Chemistry - taekook

chapter 3

“He came in earlier looking for you.”

Jungkook glances at his coworker, Jinhwan, as he takes the order ticket from him.

“What?”

Jinhwan grins, wagging his eyebrows. “Asked if you were here then left. I didn’t know you knew Taehyung?”

“Doesn’t everyone know Taehyung?” Jungkook replies. The panic is loud in his voice and Jinhwan frowns, eyes narrowing in confusion.

“Yeah. Everyone’s well acquainted with Taehyung,” Jinhwan snorts. “Most people don’t look like they’re terrified, though. He might be a hoe, but he’s a real sweetheart, Kook-ah.”

Jungkook frowns at that. “I’m not scared of him,” he says as he turns and looks over his shoulder, finding Taehyung sauntering off towards the dining area.

Finding his boss walking straight towards him.

There’s a flush in Jiwon’s cheek as he claps a hand to Jungkook’s shoulder. “You should have told me you had so much homework, Jungkook-ssi. You can leave early. It’s slow enough.”

The panic returns and Jungkook immediately shakes his head. “No, it’s fine. There’s only a few hours left. I don’t have that much work.”

Jiwon smiles when he rolls his eyes. “I’ll keep your pay the same, a secret between you and me, yeah? Go do your studies.”

Jungkook isn’t sure if he’s being messed with again as Jiwon walks off. He’s mentioned his workload plenty of times before and no one has cared enough to send him home. Which, he isn’t complaining because he needs the money, but why now?

His managers are all kind and caring though. When he’s sick, he can’t come in because of germs but they find a way to get him another shift to make up for it. Often, he finds food waiting for him in the break room if he hasn’t brought his own. They’re understanding when it comes to Jungkook’s schedule and fitting work around school. But it’s still a business, that needs a hard working, reliable employee.

An employee that doesn’t flake a few hours before his shift is over because he’s tired and has homework.

Once Taehyung’s food is ready, Jungkook stacks it on a tray and heads towards him, ignoring Jiwon’s call to remove his hat and name badge and go home.

“What are you doing?”

Taehyung glances at him as if he hadn’t noticed Jungkook walking up to him, a dainty hand pressed beneath his chin and eyebrow cocked. “Hm?”

“Did you seduce my boss into sending me home?”

“Who do you take me for, Jeon?”

Jungkook slides into the booth, passing Taehyung his tray while trying to whisper and show his annoyance at the same time. His annoyance that Taehyung seems oblivious to.

He thinks of what Jinhwan had said, what he called him. He wonders how much truth is behind it because it isn’t the first time Jungkook’s heard something like that about Taehyung. Even Taehyung’s implied it himself.

Gossip has never been his thing though he’s listened to Yoongi and Hoseok’s stories whenever they tell them. Jimin gossips a lot too, but Jimin’s never been anything but fond of Taehyung.

Plus, Jungkook and his friends have different opinions on casual sex anyway. Just it happening once is risque to Jungkook, but Yoongi has always assured him that there’s nothing wrong with it.

“You looked like you were seducing him.”

Taehyung huffs at that, his grin wide and boxy. “Baby, that’s far from seduction.”