It's been two and a half weeks since you made it to Korea, now the company you work for is hosting a masquerade ball to celebrate ten years of business. 

You gaze at the mask Jimin bought for you, giving the soft fabric a squeeze. Do you really want to do this? No. Do you have to? Yeah, a little. 

As a new employee, even if you walked into the job, you can't be bad at it. You can't half-ass it and expect things to be handed to you. At the end of the day, they're still paying you. Like literally: you're getting paychecks. Pretty nice ones, too. 

Back home, tipping is pretty standard, but here? In Korea? No one tips. Sounds like pay would be worse, right? Wrong. The pay is amazing. Even without tips you make a wonderful hourly.

After getting changed into the dress and mask, you go downstairs and almost fall over. Okay, so you're into Jungkook, but holy shit Jimin is one hell of a man. He stands near the front door, adjusting the cuffs to his suit. His black hair is styled back, half of his hair kept out of his face while the other half is wavy, maybe even curled, and coming down to his eye. Holy shit, he's hot. So hot that you find yourself lagging for a moment.

"You okay Winters?" Jimin asks with a shit-eating grin. 

"Peachy," you reply, forcing a smile. He offers you his small, gloved hand. You take it. "Where's Tae?" 

"Out. He went to buy a new mask since the one I bought wasn't good enough for him. He'll catch up. For now, I hope you're fine with riding shotgun to the party," he says. 

"Finally, I can feel like an adult." 

He laughs, opening the door. He brings you outside and to the car, opening the passenger side door for you like the gentleman he is. You gladly accept.

Soon enough, the two of you are laughing and chit-chatting on the way to the party. It takes ten minutes to get to the grand venue, but when you do, you instantly notice the swarm of well-dressed people gathering inside. It's a party open to the public too. Countless people will be here. Jimin and Tae were hesitant to go because of this, but the masks made them feel a bit better. Not to mention the long wig you were given (it's obnoxiously long) that Jimin braided for you before he left you alone to change into the dress.

Jimin parks, sighing. "Lots of people," he says. You nod in agreement, observing each one. "I hope you find Jungkook and he doesn't recognize you."

"What? Why?" you ask. 

"So he can fall in love all over again." 

You nudge his shoulder sharply. "You're insane, Park." 

"So are you, L/n. Can I ask a favor?" 

"After saying that? No, never. Not until you make it up to me," you say with a pout. 

Jimin leans forward, brushing a stray lock of your fake hair behind your ear. Jimin doesn't take his eyes off you, licking his plump lower lip in the process. 

"You look gorgeous tonight," he whispers, making sure your mask is secure. Thank the lord for the mask. Again, you may be into Jungkook, but Jimin's attractive as hell. Those eyes can seduce anyone. Those eyes make you flustered, and the mask is the only thing hiding it.

"Okay, you're forgiven," you whisper back, him smiling in response. "What's this favor?" 

He pulls a mask out of his pocket and hands it to you. "Can you put it on for me? I'll probably mess up my hair if I do it myself." 

You agree, taking the black, lacey mask and reaching across the console. You gently brush his hair to the side and place the mask on his face, securing it as best you can. You play with it a little, then, you're convinced it won't fall and lean back. 

"All done," you say. 

He softly smiles. "Thanks Ami." 

"You're welcome Jae."

The two of you leave together, Jimin offering you his arm and you accepting. He pulls you inside the hall. It looks like a castle. Gold decorations, glass chandeliers, elegant roses, red carpets, ancient paintings, and grand staircases. It's beautiful. The classical music playing only adds to the mood. 

"Wow," you say. 

"Wow is right," Jimin replies, "stay close to me. I don't care if we're wearing masks, I want to see you at all times, got it?" 

"Got it."

He keeps a tight grip on your arm, pulling you deeper inside the elegant hall. The two of you end up standing off to the side, not moving to speak to anyone. 

"You know, the point of being at a party is to mingle," you say. 

He snorts. "No one's stopping you. I just said stay close. What's wrong, princess? Not strong enough to drag me away?" 

"Oh I can," you reply, "the problem is your ass. That thing is so thick, girthy, juicy, and massive that it's hard to carry around." 

Jimin grunts. "Forget I said anything." Then, he goes still. "Wait, it's girthy?"

You poke it. "Girthy." 

"Wow." 

You laugh, and the two of you fall into natural conversation. It stays that way for a while. You'd say twenty whole minutes pass until anything eventful happens. 

There's a tap on your shoulder. You turn and see an attractive man standing there, the entire top half of his face covered by the mask. His nose is covered too; it's simply his sharp jawline and nice lips that draw you in. He can't be Jungkook, right?

"May I have this dance?" his calming voice asks. 

Well shit, who are you to say no? But he sounds familiar. Is it Jungkook? You smile and take his hand, turning to motion to Jimin. "I'll be back." 

Jimin smiles back and nods, allowing you to go. You follow the handsome stranger donning a dark red suit out to the middle of the dance floor. He spins you around in the process. Oh shit, hot and talented. That spin was eerily similar to the spin Jungkook gave you when you slow danced together. It has to be him. But for now, you'll pretend you don't know.

You find your hands resting on his shoulders, his on your waist. "And what's a beauty like you doing standing in the corner with a random guy?" he asks.

"Waiting for you, maybe?" you ask with pursed lips. 

