Chapter Text
[ moodboard by when she falls ]
“Don’t freak out.”
Yawning, Taehyung stretched one arm above himself, accidentally punching the headboard in the process. He pouted slightly, shoving the phone between his shoulder and cheek so he could rub his somewhat sore hand as he replied, “You know telling me that will only make me freak out, right? It’s like you don’t even know me.”
Over the line, there was a long sigh, which only served to make Taehyung smile. It’d been a risk to dump his old manager, the one who’d helped him grow from a catalogue regular to a runway model, for his best friend, but it was times like this that he was really thankful he’d taken that risk regardless of the potential fallout.
“I had hoped that it would wet your anticipation for what I was going to say.”
Taehyung grimaced. “First of all, don’t say wet like that, it’s weird. Second of all, I repeat, it’s like you don’t even know me.”
“You are really ruining this Kim Taehyung!”
Snorting quietly, Taehyung let his body sink back into the mattress. “Sorry, sorry. Tell me what this panic-inducing news is.”
Another sigh, and then: “You got the Agust deal.”
For a moment, Taehyung’s brain simply stopped working. He heard the words, but he didn’t process them. Suddenly, he didn’t speak Korean because there was no way that he’d just heard what he thought he’d heard. “What?”
“I said you got the Agust deal.”
Taehyung launched himself out of bed, his legs getting tangled in the blankets. He hit the ground hard but even the pain didn’t stop him from jumping up and dancing around his room. From the outside, he was sure he looked like a crazy person, but he didn’t care.
Agust had easily been the first brand to ever make an impression on Taehyung. He’d been young the first time he saw it, maybe sixteen, and he could still remember stopping dead in his tracks in front of a large pristine jewelry store window. It’d been a simple set, just earrings and a matching necklace, but the way the silver and pearl had worked together to create a delicate-looking flower had left him breathless. It had looked so delicate, like breathing on it too hard would make the petals fly away, and Taehyung had been in awe. It’d taken him several months to save up enough money to buy the earrings, but he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it so he’d figured it was worth it.
It had been like he was instantly obsessed. Even that night, when he’d arrived home, it’d been all he could think about. It had gotten so bad that he’d decided to look up the brand and see if they did anything else—perhaps something he could afford without months of saving. There had been little to no information though. Several magazines and websites had done reviews of the set Taehyung had seen, lauding it as a magnificent debut, but there was no information about who or what Agust was.
After a few more searches, he’d learned that the lack of information was purposeful. Agust was both the brand and the designer’s name—and that was all that was known. People speculated, gathered tidbits of information, but that was all. Over the years, it’d been discovered that Agust was a man, that he was young enough to still need to do military service—as that had been the source of speculation when Agust hadn’t released a summer or winter line like they usually did—and that there was a reason for him hiding his identity.
Now that Taehyung thought about it with all the wisdom of his thirty years of life, he realized that even that ‘knowledge’ was mostly speculation. A brand missing two seasons in a row wasn’t common, but it wasn’t unheard of and assuming that meant the head designer was in the military seemed like a massive leap. Also, Taehyung wasn’t sure where the rumour about Agust not sharing their identity even came from, so how could it mean something specific?
“You still there?”
Taehyung blinked, realizing that he’d just gone silent for what had been at least several minutes. “Yes, sorry. I’m doing exactly what you said not to do.”
“I haven’t even gotten to the exciting part.”
“There’s more?” Taehyung managed, his heart pounding.
“They’re launching a new line, as I’m sure you’re aware since you’re a little fanboy. Something to do with a lotus flower?”
“They always use a lotus flower. How do you not— don’t distract me! What’s the ‘more’ you mentioned?”
Though Taehyung could practically feel the eye-roll, he ignored it and waited until eventually he heard: “They want you to meet the designer so he can explain the meaning of the new line.”
He.
“HE?”
“That’s what they said?”
“DO YOU KNOW HOW VALUABLE INFORMATION LIKE THAT IS?”
“Tae, can you please stop yelling?”
“NO! HOLY SHIT! I’M GOING TO MEET AGUST! HOLY FUCK!”
“Call me back when you’re done freaking out.”
Taehyung barely heard the line go dead. He was still too busy freaking out. He was no longer dancing around, instead standing stock still as he had what amounted to, for him, a full meltdown.
He was going to meet Agust.
He was going to meet the man who’d first inspired him to get into jewelry and accessories in general.
He was going to meet the man who’d first made him start to think about outfits as an entire entity rather than separate elements, which had ultimately led him to his current career.
He was going to meet his idol.
🌸
Taehyung never did call his manager back but that was mostly because he’d never stopped freaking out. Even as he sat in the back of a van, driving to the Agust building, he was still freaking out.
“I can’t believe I’m asking this but can you promise me that you won’t scream like a fangirl at a music show?”
Frowning slightly, Taehyung shot his manager, best friend, and current pain in the ass, Park Jimin, a sour look. “Are you shit-talking fangirls right now?”
“No, I am asking that, in a business meeting, you do not scream. Fangirls simply provided the perfect image for what I would like you not to do.”
“I won’t scream.”
Probably.
“Why don’t I believe you?”
