He opened the glass door leading to the spacious balcony and was greeted by an unusual scene.

Jungkook sat on the balcony with his mobile flashlight on, carefully cutting jute sacks with garden scissors, a task he had likely started with his afternoon shopping. Taehyung softly called out, "What are you doing, Jungkook?" Jungkook quickly turned his head towards the sound, his face initially pale, but it regained colour when he recognized the familiar masked face. The thought crossed his mind once again, "Does he really sleep with that mask on?" But before he could delve further into this question, Master Kim repeated the query, to which Jungkook responded, "Oh, I'm not doing anything special, Master Kim. I just couldn't sleep."

"And is that why you're cutting jute sacks in the middle of the night?" asked Master Kim, raising an eyebrow. Jungkook giggled softly at the elder's surprised expression, then corrected himself, "Sorry, I didn't ask for permission before doing this." "I already told you that you could do whatever you like without disturbing me," Master Kim reassured him, and he secretly enjoyed the sound of Jungkook's laughter. Jungkook nodded and smiled at the elder, then returned to his work. Master Kim stood there awkwardly for a moment, but Jungkook sensed it and softly apologised, "Sorry if I was too loud. I couldn't sleep, so I came here to start working on the garden. Also, Master Kim, I didn't ask you before spending the money; I'm sorry for that too."

"No need to apologise. I gave you that card for your expenses, and you can use it in whatever way you like," Master Kim replied. Warmth filled Jungkook's chest and cheeks, and he appreciated the fact that the elder had been concerned about him when he wasn't in the room. He shook off the feelings and softly said, "Thank you for worrying." A comfortable silence settled between them this time.

"Why are you cutting those sacks?" Jungkook jumped when the voice came from beside him. He turned to see a pair of charcoal-coloured almond-shaped eyes, twinkling like stars, gazing at him. Jungkook cleared his throat and explained, "There's no mud here, and I can't buy it. If I did, there would be a very thin layer of soil, and the plants' roots wouldn't be able to go deep enough to hold them. So, I'm going to spread multiple layers of these jute sacks across the entire balcony floor, including under the swing. I'll wet the sacks with water and then sprinkle chia seeds on them. Chia seeds grow fast, have short roots, and their roots will tangle themselves in the small spaces on the sacks. Additionally, they don't need much maintenance. I'll also plant some wildflowers whose roots are short. Of course, I'll leave some space to walk around in the balcony without disturbing the plants. In the areas where the balcony receives the most sunlight, I'll plant flowers and some vegetables that require bright sunshine, and in the areas with less sunlight, I'll plant vegetables along with a few flowers that don't require bright sunshine." Jungkook finished, feeling flustered for talking nonstop and not giving the elder a chance to speak.

"That's a brilliant idea! It will be soothing for the eyes and a good use of this unused balcony," Master Kim complimented him. Jungkook only hummed, fearing that if he spoke again, he would ramble. Master Kim lingered for a while before bidding Jungkook goodbye, explaining that he had an early meeting the next day. Jungkook nodded understandingly, and Master Kim departed. Taehyung entered the penthouse, heading to the kitchen for some water, which was the original reason he had gotten up. After quenching his thirst, he proceeded to the guest room, now his new bedroom. Under the duvet, he gazed at the ceiling, his stomach churning with unfamiliar sensations and warmth in his chest. These feelings had been building since he heard Jungkook giggle and saw him so happy and peaceful that day, something he hadn't seen since Jungkook arrived in the penthouse. Taehyung shook his head to dismiss these sentiments, reminding himself of Jungkook's parentage and the need to exercise caution. With that in mind, he went to sleep.

On the other side, Jungkook went to bed after completing his work with the jute sacks. The next morning, he didn't find Master Kim as usual, but this time, he had a purpose instead of sitting idly. After a quick breakfast, he eagerly returned to the balcony to resume his project. Humming to himself, he began laying the jute sacks on the balcony floor, wetting them with water, and sprinkling chia seeds as planned. He worked diligently, and by the time he finished, the sun was already descending on the horizon. Covered in mud and sporting small patches of soil on his face, with leaves in his hair from planting sunflowers, Jungkook appeared quite the gardener. Dressed in a white tunic that had turned transparent from sweating in the afternoon sun, he felt exhausted. Content with his work, Jungkook retreated indoors, pausing to drink a cold bottle of water. While in the kitchen, he heard the front door open, and soon he could make out the soft yet purposeful sound of footsteps. A few seconds later, Jungkook saw Master Kim, his tie loosened and the top buttons of his shirt unfastened. Jungkook's throat felt dry, even though he had just had water, as he watched Master Kim approach. In Jungkook's eyes, the elder appeared like a modern-day Greek god, his shirt hugging his chest as if it were a second skin. On the other side, Master Kim also felt a dryness in his throat as he took in the sight of Jungkook, who looked angelic in his dishevelled attire. The white tunic clung perfectly to Jungkook's body, offering a glimpse of his narrow shoulders, small waist, and well-defined collarbones. As their eyes met, the atmosphere became awkward, and they both averted their gaze. Master Kim broke the silence by clearing his throat and greeted Jungkook with a "Good evening." He observed, "I see you spent your whole day on the balcony, right?" Jungkook replied affirmatively, "Yes, Master Kim. It was quite entertaining and kept me busy all day."

Master Kim nodded and, with one last glance at Jungkook, made his way to his room. Jungkook, after preparing a quick ramen meal due to his exhaustion, cleaned the dishes, showered, and headed to bed.

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Edited by: peacefulregrets
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Until then lots of love
~ Author Min