CHAPTER 12. Embossed

Confusion was my bestfriend that day. I was extremely bothered I didn’t even think of going home. Something makes me want to go back to Suga that day and tell him ‘I am Park Shin Hye. If you’d help me, we could actually get back that sponsorship account’.

But of course it wasn’t an easy talk. Why is my heart broken to bits by everything Suga told me?I badly want to help them. But it also means exposing myself to be killed by Jaewon. I am so torn.

I went back to the restaurant where I last ate with the boys. It was just a few meters away from their dormitory. Honestly, I’m wishing I’d see them again and hug them. Not as a fan, but as a literal noona.

Early dinner didn’t help me forget what was bothering me. I keep staring blankly, half-wishing they would come fetch me –until.

“Omo! Noona! Noona!” I heard a loud high-pitched voice. I knew who it was it made me smile.

“J-Hope!”

Hoseok tagged with him Rapmon for I don’t know, maybe a dinner take-out?

“Noona what brings you here? Why are you eating alone?” J-Hope said as they went near my table.
“Noona, how about you join us for dinner at the dormitory? We’re actually here for a take-out.” Namjoon insisted.
“Eh? But I just ate. I’m fine,” I said, but inside I was screaming ‘OH SURE!!’.
“Please, Noona?” J-Hope added with puppy eyes.
 

“But you know Jungkook is so mad at me. I keep embarrassing him when he’s not even okay,” I frowned.
“I’ll take care of that, Noona. Come with us please? Let’s watch movies at the dorm. We feel so bored,” Namjoon re-insisted. 
“Alright fine. But I won’t take long, okay? And in one condition.”
“GREAT!” screamed J-Hope. “What is it Noona?”
“I’ll pay for the food. Take everything you want.”
“Woah! Really noona?? You know we’re not gonna say ‘no’ Noona, right?” Namjoon said in excitement.
“I really mean it,” I smiled in confidence.

We made it to the dormitory in a flash. A few meters away from their room, I can already hear Taehyung’s voice, role playing as a historical king like he always does.

“Guys guys guys! Look what we have here! A whole bunch of food and groceries good for a week!” screamed J-Hope as he hastily entered the heroes’ portal. 
“Woah!! But we didn’t have money Hyung! Where did you get money to buy all these stuff?” Jimin giggled with his tiny eyes as he helped J-Hope with his carry-on groceries.
“Well guys, an angel got it for us for free! Look who we met at the food house!” Namjoon presented me like an award; it was so awkward I gulped a gallon.
“NOONA??” Jimin, Taehyung and Jin said in a screaming chorus.
“OMO Noona we’re so happy to see you. Come on, feel at home!” Jimin ushered me to their humble living room. Namjoon , J-Hope and Jimin excitedly prepared the food. I was left with Taehyung at the sala.
“Noona, we’re so sorry for the mess,” he said while he hurriedly arranged the table in front of me. “We’ve been so busy being spies,” he laughed out loud with his box smile.

He brushed a couple of printed photos and slid them in a box. On the table, he started arranging a mess of  markers, pencils, a made-up calendar of activities, tapes and what-nots.
“You really seem to be working on a spy mission you guys,” I laughed at how adorable the setup was. 

Until a photo fell from one of their ‘spy’ notebooks while he was fixing all the messy stuff.

It was my photo.

“W-W-WHAT IS THAT PICTURE DOING HERE?” I sounded so calmly screaming from shock.

“Hahaha! Why are you so shocked, Noona?” said lovely Taehyung. “Noona you’re really really cute,” Taehyung said as he picked up my photo.

“That’s his girlfriend,” I see someone from the bedrooms approach. 
“Suga!” I smiled too much as if I hadn’t seen  (and talked to) him earlier today.


Suga handsomely smirked while he inched his way near me. I can boast he looks happy to see me but was trying to look cool. He sat beside me at the sofa, his arms on the headboard of the seat. 
“Did J-Hope and Namjoon rob you on your way home Noona? You didn’t have to pay for all these. You haven’t had your first paycheck yet.”
“Totally not. I just wanted to celebrate my …cat’s birthday. Yes my cat,” I lied. 
“Woah! Happy birthday cat! Wait, what is your cat’s name, Noona?” giggled Taehyung.


