21st February

"Hey, Tessa?"

"Hmm?" Tessa didn't bother to look up from her work.

"Do you think it was okay to send that bunny?" Jungkook was staring at the sticker he'd sent to Taehyung.

"What do you mean?" the woman sitting in front of him was casually fluttering her fingers through some papers.

"I mean, it wasn't too much was it?"

"Jungkook, it's a sticker, not a confession text that you need to feel so anxious about."

"I'm not anxious." he protested back.

"Uh huh?" she asked, in a bored tone. Jungkook decided not to take the conversation forward and remained silent.

"Oh, look!" Tessa smugly pulled out a sheet and held it up in front of her. "Kim-Tae-Hyung."

Jungkook's ears perked up.

Tessa continued to examine Taehyung's form with great curiosity. She huffed a smirk and puckered her lips. "He's got a great posture in this picture, he'll be a charm to work with."

She looked at Jungkook from the corner of the paper. "He's the Kim Taehyung, isn't he? The one you sent the bunny to?"

Jungkook ignored her.

"The one you have a crush on?"

"I don't have a crus-"

"First sign of having a crush on someone-" Tessa pointed her index finger at Jungkook. "-when you manage to stay red and flustered while being in denial."

Jungkook tried to talk back, but then realised-Tessa wasn't exactly wrong.

He sighed as he felt his cheeks get hotter. He shook his head. "So, what about those?" he looked at the sheets of paper in her hands.

"Well, there are approximately over ninety or so people who registered. And out of those, only a small percentage are beginners, contrary to what we wanted. But-" she clicked her tongue and tilted her head at the forms.

"But?"

"There are some promising faces on the list."

"You're basing off of their looks?"

"Well, not entirely. The reason I asked for face portraits was 'cause I could feel their presence when I look at them through a mere photograph. After all, isn't that what we're looking for?"

Jungkook nodded his head in agreement as Tessa handed him the papers.

She got up from in front of him and headed to leave his office. "Well, you do know-" she turned around half-way. "-not all of those people will actually turn up, right?"

"Yeah." Jungkook pressed his lips together. "I know."

Tessa gave back a blunt smile. "Anyway, want some coffee? I am getting some for myself from the staff kitchen."

Jungkook looked up to her with an open mouth and an astonished expression.

"What?" she asked. "Do you want one or not? Don't stare at me like a fish with protruding eyes."

"You're asking? You're offering to get coffee, for me?"

Tessa narrowed her eyes boringly. "Oh, I am sorry. I shall never ask again." she turned to leave.

Jungkook laughed awkwardly. "Hey! I was just kidding!"

Tessa stopped and turned around.

"I could do with a muffin or something like that. Please?"

"Is that it?"

Jungkook nodded.

"Fine. I'll be back in ten."

"Thank you so much for the offer!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." she flung her hand at him and left.

Jungkook flicked through the forms and tried to look at the face portraits like Tessa did. "I can't look at them the way she does. She really has an eye for them."

As he went through the some professional, some self-photographed faces, he came by Taehyung's.

"Ah-This man." he sighed. "I'll finally be photographing him."

Jungkook's teeth sunk into his lower lip as he looked right into the picture's eyes. Taehyung hadn't taken a professional approach, it was something right off of a smart-phone. But Jungkook thought that it probably didn't matter what device his picture was taken from, Taehyung would still have the same aura.

The more Jungkook looked at him, the more flustered he'd get. At one point, he couldn't stare him in the eyes anymore.

He huffed at himself and set the forms on his desk, while rubbing his forehead with his fingers. "I sure hope nothing like this happens during the test shoot."

At the front desk of the building, Taehyung was greeted by a sweet receptionist, who, after checking his form, gave him a token number and some directions to a waiting area downstairs.

In the elevator, Taehyung kept playing the directions in his head again and again, hoping that he wouldn't mess them up. But that was exactly what happened, he messed them up.

So, just like a confused little pup, Taehyung scouted here and there on the entire floor trying to find the right room. He passed several hallways covered with posters of models, but every door looked the same to him.

"Excuse me?" a heavy woman's voice called from behind him. "Are you lost?"

Taehyung turned around to a woman of his height, wearing a formal dress with her dark hair tied loosely in a bun. In her hands, she had a coffee cup and a muffin.

"No." Taehyung denied quickly. "I was just-"

"You're Kim Taehyung, aren't you?" she walked closer to him. "Jungkook's told me quite a lot about you."