Rolling his eyes even if he had also been second-guessing himself, Taehyung crossed his arms. “I will be professional, Jimin. I don’t want to fuck this up and lose this chance.”
Jimin narrowed his eyes at him for a moment before nodding. “Alright.”
“I did have a question.”
“Then ask it.”
“Is this… normal?” Taehyung asked hesitantly. He was certain he’d never heard any other models talk about having met Agust and he had definitely met some who’d done work for the brand before. He couldn’t imagine meeting Agust and not talking about it. Especially since their industry was basically a cesspool for gossip.
“Yes and no,” Jimin said, his eyes on his phone as he typed a quick message. Taehyung saw the Agust emblem in the corner and assumed Jimin was speaking to whoever was going to greet them upon arrival. “The designer doesn’t meet all their models. He only meets individual brand ambassadors of new lines. If there’s more than one, he doesn’t meet them.”
Taehyung blinked a few times. “That doesn’t really make sense. Also, I’ve met their brand ambassadors before. Jungkook never mentioned meeting him.”
“There’s an NDA.”
“Oh,” Taehyung said slowly. That made a lot of sense. Of course there would be an NDA for someone as notoriously reclusive as Agust’s designer. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of that before.
“Yea. Basically, we’ll go in, meet the head of R and D, sign the NDA, and then Agust will come in to walk you through the designs and the theme of this launch. From what I understand, it’s a very big deal.”
Humming, Taehyung’s eyes darted to the window just as the Agust building came into view. “This is the first time they’ve released something outside of their usual season launch. They’ve always stuck to the four seasons to match their flower imagery.”
“I guess that explains it,” Jimin murmured to himself. “I’m told Agust chose you himself. The head of R and D said Agust doesn’t usually get involved with stuff like that.”
“He chose me?” Taehyung asked, his head whipping around as the car pulled to a stop.
“Yes so don’t blow it,” Jimin hissed, his expression shifting to a genial smile as the door was pulled open and he stepped out. Practically scrambling after Jimin despite knowing he had an image to maintain, Taehyung got out of the car, bowing respectfully to the man waiting. Jimin waved to him. “This is Kim Taehyung and I’m Park Jimin. We have an appointment with Kim Seokjin?”
“Thank you for visiting Agust. Mr. Kim is waiting for you in his personal conference room. If you’d follow me?”
Jimin waved Taehyung forward so he could walk ahead, which just allowed Taehyung to mouth personal conference room to him as he walked by. Jimin rolled his eyes but didn’t comment. Not that Taehyung had expected him to.
The second he was inside the building, Taehyung’s attention was completely diverted. His eyes were flicking everywhere, taking in each and every little thing. There were large screens depicting previous campaigns as well as their ongoing one along one side and Taehyung found himself staring at them, imagining his own image up there alongside so many different models. It made his heart race in anticipation. Not just because this was a huge job and honour, but because it was Agust.
Shaking himself out of what would, quite easily, become another freakout, Taehyung turned his attention to the opposite side of the lobby. The entire wall was made of glass with bright lights. After a moment, Taehyung realized it was a jewelry display. It seemed risky to have something like that in a lobby of all places.
“It’s a museum of sorts,” the man who’d greeted them explained, clearly noticing Taehyung’s attention. “Agust selected one piece from each collection and put it on display. It’s in chronological order.”
Instinctively, Taehyung touched his earrings, wondering if they were on display. They were from Agust’s first line after all, but there had also been the necklace which, based on what little he could see in the displays, seemed to be what was featured the most heavily.
“Did you want to stop and look?”
Realizing that he’d just been staring, Taehyung dropped his hand and shook his head. “Not now. If it’s alright, I’d love to look after the meeting. I wouldn’t want to keep anyone waiting.”
The man nodded. “I’m sure that can be arranged. The elevator is this way.”
Glancing back at Jimin briefly, Taehyung followed the man into the elevator, watching as he swiped a card that illuminated three additional buttons at the top of the panel. He hit one, seemingly the second highest based on the numbering, and folded his hands as the elevator shot up. Taehyung felt himself get antsy but he was pretty sure he was covering it well. At least until the man swiped his card an additional time before the door to the elevator opened. That seemed like an accident waiting to happen.
“Lotta security,” Jimin commented, apparently noticing the same thing Taehyung had.
“Agust takes privacy very seriously,” the man said simply, waving Taehyung and Jimin off the elevator. He followed a moment later and directed them down a short hallway to a doorway marked KSJ Conference Room. “If you would wait in here, Mr. Kim will be with you momentarily.”
“Thank you,” Taehyung murmured, bowing again before he stepped inside. A quick scan of the room told him that conference room wasn’t really the most apt term to describe the room. It was more like a lounge. There was a table, but it was low and surrounded by several plush chairs and a couch. Against the wall there was what seemed to be a coffee and alcohol bar, as well as an assortment of snacks. “Wow.”
“Not exactly what I was expecting,” Jimin admitted, his eyes flicking around the room. “It’s…”
“I hope you were about to say magnificent.”