“Gumps. He likes to bite my feet,” I said, distracted from the fact of why my photo is at their dormitory.
“Gums??? The English word ‘gums’? Like Suga hyung’s gums?” said V in a very sarcastic tone, almost asking for a punch from Yoongi. 
“Yah Taehyung ah!!” shouted Suga as V laughed to his core.
“But wait guys, who is in that photo again? Whose girlfriend?” I reiterated.
“Mine,” Taehyung said as he flaunted the photo again in front of us –trying to act really cool but ended up looking a total comedy for his facial gestures.
I half-screamed inside. Fangirl mode exploded. Can you imagine one of your biases saying you are his girlfriend, without you even knowing? How am I supposed to deal with that? I was so giggly and confused bottled up into one.
“Y-y-your g-g-irlfriend??”
“Well, Noona, that is V’s imaginary girlfriend,” Taehyung frowned at Suga’s answer to my question but went back staring at my photo, I felt melting there and then.
“Hahaha! What?” I laughed, fakely.
“Noona, that is Park Shin Hye. Remember how Bang PD-nim wanted you to make a research on her? The daughter of the owner of the SHP Group of Companies?” explained Suga.

“I. TOTALLY. FORGOT.”
They burst out into laughter at the way I said it. Thing is, I was so confused because number one, I honestly forgot about that assignment; and number two, my assignment is to reveal myself.
“But don’t worry, Noona. We got your back! We already started researching!” exclaimed V.
“We started the research Noona and these dorks called it the Spy Kids Mission. Taehyung here, instantly fell in love with that Park Shin Hye when he learned she’s taking up fashion courses in Paris. But that was the last thing ever heard of her. She took classes in Paris. But she’s missing now. Some news portals believe she probably has come back to Korea,” explained Suga, as if he was the leader of the spy team. 

There were too much going on, but before I could even react, I heard the bathroom door clank open. I thought it was so weird how I can smell the bathroom from where I am sitting. But unlike the usual bathrooms, it oozed with a very refreshing smell. I could say someone took a shower and probably bathed with really good body cream. But that wasn’t the *cough* best *cough* part. Someone walked out of the magical bathroom, in slow motion, a white towel safely wrapped around his waist, torso still damp and . He shook his head to remove excess water from his hair; totally unaware of anyone’s presence and of the busy people at the kitchen area, preparing food for everyone. It was all in slow motion. It was Jungkook. My Jungkook. 
 

I gulped –torn between closing my eyes and watching the good show. It was so captivating I almost slapped my face. It was one of those things that only happens in my 3AM imaginations.

It took a few seconds before Jungkook noticed me. But before he could say anything that could possibly break my heart again, Suga interrupted.
“Hey kid. We got a visitor. Naru noona just bought us a whole bunch of groceries and dinner. You should’ve seen how happy your hyungs were. We almost had nothing for dinner,” Suga sounded so reassuring. 
Jungkook didn’t say anything and went on to their bedroom. I sighed in relief that he didn’t say anything mean towards me again.
“Food is ready kids!” shouted Jin in his pink apron as he carried a huge tray of food. The others helped carry all other stuff to the living room. It broke my heart. In my mind, ‘so the living room is also their dining area? For all seven of them?’’. So that was why I didn’t notice a dining table the last time I was here.


In a matter of seconds, everyone was all gathered up around the mini floor table. J-Hope handed me out a huge box of tissue and said, “Noona, just in case you choke again.”
I heard them giggle. I know they were referring to the boxers incident yet again; and probably they intended to joke me on it again while Jungkook was not at the table yet. 
“Where’s that kid again? How about you call him up, Jimin. Tell him the food’s ready,” Suga said in his tone again. 
But before Jimin could even leave his seat, Jungkook started walking towards us, and in his familiar smell. My heart started beating so fast again –scared that I might do or say something weird again.
“Guys, let us thank Noona first for buying all these for us,” Namjoon said and the room buzzed with a lot of ‘thank yous’ it almost made me cry. It dawned to me that these boys deserves so much. It broke my heart seeing them crowd up in a small space like this. If only it won’t seem suspicious, I really would be buying all the stuff they need. 
“If ever you need anything, I’m just a beep away,” I smiled, half-weeping and fully meaning what I said. 
 “But Noona, I need …Park Shin Hye,” frowned V and the others went laughing. My heart squeezed in. It sounded so sweet and for I second I lost track of my bias lane again.
“No but seriously, Noona, we need her. We desperately need her. I don’t know what made her donate a sponsorship to BigHit but I wish we could tell her how grateful we are for it,” said Jin with a long sad face.
“We are serious about the Spy Kids Mission noona. We wish to help you find Park Shin Hye. If only we could have clues,” added Namjoon.
I don’t know what pricked my heart that I instantaneously replied with, “I can tell you where she used to live. You might find clues in there.”
They screamed in a chorus of “REALLY?!!”
I swear I didn’t know what got into me when I said that.