잘 먹고* (jal meoggo) =

Jungkook stalks past the icy streets as tufts of spiralling snow collapse onto him. He shivers, pulling his coat closer to his frame as he peeks around the high-end neighbourhood. Located at the edge of the city (a whole 2 hours away from Jungkook's cosy little house) is Mr Kim's apartment, the place the brunette haired boy was dreading to go since his boss told him about the arrangement yesterday. Jungkook isn't sure if his boss is still moody but regardless, he isn't giddy about spending a whole day alone with the man in his house.

Jungkook is already exhausted from the long train ride along with the two busses he took to get here and the thought of working in a foreign environment just adds to his tiredness, making him groan out in displeasure.

He pulls out his phone and trains his eyes on the text message that shows the address he is looking for. He glances up at the tall apartment complex and begrudgingly enters through the glass doors. He sighs in relief when the warm heated air of the building envelops his shivering body, uplifting his mood by just the slightest. His eyes meet the receptionist at the front desk and he smiles as he approaches her, trying not to cower at the way she trails her eyes over his body in scrutiny.

"Um, good morning, I am here to see Mr Kim Taehyung, my name's Jeon Jungkook," he says awkwardly, shifting his weight from one leg to another as she continues to stare at him.

She sighs before typing away at her laptop, obnoxiously chewing on her gum as she does so which Jungkook deems rather unprofessional. "Right, he's on the top floor. The elevator's on your right," she finally speaks up, her voice carrying a heavy New Yorkian accent.

Jungkook softly thanks her before trotting over to the elevator. He presses the top floor button and leans against the edge of the rail, admiring the luxurious interior of the enclosed space. He hums along to the gentle piano music playing in the back, feeling oddly comforted by the tune despite how out of place he feels. The music diminishes when the elevator finally comes to a stop, signalled by the small 'ding' sound the resonates through the space. Jungkook takes a deep breath, preparing himself to face his boss and for the day he has to endure.

It's going to be a long day.

~

Jungkook hesitates before quickly pressing the doorbell of the apartment. He stands rather meekly in front of the large door, waiting for it to be opened. His breath hitches when the knob slowly twists and the door starts to open.

Is it too late to call in sick?

"Hey there, Bunny," Taehyung drawls out as he opens the door, a small smirk resting on his features.

Jungkook stares at the man with wide eyes, taken aback by how...casual he looks. For some reason Jungkook was expecting his boss to be clad in one of his fashionable suits like he normally is but to his surprise, he's not. Instead, the ravenette adorns a pair of grey sweat pants pieced together with a simple white shirt. His usually neatly styled hair now sits on top of his head in a mess of glorious curls and Jungkook can't help but stare. Now, clad in his long black coat and tight uncomfortable tux, Jungkook feels rather foolish and overdressed, despite this being the usual dress code.

"G-Good morning," the smaller finally manages to stutter out. Taehyung keeps his smirk loosely on his lips as he steps aside, allowing the younger to enter the apartment. Jungkook hesitantly enters, awkwardly placing his coat on the coat hanger next to the door before looking around at the modern-style apartment. He marvels at the sight of cold marble floors resting alongside long thick walls which hold various intricate paintings on them. The room is filled with simplistic white furniture that exudes this rich elegance and makes the room feel somewhat cold and empty. Jungkook takes note of the large open kitchen in the distance, fitted with the newest forms of technology that makes it look like its from a sci-fi movie.

"Welcome to my humble home," Taehyung jokes from behind him while gesturing towards the space.

Jungkook turns back to face the man and gives him a small smile. "You're apartment is cool," he says shyly. "It looks like its from a sci-fi movie."

Taehyung chuckles at that while shaking his head. "I would like to say I get that a lot but not enough people come round here to say so."

Jungkook frowns, "oh? cause of how far you live from the city centre?"

Taehyung quirks his lips into a small smirk, "No. I just don't like people in my house," he says with a shrug.

Jungkook's frown deepens. Then why am I here?