Taehyung and Jimin tensed and spun around, coming face to face with a tall, beautiful man with swept-back hair and an immaculate suit. Taehyung stared at his face, taking in the symmetry and plush lips, and wondered briefly if this man had been a model too.
“I would say staring isn’t polite, but I’m quite beautiful, so I often allow it. Kim Seokjin,” the man introduced, reaching out to shake Taehyung’s hand.
Scrambling forward, Taehyung took his hand and shook it. Seokjin’s mannerisms and confidence threw him off, which was saying something as someone who worked with models and actors regularly, but there was a teasing nature in his tone that told Taehyung he wasn’t being entirely truthful. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for choosing me.”
“I didn’t choose you, but that doesn’t mean I’m not delighted,” Seokjin returned as he straightened and turned to Jimin. “You must be Park Jimin.”
“I am. It’s lovely to meet you in person, Mr. Kim.”
“You as well,” Seokjin greeted.
Once he’d shaken Jimin’s hand, he stepped back and clapped. “Alright. Let’s get this NDA out of the way so we can actually talk business. Or rather so Agust can talk business. He’d have my head if he thought I was explaining his designs to anyone.”
Taehyung bit his lip, holding back his excitement, and nodded. “I’ll sign whatever you want!”
Seokjin snorted, throwing a teasing glance Jimin’s way. “That’s a dangerous trait to have in a client.”
“Don’t I know it.”
Though he’d usually push back against Jimin’s teasing, Taehyung ignored it this time, too excited about the prospect of finally meeting Agust. He felt like he’d been waiting years even if it had really only been a few weeks. He was so close.
“And that’s the jist of it,” Seokjin said, widening his hands. His eyes were on Taehyung, like he was expecting him to reply, but since he hadn’t been listening, he just waited for Jimin’s commentary.
“Seems simple enough. I assumed this is what the NDA would contain based on our conversations,” Jimin said, crossing his legs.
“It is pretty simple,” Seokjin agreed. “We use the same ones for all our brand ambassadors. If things change, then a new NDA will be discussed.”
“Change?” Jimin repeated, a pointed eyebrow raised.
Seokjin tilted his head. “I can’t go into details, but Agust formed a… friendship with a previous ambassador, which meant that some of the previous terms of the NDA no longer worked.”
Taehyung blinked. Friendship? With Agust? Wouldn’t that be amazing? He couldn’t imagine being friends with someone who could create so delicately and beautifully. “So where do I sign?”
Handing over a pen, Seokjin pointed to the three red tabs on the page. “Sign beside the red tabs, initially beside the blue. Once that’s done, I’ll let Agust know we’re ready.”
Restraining himself just enough to not snatch the pen away from Seokjin, Taehyung signed and initialled as he was told and set it down. He looked expectantly at Seokjin, who smiled and stood up. “Let's go meet Agust.”
🌸
The second elevator ride, though substantially shorter since it only went up one floor, felt so much longer than the first to Taehyung. He could feel himself nervously shifting, his hands clenching and unclenching, and he was mostly sure he wasn’t breathing properly—or at all.
“I have a question.”
Taehyung tensed, his head slowly turning toward Seokjin, who hadn’t spoken since directing Taehyung to the elevator, and blinked owlishly. He was not calm enough to maintain a conversation right now. “Yes?”
“Those earrings? How long did it take you to find them?”
Blinking again, Taehyung touched the earrings in question self-consciously even as he stared at Seokjin in confusion. “What?”
“They’re hard to get a hold of now since they’re from when Agust first launched. Not many were made so they’ve become a collectible of sorts. They go for quite a bit at auction but I haven’t seen any up for sale recently. Not real ones anyway.”
The elevator dinged, announcing their arrival at the floor, but the door didn’t open. Much like the first floor they’d stopped on, it was clear that the door required a secondary swipe of an I.D. card to work but Seokjin didn’t move to swipe anything. Instead, he continued to look at Taehyung, clearly waiting for a reply. Taehyung’s eyes darted to the still-closed door nervously before he said, “I bought them when they first came out.”
“You must have been quite young,” Seokjin said. “Not a purchase someone that age usually makes.”
“Sixteen. Though I was seventeen when I finally got them. They’d already been replaced by the next season’s launch by then but I wanted them anyway. I had to save up.”
Seokjin nodded slowly. “You must be from Daegu then.”
“Did your research on me tell you that?”
“Agust did his own this time and I trust his judgement.”
Thinking about Agust looking into him made Taehyung nervous. He couldn’t imagine what his idol had thought of his life and career, what he’d concluded about Taehyung and his style. It was nerve-wracking. But something about Seokjin’s previous statement made Taehyung tilt his head. Why had Taehyung saving up to buy the first launch indicated that he was from Daegu? “Then how’d you know I was from Daegu?”
“Because that’s the only place the first and second launch overlapped,” Seokjin said simply, finally tapping his card against the scanner. “Hometown pride.”
Taehyung blinked, his mouth opening and closing in shock as the door opened and Seokjin gracefully strode through. He was learning so much about his idol so quickly and he really didn’t know how to reconcile that. For the past fifteen years, he’d known next to nothing but now he knew that Agust was a man from Daegu. He was sure he’d learn more now that they would be working together, but for now, Taehyung was still amazed.
