Untitled, 2018

Chapter 19: Lost and Lost

Jimin's POV

"Reporters?" You can just tell because of their clothes and badges and whatnot. I scrambled back and sprinted down the hallway I was on, before the two reporters I bumped into pretty hard gathered themselves and realized who I was. Who let them on the floor with the dressing rooms? Oh. It wasn't the floor with the dressing rooms. It was much closer to the actual backstage. Maybe those were assigned reporters by the show? Their big cameras indicated they were going to be taking photos.

Meanwhile, I went past the stage until I found the other, less used stairwell, and decided to camp there for a while. I looked down and realized I had crumpled up the box of chocolates, and the stained dress was still in a bag in my other hand. What a mess. I plopped down and got on my phone to message Jungkook and Baekie.

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Riti's POV

"Jungkook?" I staggered back a little, and he looked at me curiously.
"Why are you here?" We both asked simultaneously, a little apprehensively. I've always thought of Bangtan as my friends, but up close they were both a little intimidating and, more unfortunately, strangers. So I boiled in nervousness and hoped he wouldn't react negatively.
"I'm... here to see my friends," he said, peering over my shoulder. I glanced behind me and saw the Got7 dressing room in his line of sight.

"I'm here for work and I was just checking out the dressing rooms... because I was curious." I admitted.
Jungkook sighed with relief and I glanced at him curiously.
"You'll probably be allowed to see more if you follow us when we're promoting later this year." He smiled. I kind of melted, but recovered with a goofy smile of my own and stepped out of his way so I could go back to find the PD office area where I left Kang.
Wow, what a cutie, I thought to myself.

As I found Kang, he put down his phone and said, "Oh I was just calling you. Come, let's go watch the PD working! He's going to talk to sponsors after and I think he'll allow me to sit in. Not sure about you, though."
"Aww alright. Well... I do want to watch him work the music show though."
"Good! Then let's go."
On our way up to the control room, we walked right past the green rooms and past 4Ever, and I definitely noticed Baek-Hee's gaze on me, calculating. I hoped I looked a little more put together now than before, honestly. I walked behind the PD and Kang with my chin raised high and a more confident stride. She really was pretty, I remarked to myself. No wonder Jimin was attracted to her... ah but that vixen. Smooching up other guys when Park Jimin was a readily available option. What kind of monster could even fathom doing that? I didn't really know him, of course, but I could tell his love, when earned, was not fickle.

Thinking such thoughts, I saw a crew member sitting on a staircase by the elevators we took and even thought he was Jimin for a second and smiled to myself.
That man... suddenly so close, but still so far away. I wondered what he thought of me. He had seen me far more closely than I had seen him, except, you know, online and such. I couldn't help but wonder- Did he hate me? Did he find me annoying? I thought back to all the trouble I'd caused for the last few weeks and almost laughed. Yep and yep. Probably. Though there was hope yet!

We were going to be forced to spend time together because of my project for the rest of the year... unless he chose to ignore and avoid me. I took in a deep breath and pursed my lips. I'm glad he doesn't know just how much of a favorite he is of mine. That would've made everything so much more awkward. Why did my life have to turn out this way?! Just a few months ago I was fantasizing meeting him in a fairytale stroke of destiny and here I was- a meeting of a stroke of misfortune for him. Wanting to actually get to know him was too much to ask. He owed me nothing. I groaned internally thinking about how dumb my situation was.