"Oh, thank you," I bowed politely before taking the towel in my hands. Despite the warm smile I sent him, my instincts were telling me to run. "Is he one of my father's men? Did they find me where I am already?!"

"If you please excuse me..." I avoided his eyes and walked away as fast as my legs could.

"Wait!"

I heard his footsteps running toward me, making my heart beat at a wild pace.

"If he tries to touch me, I'll kick him in the crotch and run as fast as I can!"

Turning around in alarm, I positioned my body on guard as my eyes met his gaze. "What is it?" I asked rudely.

The guy stopped in front of me and removed his mask. "Miss Lee..."

"Oh? Jeon Jungkook?" My mouth dropped in surprise after I got to see his pale face.

"Yes it's me," he scrunched his nose with a smile.

My stiff muscles began to soften and relax the moment after I witnessed his smile. "What- what are you doing here alone?"

"I have the same question," he replied before continuing to walk beside me.

"I... just want to let my stress out." I made a running gesture to show him that I was exercising.

"Oh. I should have realized that awhile ago," Jungkook chuckled, letting out his bunny teeth.

"So why are you here alone?" My curiosity forced me to ask him again.

"I just want some fresh air too. These days, I've been bothered by something," he exhaled deeply.

I glanced up at the guy I once called my best buddy. Looking at the side of his handsome face painted with hints of uneasiness and desolation made me wonder what bothered him. "Right. Idols get sad too." This unexpected coincidence and sudden conversation made me forget my fears, yet I wanted to help this person and was willing to lift up his burden. "May I know what it is?"

He made a wistful smile before reaching out his long arm all of sudden and shuffling my hair without notice. "You said you're stressed. I don't want to add up to your burden from work, Miss CEO."

Although I was disappointed not to hear his reason, I sensed a pleasant emotion flowing over my body. He was acting open and friendly. I also didn't feel nervous and cautious, unlike our last conversation at the gallery.

"Wait!" I pointed at his shoe after noticing something. "Your shoelace went loose. Stop right there." Voluntarily, I knelt before him and reached the strings. Delicately tying his shoelace in a unique knot, familiar words popped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. "Why do you keep having loose shoelaces? I told you to always tie them firmly."

"Hm?" A soft hum was heard from him.

Pausing with a sudden realization, I looked up at him with a gulp as memories of our past passed through my mind.

During summer vacation in grade five, I wandered the playground searching for Jungkook. The weather was hot, making my eyes squint from the sun's brightness while I used my hand to provide shade for my eyes. Jungkook insisted on playing soccer with the other kids, although it was dusty and hot and here I was, wearily looking for him among the boys playing different things around the wide area.

"Jungkookie, where are you?! I brought your bottle of water!"

"Right here!" A sweaty little Jungkook shouted from behind.

"Are you not tired yet? You promised to play bingo with me!" I whined as soon as I tossed his water to him.

"Not yet. I'm having fun with the boys right now. Let's play it tonight." He answered with tired breathes before gulping everything from his bottle.

"You better promise!" I frowned.

He nodded his head while drinking and pointed towards the ground, making me roll my eyes. Lazily stooping towards his shoes, I took his shoelace by the ends and started redoing them. "Seriously JK! Did your mom not teach you many times how to tie your shoelaces properly? It has already become my job to tie them for you and check if they are secure. I wish one day you'll trip on them!"

Just after recalling that memory, my pupils started to panic in front of him. He too didn't move an inch from his position. "Does he recall it too? I hope that won't raise suspicions from him."

Pretending to be oblivious to it, I stood up and brushed the dust from my knee. "I mean, I saw your manager tying your shoes for you during the photo shoot. Like about twice."

"Ah..." he made an embarrassed smile while he touched his nose with a chuckle. "It may sound funny but yeah, I always leave my shoelaces loose."

"He didn't change at all."

"Anyway, thank you."

"Hmm." I smiled as I initiated to continue walking again.

"By the way, I heard that you have the same age as me. Is it true?"

"Who told you that?"

"Miss Lily," JK answered as he hid his hands in his pockets.

I gaped my jaw and cursed in my mind. "It's true."

"Since we are both twenty-four and you asked me to call you with your first name, I have a feeling that we will get along in the future together," Jungkook confessed while staring ahead.

