Royal Ace Lounge

④Call It Whatever You Want

 
Taehyung, standing in front of the mirror above the entryway table of his apartment, buttoned up his black coat throughout. His eyes fixed on his well-tended appearance, gliding over his styled hair and then dropping to his rosy lips, along with a deep breath. You got this. With this thought, came an assured nod. You got this.

He snatched his keys from the bowl and exited the apartment. He skipped down the stairs from the first floor, too bored to wait for the elevator. The moment he opened the door, a current of frostiness slammed against his existence, stealing a silent gasp from him.

Why the fuck is it so cold? He scuttled to his car, muttering inaudible curses. Because it’s January, duh. He soon hopped inside, shivering. He headed off to the Royal Ace Lounge with jazz music accompanying him to soothe his anxiety. Although he was confident in his skills and looks, the thought of a first day on the job under a new boss was daunting.

 
Taehyung’s freezing face brightened at the sight of his best friend waiting outside of the three-story building. “Hey, Chim!” He engulfed him in his hug. “Did you wait long?”

“No, I just got here. The Royal Ace is so close to my apartment.”

“Don’t tell me you walked for ten minutes in this cold.” Taehyung pulled back, appalled.

“Of course I did. The cold is good for your skin,” Jimin said with a playful lilt, tapping his cheeks.

“Yeah, my skin feels like it’ll rip apart from the burning.”

Jimin gave a gentle shove to his shoulder as he chortled. “Dramatic much? Let’s go.”

They passed through the entrance, that was similar to a short hallway, and Taehyung pushed the heavy, glass door open.

“Hello. You must be Taehyung and Jimin. I’m Saerin.”

Both smiled at the presence of the exquisitely gorgeous woman who welcomed them with her honeyed voice.

“Nice to meet you,” Jimin chirped.

“Likewise. Please follow me,” she said with her signature suavity. “You both are so gorgeous and seem so kind. I can see now why my boys are so excited to have you here.”

The two friends exchanged a mildly surprised look as they trod across the lounge behind Saerin.

“Was Mr. Jeon just as excited?” Jimin asked.

A transient rigidity gripped at Saerin’s features before she dissipated it with a genial chuckle. She resumed her stride in silence until she reached a door marked with a sign that read, “Restricted Access: Staff Only.”

She placed her ID card over the small screen attached to the door, and it beeped open. “This room is for all the staff. You can relax here, change clothes, take a break, etc.”

Both nodded as a greeting to the few people who were chilling there and gazed upon the generously spacious room with shared awe. It boasted three large couches centered around a glass table, several screens located on one side of the room so they could change their clothes, and two bathrooms. Naturally, they couldn’t overlook the sophisticated paintings on the wall and the various decorations on the shelves.

Taehyung noted this room had hints of white, which further piqued his curiosity to explore the remaining rooms in this place. Jungkook’s decorative style was rather fascinating.

“You’ll introduce yourselves to everyone later. First, here are your ID cards,” Saerin said as she handed them over. “You should always have them with you. Also, you’re only allowed to wear suits. If you don’t have any or not enough for every night, we have an array of suits to choose from. Every color is acceptable, but please refrain from wearing anything multicolored.”