Taehyung blinked a few times as if he didn't believe what he had just heard. He couldn't deny that the brunet said something he almost dreamed of hearing. He wanted to know that what he felt was true, and that they had something more than everyone else thought. Under the influence of these words, his heart began to beat like crazy, bumping against his ribs like a wild bird. On impulse, he grasped the young CEO's tie and pulled him closer again, minimizing the distance between them, before quickly pressing his lips against his.

Jeongguk's lips were soft, warm. He could feel the delicate taste of coffee on them, as if the man had just been sipping black liquid. Wanting to feel him more, he parted his lips, inviting the boy to do the same with his own and deepen the kiss. Brunet without hesitation pressed harder on him, pushing him against the wall again, and he pressed his tongue inside his mouth. Taehyung instinctively gripped the lapels of his black suit jacket from one of Gucci's latest collections. He didn't care that he might crumple his elegant clothes. He needed more.

When they finally broke apart, they both breathed heavily, but nonetheless the tattoo artist's lips curved into a beautiful, radiant smile.

"You came here on purpose to tell me this?" he asked.

The young businessman's dark irises briefly fell over the tattoo artist's lips. The lower lip, adorned with a black piercing, was bitten by Taehyung's teeth, and he had the urge to lean forward and grasp it with his teeth. Holding his breath, he shifted his gaze back to the man's eyes.

"Would you believe it if I said I had a business meeting nearby?" He joked, then became serious immediately. "I spoke to Jimin and... I just felt I had to tell you this. I should have done it this morning. I should have told you it was the most wonderful weekend of my entire life. I want you to know they' "re all wrong. You're not a rich boy's whim, Tae. You are much more important."

Taehyung smiled sexily, then took his hand.

"Say it again," he ordered.

Jeon laughed at his words. His thumb almost involuntarily wounded over the back of the tattoo artist's hand, stroking it gently.

"It's not just lust, Tae," he repeated, looking him straight in the eye.

"I guess that's good, because it's more than that for me too, Gguk," Taehyung replied. "And you are not the whim of a tattooed guy who dreamed of trying a goddamn rich CEO," he added, then grabbed his tie again and tugged it toward him so that the brunet pressed his chest against him again. "You are much more important," he added, echoing his words.

"Park told me he saw you this weekend. You knew I didn't go to Busan with him, and yet you didn't call me to ask where I was. You knew I lied to you," he said suddenly. "Why?"

"Because although my mind told me that you lied to me and I should withdraw from it as soon as possible..." saying this, Kim raised his hand and marked with his fingertips the line of Jeongguk's jaw, running his hand from his ear , through the sharp line to his soft lips. "It was something else that told me I should trust you. And I guess I did the right thing, because then you appeared at the doorstep of my apartment... And now you here..."

"There's something more..." he began hesitantly. "Park is into you," Jeongguk confessed. They were standing so close now that his hot breath hit Taehyung's mouth, and their bodies pressed against each other almost along their entire length. He didn't know why he was telling him this, but the mere thought of his best friend trying to pick on someone who was so important to him made him sick. "He said that... He would like to do a threesome with you and Yoongi."

"Oh, really?" the tattoo artist asked in obvious surprise and laughed out loud. "It is probably his desire that will have to remain only in the sphere of dreams. It would be awkward, to say the least. Yoongi is like a brother to me."

"And... And Park?"

"Are you asking if I like him? Would I like to make some hot threesome with him? He's attractive, but I have certain rules that I never break. First of all, I wouldn't give up what we have for a moment of fun with someone else, and secondly, I don't like sharing. The very fact that I have to share you with Lisa drives me insane..."

"You know that me and Lisa... We don't sleep with each other... We have practically nothing in common anymore."

"I know, but still, I'd like you to wake up next to me every morning."

"This Friday, Rose is organizing a farewell party for Lisa, on Sunday we have a family dinner, and in the evening Lisa is flying to Japan. When she leaves..."

"I'm looking forward to it..." That said, Taehyung leaned forward slightly, beating the last distance between them to bring their lips together again.

They kissed quickly, passionately, as if they knew they only had a few moments to be together before something tears them apart again. Jeongguk was pressing hard against his body, pressing him against the wall, but it still seemed too little. Kim gripped the slender, tattooed fingers tightly around the businessman's jacket, pulling him even tighter, as if wishing their bodies would melt into one. He lacked oxygen in his lungs, but that didn't matter. Now he was stealing oxygen from the lungs of the man he was mad about and for whom he was literally falling for harder with each passing day.

Their tongues swirled around each other like a pair of lovers on the dance floor, but still Taehyung wanted more. His hands almost involuntarily went to Jeongguk's strong back, then slipped lower along the spine line, and after a while tightened strongly on the boy's athletic ass. He pressed his hips tighter to his, and from the lips of the brunet a soft, erotic moan escaped, creeping straight into his mouth.

"Err..." suddenly someone ground behind Jeongguk.

As soon as the sound entered their ears, Jeon immediately jumped away from Tae, almost as if he had been burned by something, and turned back, meeting the surprised gaze of a tall man with numerous tattoos on his body.

"Ooo h-hey, Namjoon," Jeongguk said, clearly embarrassed. His hand found its way to the dark locks at once, gliding nervously over them. "Taehyung w-was just advising me on m-my tattoo... H-how to take care of it and in general..." he said quickly, speaking chaotically. He licked his lips nervously and looked at Tae, silently asking him for help to get out of this very awkward situation.

"Y-yeah, I was just advising Jeongguk," the tattoo artist agreed, with a half-suppressed smile playing upon his lips.

He was amused by the situation. He was well aware that his friend must have seen everything. Explaining like this to him was ridiculous, and Jeon, ashamed, was bloody cute.

"Ah, yeah. I also often advise my clients," Namjoon replied, nodding in agreement. "But I would suggest moving your mouth a little further next time. It will be easier to understand the words coming out of them," he joked, looking at both men with obvious amusement.

He saw exactly what had happened between them. It was enough that he entered the corridor leading to their parlor, and he saw an elegant man pressing his friend against the wall with fiery red hair that he would recognize even from a distance of several dozen meters. His tattooed hands gripped the boy's plump buttocks eagerly, while his tongue penetrated his mouth with determination.

"Y-yeah, right," Jeon replied, even more shameful. "II was around for a business meeting and..." he began again, trying to make some sensible excuse in his head, but he was so nervous that he couldn't come up with anything smart, and apparently Kim wasn't going to help him at all. "I brought Tae... Taehyung a coffee..."

Namjoon looked closely at his friend, measuring him from head to toe as if to check that the tattoo artist was actually carrying a cup of coffee. The redhead only smiled at him gently, looking at him with glittering eyes.

"Yes, Jeongguk brought me a very delicious coffee," he nodded, clearly emphasizing the adjective as if to reassure his friend of the truth of his words.

"Oh, I heard that this is the healthiest one," Namjoon continued, amused at their embarrassment. "Invisible. Zero sugar, zero caffeine."

