Taehyung's pov

I adopt my most friendly of tones. "Of course, and I wouldn't ask you to. But I felt it was my obligation to let you know the reasons behind his dismissal."

"And I appreciate that," Joon-ki says, one of the architects on Eun Ilsung's team. "We offered Kang-min a contract just a few days ago. In light of your allegations, we might re-assess that."

"Do whatever you feel prudent," I say. "I just know that on my end, slander and misuse of personal files is a serious offense. I'd call Mr. Eun directly, but I'm sure you've heard..." I trail off, hoping he'll catch on. The feud between my dad and Eun is well-known and has never been easy for me to navigate.

"Ah, yes. I understand. And slander is a big deal for us too. Thank you for calling, Taehyung-shii."

"Anytime, Joon." In truth, I hadn't spoken much to him after architecture school-and even less after he started working for Eun.

Joon pauses delicately on the line. "Now that I have you on... How about golf one weekend? It's been a long time since we played."

I resist the urge to snort. We hadn't played together since we were seniors.

"Absolutely," I say. "Shoot me an email and we'll set up a time."

I stare at my phone for a long time after we hang up. So Kang-min had gotten a job at Eun Ilsung's firm, the snake, which was why he felt confident enough to pull this kind of stunt. I have little doubt he was offered the contract on Eun's instructions, specifically to score a point against us. But if my call can turn even one of the architects at Kang-min's new job against him, it'll be worth it.

Kang-min, snake extraordinaire, would never get a recommendation from us-instead, he would get a warning, a call to every future employer. There was no cocktail party I'd go to now where I wouldn't mention his name. Asshole.

I rub my temples against a headache, and the image of Jungkook in my office reappears, as he has so often over the past couple of hours. Maybe this whole thing was a mistake, he had said.

Fuck. This weekend had been one of the best of my life, and everything was -for once-perfectly on track. And then this happens. What had we said, just yesterday? That we wouldn't let work get in the way? We might as well have jinxed it.

I force my hand to relax from its death grip on my armrest. One part of me wants to find Kang-min-I have his home address at my fingertips-and kick him senseless for hurting Jungkook like this. Another part of me wants to kick myself instead, for moving too fast. He'd promised he wouldn't have any regrets, but that was exactly what had been on his face this morning.

You have to believe me. And his response, broken and hurtful. I really want to.

We'd barely spoken since then, him at his desk and me at mine. Every feet of distance between us felt heavy.

I send an email to Mi-hee in recruiting and ask her to come by my office this afternoon. The question of how Jungkook's application got into Kang-min's hands is still unanswered. I want to order her to my office right away-I want to hold people accountable for this-but the anticipation will make it worse for her.

Jungkook's voice comes through the intercom. "Miss Ryu is here for you."

I want to groan. The last thing I can stand at the moment is a dressing down from my senior partner. "Send her in."

Ryu saunters in with a wry smile, obviously aware of the situation. "I know," I say preemptively. "It doesn't look good."

She sinks into the chair in front of me. "No, it doesn't."

"Kang-min was a snake from the start."

"He was. I think that's why we liked him, because he would do anything to get a project done." She sighs, running a polished nail along her chin. "But if these are his true colors, then good riddance to him."

"I couldn't agree more."

"I won't berate you, but we do have to talk about... it." Her smile turns sardonic. "I've known you for a long time, Taehyung. I don't believe this is simply a lustful slip."

I release a breath. "It's not. It's poor timing, and it's been handled poorly at that, but it's not particularly scandalous at all."

"You two like each other, then."

I give a curt nod, even though Jungkook's feelings are a mystery to me. All I have are hopes.

"He's smart. I saw his pitch with Terri, you know. Quick on his feet."

"He's a brilliant architect."

Ryu Rita leans back, a thoughtful look on her face. "Do you know what, Taehyung? I think it might be time for us to split up the firm."

Fuck. This? At the same time?

