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btsrunmylife · 2 years

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a plot-adjacent spin-off of “Call Me Naive”

This story is based on a side-pairing from the above story. You don’t necessarily have to have read CMN to understand this, but there are a few references you may not get if you haven’t.

summary: When Nabi first started at Bangtan Publishing, she was nervous. A new job, new faces, new rules to follow and a lot to learn. To her relief, people are much more welcoming than she expected, especially the cute Junior Editor (later turned Senior Editor), Kim Namjoon, who takes it upon himself to make sure she gets settled in properly. Over the years of her employment, he doesn’t stop there, always checking in, always making sure she feels included and welcome, and always being as sweet as possible. There’s just one question on everyone’s minds...will he ever actually admit to his crush of almost three years???

pairing: Namjoon x f!OC

rating: pg13

genre: romance, fluff, coworker au, f2l, idiots to lovers, mutual pining

word count: 8.5k~

Nabi shifts her tote bag higher up on her shoulder, hugging the welcome folder tighter to her chest as she scurries after the man in front of her. Lee DonWook, a man in his mid-forties and her department supervisor, glances back at her as he motions around in lackluster movements. His tone is flat and bored, his eyes dull, as if he wishes he could be anywhere else. He’s also walking much too fast for poor Nabi’s heel-clad feet to keep up with.

“Here we have the copier room,” he rattles off. “Each department has a password and a set budget for copying. Someone will get you set up with them. The machines can be a bit temperamental. Better to ask someone for help than to make a mess.”

He shoots her a look that tells her to ask anyone but him for help and hurries forward. Nabi hides a grimace behind her hand and continues after him.

She huffs a quiet sigh when they reach the breakroom, which finally brings DonWook to a pause. He greets a few of their coworkers and, with his attention elsewhere, Nabi scrunches her nose and adjusts the shoes on her feet. A blister is forming on the back of her heel, the skin raw to the touch, and she has to bite her lip to keep a pained hiss from slipping out. Her lack of stockings really was an oversight on her part. She’d meant to wear them, but had been so anxious about her first day on the job she’d forgotten.

“That looks painful.”

She gasps and straightens, bag colliding heavily with her hip as she spins around with wide eyes.

The man that had spoken offers a soft smile, a hint of amusement dancing in his brown irises as he glances over her. He ducks his head, adjusting the glasses on his nose, and lets out a quiet chuckle.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just–” He glances at one of the women across the room. “Jia-ssi, do you have any bandages in your purse?”

The woman looks up from her phone with a start, quickly nodding and digging around her bag.

At Nabi’s curious gaze, the man’s cheeks dimple in a wide smile and he leans in, as if about to tell her a secret.

“Jia has kids, her purse is pretty much an endless supply of first-aid and snacks.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s endless,” Jia smirks, passing him the bandage. She eyes Nabi. “You must be the new Legal Assistant.” At Nabi’s nod, she grins. “I’m Jia, I work in the Editorial Department with Namjoon.”

Namjoon offers a tight smile and a small bow as he hands her the bandage. “Welcome to the team.”

“Thanks,” Nabi offers a shy grin as she bows to both of them, setting her things down on a nearby table and taking a seat. “And thank you for the bandage.”

Namjoon’s grin widens as he watches her apply it to her heel, eyes flickering to DonWook. “And, uh, hey…if you ever have any questions about anything, we’re happy to help. We know DonWook-nim’s tours can be a little…”

“Quick,” Jia finishes with a laugh.

Nabi blows hair out of her face and laughs with a small shake of her head, gathering her things. “You can say that again.” She gets to her feet, relief washing over her at the added padding between her foot and the back of her shoe. She sighs gratefully and offers Namjoon a smile. “And thank you…again, sunbaenim…I might just take you up on that.”

His grin goes a little goofy, shoulders pushing back as he straightens his spine. “Cool. Yeah, anytime.”

“Park!”

Nabi’s eyes widen as she peers around them at DonWook, offering Namjoon and Jia an uncertain smile. “I guess I better get going.”

“Oh, yeah,” Namjoon nods and steps out of her way, allowing her through. “Uh, see you around!”

Nabi smiles at him over her shoulder, offering the two of them a little wave before scurrying out of the room.

Jia snorts once she’s gone, punching Namjoon on the arm. “Uh, see you around!”

He huffs and rolls his eyes. “Shut up.”

“Yah!” she yelps when he starts to walk away. “I’m still older than you! You better mind your manners!”

He shoots her a withering look over his shoulder, but turns around to hide his smile. “Sorry, noona.”

~*~*~

It’s a week into her employment when Nabi sees Namjoon next. This time, she’s been tasked with the arduous chore of making copies of this year’s Statement of Business Ethics, reminding everyone that they are the face of the company and that any information passed between departments regarding client projects is to remain confidential. There’s more drabble mixed into the pages, but it’s all common sense, in Nabi’s opinion, even though she knows it’s necessary.

What’s entirely unnecessary is how difficult it is to use the photocopiers.

Entering the password for the Legal Department is easy enough – she came up with a little mnemonic device to help her remember – but getting the machine to actually work is the problem. Not only does it keep beeping at her to put paper in the machine when there’s already paper in there, it also keeps jamming in various places and she keeps having to open and close doors just to get one page to print.

After the fourth time it jams, she growls and kicks at the bottom of the machine.

“Whoa, easy there.”

Nabi turns at the sound of his voice, pout pulling at her lips.

Namjoon can’t help but smile at the sight. “Copier giving you trouble?”

“Is it that obvious?” she sighs.

He chuckles, waving her off as he approaches. “Nah, not at all. Everyone goes around kicking things that are working perfectly fine.”

