Kim Taehyung- Friends with Benefits

                                                  🌖 Part I 💫 

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Your name is, Wren.

"Subject 567320 of Base 9, you may now approach counter number one." 

A disembodied voice spills out over the intercom causing you to grab your suitcase and shuffle hurriedly towards the high glass counters. 

A small man stares blankly down at you but still, you smile awkwardly in response and hand him over your passport.

He flips the pages.

"What is the purpose of your visit?" His voice was nasally and cold. 

So much for a warm welcome.

"Uh, work." you reply and his eyes flick up from the passport to you and then down again. 

He re-arranges the papers on his desk, not even bothering to engage you in any small-talk.

Hmph!

"Fine", you thought. Then proceeded to gaze casually around at all the other enthusiastic entrants to the coveted space station that was Base 3.

Known for entertainment, glitz, glamour, flawless luxury, indulgence and over-saturation. This was the only Base in your universe that everyone dreamed of coming to. 

Sure, they would employ the talents of other Bases to develop their own space and increase its perfection but outsiders were not welcome to stay, only to work and maybe if you were lucky enough, or rich enough-  to visit.

The shuttleport of the air-base had curved glass walls as high as skyscrapers, wild ivy running elegantly down its pillars. A waterfall rushed from the ceiling at the epicentre of the arrivals unit. Everything was transparent except for the lush plant life that ran generously along the building's iridescent walls. You tremor with sudden shock and delight as a flock of colourful birds fly past overhead. Small children point in every direction with glee while their minders smiled and took pictures. Base 3 was already a sight. A sight to indeed behold without even having set foot out of the station yet. 

Here, everything seemed like an illusion, a dream within a dream. It was created to be that way. It was a privilege to get an opportunity to be here. But you knew the real tea. Base 3 needed Base 9er's like you; Someone to help build their fanciful nonsensities. 

Every Base had its own talents, that was true- putting on a good show, making everything appear enviably glamorous, desirable and unattainable to the average man was Base 3's strength. 

However, Base 9 provided the framework to that, the sturdy skeleton to lay beneath all the smoke and mirrors that Base 3 overlaid.

Born on Base 9, your only destiny was to become a great architect. Your people were builders and creators. Wizards of the structural imagination! It was your 'Snow Dome' proposal brought you here. A unique and innovative idea, one that would sustain itself over space and time. Perfectly poised to launch just as in flowed,  the Christmas season!

You could already envision kids and families flocking to this spectacular attraction for years and years to come. 

When you settled in at your accommodation, a five-star condominium at the glittering centre of Base 3-   you found it hard to distract yourself from worrying.

The night before your presentation to the building and project development team was a sleepless one. 

You unrolled the printed draft layouts and perused every fine line and detail over and over again until your eyes burned with fatigue. It'd taken you three months to finalise this design. Hands planted on your hips, not wanting to toot your own horn, you stepped back from the drawings and smiled. You had to admit, it was fabulous, flawless and you didn't mind one bit if you said so yourself. 

Your head-office at Base 3 was yet another pale, large building. One of many others like it that you'd seen around here so far. With sprawling, flat green lawns that stretched on for hectares over gently sloping hills that rose up at the back of the property. The land stretched away from you, green and lush, the grass rippling in the breeze. You could readily identify some of your fellow people from Base 9 who worked here too. Your simple and understated clothes weirdly stuck out amongst the sea of flashy outfits, crazy patterns and eye-catching accessories characteristic of the base 3 natives.

As you drew nearer, you slowed to a walk, closing your eyes and going over the few things you needed to remember while being in this place.

Get in, do the job, don't ever think that you're one of them. And most important- no matter what.. do not get attached to anyone or anything, get out.

It sounded simple but you were an adult and you'd heard the rumours...

The men in Base 3 were notoriously gorgeous and equally salacious. 

