Sweet Night [ Vrene Anthology]

a n o t h e r • r e a s o n • w h y

i r e n e ' s • p o v

Taehyung stood on the red carpet, the flashes of cameras illuminating the perfect features God crafted himself. His tailored suit hugged his form, highlighting every muscle he diligently maintained. His latest movie just premiered and it was a success.

To the world, he was Kim Taehyung: a brilliant actor of his generation and the youngest son of the CEO of K Group. With a face that naturally stood out in any crowd, deep and expressive brown eyes that held the stars, and a smile that could steal hearts effortlessly, many assumed Taehyung's life was perfect. But beneath the dazzling exterior, he felt like a bird trapped in a cage.

His mother's expectations had always been a shadow over his career. The Kim family was renowned for their business empire, but Taehyung's decision to pursue acting to make a name for himself did not sit well with his mother. Even now, years after his breakout role, Madame Kim still believed she could dictate the course of her son's life.

As Taehyung stood there, posing for the photographers, his eyes scanned the crowd and I flashed him my biggest smile when he finally found me. I was standing quietly off the side, still not used to the chaotic glamour around him. This was Joy's area of expertise, after all, not mine. She was his executive secretary, so everything that could happen tonight was on her.

Me? I have been his personal secretary for more than eight years, and I'm glad that during that time, I became his rock, the one constant in his chaotic, busy life. And now, I have a different role to fulfill.

I watched Taehyung with a mix of pride and concern. I knew the battles he fought behind the scenes-his mother, the pressure to excel, the loneliness that fame often brought. I have seen him at his worst, comforted him through his doubts, and celebrated his victories with pure happiness. I just hoped we could have time to celebrate 'us' too, even in private.

After the premiere, Taehyung finally escaped the crowd while I waited outside by his car. "You did great," I said softly, hoping my eyes reflected the sincerity of my words. After all the congratulatory messages he received tonight, I don't know if it still held the same meaning.

"Thanks, baby," he replied, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "You know part of it's because of you."

It's been months since we decided to give 'us' a try and somehow, it's working. We haven't told anyone yet, and I haven't called Jungkook about canceling the contracts at Euphoria. Everything happened so quickly, I didn't want to make rash decisions too. Nothing really changed between us. We still treat each other like how we did before except for sharing kisses and cuddles. We only slept once and that was it. His packed schedule for filming made him too exhausted for date nights. What if something went wrong during his schedule and demanded a session again? What was I supposed to do?

Honestly, I was afraid. I was worried that Taehyung just decided to give us a try because of the timing, and because it was convenient having me around. I renewed my contract with him but we haven't talked about our feelings. I was scared that one day he will go back to the cold boss he was if I messed up again.

I drove us to Euphoria, despite Taehyung's protests. How could I let him drive at a time like this? Everyone's watching him, we could get caught.

"Excuse me, cancel what?"

I feel embarrassed after seeing Jungkook's reaction when Taehyung finally told him to cancel the contracts. I couldn't bring myself to because of personal reasons so Taehyung did it. We were in Jungkook's office and Taehyung just rejected the girls Jimin 'invited' to celebrate his red carpet premiere.

I returned the look Jungkook was giving me. It was written all over his face. I know. I still couldn't believe that I'm dating my boss. It was all new to me and I have no idea what to do or what to expect. I wanted to tell Tiffany but I couldn't find the perfect timing. We could be in love now but Taehyung could fire me next week.