Bond Made in Hell || A TAEJIN STORY || Arranged Marriage

20

When I published my first book, it took me thirteen chapters to achieve 1K reads. Now we're at twenty chapters, and this book is nearly at 7K. I just wanted to let you guys know that while I don't get the chance to say it too often, I really love and appreciate your support. The fact that you're here, reading my books, out of all the others you could read in your spare time, is enough for me. I don't need anyone or anything else.💜💜

Jin

I've been working over-time, and I scarcely know the time as I work.

My desk is full of scattered papers, unchecked briefs, piles of resumes to approve and dozens of deals to sign. Being the Co-CEO of a giant multi-millionaire enterprise like this can be just as exhausting as it can be uplifting of your status in society.

It's late in the evening, and employees are streaming in and out of my office, wishing me good day before they depart. Hoseok comes to say goodbye and stays a little longer, chatting about the usual stuff. He carefully avoids talking about either Jungkook or Taehyung, and needless to say, I'm grateful for that.

Jimin doesn't come at all.

Jungkook has been out for the rest of the day on a business trip. Apparently, the trip allowed only a single executive of each company, and I didn't mind Jungkook going. I'm actually glad I did. If a desk job can tire me out this much, I would a dead man by the end of that business tour or whatever that was.

I don't realize when my head hits the front of my desk and my eyes close. The tiredness accumulated over the whole day sweeps over me in a huge tidal motion and I feel almost relieved to finally be able to sleep. 

I don't know how long I stay like that, but I wake up to someone very, very, gently, patting my brown-black hair. For a second I just lie there with my head on the desk and my eyes half-open, reveling in the feeling and the warmth it brings.

I've been deprived of real, actual, affection for so long, I didn't realize how much I craved it until now.

Unconsciously, I lean my head into the touch. The next moment, the hand disappears, and Jungkook's face bends down to meet my eyes, at my level.

 He looks...guilty. 'Are you awake, Seokjin?'

I immediately regain my senses and throw my head up, brushing the stray hair out of my eyes and starting to panic. I can't believe my business partner was patting my hair like that and I just let him.

And I know that I can't even blame it on me being half-asleep.

'I'm sorry-I didn't mean to.'

The words aren't from my mouth-they're from him. His brown deer eyes look guiltily, almost huntedly, at mine, as though he's afraid I'm not going to react favourably.

I don't. I just get up from my chair, throwing my coat over my shoulder. I hurriedly start assembling the papers on the desk and stuffing them into my briefcase, saying without meeting his eyes, 'It's okay, Mr Jeon. You're back, how was the trip?'

'It was okay.'

'Great, then. I'll leave. I think you should leave, too, you must be tired.'

I start towards the door, lugging my briefcase along like it's a pile of bricks. Halfway through, it falls open, effectively spilling the contents everywhere. I gasp and bend down to pick them, my face heating up from my cheeks to my ears in embarrassment. 

'Hey, I'll help you.' Jungkook says, and he goes down on his haunches as well, helping me collect the fallen papers. I reach out to pick up a bill invoice and find his hand on it, the very same instant. Our fingers land against each other, his on top of mine. I can only sit and stare down at his brown hand brushing against mine, and then lift my eyes to see him looking into my own.