HEARTBEAT | VKOOK - Chapter 30: Chapter 30

"Don't you think you joined a little too early?" Jeongguk voiced out reluctantly, finally breaking the  awkward silence that lasted for a few minutes. They were back at the office, Jeongguk being surprised by the older's presence in the edifice. Well, a little shocked and baffled due to how the male had joined way before he was supposed to, and had been present in his office way before the working hours even began.
It seemed as though he planned on completing the rest of his unfinished work that's been piling up in his office for the past two weeks or so. Yet, a worrisome look etched on the younger's features who studied the other's face, knowing he was still a bit weak and not in the perfect condition to work.
There was a moment of silence, before Taehyung spoke, "I told you, I'm better now. And I had to join, or it'd be pretty stressful for you to handle everything at once. I believe, that was a bit too cruel of me, but I'm catching up, so you no longer need to finish my part of work."
"But you're still not in the perfect condition to work. I suggest you just—" Taehyung cut him off, silencing him with a stern look, "I think I know what I need to do, you don't need to teach me, Jeon."
The male simply frowned, "What's up with the attitude? I thought we dropped it a long time ago?"
"Don't you think you're wasting your time?" Taehyung leaned forward, fingers interlacing over the desk as he tilted his head, brows furrowed. He took a quick glance at his wrist watch before meeting the other's gaze, "Hurry up, the clock's ticking. You need to finish off those last few reports of our business interactions first and enter the informations into the computer. Get to work."
The sudden change in him was striking his nerves. Jeongguk could only simply glare at him, with a glint of confusion as why he was acting this way, as though they didn't just have a sleepover at his place two days ago. Pretending to be complete strangers. Perhaps, it was due to work. Or maybe, it was Jeongguk who hoped for it to be something more. However, Taehyung didn't just seem to be up for it. "I know what I need to do. I was just saying for your well-being, but anyway, that's none of my concerns."
He cleared his throat, looking down at his notepad, "I'm here to inform you that you've a meeting in ten minutes." Taehyung merely nodded, glancing down at the papers scattered over his desk, "I hope you haven't forgotten about your presentation, Jeongguk. I'll be watching you, and no mistakes."
Jeongguk stared at him for a moment, before nodding slowly. It was no surprise for Taehyung to act strange, as he'd done it a couple of times. Yet, Jeongguk couldn't seem to figure him out, which frustrated him— his curiosity burning him out on the inside. Regardless of the countless amount of times they've spent with each other, although Taehyung had him all figured out, Jeongguk couldn't seem to do the same.
Jeongguk then walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him and strolling through the silent hallway, head filled with never ending thoughts, that sparked his curiosity even more. Jeongguk craved to know more, but had no idea where to start or how. Perhaps one day, he'd come to know it all, get the answers to all his questions. Maybe now just  wasn't the right moment. But he will.
He stepped into his own office, getting to work as he knew he'd wasted half of his time on the most useless things. He woke up pissed off today, and woke up late, which seemed a little odd to Jeongguk who was always up before sun rise. But oh well, things just don't go on in the same way. To add to that, he forgot to set his insanely irritating alarm, thinking he'd be up before dawn, but things didn't just seem to be in his favour today.
Or maybe, it was his own fault all along. Well, he wouldn't admit it, but he'd been up all night, unable to get the older male off his mind. It had been two days or so since he slept over at his place, this time with him and his son. His mind wandered back to their conversation then, with the soft drizzling of the rain and Taehyung simply watching him with a fond look. He seemed different then, the exact opposite of who he was now.
He had reasons of course, Jeongguk thought. As a boss, he certainly couldn't act any different towards him, to treat him the same as he did with his other employees, putting up with his boss attitude whenever they were at work. However, it's different off work— Taehyung is more friendly and kind towards him, which he was certainly glad for. Hence why, he shoved the thoughts away, deciding to focus on the good instead; as he settled down in his seat to begin his work.
Time flew by too quickly, Jeongguk being too focused on his reports to notice the time. And  when he did, he found himself rushing towards the meeting room, files in his hands and a string of curses fleeing his parted lips. Fuck, he was screwed. Fuck the time, fuck everything for making him even three minutes late. Oh, how hadn't he noticed the time? Taehyung would be so mad.