"S-so maybe I'll go now," the brunet finally choked out and sank his hand into his dark curls again. He took a few steps back and wet his lips quickly, which seemed slightly dry with nervousness. "I'll call you tonight," he whispered to Tae, then quickly turned on his heel and headed for the exit, avoiding the tall tattoo artist's dark eyes.

Namjoon watched him go, and as the boy was out of sight he snorted under his breath and shook his head in disbelief.

"Yoongi said you went out for a smoke," he said, taking a pack of cigarettes out of his pants pocket. "If I knew you were making out with someone, I'd give you another moment."

"It wasn't planned..." Tae replied. "Actually, I was going to smoke, but I didn't have time to reach the door..." As he spoke, he pointed to the cigarette he still held in his hand.

"Shall we have a smoke then?" Nam asked, and Taehyung nodded as they walked outside the studio together.

Taehyung brushed away the fiery red wisps blown by the wind with his hand and shoved the cigarette into his mouth, holding it with his lips, then found a lighter in the pocket of the black skinny jeans. He set a small circle in motion with his thumb and waited a few seconds for the device to spit out an orange-yellow flame. He slipped the tip of the cigarette into the fire and took a long drag. Still holding the cigarette with his lips, he pushed the lit lighter towards his friend. Nam put the pipe into the flame and set it on fire.

"He's a very nice boy," he said finally after a moment of silence. "A little crazy, but I like him."

"Yeah," Tae agreed, taking a hard drag on his cigarette. "I like him too," he added, imagining those beautiful chocolate eyes and the taste of his soft lips on his.

"From the very beginning, it felt like something was going on between you two," Namjoon admitted. "Even though I thought he was saying something about his... Fiancée at the party?"

"It's a long story, Nam. He is going to break up with her as soon as she returns from a business trip."

"Oooh, are you sure he'll do this?" he asked, taking a drag on his cigarette. "Look, don't get me wrong... I don't know him very well, it's just usually people like them, don't associate with people like us."

"Gguk is not 'like them'".

"You know him better," the tattoo artist agreed. "What about Jae? Does he know about him? When you stood him up while Jaesung was sick... I didn't tell him anything because I wasn't sure you wanted him to know."

"Yes. He knows about him. He found out by accident when Jae fell off a swing in kindergarden. It was he who drove me then. He was very surprised, but he took it very well. He loves children."

"I will not lecture you, Tae. You know what you are doing. Jeongguk seems to be a good guy, so I hope you will get along. If you need to talk..."

"Thanks."

Taehyung said nothing more. He raised his hand with the smoking cigarette to his mouth and took another puff, letting the poison seep into his lungs. He knew his friends were worried about him. They did not want Jeongguk to hurt him, and he was not at all surprised that their relationship disturbed them. He, too, would prefer not to start building a relationship on the debris of Gguk's broken engagement and breakup after three years of being together, but he also knew that their relationship probably had ended long before he even appeared in Jeon's life.

Someone once said that the most beautiful relationships in our life are those that no one expected. The ones that amaze you so much that you want to tell the world about them. The ones that make you feel like you need to shout out such feelings. The most beautiful relationships are the ones you think yourself: "Damn, who would have thought?". They are unbelievable, unheard of, and yet they amaze with their strength.

That was their relationship.

Lust and physical attraction were just a nice perk. He was attracted to Jeongguk in every possible way. Lisa was trying to change him, set him up to her imagination, and he knew well that it was not a manifestation of love at all. If you love someone, you are proud of them. What he is, what he says, what he does. You support it, not try to change it. He couldn't understand how Lisa could let someone so great out of her hands, but he wasn't about to make a similar mistake. He was going to give him something he had never known before and make him finally find out what true happiness tastes like.

***

The hands of the clock moved relentlessly forward, marking the next passing minutes and hours. Brunet raised his eyes and looked at the white shield. It was almost half past eleven in the evening, and he was still sitting in his office going through all the papers and reports for tomorrow's meeting. He felt a strong pain in his neck and his eyes stung, but he still tried to focus on the following lines of the prepared material. It was only the middle of the week, and he felt like ages since the last time he had a free moment.

He put down the papers and gripped the bridge of his nose with his right hand. He closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly lifted his eyelids and sank back into his leather chair. He rolled gently in it, facing the window that graced the entire wall of his office, and stared at Seoul, waking up to the nightlife. His office was on the top floor of a TJE skyscraper. The view in front of him was breathtaking. Numerous lights of neighboring skyscrapers, streetlamps illuminating the streets bathed in darkness and the cars moving on them. No matter how many times he might have looked through that window, the sight would take his breath away every time.

He was wondering if Taehyung would be equally delighted with it?

They haven't seen each other since this brief but passionate meeting in his tattoo studio. He didn't even have time to call him. They only exchanged a few messages. For a moment he thought he could see his reflection in the glass. Beautiful fiery red hair and a smile that overshadowed anything he'd ever seen. His fingers itched to run his fingertips over his cheek, but before he could reach out, the mara blurred, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

Jeongguk slipped his hand into his dark curls and turned his face towards the man sitting across from him. Hoseok was engrossed in reading the documents. He studied the text he was reading carefully and scribbled something with a pen. His dark hair was pulled back smoothly, the tip of his pen tapping gently against the bottom lip.

They had known each other for almost as long as he and Jimin. They were both brothers to him, although he had a slightly different relationship with each of them. Jimin was that crazy friend who always had to be pulled out of trouble, and Hoseok was the one who was always keeping them together. He was picking them up when everything seemed to fall apart.

"Hobi, can I ask you something?" he asked suddenly, before he could bite his tongue.

Jung looked up from the sheets of paper in his hands and looked at him closely. Seeing his serious expression, he furrowed his eyebrows together and put the papers on the desk along with the pen.

"Of course you can. Something happened?"

Jeongguk was silent for a moment, but instinctively shifted nervously in his chair. He didn't know if it was a good idea, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt he needed to talk to someone. It might seem that the Park was much more open, but he was also more inquisitive. He knew that if he mentioned anything to him, Jimin would tire him with questions he was still not ready for. Hoseok will allow him to say as much as he can.

He felt his pulse speed up and his mouth felt strangely dry. It's been a long time since he felt so nervous. He could hear the rush of blood in his ears through which only the sound of a loud heartbeat could be heard. His palms began to sweat, so he instinctively rubbed the palms of his hands against the black elegant pants.

"Have you... Have you ever had an episode with... with another man?" he finally managed to ask, avoiding his gaze.

He felt sick. He was afraid that maybe Jung would laugh at him soon or start asking why he needed such knowledge. Perhaps he will begin to suspect that something is wrong with him if he asks him such questions, but nothing happened.

When the man was saying nothing, he surreptitiously looked at him and saw Hoseok sliding his slender hands over his face. His eyesight was somewhat absent, as if he were searching the recesses of his memory, finally catching some distant memory.

