Fading Away | Taekook

50 - Faded

⚠️ Violence
⚠️ Sexual abuse / assault

9 PM

"I'm tired, Taehyungie-ah!"

"I'm tired too, can we go home?" Jackson laughed and playfully slapped his chest with the back of his hand. "You're funny, Taehyungie! The night has just begun! I'm just tired of pretending to be polite and liking everyone."

"You're the one who complained," Taehyung adjusted his blazer and sat down on the sofa in the club's lounge. He and Jackson had just finished their first round of mingling with the businessmen and guests, and Jackson is right, it was exhausting to feign friendliness with snobbish people.

Jackson smiled and grabbed two glasses of whiskey from a passing waiter. He sat next to Taehyung and tried to hand him one of the glasses. "No, thank you. I don't drink while I'm working."

"You're not funny, bumpkin. Everyone needs a little alcohol to deal with these people. C'mon," Jackson once again extended the glass to Taehyung, spilling some on his blazer in the process. "I said no, thank you. I'd better stay sober in this kind of environment."

Jackson stared at him for a few seconds and then downed both glasses of whiskey. "You're such a snowflake. You only survived until today because you were isolated on a farm."

"Well, I'm not the one who needs to get drunk to handle certain situations."

Jackson stared at him again, and Taehyung returned his gaze, challenging him. The older smirked, "You know, I kinda like you, bumpkin."

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"Don't know and don't care! Let them shit a new photographer if it's the case," Yoongi just said, downing the rest of his soju in one go.

"You didn't even wait for my body to cool down, hyung. It's almost like grave violation!" Jungkook gulped down his whiskey and poured himself another shot.

"Yep. I already had my resignation letter ready, but since you decided to leave first... and what way to leave! You'll be the boss at your next company, a toast to the Boss!" Everyone raised their glasses and toasted together.

"Not the boss. I'll be a team leader, just like you guys, hyungs. But yeah, I'm so happy to leave Bangtan, finally."

"I remember when he first joined the company. So skinny, with eyes as big as a startled deer in headlights. And now he's this pumped-up monster bigger than me," Namjoon raised his arms to emphasize how huge Jungkook has become and took the opportunity to put his arm around Jin's shoulder. Jin leaned into him discreetly.

"But the eyes are still the same! He'll always be our baby," Hoseok pinched Jungkook's cheek, who smiled widely while grumbling.

"Hey, enough. I'm the cute one here, this brute is taking my place!" Jimin complained while pouting, and Yoongi gave him a peck on the lips. "It's okay, now you're our maknae."

"He's not, it's Taehyungie!" Hoseok shouted from the other end of the table. "But he's not one of us and will also leave soon." The tone Jimin used made everyone fall silent and look in his direction, especially Jin.

"What do you mean? He's one of us for sure, that kid is special and has a huge heart," Namjoon stroked Jin's shoulder as he spoke.

"I meant he didn't start with us, that's all. And I'm cuter than him."

"Well, that's true, no one will ever be cuter than you, mini," Yoongi forced a smile at everyone, and they all tried to lighten the mood and moved on to other conversations, but Jungkook stared at Jimin until he looked back at him.