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4 - Marriage of True Minds

⚠️ Trigger warnings:

Slow Romance

Angst

Anxiety

Strong Language

Fluff

🎀 🎀 🎀

Hoseok's POV

Minali wanted to go dancing. So I picked the perfect restaurant that allowed couples to dance. My cousins and I always went there to practice before the pandemic started.

I used to be a competitive dancer - it was a hobby of mine. I had won medals and trophies since my childhood for competing in dance tournaments, for both duo and solo performances.

The club my cousins and I used to attend as we got older was safe from drunk patrons, it was sophisticated - so you weren't allowed in if you were wearing sneakers, pumps, or hoodies. You had to present your ID at the front door unless you were a member of the club, and you had to have a dancing partner.

I mostly danced solo, however, there was a girl that used to be my dance partner. We never really got along, though we managed to win our fair share of trophies in the two years we participated in dance contests together.

However, in November 2019, COVID had taken the world by storm and my cousins passed away soon after they returned from a trip to Italy; and my days of dancing had come to an end.

But enough of my sob story.

Jimin hasn't said anything to me at the office, but I know his family was directly affected as well. He's been focused on his own life and worked very hard to secure a future for himself and his cousin.

He didn't even mind me asking his cousin out, even though I am his manager. I felt that it was my duty to inform him that his cousin and I were now seeing each other.

But Jimin didn't say anything except: "Make sure you keep her happy, hyung. She's already been through a lot."

In the evening, after my time with Minali, I handed him the file with the approved documents for his new venture.

Minali was the Operations director for their company. Her cousin, was Finance director. They were starting up a third party delivery service, outsourcing their services to retailers for those who weren't able to travel out to do their shopping due to illness or social distancing.

Many people looked for excuses to stay home these days, unless they had to go to work.

'The idea had merit. Perhaps I'd invest in it, when the opportunity arises.'

I know the rumours that people speak about me. And I hear them all the time. It's not like I don't have ears, or that the walls are made of solid brick in an office. I hear everything as the branche manager of this bank.

But I am not stuck up. And I definitely am not a playboy. I would never hurt someone close to me, especially Minali. This I will prove to Jimin.

"Hyung?" I was jolted out of my train of unpleasant thoughts and overthinking when Jimin gently tapped my shoulder.

"Mmm...? Yes, Jimin." I raised my head off my palm. I'd been sitting at my desk all morning, skipping the usual staff meeting I held on Fridays.

I'm sure my staff didn't miss the meeting. It usually took the fun out of life to discuss about sales targets for our insurance policies and new accounts targets as well as sales on our other financial services during the peak COVID period.

However, when I raised my head up off my palm, I didn't expect almost all of my staff to gather round my desk, looking at me expectantly, their eyes curiously observing me over their masks.

Naturally, I wasn't wearing my mask as I was within the confines of my office. I sat upright in my chair, smiling at everyone.

They bowed in unison.

'That's a first... I wonder what's changed...'

"Hyung, we're all here to apologize to you." Jimin pronounced, taking charge of the situation as he could see I was dumbstruck by their gesture.

"Uh..." I couldn't bring myself to speak. My mouth opened and closed like a fish, completely speechless for the first time.

"We've all been absorbed in our own problems and losses that we did not realised you were feeling out of place as the new branch manager. We realise we did not properly welcome you as the leader of our team, as the branche manager. Please forgive us." He explained, as they all bowed in unison once more.

"It's alright Jimin. It really is." I muttered, feeling a little self conscious under all the stares I received from the female staff. Many of them ogled me, finally seeing me without a mask.

'Oh well... It figures... They are probably fantasizing about me pulling them into a dark corner of the office for a quick fuck... Pssht... As if! I do have a girlfriend and this isn't a porn movie.' I think to myself irritably.

It was like that at my previous workplace. Women would try to get close to me. My previous manager would rub herself against me whenever she'd lean over my desk to explain something to me.

The men hated me, claiming that they were afraid I'd steal their women.

I don't understand what they see in me. All I ever did was focus on my work.

"We apologise for not welcoming you properly sir." They all said together.

Finally addressing them directly, I bowed I return and answered them politely.