"I had such a short adventure once," he finally admitted. "Although I don't even know if it can be called an adventure," he added, and snorted under his breath. "When we were still in high school, me and Park were at some party once, and I got really drunk. There was this one guy who was hitting on me all evening and trying to flirt with me. He was really handsome and very cute . It wasn't intrusive, rather nice. I guess it even impressed me a bit. I liked knowing that another guy liked me. And when alcohol came to this, I figured why not try it just once? Then we kissed like crazy in one of the guest rooms. Nothing else has happened, and now I can laugh at it. It was a crazy night."

"Did you like it?" Jeon asked, looking closely at his friend.

After what Hoseok had just confessed to him, he felt much better. His initial anxiety began to slowly fade away, but even so, his heart continued to pound against his ribs in a chaotic rhythm.

"It was..." Jung began, but stopped as if he didn't know how to put it into words. "It was different, but okay. Even though I'm used to me dominating the kiss, I impose the rhythm, and here it was quite the opposite. He took control and I didn't quite know what to do, but it wasn't bad."

Jeongguk thought back to the night he met Taehyung for the first time. He remembered just as clearly as they ran together in the rain, laughing out loud, then only the soft lips of the tattoo artist on his, the nimble tongue creeping into his mouth. Nothing else mattered. Only Taehyung. His smell, his taste.

He wondered if it felt strange. On the one hand, he had never kissed another man before, it was something new for him, something he hadn't expected and had never experienced before, yet kissing him felt as if his lips were made for that...

To return his every kiss.

This wasn't weird. This kiss was perfect. When their lips finally joined and Jeongguk allowed himself to get lost in it, it felt as if he was touching the sky with his fingertips, or maybe even better, as if he was three meters above the sky, like the characters in one of the books he had read.

"Gguk, are you..." Hoseok began again, placing a hand on his friend's knee. "Do you want to tell me something?" he asked as Jeongguk turned his dark eyes on him.

"I didn't tell you everything," he finally confessed. "Me and Lisa... It's been a long time since we are not okay," he added, exhaling loudly from his lungs. "I didn't tell you because... I don't know. I kept telling myself it was maybe just a moment, that I should be more understanding because Lisa grew up in an orphanage, and she has no one else. I guess I wanted everything to be good, that our relationship was the way others see it, that my father was finally proud for having such a son. A future CEO who graduated with honors from his studies that he hated, who has a beautiful fiancée who is smart, hardworking and whom my father adores. When we started to drift apart, I was telling myself that all couples are going through this, that Lisa doesn't treat me as her sponsor, and she really loves me. The fact that she is cold, calculating, and that she hurts my feelings at times is because no one has ever taught her how to love someone. I told myself that I was too demanding, that I was too greedy. I expect something that no one will ever be able to give me. I don't know what I imagined when I bought her this ring... That everything will magically change because of it?"

"Oh, Gguk," Hoseok groaned. "I knew you and Lisa had problems, but I didn't think it was that bad... Why didn't you tell us anything?"

"During this trip to Paris," Jeon continued. He felt so much better to let it all out. "We argued again, and finally I told her I needed a break. Back then, I didn't know if I still wanted this wedding at all, but now... I'm sure I don't want it. I don't want to cause any trouble before Lisa leaves, but as soon as she gets back... I'm going to break off the engagement."

"You know that whatever you decide, you can count on me. Me and Park. You are like a brother to us."

"I know and thank you. I'm afraid leaving Lisa won't be that easy."

"Lisa has a temper. She probably won't be pleased."

"She definitely won't. Recently, every attempt to talk ends with a fight."

There was almost complete silence in the office for a moment, broken only by the quiet breathing of both men. Jung was watching the younger male, studying his face carefully. After a while he cleared his throat and shifted back on his leather chair. He didn't know if he should pursue the topic further, but since the boy had started talking to him himself, maybe he needed it and wanted someone to listen to him.

"Gguk, does your question have anything to do with what's going on between you and Lisa?"

Jeongguk looked at his friend and looked him straight in the eye. For a moment he stared at his face, so beautiful and gentle. He stuck his tongue out and moistened his slightly chapped lips with it.

"Ah, what if I told you I kissed a certain boy too?" he asked in a low, clearly trembling voice.

"Gguk, there is nothing wrong with that," Jung replied quickly. "You are so young, it is normal that you want to have fun and experience. Especially that when you were in high school, you spent most of the time studying."

"What if it wasn't a drunken antic for me? It was not just fun... What if... If I really enjoyed that?" he asked, feeling his pulse turning fast and chaotic again.

Hoseok blinked rapidly a few times as if he were a bit surprised by his words, and Jeon for a moment had the impression that he would soon have one of his attacks. He clenched his hands tightly around his athletic thighs, covered by the fabric of black, elegant pants. He felt a characteristic pressure in his chest, increasing with each breath. He closed his eyes for a moment and recalled his last meeting with Tae in his mind. His soft lips, dark, almost black irises. After a few breaths, he opened his eyes again.

"I met someone..." he said finally as the pressure on his chest eased a little under the influence of Tae's image. "A boy," he added, feeling that if he had managed to get this far, he couldn't back down now. "And I... I don't know how it happened, but I... I really like him. I haven't told anyone about it, because I haven't really got used to it yet. When we're together... Jesus, I can't even put it into words how he make me feel. It's perfect. Everything he does, what he says, how does he make me feel... But when we are apart, I get haunted by demons, doubts, fear. I'm afraid that if anyone finds out about him... If anyone finds out about us..."

"Gguk, you have the right to be with whomever you want. If he makes you happy, then what others think doesn't matter," saying so, Hoseok placed his hand on his knee again. "And I hope you know you can always count on me."

"Thank you, Hobi. I am trying to slowly figure out it all."

"It was for him that you wanted these exhibition tickets?" he asked, smiling gently. "Jisoo said you really cared about it..." he added, subtly trying to encourage him to continue the conversation. "I know Lisa hates places like this."

Jeongguk laughed softly. He could have guessed Jisoo would tell him about his visit. Hoseok and Jisoo had a perfect relationship. They talked about almost everything. He always envied them such a bond.

"He's an artist. He loves such things, but in the end we didn't go anywhere. I guess I'm not ready to... I was afraid someone might see us. But we spent the whole weekend together. At his house. It was perfect. And... Thanks to him..." He paused for a moment, but a beautiful smile crept on his lips, which he did not even try to hide. "Thanks to him I'm starting to draw again."

At his words, the elder's lips curved into a radiant smile, and his eyes began to shine brightly. He couldn't remember the last time he saw Jeongguk draw. He always regretted that the boy stopped creating because he really had talent. Since the car accident, he had withdrawn into himself and never saw him painting anything again, and he didn't want to put pressure on him.

"Gguk, seriously? It's... It's wonderful."

Jeongguk brushed a hand over the locks of his dark hair that fell over his forehead. Jung could have sworn the boy was slightly embarrassed, but the smile did not leave his lips. He couldn't remember the last time he saw such a beautiful, sincere smile on his lips.

