As soon as Sohyun’s agency opened the conference hall, the reporters who were chitchatting in the waiting area rushed in like a swarm of flies. Under a complete camouflage among the crowd, under masks and cap, Taehyung took a side track and met with the bodyguard who was on his duty, eyeing every reporter’s move from the corner of the hall. On seeing Taehyung, the ever-composed bodyguard flustered. As the words struck, his widened eyes expressed his shock.

“How is she, hyung?”, Taehyung asked casually with his head bent down to veil his face under the cap and hiding half of him behind bodyguard’s tall stature.

“Why are you here? How did you enter here?”, bodyguard uttered whispering, while, still keeping an eye on the reporters and fans.

“Needless to say, I wasn’t invited…”

“Obviously!”, he uttered under his breath at his pointless confession.

“Did she cry? Is she okay?”, Taehyung whispered under his mask.

“I did you a favour, because my girlfriend asked me so… Other than retrieving your iPod from her, I can’t help you anymore. Go. Back. Now!”, he murmured stressing every word.

“Thank you helping me, hyung. I’m not here to disturb you by asking favours… just here to observe the press conference, so don’t worry!”, Taehyung spoke in whispers.

“WHAT?! You’re gonna stay here?”, bodyguard asked out loud.

“Shhh!”, Taehyung hushed him and hid behind him to escape the attention. Thankfully there weren’t many eyes that were interested in them. “Looks like you’ll beat the paparazzi in selling me out!”

“Fine, since you’re insisting on staying… Give me one reason… just one solid reason why?”

“I love her”, he told him genuinely. He paused for a moment before he continued, “I need to be here, by her side, for her struggles… I want to see her face”

It looked like his words convinced him, because, the bodyguard never said another word and used his 6’ 5” body to cover him, without making it obvious. After he got notified about Sohyun’s arrival in his ear piece receiver, he informed Taehyung, “Sohyun-sshi will be here in 5 minutes…”

Taehyung nodded in response. He adjusted his Tee and upswept his fringes, thus preparing himself for her appearance.  

Noticing Taehyung who had been putting efforts to present himself better, he asked, “By the way, did you see the pics of them?” He questioned since the photo seemed too convincing.

“Yeah, why?”

“I feel this is hara-kiri! Coming here on your own to hear that she has a boyfriend!”

Angered by his words, he called, “Hyu-”, Taehyung’s sentence was interrupted by the fuss at Sohyun’s arrival. On looking at her walking towards the podium, he whispered, “She looks sad… I think I should interfere and calm her down… should I?”

“Hey!”, he panicked at his utterance. And soon, he got calmed on realizing that Taehyung was just thinking out aloud.

On hearing the series of questions and answers related to the MV and Kwak Dongyeon, Taehyung spoke his thoughts again, “If she was compelled to accept the rumour and if everyone pushes them together as a couple… Shall I raise my hand and object to their relationship as an audience? It will help her, right?”

“Raise your hand? Object? Taehyung-sshi, it’s not a wedding! Nowadays, even in a wedding, they never ask the audience’s opinion!”

“They don’t?”, Taehyung asked seriously.

“Did he get the part that this is not a wedding”, he murmured to himself while nodding his head answering his questions.

Taehyung’s eyes which was fixated on Sohyun, widened at the mention of the date near Han River, “Hyung, Hyung…”, he exclaimed, “That wasn’t Kwak Dongyeon! That was me!”

“WHAT??!”, he suffered a mild at his enthusiastic confession.

“We were on a date… ani(no), on a meet-up near Han river… Shall I tell them that was me?”, he fidgeted unable to contain his thoughts.

“You’re thinking out loud again, Taehyung-sshi”, he replied calmly.

Taehyung stood frozen as if he was struck by lightening and whispered slowly, “She… saw me!”

“HUH??!”, he experienced the heart attack, finally.

As Sohyun stayed quiet on the question about Han river, as her eyes met his’ helplessly. But Taehyung who couldn’t stand their questions, shouted in a squeaky voice, “ARE YOU SURE ITS KWAK DONGYEON?”