"We'll work in my office room today. There's only one desk but there's a sofa and a coffee table. I hope you know how to utilise your space well," Taehyung says as he starts walking further into the house.

I was working on a bean bag yesterday because you kicked me out of the office, I know damn well how to utilise my space, Jungkook thinks while mentally huffing out in frustration.

Jungkook of course doesn't say this out loud and instead he hastily follows his bosses long strides while nodding and mumbling out a small, "yes sir."

The two men walk into another room filled with a large desk, random fake plants and a long red sofa alongside a white coffee table. It carries the same sophisticated style as the living room and Jungkook can't help but feel a tad bit intimidated by the dauntingly expensive items that surround him.

If I break anything, I might have to sell a kidney to get it replaced.

"Would you like some coffee?" Taehyung gestures towards the coffee machine sitting on the edge of a small counter. It feels odd for his boss to offer him coffee because usually it's the other way around.

"Um, no thank you," Jungkook says as he places his briefcase down on the coffee table while taking a seat on the red couch.

Taehyung hums and then starts up the coffee machine to make a cup for himself. The earthy scent of coffee beans fill the room, slightly easing Jungkook's nerves and making him relax with its calming aroma. Taehyung then makes his way over to his desk and the two start their work like how they normally do in the office.

Jungkook is surprised by how normal this feels, despite being in an unfamiliar location, him and Taehyung still ease into the repetitive cycle of work that they are accustomed to, establishing an oddly comfortable atmosphere between them two.

They work in undisturbed silence for the majority of the day, letting the screech of the winter winds and the harsh pelting of the rain outside fill in the room void of noise. Jungkook sends another lengthy document before leaning back in the couch and stretching. He flicks his wrist in front of his face to check the time and widens his eyes upon seeing it.

How is it already 8pm?!

He didn't even realise he had worked for that long. Jungkook is supposed to get off work at 5pm but he never really does so because he's never one to leave a task unfinished so he usually finds himself staying back late until it's done.

Jungkook sighs while looking back at the small stack of papers still waiting for him to complete. Jungkook doesn't mind staying in a bit longer to finish but he comes to a startling realisation that, well...he's fucking hungry. He hasn't eaten since breakfast and the only thing he's packed to eat are fucking mints.

You idiot, how could you forget your goddamn lunch?! And as if things weren't bad enough already, Jungkook's stomach decides to groan out loudly at the lack of food, the bodily noise emitting through the silent room and causing a stark red hue to flush across the boy's pale cheeks.

Taehyung peeks up from behind his reading glasses, eyebrows raised as he watches the smaller boy squirm embarrassedly in his seat.

"Hungry?" he questions, causing Jungkook to freeze and look up at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

Jungkook shakes his head, "no," he lies.

Taehyung hums as he leans back against his chair, stretching his limbs. "Well, I'm famished. If you're planning on staying any longer, how 'bout we grab a bite to eat first?"

Jungkook stares at his boss cautiously before hesitantly nodding. "Okay..."

Taehyung stands up and grabs his phone before he starts walking out the room, prompting the brunette to follow him.

"I'll just order something...what the hell?" The man mutters out confusedly, cutting himself off.

Curious, Jungkook peeks up from behind his bosses broad shoulder. "What?" He questions.

"All the delivery services are unavailable due to 'severe weather conditions'," he says, sounding slightly agitated as he reads off his phone.

"Yeah, the storm sounds pretty bad," Jungkook thinks out loud.

Taehyung groans before begrudgingly trudging to the kitchen and opening a drawer. He pulls out four packs of ramen and raises them up to show Jungkook. "We'll have to do with the next best thing I guess," he states before tossing them onto the counter.

Jungkook's eyes light up at the sight of his favourite ramen. "Oh, those are my favourite!" He exclaims, feeling giddy.

Taehyung nods, "What a surprise. It's good to see you have at least some good taste in food."

Jungkook frowns while seating himself on the stool at the marble counter. "What do you mean?"