"It's alright everyone. We can have our meeting on Monday afternoon to discuss where everyone is. Let's not ruin our Friday. I'm sure you all have plans for the evening." I smiled at them brightly.

Many of them looked ready to faint. But I believe the reason was due to them being pregnant or perhaps because they were already so over worked in their personal lives.

I noticed that HR reported a high volume of maternity leave aplications over the last six months... Pssht.

"I think it's been a long week for everyone. Let's take the afternoon off and re-convene on Monday." I smiled once more, dismissing them.

Nodding their understanding as some of them bowed out of respect, muttering thanks in muffled tones under their masks. They all shuffled out of my office - too happy to be sent home early.

"Sir, there's a slight problem with the reservations you've made for today at the restaurant." Jungkook called out to me, he wended his way through the exiting crowd of staff leaving my office.

"Have they cancelled on us?" I asked.

"No sir. They apologize for not having any booths available for hire for tomorrow tonight. Nor do they have any private dance cubicles." He looked at me nervously.

I had asked him to help me book the reservation. Since my date with Minali, a mountain of work had piled itself of my desk overnight. It was most mysterious how the universe worked. And now it appeared that even club members weren't able to book a table.

Everyone was looking for a reason to be out of the house. The minute the government had relaxed some of the restrictions, restaurants and clubs were fully booked.

I should have known... Perhaps next time. Alas, I wasn't able to take Minali on that date tomorrow.

And then an idea came to me. I could still honour my word to my new girlfriend. I'm sure she'd love it.

After all, I am a man of my word.

🎀 🎀 🎀

Minali's POV

I worked in the office block opposite my cousin and his boss - Hoseok.

In the past week alone, I have seen Hoseok pace his office at least a dozen times. He'd been busier with work since we started seeing each other, but I knew it was because people were more actively using their accounts now that the restrictions were relaxed.

More people were banking, opening new accounts online or investing in stocks. And somehow, people were visiting their branch more often.

Today, however, I noticed my cousin bring the bank staff into Hoseok's office for some reason. They silently assembled around his desk, catching him off guard as he had his head down, probably reading through some paperwork.

He had a pen in his hand, which paused mid-air as Jimin oppa showed him the staff assembled around his desk. Hosoek was a perfect combination of handsome and sexy. The look of surprise on his face was both attractive and adorable.

I couldn't wait to see him later. He'd texted me an hour ago saying that he couldn't wait for tomorrow and had to see me today as well.

Since our date at the park, where he asked me to give him a chance as my boyfriend, we hadn't actually met. Unless you count the two mornings we'd arrived at the same time. He greeted the man I travelled to work with and grabbed my hand, pulling me aside to steal a moment.

We haven't actually kissed yet. But he did kiss my cheek yesterday. The girls in the office noticed me enter with a blush and were curious to know why I was blushing.

Nosey parkers.

Looking up from my desk again, I noticed Hoseok pacing his office again, taking to himself. Then, he began waltz in his office, oblivious to the fact that I could see him clearly from my own office.

It was entertaining seeing what he was getting up to when he wasn't chatting to me via text. After all, reviewing health insurance policies became tedious once you've read the same thing for ten different clients.

For the time being, I am a policy reviewer at an insurance company. Not exactly the most exciting job, but it's one of the companies that did not let go of any staff during the pandemic...

And for that I am so glad.

🎀 🎀 🎀

It's now 3.30 p.m. and Hoseok asked me to meet him in the staff parking lot. He's thirty minutes late.

'Looks like he was practicing his waltz again.' I chuckled to myself.

"And why's my pretty lady laughing?" He asked, appearing silently at my side.

"I was just wondering if you were still waltzing in your office, is all." I replied, still chuckling at the memory.

'Gosh at this rate I'm going to fall harder for him. He's gorgeous.' I smiled to myself.

Hoseok looked at me with a mixture of confusion and then shock.

"How did you know?" He asked me, looking a little shy and embarrassed.

"Oh... Uh... Your office is directly opposite mine." I blushed, I'd just admitted to him that I've been watching him like a creepy stalker.

It was his turn to laugh. Hoseok stepped closer to me and boldly placed his hands on my hips, pulling me close to his body. He kept his eye contact with me and replied in a low, deep voice.

"Are you checking me out while I am working Minali?" He whispered into my ear, igniting my insides. A fiery look in his eyes.