"Jungkook?"

"I am Lee Tessa." she extended her hand to him, but he refrained. "Are you looking for the waiting room?" she slowly pulled her hand back in silence.

"Yes, I am."

"Should I lead the way?"

After a nod from Taehyung, the lady guided him to a room's door, with it's label saying- 'Meeting room 1'.

"Due to the lack of space, we'll be accommodating everyone here." she swayed her hand to the door. "Once it's eight thirty, we'll be addressing everyone and give further instructions to follow."

Taehyung looked at his wrist watch. 8:01 the hands showed.

"Thank you for your help."

"You're most welcome. All the best for the audition." saying that, Tessa left.

Taehyung frowned a bit. 'I have a feeling I've seen her somewhere.'

Behind the door, Taehyung was welcomed by two dozen or so people with their heads buried in either their portfolios or phones. No one looked up, none of them realised Taehyung had walked in. Which was something Taehyung most definitely did not mind, the last thing he'd want is having more than twenty pairs of eyeballs right at him. At times like these, Taehyung needed all the concentration he could get, and he was sure all the others were more focused on that as well.

Taehyung took a corner seat, away from the rest and waited patiently. He may have looked at the others once or twice, and had noticed that most of them were carrying their model books along.

'Most of them aren't beginners.' Taehyung thought. 'I can see one or two beginners though.'

As time passed by, more people came into the small room, and Taehyung was soon next to a very passionate and enthusiastic young woman.

"This is so cool!" she exclaimed as she sat down on the seat next to Taehyung's.

She had light curly hair and a small frame. Her mouth was wide with joy, and her curious child-like eyes looked around the room in excitement, when she noticed the man beside her.

"Oh, hi!" she shifted a bit and sat facing him.

Taehyung nodded stiffly, not wanting to initiate unnecessary talk, but the woman kept on going.

"My name is Angelica." she smiled wide, showing her perfectly aligned, pearl white teeth. "Oh, but you can call me Angie if you'd like! What is your name?"

Taehyung clearly didn't want to talk, but he took the opportunity to socialize just a bit.

"I am Kim Taehyung."

"Is it your first time doing an audition like this?"

"Yes, it-"

"You know?" Angie cut him off. "It's my first time to an audition! And for some reason, I'm more excited about it than I thought! I could become the next Lee Tessa of this group!"

Taehyung's eyebrows knitted to the centre of forehead in confusion. "Wait, wait, wait. 'Lee Tessa'?"

"Yes, Lee Tessa." she smiled again. "The Lee Tessa, one of the most famous models ever! Which is why it's so overwhelming to see so many posters of her down the hallways."

'Oh, so they were her posters.'

Just as he thought that, the room's doors opened, and the room fell silent almost immediately. In walked, Lee Tessa. The Lee Tessa.

"Oh. My. God." Angie's voice lowered into a whisper and her eyes bulged out like a frog's. "That's Tessa! What is she doing here?"

Just behind Tessa, entered Jungkook, sporting a very casual look, yet looking as prim as he always did.

"Oohh!" Angie leaned closer to Taehyung, from which he tried to move away as much as possible. "Who is that cutie?" Taehyung could sense the flirtatious tone in her voice. "Do you think he's her manager or something?"

Taehyung frowned at the girl. "I don't think so." he replied back to her plainly.

"Good morning everyone." Tessa greeted everyone in the room. "I am Lee Tessa, but feel free to call me Tessa if we work together in the future. I will be taking your audition, alongside our main photographer." she directed her speech to Jungkook.

"I appreciate that all those who confirmed their entry have reached here on time, it's a sign to a good start. I am Jeon Jungkook, the main photographer here at R&B."

"Damn!" Angie said slowly. "The photographer? Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

Taehyung stared at the brown haired woman. "I don't know. Now, could you please stop breathing into my ear?"

Angie  looked at the distance between her and Taehyung and fumbled back into her seat. "Oh! I am sorry. But, you've got to admit, he's one hell of a catch. I wonder how old he is."

Taehyung sighed and looked at the two addressing the people in the room.

"After selection, I will be your modelling coach." there were a few excited murmurs when Tessa said that. "But remember well, your experience in this field won't give you an upper hand at this audition. As the person who'd be judging you all, I have my ways to read someone. Jungkook here, will give you further details and instructions, and then we shall proceed."