And excited.
“Are you coming?”
“Yes, sorry,” Taehyung apologized, rushing out of the elevator. Seokjin had stopped at the entrance of a hallway on the other side of the lobby foyer. A quick look around told Taehyung that there was only one hallway, the only other thing in the foyer being a closed door marked Maintenance. Still, Taehyung couldn’t help but look around, his brows furrowing in mild confusion.
The feel of this floor was already so much different from the previous two he’d seen. The main lobby was grand and opulent, set up to display the remarkable work Agust had done in fifteen short years. The floor that contained Seokjin’s private conference room was similarly opulent but in a much more business-centric way. It was impressive, if over the top, and suited the man well.
This floor though. It was… plain. It felt like an IKEA catalogue had thrown up all over it. The tables and flowers that decorate the foyer and hallway were generic and lacked colour, the walls were a bland eggshell, and there was no art or decorations to speak of.
“I know, it’s awful, but Agust always insists that he’s here to work and not stare at the walls so he doesn’t let us ‘waste’ money to decorate them. For a designer, he’s remarkably prone to surrounding himself with the most bland decor possible,” Seokjin sighed out, sounding genuinely disgruntled. Something in his tone spoke of fondness though, and a closeness that Taehyung hadn’t originally picked up on. He was suddenly certain the two men were friends and not just colleagues.
“You two sound close.”
“He is, unfortunately, my best friend. No accounting for taste,” Seokjin responded with a teasing smile before he turned toward a heavy-looking door with a keypad mounted beside it. He rang the doorbell once before punching in a code quickly. The door buzzed loudly and popped open, making Taehyung jump, but Seokjin just stepped through like he was used to it and waved for Taehyung to follow.
The second he was inside, he realized why this room had more security than any other even though it was already on a secure floor—it was the design studio. The room itself was very white and brightly lit with light. It made Taehyung squint while his eyes adjusted, but he was too busy taking in everything to care about the slight pain in his eyes.
He was in Agust’s studio!
There wasn’t a whole lot to see, honestly. The walls were lined with what appeared to be shelves that were covered by clear protective glass, and the tables, though numerous, were largely empty. The only table that wasn’t empty was the one set back in the furthest corner away from the door. There, a small man sat, his back hunched as he poured over something set in front of him. From this distance, Taehyung couldn’t tell what it was aside from the fact it was silver, but given that was Agust’s specialty, that really didn’t tell him much.
Wait.
Agust’s studio.
A man working.
A man working in Agust’s studio.
Agust.
Despite what he had pseudo-promised Jimin, Taehyung couldn’t stop the small, excited sound that escaped his throat as he realized he was looking at his idol, even if the man himself hadn’t moved to acknowledge the two yet. He slapped a hand over his mouth to prevent the sound from travelling—and perhaps to stop any further sounds—but he wasn’t fast enough that Seokjin didn’t hear it.
Very slowly, Seokjin turned to him and raised a brow, his lips pulling up into a small, pleased smile when Taehyung blushed in response. He had a feeling Seokjin was enjoying his embarrassment and that made Taehyung blush even more, mortified that his own excitement had prevented him from being professional.
Thankfully, Seokjin didn’t say anything. He only turned back around and sighed loudly before all but stomping through the maze of tables to where the small man continued to sit, hunched over his design. From the entry, Taehyung couldn’t see his face since it was covered by black shoulder-length hair. Very pretty hair, in Taehyung’s opinion. Not that anyone had asked.
“Yoongi, what did I tell you about working before a meeting?”
Confused, Taehyung snapped out of his own thoughts and glanced around again, looking for the man that Seokjin was speaking to. He saw no one, and, after a moment, watched as Seokjin stopped in front of Agust and put his hands on his hips, his foot tapping in annoyance as he looked down at the small man who’d yet to acknowledge him in any way.
Yoongi was Agust.
Agust’s name was Yoongi.
Taehyung made another weak sound, his hand still covering his mouth. Yoongi was such a pretty name! A delicate name. It suited the designs so well. Agust has always felt harsher to Taehyung, not quite in line with the fragility of the designs, but Yoongi suited it so perfectly. Suddenly, the name Agust felt more like armour than an identity.
“Yoongi, are you even listening to me?”
“Yes, hyung,” a deep voice replied, the tone disconnected and almost bored. It was a tone born from repetition and a complete lack of attention. There was absolutely no way that Agust—Yoongi—had been paying attention to Seokjin at all. He was replying based entirely on habit. That fact made Taehyung smile a little, amused. He’d known they were close and, despite Seokjin’s teasing confirmation, it made him feel special to witness it firsthand.
“My god,” Seokjin muttered, spinning on his heel. He sent Taehyung a look that read as incredibly tired before he walked straight to a small panel built into the wall. Without hesitation, Seokjin yanked it open and reached inside. There was a small click and then all the lights in the room shut off.
Immediately, emergency lights flickered on, illuminating the room in a subtle glow. It was just enough for Taehyung to see Yoongi’s head snap up as he looked around, his features hidden by the lack of light and shadow of his hair, before he began to whine, “Hyung! I was in the middle of—”
“Kim Taehyung is here, Yoongi.”
