Chances

Chapter 14: Back to Reality

The press had been tipped off that the boys of BTS were flying back in Korea from an unknown rendezvous that kept from away public eye for almost two weeks. There was gossip about them coming home with lucky ladies under each of their arm and they were taking them home to meet work dad Bang PD-nim. Four of the seven were last spotted at a pub in Ireland drinking an entire table of alcohol, the other members were not spotted nor were they all seen together but there was speculation that they had each been accompanied by women as hinted at by an eye witness. Did the bangtan boys finally find themselves sweethearts? Was this all a misunderstanding? Or were they trying to hide their malicious nature?

The tabloids were headlined by titles such as these, causing Hybe to do what they could to minimize the damage. Lucky for them Reyna and Rachel insisted that they go ahead, pointing towards a coffee shop they would wait at for Rachel's parents who insisted to pick them up from their phone call on their way to land. Fortunately, BTS' security team and drivers were all waiting for them, fans happy to see them not accompanied by any unknown woman while the paparazzi were disappointed that they didn't. Nevertheless, the boys themselves missed Korea and their precious Army, waving to them and displaying finger hearts on both each member's hands. Taehyung making an even bigger gesture folding his arms over his head making a big heart while Jungkook yelled out "We purple you."

As the two females got picked up by Rachel's extremely excited parents, her mother practically screaming and crying as if her daughter had risen back to life while her stepdad showed his affection with warm side hugs and kisses on her head. Mrs. Ryu remembering Reyna from their college days also offered the latter with a giant hug and wet kiss to the cheek as well, telling her how she looked exactly the same, even her stature not growing a significant centimeter. With their luggage wheeled into the back of the car by Mr. Ryu and their laughs being heard until they shut the car door did they leave the airport.

Hyejin had kept her promise, earlier than she had expected, flying to Korea only three days after coming home to London since Bang PD had requested they met, shaking her hand affectionately and graciously thanked her for the fast processing of the photos. He explained that they wanted to release snippets of their album covers and had wanted to advertise all the photocards that came with it before August ended since they were scheduled to do comeback shows by the September. So for beating the deadline and making the comeback happen he had promised to book her for more of their official shoots and to pay her generously of course. The production director also had a tiny favor, to do an interview with the boys so they could clear up what really had happened in the two weeks they were gone from public view, to explain the pub photos that had been circulating, and to confirm that the boys had no romantic involvement with her and any one of her crew. Which sent pangs into Jimin and Jin's hearts.

Jimin especially wanted to deny that he had no romantic feelings for a particular makeup artist and that if he could, would proudly show her off to all the news outlets, but in reality he knew he could do no such thing. What relationship would he even speak of? As expected, their texting had become fewer and fewer, Rachel replying later and later, apologizing for spending time with her family that she hadn't been with in two years, Jimin would reply with "Nothing to be sorry about love, completely understand, enjoy your family time ^~^ <3" not even the mention of a romantically sounding nickname fazed her, she would instead reply with "Thanks so much, enjoy your day too!"

Jin most certainly had much better luck with Hyejin, although they didn't text often but they  apparently had been engaging in early morning (Jin) and late night (Hyejin) phone calls via face time. It sort of just happened when Hyejin called Jin their first night home, she had been so thrilled to be home but couldn't stop missing them and she didn't have anyone else to call. Actually she had all the boys' numbers, spending enough quality time with each of them, wanting to develop friendships outside of work like she did with all her models and clients, but Jin was the first one to pop into her mind when she decided to call so she did. Jin was ecstatic to the point where on the next night he called her and again on the next and then she was there with him. 

They had spent some of the night in her hotel room, drinking soju and eating chicken and ordering some pizza too. Conversing and laughing like they did those nights in the castle. She had even called up Reyna who had been staying at Rachel's house, rather her mansion, and they all got to talk like that, Rachel popping in when the youngest girl called her over. And of course Jimin had a smile on his face all the while she was on screen. Sometime later, Jungkook had brought up that they should call Dahee but then Reyna said she had to go giving a top of head excuse to not be questioned and with her Rachel left too. 

It was getting late anyway so Hyejin urged the guys to go home as well, her flight back to London was in the afternoon so she needed to get ample rest and Hobi had complained saying she was leaving too soon but "My job offers tripled cause of you guys, now I'm busier than ever!" She playfully glared at the ball of sunshine, kissing him on the cheek on his way out. He did this to Yonngi and Jin as well as they were the last to step out of her room and greeted them a good night. Jin lingering even when the door had closed shut.

A week after Hyejin's visit, the album came out and the guys began their comeback schedule. The calls between Hyejin and some of the guys, after being informed that Jin almost always called her at night too, becoming less and less frequent as both parties began to become occupied. Jimin's texts were also dwindling in number considering Rachel had gotten back to Australia, her rehearsals in musical theater and her hobbies had consistently tired her out causing her to be away from her phone and away from the blonde boy back in Korea.

Reyna had actually stayed in her motherland, now living with her dad and his fiancé, doing freelance photography around Korea and had picked up directing for a few commercials as well. Truth was, she could freelance anywhere, she actually had offers that could take her to the Netherlands or Alaska or Peru, but she didn't have the courage to confront her past, to confront her dad, she hadn't found a reason to forgive Dahee yet and she wasn't leaving until she could find one.

Speaking of, Dahee went back to working for her father, a game developer and website designer too. She had been so nifty with electronics her father made use of her in his IT department. Aside from this, she also played the part of being his personal mule that he would often get to pick up his more personal items, like Reyna's photographs, and deliver it to him whenever. She was at his beck and call and she didn't complain, her father had never been kind to her and at least this way she could show how much his approval meant to her.

It had always been like that. When they were kids, she had to give up all her toys and all her dresses to her younger sister, she was to not argue with or upset her, if she did she would received beating. In middle school she went out of her way to excel in speech class and to take lessons on writing so she could help her father with his speeches that he often did for his company. He never listened to a word she spoke to him. She even agreed to boarding school because he thought it would be best to have her fend for herself in a controlled environment, even though she wanted to stay by her mother's side when she underwent chemotherapy. She took information design so that she could be of use to the underdeveloped IT and marketing department in her father's company, but only landed her in a desk job and as a pack mule within his empire.

Still, she thought that one day he would be proud of her, he would see all her efforts and he would smile and tell her she did a good job. She held onto that hope, even how bleak and small the chances of that seemed. That one day will come.

Once again their lives just seemed too busy for them to be in each other's lives. They had tried all they could and maintain as much communication between all of them but it was hard, as they all knew it was and so that's what led them to go on days and then weeks, and even months passed not even texts exchanged. But in the back of their minds, they wondered what the other was up to and pondered on when they would be able to meet again.