Chapter Two

The Cut

Few weeks later…

Taehyung stood inside the Team Leader’s cabin with two other colleagues... They were waiting silently, hoping this time… maybe this time… the Team Leader would finally approve Taehyung’s design.

Taehyung had worked as a junior design assistant here for almost two years after his internship. He worked hard. He learned a lot. He improved every month.

But this man… this Team Leader… never accepted even one of Taehyung’s ideas.

Taehyung bit his lip nervously, fingers twisting with each other. The Team Leader checked the thick file slowly. Every second felt heavy.

Then suddenly, he slammed the file shut.

Taehyung flinched.

The two colleagues also froze.

And then the man shouted.

“THIS is what you call a design?!”

Before Taehyung could react, the Team Leader threw the thick file toward him. It hit Taehyung’s nose and lip sharply.

“A–ah…” Taehyung gasped, hand flying to his face. A sharp sting. A hot pain... The file dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

Blood immediately appeared on the edge of his lip. His nose tip also went red. Taehyung blinked fast, eyes shaking.

The Team Leader rolled his eyes. “Don’t act like I threw a rock. Stop overreacting... Get out of my face. You’re pathetic.”

Taehyung lowered his head.

Not just from the physical pain, but the emotional pain... It had been two years of this. Two years of humiliation.

The three of them walked out of the cabin. Outside, Jimin... one of his colleagues gasped when he saw the blood.

“Taehyung-ssi… you’re bleeding,” he said softly, quickly handing him tissue.

Taehyung widened his eyes. He pressed the tissue gently on his lip. The pain burned more now that he touched it.

Jimin helped wipe the blood more carefully. “We should put ointment... It will sting. But it’s small, don’t worry.”

Taehyung nodded, voice barely there. “Thank you…”

Jin, their other colleague, sighed deeply. “Don’t take leader' words to heart, Taehyung. He doesn’t know anything. I seriously have no idea how he became a Team Leader.”

Taehyung gave a small forced smile. Then they quietly walked back to their cabin. He sat in his chair slowly… touching his lip again.

His heart was beating fast now.

Not because of the pain.

Not because of fear.

But because…

How will he hide this from Jungkook?

Jungkook can’t tolerate even a simple scratch on Taehyung... He becomes furious... He becomes protective. He becomes uncontrollable.

Taehyung’s lips trembled slightly.

“I need to think of a good excuse before night…” he whispered to himself, staring at the small mirror on his table.

Because if Jungkook saw this injury... someone's peace would end tonight. (His team leader)

~•~

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city…

Jungkook sat at the head of a long conference table. His big eyes were sharp, posture straight, expression unreadable.

This was the Jeon Jungkook everyone in the world knew. Cold. Stern. Focused. Not gentle... Not soft... His voice was so firm as he looked at the charts on the digital screen.

“Slide back to page 7,” Jungkook ordered without raising his voice, but his tone held a clear authority. The staff obeyed instantly.

One employee tried to explain a design strategy but Jungkook shook his head lightly.

“No. We don’t move the launch to autumn. That’ll crash the brand plan. Stick to the original timeline,” he said calmly, almost like he was slicing the idea with a single sentence. People feared him because he didn’t show mercy in business.

And yet… the same stern man...who could cut a multi-million proposal in two seconds… became small, careful, gentle… for one boy.

Kim Taehyung.

Jungkook's ruthless with everyone... But with his Taehyung, he always spoke as if even one wrong word could hurt him.

Because Taehyung was the only place where Jungkook allowed his heart to live freely...

After the meeting ended, employees bowed and slowly exited the room. Jungkook stayed seated for a moment, exhaling softly. He leaned back slightly and reached for his phone.

A natural soft smile appeared on his lips the second he saw Taehyung’s chat window.

He typed: “Baby, did you eat lunch?”

He waited. He was used to waiting for Taehyung’s replies. Taehyung always replied sweetly, softly.

After a few moments, Taehyung’s message arrived. “Yes. I ate. And you? I am still working.”

Jungkook’s heart warmed. He immediately texted back. “Good... Don’t stress much... Work well but don’t overthink.”

He stared at the typing box on his screen for a few seconds, while thinking… then he added another message.

“Send me a photo?”

It wasn’t the first time Jungkook asked this.

Sometimes he just wanted to see Taehyung’s face for comfort in the middle of his business chaos... Sometimes he just wanted a visual proof that Tae was okay.

But Taehyung didn’t reply. The message remained seen… then silent. Jungkook waited.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Still no reply.

Jungkook gently frowned, not angry…

Just confused. He whispered to himself, “He must be busy,” and placed the phone face-down on his desk.

He didn’t know Taehyung was avoiding the camera because of the small cut corner of his lip. Because Taehyung was scared that Jungkook would worry too much. Or worse... take action.

Taehyung was trying to protect Jungkook… and protect his workplace situation.

Jungkook rubbed his forehead and he returned to work. But Taehyung’s silence stayed in the back of his mind.

He typed a note to his assistant to confirm the next department review. He looked at files. He spoke to another director. But part of him kept checking his phone subconsciously.

Just a glance.

Just a hope that Taehyung may text again.

Nothing.

Jungkook leaned back again and stared at the ceiling for a moment.

“I told him not to stress…” he muttered softly. “Is he okay?”

Because Jungkook could read millions of business numbers with ease… but he could not predict Tae’s heart.

And right now, a tiny ache formed in Jungkook’s chest. He missing him.

Seven years, and still Taehyung was the only person who could make Jeon Jungkook feel nervous like this.

Soft worried.

Soft longing.

Jungkook tried to focus again on his thick files. He convinced himself with a quiet breath, “He will text later. Let him work.”

He pushed his emotions down carefully, like always, and opened a new project file on his screen.