I put my hands at my temples. "I understand that this could tarnish our reputation with clients and other firms, if it's circulated widely. But I already have a slander suit filed, and-"

"Oh, Taehyung, no. Men have been having improper relations with their assistants since longer than a eternity. It's not palatable, but it happens. And if you two are actually serious, I doubt this will have any negative repercussions for business."

I'm floored. "Then why?"

"Don't you think it's time? We've both benefited from this. We've built a good name for the both of us. But I want to branch out, outside of Seoul. I want more creative control over the projects. We've reached a point where it makes sense."

I regard her, the woman who fought side by side in the trenches with me to establish this firm many years ago. Who was brilliant at convincing investors, using financial calculations I'd drawn up overnight.

We've had a good time together. Both of us have independent client bases now. Her suggestion has terrible timing, but it makes sense, echoing some of my own thoughts. "You might be right."

She smiles. "It will be amicable, just like this was when we started."

"We'll split the associates?"

"We'll solve something with HR. And-here's the part you might or might not enjoy-Jeon Jungkook handed in his resignation an hour ago."

"What?"

"Don't be angry. It's the only reasonable thing for him to do, in this position. But I've offered him a job in my own firm after the split." Her smile is triumphant. "See? Isn't splitting the firm a good idea?"

My hand stills. "As an architect, I hope."

"Absolutely. I know talent when I see it."

My mouth sours at the implication. "I know you're not doing it for me, but is it wrong that I want to say thank you?"

"Yes," she says immediately, standing. "Because it's your loss, and my win. But as one friend to another, Taehyung... he's been humiliated in the worst possible way for a person in the workplace. Let him find his footing again and regain some dignity before you push."

"Push?"

She shakes her head at me. "You're a pusher, Taehyung. So am I. But it's not always a recipe for success in private relationships."

And with that she leaves, and I'm left to ponder a world that looks radically different than it did just a few hours ago. Jungkook resigned. My heart feels squeezed in my chest, pushed too far by this entire ordeal. Why didn't he talk to me about it?

When I open my office door, he's right there, his beautiful features fixed in a mask of cold professionalism. I watch in disbelief as he packs up his belongings. A set of mints from the bottom drawer. A hairbrush from another.

He's ignoring me, standing just a few feet away.

"You resigned?"

"It's the only way." His voice is infuriatingly calm. "I can't work with these people anymore."

"Of course you can. It'll pass."

"No, it won't. I can't call them into a meeting or demand they adhere to their deadlines, all the while knowing what they're thinking."

I put a hand on his wrist. "Let's solve this. I've already-"

"You've what? Handled Kang-min? Made angry phone calls? I've heard, and that's good. But it won't fix my reputation."

I want to shake him, shake us both, into some form of understanding. But Jungkook's face is the picture of distance as he shakes off my hand. "I have to do this."

"Did Ryu speak to you?"

"Yes. She offered me a job." Jungkook pauses, swallowing miserably. "It's generous. It's what I want. I said yes on the spot."

He looks at me as if he's daring me to protest. "I heard. That's great, Kook. Truly."

"Yes. Yes, it is. It's a chance to make something of myself out of all of this. A chance I don't really feel like I deserve."

"You do. Fucking hell, Jungkook, you're so talented. The opera house is twice the building it was before you joined."

It must have been the wrong thing to say, because he shuts his bag with a snap. "I've written an instruction sheet for my replacement and notified recruitment that we need to put up another ad for your personal assistant."

"Kook..."

He pauses and looks up at me, his eyes closed off in a heartbreaking way. I want to tell him that it's all going to blow over. That we're still us, that I'm sorry.

But all of it feels too little and too late. "I'm sorry," I say again. "News of this won't spread."

"You can't promise that."

"I can. This doesn't change anything between us, Jungkook."

His hand flits over mine, fingers soft and warm against my skin. I want to pull him near, to remind him of the closeness we'd shared this weekend. Offer reassurance and be reassured in kind. But his eyes shutter, and he releases my hand.

