With Sohyun’s bags on Taehyung’s shoulder and her hands held in his palms, he stood before the members with a short smile which reflected his internal ease. Their busy moment with the barbeque setup came to a halt when they saw Sohyun with him. Since the members never met Sohyun outside the company, they froze on seeing her.

While she stood puzzled on seeing their frozen state, Taehyung nudged her murmuring, “Say, hello”

Regaining her senses back, Sohyun bowed, “Anneonghaseyo!”, she said nervously.

While members struggled to regain their calm posture, Namjoon took a step forward as their leader. Though he volunteered with brave front, his anxiousness made him stutter, “Sso-Sohyun-sshi… Anneong!”, he waved his hand at her with an awkward smile. Lowering Namjoon’s hand that was frize in the air for a while, Jimin who was the only one in his right sense spoke, “Look like you two are hurt! Your clothes were scraped too… Come inside first, we will do the greetings later!”

Sohyun and Taehyung changed themselves into nice and warm clothes and settled down on the couch, but members were still at bewilderment. They perplexed, and there was a hassle and anxiety for a while about her arrival. After attending their wounds, Jin joined with the members and stared at the couple for a few seconds and blurted out, “I think they look good together!”

Suga sighed, “We are hyungs! We were supposed to warn him… not encourage him! Your comment beats the purpose of this whole staring strategy!”

“What about me? I’m not a ‘hyung’?”, Jungkook threw his doubts.

“I give up!”, Suga raised his hand.

Namjoon took this chance and asked, “Sohyun-sshi, I watched your recent drama… actually almost all of your drama! I really enjoyed it! Would you mind a photo?”

Suga rolled his eyes at Namjoon saying, “Didn’t I just say we are hyungs?”

“You just said to give up…”

“I said ‘I give up’ not ‘Let’s give up’!”, Suga flared.

“Then what about me? Hyung?”, Jungkook asked innocently.

While Suga fumed, a chuckle escaped Sohyun’s lips which triggered him. She immediately apologised saying, “Sorry… I couldn’t hold it in…”. Her worried eyes set everyone on the laughter mode but Jimin who was more concerned about the wounds asked, “By the way, how did you two get injured?”

Judging from their perplexed reaction, Jimin got an overall idea about what happened, since he knew them from college days. “Did you two fight?”, Namjoon wondered. As Taehyung stayed quiet, “I’m pretty sure, they didn’t use their fists in that fight!”, Jimin answered and he took his leave to look after the barbeque for dinner. Understanding Jimin’s words, Jungkook remarked, “So, is this what they call ‘falling’ in love?”, he smirked giving a clear hint to everyone.

While Sohyun shut her eyes in embarrassment, Taehyung got up saying, “Shut up, you all!”, and chased everyone away. Driving everyone to the backyard, Taehyung came back into the house inviting her to join with them.

Taking her hand, he said, “Join us for the barbeque…” and walked towards the backyard.

Before Taehyung could step out into the backyard, Sohyun pulled him in towards her and hugged him.

“What happened?”, he asked taken aback.

Enveloping her arms around his torso, she rested her head on his chest saying, “Nothing… just wanted to hug you…”

Smiling from ear to ear, he hugged her back tightly. Upon realizing that her arms were bruised, he immediately loosened his hold on her asking, “Sorry… Did it hurt?”

“It doesn’t matter… Just hug me tightly”, she said not bothering about her injuries.

“Silly…”, he uttered chuckling and wrapped her in his embrace. “I craved for this…”, he confessed.

“Huh?”

“I craved for this feeling… the feeling of your pounding heart against my chest!”

“Are yo-”, Sohyun stopped her sentence and screamed when she felt a silhouette behind the glass walls.