Taehyung turns to face the younger as he pulls out a pot from the shelf. "Don't act like you didn't enjoy frozen toothpaste a few days ago."

Jungkook scoffs lightly while crossing his arms, mumbling a small "better than boring vanilla," which the older luckily doesn't hear.

After a few minutes pass, the smell of ramen wafts throughout the kitchen, making Jungkook almost salivate as the savoury scent wafts up his nose. He watches eagerly as Taehyung stirs the noodles, unconsciously training his eyes on the way his sleeves are rolled up and the muscles on his forearm tense with every hand movement.

"Bunny," Taehyung hums, startling Jungkook out of his thoughts. "Could you turn on the T.V and switch to the news. I wanna see how bad this storm really is."

Jungkook nods quickly and rushes to the T.V remote resting next on the T.V. stand. He inspects the device with confusion written all over his features before pressing a few random buttons. He finally manages to turn the device on and then switches it to the news broadcast. He then scurries back to his seat and turns his attention back onto his boss who nows hums a small tune as he waits for the noodles to boil.

Jungkook takes note of how his boss seems much more relaxed at home, his muscles are less tense and his actions are a little more carefree. It's strange seeing him like this, clad in such casual wear and doing such casual things. Mr Kim was always a mask of sheer perfection whenever Jungkook saw him but Jungkook can't help but think that right now, he looks more...human than he's ever looked. And in the back of his mind, Jungkook finds that he prefers this side of his boss more. The calmer, carefree, human side.

"Do you need any help, sir?" Jungkook finds himself asking as he notices his boss finishing up with the ramen.

Taehyung nods, "can you get two bowls from that cupboard?"

Jungkook waddles over to the cupboard and grabs two bowls. He places them on the counter and then takes a seat again. Taehyung places the pot of noodles on a heat mat and then grabs two pairs of chopsticks and spoons from a cutlery drawer.

"잘 먹고*," the ravenette says, somewhat jokingly as he hands Jungkook the cutlery. Jungkook thanks the older and accepts the chopsticks, a small smile spreading across his face at the reminder of how Taehyung is also a fellow Korean like himself.

"Whatcha smiling about?" Taehyung questions while seating himself next to the boy.

Jungkook shakes his head lightly, "nothing. Just not used to people offering me chopsticks and speaking in Korean."

Taehyung nods, "mhm, the last Korean person I've eaten ramen with was my brother and that was 2 years ago. I don't usually get to eat with people."

Jungkook almost chokes on his noodles, "so what, you just eat it by yourself?"

Taehyung chuckles lightly, "there's nothing wrong with that."

Jungkook pauses picking up some of his noodles and slightly pouts. "That's kind of sad," he mumbles, not even realising what he had said until only after he said it, but to his relief, the ravenette isn't offended.

"It is."

With that, they fall into a comfortable silence, happily eating away at their delicious meals as the dull noise of the tv hums in the background. Jungkook finds this whole situation quite strange. Who would have thought that he would share a meal of ramen with the Kim Taehyung in his apartment on a cold winter evening? No one in their right mind, that's for sure.

As the pair start to finish up their meals, the sound of the news reporting breaking news grabs their attention.

"We have some breaking news regarding the current weather situation. The snow storm approaching this evening is much larger than predicted, all forms of public transport are to be delayed till further notice and citizens are advised to stay in doors. There has been a few major crashes on the main highway due to slippery roads and officials are worried about the safety of drivers. Here with us we have weather forecast specialist, Debby Pascoff to give us an insight on the severity of the storm..."

Jungkook turns away from the TV, his features noticeably more pale. If all public transport was delayed then how the hell is he supposed to get home. He stares down at his bowl of noodles that now looks rather dull and gloomy, almost reflective of the boy himself. He chews on his lower lip as he tries to think of someway to get home but with all forms of public transport being closed and the destination being hours away, Jungkook's brain comes to a standstill.

"Well, I guess you have to stay over tonight," Taehyung speaks up casually as he walks over to the dishwasher to put his bowl in. Jungkook snaps out of his thoughts and perks his head up, his eyes widened and mouth slightly agape.

