Chapter Text
"Yoongi, I need you to get up, go to my apartment right now and get me some black pants that I have in the closet. They're dress pants, please, Yoongi, I promise I'll do whatever you want for a week. I swear," Seokjin spoke fast and distressed on the phone.
"Don't tell me that old thing finally died," his brother said lazily on the other end. He must have woken up by his call. "I'm happy for you, hyung, you're free. Have a painting made with the piece that's left."
"Yoongi, don't joke now, I have a meeting in fifteen minutes and you're my only salvation, please. Wash your face and come here."
"Okay, man, chill. I'm getting up. I'll be there as fast as I can," Yoongi said those last words in the middle of a yawn. "Yellow pants, you said, right?"
"Yoongi, please!"
"See you, hyung!"
Yoongi hung up and Seokjin sighed. He trusted him enough to know that Yoongi would actually save him from this one.
Seokjin was hiding in the bathroom of his office, praying that the universe would lengthen each second.
He had a very important meeting in a few minutes and he couldn't attend with a pair of pants that had ripped in the middle of the legs. They were an old pair of gray dress pants he had worn on many, many other occasions. And sure, he could have gone to Thom Browne's store and bought a new pair at any time, he could have even had a tailor make him an identical pair, but they were his lucky pants.
He had worn them to every single important company meeting since he had this job and they always turned out well, so it made sense that he was so fond and attached to them.
Yoongi and his mother used to make fun of those pants often, so Seokjin was used to it. He didn't mind the teasing, he would wear those pants on any occasion he felt the need to.
For a thirty-two year old man who was six feet tall, his attachment to that garment was almost ridiculous, but he couldn't help it. His father had given it to him five years ago; when Seokjin had gotten the position he held now at the company. Mr. Kim had passed away a year later. So Seokjin treated those pants like a treasure. Too bad that treasure had something like an expiration date.
He had sent it to be repaired before, and Seokjin genuinely thought that it could still be repaired. So, while he waited for Yoongi, he set about looking for a tailor's shop. When he found one, he saved the address in a note on his phone.
Thankfully, it didn't take Yoongi too long to get to his office. He was wearing his pajama pants (gray with a kitten print), a black sweatshirt with the Scuderia Ferrari logo on it, and had his hair up in a messy bun. He literally looked like he had just gotten out of bed to wash his face and come to Seokjin's rescue. And yet, he looked like the coolest person in the world. Seokjin had always thought Yoongi was a really cool person; the cool, kinda bad boy brother who is a Formula 1 driver and has a lot of luck with girls and boys because everyone fell for him easily.
Yoongi was twenty-nine years old and his feline face only made him look more expensive than he already was. He had dark, jaw-length hair and his skin was as white as milk.
Yes, Yoongi was cool, but sometimes he was a little bit of a mess. Seokjin had always been the responsible older brother, the one who covered for Yoongi when they were teenagers and Yoongi got into trouble, or when Yoongi skipped school because he hated it. And Seokjin had always been okay with that, he liked taking care of his brother.
But in circumstances like this, when Yoongi had brought him a pair of jeans instead of the one Seokjin had asked for, he really wanted to slap him in the forehead.
"I said dress pants," Seokjin complained loudly as he changed in the bathroom. The meeting should have already started and he had no choice but to wear them.
"Forgive me for confusing myself. I was half asleep, I'm hungry, and in my defense, those pants are black," Yoongi replied from outside.
Seokjin looked at himself in the mirror and tidied his hair back. A lock of dark hair graced his forehead and Seokjin thought it looked good, somehow it gave him confidence.
Sometimes he did that, he looked for things that made him feel confident about his image. Doing that gave him confidence for everything else. As an introvert, he had been discovering methods that helped him deal with meetings and events at work (and in his life in general) and they always gave him good results.
He looked at his big, almond-shaped eyes, his straight nose and his pink, plump lips. Sometimes he wondered who he had inherited those features from, whether from his biological mother or father. It was the only thing he allowed himself to wonder about them.
But it wasn't the time for that, so he put it aside. He took out a lip balm from his jacket pocket and slid it over his lips.
He looked good.
"We can do this, Seokjin," he whispered to himself. He took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom.
"Don't complain anymore, you look good," Yoongi, who was sitting comfortably on the couch in a corner, said to him.
Seokjin was about to say something else, but his secretary, Jung Hoseok, entered the office. He had a tablet in one hand and some papers in the other.
