November 4, 2019
Bella tapped the keycard to whir the elevator to life and stepped in. The elevator took her to the lobby and she saw Jake already standing there. He was in all black again today, including his shoes. His bucket hat was firmly in place and his face mask covered whatever part of his face that the bucket hat could not. When he saw her, his eyes lit up and Bella could see his bunny smile in her mind's eye.
She went to hug him. Jake took her backpack from her and she approached the front desk.
"Checking out?" Roger asked as he took her keycard.
Bella nodded, adjusting the cloth bag for the souvenirs on her right shoulder. "Yes, please."
He punched a few keys on his computer and then looked up. "Alright, you're good to go. Hope to see you again soon. "
"Thank you very much!" Bella smiled and turned to walk towards Jake.
The male receptionist stood up. "Mam, um can I ask you a question?"
Bella approached the counter again.
He leaned in and whispered, "Is that Jungkook from BTS?"
Bella whispered back. "Wouldn't it be great if it were? But seriously, can you imagine a Korean idol standing patiently in your lobby in the middle of one of Taipei Main Station's busy streets?"
Roger laughed. "You're right. But the resemblance is uncanny."
"That Jungkook guy just might be in the recording studio right now with their next hit." Bella added with a wink. "In any case, I imagine he would be in Seoul not in Taipei."
The male receptionist finally sat down, nodding to himself.
Jake welcomed her back. "All set?"
Bella nodded.
"What was that about?" Jake inquired.
"He wanted to know if you were Jungkook from BTS." Bella teased. "Is this what life will be like for me now?"
Jake hugged her tight, unsure how to answer.
Bella rested her head on his chest, inhaling his now familiar scent. "I've been trying to place your scent."
Jake grinned. "It's Balenciaga Pour Homme Eau de Toilette. Your scent is Jo Malone's Mimosa and Cardamom."
"Very good, Mr. Park." Bella clapped, breaking the hug.
"My nose seems to have a memory of its own." He explained.
"Yes, but right down to the actual name of the scent? That's impressive."
Jake bent down and whispered in her ear. "Golden Maknae at your service."
Bella giggled. "Let's go."
Jake led her to the doorway of the hotel, stopping just before opening the door. He turned to the male receptionist and gave him a Korean finger heart. His eyes widened in response. Jake and Bella left him with a very confused expression on his face.
Bella started to walk towards the train station but Jake led her to the hotel's parking lot. "Where are we headed?"
Jake took out a set of keys from his pocket. "To get the car?"
"We have a car?"
"It's a rental. I always use this company when I come to visit Taipei."
Bella paused in her tracks. "That night that we had dinner at Rilakkuma? We took a cab back here. Did you not use the rental?"
