The Man You Are (BTS Jungkook)

20: Lost Puppy

As we all walk down the long hallway of the hotel, my hands start to sweat. They all converse amongst each other while I think of ways to avoid looking like I'm with them. I know the whole point of this bar night is for me to be introduced, more or less, to the fandom but I'm not sure I want that yet. I know the boys know there will be pictures taken and accusations made and I know my face is already all over Twitter but I just wish I could avoid the attention for a little longer. I fall to the back of the crowd and watch them gracefully strut into the open lobby, all with smiles on their faces. If I just trail behind them, and sit at a different table at the bar, no one would suspect a thing. I wouldn't be in any pictures, I wouldn't get bombarded by fans on Twitter, I'd just happen to be in the same bar as these famous idols. I nod to myself, slowing myself down. I watch them as they go through the large automatic doors. My feet stop just before the doors. I wipe my sweaty hands on my pants and take deep breaths. I can always go back to my room if I'm not ready, and I'm definitely not. I make the quick decision to make a run for it and hope they don't notice but before I can sneak away, Hobi spins around and stares at me through the glass doors. The rest of the boys follow. I can see Hobi motion for the rest of them to keep going as he heads towards me, Jimin follows. Why couldn't they have just kept going, why did they have to to notice my absence?

"Is everything okay?" Hobi asks as he reaches me, Jimin jogs to catch up with his long strides.

"Yeah...yeah I'm ok. I'm just not feeling to well all of the sudden so I was going to head back up." My nerves are clear in my words. I swallow as he crosses his arms.

"Cleo, you don't have to worry about them. No ones going to bother you tonight, I promise. They usually keep a respectful distance."

"Usually..." I swallow again.

"Please Cleo, we want to hangout with you outside of hotel rooms. Everyone has already seen your face anyways." Jimin pouts. "But if you really feel uncomfortable doing this, we can always reschedule." I take another breath and look into his eyes, then Hobi's. They both stare at me in anticipation.

"Fine. Only if you guys hold my hand." I pout jokingly and they relax. Joking is my way of coping with the nerves that are making me want to throw up.

"Yeah, that might spark some questions." Hobi laughs.

"Right, not the best idea." I shake my head.

"Shall we?" Hobi stretches his arm towards the door and I step forward.

The air is crisp and my face is immediately chilled from the breeze. Thankfully, the walk to the bar is short. Both Jimin and Hobi are wearing bucket hats to hide their faces. They make small talk with me along the way, looking down the entire time. I suddenly feel like I should be hiding my face too. The bar is located right next to the hotel and it looks very modern and fancy. Jimin grasps the door handle and pulls. The warm air from inside pours out and I quickly move towards the entrance. I thank him for holding the door and scan the extremely crowded floor for 5 familiar faces. The lights are dim, making it hard to see but purple fluorescent lights line the tall ceilings, creating a club-like atmosphere. Before I can find them, I feel a cold hand on my back, making me jump.

"They're over here." Jimin laughs at my reaction and he guides me through the crowd. "If anyone needs a drink tonight, it's you." I fight the urge to push his hand off of me and walk away from him. People stare as the three of us push through to the back. The other boys are packed into a large booth. All of them are laughing as they sip their tall drinks. Once they spot us, their faces light up. Even Jungkook's, a little. Tae and Jin slide out of the booth and grab chairs from a nearby table and pull them up to our booth. Jimin takes Jin's spot next to Yoongi and pats the empty space next to him. I slide in at the end across from Jungkook.