Twenty Four

Chapter Thirty Three

*Taehyung's POV*

As I try to fall asleep, I can't help but wonder what Hope encountered. She's not one to take insults to heart, someone must've been really extreme.

The next morning, I wake up to a empty bed beside me.

"Hope?" I call out.
No reply.

I check the bathroom.
No one.

Is she out?

Maybe she went swimming.

After I get ready, I make my way to the roof.

As I walk up, I can feel the fresh breeze that calms me.

From my right, I see Hope sitting on a lounge chair a couple feet from me talking on the phone.

I hide behind the wall as I listen to their conversation.

"Hope, what's wrong? Why do you sound so distracted?"
"I'm fine."
"You clearly are not, you can talk to me you know?"
"Jimini, yesterday I went to the event with Taehyung right?"
"Yeah."
"Let's just say, some people aren't really nice. I was in the washroom and there were these girl talking trash about me."
"Ah, Hope don't take it to heart. Those girls are just jealous, Taehyung's quite popular to the girls."
"Trust me, I know. I lost count on how many glares I got yesterday," she chuckles.
"Hehe, have you talked to Taehyung?"
"No, I don't want to bother him with it, it's probably nothing to him."
"Alright, I have to go now, but please be careful okay? I love you."
"Okay, thank you. Love you Jimin, and thanks for listening to me."

Wow. Did that really happen?

I walk back to the room in deep thought.

I feel bad, it's really my fault for dragging her into this mess.

I need to do something for her in return.

I have an idea.

The rest of the week, Hope follows me around to my meetings and business events. She must be so tired and bored.

Since the day I over heard her conversation with Jimin, she still hasn't mentioned it to me herself. However, being on media even more, definitely does not make her feel better. She seems more distant everyday.

Today is Saturday, it's the day I plan to put out that idea I had last week.

9:00 am.

I get up and brush my teeth as Hope slowly wakes up.

She looks at the clock and panics.

"Oh my gosh it's 9 already! Why didn't my alarm go off? We're going to be late today!" She scrambles out of bed.

"Hope! Chill out, we're fine today, we're not late. I turned your alarm off today to let you sleep in," I explain.

"Wait, what's the plan today then?" She asks.

"Don't worry about it, just follow me today."

"That's what I've been doing the last week, nothing new there," she says.

Fair enough.

As we make our way out of the hotel, I ask Hope.

"Hope, have you heard of the Forbidden City?"

"The place with a lot of pretty temples? How could someone not know about it? Do you think I live under a rock?" She asks.

"I mean you've never stayed in a hotel in your life so maybe," I shrug.