RACERS to RINGS

Chapter 8: A Silent Admiration?

The atmosphere in Hoseok’s office was tense, but not in the way Hoseok had expected. He had thought the days leading up to his wedding would be filled with more bitterness, resentment, or even confrontation. Yet, as he sat across from Min Yoongi, there was none of that. Instead, there was a quiet, almost unspoken understanding—a calm that left Hoseok a little off balance.

They had only met in person a few times since the engagement was officially announced, and even then, their conversations had been more out of necessity than desire. Today was different. Today, they were finalizing the wedding arrangements, and despite his earlier anger, Hoseok had decided that if he was going to be trapped in this, he might as well make it something he could tolerate.

“So,” Hoseok began, leaning back in his chair and glancing at the papers in front of him, “I’ve been thinking about the venue.”

He paused, expecting Yoongi to cut in or at least nod in agreement. Instead, he was met with silence. He glanced up, his brow furrowing slightly when he realized Yoongi wasn’t even looking at the papers. He was looking at 𝐻𝑖𝑚.

“Yoongi?” Hoseok asked, a little uncertain.

Yoongi blinked, seemingly snapping out of whatever trance he had been in. His gaze softened, but his lips twitched into a small smile that made Hoseok feel unexpectedly warm.

“Sorry, what did you say?” Yoongi asked, his voice smooth but distant, as though his mind had been elsewhere. And it had been—he had been watching Hoseok talk, watching the way his hands moved when he gestured, the subtle determination in his voice. It was… captivating, and Yoongi found himself admiring it far more than he should have been.

Hoseok tilted his head, confused by Yoongi’s distraction but choosing not to comment on it. “The venue. I was thinking of something a little different. Maybe something more outdoors, not some stiff hotel ballroom. I know this spot near the coast—it's private, and it would look amazing with the right decor. We could do a sunset wedding.”

Yoongi leaned forward slightly, his elbow resting on the desk, eyes never leaving Hoseok. “Sounds perfect,” he replied softly, the sincerity in his voice catching Hoseok off guard.

“You’re just agreeing without even thinking about it,” Hoseok teased, raising an eyebrow. “You know you can actually have an opinion, right?”

Yoongi’s smile widened slightly, his eyes gleaming. “I trust your judgment. Besides, I’m more interested in how you seem to light up when you talk about it.”

Hoseok blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. Was Yoongi… flirting? He wasn’t sure what to make of it. Their interactions had been civil, but distant—nothing like this. And yet, the look in Yoongi’s eyes wasn’t hostile or guarded. It was… admiring.

Clearing his throat, Hoseok tried to focus on the task at hand, though he could feel the faint heat rising to his cheeks. “Well, um, we’ll need to talk about the guest list too. I don’t want it to be too large, just close family and friends. I hate when weddings feel like some corporate event, you know?”

Yoongi nodded, though his attention was still clearly elsewhere. His gaze followed the curve of Hoseok’s jaw, the way his hair fell just so across his forehead, the slight frown of concentration that made him look more endearing than he probably realized. Yoongi had never expected to feel this way. He hadn’t expected to *feel* anything at all. Yet, here he was, drawn to Hoseok in a way that was as puzzling as it was undeniable.

“I’m fine with whatever you decide,” Yoongi replied, his voice almost a whisper now. “As long as it makes you happy.”

That made Hoseok stop again. He placed the papers down on the desk, staring at Yoongi with growing curiosity. “Why do you keep saying that?” he asked. “Why do you care so much if I’m happy?”

Yoongi’s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of something unreadable passing across his face. He shrugged, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. “Because… I think you deserve to be. And I know this situation isn’t exactly what either of us planned, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make something out of it. Something… better.”

Hoseok wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Part of him wanted to brush it off, to tell Yoongi he was being too optimistic, that nothing about this arrangement would ever be more than what it was: a business deal. But another part of him—the part that had felt trapped for so long—wanted to believe him.

“Well,” Hoseok said after a moment, his voice softer now, “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”

Yoongi didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he just kept looking at Hoseok with those quiet, admiring eyes, as though he was seeing something beyond the heir, beyond the name. Something Hoseok wasn’t even sure he could see in himself.

After a long pause, Yoongi stood up, walking around the desk to stand beside Hoseok. He reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against Hoseok’s sleeve, and for a moment, Hoseok’s breath caught in his throat. It was a simple touch, barely noticeable, but it held a weight that neither of them could ignore.

“We’ll make it work,” Yoongi said softly, his voice low and reassuring. “No matter what.”

Hoseok looked up at him, and for the first time since this whole ordeal started, he felt a flicker of something—something other than resentment or frustration. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for this marriage to be more than just an obligation. Maybe it could be something they could both live with.

And as Yoongi’s hand lingered for just a moment longer, Hoseok couldn’t help but wonder if it could be something even more than that.