Chapter 8

The third guy Yoona introduced me to was actually perfect.

His name was Yongguk. He was 27 years old; a journalist working for a well-known fashion magazine. He didn’t live at home, was funny, fashionable AND good-looking; he was both a gentleman and he listened when I talked. But most of all, we just clicked. We had the same sense of humor and didn’t bore me. He had interesting things to say about both serious topics and ridiculous ones. For example, which kind of latte flavors were the best, and how I REALLY had to try this one tiny shop near his work that made THE BEST choco-banana latte ever. I never even knew there was such a thing.

“There is. And you’ve been living in the dark all this time. Once you have it, it’ll change your life forever.” he said, with laughing eyes, as if telling me a secret.

I laughed girlishly, covering my mouth, and looking away under my lashes, a gesture I didn’t even know I was physically capable of doing.

My phone rang and it was work. Of course it was work. I’d only agreed to meet this guy at a coffee shop near the office during my “dinner” break because Yoona had been so insistent that I’d love him, and we were flying back to Japan soon so I wouldn’t have time until I came back otherwise. We’d just finished the second week of promos, which was hectic as hell because we had fansigns to deal with on top of everything else, and were now entering the third, which promised to be just as crazy, if not more, and honestly, I had expected him to as much as the first two, so I didn’t think it would take longer than an hour to meet with him and politely turn him down.

That did not end up happening.

I wanted to stay.

“What?!” I called out, rather more annoyed than I meant to.

“Noona, you have to come!” I heard Taehyung’s voice at the other end of the line, just before he broke into a squeal, followed by a loud laugh and the clattering sounds of him running away as he laughed. “Seriously,” he said a moment later, “This is just…” he broke his sentence to chuckle like a 5 y.o. again and “Aaaahhhh!!!!” he burst into something that was half-laugh/half-squeal and the phone went dead.

I just stared at it with the most baffled expression, mouth opened, then looked back up at my date who had obviously heard the unusual sounds blasting out of my phone, yet still asked, with an innocent smile on his lips after taking a sip of his coffee, “Work?”

I nodded stupidly.

And then, before I could add anything, the phone buzzed in my hand again, with Taehyung’s number.

“Tae, what the heck?!” I asked, bringing the phone back to my ear, but over the commotion, I heard Yoongi’s calm voice ask me “Noona, where do you keep your camera?”

Ok what the hell was going on. Yoongi never got involved in the others’ ridiculous antics.

“My desk. Bottom right drawer. Code is 8924.” I answered, too surprised to protest.

“Got it.” he thanked me in his deep, straightforward voice, before I heard the phone click again. I just stared at it, and then back at the man in front of me. I must have been sporting the most ridiculous expression because he looked so amused as he said, “I guess you have to go, huh?”

“I think so….” I stared at my phone wearily.

He laughed, showing a row of nearly perfect white teeth.

“That’s ok. I enjoyed myself way more than I expected to. And I got, ohh…” he flipped his wrist to look at his watch (who still wore watches nowadays? Unless they were very, very expensive ones?), “Wow, two hours of your precious time.” he said, actually sounding surprised. “It’s more than I expected.”

I looked down at my phone, pushing the button to light up the screen, and noticed that indeed, it was now almost 9:30pm. I had not expected this either.

He stood up, and before I knew it, my phone was in his hands. He was pressing away at buttons very quickly and handed it back to me a moment later, before fishing his own phone out of his long-jacket pocket and nodding with a small smile. As he shoved his phone back in his pocket he explained, “That’s my kakaotalk.”

I didn’t know how to deal with this guy. He was so smooth, but for some reason it didn’t come off cheesy at all. This had never happened before. I guess 3^rd time WAS the charm.

“You promised to try the chocolate latte” he added, almost accusingly, since I was just standing there like an idiot.

“I did.”

He chuckled.

“Well, it was nice meeting you, Nari.” He started with a smile, extending his hand to me, but then adding, “You should probably head back to work…” frowning at my phone who had started buzzing again.

