The following month was the hardest for Subin. But not because of work. It wasn't even because of all the difficulties with her dismissal, since Director Banп had begged her to stay at the agency.
What was difficult was seeing Jimin with InSuk all this time. He played the lovesick idol role perfectly, convincing InSuk of the sincerity of his feelings. They spent every day together. They came to work holding hands, and the paparazzi photographed this sweet couple. They went to lunch at the same time. They attended various shows where they talked openly about their feelings. The scandal died down, but the couple became even more interesting to the public. Photos of them having dinner together and then going to a hotel flooded the internet. New rumors emerged from every TV channel.
After another dinner at an expensive restaurant, Jimin and InSuk walk together again. She holds his hand tightly, and he covers her head with his jacket to keep her dry. They get into a car together and are driven to the same hotel where, according to the news, they have been living together for over a month.
Jimin remains silent the entire time, watching the lights flash repeatedly, which leaves an unpleasant sensation in his eyes. Her head throbs from the constant camera flashes and reporters' questions. InSuk occasionally glances at Jimin, who sits frozen in his seat.
The atmosphere in the car is tense, but the girl does not dare break the silence. She is afraid that Jimin will explode with anger. After returning from a restaurant or a walk together, cars take them in different directions. This repeats day after day. It has been the same for over a month. On camera, however, they always play happy lovers. But InSuk no longer wants to play along.
Jimin pulled into the hotel's underground parking lot and got out of the car. The autumn chill was unpleasant on his skin. At the other end of the lot, a car was waiting to take him home because none of this was real. Jimin still lived in a dormitory and InSuk lived in her father's country house. Both sides had thought everything through and convinced the fans that this was a beautiful fairy tale invented by Subin. Now, however, because of this whole story, Jimin is tormented, forcing himself to smile happily for the camera and hold someone else's hand.
"Hey, Jimin!" He was calmly walking toward his car when a voice behind him made him stop and turn around. "How long will this last?" asked InSuk, standing by the open door of her car.
"What exactly?" he asked, surprised.
"Your indifference towards me? Why do you act so nice on camera, and I believe every word you say, but when evening comes, you just leave without saying a word? I want everything between us to be real..."
"There will never be anything between us... for real. We're just doing our jobs."
"Yaaah, Jimin~ah. You're an idiot. I'm sick of all this..." she shouted, clenching her fists. "How annoying... I'm sick of it..."
"I'm tired of it too..." he whispered, continuing on his way and listening to the screams and insults directed at him. But he didn't care anymore. All he wanted now was to get to the dorm as quickly as possible and hide under the covers so that no one would bother him.
~~~~~~~~~~************~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I think that's everything," said Subin, looking around the room.
"Are you sure you haven't forgotten anything?" Tae asked, looking at the suitcases.
"No, I've packed everything," she replied confidently as she sprawled out on the bed. Tae sat down next to her. He glanced at his girlfriend's calm face, then lay down on the bed, putting his hands behind his head.
"Okay..." he muttered with a smile. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily at the thought that Subin wouldn't be at work tomorrow. He would no longer come to this apartment and watch dramas while eating ramen. She was going home. To her mother. To her brother. To the house where she was born. Where she had spent her childhood. He didn't want to let her go, but he understood that she needed rest after everything that had happened. "Subin..." A pleasant, rough voice broke the silence.
"Mmmh," she replied, still keeping her eyes closed.
"I'll miss you..."
"Taehyung~ah, why are you starting again?" She turned to him and curled up into a ball. His large, dark eyes looked at her with a puppy-dog gaze.
"I already miss you." He pouted.
"I'll miss you, too," she said, barely holding back her tears.
He became more than just a helper to her. He was more than a savior. He became a brother. He became a brother. They were so close that it seemed as if they had known each other all their lives. He had been with her the whole time. Thanks to him, she endured difficult times and grew stronger. Stronger? No, she just thought she was. She thought she would never forget the time she spent with the neighborhood boys. She thought her heart would no longer flutter when she thought of Jimin's face. She thought her feelings had cooled. She thought... But it was only an illusion. In reality, it was the opposite. Her heart ached at the thought of him. Sweet moments spent with Jimin flashed before her eyes. Why did he appear in her life? To make her suffer? Or to show her that life isn't always perfect? And that princes don't exist? Yet, oddly enough, she still felt that pleasant sensation of butterflies in her stomach when she heard his voice in her head. It was so sweet, so gentle, so beloved.
"Who am I going to watch dramas with now?" he muttered. "JungKook isn't interested in them. Hoseok is always on YouTube watching reaction videos. Yoon-hyung is working in the studio with Joon." He began counting the members on his fingers. "Jin doesn't like the dramas I watch. And Jimin..." He looked up from the ceiling at Subin. He saw tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
"No..." It's okay." She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling.