"It's not a big deal," he said quickly, blushing a little. "I only managed to draw a few drawings. My hands are not as agile as they used to be..." he explained.

"You haven't drawn for many years, but you have talent, and you never forget that. It's great that you are returning to your passion. You loved it."

"I missed it," he admitted. "I didn't even know how much, but when I saw him draw... I wanted to come back to it, and he helps me with that. I can't even say how much I owe him. What he does for me without even realizing what it really means to me."

"Gguk, can I ask you something?" Jung asked suddenly. "If you don't want to answer or you don't feel comfortable with it..." He looked at Jeongguk while speaking, and the brunet nodded. "Is the man you're talking about that red-haired tattoo artist?"

Jeongguk blinked quickly several times in disbelief. How did Hobi know he was talking about Taehyung? For a few crazy moments he wondered what he should say, how to deny it, but finally decided that there was no point in denial. He wet his lips again.

"Yes," he admitted. "It's Taehyung. He is that man."

Saying these words aloud for the first time, he felt strangely light. He felt as if someone had suddenly lifted an incredible weight from his shoulders, but there was another feeling he hadn't expected - he felt happy.

"It's Taehyung," he repeated, unable to stop a smile from creeping onto his lips.

"Hmmm, I have to admit you have much better taste in men than in women," Jung said.

"He's fucking handsome," Jeon confirmed, biting his lower lip.

"Jisoo would love him. Better not bring him to our wedding, because she may change her mind," he joked.

Hearing his words, Jeongguk immediately straightened in the leather chair and raised his right eyebrow.

"For your wedding?" he repeated, as if he wasn't sure he heard him right.

Hoseok and Jisoo had been dating for a long time. From the very beginning, they were a perfect couple. Jisoo was beautiful and truly gorgeous. He adored her and, to tell the truth, he was always a little jealous of their relationship. He and Lisa never had anything like this.

Jung smiled at him and slipped his hand into his jacket pocket, then took out a small red box.

"Perhaps today I picked up the engagement ring," he said.

"Oh! Hobi! It's great. You didn't say you were going to propose to her!" he exclaimed excitedly.

The older businessman sank his fingers into his dark hair and smiled.

"I knew you had a lot to do with your new project, and your failed engagement proposal... I didn't want to add you anymore worries..." he explained honestly.

"Hobi!" Jeongguk scolded him. "You know I love you and Jisoo. I will be the first to cheer you on. When are you going to propose to her?" he asked.

"I was going to do it this Friday, but I know that this is when Lisa's goodbye party is planned, so I guess I'll have to postpone it..."

"Oh no!" Jeon interrupted him. "Lisa's party is not that important. You are to take Jisoo to some romantic dinner and propose to her exactly as you planned it," he ordered in a voice that could not bear any objection.

"Actually... Do you remember how Jisoo and I met?" he asked.

Jeongguk laughed out loud. How could he forget that? They were then with Hoseok at a small café in the city center. They were discussing one of the contracts and were about to leave when his friend bumped into a beautiful petite brunette, flooding her airy white dress with his iced coffee. Jung was so embarrassed and scared that he started apologizing to her and nervously wiping her wet with dark liquid shoulders with napkins taken from a nearby table, and seeing his trembling hands and apologetic smile, Jisoo just started laughing at him. It was all Jisoo - beautiful and cute.

"How could I forget your spectacular pickup?!" he joked.

"I'm going to take her to that café. I want to propose to her where it all started, where I fell in love with her."

"And it will be perfect, Hobi. Jisoo will be delighted. You will be very happy."

"You will be happy too, Gguk. Whether you choose to share your life with a woman or a man. You will be happy too," Hoseok replied.

Jeongguk felt his throat close with emotion. He got up from his armchair and walked over to his friend, closing the distance between them, then spread his arms, inviting him to let him hug him. Hoseok smiled and rose quickly from his seat. He bridged the distance between them and allowed Jeon to wrap his strong arms around him, and he hugged him tightly as well.

"I'm glad you're so happy already," Jeon said softly, his arms tightening around his friend's slim figure.

***

Jeongguk once again took the mug of steaming coffee in his hand and took a few sips, warming his throat with the hot liquid. It was only noon, and he had had enough of that day. His head was pounding, his neck ached from sitting at the desk all the time, and it was hard for him to focus. He was already in his third meeting today, and there were several more to come. He knew that the next day in a row he would probably not be home until after ten, if not later, like yesterday.

On the one hand, when he came home so late, Lisa was already asleep, and he was able to lay down on the couch in the living room. On the other hand, with his day so full, he didn't even have time to see Tae. Yesterday he wanted to call him, but he was afraid that the boy was already asleep, and he would wake him up, so he only lay on his back watching the photos he took while they were at the Zoo.

After talking to Hoseok yesterday, he felt much better. He was glad that he finally had the courage to confide in someone. He was happy to know he had his support. He knew that when Lisa returned, and he would have to tell her that they were over, he would need the support of his friends.

Suddenly he felt his phone vibrate, and unable to help himself, he slid his hand carefully into his jacket pocket. He glanced surreptitiously at the display and when he saw his name on it, he bit his lower lip quickly to suppress a smile. His heart increased involuntarily.

"Ekhm... I'm sorry, this is an urgent call," he said quickly to the gathered, getting up from his seat. "Let's take a fifteen-minute break," he added, and walked quickly to the exit.

He left the office and walked down the narrow hall to the kitchen. He looked around to make sure no one was around, then pressed the green button and answered the call. An involuntary smile crept across his lips. He missed him so fucking much.

"Hello?" he said into the receiver, trying to keep his voice normal.

"Googie!" a melodic childish voice called. "Hi, Googie! It's me, Jae!"

"Oh, hey, Tiger. How are you?" he asked, smiling broadly.

"Daddy said I could call. Jae will be playing tomorrow! Will Googie come?" the toddler answered in a clearly excited voice.

"Oh, really? Who will you be this time?"

"Jae will be a rabbit! But not like Cooky. Daddy bought me a gray suit. Jae wants Googie to be with us."

"If you want it, how could I refuse you, huh?"

"Sorry," a low male voice said suddenly, and at the sound of it, Jeongguk's heart beat twice as fast, and a flock of butterflies sprang up in his stomach. "We just got back from the park and Jae wanted to call you," he explained quickly. "He's having another performance at his kindergarden tomorrow, but I know you're busy so..."

"I will be there," the brunet interrupted him. "If you want me to be there. I will come."

"I miss you so much," Tae confessed.

"I miss you, too," Jeon said, his hand tightening around the phone. "I miss you and Jae. Tomorrow night is Lisa's farewell party, but in the afternoon I'm off. Send me the details. I will come, and then I will take you to dinner."

"And for ice cream!" Jae suddenly shouted in the background.

"And for ice cream," Jeongguk confirmed, amused. Taehyung laughed out loud.

"I'm making dinner and I have you on speakerphone, so Jae takes advantage to negotiate," he joked.

