Chapter 45

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Y/N

During the dinner with Mr. Bae and Taehyung, we had discussed the plans for the New York fashion week. The show was only a month away and there were so many things that had to be arranged.

"Fashion week will be very busy. We were very lucky to be able to rent a good venue, but we need to have you fitted and you've never walked a runway before have you?"

I shook my head. "I'll need some practice, but is walking the runway hard?"

"Walking the runway is hard if you're a beginner." Taehyung explained. "You will never know what can happen on the runway, and you will have to be prepared for everything. You can't lose composure or the whole show will be ruined."

"That's a lot of pressure on the models then." I commented. Even if I've learned patience and composure since the whole scandal got out, I don't know if I can handle a whole runway with hundreds of eyes on me.

"The model's job is to make the clothes stand out. It doesn't matter if the clothes look good or not, as long as the model can pull it off it'll sell." Taehyung smiles assuringly. "And you can make anything look great, Y/N. Worrying about how you'll look on the runway shouldn't apply to you."

"Just expect the unexpected." I let out a breath.

"I can be your teacher." Taehyung offered. "I have some experience with runways too."

"Really?" I was relieved that I had someone to help me. "That would be amazing."

"My runways have never had an incident, " Mr. Bae says. "But it doesn't mean that they're not uncommon." Mr. Bae calls for a waiter to bring the receipt. "Dinner will be on me. Stay for as long as you like to finish the rest of the meal, but I have some alterations to start making."

"You're very generous, thank you." Taehyung and I thanked him and Mr. Bae left.

"Congratulations." Taehyung turns to me. "You've gotten your first runway all on your own, and it's for Bae Chic."

"Thanks." I smiled and leaned back against my chair. "That whole conversation was just too stressful for me."

"Well then, I think this calls for a celebration." Taehyung grabs the bottle of wine and fills my cup up to the brim. "Now that the strict guy is gone, I think it's really time to celebrate."

"We have to drive later." I pointed out with a laugh.

"Eh, we can get a taxi and pick up our cars tomorrow. Where else are we going to get a wine this fine?"

"And it's free." I lifted the glass to my lips.

Taehyung and I finished drinking the rest of the bottle while talking about the twins. By the time we were done with the wine and leaving the restaurant, I was lightheaded.

"It would be a very good idea to just call a taxi, but can you drive?" Taehyung asked me.

"Nope." I shook my head. "It's better safe than sorry, I'm not that drunk but I can just feel it."

"Alright, me too." He sighs and pulls out his phone to call a taxi.

We stood outside of the restaurant waiting for the taxi to arrive and I started rubbing my arms in the late September night chill.

Taehyung removed his blazer and wrapped it around my shoulders. I smiled at him and he smiled back. "The taxi should be here soon, but it's cold tonight." There was a long silence before Taehyung spoke again. "How are things doing with you and Jungkook?"

"Complicated." I pulled the blazer around me tighter and stared at the ground. "I love him. I do. I'm willing to wait for him as long as he loves me too, but I hate how he just needs time to even think about his answer."

"He has a lot on his plate, but if I were him, the answer would be right in front of me." Taehyung said while looking at me. "I wouldn't need to think. I would pull you close and kiss you, I wouldn't care about who was watching, I would tell you I love you."

I stared at Taehyung with shock, and he stared back into my eyes solemnly, not a hint of being drunk. There was an unknown feeling in my chest that I didn't know how to describe. Happiness? Sadness? Fear? When it came to Taehyung, I never knew. I never had to worry because he was comfortable and made me smile, but at times like these I was speechless.

Taehyung smiles at my reaction then flicks my forehead. "Of course that was only what I would do if I were your lover instead of Jungkook." He glanced at the parking lot then back. "Looks like our ride is here."

Taehyung held the door open for me and I got in then he slid in after me.




The next day I was heading to Taehyung's office so we could start planning my schedule leading up to fashion week.

I made it to the office floor and said a quick morning to Avery before heading towards his office. Jungkook's secretary, Moon Jaesuk, quickly stood up from his desk which once used to be mine and greeted me.

"Ms. Kim. Are you here to see Mr. Jeon?" Jaesuk asked, wringing his hands together.

I was never sure what made him so nervous around me. He aced the interview and the first two sessions of our training together. He wasn't shy before, but after that he was just distant.

Jaesuk would always step away from me when I got too close. He would avert his eyes whenever he talks to me. He was always shocked when I met Jungkook whether or not it was intentional. But if I had to guess, it would most likely be about him learning the rumors.

"Mr. Jeon is currently very busy right now. You will have to book an appointment with him if you want to see him."

"No, I'm here to see Taehyung."

"Oh, is he expecting you?" He grabs the phone and starts dialing a number, I guessed it was Taehyung.

"Yes, but I don't remember you being hired as Taehyung's secretary." I reminded him. "You're Jungkook's secretary, that means that you must focus on being his secretary. Not work for anyone else."

He puts the phone down onto the table with a nervous laugh. "Oh, right. Of course. I was just asking because I don't have much work to do and I was just worried-"

There was something wrong with that sentence. "How is it possible that your boss is busy but you're free?"

