November 3, 2019
Bella crawled into bed and lay still for a few minutes. It was 8pm and she was back at her hotel. Jake had dropped her off at the lobby thirty minutes ago. She had already showered and was in her jammies.
It was the absolute best last day of anywhere she'd ever been. It was all because of Jake. Taipei was a breathtaking place. It was indeed a great city to be on vacation. But the addition of Jake in Taipei made it even more magical. They had toured the city together, taken striking pictures together, made every nook and cranny around the hotel just memorable.
After having Peking Duck earlier, they went to the nearby underground mall and walked around looking at the stores and shops in the area. Jake still had gotten looks from random strangers but he kept his bucket hat low and his face mask high up.
Jake had bought her a pink beaded bracelet and he got himself a matching one in black. She touched her bracelet on her right wrist as she thought of that memory. Jake wore his on his left wrist. He had offered to buy her other things but she declined. She only traveled with one backpack and one tote bag. She had nowhere to put all that stuff in. Traveling without checked luggage was so much more convenient. She did, however, buy herself some more notebooks and memo pads. They had very cute designs on them and Bella could not resist. Jake could only shake his head at her childlike nature when it came to cute little things.
They ended the night with dinner at Din Tai Fung and Bella could not get enough of their Xiao Long Bao. Jake knew the manager there apparently and they were able to eat in peace at a private room that was hidden in the back.
She looked back on their Shifen adventure and understood those random strangers trying to take a second look at Jake underneath his bucket hat. Even if it was not in recognition of his job, it was plain to see that he was gorgeous. He was downright attractive and had that aura and charisma of an alpha male without even trying to be. He just WAS an alpha male. But he was also smart and witty and had a sense of humor just like hers.
But could they really work out? Even if being away from each other was manageable, she had done it before after all, his job presented a huge challenge. He was always going to be under scrutiny. He had been trained and groomed for it but she wasn't.
Bella delighted in her privacy. Even when she was walking on the street, she kept her head down and her ears filled with music. She could not stand a single second of being in the spotlight. She preferred being the silent wind beneath someone else's wings.
She chuckled internally at the memory of her neighbors' kids at her home. When the children would see her entering her home, they would say things like "Naa d ay nagpuyo dha?" (There's someone actually living there?). They thought her home was vacant or abandoned. Bella would not even interact with her neighbors save for one elderly woman and her son and grandchild. How would she react to the attention if news broke out about this dalliance she was having with a rising idol? They would have to be more than extremely careful. But then again, she was from a different country. As long as no one saw him or recognized him, they would be able to carry on.
Jake shared that he would often fly abroad for a day or two when they had weekends off or even a couple of days off. If he could get anonymity in other cities, maybe it could work in Cebu.
Hold up. She was seriously considering doing this?
Was she?
She knew she should be flattered that a man like Jake even gave her attention at all. After all, he was the one who approached her at Chiang Kai-shek. She was minding her own business and he walked into her life. Truth be told, if not for his job as an idol, she would probably agree to being courted without reservations.
She really was a plain Jane. She was just an ordinary person. What kind of substance could she add to his already colorful life?
Shaking her concerns away, Bella set her alarm for 5am. Her flight back home was at 1pm and Jake would be picking her up at 9am. They would be going to the airport together and spending a few hours with each other before they had to return to their respective cities.
She opened her Line app and saw that someone named Kim Yeontan had added her. This must be Taehyung, she thought. She saw Yeontan's cute little happy dog face smiling into the camera.
She saw that Jake had sent her several messages.
Jake Park: I'm off to dreamland, beautiful. I can't wait to see you again tomorrow!
Jake Park: Sleep well.
Jake Park: 'Kookie sticker asleep'
She typed a reply.
Xiao Tian Shi: Sleep well, my Prince.
Xiao Tian Shi: Someone named Kim Yeontan added me on Line. That is V-oppa, right?
Jake replied after a few minutes.
Jake Park: Yes, that's him, beautiful.
Jake Park: Jin-hyung said to tell you thanks for the finger hearts.
Xiao Tian Shi: Please tell him he's welcome.
Xiao Tian Shi: Which BT21 character is he?
Jake Park: RJ. The white one. It's an alpaca with a red scarf.
Xiao Tian Shi: Okay, I'll try to remember.
Xiao Tian Shi: Good night, Jake Park.
Jake Park: I'm surprised you did not use my real name.
Xiao Tian Shi: Let's reserve that for official business and functions, shall we?
Jake Park: 'Laughing muscle bunny'
Jake Park: We shall.
Jake Park: Good night, my beautiful Princess.