"He's a good negotiator, does he have that after you?" he asked.

"Call me tonight," he said suddenly, lowering his voice to a sexy baritone.

At the sound of the color, Jeongguk felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew the tattoo artist had already turned off the speakerphone, and he instinctively looked around to see if anyone was watching him or listening to his conversation. He felt strangely hot, even though the tattoo artist had said nothing to suggest that he meant something indecent.

"I'll be home quite late," he whispered.

"It's even better. We will go to sleep together..."

"Will you whisper in my ear?" he teased.

"Anything you want, Naughty Boy."

"I have to go. I'm in the middle of a meeting," he choked out with difficulty. "But be prepared, I will definitely call you."

"I can't wait."

"Me too," with that he ended the call.

He stood still for a moment longer, still thinking about their conversation, hearing that wonderful low voice of Tae in his head. After a while, however he pushed his body off the wall he was leaning against and walked towards his office. There was still a smile on his lips. He will see him tomorrow. He'll be talking to him tonight. He felt strangely excited, as if he was about to get one of the greatest gifts.

By the time he entered the office, everyone was back in their seats except Jin, who had almost literally followed him. Jeongguk walked over to his seat and sat down on the leather armchair. He looked up to meet his brother's dark eyes. Seokjin stared at him as if he were x-raying him right through. Jeongguk felt a bit awkward, not understanding why. Instinctively he straightened his tie and suit jacket, then took a few sips of the already cooled coffee. Even though he wasn't looking at him, he could feel his attentive gaze on him.

When Hoseok finally got up and approached the board to further discuss the project he had prepared, Jeongguk breathed a sigh of relief. For the rest of the meeting, he caught a few more of the stealthy glances his brother sent him, but he tried not to look at him himself. It took about two hours for the meeting to end. Jeon looked at his watch. He still had a lot of work to do, and it was getting late. He exhaled loudly from his lungs and ran a hand over his dark locks.

"Was it to me or did you come to this meeting blushing?" a voice suddenly asked behind his back.

Jeongguk quickly turned behind him and met his older brother's dark eyes. He and Seokjin were never very close, but their relationship was good. However, as they matured, they drifted apart. Gguk himself didn't quite know why. Perhaps it was because they were so different from each other.

"W-what? No," he protested quickly, maybe a bit too quickly for Jin to believe his words.

He must be blushing. He always did this when Taehyung flirted with him. Even now, just thinking about him, he felt that the office was getting strangely hot, and his cheeks were turning a soft pink again.

"With whom did you talk? Oh, or are you planning something for Lisa's farewell party?"

"Yes. I have to go tomorrow to pick up my gift," he lied.

"Do not worry. I know you haven't been parting with Lisa for so long, but those two weeks will pass quickly. Plus, it's good for a relationship to miss your other half sometimes. This will strengthen your relationship."

"Yes. I suppose so." He nodded curtly and looked away quickly.

He shifted his gaze to the documents still lying on the desk in front of him and began to pile them up just to keep himself occupied and not have to look his brother in the eye when he was lying to him. He knew very well that he would not be able to tell him the truth.

"Do you remember that we meet on Sunday? Yoo already asks every day when her favorite uncle is coming. I have to admit I feel a bit jealous," he joked.

Jeongguk looked up at Seokjin. The man was a little taller than him, with the same dark, almost black hair that he brushed back smoothly. Besides, they didn't look alike. Jin resembled their father, with the same full lips and the same almond-shaped eyes. Gguk was a reflection of their mother. He had her soft lips and the same deer eyes. His older brother was more bulky, his shoulders were wider, while Jeongguk was slimmer, more flexible, more athletic.

"Maybe I could take Yoo tomorrow?" he asked suddenly as an idea flashed through his mind. "I could pick her up from class and take her to dinner and then drive her home," he suggested.

"Sure. If you want. Yoo will be very happy. I have a meeting tomorrow, Yerim was supposed to pick her up. Call her and arrange the details. She will have a moment to herself."

"Great," Jeon agreed. "I will definitely call her."

"Well. I have to get ready for tomorrow." That said, Seokjin straightened his suit jacket and fastened the buttons quickly, then picked up his briefcase. "See you, little brother."

"Bye, Jin."

***

When Jeongguk finally entered his apartment, it was almost midnight. He wanted everything to be prepared carefully so that he could leave early tomorrow and see Jae play in his show. He loved this little one. And he adored his father even more. Just thinking about Taehyung, he bit his lower lip.

He quickly hung up his coat in the closet and took off the elegant leather boots that had adorned his feet. As he entered the kitchen, he unbuttoned his suit jacket and pulled it off his shoulders. He went to the refrigerator and looked carefully at its contents. He was fucking hungry, but as expected, the fridge was almost empty. Inside, he found only a few of the diet yogurts Lisa used to eat for breakfast. Disappointed, he grabbed one of the still water bottles and unscrewed the cap. He took a few quick sips, as if he hoped it would reduce the feeling of hunger.

His head ached from exhaustion, his neck was stiff and his back muscles all tense, which further made him realize how much he hates this job. Instinctively, he reached out and rubbed his temple for a moment. He looked around and saw that there was a fruit basket on the table. He walked toward it as if his salvation had finally arrived, and grabbed one banana. The fruit was already ripe, with brown spots on its peel in some places. He tore off the tip quickly and bit into the soft, sweet flesh. He hadn't had anything in his mouth since his lunchtime, where he had only a quick lunch with Hoseok.

As he finished the banana, he slowly loosened the tie that had been binding his neck until then. He tossed the banana peel into the trash and took another few sips of water. It had to be enough for him. He grabbed his black suit jacket and almost tiptoed towards the bedroom. He did not want to wake Lisa up, so as not to accidentally end up with another pointless argument.

Since when did he become an intruder in his own apartment?

Ever since he told Lisa he wanted them to take a break, he felt bad being here. He'd felt like a stranger or a guest at home before. Funny, but now tiptoeing into his own bedroom in the dark, where he hasn't slept since they returned from Paris, he realized that with Tae he felt more at ease than he had ever felt here.

As he entered the bedroom, he saw the outline of Lisa's tiny figure on the bed. The girl slept on her half of the bed, as if she had specially left a place for him. Jeongguk stopped a few steps away from her and for a moment studied her face hidden in the twilight.

What happened to them?

Every day they became more and more strangers. He didn't want to hurt her, and he wanted to end their relationship in the most gentle way possible, but he couldn't go on like this. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to the small locker where he kept his sleeping suits. He pulled out gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt, then started toward the door. He slipped his hand into his suit jacket pocket and took his phone out of it. It was almost midnight.

Has Taehyung slept yet?

He promised him that he would call him when he got home, and he dreamed of hearing his voice. At last for a moment. But he didn't want to wake him up. Lisa was always angry with him when he woke her up during the night, coming back from the office. He opened his contacts and decided to send him a message. He just wrote "Are you sleeping?" and clicked the send icon. He could have sworn his heart skipped a bit as he held his breath as he stared at the display, almost praying for a reply. But when he saw the incoming call instead of a message, his lips curved into a beautiful smile. He looked quickly at Lisa, who was still asleep like a rock, then picked up and left the bedroom.

