Once Taehyung started his shift, he plastered his usual affable smile on his face.

Customers were coming and going endlessly, and he didn't have even a minute to sit down. As he was preparing some drinks, he couldn't help but eavesdrop on a conversation two girls were having.

"They were right about this place."

"Yeah, it's really cute and warm, isn't it?"

"Yes, it was worth listening to them."

"And free gift card too."

"It's a win-win situation."

Taehyung rucked his brows at the weird conversation. Probably someone they knew recommended this place. With this thought, he shrugged it off and finished their order.

"Thank you," the two girls chirped and bundled off.

What was strange to Taehyung was that he heard a quite similar conversation about an hour later from a group of people after placing their order.

Curiosity built up in him, and he couldn't control it anymore. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but listen to your conversation. Who are you talking about? Who recommended this place?"

"Oh, we were walking close by and there was a group of people giving out these gift cards," the boy explained as he showed him his gift card. "They said we can use it if we come here and order something. All we have to do is write down the number of our order and then go to the assigned stores and use them."

Taehyung observed the gift card in depth as he listened to what the boy had to say, and everything clicked once he saw his name. Sponsored by Jeon Jeongguk. Not even his company. Jeon Jeongguk himself. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he handed the gift card back to the boy and finished their order.

Inguk emerged from the kitchen a while later, and since Taehyung could finally take a moment to relax, he cleared his throat, getting his attention. "So why do we have so many customers nowadays again?"

"We talked about this, I have no idea. But at least we're making good money now."

"Exactly."

"What's up with you?"

"Your friend gives out gift cards so people will come here."

"What?"

"Jeongguk. He's been helping with our clientele."

It was another good deed carried out by Jeongguk that was obviously connected to him, something that troubled him deeply since he couldn't understand the reason behind his actions.

"I don't know why he had the need to help me out, but I'm not complaining." Inguk chuckled as he lifted a carefree shoulder.

"Yeah," Taehyung uttered with a sigh. I just hope you were the one he wanted to help.

 
After hours of serving plenty of customers, Taehyung had only one more hour before the end of his shift and the customers started decreasing. He was all out exhausted, and the main reason was the stupid cast; he couldn't feel his left leg from all the hopping and standing for so long.

Just when he was about to sit down, he heard the door opening and stood straighter again. His smiley expression converted into a dour one real quick once he saw who it was. He wilted on the stool, not caring about the boy in front of him.

"Hi." Maybe it was the first time since the day he met him where he greeted him as an equal human being, and Jeongguk was sorely aware of that.

Taehyung cast him a rather indifferent glance, not bothering to answer him. "Inguk," he called loud enough for the boss to hear, and he leaped out from the kitchen seconds later.

Inguk looked back and forth at the two boys with narrowed eyes as he perceived how tense the air between them was. "Hey, Kook."

"A word?"

Since Taehyung wasn't looking at the CEO when he said that, his stupid brain thought that he was talking to him and snapped his gaze at him, ready to dismiss his request. His mouth opened and closed without words coming out as he realized that Jeongguk was actually talking to Inguk and not him.

Jeongguk of course noticed but didn't comment anything. He instead walked away from the bar with Inguk following him after a moment.

"What's up?"

"I'm sure Taehyung talked to you about what happened."

"He sure did. You made him cry, Jeongguk."

"Yeah, whatever, I'm a cold egoistic asshole who only cares about himself anyway," he hissed and sighed afterwards. "Can you just do me a favor?"

"If it's about Taehyung, no."

"Hyung, please. He wants to pay me back, and I will go insane if I keep this money with me for another minute." He glanced towards the bar, making sure that Taehyung couldn't see him. "Can you just give this money back to him and tell him that it's his bonus? He doesn't have to know where the money comes from."

Inguk eyed the envelope in the boy's hand but didn't reach for it. "Jeongguk, if he finds out, I'm dead. He'll get angry at me, and I'm innocent in all this."

"I know, hyung, I know. Just tell him that it's his bonus for doing well, and since you guys have more customers now, you can afford to give him a bonus."

"Why did you suddenly decide to do that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"About the gift cards."

Jeongguk's eyes widened a tad. He didn't want anyone to know about that, but he still had to put his name on the gift cards so the customers could use them.