"What? Is he indirectly asking me to be his friend?"

"Miss Lee. In our team, we treat each other like a family. Doesn't it feel better if we treat each other casually while working together? I also honestly prefer that."

Carefully replaying the words he said, I stopped in my tracks to ask him, yet my words only got trapped in my mind as his phone suddenly rang. "Are you... proposing that you want something other than being workmates?"

"Hello?... I'm in my room. Why?"

I lifted an eyebrow after hearing him. "Did he just lie?"

"Tell him I'm exhausted. I'm sleepy right now. I won't open the door for him even if it's urgent... okay... Thanks hyung. Bye."

Jungkook ended the call with a pout. "You heard me right? I lied that I'm in my room. We are not supposed to be going out alone without our manager or security especially at night, but they had no idea that I'd been doing this from time to time."

I let out a scoff before answering. "I'm about to be awed by your trick but why are you telling it to me? It was supposed to be your little secret."

"Because you look reliable and I trust you already. That's why I even told you my story about my best friend, right?."

I lifted my eyes on him with a soft gaze. "Oh... thank you for thinking of me that way."

He made a gentle smile before releasing his lips into a sad one. "It's really nice seeing you here and talking to you tonight, but I have to go home right now. Seokjin-hyung is looking for me and I'm afraid of making that old man upset."

"Sure. I think you should go too." I pressed my lips together and waved. "Take care."

"Okay. See you again soon!"

"See you again... soon," I mumbled the words again as I was left alone in the dark, yet warmth blossomed in my chest after the conversation with him. It felt like a heavy thing magically disappeared from my chest and was replaced by happiness. "Lily is right. I wonder how she will react if I tell her about this."

^^. . . ^^

From that day on, I went to BTS' photoshoots. Things started to get comfortable between me and the members, especially him, until I noticed that I never skipped their photoshoots with Lily. Lily and I did not expect that her plan would actually work, noticing how JK and I became close. I also realized how he grew fond of me and treated me like one of his hyungs. He always played pranks on me and bossed me around jokingly, taking his opportunity while I was playing the role of an assistant, not a CEO of a gallery.

I could see Lily's support, who was winking at me every time she saw me with him, although most of the time she would complain that I did not do the same things for her. Good fate smoothly came between me and Jungkook, which made me thankful that a new friendship started between us again, despite him having no knowledge about my real identity. These continued for days, and as time passed I prayed that he would stay unaware of it.

One evening, he video called to ask about my wound. We had an offsite shooting that day, and I accidentally hurt my wrist.

"Hey," I greeted, seeing his newly showered hair on my screen.

He made a smile, yet his handsome face could not stop looking worried. "Is your wound okay?"

"Yup!" I held my hand and showed him my wrist, covered with a bandage.

"I panicked when I saw you fell from the ladder. I hope you can still manage to go to work with a wounded hand."

"Don't worry about me. This is nothing. I will be careful next time."

"You risky girl..." he lifted and eyebrow and made a pout.

I chuckled at his cuteness. "I'm always risky... and I'm not a girl."

"Fine, fine," he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "You always remind me of her. She is always risky as you."

"Ah... that ex-bestfriend of yours," I casually guessed. Although I felt uncomfortable about him talking about his 'past best friend', part of me wanted to hear him tell me stories about 'her'.

"Anyway, it's getting late now. I think you need to get some rest. And avoid moving around with your hand. It might worsen your injury, clear?"

"Yes sir," I croaked.

"I'm serious."

"Sorry. Yes," I answered before calling him again. "Hmm... JK?"

I caught a glimpse of sparkling light as he looked back with his doe eyes. I knew how he liked being called with that name.

"I'm not going to the set tomorrow."

As I expected, his face glowered into disappointment.

"My gallery needs me tomorrow. I have some important business to do. And also, Min-ho kept nagging me for leaving my office frequently. He said I have lots of tasks waiting in my desks." While I was speaking, I could see him already sulking. "Hey! Stop sulking."

He furrowed his eyebrows and puffed his cheeks with a pout. "Do it quick, then come back immediately!"

I just grinned at him. "Yes, sir! I promise."

^^. . .^^

My gallery was finally going to participate in a high-profile art fair in Japan, representing works of different artists, specifically in Asia. Days walked by, yet I failed to keep my promise to Jungkook. As the exhibition day got nearer, the more I got busier each day.