Even in the dark, the way Yoongi’s body tensed was obvious. He froze in place and, very slowly, turned toward the entry where Taehyung still stood. Their eyes met in the dim light and Taehyung couldn’t stop himself from waving shyly. “Um, hi. Nice to meet you. Big fan.”
“Hi,” Yoongi replied somewhat dumbly. “No one told me you were coming early.”
Seokjin sighed loudly and turned the lights back on, telling Taehyung that the panel on the wall had been a breaker box, and said, “What time is it?”
“Noon.”
“Try that again.”
Yoongi hesitated, slowly looking down at the table in front of him. He reached out and tapped something, which Taehyung assumed was his phone, and then winced. “Oh.”
“Which is why I told you not to work before this meeting. This always happens.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me. I’m not the one you’re making a terrible impression on!”
Taehyung wasn’t sure terrible was the word he’d use. Yoongi was far too beautiful for him to make a bad impression on anyone. Or perhaps cute was a better word to describe him. Taehyung wasn’t really sure and honestly he didn’t care because Yoongi was very much his type. His face was small and round, his nose delicate and upturned, and his lips pink and pouty. Perfect for kissing.
Or biting.
Not that he was thinking about that.
His eyes, though small, were also incredibly expressive. When his face didn’t move, set into something almost deadpan in its impassiveness, his eyes shone with embarrassment and guilt. Taehyung had always heard of people acting with their eyes—his actor friends had often told him that it was the hardest part of getting into a role since only moving the face made the emotions feel fraudulent—but he’d never really understood what that looked like until now.
“I can wait if this is a bad time. I don’t have anything else scheduled today.”
“Do not let him pick that soldering gun back up. You’ll lose him for the rest of the day,” Seokjin muttered as he shook his head and walked back to Yoongi’s side, who looked even more sheepish now. This was not how Taehyung had expected his first interaction with his idol to go but he wasn’t complaining. “Now, Yoongi, please meet Kim Taehyung, Agust’s new brand ambassador.”
Yoongi turned to Taehyung, bowing slightly. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Kim Taehyung, meet Min Yoongi, the brains behind Agust and, as such, Agust himself.”
Taehyung bowed deeply, mostly to conceal his own excitement. “It’s an honour! Thank you so much for choosing me. I won’t let you down!”
“I have absolutely no doubt,” Yoongi murmured, his voice softer than before, an almost rumble in his chest. “Would you like to hear about the designs for this launch?”
Without really thinking about it, Taehyung straightened, all but leaping forward, and nodded. He saw Yoongi’s eyes dart to the side, as if he was looking over Taehyung’s shoulder rather than at his face, but Taehyung figured he was probably only just then noticing the earrings he wore so he didn’t worry about it. Instead he smiled even brighter, letting his excitement shine through, “Yes, please!”
“Then follow me.”
🌸
After a few minutes of fussing which mostly consisted of Seokjin quietly lecturing Yoongi about remaining on schedule and ensuring that a proper debrief was done so that Taehyung understood his role, Yoongi shooed Seokjin off and the older man obeyed. Yoongi didn’t seem to mind the fussing, or even notice it all that much, which told Taehyung that it happened often, and spoke volumes about the closeness of their relationship.
He couldn’t imagine what it was like to be close to the Agust. What was he like when he relaxed? When he drank? When he was suffering from lack of sleep? When he was excited? These were all questions that Taehyung had long had about his idol, but they’d intensified ten-fold upon seeing Agust in person. He was too attractive for Taehyung not to fixate on that fact, even if he kept telling himself to remain professional.
“Did you want something to drink?” Yoongi asked, his attention fixed on Taehyung’s face even as he shuffled through papers on his desk. Yoongi had led him to a small office just off the side of the studio which seemed to be where he did his designing and planning. Like the rest of the floor, it was largely barren, but the desktop was large and smooth, perfect for spreading out multiple sketches and pages, and, in the corner, there was a small mini-fridge which likely housed the drink options Yoongi was now offering.
“I’m okay, thank you.”
Yoongi hummed even as his eyes narrowed slightly, once again darting to the right so he was staring just over Taehyung’s shoulder. He’d been doing that a lot—alternating between staring at Taehyung’s face and then over his shoulder. Taehyung had assumed he was looking at the earrings, much like Seokjin had, but now he was convinced it was a self-defence mechanism of some kind. Taehyung was fairly certain that Yoongi was a very awkward man.
“It’s no trouble.”
“I’m fine.”
“Right,” Yoongi said before going to the mini-fridge anyway and pulling out two bottles of water. He set one on the edge of his desk, closest to Taehyung, before returning to his original spot and opening his own bottle. He took a long sip, his eyes flicking between Taehyung and the unopened bottle, but didn’t say anything more.
Endeared, Taehyung couldn’t stop the smile that quirked his lips as he took the silently offered bottle and opened it. Yoongi was clearly a man of actions rather than words, but that wasn’t really surprising to Taehyung. Someone who created so beautifully, who spoke so loudly through the delicate curves of silver, being more internal with their thoughts and feelings just made sense to him. Or maybe Taehyung just liked to think that because he tended to be the same, even if he was sure he was much more extroverted than Yoongi seemed to be.
