Chapter 28

“Hey Sungjae, I’m heading into the city to pick up some stuff with Sam,” he spoke into his iPhone to the youngest member of BTOB. “Could you please let the guys know? I’ll be back soon.” He said. “See you guys later. And don’t worry too much about us. Okay, bye.” Then he hung up.

Together, he and Samantha rode a tuk-tuk around Bangkok taking in the beautiful scenery. Samantha could not bring herself to become entranced into the sights because of her thoughts about him. She was nervous but tried her best to act okay. Peniel, on the other hand, knew Samantha better than she’d give him credit for so in turn, he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Know that you have me here with you. It’s gonna be okay,” he gave her a reassuring smile.

She nodded in return then let her mind wander off as the driver drove them to their destination. Before they entered, Samantha froze then turned to Peniel. “I want to apologize,” she finally said. “I’m really sorry for leading you on. I didn’t mean to and I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me someday. You’ve been nothing but kind to me and I don’t deserve it.”

Peniel sighed and then nodded. “It’s okay,” he said. “Apology accepted. Let’s go in before all the seats fill up.” He led the way as she followed along.

Soon, they arrived at an arena which had a crowd of locals gathered to watch a bunch of matches in the line-up. Some of the names on the fight card were all too familiar to her because he used to mention them a lot when they talked. She beamed as she admired them, coming across these fighters was actually like meeting idols, but from a different world that is. She turned away when she recognized his group which included his corner man and trainers. She remembered meeting them a few times before but hoped they did not recognize her so she turned away.

Noting her looking at the group, Peniel finally asked, “Do you know them?” he glanced at the group curiously.

She nodded then continued to search for him.

He was fighting in the line-up. For once, she was both excited and nervous about it. Few opportunities were given to him but when it comes to knocking; he was always striving towards it. That was what Samantha admired about him. She thought back to when he would call her every night telling her about training for his next fight. It bored her to pieces but she didn’t care because he was talking to her and that was enough. She liked talking to him. He had mentioned it too but never brought it up again. The little compliments he gave her always kept her hopes alive but they were nothing. She knew it too but refused to accept it. It was hopeless for her best friends to convince her otherwise.

After a search left and right, she gave up. The event was starting so she decided to wait until it ended for her to see him. But even throughout the event, she started to become uneasy. Peniel was watching and observing her the whole time not paying attention to the fights. She was fidgeting and could not sit still. He sensed her nervousness and took her hand in his caressing it in the process. She soon became still and averted her eyes to him.

“Just relax and take a deep breath,” he said. She nodded in return.

“I’m glad you’re here with me,” she said softly. She was at her most vulnerable and Peniel took notice. Samantha was no longer the bubbly and headstrong girl he met that first day at the airport.

Not letting go of her hand, Peniel smiled then turned his attention to the match before him. Samantha, in turn, decided to try to enjoy herself. As much as she didn’t enjoy watching people punching and kicking each other, if she were to stick around for him she had to start getting used to it. He could get seriously injured and it worried Samantha but she did not want to hold him back from his dream, she only wanted him to do what made him happy.

After a few matches, the announcer finally introduced the next match-up to the cheering crowd. They introduced the first guy and then his opponent, who was none other than Jeremy. As he made his entrance, Samantha felt the room go silent (maybe it was just her imagination). He looked a little thin compared to the last time she saw him, but she understood why. As a fighter, he had to cut a lot of weight and it was already evident in his appearance. The sound of the roaring crowd was tuned out due to her concentration on him. Peniel attempted to get her attention but the older girl was too focused on the other guy to notice. The young man was now aware of Jeremy without having to ask. So that’s him. He thought as he eyed Jeremy walking to the ring.

Samantha soon started feeling weak. Just looking at him alone was enough to make her vulnerable. Her breathing became irregular and her head started to feel heavy. Peniel took notice and shook her. “Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

Her breathing became normal again when she shifted her attention to the idol. “I’m fine,” she replied. “It’s just, I didn’t expect to have this unwanted… feeling. That’s all…” she turned back to face the ring.

It’s obvious she still has feelings for him, he thought. Releasing his hand from hers, he stood up. She looked at him curiously. “I feel like some water should help you relax a little,” he said. “So wait here, I’ll be right back, okay?”

Samantha did not like the idea of being left alone but nodded anyways. “Okay,” she replied then turned her attention to the fight, which was about to start.

It was the first time she has seen his fight in person. Most of his past fights were on film so she would end up watching those instead. The films were not as exciting as it was live, she had to admit. It felt kind of refreshing to actually witness this for once. He deserved to win this one, she thought. She had to fight the urge to stand up and scream for him for fear of embarrassment took over but she was silently cheering for him nonetheless. Every time he threw a few punches along with a few kicks into the match, she would find herself grinning from ear-to-ear. He had skill, she thought entranced by the scene before her. But every time the other guy hits him, Samantha would start fussing with her hands in her lap along with jerking her legs when attempting to sit still. “Come on, Jere… You got this,” she mumbled softly to herself. “I believe in you. I always have.”

Peniel watched her for the past couple of minutes. She was oblivious to his presence. He did not know why it upset him but then, he was only here for moral support. He did not care much about the fights. Samantha looked as if she was about to faint when she watched Jeremy entering the ring. The fight barely started and he knew he wasn’t going to like the guy. If it weren’t for the opponent, Peniel would have gladly gotten into the ring to teach him a lesson. However, being an idol had its consequences because getting into a fight would hurt his image and he did not want to jeopardize it.

He looked from Samantha then glanced at the ring where Jeremy threw more punches and kicks to the opponent. Her expression as she watched the match was heartbreaking. Peniel clenched his fist in anger while clutching a bottle of water in his other hand. Suddenly, he had the urge to hurl the bottle into the ring hoping it would hit Jeremy square in the head. He practiced enough football and baseball back at his home in Chicago, not to mention tossing the ball around with the BTOB guys, for his aim to be accurate. Smirking, he glanced down at the bottle and turned his attention to the ring, mentally aiming at the target. “Sorry, Sam but Jeremy has to go,” he said softly to himself.