Hiding her behind him, Taehyung faced the door and found Jungkook with his gloves on holding the skewers for the BBQ. As Taehyung breathed out in relief, Jungkook who was equally freaked out uttered, “Shouldn’t I be the one screaming on seeing you two like that?” Realizing that it was just Jungkook, Sohyun got herself composed. But his words didn’t seem to settle well with her. So, she pulled Taehyung back into embrace and held him tightly in front of Jungkook and said, “This is my boyfriend! I’m hugging my man! What’s your problem in that?”

As Jungkook scoffed at her words, Taehyung patted on her back signalling her to not provoke him. But other members who panicked on hearing her scream, rushed in to check on them. Upon entering, their eyes fell on Taehyung and Sohyun and sighed in chorus.

Fed up with the cringing scenes unfolding before his eyes, “I’m against this relationship!”, Jungkook declared. But the members enquired about the reason behind the scream not giving consideration Jungkook’s words.

“The stalker”, Taehyung explained.

Grasping the situation, Namjoon said, “It’s alright Sohyun-sshi… but besides screaming you need to learn few techniques to tackle him!”

Sohyun nodded.  

“Speaking of the stalker… I don’t know if that bouquet is targeted towards you or me… Because…”, Taehyung took out his phone from his pocket and showed the picture of the bouquet to Sohyun asking, “I think I have seen a bouquet like this somewhere… How about you?”

“These yellow flowers…”, Sohyun’s eyes widened at the recollection, “I think I received some kind like this while I was in hospital…”, she said.

“What??”, everyone gasped at the revelation. “Why didn’t you tell us before?”

“I don’t know… No one asked. And my mind was completely blank…”, her words quivered at the recollection, “I only remember this one at the hospital… Coz Kwak Dongyeon brought it in…”

“Him?”, Taehyung knitted his brows. But members wondered more about why he was so riled up at the mention of his name.

“He said it was lying outside my door, in the hallway of the hospital…”

“You are giving such a crucial info now?!”, Taehyung’s voice got louder. “What were you thinking?”

“About you! Us! Our fight!”, she innocently poured her thoughts and truths.

Hiding their laughter behind their pursed lips, the members tried their best to put on a poker face. And Taehyung who was taken back by her blunt truth, he asked, “Honestly, what’s on your mind right now?”

“Honestly?”, she asked.

“Yes, honestly”

“I want to eat some spicy chicken…”, her excited tone sounded.

“What?”, he asked in bewilderment.

“I’m hungry…”

After a moment of silence everyone broke into laughter again. The laughter which lasted for a full minute, subsided only when Taehyung rushed everyone to prepare for the barbeque. As everyone was making their way out, Taehyung held her hands and led her out. He knew that her mind was completely muddled. Her travel across hundreds of miles and sleepless nights, “Why did you come?”, he asked in whispers.

“I told you, right?”, she said softly.

“Huh?”

She looked into his clueless eyes and said, “That I would come for you!”

A delighted smile that has never visited him before appeared on his lips. “Why?”, he asked, waiting for her to pronounce those words clearly.

“Shall I tell you then?”, she raised her brows with a smirk.

“Tell me…”, he pretended clueless.

“I love you!”, she whispered into his ears and quickly made her way towards backyard before he could react to it. Taehyung followed with an elated mood and never-ending smile.

While Taehyung actively helped with the preparation, Sohyun and Jimin set the table. “I was afraid…”, Jimin said as he arranged the plates.

“Of what?”

“That you two broke up and the history would repeat!”, Jimin said. And Sohyun knew what he was talking about and in reply, her silence filled the room.

Soon the dinner was served under the dim lights and orange sun. Taehyung noticed Jungkook who seemed sullen all evening and executed his strategy to please him. “How can you say like that?”, he directed his question at Sohyun.

She understood what he is asking about and even his reason but somehow her playful side refused to give in, “I didn’t say you’re the one who hugged me… I said, I’m hugging my boyfriend. This is true, isn’t it?”, she told him and asked other members, “Is it wrong oppa?”

“Not at all”, everyone chorused with a smile except Jungkook.