Even though you were wary of this, it didn't take you long to spot a terrifyingly perfect specimen called Kim Taehyung. A technical engineer. He introduced himself along with the rest of the team and you did your best to stay focussed on the reason why you were there in the first place but he made it very, very difficult. 

His looks alone made you go weak in the knees. He had beautiful dark brown hair, thick dark brows that shaded over pretty, brown sparkling eyes. He looked about twenty-six and had one of those friendly, wide-open faces with high cheek bones that made him appear even more appealing. He wasn't smiling right now but you felt certain that when he did smile, it would be a broad and delightfully infectious one and you bet he had nice teeth too. 

However, none of that mattered. Everyone in the universe knew that the men of this base only considered their own kind for a match.

You blinked rapidly and swallowed hard trying to get rid of the silly butterflies you felt beating around in your stomach, then quickly turned your attention back to the project manager, Jackson. 

He spoke loudly at the middle of the room. He was all big smiles and big gestures as he instructed everyone to take a five minute break before the presentation.

You held your drawings tucked securely underneath your arm as he walked you into a small canteen next to the boardroom where you bubbled with nerves and excitement to present your plan to the team.

You paced the floor like a weary house-cat, trying your best to wait it out patiently until they called you back in. In the mean time, you clutched a hot cup of coffee between sweaty palms in the break room.

When Jackson finally summonsed you, nothing prepares for the shock of your life as you enter and see posters, plans and larger than life, drawings eerily identical to the one folded under your arm-  already plastered over the walls.

Your eyes bulge, reading the headers and seeing that the name has been changed from 'Snow Dome' to 'the snow globe project'.

Your throat goes dry.

"Jackson, what is this?" You ask, already sensing the heat rising in your face.

Today was supposed to be the first look. Nobody else besides yourself and Jackson were supposed to see the mappings before officially kickstarting the project. 

You were meant to explain everything in fine detail, making your vision clear and getting the desired plan across to a team who would work for you and understand the way you wanted the whole thing to turn out.

But it was apparent that your new 'boss' had already done some version of this for you.

Jackson looked at you with a fake smile, "At this organisation, we like to stay ten steps ahead Wren," He comments, flicking the construction paper clutched in your grasp patronisingly. 

"By filling in our team well in advance days ahead of the Base 9 architect coming in to help out with this little project..."

"Excuse me," You spluttered interrupting him, "Help out?"

His eyes immediately widen in alarm at your tone and he places a patronising pat on your shoulder to try and calm you down but that wasn't going to work. 

You both fume silently at each other as the others can be heard approaching the room just in time to resume the meeting. 

You chuckle aloud bitterly shrugging your shoulder free from your boss' deceptive hand.

Jackson was supposed to oversee the Snow Dome project, oversee! 

Not take it over himself! You'd been warned about people like this on Base 3. That they were no stranger to taking all account for Base 9'ers ideas and handy work. Simply passing Base 9'ers off as 'the help' once they'd arrived in Base 3 territory. You thought the stereotypes were wrong. Jackson had seemed so nice over countless video calls and negotiations while planning for the project. You'd given him the benefit of the doubt. He'd said you would lead his project development team, have complete control, you didn't think twice that he would lie to you. 

Now the rumours were proven true. 

You dropped your drawings noisily on the floor and glared at Jackson.

Base 3 was filled with nothing but stuck up, fake, users!

"Wren, don't over-react. I loved your idea." A tight smile painted his chiseled face, "The company just saw it fit to make a few tweaks here and there. Now, you can help see it through. Relax!"

You shook your head refusing. 

"Jackson this is my project!" You fumed out loud, unable to control how distraught and disrespected you felt.

Jackson's forced smile seemed frozen on his face, his eyes darting nervously around the boardroom.

 You couldn't dismiss the stares of shock and disapproval as the others filed into the meeting room. They looked at you like you were a complete mad woman for screaming at your boss on the first day. Never mind, in less than an hour since you'd arrived. 

