The Measure of a Man { BTS Taehyung Series }

Chapter 2

"So, which one is yours?" asked Jungkook as he and Tae looked out from behind a pair of glass doors.

"Mine is the cute one," boasted Tae, not feeling the need to explain further. Looking at the team of tailors walking toward the building, Tae could see that only Mari would qualify as "cute." Most of the others were middle-aged women who were slightly hunched over from years of bending over sewing machines.

"You bastard!" exclaimed Jungkook. "How did I end up with the only man on the team?" he complained. "And to top it all off, he's balding and his breath smells like kimchi."

Tae laughed good-naturedly. "Listen, it's only right that I should get the cute girl. You're too young to be thinking about girls anyway," he teased. He wrapped his arm around Jungkook's neck and playfully pretended to strangle him. "Who's the golden maknae? Who is it? Who's the baby?" he asked as he rubbed the top of Jungkook's head.

"Hey, stop, you're going to mess up my hair," protested Jungkook.

"Aw, who cares? It's not like you have anyone to look good for anyway," goaded Tae.

"OK, that's it!" Jungkook yelled as he slipped out of Tae's headlock and used his leg to force Tae to the ground in an impressive wrestling take-down. They continued to struggle on the floor as the tailors entered through the glass doors.

Upon hearing the doors open, both boys looked up from their faux fight only to find Mari's hazel eyes on them both. They quickly released each other and stood, brushing off the dust from their clothes.

"What's all this?" questioned Mari with a smile.

Tae stepped forward. "I was just disciplining my little brother," Tae explained, wrapping his arm around Jungkook's shoulders. "I'm a good hyung," he boasted. "I always keep the kids in line."

"You wish!" exclaimed Jungkook as he tried to extricate himself from Tae's grasp.

"See, Jungkook has been thinking too much about girls," Tae continued. "If he doesn't stop, his hair is going to grow in curly."

"You mean, like yours?" Jungkook questioned irreverently.

"No, my hair is stick-straight," Tae protested. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a saint," he claimed, folding his hands together in mock piety.

Mari tried to stifle a grin. These two reminded her of her cousins in Mexico, who much like Tae and Jungkook, enjoyed playful banter and tests of physical strength. Boys are boys everywhere, she thought, rolling her eyes slightly.
Taking up an air of formality, Mari said, "Mr. Kim, if you are ready now, I would gladly help you with your fittings."

The boys let go of each other with one final push. As Tae and Mari walked toward his dressing room, Jungkook called out to Mari, "Make sure to stick him with a pin. He deserves it."

Mari laughed as Tae held open the dressing room door for her. She placed her things on the table and pulled out several unfinished pieces for the fitting. She had picked up the jovial mood of the boys in the foyer, but now that she was alone with Tae, she felt nervous again. She handed him a pair of pants to try on. He went behind a privacy screen with a painting of cherry trees in bloom. The pinkish-white blossoms covered the trees and the ground beneath them like a freshly fallen snow.

When he got the pants on, he emerged from behind the screen and went to the full-length mirror to check out his appearance. He did a quick turn to see how the pants made his butt look. Mari smiled to herself. I guess girls aren't the only ones who check out their own butts, she thought. She pinched at the fabric in several places, seeing where there was excess to be taken in.

"OK, stay still," she ordered. "I need to pin this extra fabric so I know how far to take it in. How tight do you want them?" she questioned, holding several pins in her mouth.

"Well, you know, they can be pretty fitted since they are for a photo shoot and not a concert. For concerts, I need some room to dance and move around the stage."

"Got it," said Mari, her words muffling a bit due to the excessive number of pins still hanging from her mouth. She pinned the fabric all the way up his leg, being careful to follow the lines of his perfectly shaped legs to get the truest fit. Her hands trembled slightly, and she had to concentrate so that she wouldn't drop the pins all over the floor. Suddenly, she felt the pin hit the soft flesh of his buttocks.

"Hey," Tae protested. "What was that for? I bet you did that on purpose because Jungkook told you to?" he accused.

"Of course not," Mari countered. "I would never purposefully stick a client. It was an accident; I assure you."

"I'll tell you what. If you kiss it and make it better, I'll forget all about you trying to use a weapon to make me bleed out in my dressing room."

"You don't beat around the bush, do you, Mr. Kim?" she asked. "But they'll be no kissing on my watch," Mari warned.

"Aw, shoot!" he lamented. "Are you sure about that?" he asked when she had stood up again. His face was within inches of hers. "Because I'm told I'm rather convincing," he whispered against her cheek. She stood perfectly still, hoping he would stop searching the depths of her hazel eyes. She felt her breath catch in her throat.

Suddenly, Tae pushed her up against the concrete wall, not violently, but with a surprising urgency. He studied her face, hoping for some unspoken permission to proceed. Mari looked up at him with a mix of wonder and curiosity. Tae moved closer, letting his lips hover over hers for several seconds. Then, as if unable to wait a moment longer, he put his arms behind her back and pressed her close to him. His lips felt warm and soft and smelled of hot chocolate. He kissed her slowly, giving her plenty of opportunities to pull away. She found herself not pulling away, but rather pressing herself more tightly into his embrace. He began to trail his open mouth down her neck but stopped at her collarbones before settling in on the hollow of her throat. She knew she should pull away, but the magnetic pull between them seemed too strong to break. A knock on the door startled them both and they stepped away from each other. Tae opened the door and saw Jimin leaning casually against the doorpost.

"Hey, TaeTae, what do you think of this shirt?" he asked as he pushed past Tae and entered the room. He stood in front of the full-length mirror and admired the silk shirt that sported old-fashioned red phone booths. "I like it," Jimin concluded. "Maybe I could have them take it in a little at the chest," he observed to a stunned Tae who had yet to speak.

"Yeah, you do that, buddy," he finally said, attempting to usher Jimin out of the room.

"Then again, I don't know," proceeded Jimin, unaware of the awkwardness in the room. "Maybe I should just leave it loose. But the fans usually like things tighter on me," he waffled from one position to another on the issue. "You gotta give the people what they want," quipped Jimin as he waltzed out of the room.

"I'm not sure why he even came to ask my opinion," observed Tae. "He clearly didn't need it."

"It's fine," Mari replied hastily. "I need to be going anyway. I'll get these pants taken in and be back in two days for the final fitting." He went behind the screen again and changed. He handed Mari the pants and she quickly gathered her things.

"We're OK, right?" he asked, looking hopefully into Mari's wide eyes.

"Yes, of course," she said quickly as she slipped out the door and ran down the hallway before Tae could say anything further.