She narrows her eyes at him. “Are you going to make fun of me or help me?”

He quirks an eyebrow at her. “Are you going to ask for help or just assume I’ll come to your rescue?”

She purses her lips as they twitch, fighting off a smile. She laughs. “Fine! Can you please help me, Namjoon-nim?”

“Of course.” He shrugs as if it was an obvious answer and she refrains from rolling her eyes.

“So,” he begins, ignoring her look of mild annoyance and tapping his hands on the machine. “Let me guess. It keeps saying it needs paper and it keeps getting jammed?”

Nabi lets out a noncommittal hum. “I take it this is a regular occurrence?”

“Every day,” he sighs reluctantly. “Old Betsy has gotten us through some crazy times, but it’s about time for her to retire. Until that can happen, though…”

He motions for her to watch as he pushes a lever to the side and then opens a small compartment. He fiddles around a little, pointing as he goes. “This here is the waste container. Sometimes, when it gets a little too full, things can print a little wonky. Be on the lookout for that. The machine will tell you when it needs to be changed. These, here, are the drums. Don’t expose them to the light until we’re ready to change them. When we do, don’t expose the new ones to the light. For now, we’re just going to fiddle with these little sticks here.”

He pulls carefully at orange sticks below each drum, sliding it in and out of the slot a few times.

“These are self-cleaning, but sometimes they need a little help. This usually keeps things moving along…but…” He finishes with the last one and closes the compartment, locking it by turning the lever. He shrugs and gets to his feet. “If that doesn’t work, you could always try reseating the fuser.”

At the blank look she gives him, he cracks a smile.

“On second thought, if it gives you too much trouble, just come find me in the Editorial Department or shoot me an email.” He turns back to the machine, pressing the “okay” button and grinning wider when the machine slowly roars into motion. “Should be good now.”

Nabi smiles, relieved and visibly relaxing. “Thank you, Joon-nim! I think you just saved my life.”

He blushes at the nickname, faltering slightly when she edges closer to glance at the screen of the machine. He scratches at his neck and gives her space. “Ah, it was nothing. Someone would have come along eventually. I just happened to be the first to pass by.”

She glances at him. “Still. Thank you.”

He smiles. “Anytime.”

~*~*~

The next few weeks, and subsequent months, become a whirlwind. As a small company, they have high expectations for their employees, requiring everyone to learn quickly and adapt on their feet. Thankfully, Nabi had never had a problem with that, keeping her nose down and attention focused until she got the hang of something, asking questions whenever she needed clarification. For the most part, she understands her role and, before long, can keep up with everyone around her.

Being a part of different departments, Nabi’s interactions with Namjoon are limited to brief emails about the copiers or lunchroom conversations. She sees him occasionally in meetings or in passing, but mostly, they remain fairly separate. That is, until one day Namjoon emails her about something new.

From: Kim Namjoon ([email protected])

Hello Nabi-ssi!

I know you typically like to eat lunch at work, but a few of us are heading out to a small barbecue restaurant around the corner. Not sure if you’ve tried it yet, it’s called Linus, and they have some of the best pork on this side of the city.

Anyway, we’d love for you to join us if you’re interested! Let me know, okay? :)

Best, Kim Namjoon Junior Editor, Editorial Department

Nabi grins at the email, unable to stifle the happiness bubbling in her chest at being included. Of course, some of that feeling is influenced by the handsome editor who had welcomed her so openly to Bangtan, but she would never admit that.

Glancing toward her direct supervisor a couple feet away, she quickly shoots off an email, accepting the invite. She’s just clicking back into her shared document with her boss when another email comes through.

From: Kim Namjoon ([email protected])

Cool! I’ll meet you in the lobby around noon!

Best, Kim Namjoon Junior Editor, Editorial Department

Nabi tries to ignore the fluttering in her stomach, tucking her hair behind her ear as she settles back into work. He’s just being nice, she probably shouldn’t be getting so excited, but she can’t help it. It’s sweet of him to think of her, sweet of him to go out of his way to make her feel included.

She sighs, shaking her head at herself and the direction her thoughts are taking.

She still has an hour before she’s going to meet with them. She needs to focus.

Focusing becomes a lot easier when her supervisor decides to stand over her shoulder, as if somehow knowing the temptations of intra-office emails. She buckles down for the last forty-five minutes, taking her supervisor’s comments here and there. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t vault out of her chair the moment it turned noon though.

“Whoa!” her supervisor, a man by the name of Baek Hyunki, laughs. “Hungry today?”

Nabi ducks her head to hide the blush that blooms across her cheeks. “Ah, something like that, yeah.”

He lifts an eyebrow, but doesn’t bother to ask, motioning toward the door. “We’ll continue after lunch, hm?”

She nods, offers a polite bow, and swiftly exits.

On her way down to the lobby, she feels a flurry of nerves in her stomach. She hugs her sweater in her arms, wondering who will be joining them for lunch, and swallowing down more nerves when she enters the lobby to find Namjoon standing alone.

She approaches with a bow and a curious smile, glancing around. “Where’s everyone else?”

Namjoon turns to her with wide eyes, gaze moving down her frame briefly before he clears his throat and bows in return. “Oh, uh, they left – I mean, they’re meeting us there. It can get pretty busy during lunch, so they went to grab us a table.”

She nods slowly, both amused and endeared by his flustered state. It makes her feel marginally better about her own nerves and her smile softens. “Ah, okay. Are you…ready, then?”

His grin is a little too wide, a little too forced, and she swears she can see him sweating, but she finds herself even more endeared by it. “Yes! Yeah, let’s go!”