"Oh my God," Inguk breathed out once the realization struck him. "You planned all of this from the beginning."

"Hyung—"

"You knew that Taehyung wouldn't accept your help and would try to pay you back. That's why you helped me. So I can make more money and for you to have an excuse to make me give his money back to him."

Jeongguk nibbled his bottom lip as he slipped the envelope back in his pocket and kept his mouth shut because yes, Inguk was one hundred percent right about everything.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you so obsessed with helping him?" Inguk whisper-yelled at him, a scowl adorning his face.

"I always help people."

"Cut the crap, Jeongguk. You had never gone this far just to help someone."

"I-I care," he murmured as he glanced away.

"About what?"

A frustrated groan jumped out of his mouth at his question as he rolled his eyes. "About him obviously."

"You don't even know him. All you have done since the day you met him was to be harsh on him and yell at him."

"I don't need you scolding me right now too!"

"Scolding you doesn't help anyway, does it? In the end, you will do whatever you want. Taehyung was right. Whatever the rich CEO wants, he gets it anyway."

Jeongguk darted his gaze at him at his last remark. "He said that?"

"He did. He hates you, just so you know. And I was stupid enough to try changing his mind about you. But this is too much. You went too far to help him. I'm not doing you any favors that are related to him. Don't talk to me about him anymore. Someone needs to protect him, and I won't do anything that could sadden him or hurt him. I'm sorry, Jeongguk. But you need to grow up. You have to understand that you can't always do whatever you want without asking." He stepped away then, but Jeongguk seized his hand.

"I can't sleep while knowing I have his money in my hands."

"Then don't sleep," he uttered and freed his hand from his grip, only for the younger to snatch it once again.

Taehyung noticed the little scene and couldn't help but narrow his eyes on them as he rose from his seat, alarmed.

"Jeongguk, stop."

"You want to protect Taehyung, but who's gonna protect me?"

"You have money, that's all you care about, right? That's the only thing you do anyway, you brag about your money. Maybe not always with your words but with your actions too. I couldn't see it before, but Taehyung was right again. You do think about him as a charity case. I just can't understand why. You went too far to brag about your money this time."

Inguk pulled his hand away, and Jeongguk let him go. He turned around, and his eyes fell on Taehyung, who stood beside the bar, gazing at them in confusion. He lowered his head and hurried to the kitchen without saying anything to the black-haired boy.

Taehyung redirected his gaze to Jeongguk, who was frozen there with a doleful expression painted over his face — a sight he had never seen before.

They stood still for a stretch, staring at each other. Taehyung began trudging towards him, but the moment Jeongguk registered it, he spun around and bolted out of the cafe, something that baffled him to the hilt. He sped up his gait, although it was hard with the crutches, and followed him outside.

He spotted Jeongguk's car in front of the cafe, but he didn't have time to do anything. He drove away before he could even call out his name. He dropped his head in defeat and returned inside.

"You still have thirty minutes," Inguk said in a cold tone as Taehyung went behind the bar.

"Hyung, what happened?"

"Don't worry about it."

"How can I not? I have never seen Jeongguk like that before."

"You should just stay away from him. He's no good for you."

"What? Why?"

If Inguk told him what Jeongguk did, he was sure he would stay away from him at all costs. And he mused over it, but he couldn't do that to Jeongguk. As pissed and disappointed he was, he couldn't do that to his dongsaeng. "I said what I had to say. Finish your shift and go home."

. . .

Jeongguk returned to his empty house, feeling unexpected distress engulf him. What Inguk said to him stung more than he thought it would. And the worst part was that he still had Taehyung's money with him. He really wanted to just burn them at that very moment, but it was Taehyung's money, and he had to give it back somehow.

Did he really go too far to help him? He didn't believe that he went too far though. He just wanted to help him. And bringing more customers to Inguk's cafe was a win-win situation for both of them. He couldn't understand why Inguk got so mad at him.

Was he really just bragging about his money when he was helping other people? And how do you help someone without making it seem like bragging then? Is there a different way? Jeongguk was utterly confused about this.

He crawled into his bed, and he indeed couldn't sleep. He incessantly thought about when he made Taehyung cry. The things he said. How he ignored him when he went to the cafe. The way he looked at him before he left. Why he followed him outside. And about the damn money he still had with him and haunted him.

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