Almost a month later, I only had a few conversations with JK. I haven't seen him for a while and starting to miss him too.

Owning a small gallery was quite challenging when collaborating with big and famous ones. I knew we had a lot of things to keep up with. Min-ho and I continually met with other gallerists and artists to discuss our joint exposition. My employees and staff had been tirelessly preparing with us too.

One night, I was in the middle of paperwork when someone called, allowing a smile to form from my lips when I saw the caller's ID.

"Finally you answered my call!" JK exclaimed as soon as I answered. "Having a day off?"

"Nah, actually, I have an overtime tonight," I chuckled, moving my phone around to show him the piles of papers scattered on my desk.

"Now that's a lot of work." He checked his watch before groaning, "How can you still be working at 10 in the evening? Have you eaten dinner yet?"

I blinked at the air as I took a moment to answer him. I wondered too if I had eaten or not. "Uh... I think I've eaten," I mumbled. "I don't know, hahaha... did I?" If there is one thing to blame for my poor memory, it was the busy daily schedule. I had been eating late and going to bed at dawn too.

Suddenly, the answer came. My stomach growled, loud enough that Jungkook could hear it from the other side of the phone.

"Your stomach's complaining that you didn't eat yet. This won't do," Jungkook verbalized while standing up. "Continue what you're doing. I'm going somewhere."

"At this late hour? Where?" I asked, wondering.

"Where else? You'll know soon."

Before I could speak, he had already gotten off the phone. "Rude." I sighed before putting my phone away and pulling a document to review.

As the night fell deeper to midnight, the office grew silent as I focused on my work. All I could hear was the ticktock of the clock and the soft tapping of the evening rain on the window.

I glanced at the time. It was almost 11:00, but I still had a few things left to finish. I started to stretch and yawn. My hand had been numb while my butt became sore from sitting for hours. "I'll just finalize this draft then I'll be done."

I came to an alarming consciousness when I heard something that seemed to be footsteps. I quickly turned to the door, doubting that I was the only one left in the building. Suddenly, the faint sounds of footsteps stopped.

"Mr. Ha, is that you?" I called, hoping that the security was doing his rounds. "Mr. Ha?"

I didn't hear an answer.

"Impossible. I definitely heard something... a robber?!" The thought made my mind race. I got alarmed as I searched for things around me to use for protection. I heard the footsteps again. This time it was advancing towards the door. Instinctively gripping the flower vase in my hand while waiting for the intruder to come, I inhaled deeply and held my breath.

"I'm here!" A happy Jungkook exclaimed while swiftly swinging the door open.

Regret swept over me a second after throwing the vase at him. Noticing the object flying to him, Jungkook's eyes turned big as he quickly dodged it, the vase hitting the door instead and making a crashing sound on the floor.

"What was that for?!" He yelled with a horrified face, unable to believe that he could be lying in the hospital bed with a coma if he didn't avoid it quickly.

"OH NO!" I made a terrified scream before running to the door, my legs automatically crouching on the floor while taking the broken fragments in my hands. "This porcelain! My Chinese friend gave it to me when I visited her museum. This is worth a thousand dollars!!!"

I looked up to Jungkook, who was standing just a few inches in front of me. He was frozen, confused and dumbfounded by my actions. 

"A-are you more concerned about that when you nearly killed your friend? I would have been taken to the hospital right now!"

I shook my head quickly with denial while looking at him. "I... no!"

He sighed, his broad shoulders lowering with relaxation. "You're unbelievable."

Still recovering from the shock, I stood up and found myself embracing him, letting my head fall on his shoulder. "You scared me, that's why..." I exhaled nervously.

Speechless, his hand held me firmly on my waist to support me as my body weakened from relief. "The vase is expensive yet you are more expensive to me. You are the most important to me." I murmured while shutting my eyes. Just then, my eyes flew open as I realized what I just did. "Oh, I'm sorry-" I lifted my head and pushed myself away, but his hand swiftly moved to my upper back and pulled me tightly. A lump formed in my throat as I wondered what he was trying to do.

"K-kook?"

^^. . ^^

^^ Photo: by Jungkook downloaded from BTS Weverse