The walk to the restaurant is quiet, uncomfortably so. Namjoon still seems nervous, hands shoved haphazardly into his pockets and lips pulled into a troubled pout. Nabi sees him open and close his mouth a couple times, as if wanting to say something, but he never does.

And she doesn’t quite know what to say either.

So they walk in silence, the two of them bumping elbows a couple of times because neither of them are good at walking in a straight line and both of them are too clumsy to avoid the collision.

To say Nabi is a bit relieved when they reach the restaurant would be an understatement.

Namjoon’s claim that it’s busy at this time of day is also a bit of an understatement.

The place is mobbed, with people packed into tables from one end of the room to the other and people lining the walls to wait for one to open up. They get a few looks when Namjoon spots his friends and they start to make their way inside, Namjoon’s hand lightly touching her elbow to guide her.

The people they’re greeted by are at least familiar to Nabi, if not by name then by face. She recognizes one of them, having worked alongside her once or twice to prepare a legal document for a client. The other, the classically handsome one, she only knows because you can’t work at Bangtan and not know him. Somewhat of an office clown, Nabi doesn’t know his name, but knows his reputation well enough.

He’s a flirt, he’s always cracking jokes that he laughs far too loudly at, and he knows absolutely everyone.

And almost all of the women Nabi has talked to want to date him.

Not surprising, really, when met with his charming, handsome grin.

“Namjoon-ah!” he greets, voice loud even over the volume of conversation in the restaurant. “You made it!” His eyes flick to Nabi and he gives a little head bow. “Hello, Nabi-ssi!”

Nabi bows a little belatedly, glancing between Namjoon’s friends uncertainly. “Hello.”

Namjoon ushers her into an open seat, taking the seat next to her. “Nabi, this is Seokjin-ssi and that over there is our chaotic friend we like to call Mayhem.”

The woman, dubbed Mayhem, rolls her eyes. “Namjoon is just jealous I’m cooler than he is. But thankfully you already know that since we’ve already met.”

Nabi smiles, visibly relaxing at the easy banter. “That’s right!” Nabi bites back a laugh at Namjoon’s disappointed slouch. “How are things going in the acquisitions department?”

“Crazy as ever!” the woman huffs before launching into a tirade that has both men rolling their eyes, although Nabi does catch the overwhelmingly fond look Seokjin gives Mayhem when she’s not looking.

And it’s easy, sitting with them like that, picking at the food they order for the table and smiling in thanks at the drinks Namjoon keeps pouring for everyone. They each have one shot of soju, which she keeps half-full to prevent anyone from refilling it, and then they stick to water or cola.

And Seokjin fully lives up to his reputation, telling awful jokes that leave Namjoon groaning and Mayhem bursting into a fit of giggles…which always results in Namjoon groaning again. The whole thing brings an amused smile to Nabi’s face that Namjoon immediately notices and tries to shut down.

“Oh no, don’t you encourage him too,” he begs her, shooting her a pleasing look that makes her chuckle.

Seokjin scoffs, slamming a hand down on the table. “Yah! I’m still your hyung! Respect me and my jokes!”

“I respect you, hyung,” Namjoon grumbles. “But I don’t think I could ever respect your jokes.”

Seokjin puts a hand over his heart as if this mortally wounds him, pouting and wiping a fake tear from his eye. Mayhem is quick to pat his shoulder, which Seokjin leans into. “Whatever will I do without Joonie’s respect, May?”

“Live a very sad, humorless life,” Mayhem laments with a sad nod. “Just like him.”

Namjoon snorts and rolls his eyes. “You’re so dramatic.”

It isn’t until Seokjin begins to fake wail, drawing attention to them, that Namjoon rushes to say, “Fine! Okay! I respect you and your jokes!”

Seokjin’s bottom lip trembles and he gives Namjoon a wide-eyed stare. “You mean it?”

Namjoon’s gaze narrows, but he nods. “Yes, hyung.”

The older man throws his hands in the air with a happy yell. “You respect me!”

Namjoon grumbles under his breath and ducks his head, only chancing a short glance Nabi’s way. Some of his embarrassment ekes away at the sight of her amused grin and he sighs, running a hand through his hair before downing the rest of his shot.

“Alright, good lunch,” Namjoon declares, setting the shot glass back down on the table. He glances at his watch. “Should we be heading back?”

“You go, I’ll get it,” Seokjin shrugs, waving them off when they all protest. He winks at Nabi. “It’s the least I can do for our new friend.”

Nabi blushes and doesn’t miss the flat look Namjoon shoots his friend’s way before he shoots to his feet. “Okay, thanks, hyung!”

“Are you sure?” Nabi questions, just to be on the safe side. She doesn’t know Seokjin very well and, despite him being older, she doesn’t want him to feel obligated to pay for her.

Seokjin purses his lips and waves her off. “You kids get back to work, yeah? I’ll be right after you.”

Nabi opens her mouth to thank him, but he’s already twisted around in his seat, yelling for the server before she has the chance. Mayhem just grins at the two of them, looking content to wait with Seokjin.

“Thanks for joining us today, Nabi! Maybe we can do it again sometime?”

Nabi smiles, liking the sound of that. “Thank you for inviting me and for the food.”

She offers a polite bow, which Mayhem giggles at.

“Get our new friend back to work safely, Joonie.” Nabi doesn’t know her well enough to know for sure, but she could swear there’s a mischievous glint in the woman’s eyes.

Namjoon mutters something and nods, waiting patiently for Nabi to gather her things and follow him out.

“Sorry my friends are so crazy,” Namjoon says once they’re out on the sidewalk, away from the hustle and bustle of the restaurant and swept into a different kind of chaos on the streets of Seoul.