Jaesuk bit his lips. "At the moment I'm not busy." He says carefully. "I'm waiting on orders from Mr. Jeon."

"I'm saying this as someone who was in your position a month ago. Jungkook is someone who is very busy and swamped with work. You would make his job so much easier if you don't sit around and wait for his orders and instead act on them yourself, or at least take initiative and ask for work. Because what else is he paying you for?"

Jaesuk looked at the ground embarrassed and in the corner of my eyes, I could see a few employees passing by and staring at us.

"Just try to find ways to help Jungkook and improve." I offered him a small smile and tried to get out of there.

"Y/N. Do you need something from me or my secretary?" Jungkook walked out of his office.

He stops right beside Jaesuk's desk and stares at me.

I wish that I wasn't stalled by Jaesuk. This was one of the reasons why I hated stopping by the office. Jungkook had hopeful eyes to start a conversation whenever he wanted to see me.

I knew that it was inevitable to not talk to Jungkook, but I had hoped that he would eventually realize how important we were if I had cut ties with him and stopped talking with him.

It seems cheesy, and a bit crazy, I know. However, this man was the one who talked about getting married with me, but can't even tell me if his 'I love you' was real or an obligation in the moments we had.

I looked away from Jungkook with a sour smile. I really do seem like the other woman.

There was the sound of a door opening which caught all of our attention. "Y/N?" Taehyung took a step out of the office before his eyes landed on all of us. "Why are you standing out here? I was wondering when you were going to get here."

"Sorry." I was glad that Taehyung had interrupted us. "I was held back for a moment."

"Do you two have a meeting together?" Jungkook narrows his eyes at us.

"Yes, Y/N is opening Bae Chic for the New York runway. We were going to talk about her schedule." Taehyung smiles.

"I've never heard of this. When was this decision made?" Jungkook crossed his arms and I headed towards Taehyung's office.

"It was decided last night. Mr. Bae invited us to dinner after he was impressed by Y/N's photoshoot. He wanted her to open his show." Taehyung patted my head and I glared at him for treating me like a child.

Jungkook's eyes shifted between the two of us. "How come I wasn't aware of this dinner?"

"We both thought that Mr. Bae was angry about what happened during the photoshoot, but it was the opposite. Mr. Bae is a hard man to impress, but somehow Y/N managed to do it." Taehyung put his hands in his pockets and there was a lot of tension building between the two best friends. "And Y/N's an independent woman. She doesn't need the two of us so you weren't needed."

"Are you really saying that right now?" Jungkook tensely smiles. "I have the highest authority in the company. Mr. Bae is one of our best collaborators, what would you have done if things went wrong?"

"You take care of the business aspects of the company. You handle everything professionally like a business deal so it only benefits you. When it comes to considering ways to benefit both sides, which was what we needed, an easy going guy is more reliable."

"I don't treat everything like a business deal." Jungkook defended himself.

"It's not what it seems like to me." Taehyung tilts his head with his signature blank look. "When was the last time you stopped to think about the other person instead of yourself?"

"Taehyung." I whispered uncomfortably. It was clear that Taehyung was trying to defend me, but I'd rather stop this right now and get out of here.

"Sorry, you probably have better things to do than listening to us argue." Taehyung turns back to all smiles and gestures to his office. "We'll be very busy after this."

I didn't even look at Jungkook and sat down in one of the leather chairs in front of Taehyung's desk. Taehyung closed the door then sat at his desk.

"I appreciate it, but was that really necessary?" I said.

"I thought that I would just help him point out his issues." Taehyung shrugged then started typing on his computer. "There will be people flying in for fashion week, so we should start looking for tickets now. Were you thinking about bringing the twins along with you?"

He was trying to change the subject, but I was happily going to accept it. I didn't want to talk about Jungkook with him.

"I would love to, but I'm just worried about something happening to them." Although the twins were born in the US and can speak fluent english, I imagined losing them during the show. "I was thinking about leaving them with my mom and Ina."

"Then two first class tickets." Taehyung buys us plane tickets then turns to me. "It'll just be the two of us at fashion week since our brand isn't going to participate in the show. Is this alright or did you want to invite other people?"

"No. We're good." I smiled. "But you don't have to go with me."

"A teacher must watch over their pupil." Taehyung put on a wise man face which made me laugh before it turned serious. "And fashion week isn't a joke. I've seen some nasty things that go on behind the scenes. I don't want you to be alone there. But the most important thing. How much do you know about runways?"

"Absolutely nothing." I grinned.

"Then we have a lot of work to do this month." He laughs.




"Next scenario, your heels break right before your turn." Taehyung placed a pair of heels in front of me. I grabbed them, and the left heel was flimsy. "You will have to wear them and walk as if they weren't even broken at all."

"Can we take a break? I'm tired." I squatted down wearing seven inch heels and met Taehyung at eye level since he was standing on the floor. "These heels are killing me and we've been doing this for an hour."

Taehyung eyes my feet. "Take off your shoes." I sat on the edge of the mini runway platform that I never knew the company had and removed my heels. I grimaced when I saw my feet bleeding. "How did you not notice your feet bleeding?"