He held on to me, his arms wrapped around me as we stood near his car. Most of the parking bays were now empty since he sent his staff home early. I could tell he was taking advantage of our time alone here, knowing that my cousin was already home.

"Why don't we head over to your house? You'll see that I look even better upclose." He whispered in my ear, his lips brushing my earlobe, his voice sending shivers down my spine.

I looked up into his eyes to see a playful smile on his lips.

And then he closed the space between us, his lips pressing against mine. Hoseok held me firmly in place against his body, which was a relief because I wanted to faint at how good it felt to finally kiss him.

I sighed against his lips as he playfully nipped mine, teasing me with his tongue. He used the opportunity to slide his tongue over mine while kneading my hips, making me moan at how good he was at kissing. Hoseok smiled at that and sucked on my bottom lip, nibbling and pecking.

I took over the kiss, claiming his lips with mine, enjoying the feel of his soft lips as I brushed my lips over his, picking up the pace of our kiss.

Hoseok murmured as we kissed, undoing me entirely.

"Mmm ... Let's take it slower Minali. No rush." He grinned at me, then pecked my lips again before grabbing my hand and taking me to his car.

"Let's go home Minali."

🎀 🎀 🎀

Hoseok's POV

I finally got to kiss her.

Her lips were like heaven, soft and delicate, just as I'd been imagining for the last week. Minali tasted like strawberries and chocolate.

This afternoon, I ceased the opportunity to kiss her, even if people watched us, I didn't care. I couldn't hold myself back any longer, my resolve weakened when I saw how beautiful she looked when she laughed. Covid or not, I would kiss her anytime, anywhere.

I think I'm falling in love with her.

When she took control of our kiss, I knew then, that she will be the one I spend the rest of my life with. Sometimes you need to make sure. And I confirmed everything I needed to know with just one kiss.

Minali is mine.

"Let's go home Minali." I said to her, taking her to my car.

The drive to her house has tested my resolve. I wanted to stop the car somewhere and kiss her again. But that wouldn't be proper. And Minali deserves the best.

Finally, we reached her house, in a quiet little suburb, not too far from my own home. Neat houses lined the street, each with picketed fencing or tidy little hedges growing around the perimeter of the houses.

Minali's home was a beautiful house with white stucco walls and a blue trimming. She grew shrubs and small pink and yellow flower trees on either side of the driveway, her own car parked in the garage.

The entrance of her house was decorated with quotes from Shakespearean plays and poems which hung in either side of the door and above the sofa. A television faced the sofa with a Tottenham Hotspur scarf hanging on the armrest if the single seater adjacent to the television.

"You can make yourself comfortable. I'm just going to change out of this pencil skirt. I absolutely hate wearing it. But I have to." She huffed, kicking off her heels in a corner and disappearing behind a door leading into the rest of the house.

I sat down, reading through the literary quotes as I waited for her. I spotted my favourite Shakespearean sonnet and began to read through it.

"Let me not to the marriage of true minds,
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved."

"Sonnet 116. My favourite." She returned, standing by side, watching me.

I turned away from the poem, and everything made sense in the world. Because, before me, dressed in her trackpants and an oversized t-shirt, stood the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes upon.

'Fuck... I read one poem and I've suddenly become so poetic.' I blinked to myself.

"Uhm, yeah, but nothing compares to you." I swallowed, waiting for her to laugh.

"That's really sweet of you Hosoek." She blushed. "I, er- I've made a pot of tea if you want to join me in the kitchen?" She asked shyly.

It was technically still tea time. Or maybe my sense of time was warped. I didn't care. I just want to be with her.

"Sure, let's do that." I replied, feeling myself blush. I wanted to kiss her. But I'm also a little hungry and felt my stomach grumble right on cue, embarrassing me.

"I sort of skipped lunch today." I said looking at the floor, avoiding her eyes.

I actually couldn't eat with how nervous I was about seeing her today. I had texted her to meet me after work, but then became nervous.

"It's alright oppa. Come on, I have just the thing for you." She smiled at me, grabbing my hand and pulling me off the sofa.

🎀 🎀 🎀

A/n: I didn't want to drag their first kiss. Where would the fun in that be?

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