The cafeteria felt too bright, too loud, too full of people who looked like they belonged here. Jungkook's hands were still trembling. He sat alone at a corner table, shoulders hunched, trying to hide the raw red patches on his palms. Hours of carrying those heavy files had left the skin irritated and sore, the sharp edges pressing hard enough to leave marks that still throbbed.
He rubbed his hands against his jeans again, hissing quietly at the sting. His stomach growled in response, a hollow, painful reminder that he had not eaten anything since morning. He had left home in a rush, then Taehyung had pushed him through a storm of tasks that demanded every last drop of energy he had. Now it was lunch, but the prices on the menu screens made his chest tighten. One meal cost more than what he used to spend in two days.
He stared at his empty table, pretending he was just resting. Pretending he was not hungry enough to feel lightheaded. Pretending he belonged here at all.
The chair slid out across from him. Jungkook looked up, startled.
A young woman stood there, maybe mid-twenties, wearing a neatly pinned ID badge and carrying a tray filled with food. She had warm brown eyes, soft features, and a smile that felt easy and natural. She tilted her head slightly.
"You look like you are about to pass out," she said gently. "Mind if I sit?"
Jungkook shook his head. "No. Go ahead."
She settled into the chair and set her tray down. Her gaze moved to his hands and then back to his face.
"You were the one carrying that mountain of files this morning, right?" she asked. "From the elevators all the way to the west wing?"
Jungkook let out a breathy, embarrassed laugh. "Yeah. That was me."
"Welcome to the team," she said with a sympathetic grin. "They pulled the same thing on my first day. I swear it is their unofficial initiation ritual for new employees."
Jungkook blinked. "You work in creative too?"
She nodded. "Yep. Hannah Kim. Senior assistant. Same boss as you."
Jungkook sat up a little straighter. "You work under… him?"
Hannah laughed softly. "Relax. Everyone survives eventually. He is terrifying, but predictable once you learn how to read him. You'll get used to it."
Jungkook bit the inside of his cheek, unsure about that.
Hannah glanced at his empty table. "Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
"Not yet, or cannot today?" she asked quietly.
He hesitated. Her tone wasn't pitying, just gentle. Safe.
"…Both," he admitted.
Without a second thought, she pushed her tray halfway toward him.
"Share with me," she said. "Seriously. You look like you need it more than I do."
Jungkook stared at her, taken aback by the unexpected kindness. He nodded slowly, gratitude warming his chest in a way that loosened something heavy inside him. For the first time since stepping into this building, he felt a little less alone.
Hannah pushed her tray a little closer to Jungkook, her brows drawn in a curious frown. "So," she said, lowering her voice as she sipped her drink, "you have to tell me what you did. Nobody gets Mr. Kim's full-blown rage on their first day unless they majorly messed up."
Jungkook nearly choked on his own saliva. "I did not mess up."
"So something did happen," she insisted. "Come on. Spill."
Jungkook's fingers tightened around the edge of the table. He really did not want to relive it, but Hannah was the first person who had been kind to him since he stepped into this building. Her concern did not feel nosy. It felt genuine.
After a moment, he exhaled heavily. "Fine. But I am only telling you this because you asked nicely."
Hannah grinned, settling in. "I am all ears."
Jungkook nodded to himself, then started slowly. "It happened a few days back. A week after I moved here, Seoul. I was cycling home with groceries. My bike was old, the road was crowded, and I was already tired. I had bought only the basics. Eggs, some affordable ramen, and some vegetables. Just enough to last a bit."
Hannah listened quietly.
"Then out of nowhere, this expensive black car turned a sharp corner. I tried to brake, but my bike clipped the side. I fell. Everything spilled. Eggs broke everywhere. My knee got scraped. It was a mess."
"Ouch," she murmured.
"But the worst part," Jungkook said, voice tightening, "was the one inside."
"Let me guess. Kim Taehyung, in perfect condition and a fresh suit."
"Exactly." Jungkook's jaw clenched just remembering it. "He walked over so calmly. Looked at his car first, not me. Then he looked at me like I ruined his life. Asked if I was blind."
