and Jungkook, was an empty seat.

“We have one extra seat?” Momo asked, pointing at the unoccupied chair.

“It’s reserved for Jimin, I guess.” Taehyung answered, taking a glass of water from the service crew carrying a tray full of it. “He should be joining us soon. Where is he anyway?”

“Hoseok-hyung said he volunteered to be last to use the bathroom.” Jungkook answered. “He’s probably still grooming up.”

“Hoseok-hyung?” Taehyung repeated, not familiar with the name.

“Oh, the design department head of Pink Princess.” The CEO answered, recalling that he was probably the only one who knew the older. “The one under whom Jimin-hyung worked for this.”

“Oh.” The three chorused in understanding.

“But really though, where’s Jimin-hyung? What’s taking him so long?”

“That guy really takes a long time preparing.” Yoongi answered. “I remember that one Saturday I was waiting for him outside their house. His mom said he just finished taking a bath when I got there. We ended up leaving an hour later.”

“That long?”

“Yeah, Jimin tends to fuss over his appearance a lot. That’s his insecurity.”

“What? He’s insecure with his appearance?” Taehyung asked, baffled by the information.

“Yeah.” The oldest answered. “He tries his best to hide his insecurities now, but back then, he used to keep his head low so he could not attract any attention.”

“Oh my god…”

“Oppa,” Momo interrupted, leaning over the table to get closer, and with a soft voice, asked. “You and Jimin-oppa seem so close, huh?”

“Yeah, you guys really do.” Taehyung added. “I guess you were his best friend from the past.”

Yoongi chuckled, taking the other two aback. “Did Jimin really not tell you? Especially you, Taehyung?”

“Tell me what?”

“That I was Jimin’s ex-boyfriend?”

The two immediately backed away upon receiving the new information, with Momo holding her hand over her own mouth in shock, and Taehyung backing away too much that he ended up making his chair tumble back.

It made quite a scene, with all the noise and the corporate people looking at him, but the eccentric boy did not seem embarrassed by it at all.

“Oh my—really?” Taehyung asked, his eyes wide. Yoongi only gave him a nod as a response. “Wah! You guys look great together! Maybe fate was trying to put you guys back together?”

“Y-Yah!” Yoongi protested, straightening his back. “I-It’s not like that, Taehyung! He already likes someone new.”

“Yeah, I kinda know that already.”

“And I…” The pale man trailed off as decided to take interest at the closest pillar. “I kinda… like someone else, too.”

The younger gasped. Too much new information in the span of less than an hour. “Oh my gosh—who is it?! Tell me!” Taehyung asked, only to be met by silence from the older. He then continued to bug Yoongi about his crush until they were interrupted by an unfamiliar presence.

“Jungkook.”

The table turned silent upon hearing someone call their boss’s name. Said boss, on the other hand, turned his head to see Seokjin approaching their table, sporting a huge, satisfied smile.

“Hyung.” Jungkook said, standing up to hug the older. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” The taller answered. He then looked over Jungkook’s shoulder to see the other occupants of their table.

“Oh, they’re important people in my company.” Jungkook said, stepping aside slightly to give a better view of the place. “She’s Hirai Momo, my secretary.”

“Good evening, sir.” The girl said as she stood up to bow to the new arrival. “And congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

“And this is Kim Taehyung from the design department. He’s Jimin-hyung’s best friend.”

“Kim Taehyung, sir!” Taehyung bowed to the CEO, smiling. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Seokjin answered. “But by the way, are you alright? I saw you like… from the entrance.”

“Ah, I’m fine, sir. Thank you for the concern.”

“And this is Min Yoongi, the head of our music department.” Jungkook introduced the last man, who also took his turn in greeting and congratulating Pink Princess.

“And he’s also Jiminie’s ex!” Taehyung added, shocking the rest of the table, especially Yoongi, whose traumatized expression quickly turned to a glare.

“I’m quite sure you’re not supposed to tell people you just met that, Taehyung-oppa.” Momo mumbled, smiling at the pale male who was shooting daggers with his eyes.

“So…” Seokjin trailed off, unsure of how to proceed. “You’re Jiminie’s ex?”

“Uhm… I guess.”

“He’s Jiminie’s ex.” The oldest of them all said once again, this time towards the youngest. “You came here. With Jiminie’s ex.”

“Y-Yeah.” Jungkook stammered, wanting nothing but to punch the oldest’s teasing smile. “Why?”

“Nothing.” Seokjin chuckled. “Jimin’s still preparing, I guess? Just wait, we’re about to start.”

“Okay, hyung.”

And with that, the broad-shouldered man left the group, opting to take a seat on one of the chairs around the central front row table, just beside Wings’s.

A few moments after Seokjin’s departure, the music ceased, in turn silencing the chatters that almost everyone was engaged in. The emcee who stepped up the stage cleared his throat before starting.

“Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.” He said with his emcee voice. “And here in rooftop garden of Starlight Events Tower, we welcome you to the anniversary celebration of Pink Princess Corporation,” He paused, before looking up to the sky and continuing, “Night of a thousand stars.”

Right after he said it, the music started again, followed by the shooting up of numerous fireworks display from all directions, filling the night sky with colorful sparkles that were nearly on the same elevation as the rooftop garden.

The crowd, composed of people from the business world, could not help but erupt into a round of applause and sounds of amazement, because just when they thought the place could not get any better, it just did.

“So this is how Jimin does things when he’s got lots of budget.” Yoongi nodded to himself, still amazed by the beauty that his old friend managed to create. “It’s… beautiful.”

“Oh my god, Taehyung-oppa, are you crying?” Momo asked, surprised but at the same time amused by the sniffle the said male emitted when the fireworks went up.

“N-No I’m not!” He denied, rubbing the tears away from his cheeks, making the girl laugh. “I just… got something in my eye.”

“Jimin-hyung…” Jungkook said to himself as he watched the darkness of the night sky get filled with the reds, greens, yellows, and blues of the firecrackers. He watched as the golden sparkles of some of the explosions burst out in all directions, only to fall back down in a rain of grace.

He let his eyes wander the place once again, in an attempt to find the person—that for some reason—he wanted to see the most for the moment. He scanned left and right, and around him, trying to look for a particularly short man.

And just when another stream of golden sparks flew up right above them, he saw him.