Taehyung goes off to find a first aid kit. "I don't know, I didn't even feel a sting." I shrugged and he came back with bandages. "I can do it." I reached for a band aid in the first aid kit but Taehyung beat me to it and put the band aid on my foot.

"Accidents and injuries happen, but a model must take care of their bodies." He says.

"Alright. I'll make sure it won't happen again." I sighed and rested my palms on the floor and leaned back. Taehyung bandaged my feet with care and the unknown feeling came back. Just what was it?

Taehyung put another band aid on my foot then threw the wrappers out. "How about we end things here."

I checked my phone and smiled. "Perfect timing, Hyun and Ae should be out of school in a bit."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yes, and no." I stood up and changed into my sneakers. "The twins have a shoot in an hour. It's the first one I'm watching since... well in months. Our schedules don't normally line up so afterwards we're just going to spend time as a family."

"And the bad thing?" Taehyung started turning off all the lights.

"The longer we spend apart, the more chaos they will cause and I have to deal with that alone."

Taehyung and I started walking towards the elevators so we could head back to his office. "I would totally help, but I don't want to ruin your family moment."

"I'm sure that the twins wouldn't mind." I shook my head. "You're their favorite uncle and I'm sure they'll love to be taught modelling by you."

"Really? Then-"

"Mr. Kim, there you are." An employee rushed towards us. "There is an issue that you need to help overlook."

Taehyung glanced at me with an apologetic smile. "Maybe another time."

"I'll just grab my things from your office then I'll go." I told him and Taehyung followed the employee.

I grabbed my things from Taehyung's office and when I turned around Jungkook was standing by the door. I paused for a moment then passed him without a word.

"Even if our relationship is on a break, are you going to keep ignoring me?"

"That's because I don't have anything to say." I said.

"We have two children together and you don't have anything to say?" He questions, anger in his voice. "Are they fine? Are they happy? What are they currently doing?"

"They're happy. They're spending lots of time with Eunbi and love modelling." I glanced at him.

I knew that there were people watching us. Once upon a time we could never speak so openly about our children, but now everything has changed.

"And can I see them?" The desperation in his voice made my heart clench and I stopped walking.

"That's not up to me to decide. That's their own decision. I'm not going to force it upon them."

"But you're willing to invite Taehyung to spend time with them?" Jungkook crossed his arms. "To an intimate family meeting, you invite him but not even Jihyun's and Ji Ae's father?"

Oh so this is what it's about. "Did you purposely send Taehyung away earlier because you heard me inviting him?" Jungkook didn't answer but we already knew the answer. "So what if I invited him? If it was Jimin or Rose in Taehyung's place then I would have invited them too. You're the only exception because the twins haven't asked to see you."

"Have you ever told them that I want to see them? Or have you ever told them the negatives?" Jungkook tried to put the blame on me.

"Did I ever, what?" How can he be so immature right now? Did he know how hard I worked to prevent the kids from losing trust in him? To make them believe that Jungkook still loved them when they doubted him? "This isn't the place to talk about this. If you're going to say something then why don't you try to corner me somewhere more privately?"

Jungkook grabs my hand and pulls me towards his office.

I pulled my hand away once he closed the door. "I don't mean now. The kids are waiting for me."

"And if the three of you struggle to get time to spend a whole day together, then when will be the next time I'll be able to join you?" Jungkook walked towards his desk and leaned against it.

I stood at my spot by the door. "When the kids want to see you. Do you know that they don't even address you as their dad anymore? They call you Jungkook."

I could tell that Jungkook didn't believe me, he was giving me a look of distrust that I hated. I pulled out my phone and called Jihyun then put it on speaker. He picked up after the second ring with the new phone that I had bought for each of them.

"Hello Mommy." He answers. I could hear other children in the background and Ji Ae yelling at him to hurry up. "Why aren't you here yet?"

"I'll be a bit late." I kept my eyes on Jungkook. Time to test out the waters. "I'm here with Daddy right now."

"Ok?" Jihyun sounded disinterested. "So why are you with him? Just pick us up mommy, we want to hurry up."

The sass of this child... "He wants to see you and Ji Ae. He wants to come with us."

"Let me ask Ae." There was rustling, then Jihyun quietly spoke with his twin on the other line. "Is there a reason for us to see him?"

I looked at Jungkook. "Is there a reason?"

"Is missing my children a good enough reason?" Jungkook gripped the edge of his desk hard enough for his fists to start turning white.

"Did you hear that, baby?" I asked Jihyun.

"We don't want to see Jungkook." Both Ji Ae and Jihyun said into the phone.

"Ok babies." I nodded and Jungkook let out a frustrated sigh. Don't shoot the messenger. "I'll see you soon. Just play at the park until then."

I hung up then put my phone back into my pocket. "I hate that Hyun and Ae are not on speaking terms with you. If we hadn't known you and things were different then I would have been glad that they are. But your problems with the kids and with me are different. Don't come looking for me because you think I'm easier to hurt or that I'm the only one to blame. Try looking in the mirror."

I turned around and grabbed the door handle.

"And next time don't cause such a big display at, Mr. Jeon."

Then I walked out and I could hear Jungkook slamming his fist onto his desk.

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