#Promise

Day Out With Tae

I woke up around noon the next day feeling like I don't even want to get out of my bed at all. I got home around 2 am from the hospital and I was still wide awake until 4 am. The events that happened from the previous night still seemed unreal to me.
Thank goodness that I still had today off from work. I could really use another day to catch up on some sleep. I was almost dozing off again when I heard my phone ring. Still half asleep, I grabbed it from my nightstand and answered without checking who was even calling me.
"Hello," I said, sounding like a zombie more than anything else.
" Hello! are you still sleeping?" the deep pleasant voice from the other end of the line asked.
"Huh? Who is this?" I asked, a bit confused.
                         " This is Taetae, the cutie! This is  your wake up call!"
                         I jumped off my bed and almost fell.  I then remember that Sejin had asked for my number last night as per Tae's request.
"Tae! What's up?" I asked trying hard to sound more energetic than I actually was.
                           " Hey! They gave us today off. There is no schedule for dance practice or anything. We are free to explore the city if we want to." Tae told me enthusiastically.
                         "That is wonderful!" I replied.
                         "The other guys said they want to sleep in today. Nobody wants to go out, and Jimin is still in the hospital. I get so bored in my hotel room so I want to go out and see places and stuff. I want to take pictures too. Do you mind going with me? If you are not busy? " he asked hesitantly after his long explanation.
                           "Can you even really go out? I mean, is it even safe for you to be roaming around? What if fans see you?" I asked back.
                         "Usually, one or two of our personal security comes with us and stays close by, just in case. But, yes, we can go around if we want to. I really don't mind being seen by fans. Sometimes, I like it when they come up to me. We are not just allowed to take pictures with them." He explained.
I really didn't know what to say next. So, there was an awkward silence on the line after he said that.
"Well, maybe you are busy today. Don't mind me. I'll find other things to do or maybe I will just go alone. Sorry for waking you up." He finally said, after maybe sensing my hesitation. I can hear the disappointment in his voice, and it almost broke my heart. These guys are so popular, and probably have everything they want in this world, but come to think of it, they rarely get chances to hang out with friends. Right now, I feel that I am the closest to what Tae can consider as a friend.
"Did you hear me say that I don't want to go? Who wants to waste this beautiful day sleeping? So, where do you want to go?"I said after being able to pull out my positive energy.
"Really? Really? Yes! Yes! Thank you! Thank you!" Tae excitedly replied. I can almost see him jumping around like little boy that got his favorite toy on Christmas Day. I started laughing so hard at his exaggerated reaction.
"Tae! Relax! Just tell me where to meet you" I said as I try to calm him down.
                             We met up at a Korean restaurant that he saw on the internet. He said he misses food from home, so he wanted to have lunch there. He insisted on picking me up from my house but I eventually have convinced him that meeting up at the restaurant will be safer for him.
                             It isn't really hard to have a great time with Tae. He really is a fun-loving person and he is someone that you could easily be at ease with. He spoke to me and told me stories like we have known each other for a long time.
"I am very close to my family, I call them almost every day, especially when we are on tour like now, so I don't miss them that much, but still, the fact that they are so far away, makes me feel uneasy." He shared, as we were walking along the streets to nowhere after we had literally gone to every tourist place I know. At one point, we had to go inside the movie theater because he got recognized so much, that we were being followed by a group of fans wherever we went.
"Uneasy? Why uneasy?" I asked.
"I was raised by my grandparents since I was a baby. Unfortunately, my grandmother passed away 2 years ago. We were on tour at that time. I couldn't go back home right away.." he said with obvious sadness that cut through my heart. I felt my eyes almost welled up.
"I'm so sorry for your loss..." was all I could say.
"It's okay. I am slowly moving on. The same thing happened with my grandfather last year. We were scheduled to shoot overseas when he passed away. I just attended the funeral and had to fly right away. I guess people like us, don't even get a chance to properly grieve." He added.
I wasn't able to hold it anymore. I gave Tae a hug that I think he deserved. I felt his sadness in his words. He just let me hug him and we stood there in silence.
"You seem to be a very cheerful person. I wouldn't think that you have all these worries inside you if you didn't tell me." I said.
"It helps me a lot when I talk to friends. Jimin has helped me a lot when I was having a hard time. He's not just a friend to me, more of a real brother. Well, all the other members are, but Jimin and I have this bond, like a soulmate, maybe because we are of the same age." He added.
The mention of Jimin's name made my heart skip a beat, I don't know why.
"I see... you two really seemed so close. It's comforting to have a good friend always beside you." I said.
We kept on walking and walking just enjoying each other's company. He then received a call from his manager, reminding him to head back to the hotel soon.
We had a quiet dinner at a nearby hamburger place because Tae had mentioned that he loves to eat hamburger when he is in the U.S, and also, it was the only place where there are only a few people inside.
"You know, it is so refreshing to meet and talk to someone who doesn't know who We are and what we do. It gives me a chance to be myself. I don't have to worry about the expectations of what I should do or say." He said sincerely.
"I'm so glad I have come to know you, all of you, the way I did." I replied.
"Me too" he said and gave me a smile that seemed to make his eyes twinkle.
He insisted on taking me home. He said it was already dark, and he wouldn't be at ease unless he is sure that I got home safely.
"Do you mind if we get food for the others and drop it off at the hotel before I take you home? he asked after receiving a text message from Jin.
"They don't feel like having hotel food tonight, and don't want to eat out either."
He added
"Of course it's okay! Maybe you should buy from that same place where we had lunch, so they could have a taste of home." I suggested.
"The managers usually get the food for us, but since I used the company van, they can't go. We actually have two company vehicles for the member's transportation, but the other one, I heard was going to pick up Jimin from the hospital. " he explained.
"Jimin was discharged from the hospital?" I asked in surprise.
"Yes, our manager said his doctor gave him clearance today. He has a few more days to rest before the concert. That way, he'll be able to dance without any problem."
"Too bad I didn't have a chance to see him before he got discharged." I said.
"Your work routine will be back to normal now. You don't have to be a private nurse to a cranky patient." Tae said jokingly.
" He wasn't really a difficult patient. In fact, some nurses are really fond of him. He has some fans there. They would only say good things about him." I replied.
"Are you fond of Jimin too? " he asked a bit too directly.
" What? Why are you asking me that?" I asked instead of answering the question.
"Because I think Jimin is quite fond of you."
At that point, the van stopped in front of their hotel. I saw Sejin waiting at the entrance ready to take the food that Tae bought for the members. At the same time, another black van pulled up at the hotel entrance. Some security people came to open the door and assisted Jimin out of the van. He looked at our direction and saw me with Tae in the other van.
"Just wait a sec. I'll be right back" Tae said and ran towards Jimin who was already entering the hotel lobby. Jimin's expression looked like he was upset. He didn't seem like he was in pain, but he didn't seem happy to be finally out of the hospital either. Tae said something to him and He said something to Tae like he is scolding him, then walked away.
Tae came back to the van and didn't say a word.
"Is everything okay? Is Jimin really okay now? " I asked.
"Yeah, he'll be okay. He just gets so moody sometimes," He said.
I didn't ask any more questions for the rest of the trip to my house. Tae seemed bothered by something, but I didn't want to probe.
When the van finally stopped in front of my house, Tae spoke up.
"You know, Jimin seems to be very fond of you. I know because he talks about you a lot." He said and paused. " But I hope it won't be a problem because I am very fond of you too." He continued.