The bodyguard immediately undid the button on his coat and lifted his hand pointing the crowd. The widespread coat entirely covered Taehyung and curtailed him from the eyes of the public. He pointed towards the crowd of fans in the other direction saying, “Fans, please raise your hand before asking a question!”

Fans joined in questioning, “Do you have any proof for that?”, “Do you have any picture of it?”, “Don’t accuse without any proof!” As the questions and fan’s fury was about to create a ruckus, “I…”, Sohyun spoke raising her volume to get everyone’s attention and continued, “I thank everyone who came her to help me clear this misunderstanding… Thank you for your support and understanding!”, she gave a 90 degree bow and continued, “Since you all made a long trip here for just interviewing me… the brunch is on me, please have your snack at our cafeteria before you leave!”. With a confident smile she took her leave leaving some reporters taken aback and many delighted.

As he saw her walking away, he muttered slowly, “These days I have seen more of her back than her front! Not that I was complaining…”

“Sorry?”, he asked as Taehyung’s words were inaudible.

“Nothing… it’s just that…”, Taehyung said in a daze, “Look her walking confidently… what a woman! Worth dying for!”

On seeing the crowd dispersing, he gripped Taehyung’s arm saying, “Now, let’s go a hundred feet away and discuss…”

As he dragged him away, Taehyung complied while asking, “Now, do you understand why I insisted on coming here?”

“I understand”, he said curtly while dragging him away from the crowd.

“Did you see the happiness on her face when she saw me?”, Taehyung got ahead of himself.

“If she said that guy at the Han River is someone else and pointed her finger at you… then-”

“Then?”

“Then… your career is over!”

“It won’t be over…”, he said refuting, but the next instant he succumbed to the truth in his words and said, “It might be almost downhill, but not ‘over’!”

He sighed at his logic.

Taehyung continued, “I need to see her, at least once before leaving!”

“Are you nuts?”, he asked not believing his ears.

Meanwhile, despite the fuss outside, the dressing room was quite silent and still. With just her reflection in the mirror, Sohyun took her seat on the salon chair and leaned back breathing out her tension. Looking at herself in the mirror, she questioned him, “Was that you in the conference hall? Did you leave already? Am I just imagining things?” Knocking herself into reality, she muttered, “Among the sounds of revolving world, roaring ocean, human’s warfare with life and time, how will my words will be heard or even reach the shore?” She spent her next moment in silence recollecting the words spilled in the press conference, “Mention about Han river felt like a warning… maybe I shouldn’t see you anymore. But I want to see you for the one last time. Will it be possible? In front of my eyes, in front of me, I need you-”

She was cut in by the sound of the door being opened, and the sight that her eyes beheld, made her wonder, ‘Forget the damn heart! Don’t I have anything in my mind apart from your face?’

“Sohyun-ah…”, the voice rang in her ears.

She shot up from her seat on hearing the voice. “Taehyung?”, her voice whispered while her eyes were aloud in expressing her shock.

“You…”, he stuttered, “…look beautiful in this dress, very beautiful indeed!”

Sohyun stood baffled still not believing her eyes. Gathering her sense, she walked towards the doorway and peeked her head outside the door scanning for people.

“Don’t worry, the bodyguard out there is our acquaintance, he’ll look out for people”, he said while leaning on the doorframe.

She pulled him inside the room by his wrist and shut the door saying, “If someone sees us…”, she breathed in the tension, “I can’t even imagine the consequences…” Letting go of his hand slowly, she asked, “Why did you come here?”

“To see you”

“Now that you have… leave”

“Just 2 minutes…”

“I just made up my mind not to see you anymore!”

“It won’t work out… I’ve already tried and gave up on that”

His advice earned him a stare.

“I’m just sharing my experience to save your effort and time”, he said softly and smiled, “Actually, thanks for clearing the rumour, you need guts to tell them off like that! That was bold and… beautiful!”

She looked at him dumbfounded.

