Ego || •KTH• ✔️

The Date

Taehyung had never been so nervous in his life. And all over a silly date. He was a rich CEO with connections to more women than men thanks to them throwing themselves at him, but here he was, shaking in his boots. Despite what it sounded like, Tae actually did choose a nice but not fancy restaurant for them to eat at. And that was the problem. Under the table, he was shivering like a fool, his legs bouncing up and down.

He was waiting for Y/n to arrive, his hands folded together with sweat clamming them together. But why was he so nervous for this? It was merely a date, and if it went poorly, they were mature enough that they could still be friends. It wasn't the end of the world. Why did he want to impress her so desperately?

His nerves came to an all-time high when Y/n L/n stepped into the restaurant donning a button-down blouse with ruffles that made her seem like an angel. Her face had just the right amount of makeup, her lips pursed as her eyes scanned the room. Taehyung was so busy admiring her, he forgot to call out her name. But that didn't matter, she found him anyway. She trotted over, sitting across from him with a bright grin that had his heart spiraling.

"Care to explain why you look paler than a ghost?" she asked, scooting herself into her seat.

She looked ethereal. That was putting it mildly, to be honest. She had a charm to her that Tae wished he could match, and even though she was in basic clothes and makeup, she managed to make even the simplest objects appear breathtaking. That was the beauty of Y/n L/n, a beauty he was honored to be in the presence of.

"The most beautiful woman in the world is sitting across from me. How do you want me to react?" he asked back, giving her a smirk despite how little confidence he had at that moment.

She laughed and didn't disagree, putting her purse underneath her seat and folding her hands on the table. She had her nails done, the French tips complimenting her attire well. Did she get them done just for this? He didn't recall her having them done before. It may had been a small detail to notice, but it meant she cared enough about this date to spend money on nails. Or maybe she did them herself, who knew. In Tae's mind, it meant she was putting in effort.

It was his turn to do the same.

"Surprised I didn't choose a fancy restaurant?"

Y/n peeked around, eyeing the decorations and the types of people lingering around the booths. Then, she shook her head. "Honestly, this seems more your style."

"Even though I'm a millionaire?"

"So millionaires don't like cheap, good food? Just because you have money doesn't mean you can't appreciate the small things in life, y'know? Like a pub, or a drink at 3 a.m. with someone you care about. The list goes on and on. Am I wrong about any of that, Mr. Kim?"

He adored it when she teased him with the 'Mr. Kim' name. It had his heart hopping around in his ribs, drooping down to his stomach, then up to his throat. "I won't disagree," he said, his boxy smile appearing.

"Your value doesn't decline after becoming successful. I won't see you as some arrogant bastard just because you succeeded and I didn't."

"Not yet," he was quick to say, correcting her with a sharpness in his tone he didn't anticipate. "Sometimes success comes at 20, and other times it comes at 40, or even later at 60, 70, maybe 80, too. Success is whatever you want it to be. And to me, this is what I'd consider a success. Not my company, or my bank account, or anything else. Being here with you is the biggest success I've ever had."

She choked on her words for a moment, rolling her tongue around inside her mouth to form a sentence. Tae leaned back, impressed with himself for being able to wow her at least for a moment. Then, she parted her lips. "That may be the nicest thing I've ever heard you say."

At her tone falling, Tae tilted his head. "Is that a bad thing?"

"I don't think so. We always laugh and joke, bicker and have tiny arguments over the dumbest shit. It just hit me that this is serious. That this is really happening. It won't be just jokes and bickerings anymore. It'll be hugging each other while we cry, being there whenever the other needs it, emotional depth I can't even begin to comprehend. And I think you just showed me that I need to accept that before we go any further."

"Are you not good with relationships?"

She was quick to brush off the thought, "I'm fine with them, I just want to do this one right."

Taehyung's heart halted for a moment too long. "You do?" he asked, his voice trembling more with each letter.

"I do. I really do." She peeked at the menu, pretending that she didn't just give him a heart attack. His mind was fuzzing with bliss, his fingers tapping themselves on the table. "And I want us to have a strong emotional connection. We already joke and laugh a lot, and I love that, but if we get the emotional connection too? Then bam, we're golden. I don't see why we wouldn't last forever."

"You're pretty bold, aren't you? Saying all this on the first date."

"I know what I want," she said, peeping up at him. Their eyes locked, and Taehyung's body felt a lightning strike erupt through his veins. "And I want you."

"You're giving me a boner."

"Tae!"

Taehyung snickered, and the woman, although flustered, laughed seconds later. They stared, Taehyung unsure of what he wanted to eat yet. Regardless, the waiter came over, and they put their drink orders in. Basic red wines to keep them company. Taehyung wasn't a big fan of alcohol, but he suffered through it in order to make a cheesy toast.

The wine arrived a minute later, Y/n and him speaking about their jobs briefly before that. Tae took his glass and raised it as the waiter left to go take other orders, Y/n mimicking his position. "To us. Our first date, and if this goes well, hopefully many more."

"And sex. I haven't had that in a while," she said, Taehyung almost dropping his glass.

"Y/n!"

"Haha, the karma sinking in yet?"

"Bitter much?"

"Honest," she replied, pointing her finger at him as she took a sip from her wine. He did the same, not caring much for the taste, but he endured. It wasn't like this wine would break his bank or anything, so it didn't matter if he liked it or not.

Her lips smacked together as she planted it back on the tablecloth, her face lighting up with a giddiness Taehyung never thought he'd have the honor to see. "What if I said I wanted to know all your dreams and desires?" he asked, leaning forward subconsciously. She raised a brow, Taehyung meshing his fingers together. "What if I asked 'who are you'? How would you reply?"

"Maybe I'd reply with 'your girlfriend'. Would that be a good answer, Mr. Kim?"

He agreed, scanning over her pretty face. "I would gladly make you mine, but that wasn't my question, Miss L/n. Who are you? What gets you up in the morning? I want to know everything, Y/n. Tell me even your smallest, most insignificant thought. Tell me you."

She considered his words, then, she dabbed her lips with a napkin and smiled. "I want to inspire people. Every tear I've ever shed, every bruise I've ever endured, every ounce of stress I've ever had... it'd be worth it if I could inspire just one person. That's all I want in life, no matter what I do to achieve it. I want to give others a reason to keep going. When I was a kid, I would've wanted that. I want to give kids the chance to have a role model, adults too. So that's who I am, Mr. Kim. Someone who wants to inspire others to get up in the morning. I'm living for them. I don't know them yet, but when I do, it'll make everything worth it."

Tae gazed at her, studying every inch of her expression until he memorized it in his mind. "Y/n..."

"Hm?'

He couldn't take his eyes off her. There was no way he could. All he could think of was the way she carried herself, the words she said, and her goals that he admired. And that was what made his body break out in color, metaphorical rainbows hitting his mind.

"I think I just fell in love with you..."