"Seokjin-ssi, the team is in the meeting room now," he informed him, "I told them you'd be there in a moment."
"Thank you so much, Hoseok." Seokjin offered him a small bow. "Do you think these pants look bad?"
"Not really. They look pretty good with the tailored jacket."
Hoseok gave him a warm smile and Seokjin felt relieved. He knew Hoseok was a very nice guy to everyone, but he decided to believe that he wasn't just saying that because he was his secretary.
"I told you," Yoongi said as he stood up. He walked over to them and gave Hoseok a flirtatious smile. And Hoseok stepped aside.
Here we go again, Seokjin thought.
"Hey, Hoseok, how are you today?" Yoongi offered him a bow which Hoseok returned very respectfully, but the smile disappeared from his face.
"Fine, thank you."
"You know, I usually look better than I do today, but Seokjin's pants ripped and I had to run out of the house to come to the rescue," Yoongi explained.
"Oh, that's why the jeans."
"Yeah. I'm such a good brother," Yoongi added, and Seokjin deliberately laughed as he searched for his notebook and pencil on his desk.
That was a familiar story to Seokjin. He knew that Yoongi, despite having his romantic adventures here and there, was in love with Hoseok. Or maybe not in love, but he liked him a lot and had always been very open in showing his interest. Hoseok, however, knew Yoongi's reputation and didn't play in those leagues.
Hoseok was an attractive young man. He had dark eyes and hair, delicate features like a fairytale pixie, and a heart-shaped smile that lit up his entire person. Hoseok was often sweet, very warm too, and he always took his job very seriously. He was the most efficient secretary Seokjin had ever met.
"I highly doubt that," Hoseok commented and turned to Seokjin. "Are you ready, Seokjin-ssi?"
"Would you like to have lunch with me today, Hoseok? I'm on vacation," Yoongi offered as he rocked back and forth on his heels like a good little boy.
"I'm sorry, Yoongi-ssi, but men like you are off my list."
"Yoongi, stop annoying Hoseok," Seokjin said.
"I'm not annoying him, it's called flirting, hyung. You should learn it, actually," Yoongi defended himself and looked him up and down. Seokjin rolled his eyes.
"I don't need it. We should go now, thanks for coming, Yoongi, I'll pay you back one day. Come on, Hoseok."
♡
Seokjin had been the Chocolatier of MagicShop for five years.
Anyone could think he had gotten it thanks to his father, which was a little bit true, but it had also been because of his talent and creativity.
From the moment Mr. Kim had started teaching him the art of making and creating chocolates, Seokjin had shown an aptitude for the job. He had studied pastry and business at university and had been diligently learning everything his father and the MagicShop team could teach him.
The people at the company liked him a lot and had almost always been enthusiastic about his ideas. However, the last two weeks he had received negative responses regarding his proposals. They needed a new product for Valentine's Day next year and Seokjin seemed to be in the middle of a drought. He hadn't had any really brilliant ideas in the last month and that was frustrating.
Seokjin loved his job, but those moments when he had to face the entire MagicShop creative team were always a little intimidating.
And after leaving that meeting with a negative response about his latest creation again, he thought that maybe he needed inspiration. Or maybe he had been missing the gray pants.
♡
Seokjin had looked up the address of this tailor shop on the Internet, but he had no idea if they did repairs or just made original clothes. Either way, later on, Seokjin would think that the fact that fate had brought him in there, was for a totally different reason than the pants.
He had gone right after the meeting and it was almost lunch time, so he was prepared to beg for his pants to be taken care of. However, there was no need to beg. Well, not too much.
There was only one person inside the shop and he seemed to be in the process of closing up. Anyway, Seokjin walked in, ringing the bell that announced a new customer.
"Good afternoon," Seokjin greeted very politely.
"Good afternoon. How may I help you?"
The deep, velvety voice that welcomed him was a perfect melody for what he saw next. The boy, who must have been in his twenties, turned to him and gave him a small bow.
Seokjin had seen many beautiful people in his life, but even after witnessing all that beauty, nothing could have prepared him for what his eyes beheld. Big, dark, almost feline eyes framed by long, thick eyelashes looked at him curiously; probably waiting for Seokjin to say something else. The boy was chewing gum and Seokjin noticed that he had pink, shapely lips. His tanned face was a true work of art and it matched in an extremely harmonious way with his hair that he wore in slightly messy waves. It was the same color as that type of chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa.