"I've been waiting for your call, handsome," a low, sexy voice said.

"I didn't know if you were still awake. It's late. You probably have to get up early, get Jae ready, take him to kindergarden, go to work..." he began to mumble, clearly nervous.

"Gguk," Taehyung interrupted. "I missed you."

There was total silence for a moment, only broken by Jeongguk's loud beating heart. He didn't think he heard anything so wonderful in his life. His throat felt tight.

"I missed you too," he confessed finally.

He felt strange telling someone about his feelings. He was used to the fact that it's better not to talk about how he feels. He rarely told anyone about what was really in his head and his heart. Usually he said what others wanted to hear, or he didn't say anything.

"You shouldn't be working until this late."

"I wanted to get it all done today, so I could leave early tomorrow and come to Jae's show. I'd also like to take Yoo, if that's not a problem..." That said, he entered the bathroom and carefully closed the door behind him.

"Of course not. Jae will be happy," he replied quickly. "You're very tired? If you prefer to go to sleep... I don't want to stop you."

"I've been waiting for this call all day," he said honestly, setting his pajama on top of the cupboard, then looked at himself in the mirror.

His eyes were a little red from staring constantly at the computer monitor or at the papers he was checking till late-night. Faint dark circles were visible below his eyes.

"It's the nicest thing that happened to me today. Every time I leave the office at such an hour, I tell myself how much I hate it," he said, then snorted under his breath and sank a hand into his dark curls.

"Then why are you doing this?" Taehyung asked, even though he knew the answer well.

But he wanted Jeongguk to open up to him. He wanted him to trust him and know that he could talk to him about anything and everything.

"I don't know ..." he admitted honestly. "After the accident, when I was unable to paint, my whole world literally fell to pieces. I didn't know what to do with myself. Nothing made sense anymore, and my father... He wanted me to be part of the company, just like my brother. So I went to the same college and I hated it so fucking much."

Another bitter laugh escaped his lips. He took cordless headphones out of his pants pocket and quickly connected them to the phone so that his hands could move freely, then set the phone on the cupboard next to the sink. He scooped cold water into his hands and washed his face, then looked at his reflection again.

"And now I go to the office every day, sit in front of the computer or sink in papers up to the top of my head, I go to business meetings at expensive restaurants and board meetings, and I hate every moment I spend there. I mean, I love this company, I know it's a legacy from what my father worked out very hard, but..."

"You hate it."

"I hate it. Every moment spent there. I wish... I don't know... I'm ungrateful. Lots of people would like to be in charge of such a company, and I..." He paused for a moment, as if trying to collect his thoughts.

He had always known this was not what he wanted to do, but he never thought that he would ever be able to paint again. Ever since he started to return to his passion, he couldn't help but think that this was what he wanted to do.

"I would like to sit in a cramped, paint-smelling studio, with my hands dirty with charcoal and watch another drawing emerging from under my hands."

"Then do it," Taehyung said.

"You know I can't do this."

"Why, Gguk? You don't have to compensate him anything. This accident was not your fault. You are also a victim of this accident. You lost your mother and probably a part of yourself too..."

"You are the only one who knows the whole truth."

"And I'm glad that you trusted me enough to entrust me with something so important. You should think more about yourself, Gguk. You constantly think about others, and where is there room in all of this for what you want?"

"You think I'd have a chance... That I could paint? No, it's stupid. I only managed to draw a few pictures..."

"Gguk, this is just the beginning, but you have a huge talent, and I'm not saying this to get your pants."

Jeongguk laughed softly at his words, then sat down on one of the cabinets and ran his hand through his dark hair.

"What if I tell you it works a little?" he teased him. "Whatever you do, you do it damn well."

"Ah yes? You say I have a chance to get in your pants? How I wish I was there now," Taehyung joked with a gentle laugh.

Jeongguk almost involuntarily moistened his lips with his tongue, feeling the characteristic pressure in the lower abdomen. One word of Tae was enough to make his pulse quicken and his breathing shallow under the influence of his emotions. Nobody had ever had such an effect on him before. The next words rolled out of his mouth faster than his mind could analyze them.

"What would you do if you were here now?" he asked.

He had never done anything like this before, but now he couldn't help himself. He wanted to hear his low, sexy voice whispering various indecent things in his ear.

"Ooh Mr. Jeon! Are you just trying to talk me into something very indecent?" the tattoo artist asked. Jeongguk felt his cheeks flush. He parted his lips to say something, but before any words left his mouth, Taehyung said something that stole all the oxygen from his lungs. "I love doing indecent things."

"What indecent things would you do?" Jeon said before he could bite his tongue.

Even though the tattoo artist hadn't had time to say anything yet, he felt as though someone suddenly turned up the room temperature and felt very hot. He raised his hand almost involuntarily and unbuttoned a few top buttons on his elegant shirt, revealing smooth, milky skin.

"Hmmm... Since you just got home, you must be very tired. I think I'd start with something sensual. Something to make you relax and forget about all that office shit. I'd take your damn expensive suit jacket off you, undo the tie from your slender neck and start slowly unbuttoning your shirt. Are you still wearing it?"

"Y-yeah," Jeon confirmed.

"Unbutton it," he said without hesitating. Jeongguk swallowed loudly, but his hands inadvertently found their way to the buttons of his white shirt. He unbuttoned it slowly, with slightly trembling hands, listening to the tattoo artist's breathing as he gently crept into his ears. "Now slide off your shoulders," Taehyung continued, as if he knew exactly that Jeon was just finishing undoing the last button.

As instructed by the tattoo artist, Jeon slid the white cloth off his shoulders and let it fall freely around his feet.

"You know I like your back? Your broad shoulders, outlined back muscles, that sexy and insanely narrow waist... I'd put you on the bed and scoop some oil on your hands, then apply it to your milky skin and massage your tense muscles. First the neck and shoulder muscles, and then I would slowly slide my hands lower down your back. Do you like having someone give you a massage?"

"I-I don't know," Jeon gasped. "Nobody ever..." He broke off, embarrassed.

"We must fix it then," Kim replied. "I don't know how anyone could have missed an opportunity like this. You have a sexy back. Especially now that you are having the tattoo I made for you. I would love to slide my fingertips over your skin, or alternately kiss and nibble it gently. You know what else sexy you got?"

"What?"

"Butt," he replied without the slightest embarrassment. "You have a damn sexy ass. And you know what I'd like to do now?"

"W-what?"

"I'd take your pants off you, slide your boxers off and part those sexy ass cheeks, then run my tongue over your sweet hole and slide it inside you."

"Tae..." Jeon whispered, shifting nervously in his seat.

