"Follow me." Taehyung strode away at once, catching the other off guard. "You will have this pager. When someone wants something, the number of the booth will be displayed on the screen. If a customer wants you to keep them company, you will turn off your pager so you won't receive any calls."

"Um, won't I have an apron or something?"

Taehyung seized up in his tracks, and oblivious, the younger boy crashed into him, squishing his face against his back. A muffled oh burst out of his mouth at the impact, and he tottered backwards clumsily.

Taehyung's forehead puckered as he spun around to lecture him, but the sight had him nibbling his bottom lip in an attempt to rein back a delighted chuckle that bubbled at the base of his throat. His eyes traveled the rather cute scowl engulfing his face, and he spectated as Jeongguk fixed his hair that was split in the middle and revealed a part of his forehead.

Once he was done, Jeongguk's raised his doe eyes and looked at the boss, who was still staring at him. He perceived V's hand drawing closer to him and felt his rather delicate fingers adjust a strand of his hair.

"What did you ask, little bun?" he questioned calmly, as if whatever happened moments ago was completely forgotten. Just like Jeongguk's knowledge on how to breathe.

"Um, won't I have an apron or something?" He couldn't possibly maintain eye contact with him — his gaze was so attentive and fierce it felt like it was soaking up his entire being like before.

The tip of his lips curved upwards a notch, and what seemed like a soft smile at first turned into a derisive one in a matter of seconds. "You have to look presentable, little bun. Wearing an apron is second class." Taehyung shuffled off again as the younger stood still, glaring at his back with a moue of sheer disapproval at his condescending remark.

What's wrong with wearing an apron? Second class... Your face is second class.

Okay, that was a lie.

He scurried along to catch up with him. Thankfully, V didn't seem aware that he stayed behind, or else he would have scolded him for sure.

"See this?" Taehyung wiggled a curtain that was placed around each booth for customers' privacy. "When you serve a customer, you say excuse me before you open the curtain and you close it fully once you're gone. You don't eavesdrop on customers, you don't care about what they do, you don't question anything. I'm the one who takes care of them with Namjoon, so I'll be here most of the time. I better not catch you doing anything stupid."

"Yes si—I mean V." He bit his bottom lip, preventing himself from saying anything else.

"Just say yes and nothing else," Taehyung hissed and sighed afterwards. He cocked a warning brow at him since he once again remained mute.

"Yes!" Jeongguk blurted out, panic spreading inside him.

"Questions?"

"Um... Who's Namjoon?"

"He helps me handling the VIP section, which means he's also your boss, so you better respect him."

"Yes."

"Anything else?"

"Um, I need something to write their orders."

"You can't remember a few drinks?"

"I don't want to make any mistakes."

Taehyung groaned and walked past him, shoulders brushing against each other. Jeongguk followed him once again, and after a while, they stopped in front of the bar.

"Chan here will teach you how to use this ordering device. Then you'll help with placing glasses on each table and the white rugs in every booth."

"Why white?"

Taehyung clicked his tongue in irritation. That kid was already giving him a hard time, and he hadn't even started working yet. "Because I like white, little bun," he spat out in a sardonic tone. He pivoted on his heel, but a grasp on his suit jacket impeded him from leaving.

V glowered at his hand that was creasing his exceedingly expensive suit jacket right in front of his eyes. Then, he looked askance at him, and if glares could kill, Jeongguk would be greeting us from the other side right now.

Jeongguk released his grip with terror in his eyes and smoothed down the jacket with trembling hands. But after inspecting the fabric, he couldn't understand what the fuss was all about since the material couldn't even be creased.

"Daring, aren't we?" he sneered, and even though a taunting smile decorated his face, vexation laced his words.

"I'm sorry," he murmured with a sigh of defeat. He wasn't even an hour there, and he had already made a fool of himself and infuriated his boss numerous times.

"What do you want?"

"Oh. Can I go grab my phone?"

"Why?"

"I feel safer when I have it with me."

"Do what I said first, and if it's not ten yet, you can go." He stormed off then, leaving the younger with the bartender.

"Boss is giving you a hard time?" Chan asked with a comforting smile.

"I'm sure I'm giving him a harder time."

"Don't worry about it too much. It's your first day here, anyway."

Chan started explaining how the device worked, and although it wasn't anything too difficult to handle, it would take him a day or two to get used to it.

Once they were done, another boy called him to help them with the rugs. It was quite tiring since they needed two people to lift the large and awfully heavy table and two people to set the rug underneath it.

It was still strange to Jeongguk why V wanted white rugs and why he even wanted to have rugs in the first place, but he didn't question anything. By the time they finished, Jeongguk couldn't feel his back from all the crouching and lifting fifty damn enormous tables.

He tried to ignore his numb back and checked the time. Seeing that he had ten minutes before his actual shift, he took the opportunity to go and grab his phone. He didn't spot V as he walked towards the room he had his stuff, and honestly, he couldn't be happier about it.

Although he was extremely handsome and all he wanted was to spend hours looking at him, remembering his obnoxious personality and death stares, he preferred being as far away from him as possible.

Successfully grabbing his phone, he stuffed it into his pocket and exited the room, heading towards the VIP section.

"Jeongguk?"

