Ice-heart

Ch- 7 unsettled..

Taehyung's pov

I choose the seediest place I can find, just to see the expression on his face.

"Let's eat here," I say, stopping in front of a hole-in-the-wall kebab shop. There are a few chairs outside, directly on the sidewalk, but no tables. The place smells like fries and grilled meat.

There's a faint furrow on his brow. "Here?"

"Yes," I say, wondering if he'll call the bluff.

He doesn't, of course-not Jeon Jungkook. He's as competitive as me.

"I love kebab," he says smoothly, stepping up to order. I watch in amused silence as he gets the biggest kebab on the menu, including fries.

"The same," I say, paying for us both in cash. "We'll eat here."

Jungkook frowns at me. "But your meeting? We need to get going."

"It's with the architects at the firm, and it's in-house. We can take ten minutes to eat our lunch."

He nods, but his eyes are wide. I've surprised him several times in the past few minutes, and despite myself, I find that I enjoy it. He's always so sure of himself-of his opinion of me-that it's impossible to avoid needling him. We're sitting right on a bustling Seoul street, and it's not even tree lined. It's not my usual place, sure, but it's worth it to unsettle the unsettlable Jungkook.

He crosses shapely legs, visible even through his smart trousers, and frowns t me. "You made your point," he says. "You eat takeout. I underestimated you."

I run my fingers along the steel table. "You loved that building project."

"I did? I thought I upset you by saying it was run-of-the-mill."

"No, not the outcome. You love being at a building site." It had been clear in his dark eyes when we followed Man-seok. I'd seen the excitement, even if he tried to hide it behind a cool mask and diligent notetaking. But he wasn't as good at hiding his emotions as me.

Jungkook nods, slowly. His slight long hair is smoothed, no trace of the messy pony he'd worn down at the office that night. But it only enhances his fluffy face and the fullness of his lips.

"I do. I can't describe it... but I always have. There's something about the potential, you know? The progression each day, the laying of brick and concrete..." He shakes his head. There's conviction in his voice, and feeling. He burns for this business. "It's hard to explain, but I'm sure you know. You love it too."

I raise an eyebrow. "I do?"

"Yes," he says, eyes challenging again. "At least I think you do."

"And why do you think that?"

"I've met many developers and builders. Most are only interested in dollars and cents, and they wouldn't visit a building site like this. They'd send their middleman. But you knew everything about that project," he says. "Either your memory is infallible, or you genuinely find it interesting."

I glance away from him. There's truth in his words, more truth than most people guess. It was the reason I was drawn to the same business as my father in the first place. Creating-building-is the closest to making things last. To bringing something to life, something that might or might not outlast you.

But for my father, money and legacy was the important part. Not the architecture-not the art.

"I enjoy it," I say carefully. "And I find that it's often more effective if I get involved myself."

"Remind everyone who's boss?" Jungkook asks, his voice clearly teasing. It never stops surprising me how easily he switches between the professional and the friendly.