The word beautiful fell short, the word pretty did not do him justice and the expression majestic did not reach his heels either. He had to find a more appropriate word to describe him in his mind...
"Are you okay?" the boy asked and slightly tilted his head to one side to examine Seokjin's expression.
And poor Seokjin could see the exact moment when Cupid was preparing an arrow to shoot at him.
"Sir?" the boy insisted.
Seokjin mentally slapped himself and cleared his throat. His heart was racing, he felt butterflies in his stomach dancing excitedly, and his face was also hot, but he decided to act like a normal person.
"I, yes, sorry. I need help," he answered while playing with the pants in his hands. The boy looked at the garment and then at his face. There was something very intimidating about his aura and Seokjin felt very awkward. "I—I would like to know if you offer a repair service or if you only make original garments. My pants ripped and this is... very important to me."
"Did you buy the pants here? Because if you bought the pants here we can fix them. The warranty includes repair service for six months," the boy explained and reached out to receive the garment. Seokjin gave it to him.
"I didn't buy it here, I actually bought it at Thom Browne. But—but, is there any chance you can help me? I can—I can pay whatever it takes."
The boy straightened out the pants and examined them for a moment. He analyzed the ripped part and the waistband. Then he looked at Seokjin and then back at the pants. And then at Seokjin and then at the pants and then again at Seokjin.
Seokjin could guess what that look meant, he was ready for the comment about how old the pants were. And it wasn't long before it arrived.
"Sir, with all due respect, how long have you had these pants?" the boy asked.
"I know, I know," Seokjin began to say, "I know it's old, but it's a very important item to me and I really need help."
The boy looked at the pants and then at Seokjin, then softly grimaced.
"The truth is that we only repair clothes bought here, I'm very sorry, sir," the boy said. "But we have many options for tailored pants in this color. If you want, I can show you some options."
"But these pants are... special," Seokjin said, distressed. Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it. "They're my lucky pants."
The boy watched him for a moment, blinking and chewing his gum. Maybe Seokjin's expression reflected genuine desperation, because the boy ended up sighing and saying:
"My shift is supposed to end in two minutes and then we close the store to go to lunch, but I guess I can help you. My boss won't be back until later, so I'll do what I can."
The boy smiled widely. It was a big, bright smile; one of those smiles that could win the heart of anyone who passed by. And Seokjin had passed by, just as Cupid shot an arrow straight into his chest.
And the best response he could give was a smile full of gratitude and one bow after another.
"Thank you so much! You really can't imagine how much I appreciate it. Thank you so much for your kindness. If I were more impulsive I would have given you a hug."
The boy headed for the door to close it while letting out a giggle.
As he passed by, Seokjin could tell they were the same height. The boy smelled of something sweet and warm, something very pleasant, almost like caramel or flan.
"If you want, you can wait here or come with me," the boy offered. "We have the atelier behind the store."
"Oh, that's great. I'll go with you, if that doesn't bother you, of course." Seokjin hid his hands in his jacket pockets and looked at his shoes.
"I don't mind. Follow me."
The boy led him behind the counter, opened a door and walked through.
A hallway ended in a large room. There were several tables, sewing machines, rolls of fabric, furniture with threads, and other sewing things that Seokjin didn't know about. It was quite messy and there was a large window that looked out onto a small inner courtyard.
Apparently the boy was the only one there at the moment.
The boy placed a chair next to a table that had a sewing machine and pieces of fabric that looked like parts of a jacket.
"You can sit here," the boy said kindly.
Seokjin did as he said and sat down. From there, he saw him moving around the workshop, looking for thread and a piece of fabric very similar to the fabric of his pants. That made him smile.
"I'm gonna have to put a patch on the inside because the fabric of the pants is quite worn. I don't promise it will be the most beautiful thing in the world, but I'll do my best," the boy said.
"I have complete confidence in your work and your knowledge," Seokjin assured him.
The boy set the things down on the table and looked at him directly, with an eyebrow raised as he chewed his gum. There was something cheerful about his face and it made Seokjin smile like a fool.
"But you don't know me, what if I'm actually terrible and my job here is to cut loose threads?"
"Then I'll trust the boy who cuts loose threads," Seokjin replied and nodded once, very convinced of his words.
The boy covered his mouth with one hand and let out a little giggle that reminded Seokjin of the strawberry jelly they filled chocolate bonbons with. This time the silly smile was much bigger.
"Okay, I see we're desperate," the boy commented as he began to work.