"Are you okay?" he asked suddenly.
"Mm-hmm..." She nodded, but her lips trembled.
When the memories came flooding back, she jumped out of bed and stood by the window. He followed her with his eyes. It was hard for him to see Subin in such a state. But there was nothing he could do to help. In that moment, he wanted to smack Jimin for what he had done. However, Jimin was always either at the studio or with InSuk, that "idiot." That's what Taehyung called her when he mentioned her. After all, she had hit on him at first, but he hadn't responded to her advances. He was surprised to find out that Jimin had fallen for her. Now it was too late to change anything. Subin was leaving, and Jim was avoiding talking to her friend.
The sound of sobbing could be heard. The boy got out of bed and quietly walked toward the window. He stopped behind the girl and gently hugged her shoulders, pressing his chest against her back. The girl shuddered with surprise but, growing accustomed to his warm hands, could no longer hold back. Tears flowed like a river. It became difficult to breathe, let alone speak. But Subin tried to speak anyway:
"It's okay," she sobbed. "I'm fine," she repeated as Tae held her tightly, trying to calm her down.
They stood there, hugging each other, in the middle of the room for a long time.
She cried, listening to Tae's steady breathing, which calmed her down a little.
He couldn't let her go. She had become more precious to him than life itself. She was a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.
He couldn't just leave. Especially today. Especially at this moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~~~~~
A day off. A day when you can do nothing. But not everyone has that luxury.
That's how it is today. Some members are in the studio creating another work of art. Some have gone home to their parents. Others are like Jimin.
He sits alone in his room listening to music. He read the latest news about himself and InSuk. It was all the same rumors and photos. Nothing new.
His stomach growled with hunger, but he was too lazy to get out of bed and go to the kitchen where Jin-hyung had left a fridge full of food. They still needed to be heated up, too. His stomach finally forced him out of bed and into the kitchen, where he shuffled barefoot.
Passing by the living room, he stopped. No... He froze in place.
"What are you doing here?" he asked Taehyung, who was sitting on the couch.
"What's it to you?" Taehyung tore his gaze away from his laptop, pausing the drama at the most interesting part.
"Nothing." he muttered, about to continue on his way when suddenly a pillow flew at his head. "Hey, what are you doing? Are you crazy or something?"
"I'm not doing anything," he said, pretending to be surprised. Jim took another step toward the kitchen when another pillow flew toward him. It only grazed his leg.
"You wanna die or what?" he asked, picking up the pillow and throwing it at Tae. Tae was ready for the attack, though. He immediately jumped out of the way. That's when it all started.
They ran around the dormitory throwing pillows at each other for fifteen long minutes, and then they started fighting.
The result? Two broken frames holding Mon's certificates. There was one torn curtain in Jin's room. JungKook's video game discs were scattered everywhere. There was a cracked vase in the living room and overturned chairs in the kitchen. Yoongi's room was the only one spared because it was locked.
Feathers flew all over the room. They got tangled in the boys' hair. They got under their clothes and pricked their skin unpleasantly.
Fatigue set in sooner than expected. Tae and Jim laughed loudly and fell to the floor, spreading their arms and legs out to the sides.
"Do you want to die?" he asked, picking up a pillow and throwing it at Tae. But Tae was ready for the attack. He immediately jumped out of the way. That's when it all started.
"I haven't had this much fun in a long time," said Jimin with a big smile.
"It's all because of you," Tae said, poking his friend in the ribs.
"Ah, stop it! That tickles!" he shouted back.
"If it weren't for your stupidity, we would still be having fun..." Tae continued.
"What are you talking about?" He looked at his friend.
"About you... About Subin. And InSuk."
"Ah, don't remind me about that. I know everything perfectly well." His gaze clouded over.
"Then why did you hurt Subin?"
"What? Who? Me?" he squealed at the unexpected question.
"Yes, you."
"I didn't start all this," Jim began, justifying himself. "It was all you... And her. And you..."
"Who is 'you'?" He got up from the floor.
"You and Subin. I know everything."
"What exactly do you know?"
"About you and Subin. I know you're secretly dating. I know she asked you out herself."
"Stop, Jimin-shi!" He stopped his friend. "What, 'seeing each other'? Are you out of your mind? You were the one secretly seeing her. And kissing her? She told me herself."
"Yeah, Tehyung-ah, stop lying. I overheard your conversation. She asked you to date her."
"Jimin-a, you're an idiot," Tae shouted throughout the house. "She was talking about you. She told me how you treated her wound and then asked her out. She said you ran away from dinner and walked around Seoul together. She said that you kissed..."
"What about you two? You went everywhere together, hugged, and laughed. You even had dinner together. You even secretly went to her house. I know everything."