Once again, the two of them knock elbows, this time due to the number of people flurrying past them and crowding around them.

“I like them,” Nabi shrugs with a small smile. She tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Seriously, thank you for inviting me.”

He shrugs, a small, shy smile twitching at his lips. “Thanks for coming.”

They settle into a silence as they walk, not at all phased by the number of people they accidentally bump into on their way back to the office.

The silence is only broken while they wait for the elevator. Namjoon glances sideways at her.

“So, would you actually consider joining us again?” he questions. “Or did you just look like you were considering it to be polite to May?”

Nabi hums. “Can't it be both?”

He stares at her for a moment, then shrugs. “I guess.”

She grins. “Then yes, I would definitely consider it.”

Namjoon smiles, motioning her into the elevator before him. “Cool. We’ll do it again sometime then.”

“Cool,” Nabi echoes, staring straight at the closing doors and biting her lip to keep from smiling too hard.

~*~*~

This continued over the years. Nabi didn’t always join them for lunch, and the trio didn’t always go out, but when she did she always left feeling full – hunger satiated and mood lifted from all the laughter.

Eventually, this transitioned into invites out after work too, sometimes group outings on the weekends. Occasionally, more people from work would join – DonWook drunk was actually an incredible sight to see and witnessing Jia let loose for a little while was wonderful.

Tonight is one of those nights, actually. Mayhem, Seokjin, and Namjoon invited everyone out for some drinks in celebration of a particular author signing with them. They did this occasionally, but more often when it was Mayhem who scouted them. Mayhem was moving up quickly, making a name for herself and proving her importance to the company.

Nabi never doubted her.

When Nabi arrives at the small restaurant, she stops short in surprise at not seeing any of her coworkers yet. She offers a feeble smile to one of the workers and ducks her head, tucking her hair behind her ear and stepping aside to let others in. She holds her sweater close to her, hoping she hadn’t missed a message somewhere about the outing being cancelled or relocated.

Thankfully, Namjoon walks through the door a few minutes later, looking relieved when he glances to the side and catches sight of her. He offers her his signature goofy, yet incredibly charming, smile and stops in front of her.

“Hello,” he greets, glancing around. “Is no one else here yet?”

She shakes her head. “I was actually starting to get worried.”

His smile turns reassuring and he motions toward a table. “No need to worry, the others are probably just running late. Let’s grab a table while we wait.”

The two of them move to a long table that seats eight, neither of them knowing how many will actually be joining them tonight. From the mass email they all got scolded for, it seemed like a lot of people would be here, which made it even more surprising that Nabi and Namjoon were the first to arrive.

“I’ll get some drinks and then text May to see what’s up,” Namjoon suggests, phone already in hand. “What do you want to drink?”

Nabi’s eyes widen and she clears her throat. “Oh! Um, beer is fine!”

Namjoon smiles and yells to get a worker’s attention, placing their drink order before shooting off a text to his group chat. Truthfully, he’s not surprised in the slightest when neither Mayhem or Seokjin reply immediately. He sets his phone on the table with a sigh, trying not to let his nerves show.

He does, however, wipe his sweaty palms on his pants beneath the table and offer Nabi a wobbly smile. “So…uh, how’s work going for you?”

“Good!” Nabi nods, offering a smile and a grumbled thanks as the server sets their drinks down.

Namjoon holds his glass like an anchor, keeping him buoyed in uncertain waters. “Good! The copiers giving you any more problems?”

Nabi turns her head and takes a sip of beer, chuckling before turning back to him. “No, actually, your little tricks seem to work pretty well! But I did finally learn what the fuser is and how to reset it!”

He grins. “Wow, look at you becoming a pro!”

She laughs, and the two of them settle into a stilted silence.

Namjoon shifts in his seat, trying not to appear rude as he glances around, heart sinking a little when he still doesn’t see any of their coworkers. He glances at his phone, then notices Nabi do the same.

“Sorry!” Namjoon blurts. “This isn’t keeping you from something, is it? You don’t have someone waiting for you at home?”

Nabi’s lips twitch, but she barely represses her smile as she shakes her head and tucks her phone away. “I live alone.”

He shifts, a question on the tip of his tongue that he bites back when his phone rings. He scrambles for it, eager for this unexpected one-on-one time to be over. Especially with Nabi looking far too pretty sitting across from him.

He quickly accepts the call from Mayhem. “May?”

Mayhem’s voice is tinny and hard to hear, the sound of music loud and thumping in the background. “Joonie! Where are you?”

Namjoon’s eyebrows furrow as he glances around. “I’m at the restaurant, where are you?”

Mayhem’s laughter is loud, and Namjoon swears he can hear Seokjin muttering something in the background. “We’re at Serendipity! Did you not get the email?”

Namjoon meets Nabi’s imploring eyes. “What email?”

Mayhem sighs. “Were you guys somehow left out of it?”

“You guys?” Namjoon repeats at the same time his eyes narrow. “Wait, how did you know I’m with—“

“Welp! You can either join us or stay where you are, I guess!” his friend quips in his ear. “I gotta go! They’re playing my song!”

“But May—“

The line dies and Namjoon has the worst, sinking feeling that this whole thing had been on purpose. He lets his hand fall against the table, tossing his phone onto it with a clatter. He offers Nabi a thin smile. “Looks like there’s been some sort of mix-up. They all went to Serendipity.”

Nabi’s expression falters and her mouth falls open with a soft, “Ah.” She stares down at her hands in thought. “That’s on the other side of town.”

Namjoon releases a sigh and nods. “We could…just order some food instead? I don’t really feel like clubbing tonight.”