"A little, yes." Seokjin nodded and could feel himself blushing again, but he forced himself to keep his gaze on the boy. "Like I said, they're my lucky pants."
"And God, it must bring you so much luck if you've been wearing it so much! Did you win the lottery or get a proposal while wearing it?"
Seokjin let out a shrill laugh and the boy looked at him, amused. Seokjin didn't know if it was because of his own words or his laughter, but either way it rubbed off on him.
"It was a gift from my father, that's why they're important," Seokjin began to said and, for some reason, he felt confident enough to vent a little about his life. "When I got the job I have now, my father gave them to me and they've always brought me luck."
"Are you a businessman?" the boy asked curiously.
"I'm, uh… what you could call a master chocolatier, although I'm still not used to the title."
"Like Willy Wonka?" The boy looked at him with wide eyes and genuine amazement.
Seokjin nodded, smiling. "My grandfather was the one who held that position, then he passed it on to my father and my father taught me everything I know. He named me his successor and he… died a year later. That's why, uh… the pants are so important."
"I'm so sorry." The boy gave him a kind look. Seokjin smiled at him.
"It's okay."
"But that's great, you know, having learned from your grandfather and father." The boy smiled and then returned to his work. "What's the name of the chocolate factory?"
"MagicShop, maybe you've seen some products around," Seokjin said with a very evident hint of affection in his voice.
The boy stopped his work again and looked at him with big eyes. Seokjin couldn't help but smile. It was a really endearing expression.
"Of course I know it! Who hasn't seen MagicShop chocolates?" The boy returned to his work, again, as he continued talking. "I've had them a few times, though only the ones with almonds and the flat ones, because the others are quite expensive, but I guess they're worth the price for the quality. They're delicious. My goal is to try the strawberry and orange chocolate bonbons, the ones that come in that pretty goldden box."
"If you want, I can pay you with chocolates," Seokjin offered.
"Oh, no. I need it to be money because we have to pay the back rent, but if you want to include a couple of boxes of chocolates, I won't say no." The boy looked at him over his shoulder with a charm that was hard to describe.
They held each other's gaze for a moment, but Seokjin ended up looking at his hands and letting out another giggle because he could feel his cheeks getting warm again. The butterflies were back too.
Okay, Cupid had definitely shot him with an arrow.
Any other time, Seokjin would have stayed silent, being his usual introvert self and probably thinking how charming the boy was, but this time he felt brave enough to ask him:
"What's your name?"
"The boy who cuts loose threads," the boy joked without stopping his work.
"No, you're definitely not the boy who cuts loose threads because you seem to know a lot more than that."
The boy turned to him and smiled softly. "Taehyung. My name is Kim Taehyung."
It's a pretty name, Seokjin thought.
"And you?"
"Kim Seokjin."
"It's a pretty name," Taehyung commented. Then he went back to his work.
The next half hour Seokjin spent there in the tailor shop, he talked more than he remembered talking to a stranger in his entire life.
He usually had a hard time establishing a meaningful connection with people who, to put it mildly, didn't match his energy. Which was why his best friend was his brother and his secretary, although he didn't know if Hoseok really considered him his friend, so it could be a one-sided friendship.
And let's not even talk about romantic partners. Romance wasn't his thing for the same reason, he had a hard time establishing deep relationships in a world where many people looked for relationships without commitment because that was easier.
So Seokjin thought he would end up being one of those people who stay alone forever and dedicate their life to taking care of a pet that means everything to them. He had almost resigned himself to it and was at peace with that future if it ever came to be the case.
But then the conversation with Taehyung had flowed too easily, reminding Seokjin that he was actually a person who enjoyed the company of the right people.
In that short time he spent with Taehyung, he learned that he was twenty-four, that he had come from Daegu to study fashion design and work somewhere that could open the doors to his dreams, but, in the two years he had been living in Seoul, he had achieved none of that. He had had to drop out of school because, despite having a scholarship, the materials were expensive and his budget did not cover everything. He had not found a very promising job either, only being a seamster in a tailor shop where they paid him less than what his work was worth.
However, despite all that, he had not lost hope in any of his dreams. Seokjin was extremely happy to know that.
"It's ready," Taehyung announced and handed the pants to Seokjin.
The seam where the hole had been was barely noticeable, and Taehyung had taken the time to put an internal patch on it to make it last a little longer.
Seokjin didn't know much about the subject, but he could say, with certainty, that it was impeccable work.