The male's hatred for being late was enough to piss off Jeongguk already, and being three and a half minutes late, he knew it'd certainly be the end of him. Which exasperated him even more as he thought of being rebuked or punished, or possibly having half of his pay being cut off due to his silly mistakes. As he certainly couldn't fire him. Whatever he did, it was surely the consequences of being late and he knew he was screwed.
Spotting the white door at the end of the long hallway, Jeongguk fastened his pace, almost tripping due to the slippery floor as he reached the door, panting heavily due to rushing down a flight of stairs. Oh well, he certainly didn't have the sweet time to wait for an elevator, going with the staircase instead. And at this point, he knew he looked absolutely terrible, absolutely disheveled and panting heavily. Oh, how he freaking hated this very day.
It took him a minute to compose himself and twist the door open, only to be met with the deadly glare of Kim Taehyung who sat in the far end of the table with a few other businessmen who had their heads turned to his direction at the sudden interruption of their meeting, exchanging confused glances.
And Jeongguk began cursing his very existence as he stood awkwardly at the doorway, "Um, I-I'm sorry, Mr. Kim, I didn't mean to be late."
"You surely didn't," He spoke softly, eyes flickering to the table, seemingly poised and composed as ever, like the perfectionist he is. And Jeongguk froze, feeling a shiver travel down his spine at the sound of his deep voice that echoed throughout the white walls of the room, "You may begin your presentation, Jeongguk."
He gestured for him to set up the PowerPoint. Jeongguk nodding softly and shutting the door behind him; reaching out and plugging his black flash drive into his laptop, turning on the projector afterwards. He then turned off the lights, leaving only the light of the projector and finally beginning his presentation.
Although his hands were shaking slightly, Jeongguk managed to come off composed and confident during the whole presentation, his words being precise and logical, along with the points he presented. It was overall. . nice, and he had put forth his best work. And although Taehyung was quite impressed by his work, Jeongguk could still feel the constant glares burning his side, yet he pushed away the feeling and focused on his work, attempting his best to not be anxious.
The clients were quite pleased with his work, clapping for him and praising his work, all the points he had mentioned in the presentation. The bright smile that spread on Jeongguk's lips due to being praised for his hard work didn't go unnoticed by Taehyung, his heart fluttering at the sight, although on the outside he seemed unbothered. Jeongguk had no idea what his smile could do to him, of course, as he himself didn't.
Moments later, the lights were back on and the room was vacant— the men clad in expensive tuxedos had left soon after the meeting had come to an end, leaving the two of them alone, silence settling in the room.
"Why were you late?" His deep voice then broke silence, glancing over at the younger from his seat, and Jeongguk felt anxiety bubbling up within his chest, doe eyes dilating at his words. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't notice the time."
"Don't you know the rules, Jeongguk? You've been around for a few months now, must I remind you the conditions?" His voice was stern, and Jeongguk found himself attempting to avoid the older's gaze, forehead creasing as he gnawed at his bottom lip. That was expected of him, Jeongguk had seen it coming all along. Taehyung had been pissed at him all morning for reasons he couldn't seem to name.
"You don't need to remind me, sir. At least I was on time." Jeongguk mumbled incoherently under his breath, eyes darting around the room with a monotonous look. And Taehyung had almost missed it if he hadn't caught on his words on the very last second, causing his frown to deepen more.
Taehyung then rose from his seat, advancing towards Jeongguk, hands buried into his pockets. He stood a good distance away, brows drawn together as he glanced at the laptop placed on the desk, "You've done a pleasant job at your presentation, I'll give you that. But you've been late, even after knowing the rules. It's a first, but I hope you know of the consequences to never repeat that again."
The other's lips twitched slightly, Jeongguk now exhaling deeply as he glared at the direction of the door, feeling the urge to leave the room and begin working on his next project already, instead of being bothered by the older's presence. But oh well, he couldn't do that, of course. Unless his insanely irritating and cocky boss allowed him to do so.
Funny, how at times he felt utterly comforting and calm in Taehyung's presence but sometimes, it just makes him want to rip off his own hair or perhaps punch the older in the face due to sheer frustration. Jeongguk then met his gaze, eyes narrowing into a glare, "And what'll you do about it? Fire me? You think you could do that, Kim?" A scoff left him, seemingly amused as he stared into the eyes  of his boss, who was fuming at his words.
"Have you forgotten of our agreement? It's not in your hands, sir."
