⚠️ Trigger warnings:

Slow Romance

Strong Language

☆꧁✬◦°˚°◦. ❀ .◦°˚°◦✬꧂☆

Hoseok

Hoseok escorted Minali out of the building in a low profile, trying his best not to draw attention to the two of them walking out of the office building, together, holding hands.

☆꧁✬◦°˚°◦. ❀ .◦°˚°◦✬꧂☆

A few minutes earlier - Hoseok's office

"Sure! Where to?" Minali asked him.

"You'll see." Hoseok grinned at her mysteriously, taking hold of her hand, pulling her out of her seat.

Then he added: "However, my lady, I humbly ask you to follow my lead. I don't want any office gossip to spread around - I doubt it'll be any good for the new campaign we're planning for your new products. So, I'll be acting as if I'm escorting you out of the office and to your car. And since we are now, officially, working together on a project, no one would dare say anything about it."

"Sure." She laughed politely, clearly looking relieved at his suggestion.

Hobi nonchalantly led Minali out of his office, a hand protectively resting on the small of her back, close enough to seem like a kind gesture, if spotted.

Jungkook noticed him walk Minali out and gave him a curious look. Hobi mouthed 'We're going out for a meeting' to him and he winked in acknowledgement.

Jungkook could be trusted to cover his tracks if the need arose.

Once they were out the front doors and in the parking lot, Hobi opened the door for Minali and then got into the driver's seat of his car, taking them to the nearest shopping mall.

Once they had arrived at the mall, he parked the vehicle and immediately got out of his car and opened her door for her, then casually escorted her to a cute little coffee shop close to the Cinema.

"Ahhh, I've always wanted to come here on a coffee date!" She exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands excitedly.
Hosoek could not help by smile. He too, always wanted to come here with her on a date.

He planned everything out to the last detail, only to freeze up at the last moment. And when he finally got over the nerves, he realised that it was too late - she'd moved to Kyoto to complete her studies there.

"I uh... I don't mean to sound clichéd, but I've always wanted to ask you on a coffee date at this coffee shop. I just never had the guts to do so when we were younger." He admitted to her.

"Me too, in fact, I often almost asked you and then I'd decide against it lest you think I'm being forward. We were so young back then for these things." She replied as he picked out a quiet booth in a corner of the coffee shop.

"Thank you, oppa." She smiled at him as he let her step into the booth first.
"I picked this spot so we have more privacy. Just in case some of the staff come here. A lot of them are dating each other and they think we don't know." He grinned at her.

A waiter approached them and recorded their orders. Hobi orders a cold coffee while Minali chose to have a red cappuccino.

"Red cappuccino? I don't think I've heard of that one before." He says curiously.

"It's a South African twist on a cappuccino. It's completely decaf as it's made with Rooibos tea leaves instead of actual coffee." She grinned at him as he gave her a confused look.

"Decaf? But why decaf?" He asked her curiously.

"Well, I don't always have coffee because it makes me sleepy. I find that a red cappuccino is the best of both. It's just a trick I learned on my travels." Minali says confidently.

It was this confidence that made Hosoek's insides melt the most.

It was sexy.

They chatted a little more about life before they met again.

☆꧁✬◦°˚°◦. ❀ .◦°˚°◦✬꧂☆

A few minutes later

"Sir, ma'am, your coffees. Please do enjoy." The waiter announced and then bowed and walked off.

"So, what was it like when you returned from the military? I know the last time I saw you was when you were deciding what majors to pick in our last year. After that we lost touch." She looked sad, her red cappuccino lay forgotten next to her.

"Yeah... We should have kept in touch. The truth is, I was scared. After the military, I spent around three months at home with my family before I started this company with Yoongi hyung. We both got back from the military together, so we spent a lot of time working on a business plan.
At the time, social media had just become a new tool for marketing, so we started looking at the benefits of using this platform for marketing. About a year after that, we launched our brand and officially opened the doors to the building we're currently at. By the end of the second year, hyung and I had at least 50 employees. We started off by marketing for small businesses - our niche being 'marketing small businesses by a small business.' But off late we've grown quite significantly and have collaborated with larger organisations like motor manufacturers and electronic companies..." He trailed off, looking into her eyes.

'She's so beautiful.' Hoseok thought to himself, leaning forwards unconsciously. 'Wait... it's too soon.' He thought again, catching himself before he kissed Minali.

"Oppa?" She asked sweetly.

"Yes?" Hoseok looked up from his cup, he was pretending not to notice how gorgeous she looked when she sipped her drink. Her pink lipstick stained the rim of the coffee cup. He wasn't sure how, but it did something to him.