A big, genuine smile spread across his face as he looked at the pants in his hands. He was searching for the right words to thank Taehyung, but a voice shouting and scolding the boy interrupted him.
"Taehyung! Why are you still here?" It was a female voice. "I told you you couldn't do your personal sewing here!"
Taehyung looked down and sighed. He looked tired and a little embarrassed. He didn't bother to respond when a woman entered the workshop.
The woman must have been in her fifties and had a frown on her face. She was probably the boy's boss.
"Didn't you hear me? I forbade you from coming here when—"
But the woman stopped dead when she saw Seokjin standing there. Her face immediately changed; that stern expression turning into a fake kindness that she surely used to assist her clients. But it was easy to guess she probably never showed it when it came to Taehyung.
So Seokjin decided to intervene.
"I apologize for this," he began to say and offered a bow to the woman. "I needed urgent help with a pair of pants and Taehyung was very kind to do the work. It's my fault that he's still here."
"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Kim, if Taehyung offered to do work outside of his shift that's fine. It was very kind of him. Thank you very much for helping him, Taehyung."
That was the reason for her kindness, probably the woman knew who he was; she knew that he had money and a well-known family in Seoul.
"Taehyung is one of our best seamsters," the woman added. She approached to place a hand on Taehyung's shoulder, but the boy moved stealthily and began to put away his things.
"I'm sure he is. He did an excellent job," Seokjin said, smiling.
"What kind of repair did you do, dear?" the woman asked Taehyung.
Taehyung, still putting away his things and without looking at her, answered, "a seam between the legs and an inner patch."
"Did he tell you how much it is for that kind of repair?" the woman asked Seokjin. "Come this way, Mr. Kim, I'll make the receipt for you."
Seokjin turned to Taehyung and the boy looked at him briefly to give him a small smile, but he looked a little sad. Seokjin smiled back and bowed.
"Thank you very much for helping me, Taehyung."
"Come on, Mr. Kim," the woman insisted.
As the woman charged him for the repair, Seokjin watched Taehyung walk through the store while saying a very soft goodbye and then out the door.
A minute later, Seokjin hurried out and found him walking a few meters away, so he didn't hesitate to run in his direction.
"Taehyung, wait!"
The boy turned to Seokjin and smiled softly as he took off his headphones.
"I wanted to thank you," Seokjin said.
"You already thanked me, Mr. Kim," Taehyung pointed out.
Seokjin made a face of disgust at the way the boy had addressed him. It was uncomfortably strange on Taehyung.
"Don't call me Mr. Kim, please, just Seokjin," he asked. He quickly cleared his throat and looked at the pants in his hands, then found that gorgeous face looking at him. "I was supposed to pay you, but I can guess that you're not gonna touch the money I paid her, right?"
"Just ten percent."
"Give me your bank account, I'll transfer the money to you," Seokjin assured as he searched for his phone in the pocket of the pants he was wearing, but it wasn't there.
"But that would be paying twice." Taehyung looked at him with big eyes. There was something excited in them and Seokjin couldn't help but feel Cupid's arrow throbbing in his chest.
"Well yes, but it doesn't really matter... actually... you know something? I think I left my phone in the car. Would you mind coming with me for a moment? It's that car over there."
Seokjin pointed to his vehicle parked a few meters away.
"You have a Ferrari?" Again that attitude of genuine curiosity and surprise that was wreaking havoc on Seokjin's poor heart.
"It's a Lamborghini, actually. Come."
They walked to the car together. Seokjin looked for his phone and made the bank transfer immediately. And he might have added something extra for the kindness that Taehyung had shown.
And well, he might have also done it because he was momentarily infatuated with him.
"Are you crazy? Are you gonna pay me two hundred and fifty thousand won just for sewing a patch on your pants?" Taehyung exclaimed still looking at the screen of his phone. He looked stunned.
"I told you it was a very important item for me." Seokjin nodded once, very convinced of his actions. "I would offer to pay for your lunch too, but maybe you'd think I want to take advantage of you."
Taehyung looked at him with his head half tilted, as if he wanted to understand the intention behind his words. That intimidated him a little and was the reason he continued speaking almost without thinking.
"And I don't want to. I mean, I do want to offer to pay for your lunch, not take advantage of you. It's not that I want to buy you or something, it's just, you know, because of your kindness. It's not like all kindness is paid with money, but you know..."
Taehyung covered his mouth with one hand and let out an amused chuckle. Seokjin didn't know if he was making fun of him, but the silly little smile appeared again.
