ENEMIES WITH BENEFITS//TAEHYUNG FF//

FROM ZERO

Three Weeks Later

Taehyung POV

The office smelled like fresh paint and ambition, It wasn't a skyscraper, It wasn't marble floors and private elevators, It was a rented floor in a mid-tier building.

Six desks.
Two interns.
One whiteboard.

And him.

Kim Taehyung.

Ex-heir.

Now founder.

He stared at the company name printed on the glass door:

Vanguard Innovations.

No family name attached.

No legacy backing him.

Just skill.

And pride.

"Investors won't come easily," his old colleague Minho said carefully.

"They will," Taehyung replied calmly.

"Why?"

"Because I know this industry better than anyone."

Confidence wasn't the problem.

Reputation was.

His father had quietly spread one narrative:

"He's unstable. Emotional. Reckless."

That engagement incident became proof.

But Taehyung wasn't reacting anymore.

He was calculating.

Y/N POV

I didn't expect the call.

"Is this Y/N?"

"Yes."

"This is Director Choi from Aurora Holdings."

Aurora Holdings.

My heart skipped.

That was Kim Industries' biggest competitor.

"We've reviewed your application," he continued. "And we'd like to offer you a position."

I blinked.

"But... my background isn't that impressive."

"We value potential," he said smoothly. "And loyalty."

Something about his tone felt deliberate.

Strategic.

But I wasn't naïve.

This wasn't coincidence.

This was a message.

If Kim Industries blocks you—

We'll support you.

I met Taehyung that night at his small office.

He looked different.

Less polished.

More real.

He handed me coffee in a paper cup instead of crystal glass.

"You look tired," I said.

"You look stressed," he replied.

We both exhaled.

"I got a job offer," I said carefully.

He froze slightly.

"From?"

"Aurora Holdings."

Silence.

The tension wasn't jealousy.

It was strategy.

"That's my father's biggest rival," he said slowly.

"I know."

"They're using you."

"I know."

He studied me.

"So what are you going to do?"

I held his gaze.

"I'm going to take it."

His eyes sharpened.

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I refuse to be the weak link in this war."

That hit him.

Hard.

"I don't want you dragged into corporate battles," he said quietly.

"And I don't want you fighting alone."

Silence filled the small office.

Then something shifted.

Not romance.

Partnership.

"What's their next move?" I asked.

Taehyung walked to the whiteboard.

Drew two lines.

Kim Industries on one side.

Aurora Holdings on the other.

"They're competing for the same international tech contract," he explained.

"And?"

"And if Vanguard secures it first..." he said slowly, "both giants lose leverage."

My breath caught.

"You're going after both of them?"

He gave a small smirk.

"Why fight for a throne when you can build a new one?"

For the first time, I saw it clearly.

This wasn't about rebellion anymore.

This was ambition.

Real ambition.

"You realize," I said carefully, "if Aurora finds out I'm helping you—"

"You'll lose your job."

"And if your father finds out?"

He met my eyes.

"He'll declare war."

Silence.

Then I stepped closer.

"Then let's win before they realize we're playing."

He stared at me for a second.

Then smiled.

Not arrogant.

Not cocky.

Excited.

"Now that," he said softly, "is why I chose you."

//HEY CUTIES DON'T FORGET TO PRE-SAVE ARIRANG ON SPOTIFY AND APPLE MUSIC and comment done//