It drove him mad... He wanted to kiss her so badly and smudge that lipstick off completely.

"Can we do this again?" She looked at him hopefully.

"This as in?" He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"See each other. I like it." She asked, smiling at him shyly. Her cheeks had a pink tinge which made her look even prettier.

"I like it too." He smiled back at her, meaning it.

Before Hosoek knew it, Minali leaned forwards and kissed his cheek.

'Ssi-Bal.' He exclaimed to himself. 'This girl is going to kill me!'

"Minali, let's take a walk?"
He needed oxygen. She was making him hot in a way he didn't want to deal with just yet.
Looking a little confused, Minali nodded and they called for the bill.

Once he paid, after Minali asked if she could pay for herself, forgetting it was a date and not a business meeting, they both walked off into the mall, hand in hand.

Minali looked at their interlocked hands and then at him.
"I'm never letting go of you again Minali. So you better get used to this." He smiled at her and gestured to their interlocked hands.

She didn't reply, instead she turned a beautiful shade of red and smiled coyly.

The two of them spent another hour walking around the mall, moving from shop to shop, looking at the latest clothing trends and swapping stories from their years spent apart.

☆꧁✬◦°˚°◦. ❀ .◦°˚°◦✬꧂☆

Minali's POV

Hoseok went from hiding from me to asking me out on a coffee date in a heartbeat.

According to him, he's been so anxious about asking me and never ended up asking me all those years ago. After he enlisted, served and returned from his mandatory military service, we didn't see each other since I spent a lot of time abroad, studying and later interning at a Canadian laboratory that manufactured beauty products.
Once I graduated with my Master's degree in Chemical Sciences, I got a job in a local laboratory here in Seoul.

After a while, I slowly began to gain confidence in developing my own skin care products, using the South African Rooibos (red bush) tea, known for its impressive skin care benefits. I decided to adapt a product suitable for Asian skin to match the quality of current skin care products, but limiting or completely removing harmful or harsh chemicals from the products that caused ageing and cancer.

While my work has earned me merit and awards in the scientific research field, not many Koreans understood the benefits of the products I began to manufacture.

So, when I ran into a heavily pregnant Hiseu at a local supermarket about a week and a half ago, I didn't hesitate in asking her for help.

Having suddenly smelled coffee, which was her latest craving, we decided to stop at a café nearby and I introduced her to the beauty of red cappuccinos. Since then, she's been consuming them by the litre, since it is completely safe to consume during pregnancy.

As we chatted, I spoke about my products and the problem I had ran into. That was when she mentioned that Yoongi, who is now her husband, was running a Marketing firm, which he and Hoseok had started up some time ago.

Immediately after hearing Hoseok's name, I decided to go ahead with her idea and rang them up, hoping to surprise Hoseok, having last seen him when we were both 21.

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"You look beautiful today Minali. I think the colour pink really complements your skin tone." Hoseok says to me, turning beet red himself as he eyed my lips.

He almost kissed me earlier at the coffee shop. He thinks I didn't notice, since I acted like I was taking a sip of my cappuccino, politely giving him his privacy to collect himself.

I guess he's always had feelings for me. Maybe he's finally realised just how deep they ran.

I decided to let him know its okay by giving him a peck on his cheek. We're adults. I'm sure a kiss is perfectly normal for two people who really like each other?

After our walk around the mall though, Hoseok escorted me back to his car in the parking area.
Before I got into the passenger seat, he caught my hand and pulled me into a hug, then returned my kiss from earlier.

"Let's meet tomorrow? At 5pm, after work?" He asked me, holding me by my waist.

"I'd like that. Where would you like me to meet you?" I asked him, curious to see where he was going with this.

"Would it be too forward to meet at your flat?" He asked a little shyly.

"Do you want to watch movies?" I asked, wondering if he wanted to spend time at my house.

"Aniyo, I wanted to pick you up for a proper first date. I like you a lot, Kim Minali. I want to date you." He admitted. Finally!

I was left speechless.

I guess he finally uttered the words I had spent years wishing I'd heard.

"Yes. I.. I'll text you my address when I get home oppa." I stammered. Feeling weak in the knees all of a sudden.

I held onto his shoulders for balance, our eyes meeting.

"I'm sorry if I've sprung this on you so suddenly..." He says, his eyes darting to my lips.

"No.. no... it's not that. I'm just surprised..." I blushed under the attention he was giving me.