"You don't have to pay for my lunch, Seokjin-ssi, I wouldn't accept because I think it would be too much. Besides, I have enough now to skip a sandwich for lunch today," Taehyung said humorously. "But maybe you can give me a ride in your pretty Ferrari. I have to meet my best friend and I'm already late."
"Done. And, uh, by the way, it's a Lamborghini."
Seokjin opened the door for Taehyung and then climbed into the driver's seat.
The drive to Hongdae was too short for Seokjin's liking, but he had no more excuses to keep Taehyung by his side. They had reached their destination.
He thought about asking for his phone number, but he thought it might be too much of an invasion of his privacy, so he just thanked him once again and gave him a wide, grateful smile.
Taehyung responded to that smile genuinely, said goodbye, and got out of the car.
Before starting the engine again, he could see through the window a young boy who hugged Taehyung and then asked him:
"Bitch! Why did you come in that fancy Mercedes?"
And Taehyung, after letting out a sweet laugh, answered, "it's not a Mercedes, Jimin, it's a Ferrari. I'll tell you the story while we have lunch. I'm treating this time. How about pizza?"
Seokjin laughed softly and started the car, knowing that he would spend the rest of the week, or maybe the rest of the month (or his life) thinking about Taehyung.
♡
To say Seokjin was distracted during dinner was an understatement. The only thing missing was for his eyes to turn into two hearts like in cartoons and for him to start sighing dramatically.
Thursday dinners with his mother and grandmother were sacred to them and Seokjin enjoyed them very much. The women cooked delicious food and while they ate, they talked about their daily lives.
However, that day Seokjin was walking on a cloud that had Taehyung's face drawn all over it and he had heard almost nothing from the conversation.
"Seokjinnie, are you okay? You seem very distracted," his grandmother asked him.
"I'm fine," Seokjin was quick to reply.
"Maybe he's like that because his pants ripped at work," Yoongi said with a mocking smile.
"Don't tell me we're talking about those pants," his mother said and let out an elegant and loud laugh in equal parts. "Jinnie, come on, you really have to get rid them. Your father would be laughing."
"I can't, they're lucky pants. I didn't have them today and the meeting didn't go so well," he lamented and sighed dramatically.
"What happened?"
"The team didn't like my ideas very much. But never mind, we scheduled another meeting. We'll be fine."
His mother smiled at him and reached a hand out to caress his forearm.
"You're very talented, my Jinnie, that fabulous idea will come any minute now," his grandmother assured.
"Tangerine segments dipped in chocolate," Yoongi came up with. "Or better yet, the whole tangerine dipped in chocolate."
"Again, that wouldn’t work. Or it might work, but not with the segments as such," Seokjin replied.
"Okay, let's leave that conversation aside because I want to ask you something else, Jinnie," his mother said and smiled widely. Seokjin could guess what it was about. "Regarding Christmas activities..."
"Mom..." Seokjin shook his head softly and continued eating, intending to put that topic behind, but his mother refused.
"Jinnie, there are couple activities and it would be a good opportunity for you to meet someone," the woman continued.
Seokjin loved his mother, he really did. She, along with Mr. Kim, had adopted Seokjin and Yoongi when they were six and five years old and had loved them as their children from the beginning. His mother had dedicated herself to raising them based on love and respect and Seokjin was eternally grateful for absolutely everything they had given them.
Yes, Seokjin loved her, but lately the woman was determined to find Seokjin a partner. She seemed concerned about her oldest son being thirty-two and not having a partner. He didn't date anyone and didn't go to many places where he could meet people either, he preferred to stay in his apartment playing video games.
"You have to participate, Seokjin, it's a company tradition and a good way to show that you're just like the other employees," his grandmother pointed out seriously. "Your father always participated, even if he made a fool of himself on many occasions."
"And he dragged me along with him all the time," his mother added and let out another laugh. "Why don't you talk to Dohee, the girl who works in packaging? She's so cute and pretty."
"In that case I'd be less embarrassed to ask Hoseok to accompany me on whatever you have planned this year," Seokjin said without much interest.
"Fine, but don't flirt with him," Yoongi warned him. Seokjin rolled his eyes.
"What about Mr. Cha's daughter?" his mother continued speaking.
Seokjin let out a tired and dramatic sigh. He knew his mother wouldn't give up and that meant a problem. A problem whose solution suddenly appeared in his head, as if someone had suddenly turned on a switch that made Taehyung's beautiful face appear.