You looked around at their blank faces in dismay, mouth clamped shut, jaw clenched.

Jackson had stolen your idea! 

Nobody looked shocked at all by the posters and drawings on the walls, there was even a small 3D model sitting in the corner already. Someone had to build that! It was clear the project had already been pitched, presented and passed off as Jackson's while you were made known to the others as 'the help'.

"So am I here to make this presentation or not?" You whispered hotly to Jackson who was toying with the jazzy necktie of his shirt painfully aware of the entire room watching.

"No, Wren. Today you are here to learn and listen." He replied curtly, "Get aquatinted... if you'll just take a seat...."

"I don't want to take a seat." You hiss through gritted teeth.

How unfair and vile that Jackson would even think he could just get away with this!

Instead of listening to Jackson, you hurry back outside and thrust the drawings you worked on perfecting all night- into the nearest trashcan. 

A tiny shout of frustration escapes you and a few stylishly dressed people walking on the greens startle, turning to stare at you.

With a hasty bow, you gathered your wits and apologised for disturbing the peaceful courtyard. A few of them frowned at your plain clothes and whispered not-so softly about your bare face with hardly any makeup on it before hurrying away.  

You find an empty bench and sit down feeling your shoulders sag in defeat.

"Hey, You ok?" 

You turn your head slowly in answer. Its the handsome technical engineer, Taehyung.

He hands you a warm sugar-rolled donut which you accept hesitantly.

"Where'd you get this?" You turned it over skeptically.

It was as if all of a sudden, nothing and no one from this God-forsaken place could be trusted. Not even a donut-slinging GQ model from the 90's replica with a nice ass.

"The canteen." Taehyung's smile was friendly and of course, disturbingly handsome. Just like you'd suspected it would be earlier.

Surprise, surprise. 

You sigh, stubbing your toe into the short grass before throwing caution to the wind taking an emotionally feeble first bite.

You could hear him chuckle with ease at you giving in.

Taehyung had a donut of his own and ate it silently alongside you for a while before he spoke up.

"You know, you shouldn't worry about it too much," He said in an almost-too-sure tone which made you turn to look at him once again, "Jackson normally does that to all his over-space employees. Steals their ideas and then calls it 'teamwork'." Taehyung snorted a humourless laugh. 

"Well then, i guess since its the norm I suppose my reaction wasn't exactly professional..." You replied cynically. "Should I kneel before you right now and praise you for teaching me the ways?"

Taehyung went quiet.

The truth was, you had no idea that people could be like this. So cruel and calculating. You thought all the negative stuff you'd heard about opportunities that came from base 3 were untrue until you were proven wrong just now. It was a lesson learned.

The silence made you realise that Taehyung was still sitting there.

"You know what? I'm Sorry," You apologised quickly. You didn't know why you were being snarky when he was only trying to be nice. "It's just I didn't expect this to happen. I'm ... not really this mean, I promise." 

"It's fine." Taehyung smiled, biting into his own donut again, "Trust me, we've seen worse."

"Really?"

"Oh ya," Taehyung nodded, "Like smile and go along with it then suffer a nervous breakdown on the last day, worse. Only to get shipped back off to Base 9 and forgotten about, worse...I think its cool that you didn't just stand there and take it like the others have. Jackass could definitely tell that you were pissed. Good for you."

Taehyung watches your cheeks pinken and you both muster a little laugh.

He crumples the finished snack paper into a ball in his fist and stands up to leave.

"Well...er....enjoy." He nods awkwardly to the remnants of the donut in your hand.

Now wasn't the time or place but you couldn't help but notice how cute that little nod was.

"I, will." You replied and watched as he began to walk away.

"Oh uh, Taehyung!" 

You call out after him, raising your donut in one hand.

"Thank you."

Taehyung grinned beautifully. Giving you one of the most pretty smiles you'd ever seen in your life, he nodded appreciatively.

"Don't Mention it."

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Always with Love

BJF