"Yeah, and you thought we were dating?" He laughed and covered his eyes with his palm. "That's what friends do," he said, looking at him. Jim blushed. He jumped up from the floor and ran to Tae's room.
"Hey, where are you going, you fool?" Tae ran after him.
Jim began searching through TaeTae's scattered belongings. He looked on the bed, on the floor, and on the table. He even looked under the bed. But he couldn't find what he was looking for.
"Where's your phone?" he asked.
"Here..." She took it out of her pocket and handed it to Jim. He started looking for something on the phone. His expression changed every second. His eyes went from big to VERY big. His cheeks turned red. Then he gave Tae an incomprehensible look. Blinking, Jim stared at his friend.
"What is this?" Jim asked, showing Tae the message.
"Oh, this..." V smiled. "I took this picture of you while you were sleeping so sweetly..."
"But..."
"I sent your pictures to Subin while we were at the concert in Japan. She asked me to."
"Why?" His voice trembled.
"You were indifferent to her back then. But she thought about you all the time. She asked me to take care of you. To take care of your health. Every evening, she asked if you had eaten. I sent her your photos..."
"I thought you were sending her selfies." And you communicate... And... He fell silent. "I thought she liked you!"
"Hmm, if only..." She was yours from the beginning. I just had to wait a little while to realize it."
"But, Tae. You like her, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. But I can't make her love me. Her heart is already taken... By you." He looked sadly at Jim. "And you ruined everything."
"Aaassh," he hissed in response. Millions of thoughts raced through his head. His breath caught in his throat.
She was mine! She always was. The only one. The most faithful. My most cherished dream. She loved him truly. Without pretense or lies. He had been missing her in his life. She loved him, but he broke her heart into pieces. What a fool. How could he think she was unfaithful? Why did he play Romeo so perfectly in front of her? Why did he make her think he loved someone else? So many questions. God... How can he get her back now? I love her. I only love HER!
Jimin rushed into the hallway. Confused, he forgot how to open the front door. He stumbled into the entrance and knocked on Subin's door for about two minutes until she came out.
"Jimin, stop it. You'll scare the neighbors," Tae said calmly.
"Subin-a, open up. Open the door, please. Please listen to me. I'm a fool. I'm a complete fool. I'm sorry for everything. I wanted to hurt you as much as you hurt me. But I didn't know the truth. I'm sorry," he shouted, continuing to knock on the locked door.
"Yaaah..." He shouted, grabbing Jim's hand. "Stop, please. She's not here. She left."
"What?" Jim looked at Tae with frightened eyes.
"She quit the agency. She went to her parents' house today."
"No, no..." Jim cried. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "No, Subin-ah! Don't go," he cried, sitting on the floor. The pain tore him apart inside, but nothing could be changed now. Jim had lost his happiness. He had lost his love.
"Jimin..." Taehyung crouched down next to his friend. "It's five o'clock now." He glanced at his watch. "She's leaving at 5:30." You can still tell her. Hearing this, Jimin didn't hesitate. He rushed to the dormitory. He threw a jacket and scarf over his shoulders and ran to the elevator. Tae rushed after him.
It's cold outside. Autumn has overtaken the city too quickly. The streetlights are already on, even though it's still light out. Cars are honking from all sides. The usually quiet and peaceful city of Seoul has turned into a noisy, crowded place with traffic jams. How untimely. Jimin and Tae are stuck on the bridge. It's already 5:20. There's not much left before they reach the bus station. Jimin is nervous, biting his plump lips and wriggling his fingers with excitement. He glances at his watch. He fidgets in his seat. Finally, he can't take it anymore, so he gets out of the taxi right in the middle of the highway. He starts running. Tae runs after him.
The road seems endless. Jimin has been running for quite a while, but the distance isn't getting any shorter. In fact, it seems like the road has gotten even longer. Without stopping, the boy runs with all his might. 5:29. One more minute. Just one more minute and she'll be gone forever. Gone forever.
"No, I won't let you. I'll make it," he said, running while looking at his watch. "No, don't go. Please, Subin~ah, wait for me. Subin-ah, wait for me," he shouted like a madman across the road. Passersby turned around at his cries and watched him run without stopping or resting for a long time. He couldn't breathe anymore. There wasn't enough air. Cold air entered his lungs, causing pain in his chest. White spots appeared before his eyes, and his legs hurt.
He limps along behind, barely able to breathe. He wants to collapse on the ground and die of exhaustion, but a look at Jimin keeps him going. He would do anything for his friend. He desperately wants Jimin to be happy, even if it's with Subin. The little devil on his left shoulder tells him to seize the opportunity and take Subin away from Jimin. The angel on his right shoulder, however, tells him to follow his heart. His heart screams with happiness that Jimin has finally admitted his guilt and stupidity. He wants to apologize to Subin and make everything right. This makes him happier.