He continued, “Why? Didn’t you like Kwak? What was your problem?”, he asked feigning innocence.

His words shot her temper instead, “I’m your problem!”, her voice was belligerent, and it immediately became subtle, “I wanted to be with you at least under the cover ‘friends’. As tempting as it looks, it just doesn’t feel right!”. Her eyes welled with tears as she asked, “When they mentioned about Han river, you must’ve flustered right? At least for a moment you must’ve thought what to do, right? That isn’t how it should be!”

“Sohyu-”

She didn’t let him finish even a word, and continued as tears rolled her eyes, “I don’t want you to suffer because of me… I don’t want to witness Kwak’s aunt’s sufferings in you! I wanted to let go… even the cover ‘friends’” Unable to contain her tears, she crouched down, covering her face. As words failed him, he kneeled down and looked at her, worried and helpless. Tears chocked her, swallowing the knot in , she spoke through her breath, “If you hadn’t come after me… I would have been just myself…”, wiping the tears that rolled down her cheeks, she asked, “Why did you say you love me, even after all these years? Why did you come to Australia and apologise? Why did you kiss me? Why did you come here?”, she lost herself and drowned in tears asking again, “Why?”

Understanding the eternal dilemma inside her, “Sohyun-ah…”, he spelled her name softly. As she lifted her face to look at him with tears lined eyes, he lifted his hand to wipe her tears. But she buried her face in his chest instead and hugged him. At first, he was taken aback by her hug, and in a second, he held her tighter in embrace. They stayed in embrace on their knees for a second longer, after which Taehyung made her sit on the chair and let her or the silence speak, while he stayed kneeling meeting her eyes.

She spoke slowly gazing into his eyes, “I like you… I’m in love with you, Kim Taehyung”

He was overwhelmed by her words; taken aback, his eyes wandered aimlessly. But as soon as he met her eyes, he closed in as if he was dragged. He cupped her face in his palms and pressed his forehead against hers asking, “Did you just realize that in the press conference?”. He smiled in disbelief at the events unfolding before him. “Did I torture you too much? Running behind you… talking to you… seeing me often… Is that why you fell in love with me?”

With a smile in the corner of her lips, in the proximity where his breath brushed her cheeks, she replied, “I fell in love with you years ago… when I saw you again, when you saw me and said ‘long time no see’ in the award show… each time we met, I saw something in your eyes… When I saw you looking at me with this gaze, I wanted to touch your face…”, she said and placed her palms gently on his cheek. He closed his eyes feeling the warmth of her hand and placed his hand above hers. She continued, “When you proposed to me, I was angry, I thought you found out my love for you and I wasn’t over you… But when you apologised to me in Australia, I fell head over heels in love with you again… fell hard for you… again! When you took me to the Han River, my heart pounded louder than the traffic… That’s why I didn’t stop you, that’s why I kissed you… happy?”

He smiled and hummed nodding to her reasoning for the kiss which he had been demanding for a long time.

On hearing footsteps of people running in the hallway outside the closed door, they became conscious of people’s presence and drew back from their proximity. “Don’t be here… go back. I told you this would happen.  It’s all because of me… I’m sorry. You’re an awesome person, you don’t need this-”

“Hey…”, he cut in her sentence, “You’re an awesome woman! Come with me… even now I’ll say the same! I’ll take care of everything…”

“Shall I come with you? NOW?”, she asked teasing him.

“Come…”, he said and held her hand as if he’s prepared to run away with her.

Sohyun expected to hear assuring words from him but with a gentle tug of her hand, he proved action speaks louder than words. Though taken aback, she smiled and rose on her feet. She released her hand from his hold and held his arms gently aligning him to sit on the chair. “Sit here…”, she said softly. As he looked at her puzzled, “Don’t be in a rush to escape from this side of world… I know it’s different from our college days. But we have to face some important people in our life than just running away from the pressure, from work and the society!”

“Our family?”, Taehyung asked.

She nodded saying, “My mom should be convinced. She’ll ask about your everything… ‘What job he is doing? Is he a good guy? Is he handsome? Is he earning more? Will he care for you well? Will he give his life for you?’”

