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THUD

The earsplitting screech was followed instantly by the sound of thirty year old Kim Taehyung losing his battle with gravity, tumbling directly off his mattress and hitting the hardword floor in a tangled pile of luxury silk sheets.

Kim Seokjin was the undisputed mother of the house. He possessed a razor-sharp, heavily sarcastic tongue that could reduce a grown beard director to tears, but beneath that dramatic flair was an ocean of fierce care and derp emotion for his family. And adopted Taehyung when he was 3 with a heart full of absolute warmth, but now genuinely rethinking his life choices a little.

Upstairs, Taehyung quickly scrambled to get ready. Ten minutes later, he was walking down the grand marble staircase, looking like the absolute epitome of high society elite.

Kim Taehyung, 30, the CEO of Kim Corporations. He was a deeply chaotic mixture of genius and pure stupidity. When it came to numbers, multi billion won mergers, and stock market predictions, his brain operated like a supercomputer. He was flawless. But when it comes to normal human emotions, romantic cues, and thoughts? He was a complete and total dumbass.

Kim Namjoon, the official ghost father of the house. Namjoon was a quiet, clumsy, intellectual who spent 90% of his day hiding behind giant newspapers, reading heavy philosophy books, and pretending he was a part of the furniture just to escape Seokjin's daily dramatic rants. He was physically present, but spiritually, he had mastered the art of being a ghost.

Facing his wife's blazing gaze, Namjoon slowly lowered his newspaper by exactly 2 inches.

Taehyung let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head as he stepped out of the grand mansion and into the crisp morning sir. He adjusted his dark designer sunglasses, completely unaware that his strictly organized, calculated life was about to drive directly into a chaotic tornado.

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The sweet, rich aroma of roasted espresso beans and warm vanilla pastry cream filled the air of Serenity Café—the most beautiful, soulful little spot in the city. Plants hung gracefully from the brick walls, and the soft amber lighting made the entire place feel like a cozy sanctuary away from the chaotic world.

Behind the dark wooden counter stood twenty-eight-year-old Jeon Jungkook. At first glance, Jungkook was a sweet, wide-eyed barista with a bunny smile—the kind of soul who looked like he’d apologize to a door if he bumped into it. But don't let the doe eyes fool you. Behind that cute exterior lay a razor-sharp, devastatingly savage tongue, a defense mechanism he had meticulously learned from his older brother, Min Yoongi.

J-Hope was the literal sunshine of the café. Possessing a golden heart and a smile wide enough to light up the entire block, he greeted every customer like a long-lost friend. He had originally walked into the café begging for a part-time job to pay his way through university, and he had quickly become an irreplaceable part of their tiny family.

The back kitchen door swung open, and a pale, fiercely calm man stepped into the main area.

Min Yoongi was Jungkook’s brother from another mother—and his absolute protector. Yoongi was a man of few words, incredibly silent and deeply calculating, but radiating an abundant, fierce care for Jungkook. The two had grown up together in the orphanage. The moment Yoongi turned eighteen, he had walked out into the cold world, worked every grueling part-time job available, and successfully built this café from the ground up, entirely to create a safe haven for himself and his beloved younger brother.

As Yoongi disappeared down the hallway, the brass bell above the front door chimed beautifully. Jungkook put on his best customer-service smile as an impeccably dressed, stunningly handsome older man walked in.

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The top floor executive suite was silent until a deep voice shattered the peace.

The heavy mahogany doors swung open instantly, and a short, impeccably tailored man marched in holding a stack of files.

This was Park Jimin—Taehyung’s childhood best friend, soulmate, and current secretary. Jimin was incredibly charming, flawlessly organized, and possessed a mind that was entirely, unashamedly dirty. Having been by Taehyung’s side through every milestone of his life, Jimin held a major title: he was the one and only person in the entire world who knew about Taehyung’s supernatural mind-reading curse. Because of this, Jimin never bothered to filter his thoughts. He kept his mind loud, open, and aggressively chaotic, knowing Taehyung could hear it all anyway.

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Inside the sleek leather interior of Taehyung's luxury sedan, the silence was loudly interrupted by jimin bouncing in the passenger seat.

Taehyung turned his head just enough to give jimin a devastating, bombastic side eye, but kept driving.

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5.30 PM

At Serenity café

The brass bell above the door chimed, cutting through the low hum of coffee grinder.

Jungkook automatically pasted his practiced, professional and flawless customer service smile and looked up to greet the guest

The smile instantly froze on his lips

Walking through the door was the mysterious, brooding billionaire who usually only occupied Jungkook's daydreams.

Up close the man was a walking masterpiece, jawline sharp, effortlessly expensive aura, and eyes hidden behind dark shades.

Jungkook completely lost his ability to speak.

Now, if you think Kim Taehyung was currently sane, you would be entirely wrong.

The exact second Taehyung’s eyes drifted toward the counter, his highly calculated, billion-won brain suffered a massive short circuit.

Standing there was a boy with giant, sparkling doe eyes and a cute bunny-like expression that completely threw Taehyung off his axis.

Time froze. For a terrifyingly beautiful moment, Taehyung forgot his golden rule. He didn't look down. He just stared.

Realizing both their friends were malfunctioning, J-Hope gave Jungkook a sharp nudge in the spine, while Jimin casually smacked the back of Taehyung’s head.

Jungkook, fiercely blushing, rushed out from behind the counter to guide Taehyung to the VIP booth.

Jungkook offered a quick, nervous "Welcome, sir," before sprinting back to the safety of the espresso machine to regain his dignity.

Meanwhile, Jimin happily occupied a small table directly behind Taehyung, positioning himself perfectly.

Just then, the front door opened again, and Yoongi walked in from checking the supplies. Jimin’s eyes locked onto him.

Taehyung slowly turned his head around, staring at his secretary with sheer disbelief.

Taehyung turned away, his eyes sub-consciously darting back to the counter. Jungkook was laughing at something J-Hope had whispered, his entire face lighting up. Taehyung felt a strange, unfamiliar tug in his chest.

Taehyung felt a strange, unfamiliar tug in his chest. As if sensing the gaze, Jungkook’s eyes darted right back to Taehyung. For a split second, their eyes locked through the dark lenses, before both instantly looked away in a panic.

A heavy, bright pink blush rushed up Jungkook’s neck, staining his cheeks and ears.

Ting!

The bell chimed again. A woman walked into the café. She was wearing a simple, pale sage-green dress—short enough to look modern and chic, but simple, cute, and modest enough to please a traditional mother like Seokjin. She carried a designer handbag and walked with an air of absolute calculation.

The woman didn't even glance at Jungkook. She completely ignored the greeting, her eyes scanning the room until they locked onto Taehyung’s table. She marched straight over.

Taehyung looked up as she stopped in front of him.

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