Her hesitant gaze meets his hopeful one and she feels a flicker of…something, so she nods. “Okay.”

He grins. “Cool.”

He turns and yells for a server.

Yeah, Nabi thinks as she watches his easy interaction with a man wearing an apron, cool.

~*~*~

Their emails become more frequent after that, with Namjoon occasionally sending one just to check up on her and make sure she’s not working too late or with Nabi firing one off when she overhears something particularly hilarious on her trips to the copier room. It’s nice, this friendship that they slowly build with one another. It’s easy, relaxed, with no pressure.

But Namjoon can admit he’s become a little addicted. Addicted to her little giggle when he says something she finds funny on a night out, addicted to the way she shyly tucks her hair behind her ear, addicted to the way she gives him and his friends a hard time whenever they do something particularly stupid.

He loves it, and he loves the little licks of excitement he feels whenever his computer dings with another correspondence from her.

“Seriously, why don’t you just ask for her phone number?” Seokjin snorts as he collapses into the chair beside him.

Namjoon quickly clicks out of the email, side-eying his friend warily. ‘What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in your own department?”

Seokjin arches an eyebrow, motioning to the still-steaming cup of coffee he’d just set down on Namjoon’s desk. “Is that really how you’re going to speak to a generous hyung who just brought you coffee?”

Namjoon rolls his eyes, but mutters a “thank you, hyung” before blowing lightly on the hot drink and taking a careful sip. It warms him up instantly.

His hyung laughs. “Okay, I see that you’re going to ignore my question.” He slaps Namjoon on the back as he stands. “Just know, it’d be possible to talk to her outside of work if you had her number.”

Namjoon feigns innocence, shooting him a bewildered look. “Why would I want to do that?”

Seokjin laughs, the loud sound turning a few heads and making Namjoon sink down in his chair. “You’re not nearly as subtle as you think you are, Namjoon-ah. Just ask for her number and get it over with, if you’re not going to ask her out.”

Namjoon’s face turns a deep shade of pink that makes Seokjin laugh again and squeeze his shoulder.

“Seriously,” Seokjin shakes his head and leaves him, not bothering to add anything further.

Namjoon stares after him, suddenly overwhelmed by the idea of him being so obvious. Does that mean Nabi knows too? Or is it just his friends, who know him so well? Does everyone in the office know about his massive crush on the not-so-new-now Legal Assistant?

One glance around at his fellow editors confirms his fears, each one looking quickly away before their eyes can connect.

He huffs and settles down in his chair, sipping irritatedly at his coffee and pointedly ignoring the email to focus on work.

But if he takes a short break later to respond…and maybe ask for her number…well, there’s no hyung standing over his shoulder to witness it.

~*~*~

The company party just before their break for Chuseok is somewhat of a tradition. Although Nabi had only been with the company for one of them so far, she knows this. Last year’s had been such a big deal that she’d actually been a little overwhelmed by it all. In addition to exchanging gifts, which she had already been prepared for, the office went all out in preparing traditional dishes.

Rather than dining out with the entire team or office, everyone contributed at least one dish for a company-wide luncheon. The spread was glorious, with red bean and brown sugar songpyeon, kimchi-jeon, braised beef short ribs, tteokguk, and sanjeok making up only a small fraction of the table.

The smells alone were enough to leave Nabi’s mouth watering, but this year she’s actually contributing. When Jia approached her about it, trying to get a good feel for who would be making what, Nabi had been hesitant. She’s never made food for a group of this size before, but Jia had quickly reassured her that there would be plenty of food and anyone who didn’t like her dish would have plenty more to choose from.

So, Nabi went with the safest thing she could think of – homemade hotteok, using a family recipe her grandmother had taught her when she was just a young girl.

Objectively, she knows the recipe is good. What she’s worried about is whether she’s made them as well as her sweet halmoni. She highly doubts it, knowing nothing could taste nearly as good as her grandmother makes it, but at least she tried, right? Her coworkers would appreciate the effort, if nothing else.

At least, that’s what she tells herself as she adds the container to the table in the lunchroom.

“Is that hotteok?” Namjoon’s voice asks enthusiastically when he peeks over her shoulder. He steals one off the top of the pile and takes a large bite. He tilts his head back in a moan, covering his mouth. “So good!”

“Jeez, Joonie, keep it in your pants,” Mayhem mutters quietly enough to not be heard by anyone else.

Namjoon’s cheeks flare, but his eyes narrow as he grabs another hotteok and shoves in toward Mayhem’s face. She willingly opens her mouth to the tasty treat and fumbles to take it from him. Her wide eyed stare is enough to turn Namjoon’s expression smug. He mouths back, “Keep it in your pants, May.”

She rolls her eyes, but offers Nabi a smile. “This is delicious, Nabi.”

“Oooh, hotteok!” Seokjin exclaims, reaching in between all of them to grab one. He groans as he takes a bite. “I love food!”

Nabi and Mayhem exchange a look, both smothering grins at the guys’ enthusiastic reactions.

“Alright, alright, enough eating at the food table,” Jia scolds, ushering them away. “Mind your manners, children. Take a plate and go!”

A chorus of “yes noona” and “yes unnie” echoes from the three, Nabi just shyly tucking her hair behind her ear before reaching for a plate to pile food on.

“You’re gonna sit with us, right?” Mayhem questions and it takes Nabi a minute to realize she’s talking to her.

“Oh!” She looks between them -- at Mayhem’s expectant gaze, Seokjin’s friendly smile, and Namjoon’s hopeful grin. “Yeah, sure!”

“Cool,” Namjoon mumbles, and Nabi can’t help but shoot him an amused grin.