There's a moment of silence as Taehyung observed the boy, not a trace of emotion evident in his eyes. It slightly amused Taehyung, how Jeongguk fancied to get on his nerves, even while knowing he could have his neck slitted due to a single offensive word towards him. Yet, it didn't seem like he cared, for Jeongguk fancied to get in trouble.
Taehyung then approached the younger with slow yet cautious steps, eyes grim as they locked with Jeongguk's doe orbs, "You're right, I can't fire you, nor can I control the conditions in the contract. But I could do so much more than that, beyond your imagination. If you're trying to get on my nerves, you're just looking for trouble, boy."
"Best if you leave and get to work, yeah? Instead of trying to make a mess." He merely quirked a brow, now standing right in front of the younger, eyes finding Jeongguk's with a glint of amusement flickering in his irises. Jeongguk simply tilted his head, curious. "And what're you gonna do, huh? Kill me? Just because I decided to disobey my boss?" He snickered, "You don't even have the guts to do that."
"You don't know what I'm capable of, doll." Taehyung muttered under his breath, eyes darkening as he scrunitized the younger. Jeongguk froze, breath catching in his throat as he acknowledged the distance between them. Those eyes, like pools of darkness lured him in, drawing him in to the unknown. His heart fluttered in his chest at the next thought that popped into his mind, and for the first time since he'd known himself, he didn't feel shy to step closer to the older; his gaze holding a playful look as he whispered, "Prove it."
"Kiss me, Kim. I dare you." The words left his lips before he could even register, eyes flickering down his nose and toward his lips, mind clouded with desire. The crave to feel his lips against his own turning down all other thoughts that swirled in his mind, his anxiety dissipating. Their eyes locked once again, and Taehyung could sense the challenge in his voice, "Make me believe that you're not all talk, that you could do a lot more than you say."
There's a moment of silence, tension evident in the air that lingered between them, Jeongguk's heart fluttering in his chest in sheer anticipation, or perhaps at the way the older's eyes travelled down to his lips, before flickering back up to his eyes. Lust clouded his eyes, and the more he tried to resist, the harder it became to not be drawn to the younger's scintillating doe irises, his luscious lips that seemed oh-so inviting. And although he knew it was wrong, so damn wrong of him. . he couldn't help it.
There was something about Jeongguk that drew him in. Something so strong that made him feel drawn towards him, made him absolutely irresistible. For the next moment, he found himself pressing his lips against Jeongguk's. His lips were soft, almost silken and tender against his own, the taste of strawberry filling his senses. A taste he found himself craving more of.
Jeongguk was taken aback, as he'd expected the older to grimace in utter disgust or even yell at him to leave— the thought of the older accepting the sudden challenge being something beyond his expectations, that only existed in his imagination, a mere fragment of his dreams.
Heat rose up to his cheeks, the fluttering intensifying. Jeongguk's heart pounded in his chest at the feeling of the older's lips pressed upon his own, like a dream come true. For a moment, it felt like a dream, to feel Taehyung's lips moving against his own, in a slow yet passionate way. His lips were rough yet soft, addictively invading all his senses.
But it only lasted for a moment, only a few seconds to leave Jeongguk breathless, the feeling actually did feel like a dream, oh-so heavenly. He could feel Taehyung's breath fanning over his face, his ears turning red, matching the colour of his cheeks that was a rosy hue, heart thudding in his chest as he attempted to register the situation. Their lips were inches apart, Jeongguk's eyes dilated and lips parted agape as he gazed at his lips. The touch still lingering over his own.
Taehyung's lips curved into a smirk, "You don't challenge me, Jeon. You'll only end up losing." He then retracted himself from the younger, fixing his coat as he headed for the door, Jeongguk following him with eyes, speechless and utterly surprised. Taehyung haulted at the door, turning towards the younger and meeting his gaze, pausing for a moment, "Get to work, the break is almost over."
With that, he was out the door, closing it shut behind him and leaving Jeongguk to dwell in his thoughts— the sound of the door clicking shut snapping him out of his trance as he blinked rapidly, attempting to regain his composure. Head clouded with a million thoughts, his mind screaming at him for what he'd done, for how he'd lost control over himself. Yet, his heart raced, warmth spreading in his chest as he brought up his fingertips to his own lips, touching them to confirm his imagination.
Then the older's words clicked in his mind, causing him to glance at his wrist watch. He couldn't waste his time, not after he'd learnt his lesson, never to mess with his boss. And it's not like he wanted to, Jeongguk was pissed due to his attitude in the morning, and now, left confused on why he kissed him if he loathed him so much.