"Stay over?" He asks dumbly.

Taehyung nods while leaning over the counter and grabbing Jungkook's empty bowl. "There's nothing else you can really do? Unless you wanna walk all the way across the city and risk freezing to death," he says while shrugging.

Jungkook looks down at his lap and anxiously fiddles with his fingers. Staying over at his bosses house? He isn't exactly up for that weird experience. He'd rather be at home with his mum and brother, who are probably waiting for him right now. But as he listens to the wind whistling in the background and the trees swirling around with a threatening force, Jungkook realises that he has no other option.

The brunette sighs quietly and nods his head. "Okay, I-I'll stay over...if that's okay," he mumbles awkwardly.

Taehyung smiles, "great, you can go freshen up-"

"-Um actually, I need to make a phone call first, u-uh to let my family know where I am."

Taehyung nods, "sure."

Jungkook nods a little before turning away and grabbing his phone out from his pocket. He clicks the contact name Brianna and then holds the device up to his ear while letting out a small sigh.

"Hey, Bri... yeah I know, I saw," Jungkook says into the phone.

Taehyung perks his head up towards the boy, staring at his back as he ponders over the name. Bri?

"I'm going to stay over at my bosses...yeah yeah. Have you eaten?.. Mhm, how about Seonnie? Okay, that's good. Yes, tell him I'm sorry. Is momma doing okay? Yeah...okay, mhm. Okay, well thank you. I'll see you tomorrow." Jungkook ends the calls and let's out another sigh, turning around in his chair to see Mr Kim staring at him with curious eyes.

"Girlfriend?" The ravenette asks casually.

Jungkook widens his eyes and shakes his head, "no-no, she's just my...my brother's babysitter," he says quietly, leaving out the part of her being his mum's caretaker.

Taehyung simply nods at the boy and then gestures towards the hallway. "As I was saying earlier, you can go ahead and freshen up if you would like. You can borrow some spare clothes, I'm sure you don't want to go to sleep in you suit."

Jungkook looks up at his boss hesitantly, "um, sir I still have some work to do..." he trails off.

"Leave it, you can do it tomorrow," Taehyung says with a shrug.

Jungkook nods and then looks down at the floor, feeling awkward and unsure of what to do.

"So... you planning on showering in the dishwasher?" Taehyung asks with a chuckle.

Jungkook blushes a bright red and furiously shakes his head, "n-no, I'll go shower now."

Taehyung hums, "there's a small closest next to the bathroom. It should have some spare clothes. I'm sure you'll find a couple that fit you."

Jungkook peeks up at Mr Kim's broad shoulders, looking somewhat skeptical, but nonetheless, he nods and walks down the hallway towards the bathroom.

He opens the closest door next to the room and ogles at the variety of clothes hanging from several hooks. He hesitantly shuffles into the room and looks for something that might fit him. His eyes land on a large oversized sweater and a pair of black sweatpants and he grabs them carefully, making sure to not touch any of the expensive coats and suits that surround the clothing items.

(Picture reference)

He slowly walks into the bathroom, again feeling awkward and out of place when he enters the large room lit by the warm light of a small chandelier. He sighs and places the borrowed clothes on the counter and meets eyes with himself in the mirror.

Despite adorning a look of professionalism whilst clad in his nice black suit, Jungkook doesn't look like he belongs among the polished interior embedded with golden hues and the not-so-subtle touches of luxury. His warm eyes don't match the freezing cold aura of the pristine apartment and he can't help but squirm in discomfort at the thought of sleeping in such a place. A place so far from home.

Jungkook sighs and gulps down his slightly anxious thoughts. It's just one night. He reminds himself.

~

Jungkook waddles out into the hallways, his body now drowning in the yellow sweater which is much bigger than he anticipated. He looks around with a frown, seeing how there seems to be no one in sight. He isn't quite sure where Mr Kim went so he continues to stumble around the apartment until he see's a room with an open door.