Healing (KTH, featuring KNJ)

Chapter 10

Looking back on the concert, she'd actually had a lot of fun. Taehyung was the perfect gentleman, always making sure she was comfortable and enjoying herself. And as the evening wore on she finally felt able to relax and truly appreciate the music. She found herself leaning forward in anticipation of each note and she could see that Taehyung was doing the same. The pianist was amazing, and while she preferred to play classical herself, she suddenly appreciated in a new way why others loved the soothing and lyrical sounds of jazz.

The evening was filled with small touches between her and Tae. A brush of the arm when he leaned in to whisper his thoughts on the concert. A bump of the legs when they both adjusted to see the keyboard more closely.  And a quick caress of their hands when Taehyung handed her the program. Each touch innocent but slightly spiking her heart rate, reminding her of when she first used to go out with Namsoo.

Altogether it was a memorable evening, and when Taehyung dropped her at her apartment door he told her to make sure to find him the next time she was at the Big Hit building or the apartment so he could share more of his favorite music, promising to reach out if he found other concerts she might enjoy.

Taehyung kept good on his promise, regularly inviting her to events as the two became increasingly close. And in return she often found herself visiting the company or the apartment to spend time with him even when Namjoon wasn't there. If she initially felt that Taehyung was spending time with her because he felt sorry for her sad story, by now she was clear that he was simply becoming a good friend. They both enjoyed the same friendly banter and spending time sharing their experiences and expertise. He had largely taken over Namjoon's role guiding her in the ways of Korean life.  And she shared with him what America was really like, not just what was seen in television shows. In the meantime her Korean was improving and Taehyung's English continued to improve at the same time, so communication was becoming easier and more comfortable.

While they were spending more time together, it was often via video calls and texts. Between the band and Taehyung's other commitments he was incredibly busy. Clara honestly was surprised that he made any time for her at all. She could tell that their video calls were often during his very short rest periods, on car rides, or while he was eating meals. But she didn't mind working around his schedule, recognizing he really didn't have that much control over when and where he was.

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As the worst of the winter cold was coming to an end, Clara spent one afternoon longingly staring out her office window wondering if spring might finally be ready to peak through. Her thoughts were interrupted by a call from Taehyung.

"Clara! You'll never guess what just happened! The band has just been asked to go and speak at the UN! Can you believe it?!"

"Oh Tae, I'm so happy for you and proud of all of you. Tell me everything!"

And Taehyung did. He told her everything, from how hard they've worked, to how much this felt like a validation of all of the sacrifices they'd made, to how nervous he was, and how overwhelming it was because he just saw himself as a normal guy from Korea and it was hard to understand how anyone saw him differently. In some ways he saw himself as an imposter. People viewed him as this perfect superstar, but he viewed himself as an imperfect man, simply trying to do his best and often not living up to even his own expectations. It wasn't long until both of them were sniffing back tears and Clara ended by assuring him that even if he felt unsure about so many things, he could know that she would be by him as his friend.  Cheering him and supporting him along his journey. The call ended with a promise that as soon as Taehyung was back in town from his filming schedule, she'd stop by and bring his favorite snacks and a warm hug to assure him that everything would turn out OK.

In the meantime Clara was busy exploring another idea she thought might help cheer Taehyung and remind him that even though he was a superstar, he could be both that and a normal farmer's son from Daegu. Clara reached out to Namjoon to share her ideas and asked him to work with the rest of the boys to get their blessing and to help her figure out a few of the logistics. It would only be a few more days until Taehyung was home and would have several days to rest at the dorms and she could not have been more excited for the idea she had in store.