“Of course!”, he answered cutting in at her last question.

“‘Yes, it is Kim Taehyung’ should be her statement. Is it not the same in your family? Shouldn’t your mom too say that ‘This is the girl for you!’?”

“Yeah…”, he nodded agreeing.

“Everyone should be happy… Isn’t that what you also want?”

“I can convince everyone except that professor/uncle of yours!”

“I don’t know how… but I will convince him”, she said assuring.

An unconscious smile escaped his lips at her words.

“I will come… for you!”, she said firmly with her eyes b with love.

“You’ll come for me?”

She nodded promptly.

With delighted smile, he asked not believing his ears, “You’ll come? For me?”

“I will!”

“You’re saying what I should be saying-”

She interrupted him as she pulled him into her embrace by wrapping her arms around his neck. And she slowly whispered, “I love you, Tae… I love you!”. He put his one arm around her shoulder and the other enveloping her waist and held her tighter, saying, “I love you Sohyun-ah!”

Not letting go of him from the hug, she said, “Tae, you need to leave… now! Please...”

Withdrawing from the hug, he tilted his head and leaned in closer, meeting her lips. She locked her lips in his’ and gladly kissed him back. He nibbled her lower lip slowly and she made the kiss to linger sensually. Drawing back from the locked lips, she held her eyes low in embarrassment. He pressed his forehead against hers and their eyes remained shut again. After that moment stayed for a second longer, Sohyun uttered, “Please go now…”

He made his way towards the closed door with her fingers intertwined in his. She opened the door halfway, and her eyes signalled him to leave. He pulled her behind the door and in a confident but gentle tone, he said, “There is no me without you!”

Sohyun smiled at his fan service like words and smiled.

“It is not a sham, the love I have for you!”, he insisted. “Let me remind you, I will never leave your side, even an inch or a stride! Even if you move, I’ll come searching for you, to your bay!”, he said it like an orator.

She responded to his speech by stealing a quick peck from his lips and saying, “I get it!”

He smiled gleefully satisfied by her reply.  

“Now, you leave!”, she said pushing him while still holding on to his hand. He took her hand in his’ and kissed it saying, “See you soon… very soon”. As she hummed agreeing, he reluctantly took his leave from her.

Taehyung carefully sneaked out and ran towards the bodyguard who stood holding his life in his hands while waiting for him. On seeing Taehyung, he breathed out in relief and immediately rushed him to the car which had been kept ready in the alley beside her agency to pick him up. Upon securing him by driving the car away from the eyes and the location, he said, “You nearly shaved 10 years of my life!”

Taehyung who was in his own word all along, recollected the words Sohyun uttered a while ago and imitated it saying, “I’ll come… for you!”

“What?!”, he cried on realizing that Taehyung was under hallucination.

His cry brought Taehyung to senses.

He cleared his throat and asked, “Looks like you guys made up…”

Taehyung nodded smiling from ear to ear and bowed saying, “We’ll be under your care from now on. Please take care of us!”

Flustered by his words and baffled by the meaning behind it, he said, “I think you’re mistaking something… I was sent here to protect Sohyun-sshi by YOUR agency coz it started because of the MV and moreover her agency couldn’t bring in enough guards within a day!”

“Means?”, asked Taehyung who got lost in the middle of his long speech.

Gripping the steering wheel, he sighed out saying, “Means… I’m an employee at your agency, not hers, so please take out the ‘we’ from your sentence!” He then continued murmuring, “That ‘we’ send me shivers!”

“From now on, there is no ‘I’ or ‘her’, it’ll be always ‘we’!”

Cringed by his words, he said, “These lines are so cheesy that even the lyrics nowadays doesn’t have them!”

Taehyung soon turned sober and thoughtful saying, “These years, I looked at myself as a stranger… I lived in a depth where even ‘I’ doesn’t exist… I don’t know whether I’ll bring a new definition for myself, but I will be myself; I will live completely… naturally, without any pretence!”

