Jungkook's pov

The interview has to be a joke.

No one in their right mind would hire someone based on the terrible mess of a letter I sent in. I know that-he surely knows it too. So what am I going in for? Amusement, probably. He wants to see what a ridiculous person he's dealing with. Have himself a laugh, like he did over the phone.

I look at myself in the mirror again. Well, he'll have no such luck.

It might only be a joke to him, but I'm not going to waste an opportunity to gain a tiny bit of credibility back. I look professional, from the black shoes to the slick side parted hair. I'm wearing my most modest of suits-the Fitted trouser and my silk shirt is nearly covered by the matching blazer. I kept my makeup simple, too a gloss and cream. Anything to downplay the features that I know men like this often prey on-or see as a mark against me.

I walk into Kim & Ryu with my architecture portfolio tucked under my arm. I couldn't resist bringing it, even if the position he advertised was only for an assistant.

The receptionist shoots me an uncertain smile. "Mr. Jeon?"

"That's me," I say. "I'm here for an interview with Mr. Kim?"

"Yes, I've heard. Excellent. Let me show you the way." She leads the way up a wide glass staircase. It's very obviously an architect firm-the blank white walls, the spotlights at artfully placed angles. Clean and plain.

"Have you worked here long?" I ask her.

"Nearly three years. It's a great firm." She's quiet for a beat, fiddling with her key card to access the elevators. She presses the button to the eighth floor, and we start moving.

"How's Mr. Kim?" I have no idea what to expect out of this. My heart is beating a rhythm of nerves in my chest, but I'm careful to keep my expression neutral. Odds are he just wants to laugh at me.

"Well," she says carefully. "He's a very talented architect."

She doesn't add anything else, and it's not difficult to read the subtext. But he's an asshole. Most builders and architects of this caliber are. Lord knows I'd encountered my fair share of them.

You need a certain kind of ego to push through designs that might very well outlive you.

She opens a glass door and leads me down a massive hallway. There's an empty desk at the end, right next to a floor-to-ceiling window.

"His assistant sits out here," she says, "and Mr. Kim's office is through this door."

She gestures at a large oak door. Beautifully carved and weathered, it feels incongruous with the rest of the minimalist office. Interesting.

"All right," she says. "Good luck, then."

I pause in front of the giant door. "Does he know I'm here?"

"Oh. I'm sure. You were supposed to be here at nine, right?"

"Yes," I say, but she's already halfway down the hall, like she's running from the situation. It doesn't inspire confidence. "Alrighty then," I murmur to myself and push my shoulders back. I'm The Jeon Jungkook. I was top of my class. I spent five years working on some of the most challenging designs in Seoul. I'm a great architect.

I knock on the door.

There's no response, only a soft, electronic click and the door swings open automatically.

The office is massive. There's a giant desk in the center, all modern and sleek, but behind it are rows and rows of bookshelves. I can see a classic architect's desk in the corner, with sketching sheets and a clip-on lamp.

A man is seated behind the desk.

Well, I think. He isn't old at all.

The man can't be more than Thirty. Thick, brown hair is pushed back. One stray lock has refused to obey him, though, and falls over a square forehead. He's not in a suit. Instead, he's wearing a navy-blue shirt tucked into a pair of gray chinos. It's a casual look, but on him it looks like a million bucks. An expensive watch glitters at his wrist.

He stares back at me. There's nothing in his eyes-not surprise, not amusement, nothing at all to signal a welcome. I don't know if he's trying to unnerve me, but I refuse to let him know that it's working.

"Hello," I say. "My name is Jeon Jungkook. I'm here for an interview?"

He leans back in his chair and looks me over. It's not leering at all-it's clinical. I'm being assessed.

"Mr. Jeon of the famous cover letter," he says. "Have a seat."

I sit down opposite him, trying and failing to hide my surprise. He's nothing like what I expected. This man is handsome, even if it's in a detached sort of way.

"First and foremost, thank you for inviting me for an interview," I say. "Despite my colorful language."

"Yes, your application was unusual. Do you make a habit of applying for jobs while... what euphemism did we use? Under the influence."

"Not usually, no."

"You made a special exception for my firm."

I raise an eyebrow at him. Is he teasing me? It's hard to tell when his face is impassive.

"Anything for Kim and Ryu," I say airily. "And while I ask that you disregard my cover letter, my CV proves that I'm more than qualified for this position."

"Yes." He thumbs through papers on his desk and smoothly pulls out my application. I see him glance through my CV. "It's clear that you're very well-educated. But then," he adds, looking up at me, "you already told me that in the cover letter."