“You know, for an editor, you have a small vocabulary,” she teases.

Namjoon’s cheeks turn a bright shade of red and he ducks his head, scratching at the back of his neck, much to Nabi’s delight.

Mayhem barks out a laugh, clapping Namjoon on the back. “She fits right in!”

Namjoon scowls at his friend. “You’re a bad influence.”

Mayhem merely smirks, giggling her way to a table. “Don’t you think life would be more interesting with more that one of me in it?”

“Hel—“ Namjoon pauses, glancing around with wide eyes before censoring himself, “Absolutely not!”

Seokjin sighs wistfully as he sits down next to Mayhem, giving her a playfully flirty flutter of his lashes. “The world wouldn’t be able to handle that much beauty!”

Namjoon snorts and rolls his eyes at the same time that Mayhem starts to coo and fuss over Seokjin.

Nabi tilts her head from her spot next to Namjoon at the food table, pausing long enough to look at them. “Are they—?”

Namjoon huffs a laugh, shaking his head. “You’d think so, right? But no, they’re completely platonic. Disgusting, but platonic.”

“Huh.” Nabi mutters before turning to finish loading her plate. She side-eyes Namjoon. “And you?”

“Me?” he questions with furrowed brows.

She nods toward Mayhem.

“Oh!” His nose wrinkles in disgust. “Definitely platonic!”

“I don’t know why, but I get the feeling I’m being talked about,” Mayhem calls from the table and Nabi and Namjoon laugh.

“Pipe down and eat your free food,” Namjoon instructs, rolling his eyes at the way she sticks her tongue out at him. So mature. He lifts an eyebrow at Nabi. “See what I have to put up with? Anyway, why’d you wanna know?”

She chuckles and shrugs. “It’s just good to know about the relationships throughout the office.”

“Ah, in that case, you’ll want to talk to Seokjin. He knows everything around here.”

“Really?”

He grins. “Yeah, come on! Let’s see what the new gossip is.”

“Cool,” Nabi grins, laughing when Namjoon narrows his eyes at her.

“Yeah, yeah,” Namjoon grumbles, but he can’t stop smiling, even when Mayhem starts up on her teasing again.

Because maybe, just maybe he likes it when Nabi teases him.

Just a little.

~*~*~

The fact that Mayhem was using dating apps wasn’t a surprise to anyone, Namjoon especially. Somehow, for reasons he can’t fathom, he’s on the receiving end of all the details he doesn’t want to know about the guys she hooks up with. Especially when he has to call her when she’s consistently late for work because of those hookups. So, he’s not really surprised when it happens, he expects it from her at this point, but he is surprised when he hears Nabi has a dating profile too.

“Wait, what?” he asks, tuning back into the conversation the girls are having over drinks one night.

“I swear, do you ever listen?” Mayhem sighs. “I was just telling Nabi that she should ask out the guy she’s been talking to.”

He furrows his eyebrows, turning his attention to Nabi. “You’ve been talking to a guy?”

“Well, there’s my answer to whether you listen,” Mayhem rolls her eyes and Namjoon glares at her. “She’s been talking to him for weeks now.”

His eyes widen. “What? Really?”

Nabi shrugs, laughing it off. “It’s just talking. It’s not going to go anywhere.”

“Not if you don’t ask him out, it’s not!” Mayhem points out, poking Nabi in the ribs and making her laugh.

Nabi shirks away, batting at her hands. Her gaze slides to Namjoon and then quickly away. “I don’t know. Maybe. We’ll see.”

Mayhem looks between the two of them with narrowed eyes, then exchanges a look with Seokjin, who’s been looking between the two of them throughout the entire exchange. With a smirk, Mayhem rolls her eyes and sips her drink. “Whatever. Do what you want, I guess.”

~*~*~

Nabi never did ask the guy on a date, far too busy with work to even slow down long enough. It’s all she can do to keep up with his messages, something he seems to understand because such is life in Seoul. It’s a little soul-crushing, how consuming work life in the big city is, but it’s what she signed up for. It’s what she’s dreamed of her entire life and she’s finally found a company she’s happy and proud to work for.

So, maybe she uses that as an excuse to not even bother, to not even try to get to know the guy better. He’s nice enough, but not anything to drop her entire life for. She wouldn’t.

Namjoon doesn’t hear anything further about Nabi and her dates – potential or otherwise – and he’s not sure if it’s because she’s stopped talking about them around him or because she genuinely doesn’t go on them. The clarification that she’s single was appreciated, although he’s had his suspicions for a while now. He figures he would have at least heard about a significant other by now.

So, he stops worrying about it. Stops overthinking it. Stops feeling pressured to make a move. If she’s not actually looking for something right now, why would he? Why would he want to mess up a good thing – a valuable friendship?

It’s become abundantly clear, to himself and to both of his friends, that that’s not what he wants with Nabi though. But no amount of them meddling or hinting around or threatening to tell her themselves will convince him to make that first move.

Even though he knows, traditionally, he really should be the one to do it.

Mayhem would probably smack him over the head for thinking that way, but it’s the truth. The guy is still entirely expected to make the first move and, to Namjoon, that’s kind of terrifying.

What if she rejects him? That would suck!

What if she feels awkward around him after? That would suck more!

No, he’s okay with things the way they are. It’s not perfect, obviously, and definitely not ideal, but…it’s okay. He can deal with his feelings.

At least, he thinks he can.

~*~*~

There are very few times in Namjoon’s life that he can remember wanting to dismember someone. Occasionally he feels that way about May when she won’t stop flicking his ear, often he feels that way toward all the big corporations for their part in global warming, but…he’s never felt it quite as strongly as when May’s kind-of-date’s friend’s fingers grazed Nabi’s wrist.