He softly chuckles. "Was I worth the wait?" 

"I don't know, I think you still have to prove it." 

He spins you again, dipping you. However, he doesn't pull you back up yet. He brings his face closer. "How about now?" he whispers, his breath hitting your lips. 

You smirk. "A little more. Impress me." 

He pulls you back up, and together, you dance. Honestly, it's a really fun time. You really hope it's Jungkook. "With my words or my body?" he asks, swaying you back and forth. "I'm pretty good with both, I'll let you choose." 

"Words first, pretty boy," you say. "Then the body."

He laughs, the sound blessing your ears. "And here I thought you'd be boring," he replies. 

"Boring? Me? I'll have you know talking about quantum physics and the meaning of life is very interesting, excuse you." 

He flashes you a smile. "You continue to impress me." 

"I will all night long. Especially after I explain the relativity of time. Whew, that one's a doozy-" 

He cuts you off by laughing again. "So you're a nerd?" 

"Oh no, I'm not cool enough. I'm smart." 

"Being smart isn't cool?" he asks, tilting his head. The mask rubs against his face, but it doesn't fall or move far enough for you to tell who it is.

You let out a 'pffft' noise. "Apparently not. I've heard knowing random facts isn't as fun as I thought it'd be."

The mystery man is quick to twirl you before bringing you back up against his chest. "Enlighten me," he whispers, "maybe I'll find a fact or two interesting." 

"Did you know that I'm extremely attractive?" you ask. The brown eyes you can see behind his mask scan over your body. Then, he smirks. 

"I knew that, but I still find it pretty interesting." 

"Fun fact number two: you are too." 

He chuckles. "Knew that too, but please do keep telling me." 

And without hesitation, you do.

~~~

He rushes into the bathroom, almost panting after his dance with her. There's no one else around. Only him in the men's room, his hands clutching the sides of the sink as tightly as he can. 

No, no no no this can't be happening. Not now. Not while in Korea. This is the absolute worst timing ever. He runs a shaky hand through his hair and stares at himself in the mirror. What the hell is he doing?

The sink turns on, his hands bathing in the warm water. "Get a hold of yourself," he mumbles. He taps the inside of his red jacket, feeling the butt of his concealed pistol still there. He's supposed to have it on him at all times in case of emergency. Only one problem: he can't focus. Not anymore.

His hands, even after being washed, become clammy again. He rips off several paper towels and dabs his skin. It doesn't work very well. He still feels the sticky substance all over his body, not only his hands. His skin is glistening at this point. 

He peeks up at the light and sighs. How the hell is he going to calm down? For sake of the mission, he has to. But after that dance, it feels impossible. The way her hips moved and she chuckled to his words, the way she bounced off him so well, the way she was able to keep up with everything he said. It was honestly quite impressive. So impressive that he-

"Hans?" Tae jumps, turning around to see Jungkook standing there without a mask. "Surprised to see you here without a mask," he says, coming over to the sink. 

"You are too," Tae replies. 

"Took mine off. My face isn't the kind of face you hide behind a mask," Jungkook says. Tae almost rolls his eyes. Almost.

"I can't really disagree. Amira's out in the main room in case you were wondering." 

Jungkook laughs. "I know I may act like she's my world, but I do more than think about and hang out with her. I have other friends and interests, just like how she has her bubble. Besides, she seems occupied with Jae." 

Tae clenches his hands into fists. "Occupied?" 

"They're dancing together. I don't think she saw me. Jae looks good in black, I'll give him that. And you look good in red." 

Tae forces a smile. "Thanks Jungkook. I should probably get back now, but I hope you're enjoying your night."

Jungkook shakes his head. "I'm technically here on duty. I'm supposed to be working, but my friend Jin's doing most of the work. Told me to go have fun while he handled the hard stuff. I can't even begin to count how many people are trying to steal utensils. It's so pathetic..." Jungkook trails off, clearing his throat. "But that's not the point. Go have fun, Hans. I'll see you around." Tae nods respectfully before starting to speed walk away.

"Are you okay?" Jungkook calls out. 

Tae goes still. "I'm fine, why?" 

"You seem on edge. Did I... did I do something wrong?" 

"Of course not," Tae says. He peeks over his shoulder to meet Jungkook's eyes. "But I want to talk to my friends. Sorry, as cool as you are, I don't think we're friends yet." 

Jungkook shakes him off. "I'm honored to be called cool by one of Amira's friends." 

Tae softly smiles, putting his mask back on. There's one major problem with this: Y/n didn't recognize Tae. She saw him as a mysterious red suited stranger with a lace mask. Explaining that Tae's the one she danced with will be awkward. He's not looking forward to that.

"I'm sure if you keep proving that you care about her, we'll be best friends one day," Tae says. 

Jungkook lets out a small sigh, his posture relaxing. "Thanks Hans. I hope you have a good rest of your night, and if you need anything, I'll be around." 

Tae almost wants to stay, but he doesn't. "Thanks Kook. Take it easy okay?" Jungkook hums. 

Without another word, Tae rushes away, still panting from his rapid heartbeat. A lot has happened these past two weeks, but he's never been genuinely distracted on the job before. And what's even worse: he knows why his heartbeat is going like crazy. Tae gulps. He likes her, doesn't he? 

He likes Y/n L/n.