Taehyung hushed others and asked, “You should’ve asked my permission or at least given a sign…”

“Ok, I’ll ask you now… what do you say?”

Flustered by her question, Taehyung stuttered, “Do… Don’t want to…”

“When I didn’t ask, you’re angry and if I come to ask you… you’re saying, I don’t want”

Jungkook interfered saying, “There has to be a ‘yes’ and ‘no’ for a permission, right?”

“Why are you suddenly talking about hug, now?”, Taehyung meddled.

Though he was the one who took up the topic, Sohyun played along. “Shall I tell you then?”, she raised her brows with a smirk.

Deducing where her question will lead the answer to, “No need to say anything!”, he evaded her answer.

Towards the end of the dinner, Sohyun asked, “Is it alright to ask a favour from you all?”

“Sure…”, Taehyung assured while other members were anxious about the favour.

“I hesitate to ask it…”

“What is it?”, Namjoon asked.

“Are you sure it’s okay? May I?”

“Sure”, Jimin assured too.

“My friends were all big fans of BTS… They all treated me to dinner when they heard that I will be emceeing with Taehyung… Of course, they don’t know about Tae and me…”, her hesitant words continued, “In return to their treat, I promised them that I would get them your autographed albums…”

“Sure!”, Namjoon immediately agreed. Though members were relieved on knowing that it was a small favour, they didn’t want to agree to it for free. “You got treated to dinner. What do we get in return?”, Suga asked.

“What do you all expect?”, Taehyung asked them on behalf of her.

“A photograph with your autograph!”, Namjoon said delighted. And before other members could interfere, Taehyung immediately agreed, “Those are the words of your big fan!”

Sohyun had no idea if that was truth or a lie, but it made her happy. “I am honoured!”, she said with a gratified smile. Softened by her genuine reaction, none of the members went against Namjoon’s idea and quietly agreed.

The dinner neared the end and so is their day with each other, Sohyun’s smile was beginning to fade. And Sohyun took her time in finishing her plate. Trying to etch this moment of happiness and carefreeness, her eyes were fixated on the genuine laughter of Taehyung. Never did she hear what they were talking or laughing about, but she smiled throughout the dinner. She was the last one to finish her dinner and wasn’t ready to leave yet. But she her plate was empty, and the table was being wrapped. When she offered to help with the dishes, Taehyung interrupted saying, “We need to leave now, so that we can reach the airport on time…” His words took the smile away from her face. Her eager hands that offered to help, grabbed her bags instead.

“Why don’t you stay?”, Jimin asked. “We all have individual rooms, so it’s not a problem if you take one… two of us will share! We don’t mind-”

“Except me”, Jungkook completed his sentence.

Sohyun chuckled on the outside, “Thanks, but it’s okay… You all need a time for yourselves too, right?”, she said and bowed, “Thanks for today and especially the dinner”, with a thanking smile, she took her leave with her bags.

Taehyung turned to the members, “Looks like she has some work tomorrow…”, he told them before he took his leave with her.

Taehyung drove the van that escorted them to Busan and drove towards the airport that was an hour drive. Taehyung talked non-stop while driving and Sohyun just nodded while her eyes looked out through the window. Realizing that she hadn’t been paying attention to him, he changed the lanes and stopped the car. “So, you’re listening to the window and, I am talking to the wind shield?”

She never took a glance at him and her eyes remained away, looking through the window in silence.

“Sohyun-ah, I’m talking to you”, his voice sounded, a little amplified.

She remained quiet.

“Sohyun-ah!”, he called her again, and tried to turn her around by her shoulder. But his strength overpowered and tore her sleeved instead.

Gathering the ends of the torn sleeve together, she sat facing the window away from him.