Taking a drink of the water, Taehyung watched some of the tension bleed out of Yoongi’s shoulders as he finally looked down at his desk. He frowned slightly, his brows furrowing as he looked over the papers he’d been shuffling, then he sighed and bent over, pulling a tablet out of the drawer.
“So, this campaign,” Yoongi finally began tapping in a few things on the tablet, “is a big deal in many ways for Agust, both me the person and the company itself.”
“It’s the first time you’re not following a season. I was surprised when my manager told me about the timeline,” Taehyung said eagerly as he shifted toward the edge of his seat. Yoongi’s eyes snapped up in surprise, his irises flicking back and forth, and Taehyung cleared his throat. “Sorry. I wasn’t… kidding about the being a fan thing. Agust is the only reason I ever got into fashion.”
Yoongi lowered the tablet and moved to the couch, taking a seat on the opposite end. He set the tablet on his lap, his fingers curling around the edges, and tilted his head at Taehyung. “From what I know of you, Kim Taehyung, you’ve always been interested in fashion.”
Taehyung wasn’t really sure how much Yoongi knew about him, Seokjin’s passing mention of research could mean really anything, but he explained anyway. “Fashion as in clothes, yes. It wasn’t until I saw your first launch that I started to think about fashion as accessories as well. I wanted your earrings so badly but I knew I couldn’t just wear them so I started planning outfits like that.”
“You’re one of the few who bought my first launch at the time,” Yoongi admitted, his hand suddenly leaving the tablet to reach out toward Taehyung’s ear. He’d only just touched one of the earrings when he’d seemingly realized what he was doing and snatched his hand away. “It was one of the reasons I chose you for this project.”
“But your debut had such good reviews.”
Yoongi snorted at that, the expression on his face shifting from the vague deadpan it’d been set in for most of their meeting to something more derisive. “Reviews don’t matter to the type of people who make the jewelry world spin. Only names do that.”
Since modelling was much the same, Taehyung sighed sympathetically and nodded. “I think that’s how most things in this industry work.”
“It’s not how I work,” Yoongi said simply. “If you’ve followed Agust, you’ll know that none of my models or brand ambassadors have been what you’d call privileged. I work exclusively with self-made people. I have nothing against those with family or money advantages, but I figure those advantages mean that they can get a contract anywhere.”
Taehyung blinked a few times. He had noticed, of course, that Agust had a somewhat odd choice in brand ambassadors. They were all beautiful and talented, of course, but they never followed trends and never used the IT-model of the season despite now having the reputation required to do so. It had struck Taehyung as unusual, but he hadn’t thought much of it, instead assuming Agust did blind auditions. “That’s very noble of you.”
“It certainly isn’t. Now, this campaign,” Yoongi began again, opening his tablet and setting it on the table. He scooted forward and pulled up a file, his finger tapping mindlessly on the edge of the screen as it loaded. The second the file opened, Taehyung was greeted with a large do not share watermark and a few other vaguely threatening warnings. Yoongi bypassed all of them, plus a few long pages of text which likely explained the theme of the campaign, before stopping on the first item, which was a ring.
Immediately, Taehyung leaned forward, his nose practically touching the screen, and sighed softly. It was, as expected, beautiful, but it was also… painful. Taehyung saw no other way to describe it. The ring was made up of intertwined lotus flowers, an Agust staple, but they were in varying stages of bloom. Some petals appeared wilted or damaged, while others appeared strong and healthy. It was a remarkable feat to convey such feeling in metal alone, and Taehyung couldn’t wait to see the ring in person.
“This ring is beautiful, Mr. Min,” Taehyung said eventually, his eyes flicking to Yoongi, who was watching him closely. “Painful, but beautiful.”
Yoongi’s eyes widened subtly, but he nodded. “The theme of this campaign is a… personal one about blooming after trials. The tagline will be something along the lines of ‘everything will be okay,’ though we’re still workshopping that. Or, well, Seokjin-hyung is. Each item will contain the damaged blooms as well as the unharmed blooms, showing the never-ending cycle of recovery.”
“You’ve captured that so well. I can’t wait to see the pieces in person. I’m sure they’ll be wonderful.”
Pursing his lips, Yoongi stood up and walked toward the wall. He pressed down, causing the wall to shift and reveal a hidden safe. Taehyung blinked in shock as Yoongi scanned his handprint and opened the safe, pulling out a small plastic tray with velvet covering the bottom. A second later, Yoongi returned and sat down, holding the tray for Taehyung to take a look.
There were only four pieces of jewelry on the tray, but each one made Taehyung catch his breath. The ring, just as it was in the picture, was breathtakingly delicate, a mix of bright silver and darker inlays that highlighted the damage of the wilted blooms and the strength of the full blooms perfectly.
Beside it, there was a bracelet. It was of a very similar design to the ring, only larger. The changes between each bloom were more subtle since there were more small flowers to show the changeover, but for some reason, that made the impact all the more weighty. Damage, whether emotional or physical, didn’t need to be visually significant to have an impact.
