Closer than Ever

Chapter 15 - 36 Questions

We're working in the studio, me on my laptop bouncing some lyrics between English and Korean, looking for poetry, and Taehyung scrolling on his phone. I assume that he is looking through song ideas or getting ready to text one of the other members until he looks up and says, "We should try this."

"What's that?"

"Have you heard about this? It's called 'The 36 Questions that Cause Love,'" he replies.

"Um, yeah, I've heard of it. But why would we try that when my employment contract says I shouldn't date other BigHit employees? That's a terrible idea!" I laugh and shake my head at him.

"I think it would be good to build our working relationship," he says, smiling at me.

"Did you actually read all of the questions? If I remember right, they get really heavy by the end," I answer, raising my eyebrows at him. He glances down again and starts to scroll.

"I want to know all of these things about you, Eunen Sae. It won't make me fall in love, though, I promise." He gives me the Tata Mic face.

I exhale loudly through pursed lips. "But do you want me to know all of those things about you?" I say.

He glances down again, hesitating, then meets my eyes with a smoldering look. "Yes."

"This is a terrible idea," I say again, as Taehyung rolls his chair toward me.

"We're supposed to stare straight into each other's eyes while we answer, or it won't work," he says.

"It's not supposed to work!" I raise my voice in exasperation. "I'm going to get fired if it works!"

Taehyung scoffs and then asks the first question: "Eunen Sae, given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?"

I don't want to take this too seriously, so I pretend to consider carefully (avoiding his gaze by looking off in the distance), and then say, "Hmmm... Jung Hoseok."

"Hobi-hyung?! But why?" Taehyung says, looking slightly outraged.

"I haven't met him yet!" I say, laughing. "And why wouldn't I want to have dinner with Hobi?"

Taehyung studies my face, pouting slightly. "I should be at the dinner, too," he declares. I just smile at him.

"Taehyung-shi, if you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would you choose?" I ask.

I expect him to come back with the name of a famous jazz musician or artist, but he surprises me by saying, "My grandmother."

I study his face. "Your living grandmother, or the one who passed away?"

"The one who passed away. She worked so hard to raise me, but she didn't get to see what I've become. She died just before she was going to see me on television for the first time." His eyes are brimming with tears.

'Shit, this is only the first question,' I think to myself. "Don't you think that she knows, though? I'm sure that she is watching from wherever people go afterwards. I'm sure she's proud of you."

Taehyung drops his eyes as a tear rolls down his cheek, and nods. Then he scoots a little closer and reaches out to pat my hand.

"OK," I say after a moment. "Next question... doesn't really apply to you, or maybe it applies too well! Would you like to be famous? In what way?"

Taehyung smiles. "Being famous is amazing, because so many people love you, but it's also very difficult and exhausting sometimes. I wish there was a way to turn it off and on from time to time. What about you? Would you like to be famous?"