Jungkook's POV

"So, when's the wedding JK?" Came the annoying yet tolerable voice of a one of my least favourite female reporters. She had the most smug look on her face. I knew just how to take care of that.

"It's not what you think Sally." I calmly respond.

Sally gives me an irritable look, as if it's my fault that she'd assumed something like this of the "Bachelor Artist".

Before I could turn to look at Soo-Ah, her face bright with curiosity, someone had tugged her into a hidden doorway.

I excused myself and followed my guest to make sure she's alright.

I wasn't surprised to see who'd dragged the poor thing into the backroom of the gallery.

It was Taehyung hyung.

"Hyung!" I grinned at him. "You made it!" I say as I hugged him back.

That's when I noticed the close proximity between Taehyung hyung and my date for tonight.

"Kookie! I see you've met my best friend Soo-Ah." He grinned his boxy grin at us.

"Ne, we met earlier today and I invited her to join me." I reply to him, trying to emphasis that Soo-Ah was my date for this afternoon.

For some reason, I felt a small fire begin to burn up in my chest.

Thinking nothing of it, I take hold of Soo-Ah's hand as I walk her into the gallery itself.

The black curtains that line this storeroom had given the room a feeling of safety and now that we were heading towards the lights and cameras, I began to feel a little queasy. I didn't usually suffer from anxiety before an exhibition, but today, I felt a little nervous.

"Jungkook, how do you know Tae?" She whispered to me shyly.

"We're childhood friends." Tae chimed in.

"Tae... I asked Jungkook that." She scolds him, playfully smacking him on the shoulder.

"Taehyung hyung isn't wrong though, Soo-Ah. We are childhood friends. Our mothers were in school together. And remained friends afterwards... so whenever they met for tea parties or shopping sprees, we'd be left with each other's company. Hyung's also one of the reasons I moved to Wales - to see him more often." I explained to her in more detail. Soo-Ah nodded in understanding, then looked over at Tae.

"So, Tae... when I have children someday and you have your own, they can be friends too!" She says to him innocently.

Tae's face fell slightly, but I read the recognition in his eyes. He'd realised something and smirked at me, the same demented smile he'd give me before he'd get up to mischief now spread across his face.

"Jungkook and Soo-Ah sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes lurvvv, then comes marriage and then comes a baby with a golden carriage." He says annoyingly in a sing-song tone.

"This isn't primary school Tae. Cut it out." I mumbled into his ear, smacking him on his arm so he could shut up.

Meanwhile, Soo-Ah blushed next to me and Tae smirked a little more, as if to say 'See. I know her well. She likes you.'

"Mr. Jeon, we're waiting for you." Came the voice of Namratha, one of the assistants at the gallery.

"Oh, ne... I'll be there in two minutes Namratha." I nodded to her and turned back to face Tae and my date.

"Come on, they're waiting for us." I say to the two of them, grabbing hold of Soo-Ah's hand again.

I have no idea why I enjoy holding her hand so much!

"Ya! Kookie, wait a second." Tae says to me, sobering up a little from his mischievous plans.

"Yes hyung?" I say, looking over my shoulder at him.

"Happy birthday bro." He says, hugging me, then clapping me on the back as Namratha returns.

"Mr. Jeon, this way please." She says to me firmly, yet politely enough.

We all followed her out into the main exhibition hall. As soon as we stepped out, I shielding my eyes from all the bright lights used.

The room was painted chalk white from floor to ceiling. Photographs and paintings that were a part of my many portfolios were hung along the walls, sculptures and experimental carvings that I've dabbled in over the years, were placed on pedestals against the walls, filling the spaces between each photograph or painting.

The entire room was full.

I began to feel a tiny bit claustrophobic. Which is a new experience for me.

In the middle of room were two long tables placed parallel to each other, each covered in a prestine white tablecloth. Along the length of each table, which was laid out to look uniformed, identical down to the last teaspoon, there was an assortment of tea cakes, biscuits, sandwiches, salads and bread which were lined in repeated groups along the tables.

The sight of these tables reminded me a little bit of the Harry Potter movies.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this afternoon, we are gathered here to celebrate the renowned artist, Jeon Jungkook as he celebrates his thirtieth birthday today. Happy birthday Mr. Jeon!" Namratha addressed the crowd around the room from the speaker's podium, then turned to face me, raising a glass of champagne in my honour.

