It is 2015 and Kim Taehyung had just experienced the pressures of being a K-pop idol. His group, BTS, broke through the Korean mainstream media and was enjoying commercial prosperity. But with that success came with a price. To escape the overwhelmi...
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"Now arriving at Oriole," the lady with a pleasant voice said, but Kim Taehyung paid her no heed. He was too entranced looking outside the window, taking in the hodge-podge of sights that Toronto was showing him: expansive greens peppered with short and tall structures, there's a view of a pond in between, and other types of transportation.
The scenery differed from what he was used to in Seoul. It was not as sophisticated and glitzy, but there was a certain charm to this Canadian city. He smiled to himself thinking this was probably the trip he needed to escape the intense attention he had been receiving back home. Such was the life of a K-pop idol.
Taehyung glanced at his Patek Philippe to check the time. It was just two past noon, and he was already famished. He also realized that the timepiece he's wearing would be too flashy in a place like this: a train with blue-and-grey hued synthetic seats and yellowing walls, due for an upgrade.
The idol took the watch off his wrist and secured it in his Hermes duffel bag, which he now realized was likewise inappropriate. He reminded himself to buy a less glamorous one to avoid suspicion when he travels around the metropolis.
Two chimes signalled the next stop, Union Station. Taehyung placed his bag's leather strap on his shoulders, put his Dolce & Gabbana shades over his eyes, and disembarked the train.
For a moment, Taehyung just stood on the platform with his Gucci kicks to savour the smell radiated by the city. With hundreds of people passing by, their faces all a blur, he could still discern the scent of warm breakfast buns among other unidentifiable odours.
His stomach growled as a reminder he was due for a snack. Taehyung followed the sweet fragrance, and it led him to the Cinnabon counter. His eyes feasted upon rows of fresh-baked goodies that looked just as mouth-watering.
He asked for their most popular offering and was given the classic Cinnamon Roll, its frosting dripping around its corners. Who the heck cares about calories when he was here in Toronto for a break?
Taehyung wasn't going to hold back, especially when he finally got rid of his personal trainer, stylist, bodyguard, assistant and all sorts of "runners" back home so there would be nobody admonishing him for eating one extra calorie too many.
Fuck that, Kim Taehyung thought, it's about time he did this on his own.