Maybe he never did on the first place, it was just a trick of his mind.
Jeongguk was back at his office, seated in front of his computer, fingers dancing over the keyboard as he typed out the reports assigned to him. It had been a few hours since the incident between Taehyung and him, and Jeongguk wished to forget it for even a moment (even though he knew he couldn't). An exasperated sigh left him as he leaned back in his seat, frowning at the computer screen, eyes narrowed in a glare.
The brightness practically hurt his eyes at this point, although it wasn't too bright and the perfect level for Jeongguk to work in peace, it just wasn't the same today. His fingers ached from the hours of typing on the computer, pain shooting through his back as he stretched his arms and fingers. At this point, a cup of coffee felt just right.
He then turned in his swivel chair, turning away from the computer and burying his face into his hands, dragging his fingers over his face in the process. A deep sigh then evoked from his pink lips as he rose from his seat, deciding to take a break. Exiting his office, he headed straight to the cafeteria— that was occupied by a few co-workers he didn't know the names of.
Shrugging off the thoughts, he reached for the jug placed on the kitchen's island, pouring himself some coffee from the shiny jug, the brown liquid filling the cup with a satisfying flow. Placing it back to its position on the island, he grabbed the cup, taking a sip from the delicious coffee, attempting to clear his head and relax for a while.
But of course, it was only after a moment that he could hear the distant call of his name. Jeongguk closed his eyes, attempting to calm his nerves and his throbbing forehead wasn't helping at all. He could hear the call of his name from a distance, coming out muffled along with the rushed footsteps that followed. And Jeongguk could hear the footsteps coming to a stop, signifying that the person was just behind him.
"Ah, Jeongguk, you're here. I was looking for you the whole time." The male breathed out, panting slightly, chest rising up and down as his eyes remained affixed on the ravenette's back. Jeongguk let out a controlled exhale, opening his eyes and pivoting on his heels to see the person calling for him. Jae.
"What's wrong, Jae?" Jeongguk was exhausted, and his tone quite gave it away. And honestly? He didn't want to speak to anyone at the moment, all due to the throbbing pain in his head, perhaps due to the lack of sleep, or due to overworking himself, he didn't know. All he knew was, he didn't like the feeling and wished to leave already, and hit the bed; even though it was too early to fall asleep.
"Oh, um, Mr. Kim is asking for your presence. It's something important and he told me to get you." Jeongguk frowned, however, nodding his head. "You go, I'll be there in a minute." He dismissed the boy, brows furrowed as he took another sip from his coffee. What went wrong? Why does he want to see me now?
Nonetheless, Jeongguk headed straight to the older's office right after he was done with his coffee, his temples throbbing with a dull pain. However, not as intense as before, and Jeongguk was glad. He haulted in front of the door, freezing in his tracks as the memories from a few hours ago swam in front of his eyes, causing a heat to rise up to his cheeks.
But Jeongguk was quick to push it away and focus on his thoughts, it could be important, perhaps an emergency. Or why'd Taehyung order Jae to get him?
He proceeded to knock on the door nevertheless, shaking away the thoughts weighing him down and causing the dull throbbing of his temples to intensify. A voice of approval later, he found himself stepping into the fancy and neatly organized office, eyes landing on Taehyung who had a scowl etched on his face as he stared at the computer. This had Jeongguk frowning, wondering what he did wrong this time to be called out. As of course, he was in no mood to talk to the older— only wishing for the time to pass by faster so he could go back home.
"What's wrong?"
Taehyung met his eyes for a moment, before turning back to the computer screen, "Took you long enough."
This had Jeongguk releasing an exasperated sigh, brows knitted, "Just get to the point already, my head hurts and I'm in no mood to talk."
Taehyung merely hummed in return, eyes remained affixed on the screen as he typed away something on the keyboard, clicking it off and finally turning to Jeongguk, "There's a meeting in two days, a business trip. I've been suggested to allow you in it for you to gain some experience and know more about the business world."
He paused for a moment, studying Jeongguk's reaction, who simply flashed him a quizzical look, not getting his point. Taehyung glanced at the computer screen on his desk, lips twitching as he grabbed the mouse and began clicking onto the folders, brows drawing together, "Pack your stuff, we're going out on a business trip to London."