"And I'm gonna do that on our next date. I'm going to caress you with my tongue and then slide my fingers into you and prepare you for something much better. I'd like to make love to you from behind. This way I can move faster and go deeper into you... Do you like it when I talk about it?"

"Yes."

"Does it turn you on?" he asked, though he didn't need confirmation at all. Even though he couldn't see him, he could hear his breathing becoming shallow. "Take off your pants," he instructed.

His voice seemed muffled for a moment as he said this, and Jeongguk was convinced that the tattoo artist was doing exactly what he had asked for. He got up and quickly took off his pants and socks. His boxer shorts were already damp, a bulge clearly visible.

Jesus. In his entire life, he hasn't done as many indecent things as he has done since he met this boy.

But he loved it. He loved that Taehyung forced him outside his safety zone. It inspired him to experience more. And he fucking liked it.

"Are you undressing too?" he asked to confirm his assumptions. Taehyung laughed softly in his low, velvet-smooth voice.

"Oh yes, Naughty Boy. I'm already completely naked and fucking turned on."

"Prove it," he demanded, before he could bite his tongue.

His audacity surprised him, but apparently not Taehyung, who only laughed gently. There was a brief moment of silence, but Jeongguk knew what it meant, and he was right. A smile crept across his lips as his phone vibrated. He instinctively moistened his lips and grabbed the device to quickly unlock the screen and check the message.

Taehyung appeared to his eyes. Beautiful as always, with that incredibly sexy look of his. The boy was lying on the bed, his naked caramel skin stood out on the white sheets, as did the fiery red hair that fell delicately in a ruffle over his eyes. His chest was naked, so he could admire beautiful tattoos - a black mandala and a lotus flower emerging from it. He shifted his gaze a little lower, imagining that it was not the photo he was looking at, but Tae lying in front of him. He looked at his pierced nipples, the flat stomach, and the delicately drawn V-line.

"You're fucking sexy," he said.

"Want to see what I look like from the waist down?" he asked seductively.

"Yes," Jeon replied without hesitating, and literally after a while his phone vibrated again.

The tattoo artist must have taken both photos at once, knowing full well that Jeongguk would ask him to send the other one as well. Brunet held his breath, feeling the growing excitement and again displayed the received file.

"Oh shit, Tae," he said, moistening his lips.

This time the tattooed hand of the tattoo artist appeared. His beautiful, slender fingers, which he admired so much, entwined his hard cock. His skin was so wonderfully smooth, glistening from pre-cum with that damn obscene and sexy piercing that passes through the glans.

Looking at the photo, he felt his own cock twitch and start throbbing hard. Instinctively, he slipped his hand into his boxer shorts and gripped his own cock tightly. He started moving his hand up and down, still staring at the photo sent by the tattoo artist. He remembered Taehyung touching himself before his eyes in his art studio, then kneeling in front of him, sucking him hard.

He couldn't even remember if he'd ever touched himself before looking at someone else's picture. But it wasn't just any photo. He knew the man, he knew how he tasted, how he touched him, how he fucked him. As an involuntary groan escaped his lips, he realized he was still on the line with Tae.

"Oh yes, Gguk. Touch yourself for me," the tattoo artist said suddenly, obviously sure the boy was masturbating as he looked at his picture. "You make me so hard. Only for you."

"Tell me, what would you do... If you were here? Talk to me. I want to hear your sexy voice."

"I'll tell you what I want. For a very long time... I'd like to taste your sweet ass again. I would like to lick you and suck you until you feel your thighs tremble, then alternately insert my tongue and fingers into you, caressing your sweet spot. And then... I'd like to put my cock right there, deep. This time I'd like to do it a little differently, and I think you would like it too. You told me that when I pushed you onto the ropes in the ring..."

"Oh yes!" Jeon groaned.

"Would you like to make it a little more rough? Would you like me to fuck you and not make love to you? For me to give you a few slaps on that lovely ass? Pull on your hair and squeeze your throat as I fuck into you quickly and decisively?"

"Oh, fuck. Yes. I wish you would," he admitted, tightening his hand tightly around his throbbing cock.

"Show me. Show how much you like what I say," the tattoo artist recommended. "I want to see you, Gguk."

Jeongguk had never done anything like this before, but now he grabbed the phone almost without hesitation and took a picture similar to the one Taehyung had just sent him. He felt strangely excited to do something like this. He bit his lower lip and pressed the send button.

"Oh, Gguk. You are perfect. I love it when you are so wet and glistening for me. I'd like to lick you clean now. I've never wanted anyone this much, you hear me? Never."

"Ah..." Jeongguk groaned, accelerating the movements of his hand. He felt the characteristic pressure in his lower abdomen, his thighs began to tremble slightly from the growing excitement.

"Do you have any oil?" he asked suddenly. "Pour a little on your hand and lubricate your hole. I want you to touch yourself for me. I want you to do it, thinking of me as if I'm the one penetrating you."

"Tae... Oh, fuck."

"Do it, Naughty Boy. Give it to me."

Jeongguk quickly reached for one of the skin oils Lisa once gave him and poured a large amount into his hand. The other, a bit clumsily, slid his boxer shorts all the way down, then he kicked them off his feet. He put his hand between his buttocks and smeared the oil between them. He has only done this once before. Back in Paris, after unsuccessful sex with Lisa. So he pressed a little hesitantly against his entrance and let the tip of his finger slowly slide in.

"Oh yeah, exactly like that," the tattoo artist muttered sexily, hearing his gasping breath. "Think that this is my hard cock sliding into you. You like it, right? You liked the way it stretched you, when I pushed it into you, balls deep..."

"Oh, Tae," the brunet groaned, throwing his head back as his finger plunged into his sweet interior, rubbing against that wonderful bundle of nerves.

"I'd like to fuck you now, Mr. Jeon," the tattoo artist confessed.

His breathing was just as heavy. Jeongguk had no doubts that the man was also touching himself. He closed his eyes and, listening to his heavy breathing and the dirty words roll from his mouth, began to move his hand, massaging his prostate. His other hand gripped his hard cock again to tease the sensitive head, dripping with pre-cum.

"Talk to me, Tae. I wanna cum hearing your sexy voice..."

"Imagine that I am standing behind you, pressing your hot, naked body against mine. With my left hand I hold your throat firmly so that you have your head tilted back, and I keep my right hand on your hip as I slide my hard cock as deep as I can. Then I'd bite my teeth against your neck while speeding up the thrusts. I would fuck into you so quickly and deeply that your prostate would pulsate with stimulation and your lovely cock would release juice with every thrust. You'd get a few slaps on your sexy ass, and I'd watch my cock disappear inside you, balls deep.

"Oh, Tae," he groaned slowly, feeling that he was so close to his climax.

"Oh, yes, Naughty Boy. I'm also getting close. Wait for me," the tattoo artist said, gasping for breath. "Jesus, how I would like to be inside you now. You're fucking gorgeous. All of you. I want you so badly. Now. Here. I want you to be here."

"Oh, I want it too, Tae. I want to feel you inside me. Everywhere. Your lips, your hands... Ah! And your cock."