“That’s a new side of the coin!”, he uttered on hearing such words from Taehyung. “But without any pretence means? Will you disclose your relationship?”

“I’ll cross the bridge when I come to it!”, Taehyung replied and went back to his world.

The night fell spilling the bright stars over the sky. Unlike the uproar in her agency, she arrived at her house pursing her lips to control her never ending smile. As her mind replayed the moments she shared with Taehyung, she walked in with an elated mood.

“I’ll come… for you!”, Yeri who have been observing her since she entered the house, made the remark to knock her out of the daze.

Coming to her senses, Sohyun found Yeri standing in the living room with her arms crossed. “How do you know that?”, she asked puzzled.

“I have my sources…”, Yeri replied holding the phone in her hand.

“Tell your boy-”, she coughed and continued, “-friend to stop being a big mouth!”, Sohyun said as he made her way towards her room.

“That’s my line!”, Yeri said while following her to room. “Your guy has been roaming around spilling that dialogue of yours everywhere!”

The battled with their stares, shooting lasers at each other. But the next moment, they broke into laughter at the absurdity of situation.

“Did you… perhaps imagined the CG lasers out of our eyes?”, Yeri asked while trying to control her laughter.

Sohyun nodded laughing.

On seeing her bright side, Yeri told, “I’ll be by your side, even if you decide to stay by him!” and hugged Sohyun.

Hugging her back, Sohyun teased, “And I’ll continue to remain oblivious about Jungkook and you, even if things are suspicious between you two!”

“Ya!”, Yeri sulked.

“I was just kidding!”, Sohyun calmed her.

Yeri stayed sulking for a while, but her loaded mind brought out the press conference that was almost forgotten. “Ya, did you see the articles on your press conference?”

She shook her head in denial.

“Too occupied with him?”, Yeri grunted. She looked up on trending searches and found her articles which bore the titles such as, ‘Kim Sohyun: Sure, is a grown up!’, ‘Thoughtful actress Kim Sohyun!’, ‘Is dating a scandal? actress Kim Sohyun questions the reporters!’

“What does it say?”, Sohyun asked anxiously.

“There were full of praises about the way you handled the situation!”, Yeri exclaimed. With excitement all over her face, she spoke, “Sohyun-ah! Dating news and Kwak Dongyeon faded from the articles, coz the comments were full of compliments on your good attitude! There’s even an article about how you were considerate about the reporters and treated them to snack!”

“WHAT?!”, Sohyun wondered at the news which was too good to be true.

“Looks like a sweet beginning!”, Yeri pronounced her thoughts.

With a gladdened smile she responded expressing her gratitude in absence of words.

The starry night witnessed Taehyung’s and Sohyun’s smiles that were exchanged along with their texts. Though they lost their sleep, their morning began fresh. Their schedule sure placed the obstacles in their date, but the technology helped them.

Their new start soon met with the spring time. While Sohyun joined a new variety show which films her solo trip to California, BTS released their new MV ‘Idol’ teaser video.

On the day of her departure to LA, all dolled up in red one piece, she walked the airport in fashion. Despite the flashes capturing her, she personally took a selfie and sent it to him. With all the articles circling around on her airport fashion and calling her ‘doll’, ‘princess’, she even caught the attention of many of the artists in his agency.

On witnessing other’s compliments about her looks, upon receiving her message and pic, he sent a reply saying, ‘All the credit for creating such a beauty goes to you and your parents. But it now belongs to my eyes!’

While Sohyun was typing the reply, she was interrupted by Namjoon’s call.

Chapter Pic Source & Credit: Instagram xtaesox . The pic and edit belong with rightful owners. I don't own the pic or the edit.

Author’s thoughts:

Hello! Has the past week been difficult? I hope it’ll get better soon! The sun will raise again, and night will occur again, so stay strong!

March 15, World Sleep Day! Have you been enjoying the spring break? Did you get any break? When was the last time you had enough time to sleep and enough sleep for the day? I hope you have a good night and a peaceful sleep!