The other two items, Taehyung realized, were a single pair of earrings. Earrings that were exact replicas of the ones Taehyung currently wore. Instinctively, Taehyung touched his own earrings, his eyes darting up to Yoongi, who was staring at the jewelry he’d made with his own hands rather than Taehyung. “These are breathtaking, Mr. Min.”
“Thank you. They’re only the prototypes for now, and the necklace is still in the middle of development,” Yoongi admitted, frowning a bit. “That’s what I was working on when you came in.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt.”
“No, I wanted to meet you finally,” Yoongi murmured, setting the tray down. His eyes flicked to Taehyung’s and then away. “I didn’t expect that you’d wear the earrings, but I suppose it’s fitting since I’m relaunching them with this campaign.”
Taehyung glanced at the earrings again. They were similar to his, as he’d originally noted, but they were also more impressive, clearly the work of someone a decade and a half more experienced than Yoongi had been when he’d made the first pair. “May I ask why?”
“On the most basic level, it’s our fifteenth anniversary and this launch will be on the same day as an important event prior to the first launch,” Yoongi said slowly, “but thematically, I wanted to show that, while some things change and grow, some stay the same and that’s okay too.”
“I—” Taehyung hesitated, unsure if he’d be able to convey just how touched he was by Yoongi’s plan for his next campaign. He was sure many people would miss the explanation, some rushing to buy without thought to the effort and meaning behind each delicate petal and leaf, but the ones who needed to hear it, to see it, would, and Taehyung was suddenly very sure that Yoongi knew that too. “I’m so incredibly honoured that you chose me. I can’t wait to be a part of this campaign. This message.”
Yoongi glanced at him briefly before standing up. “There was no one else it could be. Those are yours, by the way. I prefer if my brand ambassadors wear and get a feel for the jewelry before they model them so it feels more authentic.”
Taehyung nearly recoiled, his hands moving to his chest and away from the jewelry instinctively. Yoongi was not giving him never-before-seen prototypes to just take home? “I—are you sure?”
“Of course. I apologize that the necklace isn’t ready yet. I’ll have it sent to you at a later date.”
“There’s no rush. I— um, thank you?” Taehyung stuttered out, unsure what to say. “I swear I’ll do this campaign justice!”
Yoongi smiled down at him, the expression small and reserved. “I know you will.”
Realizing that Yoongi had likely stood up to dismiss him, Taehyung hastened to his feet and bowed deeply. “Thank you so much!”
This time, Yoongi didn’t reply, but Taehyung remained bowing, mostly due to his own awkwardness and inability to really process this situation. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yoongi’s hands appear and pick up the jewelry so he could slide it into a small velvet pouch that Taehyung hadn’t even noticed before.
By the time Taehyung stood, Yoongi had pulled it closed and held the pouch out toward him. “Here. For you.”
“Thank you. I— I’ll cherish them.”
Yoongi’s eyes flicked to Taehyung’s earrings, that same small smile appearing on his lips, and repeated, “I know you will.”
Swallowing yet another thank you, Taehyung inclined his head and backed away from Yoongi. He turned to leave but hesitated after a moment and glanced back. “Will I see you at the photoshoots?”
“You will.”
“Then I’ll see you soon, Mr. Min,” Taehyung said, bowing again before he slipped out of the door.
The second the door closed, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, still clutching the velvet bag to his chest. He felt like he was carrying something precious, and he was, so he was unsure what, exactly, to do with it.
Deciding he wanted to keep it as safe as possible, Taehyung gently tucked the bag into his pants pocket, making sure nothing was cramped or squished, before patting the pocket protectively. He glanced down briefly as if double-checking it was there, and, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he let out a long breath and straightened.
Before he could leave, his eyes drifted to the table he’d seen Yoongi working at when he entered. Now that Yoongi wasn’t hunched over the table, he could see something laid out on top, left somewhat carelessly sitting unprotected beside the soldering gun Seokjin had been complaining about.
Taehyung bit his lip and edged closer, wondering what the necklace Yoongi had mentioned but hadn’t shown him the design for looked like. He knew that he shouldn’t, that he should wait, but his feet moved on their own accord and, before long, he was standing over the table, staring at the partially complete necklace.
The first thing he noticed was the inlays. They were clearly pearls, their telltale shine easy to spot, and they wove together in such a delicate and interesting pattern that Taehyung’s first instinct was to touch it. He didn’t, but he wanted to.
The second thing he noticed was the repeat of the same theme from the ring and bracelet: the damaged blooms transforming into full blooms. Unlike the bracelet and ring, the necklace wasn’t a series of blooms in one circle. Instead, the chain was thin and delicate, with no design, and, from that, hung pearl and silver flower chains that slowly transformed into full blooms. It was truly stunning and Taehyung could already picture it hanging over his chest against his tanned skin or a black shirt, the silver and pearl catching the light with each movement. They’d photograph beautifully, of that he was certain.
Smiling to himself, Taehyung hastened out of the studio and back to the elevator. He’d always been in awe of Agust and their designs, always admired the work that Agust did, but now that he was seeing the process, hearing the thought and meaning behind it, that admiration grew tenfold. He couldn’t wait to be the face of the new launch and he promised himself that he’d make sure it was something no one could ever forget.
