Credit: Vivid Black

Author’s note: Chapter requires edit.

Part 9

April always appeared strong on the outside, even when she was a child, but there were times where she showed her vulnerability. Taehyung remembered it very well. He remembered what she feared and what she disliked. Although it may seem like a childish fear, Taehyung understood her feelings and the memory came flashing back so vividly.

“Stop it!” April would scream at another young boy. She was backed up against the corner of a back alley street as he walked up closer, his hands extended forward. He was holding something, this boy who was in the same grade as April.  

“Stop it! I don’t like it! Put it down!” April screamed again, tears in her eyes. Taehyung recalled the fear blazing in her eyes.

“Oh come on It’s just a spider,” the boy said with a chuckle as he signaled the other boys behind her to move forward in a menacing stance.

April choked in tears and her eyes travelled to Taehyung, who stood behind the boy’s back.

“Don’t move or I’ll throw this at you,” the boy threatened and laughed. The other two behind him did so too but Taehyung stood still.

“Taehyung… please,” April said with tears in her eyes. She was looking at him with a pleading look on her face. She was seeking Taehyung’s help.

“Hah, you’re asking for his help?” the boy laughed again and stepped forward. It made April wince. She was shaking, her face turning white.  Taehyung wanted to reach out to help her but he looked at the boy’s face, who stared back at him threateningly. It was useless, Taehyung had no courage. He was also a victim of his bullying.

“Listen, all you have to do is touch it,” the boy said. “But if you scream, you have to eat it.”

There was an indefinite dangerous look in this boy’s eyes. April didn’t think he was normal. There was something oddly menacing about how he attempted his bullying method. Though they were both only 11 years old, his actions were beyond abnormal.

April shriveled back to her corner and put her head down and hugged her knees together. Taehyung could see her shivering intensely. He wanted to help, he really did. There was an urge to save her but his body couldn’t move.

“Come on Jisoo,” the bully said jokingly. “You said you would rip my hair off if I ever hit Taehyung again. He’s an ugly face, he deserves to get hit. Now you can’t even face me or this spider.”

The boy moved forward, this time he was only a few feet away from her. He chuckled when he finally stood just a step away from April. She had closed her eyes but she could sense he was near. She was breathless, her body felt hot and April was sweating.

Unbeknownst to her, the boy had lifted his hand over her head and smiled. “You should learn not to fight me,” he said in a low whisper, one that sounded unfit for an 11-year-old. Then without hesitation he opened his hands and a small spider fell on top of April’s shoulders.

She screamed. April stood up quickly and used her arms to push anything that felt like something was crawling on her. Although all she could feel was the dreadful shiver all over her body. She continued to shake them all off as she yelled and screamed in high pitch horror while the rest of the bully laughed at her.

April couldn’t take it anymore. All she wanted to do was flee. Taehyung watched as she took a step forward and ran as fast as her small legs could carry. She did not only feel embarrassed but the traumatizing experience would be tattooed in her memory forever.  

Taehyung knew what he did was wrong. He didn’t save his friend. He didn’t save the very person who befriended him for the first time when no one else would. He didn’t save the very girl who extended a hand and proposed to him on that day.

That summer felt cold.

---

April closed the door behind her, breathing hard. Her chest was pounding but it was not due to excitement. She felt tears started to pour down her face.

They found her.

She looked around the room and quickly the lights. She pulled out a glass and filled it with water. She felt parched, was dry. Drinking it swiftly, she didn’t care that some of the water trickled down her face. She gasped as she down the last drop and collapsed to the floor.

It may seem like a childish fear, to see a dead tarantula in a box that was sent to her. It may seem childish that she felt like dying the minute she saw the creature so close to her body. April knew how it may seem to someone but she couldn’t help it. It traumatized her.

As tear fell from her pale face, she wondered how on earth someone could figure out what she feared. The fans… it must be the fans. April felt sure of it.

She quickly picked up her phone and browsed through the search engine. April felt her heart drop the minute she clicked on one of the forum sites, one that was normally run by teenagers. It was all written there on the front page. Taehyung’s name was trending and April froze cold the minute she saw her blurred pictures.

They knew, of course. Why would this be a surprise for her. She browsed deeper at the comments, scrolling down at all of the topics that pertained to the show. April gulped. Although it was going to be broadcasted tomorrow, the people already knew what was happening.

April sighed and leaned back against the wall. She rubbed her eyes and groaned out loud.

“This is ridiculous,” she whispered to herself as she looked up into nothingness. “And this is just the start.”

A part of April was relieved that her face wasn’t revealed. Somebody had the decency to keep her identity a secret but it didn’t eliminate the question of how somebody knew where she lived.  It could be the work of one person or a team, she wasn’t sure. All she knew now was she could be in deeper trouble if she didn’t turn around the public’s eye on her. She needed to work harder to get them on her side.

---

Taehyung blasted the music to his earphones as he watched through his funky round orange sunglasses, the sight of people crossing the street.

“The show is starting soon,” he heard Jimin speak to him from the front of the car seat.

Taehyung pretended not to listen and quickly closed his eyes.

“It’s starting in two minutes Tae,” Jimin said again.

Taehyung could hear buzzing from his phone. Sighing, he looked down to see the group chat where the rest of s were. There were 900+ messages. Taehyung groaned.

“Was this just you and Hobi hyung talking?” Taehyung said with a disgruntle.

“You really think Jungkook is going to even respond?” Jimin responded with a chuckle. ‘Oh! Wait, he said something. He said good luck .”

“Pesky little kid,” Taehyung responded and chuckled.

“Are you not curious?” Jimin asked again. “Like a teensy bit curious?”

Taehyung stayed silent. He just stared back out the window. The crowd who walked, oblivious as to who was in the car beside them. He sighed. “Why even bother,” Taehyung groaned under his breath.

“You know what’s more funny?” Jimin said in a little fit of giggles. “How on earth you managed to find so many close friends who would say nice things about you on broadcast?”

“I’m a butterfly Jimin,” Taehyung said flatly. “A butterfly that flutters into everyone’s hearts.”

It was true. Taehyung was often referred to as the social butterfly of the group. Little did the public know, everything was staged. Though he was somewhat close to certain people, they never really stayed long in his life. People come and go and he was tired.

“Oh, it’s starting!” Jimin said excitedly and turned up the volume from his iPad as the intro song was played.

“It’s too loud,” Taehyung said, complaining.

“Look wow,” Jimin interrupted, ignoring Taehyung’s complaints. “The intro looks hilarious. Oh wait, now April is in the beginning. Wow, she looks so lost and scared.”

Taehyung pretended not to listen. He just looked out at the window and stayed silent as Jimin chattered away. Taehyung was even more annoyed when the driver got involved.

“Look hyung,” Jimin said to the driver. “Taehyung looking like a lost kitten. Isn’t he the cutest thing ever?”

“Can you stop?” Taehyung groaned.

Of course they didn’t listen. Jimin and the driver continued to chat to each other as they drove away to their next destination. The sound of the streaming video continued to play in the car.

---

“They made me look like a stupid idiot?” April said in horror as she sat in the manager’s office. April wanted to fume at how lost she was during the beginning of the show. The whole part with the card reading was very difficult for her to watch. Her manager just chuckled.

“At least you’re on TV!” he said in awe, as though he never saw a person moving in a television before.

The show continued to showcase what actually happened however. April wondered how they managed to make the show look realistic, even though Taehyung and April had secretly been aiming at each other.

“Oh, you love bungee jumping?” Mr. Kim asked with a surprised expression. April just snorted.

“Of course I love bungee jumping. I can do it all day if I could,”