Hannah covered her mouth. "He really said that?"
"Word for word," Jungkook muttered.
"And I tried to explain. It was an accident. The road was narrow. I said I could pay him back in installments if the repair cost was too high."
Hannah blinked. "Wait, you actually offered to pay?"
"I felt responsible," he said quietly. "Even though he scared the life out of me."
She sighed softly.
"And then," Jungkook continued, irritation creeping back, "he pulled out money."
"Huh?"
"He pulled it out, glanced at me once, and threw it on the ground like some cruel charity. Like I was a beggar. Like I was beneath him."
Hannah winced.
Jungkook's hands curled instinctively. "I wanted to refuse. Honestly, I did. I hated the way he offered it. I hated how humiliating it felt. But I had no choice."
Hannah's brows softened. "Because you needed it?"
He nodded. "My groceries were ruined. My knee was bleeding. My wallet was almost empty. If I refused, I would have gone home with nothing. So I took it. Not because I wanted to. Because I did not have another option."
Hannah's expression gentled. "Jungkook, that does not make you weak."
"It made me feel like it," he whispered.
She shook her head. "It makes you practical. You survived a hard moment the only way you could."
Jungkook swallowed, eyes fixed on the table. "When I looked up, he was already walking away. Not even a second glance. Like I was not worth noticing."
Hannah leaned back slowly, absorbing the story. "Well. That explains why he looked at you today like someone dropped a ghost in his office."
Jungkook groaned. "I wish he had forgotten me."
"He definitely did not." She smirked a little. "Actually, the opposite. You are under his skin."
"That is not comforting," Jungkook muttered.
"It should be," she said lightly. "Mr. Kim only obsesses over things he cannot control."
Jungkook blinked. "I am not something he needs to control."
She gave him a pitying pat on the arm. "Oh Jungkook. You poor thing. You really have no idea."
He slumped back, exhausted. His skin hurt from the file edges, his stomach growled painfully, and the cafeteria noise felt too loud. But Hannah's presence cut through all that. For the first time, he felt a little less invisible.
Hannah nudged her tray toward him again. "Eat some of this. I am not letting you starve on your first day."
He hesitated, but she smiled warmly. And just like that, he did not feel completely alone anymore.
Taehyung's steps cut through the cafeteria like a blade. Conversation died in an instant. Even Hannah stiffened, eyes widening as the familiar figure in a dark suit crossed the room with chilling purpose.
Jungkook had barely lifted the fork, food hovering halfway to his mouth, when Taehyung stopped right in front of their table. His shadow swallowed the light.
"So this is where you ran off to," Taehyung said, voice low and sharp.
Jungkook froze. "Sir, I was just..."
"Slouching," Taehyung interrupted, eyes narrowing. "Relaxing. Chatting." His gaze flicked to the schedule page sticking out of Jungkook's pocket. "Tell me, did I hire you to sit around or to work?"
Jungkook swallowed. "I have been working all morning. I just thought I could take a short break."
"A break." Taehyung's tone dripped disbelief. "A break, when you have not even memorized your first assignment."
Hannah straightened. "Sir, it is lunch hour. He has not even eaten yet."
Taehyung did not spare her a glance. His attention stayed locked on Jungkook. "Is that true?"
Jungkook opened his mouth, then closed it. Admitting it felt like weakness. Denying it felt pointless.
Taehyung clicked his tongue. "Pathetic. You cannot function without food, yet you waste time sitting here instead of finishing what you owe."
Jungkook's cheeks burned. "I was going to get back to it."
"No," Taehyung said, stepping closer. "You are going to stand up. Right now."
Jungkook rose automatically, shoulders tense.
"Good. At least you listen," Taehyung said, eyes scanning him with cold precision. "You have one hour to memorize everything on that sheet. I will test you personally. And if you fail, you can spend the rest of the day reorganizing every file in my office."
Jungkook's stomach twisted. Hannah shot him a worried look. Taehyung turned away without another word.
"Follow me," he ordered as he walked off.
Jungkook set the untouched food down and moved after him, feeling the weight of every stare in the room.