Bus station. Buses leave the parking lot one after another. Different faces appear in each window. Each passenger has their own story.
Subin is waiting for her bus, which is delayed for unknown reasons. It's as if someone, somewhere, doesn't want her to leave.
The clock reads 5:45. She holds her ticket in her hand. Two suitcases are next to her. In her heart, she feels excitement.
It beats wildly, like a baby bird's.
Fear fills every cell of her body.
Finally, boarding is announced.
With a heavy sigh, she walks toward the parking lot.
Jim opened the door but didn't know where to go next.
He looked around for a familiar face, but Subin was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, something hit him in the back with full force.
"Over there..." Tae pointed, barely alive. Jim rushed in that direction, and Taehyung hurried after him, breathing heavily.
There were too many people. Too many faces. Too much noise. It was too difficult to find his love in the crowd. But when you love someone, you're ready for anything.
Jimin was tired of it all. He had to act. The time to act was now. No more procrastinating.
The boy climbed onto a bench, took a deep breath, and shouted with all his might:
"Subin~ah!!!" But no one turned around. "Subin-ah!" he shouted again, searching the crowd for his beloved's gaze. But no. No one. Absolutely no one. He was too late.
Subin had already given her ticket to the driver. Her heart ached. Her thoughts screamed at her, but she tried not to hear them. Suddenly...
"Subin..." She heard her name in the crowd. Such a sweet voice!
She turned around. Jimin... standing on a bench. Looking for her. He was breathing heavily. And... Oh my God! I love him!
"Subina~ah!" the boy shouted for the third time. Then... Dark hair... White skin. Beloved eyes. Subin. Jim ran to her.
Subin froze. She watched as Jimin ran toward her. Despite the hundreds of people around them, she only saw him. So handsome... Beloved.
The boy stopped just a few meters away.
He was out of breath. His jacket was open and his scarf was hanging down. The laces on his shoes were untied. His face was pale, and his eyes burned with love.
Why? Why was she so lucky?
"Subin~ah - breathing heavily, "Forgive me... I'm an idiot. I'm sorry I made you go through all this because of me. Please forgive me. I don't need anyone but you. I'm sorry I acted like a complete idiot. It was all because of jealousy. I thought you were with Tae... I thought you two were together. That's why I started this whole circus. I want to be with you. I want to spend all my time with you. I want to walk with you. I want to run barefoot through the grass with you. I want to make wishes on stars with you. With you and no one else. He spoke, and Subin looked at him with wide eyes.
His words sounded like a song. His voice was sweet, gentle, and full of love. Full of sincerity and love.
Every girl on the planet could dream of hearing such words from her beloved idol. Words like these from her beloved idol.
She was the one who heard these cherished words. Subin was in Jimin's heart. She lit the flame of love in this young heart and remained there forever. Now, that flame burns, longing for a response—a mutual response. Or at least an apology for what he had done.
"I love you, Subin," he finally said. "Please don't go. Don't leave me alone. I can't stand a day without you. I can't stand the loneliness."
Subin approached the boy. She began buttoning his jacket so he wouldn't catch a cold. Then she smiled and looked into his eyes.
"Jimin... I need some time. Just wait a little. Everything will be as it was before," she whispered.
After hearing the repeated announcement about boarding the bus, she went to the parking lot.
Three months later...
Too much time had passed since then. Too many things had happened:
Christmas. New Year's. Another comeback. New concerts. More work and less rest.
But Jimin liked this schedule. Only then could he forget about Subin. He disappeared into the studio again. He danced day and night, losing track of time. When he was forced to rest, he went for walks. He walked a lot. It was difficult at home. Especially at night when the silence awakened all his thoughts and reminded him of the past. Once, he thought he heard familiar footsteps and voices at the agency, but it was just his imagination. Subin would not return. It was his fault. It was all his fault.
Regular meeting. All Bantans are present. All staff are present. Director Bang is speaking. The only person missing is the manager. Rumor has it that he was fired, but no one knows why. We can only guess.
... So, why did I gather you all here today? As you know, the Bangtan manager was recently fired. I will not announce the reason because it is unnecessary. I have already found a replacement for him. I hope this new person will be responsible and irreplaceable. We have already tested her abilities, and she did not disappoint. In fact, she surprised us. So, I would like to introduce you to her. Footsteps were heard behind the door. Meet your new manager.
The door opened. A girl of about twenty five entered the room. She was beautiful, with dark hair and big eyes.
Jimin's eyes lit up. His heart beat in time with the song, "Am I Wrong."
The guys all smiled when they saw Subin at the door.
She looked at him with loving eyes. She smiled back at him.
"Kim Subin," Director Bang finished, welcoming the new employee.
"I love you," Jimin thought to himself.
"I love you too," Subin thought back.
And now it's all starting over...