They’re, of course, here to celebrate that very person. Apparently, Jungkook got a big promotion at work. Frankly, Namjoon doesn’t care. He doesn’t really know the guy. But he does know Nabi and does care that he’s touching her.

Even if the touch was accidental.

Although, that doesn’t seem likely. Why else would Jungkook be so intrigued by Nabi’s bracelet? It’s simple silver. Of course, it looks gorgeous on Nabi. Everything looks good on Nabi. But really, Jungkook?

Tightening his jaw, he tries not to appear too miffed as he waits for someone from their group to take a seat so he can finally sit down. Another of May’s kind-of-date’s friends, Taehyung, takes a seat and Namjoon blows out a breath as he follows his lead.

Thankfully, Nabi notices and decides to join.

And if Namjoon scoots a little closer and puts an arm around her shoulders, who cares? It’s not like he’s being rude. It’s not like it’s scandalous. He just…really does not want Jungkook to get too close.

Maybe he’s being too territorial.

At the pointed look Seokjin shoots him, he definitely is.

He sighs and shifts in his seat, trying to relax. It isn’t until Nabi scoots a little closer, leans a little further into his space, that he does.

He peers at her curiously, but her attention is still on Jungkook as they talk about something Namjoon hasn’t bothered to listen to.

He’s vaguely aware of when Mayhem comes back with Jimin, is even more aware of the look his two friends exchange at his expenses but he ignores them. He couldn’t be bothered to pay them more attention anyway, not when Nabi turns in her chair and leans back on him like it’s an entirely normal thing to do.

Not when she threads her hand through his fingers and holds his arm tighter to her.

He’s going to spontaneously combust.

To avoid this, he takes a rather large drink of the beer placed in front of him and clears his throat at the knowing smirk Mayhem throws his way. She tosses him a wink and he turns his attention promptly away, tuning into the conversation Nabi is having with Jungkook.

“So, you work in the legal department?” Jungkook questions. “What does that entail, exactly?”

“Oh,” Nabi blows out a tired sigh, waving him off. “Nothing exciting. I deal a lot with legal contracts and business deals.”

“Sounds exciting to me,” Jungkook shrugs, gaze flickering to Namjoon. “You’re Namjoon, right? You guys work together?”

He sounds like he already knows and Namjoon glances between the two of them, wondering what she’s told him. He nods. “I’m a Senior Editor for the company.”

Jungkook lets out a low whistle. “So, what? You read a lot of books and make corrections?”

Namjoon opens his mouth to correct him, to clarify his role, but he’s already blazing on. He clamps his mouth shut with a frown that doesn’t go unnoticed by Nabi, who squeezes his hand with a soft smile.

“You’re both pretty smart then, huh?” Jungkook looks between the two of them, shaking his head with a defeated sigh. “Smart people always make the cutest couples.”

Namjoon stiffens, staring with wide eyes as Jungkook downs the rest of his beer and gets up to grab another.

Nabi shifts slightly, pulling him back to the moment, and he blinks out of his daze. He glances at her hesitantly, quirking a wobbly smile.

He’s surprised to find she looks completely relaxed, unfazed by the remark.

“Mayhem looks happy,” Nabi comments, leaning close so he can hear her without raising her voice.

His gaze shifts in May’s direction, not at all surprised to see her looking enamored by Jimin, even as Seokjin regales embarrassing stories about her. He kind of admires that about her, that she’s not afraid to look silly or awkward. She merely shrugs it off because, well, she’s human and she is who she is. She never alters or filters herself for anyone…except work. She takes that seriously, at least.

He’s about to open his mouth to respond when a slow chant starts on the dance floor, stealing all of their attention. Their coworker, and part-time disc jockey at the club, takes the stage, waving at the crowd with a gummy smile.

It’s odd to see Yoongi like this, Namjoon thinks. He looks free…kind of careless in a way Namjoon envies.

“Do you want to dance?” The words are out of his mouth before he can think to stop them and he turns a wide-eyed stare to Nabi. Nabi doesn’t seem to notice his flustered state, merely grins and nods, keeping his hand in hers as she tugs him toward the dance floor.

Okay, so maybe…maybe being more like his friends and coworkers could work. Maybe he could stand to be a little more…bold.

Except maybe this is a horrible idea because he hates to dance and he quickly remembers why as soon as he’s on the dance floor with Nabi. Even surrounded by a crowd of people who dance just as horribly as he does, he feels embarrassed by how off-rhythm he is.

And his hands won’t stop sweating.

“You look miserable,” Nabi laughs, taking both his hands in hers and waving them around. “Come on! Loosen up, have fun!”

He tries. He really, really does. But he can’t focus on anything other than the bow of Nabi’s lips, the sway of her hips, the sweet glint of her eyes, and the softness of her hands in his.

“Nabi, I have to talk to you about something,” he blurts out, but he’s not so sure it comes out coherent because he definitely hadn’t intended to say it.

Nabi’s eyebrows furrow and she shifts closer, raising her voice. “What? You want to talk?”

He finds himself incapable of doing anything other than nodding. It seems he’s lost all capabilities of control.

Great.

He feels a little out of it, a little dazed, as she leads him over to a quiet corner of the club. He feels eyes on them, notices all the eyes on her, and he can’t say he’s surprised. She looks gorgeous tonight, but she looks gorgeous all the time. It doesn’t matter what she’s wearing, how much makeup she has on, or what she does with her hair on any particular day. She’s always been stunning.

When Nabi stops short and turns slowly to face him, eyes wide and cheeks stained crimson, he realizes he’s been saying all of that out loud.

