Arranged Art of Love: Diamonds and Dreams ( KTH ff)

11. Slowly Slowly

As I stepped out of my room, the soft glow of the hallway lights casting shadows on the walls of the lonely penthouse.
I made my way down the staircase, the sound of my footsteps echoing in the space. The scent of dinner in the air, mingled with the lingering aroma of fresh flowers placed in the living room.

As I entered the dining room, Taehyung was already seated at the head of the table, his expression unreadable as he was on a phone call. He ended the call and motioned to the empty chair across from him, and I sat down.

As we were eating our meal, The silence was unbearable and I couldn't stay in this frozen state. I had to break through the ice. Taking a deep breath, I said, 'Taehyung, I...'

My voice trailed off as I saw a flicker of something - surprise, maybe? - in his eyes. He looked at me, his gaze intense, and for a moment

'What happened, do you not like the food?' he asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

I think I failed to break through his icy facade. I realized that I had to say something, anything, to prevent the situation for him to ask something else.

I just couldn't come up with anything so I started "When is the project approval finalizing? I mean it must be in its final stages, right."

"Yes," he replied, setting his phone aside. "We're handling it, and it's in its final phase. After approval, we can start immediately to launch the collection on time, once we've discussed strategy and theme, of course."

I nodded and started munching food again till he was finished. Once I finished eating, I took my plate to the kitchen, did the dishes and headed to my room, plopped onto the bed, and quickly drifted into a deep sleep.

The next morning, I woke up and went through my routine. After a refreshing shower, I dressed formally to go to work. As I descended the stairs, I met a lady in her late thirties greeted me with a warm smile.

"Hello, Mrs. Kim. I am Anna, your househelp. Here's your breakfast."

"Good morning, Anna," I replied. "Where's Taehyung?"

"Mr. Kim left for his office half an hour ago," she said. "He asked me to remind you to let him know if you'll be going to work or staying at home. Could you please text him this?"

I nodded, sitting down to eat my breakfast. "Did he eat breakfast?" I asked.

"Yes, ma'am. He ate his breakfast and made sure to leave instructions for you."

After finishing my meal, I stood up and turned to Anna. "I didn't see you yesterday."

"I don't stay here, ma'am. I come for meals and cleaning. After cooking yesterday's meal and placing it in the fridge, I left."

I nodded in understanding, then grabbed my coat, keys, and files. "Thank you, Anna. I'll be heading to my atelier now."

As I stepped outside, the crisp morning air greeted me. I slid into my car after placing files on the other seat and drove to my atelier.

Reaching Vista, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. As I entered my office, Minji, my assistant, greeted me with a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"Ma'am, you're here today? For work, the day after your wedding? That's over-professional, you know," she teased, a playful grin on her face.

I rolled my eyes, trying to keep the mood light. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But I think I missed you so much that I just had to come in," I replied, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

Minji dramatically wiped her eyes, pretending to be overwhelmed by my words. "Oh, ma'am, you flatter me."

"Alright, alright, get back to work," I said with a laugh.

She nodded, placing a stack of files with the latest designs on my desk before heading out. I sighed, settling into my chair and reaching for my phone. Remembering Anna's reminder, I quickly typed a message to Taehyung: "Hi Taehyung. I'm working today." After sending the text, I set my phone aside and focused on the files in front of me.

The designs were intricate and required my full attention. Time seemed to slip away as I reviewed each one, making notes and suggestions. By the time I finished, it was well past lunchtime. I ate a quick meal at my desk, then decided to check on the sales department downstairs.

The day flew by in a blur of numbers, charts, and meetings. I summoned the entire sales department to review the month's performance, diving deep into scrutinizing every detail. It wasn't until I glanced at the clock that I realized how late it had gotten. The digital display glowed an accusing red, proclaiming 7:58 PM. "Oh shoot!" I muttered to myself. I usually wrap up work by 6. I quickly gathered my things to go back. I hadn't even texted Taehyung to let him know I was working late. Grabbing the things, I hurried out, battling the rush-hour traffic that choked the city streets.

Driving back home, the city's lights blurred past as my thoughts wandered back to him.

"Home," I whispered to myself, the word feeling strange yet comforting. It was a place shared by Taehyung and me, even if our relationship was still shrouded in formality and distance.

Entering the penthouse, I was greeted by the soft hum of background music and the scent of dinner. The place felt different now - warmer, more lived-in. Placing my keys, I saw his keys already placed there. It means he is already here. Taehyung was seated on the couch, engrossed in his laptop. He looked up as I walked in, his expression unreadable.

"You're late," he noted, his tone neutral.

"Yes, I got caught up at work," I explained, feeling a mixture of defensiveness. "I lost track of time reviewing the sales reports."

He nodded, closing his laptop and standing up. "Dinner's ready. Anna left it in the kitchen. You should eat."

"Have you eaten?" I asked as I entered the living room.

He looked up from his laptop, his eyes briefly meeting mine before returning to the screen. "No," he replied, his voice a low rumble. "Just finishing up some work. I'll be in in a while."

I nodded, feeling a mix of concern and relief. "Alright."

After changing into more comfortable clothes and taking a quick shower in my room, I felt more refreshed. By the time I returned to the living room, Taehyung had closed his laptop and was standing up, stretching his stiff muscles.

We walked to the kitchen together and I set the table while Taehyung retrieved the food Anna had prepared.

As we sat down to eat, I asked, breaking the silence, "How was your day?"

"Busy," he replied, taking a bite of his food. "A lot of finalizing and approvals for the upcoming project. And yours?"

"Pretty much the same," I said, smiling slightly. "I reviewed designs and had a long meeting with the sales department. Lost track of time, actually."

He nodded, his eyes meeting mine briefly. "It's good that you're dedicated to your work. It's one of the things I admire about you."

His words took me by surprise. It was the first time he had expressed any sort of compliment.

"Thank you," I said softly. "And I admire your dedication too. It can't be easy managing everything."

We continued eating in silence, the tension easing a bit. After dinner, we cleared the table together, moving in a quiet but coordinated rhythm.

As I headed to my room, I paused at the doorway to turn back to him. "Good night, Taehyung."

"Good night," he replied, his voice softening ever so slightly.

In my room, I collapsed onto the bed, exhaustion finally catching up with me and drifted to sleep.

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The concept photos released by Bighit for RM's "Right Place, Wrong Person" are insane. What do you mean, this man is in a marriage and smiling with the most contagious smile in those pictures.😭💜