Everyone around the room simultaneously raised their glasses and chanted 'Happy birthday Jungkook!' A few times.

It was a magnificent sight to behold.

I felt my eyes begin to water a little and reached for my handkerchief to dry my eyes.

"Thank you everyone for joining me this afternoon. Please enjoy the high tea as planned and prepared by our hostess, Ms. Namratha Ramharuk." I say into the cordless microphone they handed me, bowing at the guests around the room.

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Half an hour later...
Jungkook's corner of the table.

I sat at the 'head' of the table, watching with interest as Namratha's perfectly planned High Tea unfolded.

"Do you like it Jungkook-ssi?" She whispered to me, checking in to see if I was alright.

There were plenty of staff assisting, but as my assistant, Namratha always made it a point to check in on me. It was like having a sister.

I nodded, thanking her, and asked her to join me. My assistant looked over at Soo-Ah, smiled, and politely declined, choosing a seat next to Tae instead.

For some reason, my best friend had looked over the moon to have Namratha sitting next to him. I suspected that Tae had a crush on her.

And I don't see why he wouldn't, she's an intelligent, beautiful, resourceful and extremely caring woman. She's practically his dream girl in reality.

Namratha beamed at Taehyung hyung as he whispered something in her ear and after a few moments, the two walked off to the corner of the room, standing near the photographs of a couple's wedding I was allowed to capture and share.

I grinned to myself then remembered that I had Soo-Ah by my side.

She had been shy all this time, eating quietly while I mused over my colleague and friend.

"Do you like it here?" I asked her curiously.

"Yes, thank you Jungkook." She smiled adorably, offering me some of the chocolate cake she was eating on the edge of her fork.

"Okay." I smiled and opened my mouth for her to feed me.

I didn't care if the two hundred people here noticed and went home to tell the rest of Cardiff city. This was my thirtieth birthday and if I wanted to celebrate it with a new friend, I was allowed to.

"Ooh... Kookie has a girlfriend now." Jimin hyung mused, appearing behind me so suddenly and placing his palms on my shoulders.

I jumped in my own skin.

"Yes, I noticed that Jimin-ah. He's a big boy now." Said Yoongi hyung. Grinning his gummy grin at me.

I took the jibe in stride. I'll get them back another time... They'll have birthdays too.

"Guys, leave Jungkook alone. Can't you see he's eating. The pretty girl is feeding him. Let's not disturb him. Kookie, tell us when meal time is over, okay?" Hoseok hyung cackled and hearded the other two away.

I narrowed my eyes at my friends as they walked towards the buffet table.

"Don't mind them. Those are some of my other friends. They're in town for a few weeks and have been annoying me a lot recently. The six of them, including Tae, enjoy teasing me because I'm the maknae." I explained, feeling my cheeks heating up.

I noticed that Soo-Ah too, had a dark red blush forming on her cheeks and her ears were equally red.

Could it be?

Did she feel the way I do about her?

Only time will tell. After all, I had only just met her!

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Soo-Ah's POV

17h00 - Jungkook's Private studio and office

Jungkook had taken me by the hand for a third time this afternoon. This time, it was to his private studio, where I got to see a glimpse of his works in progress and some of the peices that weren't on exhibit this evening.

His friends are absolutely hilarious. After they made fun of him while I fed him a few bites of chocolate cake, they returned to apologise and introduced themselves properly.

I also got to meet Jungkook's Jin hyung and Namjoon hyung; who were more refined and joked around less than the other three did.

The six of them accompanied me around the room as Jungkook explained each painting to me, a dream that has finally come true for me.

By the time the party had officially come to an end, everyone had left the premises, including Namratha and the rest of the team at the gallery.

Tired from all the walking I'd done in these heels, I flopped onto a red beanbag in his studio.

Jungkook walked up to me, pulled up a bean bag and sunk down next to me. It was a funny sight, seeing as he was much taller than me...

"I should take you home now." He whispered to me, even though no one was here to eavesdrop.

"Yes, my parents should be home by now." I whispered back to him.

"But, I want to spend more time with you." He had confessed, taking my hand in his.

I looked at him, meeting his gaze and began to feel my skin burn.

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A/n: Thank you for reading 😊