She Doesn't Like Flowers

What?!" Taehyung had just sat down in his office when his secretary came scurrying in. "What do you mean they backed out?!" What the fuck? The meeting had gone so well yesterday, what was wrong with HangukEO? "Get them on the phone right now, please." He said, trying to calm his voice since his tone was alarming the poor woman in front of him.

-

It had taken forever and when they finally reached someone it was just Y/N's assistant. He had been cold and abrupt, all but hanging up on Taehyung and giving him a general spiel about 'company culture differences' being the reason why they couldn't go forward with the deal.

He didn't know what had happened but he had to save this. He wanted his company to be on the forefront of this educational expansion. It would be his first major deal, initiated by him, and give them the corner on the market for at least the next decade.

He knew his hyung was busy but he still called Jin and asked to meet for lunch. If anyone would know what was going on it would be him.

-

"And they just backed out? Just like that?" Jin was tucking into his food with relish while Taehyung picked at his. He'd managed to get not only Jin but Jimin and Yoongi together as well. He needed all the moral support he could get right now. They all knew how important this deal had been to him.

"Deh. I don't know why. Everything was fine, she seemed pleased with our agreement."

"Hmmm." Jin pursed his lips at he chewed.

"Did any of your people do anything she might've misinterpreted?" Jimin asked. He hadn't touched his food either, he was focused on trying to figure out what had happened.

"Not that I'm aware of..." Taehyung's voice trailed off as he tried to think. No, he'd been the only one besides his secretary to be in contact with them. And his secretary couldn't offend a fly.

"What did you need her address for?" Yoongi asked suddenly, his first contribution to the conversation since it'd started. Taehyung felt himself blush slightly and his ears grew warm.

"It was just..." He didn't know how to explain it. "I um...I sent her flowers..." Jin tableware clattered into his bowl, cutting Taehyung off.

"You did what?" Taehyung felt uncomfortable under the gaze of his friends. Yoongi and Jimin were looking at him incredulously, knowing this wasn't typical behavior for him. Jin looked like he'd broken some social taboo.

"I...sent her flowers..."

"Are you an idiot?!" Jin's voice made him wince and he ducked back a bit.

"What...no..." Jin slammed his hand on the table.

"Kim Taehyung, you sent Y/LN Y/N...flowers?!" Taehyung wasn't sure what he'd done wrong but he nodded meekly. Jimin and Yoongi were looking at Jin now, confusion written on their faces.

"What's the big deal? Besides the fact that he doesn't just send women flowers unless he's slept with them. You haven't slept with her...right?" Yoongi turned back to him. Taehyung shook his head as Jin threw his hands up in the air.

"I can't believe you!"

"Jin-hyung, what's going on?" Jimin was trying to understand and Jin's theatrics were getting in the way of the explanation.

"You don't send her flowers!"

"Why not?" Yoongi was looking back at Jin again.

""Because it's Y/LN Y/N!"

"Well for those of us who didn't know of her existence until yesterday could you maybe explain?" Yoongi said in exasperation. Jin face-palmed and looked at Taehyung, shaking his head.

"She's...she has a reputation. Did you ever wonder why no one else has closed a deal like this with her?" The thought had crossed Taehyung's mind but he hadn't dwelt much on it. He nodded. "Our circles aren't...well she's a woman, she's beautiful, and she's a foreigner to boot. Yet she's gotten to where she's at purely through hard work. And she's damn proud of that." Jin took a breath. "But you know how the men at our level can be." The other three nodded. "Y/N doesn't put up with it. If you express an interest in anything other than her work than she's gone. Her company is wanted by multiple conglomerates but so many of them have managed to offend her by not taking her seriously as a business woman that there aren't many in the running...goddamn, Taehyung!"

"I didn't know!" He felt horribly embarrassed. He was in charge of this company and he'd just made a huge faux paus...he covered his face with his hands. Of all the women to catch his eye why did it have to be someone like her?

He felt Jimin's hand on his shoulder.

"Is there anything we can do to fix this?" Jin shook his head.

"It's done. That's it." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Taehyung. I should've warned you. I didn't think..." His voice trailed off.

"I have to fix this."

"You can't." Taehyung looked up and met Jin's eyes.

"I have to try. I have too much riding on this." Jin was at a loss. He wanted to support his friend but he knew all the stories. No one had ever come back from offending Y/N in this matter. You could commit any number of indiscretions, she'd had an intern spill coffee all over her white blouse at one meeting. The CEO the intern worked for had almost lost it but Y/N had intervened. It hadn't bothered her. It wasn't a big deal to her. What was a big deal was the CEO's son groping her a couple days later at the party a mutual had thrown. Even profuse, somewhat apologies hadn't brought the deal back.

"Maybe...try apologizing..." He wasn't sure what to say. Taehyung looked terrible but...sometimes there was no coming back from a screw up...