"Fuck! I'll be coming!"

"Ah! Me too."

"Come for me, Naughty Boy."

Jeongguk slid his fingers deeper into his hole again and pressed hard against the prostate, stimulating it. He closed his eyes, imagining it to be a tattoo artist's hard, throbbing cock, and then came with a loud groan, saying the name of the one he couldn't stop thinking about. His sperm spilled over his naked belly and the hand that held his throbbing cock.

"Gguk!" Taehyung gasped, and he too came.

For a moment there was an almost complete silence between them, broken only by their heavy breathing, still chaotic and restless after their orgasm.

"I don't know what you're doing with me, Gguk," Taehyung suddenly whispered, breaking the silence first. "I wish you were here. You shouldn't be there with her. You should be here with me. In my bed, in my arms. I would like to cuddle up to your hot, sperm-smelling body and just lie with you all night long..." he confessed, although something told him that maybe he shouldn't say it.

He tried to be calm about their relationship. Don't get involved too much and too quickly to avoid getting hurt if everything starts to fall apart, like a house of cards.

He was afraid of this.

He knew Gguk wasn't his, and it terrified him that perhaps he would never be.

"I'd like that too, Tae," Jeongguk replied, surprising him with how confident his voice sounded, even though it was lowered to a whisper. The words, however, rang off the walls of the room like a bell and were recorded in his mind.

"Just a few more days," he added.

A few days and Lisa will leave, he finished mentally.

"I can't wait for you to be here again."

"Me too, Tae. I like it when you're close."

***

Jeongguk washed his body one last time and stretched out his hand to turn off the water. He brushed his dark, wet hair back with his hand and held out his hand for the towel. He could feel his thighs still trembling slightly under the influence of the orgasm he had recently experienced, and he had instinctively bit his lower lip.

Taehyung was amazing.

He couldn't stop thinking about him. Even after they finally finished talking, and he slipped into the shower stall to take a quick shower and wash off his sperm and sweat, images of the tattoo artist and his low, sexy voice still flashed through his mind.

It was late, and he had to get up early, so he wiped his body quickly on a soft towel and pulled on his sweatpants, tucking them over his bare skin, and slipped a white cotton T-shirt over his head. He rubbed his wet hair with the towel again, then hung it up. He brushed his teeth and scooped up his clothes from the floor to put them in the laundry basket next to the washing machine. He looked around carefully to make sure he hadn't left any unusual marks, then grabbed his phone and cordless headphones.

He left the bathroom, closing the door carefully enough not to wake Lisa, then tiptoed toward the living room. He turned off the light as he left, so he moved carefully so as not to bump into any furniture in the dark and make a noise. Fortunately, he made it to the couch without any problems.

He took out a blanket to cover himself with, and he was about to settle down on the couch when suddenly the living room was flooded with bright light. His heart was pounding hard, as he turned back.

Lisa was sitting at the table in the open kitchen. The girl wore a lace nightgown and a thin powder-pink bathrobe sloped over her shoulders. Her hand rested on the light switch, dark eyes staring at him intently.

"L-Lisa," Jeon choked out, surprised by her presence. "W-What are you doing here? You couldn't sleep?" he asked a bit nervous.

"I woke up, and I thought I heard voices, so I came to see what was going on," she explained in a flat voice, still staring at him without the slightest blink. "Did you talk to someone?" she asked after a moment, tilting her head gently to the side.

"W-what? No... I mean... yes. But it's not important. Jimin... Jimin is having some kind of crisis with the boy he is dating, and he needed to talk to someone," he lied quickly, looking away. He began to spread the blanket on the couch to do something and not be forced to look at her. He felt terrible lying to her like that.

"Ugh, that's gross. You don't need to give me details," she said with obvious disgust. "I don't know how his family can put up with his antics. He makes them all ashamed, and they don't do anything about it. I don't understand how a guy can... With another guy..."

"I guess the most important thing is that he is happy, don't you think?" he asked, though it didn't sound like a question at all. His voice sounded a little harsher than he had planned, but he hated it when someone said that.

"Come on, Jeonggukie. A woman can give him happiness, not some other degenerate. This is not normal."

"Lisa, I'm tired," Jeon replied, sighing heavily. "I have to get up early tomorrow."

The girl got up from her seat and approached him, stood behind him and hugged him against his back, surrounding him with her arms. Jeongguk held his breath and tensed at her touch.

"Don't sleep here, Jeonggukie. Come to bed with me," she whispered, resting her cheek on his back.

"Lisa... I already told you I needed..." he began, but stopped as the girl groaned loudly and moved away from him. The blonde stood in front of him and looked him straight in the eyes, blinking her eyelashes coquettishly.

"Honey, I'm leaving soon. We shouldn't argue before I leave. I love you and I miss you," she said softly, then climbed on her toes and kissed his lips gently.

"Lisa, I can't. I need time to sort things out," the boy replied.

"You do not love me anymore? You have somebody else? Jeonggukie, I can't lose you. You are everything I have. I have no one but you," she began to speak in a trembling voice. Jeongguk saw her eyes filled with tears. "What am I doing wrong that you don't want me anymore?! You don't like me anymore? I do not turn you on?!"

"Lisa..." he said gently. "It's a little more complicated. You are important to me and whatever happens, you can always count on me, okay? Even if... Even if we break up, I will still be your friend and my family will be your family. You are not alone anymore. My father and my stepmother adore you. You are more like a daughter to them than I am, like their son..." He trailed off, feeling his throat close at the words.

He wanted to console her and assure her that even if their relationship ended, she would still be able to rely on him. He wanted to assure her that she had a family, but hoped the girl would say that she would never be more important to his father than he was. Such words had not been spoken, however, and he knew very well why.

Lisa was more important to them.

If they have to choose a side, they will choose her. A sweet girl who grew up in an orphanage, which has no family of her own, and who has done nothing wrong except trying to love him as she can. It will be he who cheated on her, betrayed her and rejected her. The one who destroyed a perfect relationship and broke a happy family.

"Lisa, we can handle it all somehow. You'll go to Japan, and when you come back, we'll talk about it all, huh?" he whispered.

The girl took a step forward and snuggled against his body again, this time resting her cheek on his chest, and Jeongguk instinctively wrapped his arms around her tiny body.

"I love you so much, Jeonggukie. I don't want to lose you," she confessed quietly.

Jeon parted his lips, wanting to say something that would make the girl feel better, but he couldn't lie to her.

The truth was, Lisa couldn't lose him because he never really belonged to her.

***

Ayashee:

First of all, I would like to thank you and apologize for such a long wait for a new chapter.

I hope it was worth it, and you liked the chapter.

What do you think will happen now?
Will Lisa really go to Japan?
Will Taekook relationship remain a secret for a long time?
Or was Jin watching his brother like that because he had heard him talking?
Maybe Lisa heard something more through the bathroom door and hence her strange behavior?

I'm curious what you think🤔

xoxo