Jungkook adjusted his worn backpack as he stared up at the enormous mansion before him, his mouth slightly agape. This couldn’t be right. He double-checked the address Taehyung had sent him, then looked back at the gilded gates and manicured gardens stretching as far as he could see.
“Babe! You made it!” Taehyung’s familiar voice called out as he jogged down the marble steps, wearing what appeared to be a designer suit that probably cost more than Jungkook’s yearly salary.
“Tae… what is this place?” Jungkook asked, still frozen in place. “I thought we were meeting your family for your friend’s wedding?”
“We are! This is my parents’ house,” Taehyung said casually, reaching for Jungkook’s hand. “Come on, everyone’s excited to meet you!”
Jungkook’s mind was reeling. For the past two years, they’d been sharing humble date nights at food trucks and tiny restaurants. Taehyung always split the bill, lived in a modest apartment, and wore simple clothes. He’d even helped Jungkook grade his kindergarten students’ artwork on numerous occasions.
“But… you said you were a regular office worker,” Jungkook stammered as they walked through the grand entrance hall, complete with a crystal chandelier and priceless artwork.
“I am! I just happen to work at my family’s company,” Taehyung replied with a sheepish smile. “I wanted you to like me for me, not my family’s money.”
Before Jungkook could process this revelation, a cheerful voice echoed through the hall. “Is this the famous Jungkook we’ve heard so much about?” A handsome man with silver hair approached them, accompanied by a taller man with dimples.
“Jungkook, this is Jimin, my best friend and the groom-to-be, and his fiancé Namjoon,” Taehyung introduced them.
“Tae hasn’t shut up about you for two years,” Jimin said with a mischievous grin. “Though he conveniently left out some details about his background, didn’t he?”
Jungkook felt his cheeks flush. “You could say that. Just yesterday, he was helping me make paper crafts for my students using supplies from the dollar store.”
Namjoon laughed. “That sounds like Taehyung. He once convinced the board of directors to fund an art therapy program for underprivileged kids by showing them finger paintings.”
“The board of directors?” Jungkook turned to Taehyung with wide eyes.
“Surprise?” Taehyung offered weakly. “I’m kind of the vice president of our educational division.”
Jungkook felt overwhelmed. The man he’d been sharing cup ramen with and taking to budget movie theaters was actually some sort of corporate heir? He excused himself and fled to the nearest balcony, needing air.
Taehyung followed him out. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I’ve had so many people pretend to like me for my family’s money. When I met you, and you treated me like a normal person… I didn’t want to risk losing that.”
“But I’ve been splitting bills with you! I made you help me clip coupons!” Jungkook buried his face in his hands, mortified.
“And I loved every minute of it,” Taehyung said softly. “You showed me how to find joy in the simple things. Do you know how refreshing it was to be with someone who got excited about finding a good deal on art supplies for their students? Who cared more about making children happy than making money?”
Jungkook looked up to find Taehyung’s eyes filled with sincerity. “So nothing about our relationship was fake?”
“The only fake thing was my pretend budget constraints,” Taehyung admitted. “Everything else – every laugh, every moment, every feeling – was real. Especially my love for you.”
From inside, they could hear Jimin calling everyone for dinner. Jungkook took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “You’re going to make this up to me.”
“Anything,” Taehyung promised quickly.
“First, you’re going to donate proper art supplies to my kindergarten class,” Jungkook said with a small smile. “And then you’re going to help me explain to my mother why I’ve been making you eat her budget meal prep containers when you could have been eating at five-star restaurants.”
Taehyung laughed and pulled Jungkook close. “Deal. Though for the record, your mother’s kimchi is better than any five-star restaurant I’ve ever been to.”
As they walked back inside hand in hand, Jungkook realized that while the setting had changed dramatically, the warmth in Taehyung’s smile and the comfort of his presence remained exactly the same. Maybe some things were worth more than money after all.