He never imagined the consequence, but the tears laden eyes of hers pierced him. “Sorry…”, his voice lowered and softened. “Look at me…”, he pleaded softly, “This wasn’t intentional… I’m sorry…”, he explained genuinely, but there was no response. So, he spelled, “S-O-R-R-Y… I’m really sorry”, he lifted her chin to face him, but her eyes were downcast, “Your anger didn’t subside? I said sorry, right? Why don’t you forgive this?” As her downcast eyes looked at him in the eyes, he said, “I’m not a brute. I’m a little bit of a good guy too! Look at me, aren’t I pitiful, don’t you feel sorry for me?” Not a word from her again, but she turned to face the road instead of the window which gave him some sense of achievement. Handing over his jacket to her, he directed his attention back on the road upon reading her posture and drove towards the airport. The moment, he parked the van in airport, he heard sniffles.

“Hey…”, he called her softly and his eyes tried to read her.

She silently wiped her tears repeatedly which reddened her cheeks.

“What happened?”, his voice quivered.

“I-”, Sohyun spoke through her breath, “I… I-”, she started again but once one tear left her eyes, the rest streamed down her cheeks. Clenching her fist, she bent forward silently sobbing. Seeing her like that, pain crept inside him. Embracing her in his arms, he ran his hand through her hair softly to calm her down. But her torrent of tears never stopped, soaking his shirt. Slowly, she drew back from his chest and clutched his shirt in her hands. The tears never seemed to cease; it burned her beauty. Through the suffocating breaths and choking voice, she asked, “Do you know… Those years, every day my heart came alive… and died that very day!” She always had been self-conscious even while crying, but now she surrendered. Her shoulders shook as her breathing ragged.

They never talked about the years that passed by while they were apart. And he knew why the topic was brought up now.

“I didn’t know that…”, he said softly as he held her hands that was gripping her shirt. As she calmed down a bit, “I’m listening…”, he said while wiping the tears that fell on her cheeks.

Her reddened eyes which got drowned in tears looked at him, “It was very difficult in the beginning…”, she paused to inhale, “Even in the later years… and every second in between!” As his thumbs brushed away her uncontrollable tears, he nodded listening to her. “I got caught alone in Seoul which was filled with your memories… I won’t know what to do… everyday I used to stand in front of God and cry…”, averting her eyes away, letting away her pride, she confessed, “The day before we broke up, the day you met my family, your mom told me… that you’re a nice person and I should take care of you well. I know you are a nice person, but after we parted ways, I don’t know how to take care of you-”. She paused as tears came rushing in, with her head held down, her body wacked with throat tightening sobs and short intake of breath. He pulled her in his embrace and supported her head against his chest while wiping his silent tears. Withdrawing back, her hands firmly wiped her tears resolved to not let the emotions take over her confessions, “Listen…”, she said gazing into his eyes. “I wanted to tell you this… No, you should listen to this…”

“Tell me…”, he said as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

“A year after our breakup, I heard about your addiction… And at that time… I never had a chance to be near you. And I wanted to tell you, you shouldn’t stay like that in the past! You should try to be happy…have a family of your own… I want to see your children. I want to pet and pamper them. I want to see if their eyes have your semblance, whether their nose have your semblance. I want to see and enjoy all that! I want to see your wife; I want to know who your wife is going to be. I want to tell her something, that no women will get a gem of a guy like you! So, she better takes care of you well. I literally want to warn her! I definitely will!”, she paused for a breath and said, “S-O-R-R-Y! I’m really sorry!”

Holding her face in his palms, he looked at her in the eyes and gave a proud smile. “I can’t take a single breath without you! Till my last breath, my heart will celebrate you… only you!”, he said resolute.

“Till my last breath…”, she vowed too.

His eyes gazed into hers and he laid his thumb on her lips to see if she’d pull away. She didn’t, and he leaned in pressing his lips against hers. The kiss was long and soft. They didn’t let go of each other like those lingering feelings after a breakup. Of all those sensual kisses, this sweetly awkward kiss became memorable for them, because it felt honest.