"Maybe it's time we actually do what we've always wanted to Minali..." And with that he slammed the car door shut behind us, and pulled me into an embrace, tilting my face up to his, kissing me tenderly out in the parking lot.

His lips were soft. Just the feel of them against my own had me giddy with happiness.
Hosoek's lips sought my own with purpose, gently nipping and sucking my bottom lip - then deepening the kiss, claiming me as his.
I was glad that he held me firmly against his body, because I was a weak mess in his arms.
We panted heavily, his forehead pressed to mine, grinning like teenagers having their first kiss.

"Let's do that again." He whispered into my ear, sending shivers down my back.

☆꧁✬◦°˚°◦. ❀ .◦°˚°◦✬꧂☆

I feel like I'm dreaming.

My eyes opened to the darkness of my bedroom. I checked my cellphone for the tenth time.

It's now 22h30. I've managed to fall asleep after tossing and turning for over an hour, replaying the events from earlier on in my head.

Hoseok asked me out on a coffee date and then said he wants to properly date me.

I have a boyfriend!

And more importantly... he kissed me.

My insides fluttered at the memory of my tongue brushing against mine. His lips pecked at mine, brushing against my jaw as we kissed some more outside my house.

It was suddenly a lot harder to think about anything else but Hoseok and his gorgeous lips.

I put my phone down and closed my eyes, picturing his face.

Somewhere between thinking about our first kiss and wondering what we'd do tomorrow, I finally fell asleep.

☆꧁✬◦°˚°◦. ❀ .◦°˚°◦✬꧂☆

Yoongi

That afternoon before dinner at Yoongi and Hiseu's house...

Yoongi and Hiseu sat in their bedroom, both too tired from their day to do much. Hiseu was almost due to give birth. Their baby would be with them any day now.

The couple felt excited about becoming new parents. And the pair both decided to rest before Hosoek came over for dinner later that evening.

"Yeobo, how was the meeting with Minali today?" Hiseu asked her husband curiously as she knitted a small white hat.
"I'm not sure about that Jagiya. Hobi-yah met with her in private." He smiled at his wife. "Then they both left his office suspiciously, Hobi holding her 'discreetly' as they walked out the front doors."

"Ommo! That's so cute!" Hiseu exclaimed, dropping her knitting as she covered her mouth in excitement.

"He's finally opening up to her." Yoongi grinned. "It's much easier than we thought."

"Yes! Poor Minali was stressing that he'd never realise his feelings for her." Hiseu shrugged. "I'm glad they're finally talking again."

☆꧁✬◦°˚°◦. ❀ .◦°˚°◦✬꧂☆

Hoseok

Later that evening at Yoongi and Hiseu's house...

Hoseok had called at Yoongi and Hiseu's house that evening a new man. His smile was brighter and he had a spring in his step.

"Ya! What's up with you Hobi-yah?" His sister-in-law asked him.

"Nothing hyung-su-ssi." He grins broadly.

"Ya! Hobi-yah, we're family. You can't hide anything." Hiseu pouted adorably, resting her hands on her huge baby bump.

"Besides, according to the security footage, you left the office with Minali this afternoon." Yoongi interjected, having had enough of Hobi's preposterous acting skills.

"Ommo! You asked her on a date!?" Hiseu exclaimed excitedly.

"Ne." He replied shyly.

"I've never seen you blush like this before." Hiseu says to Hobi, then glances at her husband, grinning broadly.

"His face has been this exact shade of red since the day Minali first set foot in the office." Yoongi responded to his wife, matching her grin.

"Arrasso. Arrasso. Hyung, hyung-su... can't we just eat? I'm starving." He licked his lips, eyeing the delicious spread of food his sister-in-law had prepared.

"Is that a bruise on your lip? How did that happen?" Hiseu asked, spotting a pink mark, that suspiciously looked like a lip imprint, at the corner of his mouth.

Hobi hastily rubbed the lipstick mark off.

"Omg! Hoseok! Did you kiss her?" Hiseu exclaimed excitedly.

But Hosoek pretended to be lost in the delicious meal, ignoring Hiseu's question.

"Yeobo, at this rate you'll deliver our baby right here in the dining room, breathe, Yeobo. Take it easy. For now, let's eat. Then, Hosoek has a lot of explaining to do." Yoongi eyed his friend seriously.

"If he's kissed her, he better be dating her. And if he's dating her, he better bring her over for dinner." Yoongi glared at Hoseok.

❤꧁ღ⊱♥♡♥⊱ღ꧂❤

A/n: Thank you for reading 😊