"It does," he whispers.

I watch as he walks away, cursing myself for not being better with words, for not knowing what to say, for a situation that's somehow spun wildly out of my control. Yesterday morning, I had been happier than I'd been in years. Fate has a funny way of giving you a taste of something wonderful, only to wrench it away immediately.

-

-

Jungkook doesn't answer my calls. One text comes in, two days after his resignation, asking for space. Space. Like we've had an argument, like we're over.

So I give him space.

I fire Mi-hee from recruiting, who apparently gave Kang-min the file after she read it herself. When she confessed to me, she admitted that she found it funny, and worth sharing, but hadn't ever imagined that he'd use it for that. As if that was an excuse for violating confidentiality.

My lawyers call daily with updates on the slander suit. Apparently, Kang-min had gotten a hold of the picture of Jungkook and me through someone's public Facebook account, and it was considered fair game, but the application letter and the implication he made weren't.

"We might not be able to get him on all these points in court," my lawyer told me. "But we can make it painful for him to fight the allegations."

I'd given them a very simple response. "Make it as painful as possible."

The legal fees would be worth it-more than worth it-if it could discredit this thing. I see Jungkook's face in front of me daily, the look in his eyes when he said how this made him feel, and I feel nothing but shame. He's amazing, and smart, and strong, and talented... proud and funny. And this job, and us together, had somehow broken that spirit.

He still doesn't answer when I call.

So I give him even more space, as one week turns into two. I go to the gym in the mornings. I sit through excruciating interviews with new assistants, but none of them are Jungkook, and none of them could be. It's unfair of me to compare, and despite it, I see him in all of them. It serves no one.

I receive the new model for the opera house with the changes that Jungkook and I worked on. Curving steel, combined with thick timber. It's gorgeous. It's truly an abstract violin now. The shape flows beautifully, a ready-to-build monument.

It's the best piece I've ever designed, and it's better because of Jungkook.

The longer I look at it, the clearer the touches he added become. The beam at the bottom. The increased stage space. His specific ideas were never mere additions; they were fundamental. They altered it entirely, making it stronger.

Some of the changes were a combined effort. I remember when we discussed the curve on the outer beams-we had both been excited, referencing some of the early '20s work in Manhattan as our inspiration-and sketched it out together.

He's not a junior architect on this project. He's an executive. And that's the way I credit him, when I submit the application. Architects: Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook.

On the third week post- Jungkook, I drive to Paradise Shores, for the weekend. Jin and Joon hyung are back from their honeymoon and both Yeon and Eunwoo are in town. The entire weekend is miserable. The Boat, which had been my family's refuge for so long, reminds me of Jungkook. Staying in my hyung's spare house reminds me of Jungkook. Playing rummy reminds me of Jungkook.

It's not made better by my siblings asking about him all the damn time.

Sitting on the porch in the July sun, they're relentless. "Why didn't you bring him this weekend?" Eunwoo pushes.

I glare at him, but don't answer. What is there to say? I fucked it up?

My youngest brother rolls his eyes at me. "You were more fun when he was around."

Jin hyung frowns. "Don't mock him. He's clearly upset about the whole situation."

"Tae hyung doesn't get upset. That would require feelings." Yeonjun throws in his final hand. "And I win again."

I toss down my own cards, the loss souring my mood even further. He'd fit in here like a glove, by my side, giving as good as he got on every topic. Even my father-who barely spoke to me after the Chicago incident-commented on his absence. He called him that boy, but he had grunted in displeasure when I said he hadn't joined this time. Mentally, I wondered if he ever would again, or if I'd ruined everything by going too fast.

It's late when I finally drain my whiskey and decide to go home. Eunwoo has already gone to bed, and Yeonjun has long since retreated into himself, lying on his back to stargaze. Jin hyung is watching him fondly, leaning into Namjoon hyung. They've been different since the wedding. Closer, if that's even possible.