What if...? Would it be that crazy...? Seokjin thought about it for a moment as his heart raced.
"I don't need anyone because..." Seokjin paused for a moment. All eyes were on him. "Because I... met someone and I... I invited him..."
"You're lying," Yoongi said.
"I'm not."
His mother and grandmother's excitement became evident with comments and questions that Seokjin answered half-heartedly. They seemed happy, but Yoongi's raised eyebrows told him that his brother didn't believe him.
Good. From that moment on, Seokjin was a man on a mission.
♡
The next day after work, he grabbed a big box of strawberry and orange chocolate bonbons and drove to the tailor shop, hoping to find Taehyung there.
However, disappointment set in when the boy's boss informed him that his shift had ended a while ago and he wasn't there.
Seokjin sat in his car, thinking of a way to contact him. He knew he could ask Hoseok to find him on social media, but it felt like it would be invasive, so he rejected the idea immediately.
As he drove to his favorite café in Gangnam, he regretted not having the courage to ask for his phone number. But sometimes things happen like magic, as if the universe saying, "I'm gonna give you a second chance, silly boy, because I think it's worth it, so make it right this time."
What were the chances of finding Taehyung himself sitting at a table in his favorite café? Seoul was a huge city, so the odds were few, but within those few, one had come true.
Sitting alone at a table next to the huge window that showed a spectacular view of Seoul, was Taehyung, sketching something in a notebook.
He was wearing a white knitted sweater and a beige silk scarf tied elegantly around his neck. He looked exquisite.
Seokjin couldn't help it, his feet moved in Taehyung's direction as if he were a magnet. His heart was beating fast and butterflies were going crazy in his stomach.
"Taehyung?" Seokjin greeted him to get his attention. The sweet and big smile took center stage on his face.
The boy looked up from his notebook. His curious eyes looked at him in disbelief for a second, then he gave him a wide, bright, charming smile.
"Seokjin-ssi! Nice to see you again. Wanna sit with me?" Taehyung didn't hesitate for a second to offer him company. That made Seokjin lose a bit of the nerves he felt.
So he accepted, took off his coat to leave it on the back of the chair and sat in front of him. He noticed that Taehyung only had a cup of tea on the table.
"I'm not interrupting your work, am I?" Seokjin wanted to make sure.
"Not at all. I was just sketching something so I won't forget it later," Taehyung replied and closed his notebook. "Sometimes I come here to sketch and drink tea. Tea is the only thing I can afford here, but you know, fake it 'til you make it."
Seokjin watched him for a moment and decided he would just go with his nature that loved giving things to others. It wasn't charity or pity, it was a genuine feeling that came from wanting to make others happy. It was about sharing what he had.
"And if you could order anything this time, what would you order?" Seokjin asked softly.
"The huge chocolate chip cookies and the Rama di Napoli. I've never tried the Rama di Napoli, but it sounds like something I'd like," Taehyung answered thoughtfully.
Seokjin didn't even have to raise a finger because one of the waiters came over to his table within a minute. Seokjin had been there enough times to be considered a frequent customer (and an important one, since the cafe prepared products using the chocolate his company made).
"Good afternoon," the waiter greeted and offered them a small bow. "What can I get you today?"
"I'm fine with the tea, thank you," Taehyung said.
"A latte for me, please. And I'd like two servings of XL chocolate chip cookies, and two servings of Rama di Napoli, please," Seokjin ordered, under Taehyung's surprised gaze.
"Very well. Your order will be ready in a minute, Mr. Kim," the waiter said and left.
"I should say that you didn't have to do that, but the truth is that I do want to accept it," Taehyung admitted.
Seokjin was surprised by his sincerity in a good way and ended up letting out a soft, silly giggle. Those words also made him think that maybe his idea wasn't as crazy as he imagined.
At that moment he felt brave, so he decided to speak before he could change his mind.
"I'm glad you do," he said and smiled widely. Taehyung looked down for a second and then looked at him through his eyelashes while taking a sip of tea. An action that was overflowing with charm all around. "I went to look for you at the tailor shop because I have something for you."
"Something for me?"
Seokjin nodded. "But I left it in the car, I'll give it to you later. If you accept it, of course."
"Seokjin-ssi, if it's a box of chocolates, I might want to... hug you," Taehyung confessed easily and gave him that big, pretty smile again.
"I could grant you a hug, if you want."