“Urgh!” I rolled my eyes and he chuckled, “I’m really sorry about that…” I said, honestly. “I’d like that. The latte, I mean…” I smiled back at him, shrugging my coat on, and then, without warning, I just rushed out of the cafe, pressing the phone to my ear and asking “WHAT?!”, as I left him standing there, slightly dumbfounded.

*

Yongguk and I started texting each other.

Innocently at first, and then a bit more like friends. A bit more like flirting.

He wanted to go get that latte but there was actually zero time to do so and I apologized to him multiple times for it. There would probably be no time before Japan, I informed him.

[Japan??]

[Oh yes, we’re going to Japan again next week.] I replied. While at the same time shaking my head at Namjoon who was presenting me two different t-shirts from the entrance of the group wardrobe.

[Again??] he replied right away.

[You know you never actually told me what your job was… Yoona just said you worked for a music company…]

I stared at the screen instead of replying, biting my nails. He’d obvious know I’d read his message, but I struggled for an answer. Namjoon came back with another set of shirts, I pointed at the right one and he looked at it and nodded, heading back into the closet.

[Was I such a self-involved as$hole that I kept talking about myself and didn’t even ask?]

he asked, but the tone was friendly and joking.

Namjoon came out of the closet wearing a pair of ripped up jeans and the t-shirt I’d just selected, with a pair of dark sneakers. I gave him the thumbs up and he vanished into the closet once again.

[Not at all, you were busy talking about how to end world hunger and chocolate lattes.] I replied, trying to sound teasing as well.

[God, that makes me sound even more like a .] the reply came instantly.

I laughed, because it was funny.

[It’s hum… kinda hard to explain.] I typed, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed. They had not.

Namjoon came out of the closet again, wearing a studded leather jacket over the whole thing. I frowned, shaking my head heavily, and looked down at my phone again.

[Third world hunger?]

I chuckled. I looked up to see Namjoon was still standing there, giving me a funny look, a waved a hand, shooing him away and mouthing “Jacket. No” at him, while I typed.

[My job.]

[Aaaahh…] he wrote back. That could’ve meant a number of things.

I waited but nothing else came. I would have to answer.

[Well, I guess the easiest way to say it would be…] I tried to think of how to say it.

[I’m waiting on the edge of my seat here.]

I wanted to smack him for being sassy, but he wasn’t within slapping distance.
 

Namjoon came out once again, this time wearing a grey baseball jacket over his outfit and I gave him two thumbs up and a smile. He finally seemed satisfied and walked away, out of the training room door, I assume to get his hair done.

[I manage an idol group.]

[An up and coming idol group.]

[They’re very busy.]

I wanted to erase those last messages, but of course it was too late. It sounded like I was bragging.

… Maybe I was a little?

[Aaaaah…. It all makes sense now.] came the reply.

[Are you making fun of me?] Now that there was no Namjoon to distract me, my replies came much faster. So did his.

[Not at all.] he asked. Then quickly:

[Boy or girl?]

[What?]

[The group you manage. Boys or girls?]

[Ah. Boys] I replied.

He sent a sulky face sticker.

[Are you jealous?] I chuckled to myself, secretly pleased.

[That you’re spending all your days pandering to several attractive young men’s every need? Not at all.]

I sent back a laughing sticker.

[I’m like their mom.] I replied, hoping that would soothe him.

[I’m sure they don’t think that.] he retorted. He really was jealous. It was kinda cute.

[You’re much too pretty and too young.] Definitely cute. And jealous.

[Please… the things I’ve seen? I wouldn’t date any of them if you paid me…]

[Wait… actually, they are paying me...]

I laughed at my own joke, though he didn’t. But that seemed to convince him.

[Alright then. I’ll believe you.]

[You better] I teased.

[So coffee after Japan?]

[Definitely.]

[Then when are you coming back?]