Drawing back, he checked the time saying, “It’s almost time…”. While she stayed quiet and still, he was anxious about the delay and wiped her tears and the sweat that lined her hairline. After grabbing her backpack from the back seat, he helped her with the hat and mask. When he tried to change the gear to park, he felt Sohyun’s hand over the gear stick. Taken aback, he immediately took his hands away from the gear and saw her holding the gear knob. His bewildered eyes looked at her. But she never let go of it and shut her eyes tightly not willing to let go.

“Won’t you ask me to stay with you?”, she asked him softly.

“You said you won’t stay! And that you have a schedule tomorrow!”, he recollected her words.

“Is it a too much effort to ask again?”, her innocent tone bleated.

“But the room… Members might’ve already slept!”

“Do I need a special permission to share your room?”

“Can you promise to behave while sharing the same bedroom with me?”, he asked her with a smirk.

“Of course! I’m not a brute. I’m a little bit of a good girl too! Look at me, don’t you feel sorry for me?”, she gave his words back.

“You and your anti- never change, do they?”, he said smiling, “Ok, Jokes apart… It’s late!”, he held her hand that was gripping the gear stick and shifted to parking mode. Camouflaging himself, he got down with her bag and she left the van following him. He walked her to the entrance and handed the bag to her. But she drew back, refusing to receive it.

“What?”, he asked her.

“Let, me stay with you for a little more time…”

“It’s already late, Sohyun-ah…”, he said softly and tried to convince her.

“Please, Tae…”, she pleaded.

Though her hat covered her eyes, he knew it quivered. “Don’t look like that…”, he said and paused for a thought. “Okay, hold this and wait for me here…”, he said handing over the bag to her.

“Where are you going?”

“I will come and tell you…”, he said and took his leave.

After minutes of his disappearance from her sight, her anxiousness rose. Before it peaked, he came back saying, “I’ve taken a ticket for myself on the same flight as yours. Till you board the flight, I will be with you, okay?”

As tears trickled down her cheeks, she took his phone which displayed his ticket. Surprised, she covered and looked at him convinced.

“Don’t cry for this…”, he said wiping her tears again. “Let’s go…”

They took their seat and waited in the boarding area holding on to each other hands with their fingers tightly intertwined. There was never a word uttered until they heard the boarding call. They slowly rose on their feet and waited in silence. When the last boarding call was announced, Sohyun held her head down trying to hide the hears behind that hat. Though she knew they will be seeing each other again, she never wanted to let this moment go. “It’s time-”, before he could finish his sentence, she took him by surprise with a hug. Embracing him tightly for the one last time before boarding, she walked away hurriedly wiping her tears while trying her best not to look back.

“Silly…”, he murmured on seeing her being emotional, but he felt himself tearing up. Lifting his head up to not let the tear fall, he wiped his eyes. He took rushed steps towards the parking lot while wiping his eyes constantly. He soon sprinted towards the van and took his seat. Taking short breathes, he tried to compose himself and held on to the steering wheel to drive away. But his grip on the wheel lasted longer and he felt the warm tears that left his eyes and fell on his cheeks. Wiping the tears off in his shoulder, he rummaged through the van for a paper and pen. Not finding his luck with the paper, he grabbed the some manual and started to pen his emotions into lyrics.

Meanwhile, in flight, Sohyun sat hugging her bag, lost in her thoughts until she heard a man’s voice, “Sohyun-sshi?” Knocked into reality, she turned to find a bouquet of yellow flowers and the voice behind it said, “Glad! We meet again!”

Author’s thoughts:

Hello! How have you been doing? It’s been a long time, right? I’m sorry that I couldn’t keep my words about updating last week! Things came up, I’m really sorry!

There will be lots of typos and mistakes. I hope you would forgive them *like you always did* ;) My mind was scattered, and I wrote these while I got some break! So, there will be mixed emotions, sorry for that… Just two or three more chapters to go! We are almost there!

Thankyou for reading this chapter… See you soon with next chapter. I’ll try my best to update next chapter in the next week :)

Take care and have a wonderful day :)