Well, great. Awesome.

Cool.

Nabi bites her lip and tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear, averting her gaze to the people around them. They’ve made it off the dance floor, so it’s not as crowded, but it’s still loud. It’s a wonder that she heard his rambling at all. He wonders, briefly, how loud he’d been talking and takes a furtive glance around to see a few people looking their way.

He blushes.

Wow, he’s horrible at this.

“You–” she sighs, fiddling with the material of her dress. “You can’t just say things like that.”

He arches an eyebrow, edging closer in an effort to hear her better. It definitely has absolutely nothing at all to do with the tantalizing smell of her perfume. “Why?”

She makes a noise in the back of her throat, a hand coming up to cover her face.

He grins, not used to seeing this side of her, and reaches to move her hand, but pauses. “Nabi?”

She sighs and makes a humming sound, eyes flickering to him.

He’s dazed for a moment, completely enraptured by how adorable she is, then he blinks and his grin widens. “Can I hold your hand?”

The question clearly takes her by surprise, if the way her eyes widen is any indication. She nods in lieu of a verbal response and Namjoon’s dimples dance as he reaches for her hand, linking their fingers together.

He takes a moment to observe her, admiring the light blush of her cheeks and the way her eyes sparkle in the light. Then he clears his throat. “Can I…also take you on a date sometime?”

Her lips press together in a stunned smile, eyes comically wide in a way that makes Namjoon’s heart flip as he tries not to laugh. She nods. “Okay.”

“Okay?” he questions, if only to make sure he’d heard her correctly.

She nods.

He grins. “Cool.”

~*~*~

Namjoon and Nabi manage to keep the fact that the two of them are dating a secret for a while. Slipping off to lunch together or for drinks after work when others are preoccupied becomes easier once word gets out about the drama between Yoongi and Mayhem.

They’d travel as far as they dared during their lunch breaks, frequenting spots that Namjoon knows their coworkers don’t attend often. Then they’d travel a bit further after work, Namjoon taking it upon himself to show her all the best places on that side of town. Nabi has a few favorites she’d found and she’s excited to show him, even if Namjoon has already been to all of them. It’s better with her there, he’d argue.

Thankfully, the secrecy of their meetings means they have more privacy, less people prying into their business and asking questions about what it all meant. Namjoon doesn’t really care what it all means, he just enjoys spending time with Nabi. He doesn’t want to overthink it.

It also means that, when Namjoon finally works up the courage to kiss her on their fourth date, she has nobody to squeal over it with. It probably isn’t much to squeal over, really. It’s a quick and clumsy kiss as he drops her off at her apartment, one that he blushes about and then quickly bids her goodnight, but…Nabi’s heart thrums excitedly in her chest anyway.

And she may or may not squeal into her pillow about it too.

Eventually, though, the entire office inevitably hears about their relationship. Namjoon assumes it’s all thanks to Seokjin, who could never keep his mouth shut about anything, but once he realizes that Nabi doesn’t care that everyone knew, he finds himself not caring either.

That is, until he learns about the betting pool.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” he groans, running a hand through his hair in slight annoyance. Yes, he sees the humor in what his friends are telling him – even Nabi is laughing about the whole thing – but that doesn’t mean he approves. “What would have happened if I never asked her out?”

“To be fair,” Mayhem starts before biting into an apple, the crisp bite loud. Juice dribbles down her chin and she sucks it between her teeth, swiping a napkin over her face. “I thought Nabi would be the one to ask you.”

Namjoon’s eyes narrow, mouth opening on a sharp retort, before Seokjin quickly butts in.

“I always had faith in you,” he reassures, slapping a hand on Namjoon’s shoulder. “I knew you’d get tired of pining for her eventually.”

“I still can’t believe you’ve liked me for three years,” Nabi laughs.

“Almost three years,” Namjoon corrects, to which Mayhem rolls her eyes.

“So, who won the pool?” Nabi questions, ignoring Namjoon’s comment entirely.

Mayhem pouts, glancing over her shoulder as Yoongi takes a seat next to her at their lunch table.

Yoongi grins. “I did.”

Namjoon snorts. “What did you win? Six thousand won?”

Yoongi’s grin turns smug as he puts an arm around Mayhem, pulling her in close. “Six hundred thousand, actually.”

Namjoon chokes on his coffee and Nabi rubs his back with a frown. “Six hundred thous– what?! How many people were in on this?”

“The entire company,” Mayhem shrugs.

Seokjin nods around a bite of ramyeon. “ShiHyuk-nim bet you’d take five years.”

“Our CEO was betting on our dating lives?” Namjoon groans, burying his face in his hands. “This is embarrassing.”

“Now, now,” Mayhem chuckles, reaching across the table to pat his arm. “The important thing is that you did eventually ask her out.”

“Yeah,” Seokjin snorts. “And now your new boyfriend has all the prize money.”

Mayhem grins. “Exactly!”

“Hmm,” Nabi sniffs and fiddles with the straw in her cup. “I think the least you can do with that money is treat us to a meal.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes, but doesn’t bother to suppress his grin at her audacity. He shrugs. “Fine by me. Mayhem was going to make me take her out on a bunch of dates with it anyway.”

“You still are,” Mayhem argues with a challenging flick of her eyebrow.

Yoongi smirks, squeezing his hand on her shoulder. “Yes, jagiya.”

“You know, I’ll never say no to a good meal,” Seokjin mutters, but it’s muffled around a rather large bite of food that everyone grimaces over.

“We know, hyung,” Namjoon shakes his head with a laugh, sliding a napkin his way. “We know.”

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