I sigh as I watch them. Easy companionship. It wasn't always easy for them, I know that now. Part of that was probably our fault-the entire nosy family. But now, with his arm around my hyung and his eyes filled with quiet adoration, I know Jin couldn't have chosen a better husband.

And I need to get out of here, before I'm reminded even more of the man I'd found and let slip through my fingers. For a few days, we'd had... oh, hell if I knew. Something that felt like everything.

Jin hyung quietly extricates himself from Namjoon's arm. "I'll follow you out," he says, as if I don't know the blueprint of his house, having designed the remodel.

He's unusually quiet. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes. Yeah, everything's fine. But Tae... are you fine?"

Not this again. I nod. "Yeah."

"Did you two break up?"

I don't know if it's because it's just him and me, or the whiskey, or the late hour, but I nod. I must look as miserable as I feel, because Jin hyung's eyes soften.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was my fault."

"I find that very hard to believe." His eyes hold the same tint of hero-worship they used to have when we were a teenager, and I was lifting him up in my arms in happiness, or later, teaching him how to drive stick. It makes the guilt roil in my stomach.

"He was my assistant at work. Not my boyfriend."

I wait for the admonition, but it doesn't come. Jin hyung just nods. I narrow my eyes at him in suspicion. "Did you know?"

"No." A faint pause. "I suspected. He mentioned something about the two of you not being serious, and then I did some internet research. He's listed as one of your company's employees."

I groan. "HYUNG."

"Jungkook and I spoke about you, briefly." He puts a hand on my arm. "I basically asked him what he felt about you, when we had dinner."

"You were supposed to give him a house tour!"

"Yes, well, you know how I get."

I run a hand over my jaw. "Yeah, I do."

"He was... worried that you didn't care for him?"

"He said that?"

My hyung's hesitation says it all. "Well, that's what he meant. And I told him that Kim Taehyung doesn't do half-measures. That if you're bringing him here, it's because you like him. We've never met any of your partner before! I tried to put him at ease."

"He was worried about that? That I wasn't really interested?"

"Yeah." Jin shoots me a look that says this should be obvious to me. "It's not hard to imagine why. He was basically considering getting together with his boss, Taehyung. It's not exactly recommended."

"I know that. Hell, I do. That's what ended the whole thing."

"I think he wanted to know if it was worth it. I told him that you were."

My throat tightens unexpectedly. Jin hyung is staring up at me with determination, his frame set in a mixture of frustration and unwavering belief. For so many years, I was the one who held us together as siblings, but he's always been the beating heart.

"Now, Kim Taehyung, was I right? Will you work hard for what you want, and for those you care about? Were you worth him taking a risk?"

Jungkook's expression comes back to me. His anger at Kang-min, at the situation. At the uncertainty I'd helped create. I'd given him space without a second thought. It had been what he asked for, and I'd respected that.

But maybe I'd been too fast with it. There were still things between us that needed to be said-and things I need to make clear.

I wrap an arm around my elder brother, who leans into me with complete trust, as he always has."Thanks, hyung."

"Of course." He looks like something is on the tip of his tongue, eyes expectant, but then he shakes his head. "Go and get Kookie back, and then bring him back for another weekend here. I want us to go sailing together with Joonie."

"I will," I say, backing away from him. He's framed by the porch light, and in his white outfit, he looks like an angel. "I love you, Jinnie Hyung!"

"I love you too!" he calls back. "Go get your boy!"

Back in the cottage, I sit down and write a letter. I write down everything that could have been a potential point of miscommunication between Jungkook and me. Everything is detailed. As soon as I get back to Seoul, I'll drop it by his mailbox. I don't know if it'll be enough, but it's a start, and I'll refuse to stop from there.

-

-

To be continued........

I am so sowwyyyy.....please forgive me for doing this to u all
I love u all i swear 🤞❤️

Tae has taken a step toward Kook will he give a chance or .... It'll be an ending?