"We shall first begin with the ladies-" Jungkook's voice slowly trailed off in Taehyung's head as he diverted all his senses to him.

He realised then, that Jungkook actually looked quite different from the pictures. As though he didn't look good enough there, Taehyung had to admit that Jungkook looked even better in person. Even though he'd seen him at the party, he figured that he hadn't paid much attention to him. His jawline was actually way more defined than Taehyung had thought of it to be. His eyes were big and full of clarity. And he had much more muscle than Taehyung had anticipated.

He hadn't filled in all his piercings on his ears, but the bareness had a uniqueness on its own. Taehyung didn't know which he preferred more, with or without the earrings.

As Jungkook spoke, the words coming out of his mouth were clear and crisp. He'd strutter a bit, but as he explained everything, he had this sense of modesty in his words. He had everyone's attention, and a little too much attention from one person, which was making Jungkook a bit nervous.

Now, Jungkook didn't get nervous easily. He would, however, if his crush were staring at him. It wasn't as if the other people in the room weren't, they were, but he felt that Taehyung's gaze was a bit more- intimidating in a way. It was because of that, Jungkook couldn't exactly look at that half of the room.

After he finished, all the women were first taken for their audition, while the men stayed back and waited for their turn.

"Someone's eyes were on you the entire time~" Tessa whispered to Jungkook as they lead the ladies to the studio.

"We'll talk about this later, okay?" he gave Tessa an uncomfortable smile. "Besides, I was giving out instructions, it was only natural for him to pay attention."

"You and I both know what I mean."

"No, I don't." Jungkook lied.

Tessa sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "If you say so."

Back in the waiting room, Taehyung was working on a small project that he'd got to proofread. He had gotten his work along, as he knew it would take time at the audition. After about an hour and half later, the room's doors opened to a lady who was ready to take them for their audition.

She arranged them into a queue, according to their token numbers and lead them to the studio.

They passed the long royal-blue hallways, with gold frames of various famous models. Every model had a unique brilliance to them. They looked so well showcased by the photographer, Taehyung had faint tingles at the back of his neck.

'I wonder if Jungkook was the one who took these.'

In the white walled studio, the women were doing their last runway walk against the broad white backdrop. Tessa sat at a desk, and Jungkook took short videos of each model.

"Hey, you nervous?" one of the guys asked Taehyung.

Taehyung looked at the stranger in front of him. "Not exactly." he was a bit nervous, his heart was racing, but he kept a calm composure.

"You've auditioned before?"

"No."

The guy sighed and looked at the models posing for Jungkook's camera. "They're doing it with such ease. I'm new to all of this, it kinda freaks me out, you know?" he went on to fiddling with his fingers.

Taehyung thought that he should encourage him a bit. "You'll do fine. It's normal to be nervous."

The man in from of him smiled faintly. "Thanks."

"Alright!" Tessa called out and scratched a few things on her clipboard. "Ladies, you may leave." she smiled generously. "We'll let you know about your results, by the end of this week."

After the women left, the guys were called upon for their turn.

One by one, they answered some questions Jungkook or Tessa asked. And then, were asked for a couple of test shots.

Jungkook stood ready with his camera in front of the white backdrop, asking each model to come in order and give a few poses.

"All the best." Taehyung wished the guy he had talked with, earlier, as the man got ready to go next.

"Thank you. You too." the other wished him back.

"Thanks."

On Taehyung's turn, he remained as calm and composed as he could and started posing right away, not taking his eyes away from the camera, one bit.

"Perfect." Jungkook's compliments were rolling in every time Taehyung did a different pose.

Jungkook would stop after two or three clicks to check the outcome. His mouth would be slightly parted, his eyes glistening as he observed each picture of Taehyung. Jungkook was so engrossed in what he did, the corners of Taehyung's mouth couldn't help but curve up.

'He's cute when he concentrates.' Taehyung thought, smiling softly as he looked at Jungkook.

Jungkook's head went up to that small smile. They made eye contact.

He pointed his camera at Taehyung a bit hastily, he had never seen him smile like that before.

'Goddamn-' Jungkook's insides fluttered. '-why is he looking so cute all of a sudden?'

Note-

> I apologise for  posting the chapter this late!! I don't really have a schedule I follow on my chapter updates, but I took longer with this one than expected, sorry!! I just had a lot going on. 

Borahaeeeee!!!!!<3<3<3<3<3<3<3