The call of his name immobilized him and drew his eyes towards the bar, only to see Yunho standing there. "Hey!"

"What are you doing here? And wow, you look stunning," Yunho said, amazed by his appearance.

"I work here now. And thanks," he mumbled, bashful, as he glanced away.

"You work here? How did that happen?"

"V offered me a job and I'll be serving in the VIP section." He discerned Yunho's smile faltering and couldn't help but furrow his brows in confusion.

"In the VIP section? Are sure you heard right?" Yunho's smile was nowhere to be found now, and instead, a concerned expression had swept over his features.

"Yeah, I got my training and everything too. What's wrong?"

Yunho gave a once-over around them, making sure no one was there, and then inched closer to him. "Did V explain exactly what you'll be doing?"

"Yes. I'll be serving customers."

"Jeongguk, it's not only that, you will have to—"

"Keep them company too, I know."

"Do you know what that means?"

"That I will have to talk to them if they ask me to. It's not a big deal."

"Kook, you don't know the things they say. Most of them are forty-year-old horny witches who only want some fresh meat to get off to once they get home or in the freaking bathroom of this club even! Jeongguk, you're... you're too pure for this. Why are you doing this?"

Jeongguk was in total shock by now. He just thought he would have a normal conversation with some customers and that would be it. He had no idea he probably had to listen to whatever an old bitch had to say to please her twisted needs or thoughts. "Are you serious about this? You're not... You're not kidding, right? You wouldn't joke about... that."

Yunho's gaze softened, and an empathic, sad smile crept across his lips. "I'm not, and what I just told you isn't even everything. The people who enter the VIP section don't go there because they're actually VIP, but—"

"Yunho."

Both boys jerked their heads towards the strict voice. And there he stood V with a surprisingly serene face, gazing at the two in depth. "A word." Yunho strolled away from the shocked boy and towards V's office right away. "Go to your spot and don't do anything yet."

His voice was so low it made Jeongguk think that maybe it was better when V was yelling at him. That damn deep guttural voice of his sent goosebumps down his spine.

Silence prevailed over the two as Yunho stood in front of him, and the boss propped his hands against the desk, one leg bent slightly, and menaces radiating from his eyes. "You were not just ready to break your contract, were you?"

"He works here and especially in the freaking VIP section. Doesn't he have a right to know?" Yunho crossed his arms over his chest, voice filled with agitation.

"No!" he snarled as he slammed his hand against the desk, but Yunho didn't bat an eyelash. "He never has to know, anyway."

"He's not that dense."

"Oh, but he is. That's why I hired him in the first place. He is stupid enough to get lost in a club, eavesdrop in a conversation he never should have and get caught too. The kid's desperation for money makes my life a little easier right now."

"Taehyung, this is not right—"

"I told you to never call me that! You were never supposed to know my name."

"But I do." He neared him slowly and leaned against the desk. "And do you remember how?"

"Shut up."

"You let me know your name because I needed something to scream when you were fucking me—"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" V roared as he seized him by his collar.

"—in my apartment, and you couldn't get enough of hearing it either." Yunho gripped his hands and flung them away. "When will you admit that you're at least bi?"

"I'm not. Just shut up. I was drunk."

"But were you really?" he asked with raised brows as he cast him a knowing look. "It's not that you're not gay. It's that you can't be. Because the big head will chop your head if he finds out."

"If you fucking know it, why are you talking about it in here?" V's fists were clenched tightly, the veins in his arms and neck throbbing.

Seeing how incensed V was, Yunho let out a mild sigh and drew closer. "I'm sorry. It just pissed me off that you don't let me call you by your name when we're alone. That happened months ago, and I know it shouldn't have happened—"

"I have to go back," he interrupted him, but Yunho grabbed his clenched hands, holding him in place.

"Whether you like it or not, I know things about you. Things I'm sure you wouldn't want anyone to know. But I haven't said anything to anyone, and I won't ever do it. But this thing with Jeongguk is wrong. He doesn't deserve to be played like this. He's pure." He noticed V's muscles mellowing as he talked and released his grasp.

"I have no intention of playing him."

"But letting him work here and making him talk with these awful people will affect him. He's too pure."

"How do you even know him, and why the hell are you protecting him?" Taehyung asked, a low growl coating his voice, ignoring his phone that buzzed in his pocket.

"I met him yesterday and I can tell he's just a smol bean who needs protection."

Taehyung shot him a mocking glare. "That was lame, you know that, right?"

"It's the truth!"

"Okay, whatever! That doesn't mean you have any right to tell him about the VIP section."

"I just wanted to prepare him a bit. He's not strong enough for this shit. You shouldn't have hired him in the first place."

"Well, he shouldn't have listened to my conversation with Wang." He slipped his phone out of his pocket once he felt it buzz again. "You're not allowed to tell Jeongguk anything, do you understand? If you do, I'll make sure to fire you." His attention was on his phone as he talked, and fuck, he really had to leave. VIP customers were already there, and although Namjoon was with them, they wanted to talk to him.

"You know you can't blackmail me. I have dirt on you."

"And I have fucking gang members who can bury you, so shut the fuck up and do your job." With the aggressively spoken warning, V charged out of the office and hurried to the VIP section.

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