"Okay, you look more like a fairy godmother than Willy Wonka now. Are you gonna grant me wishes?" Taehyung asked while blinking in an exaggerated and flirtatious way. For God's sake, it was incredible how easy it was for Taehyung to make him nervous and turn him into a clumsy and giggly teenager.
Seokjin, despite knowing he was about to blush, thought it was the perfect time to make his proposal:
"Actually, yes, uh... if you want." Seokjin cleared his throat and sat up straight in his chair. Taehyung looked at him curiously. "I have a proposal for you."
"A proposal?"
Seokjin nodded. "You see, during these weeks of December, until Christmas, the company has several activities for the workers and, uh... that includes some things like a party, a brunch and, you know, those kinds of events. Uh... and well, I have to participate because, you know, I'm part of the company, but I don't have anyone to go with and it happens that my mother is determined to find me a partner, but I don't want to. I mean, it's not that I don't want a partner, it's that I don't want her to, you know, find me someone for me." Seokjin lowered his gaze for a second, but he wanted to be brave and looked at Taehyung's beautiful face as he said the following, "if I paid you to accompany me, would you do it? Not as a male escort or anything like that. I don't mean it in that sense. I—"
"As a sugar daddy/sugar baby thing?" Taehyung asked with narrowed eyes. His expression was quite difficult to read and that made Seokjin nervous again.
"No, I mean, it doesn't have to be as a sugar daddy, but as—"
"Because I would like to," Taehyung added with the most enthusiastic smile. "All that you said sounds fun and if you're gonna pay me, then it's even more fun. I'm broke and accompanying you to some events wouldn't be torture, you know?"
Seokjin let all the air out of his lungs as he closed his eyes. He let out a sweet chuckle at the end, feeling extremely relieved. Okay, that had been easier than he thought.
"But I have a question," Taehyung said. "Why me?"
"Because..." Seokjin had to think for a moment. "Because yesterday it was very easy for me to talk to you and, believe me, I'm a very introverted person."
"An introvert with social skills. They're a very rare species."
"Exactly. We're a contradiction." Seokjin nodded softly.
"Seokjin-ssi, you seem like quite the case." Taehyung looked into his eyes for a moment and Seokjin was surprised when he didn't lower his gaze. "I accept. I agree to be your sugar baby and accompany you wherever you want. But I have one condition... or rather, I have two conditions."
"Okay, I'm listening."
"First, I'm not a rentboy, so I'm not gonna sleep with you for money."
"Of course not! I mean, I never thought about that. I agree," Seokjin said immediately.
Taehyung nodded. He seemed a little more shy to say the next thing.
"Second, instead of buying me stuff, I want you to help me pay the month's rent we owe. I live with my best friend and he doesn't make much either because he's an elementary school teacher and he got the job just a few weeks ago. I want to stop hiding from the landlord."
"Okay. Done."
"Really?" Taehyung looked at him with big eyes.
"Tell me how much the rent is and I'll transfer it to you right away." Seokjin took his phone out of his coat pocket and looked at Taehyung. It may have seemed a little exaggerated or hasty, but he was happy enough to act on an impulse. Also, he had to take into account that it wasn't just impulses, but intuition. And he had always trusted his intuition.
"Aren't you afraid that you'll transfer the money to me and then I'll disappear forever?" Taehyung asked.
"I know I may seem like a trusting fool, but yesterday... you offered to fix my pants during your lunch break and that... says a lot about you." Seokjin was totally honest.
Taehyung smiled sweetly at him.
"When will be the first event I'll have the honor of accompanying you to, Seokjin-ssi?"
"It's a brunch, next Monday. Could you attend or you have a shift at the tailor shop? And by the way, you can call me hyung."
"I'm gonna resign anyway, so I'll be free."
"Are you going to resign?"
"Yeah. With all due respect, my boss is a bitch. I'd rather work on my own while I get something better."
"I could guess that. She charged me quite a bit for the repair and gave you ten percent."
"She's the worst."
"I know."
They both nodded slowly and laughed at the same time, as if they had been thinking the same thing. And the mere act of laughing together, brought out even more giggles from them.
Amid a smile, Taehyung, still looking into his eyes, asked:
"Can I save you in my phone as Sugar Daddy Seokjinnie?"
Seokjin let out a loud laugh that attracted a couple of glances.
"Okay... baby."
Taehyung covered his mouth with one hand and laughed again while Seokjin looked at him and felt Cupid's arrow throbbing in his chest.