Don't blush. I force myself to meet his gaze. "I did. I might be young, but I have a lot of experience in the field. I started as an intern at the City Planning office for five months. You're welcome to call Anita Roberts, who was my supervisor there."

Kim Taehyung leans back in his chair and taps his fingers along the desk, once, twice. "And then you worked for Eun Il-sung."

"Yes."

"But no reference from him. You were fired?"

It's increasingly hard to meet his eyes, dark and piercing, but I force myself to do it. "I was, unfortunately."

"As you made abundantly clear in your letter, you believe this is one of the key reasons why I wouldn't consider hiring you. Why I'm sure you've already been rejected by several firms, since you're willing to... how did you so flatteringly put it? Stoop to this level."

This time, I can't stop the flush of embarrassment on my face. "Yes. But I can assure you that it had nothing to do with my work performance. And while I understand that you have no reason to trust me on that, I ask that you do. I have co-workers there who I believe would vouch for my job performance."

Mr.Kim glances down at my cover letter again. I can almost see the words sticking out on the page. Lecherous.

Don't ask, I beg silently.

He doesn't. Instead, he looks down at my lap, where my leather-bound architect portfolio rests. It had been a wild shot to bring it here.

"You brought your portfolio, Mr. Jeon."

"I did. Ask me anything." I square my shoulders. "Let me show you that I know this industry."

"We regularly build for clients with very strong opinions," Mr.Kim says. "How do you balance function with aesthetic appeal?"

Ah. It's a classic question. He's going to have to do better than that.

"A client's wish comes first, of course. We're designing and building for them. But at the end of the day, we're the ones with formal training in this, and if we don't point out obvious flaws in their desires, we would be failing them."

"And in your own designs?" he asks. "How do you personally make the distinction?"

There's something unnerving about the intensity in his eyes. "Unless a client demands otherwise, I strive for simplicity," I say. "There's no need to throw in elaborate details that could be outdated a decade from now."

He taps his knuckles along the desk again. That's really going to start to annoy me.

"I start on a new project. Day one, what do I do?"

"You focus on the logistics," I answer, voice calm. "What are the legal property boundaries? How does the sun, the wind, water come into play? What features in the surrounding landscape could be a problem, or an asset?" I let my hands curl around the armrests of the chair I'm in, meeting his gaze head-on. "You start working on permits and timelines. I imagine you're also mentally assigning tasks to different members of your team."

"You worked on the Century Grand Dome," he says, "if your cover letter is to be believed."

"I did." And I was damn proud of that structure. Despite the client's wishywashy instructions, despite the work environment, it had turned out a fine building. It had received near universal praise when it was unveiled, and while my name was nowhere near it, I know that Eun Ilsung would never have been able to finish it without me.

I wonder if Mr.Kim sees that pride on my face, because his eyes glitter with amusement when he asks his next question. "What would you change?"

"With the Dome?"

"Yes."

I want to protest instinctively. It's perfect. But I can tell that would be to fail this particular test.

Instead, I look around his office thoughtfully, gathering my ideas. He's clearly a man with ambition leaking out of his very pores, to have achieved so much at his age. What would impress a man like this...

"The name on the plaque," I say.

He raises an eyebrow, and for a long moment, we just stare at each other.

"The position is that of an assistant, not an architect." There's challenge in his voice. "You realize that you'd be doing no practical architectural work? I have a full roster of architects on board and no space for another. I can make you no promises."

Something in me squeezes painfully tight at his words. "I'm aware, and I'm not asking you to. But I think my experience as an architect will make me a better assistant."

"As it so happens, so do I." He taps his knuckles on the table a third time. "I don't have time to teach you things."

My previous admiration of him lessens slightly. Insufferable man. "That's all right."

"I know my previous assistant is leaving instructions, and Ryu Rita's assistant can help you get set up. But for the most part, you'll have to learn on the job."

"I can do that."

"Can you start next Monday?" He braces his arms against the desk. They look unusually strong for a New York builder-the ones who rarely leave their offices.

"Yes. Absolutely, yes."

"We'll start with a six-week probation period before you're offered a fulltime contract. I'll have HR draw up the paperwork and email it to you before the day is out. If you have any salary or time concerns, respond directly to her."

"I will." Good God, is this actually happening? "Thank you, sir."

He nods and reaches over to shake my hand. His is strong and dry, with calluses in his palm. Again... unusual, for these big cats. "Welcome onboard, Mr. Jeon. I'm taking a chance on you. Don't make me regret it."

"You won't," I say, meeting his gaze head-on and hoping I wouldn't either.

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To be continued..........

Jeon Jungkook is hired..... Now their journey starts ...

Meet you at next update💖