🌸
“Done so soon?”
Taehyung raised a brow at Jimin, who sounded vaguely disgruntled to see Taehyung standing at the entrance of Seokjin’s conference room. “Yes. Mr. Min showed me the prototypes and explained the meaning of the campaign. He’s still finishing the necklace so I’ll have to wait to see that.”
“He showed you the prototypes?” Seokjin asked from his spot seated across from Jimin. He’d been leaning forward to talk to him before but now he was leaning back and staring at Taehyung.
“Yes. He said he usually had his brand ambassadors wear them so they could get used to the feeling before the photoshoots,” Taehyung explained slowly, somewhat confused that Seokjin was questioning him.
“Right. Of course. I just thought, since the necklace wasn’t done…” Seokjin said, smiling brightly.
“Oh, I see. He said he’d send it to me once it’s done. Though I think he can just give it to me at the first set of photoshoots? We can focus on the ring or bracelet first so it doesn’t interfere with his process.”
“He can give it to you,” Seokjin repeated.
“Yes, he said he’d be coming? Unless someone else usually handles jewelry transfers?”
Seokjin smiled again. “No, no, that’s Agust’s domain. I’ll leave that to him.”
“Okay,” Taehyung said slowly, his brows furrowing briefly as his eyes darted between Seokjin and Jimin, who was also staring at Seokjin curiously. Something was off there, but Taehyung couldn’t quite put his finger on it, and, based on Jimin’s expression, neither could he.
“Well, we shouldn’t keep you any longer. Jimin, it was lovely chatting with you. Once we have photographers chosen, I’ll reach out to set up a more official schedule for shoots. Please forward me all the relevant wardrobe information in the meantime.”
“I’ll send it the moment I’m home,” Jimin promised as he stood up and turned to Taehyung. “Ready to go, Taehyung?”
“Yes. Thank you for choosing me, Mr. Kim. I look forward to working with you,” Taehyung said, bowing politely.
“Oh, I assure you, the pleasure is all mine,” Seokjin said as he too stood and returned his bow. “Get home safely.”
“We will,” Jimin promised, promptly walking toward Taehyung so that he could lead him out of the room and, eventually, the building. They didn’t speak until they were in the car, neither man wanting to have a private conversation around so many ears. The second they were alone and the divider was raised to protect them from the driver, Jimin turned to Taehyung and raised a brow. “So?”
Immediately, Taehyung melted into the seats and covered his face. “He’s so perfect! He’s so pretty and his voice is so deep. His name is Yoongi. Doesn’t that just suit him so well? It’s so pretty and sweet, just like him.”
“Okay, wow, that was not what I was expecting,” Jimin muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I was asking about the jewelry, Tae, not for you to promptly break your NDA. You can’t just go around sharing his name. Didn’t you notice that even Mr. Kim used Agust around me?”
“Sure but you’re my manager. You won’t tell anyone,” Taehyung said, waving his hand dismissively. “Anyway, I don’t know what you expected. I’ve been fantasizing about meeting Agust since I was sixteen. Of course I’m going to gush.”
“About his talent, Tae. Not how hot he is.”
“Hot isn’t the right word. Beautiful is. He’s so delicate, just like his designs. And his thoughts…” Taehyung trailed off. “The campaign is beautiful, Min. Truly.”
Jimin’s face softened, his eyes flicking between both of Taehyung’s. “Yea?”
“Yea. It’s basically a reassurance that bad things happening to you doesn’t mean you’re damaged forever. It’s… it’s going to mean a lot to a great many people, I think.”
“You included?” Jimin asked softly.
Taehyung smiled and leaned back into the seat. “Me included.”
“Then I’m glad we got this job,” Jimin said, squeezing Taehyung’s knee, “but I need you to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“No fucking Agust.”
Taehyung snorted. “Good thing that’s not his real name then, huh?”
Jimin sighed, the sound long and defeated. “I don’t know why I bother.”
“Me neither honestly,” Taehyung said, only partially kidding. In most cases, Taehyung would have promised to stay away from his employer easily. He wasn’t someone who mixed business and pleasure, at least, not anymore. It only took being burned once to make him wary. Yoongi though… Taehyung was man enough to admit when he was attracted to someone and he was sure as hell attracted to Yoongi. The fact that he was clearly such an attentive person and a deep thinker only intensified that feeling. Yoongi being Agust and thus his idol didn’t ease that feeling in the slightest. He’d never do anything, of course. Not unless Yoongi wanted him to. He could wait until then. “So, you want to see the ring and bracelet?”
“Is that even a question? Show me, show me,” Jimin insisted, his hands cupped and waiting. Taehyung smiled, once again happy that he’d chosen to hire his best friend as his manager. He was sure no one else would understand his obsession the way Jimin did. Which, for better or for worse, was what he needed right now.
“Prepare to be amazed.”
“Alright, Alakazam, show me the jewelry,” Jimin snarked, making Taehyung smile. Yes, hiring Jimin was the best choice, just like he was sure that working with Agust was too. This collaboration would bring nothing but good things. Of that, he was certain.