Encounter | MYG & KTH

Take me Home

Yoongi went after her. He grabbed Leila's shoulder, spinning her around. "Leila it's not like that, can you please let me explain." He needed her to listen.

"Please." Leila backed away from him, her voice cracking. Her eyes glazed over in a layer of water that threatened to spill. "Please let me remove myself from this situation before I stupidly get hurt."

Yoongi became expressionlessly silent. He let go of Leila's shoulder and watched her turn away from him before her tears fell. Min Yoongi stood there, wondering if she was really the same Leila he had met in Barbados. The carefree and confident person that allowed him to just be himself without a worry in the world. This Leila was the opposite. He didn't understand her. Maybe he had fantasized a false caricature of her within the time they had been apart. Maybe, he'd gotten too carried away with the idea of her. Maybe his Leila didn't exist.

Eun-Ha walked up behind him. "Who was that?" Eun-Ha asked Yoongi as she looked up to see Leila run up the stairs. Her eyes narrowed as Leila wiped her eyes dry and walked over to the staff table.

Yoongi turned to Eun-Ha with a blank stare. "What are you doing here?"

Eun-Ha shivered under his gaze. "Don't be so rude," she pouted. "Why? I can't come see my boyfriend?" Her manager came running in, hauling numerous shopping bags behind her.

Yoongi was not in the mood to argue with her. For the past few months she had been insisting to act more like a real couple to avoid suspicion. But frankly, Yoongi doubted anyone was suspicious of them after the clip of them at the cafe went viral. Every time he brought it up she dismissed him with, "You can never be too careful." His managers agreed with her, so there was nothing he could really do about it.

Yoongi turned around and walked back up the stairs, ignoring her question.

"Aren't you going to ask me how my day was?" She heard her whine as she followed behind him. Her manager followed suite right behind her, huffing and puffing away.

"No," Yoongi answered with an impatient edge to his tone as he got to the top of the stairs.

"You're going home this early?!" A tipsy Jackson answered Leila way too loudly.

Yoongi stopped in his spot, his eyes on Leila.

Eun-Ha bumped into his back, not expecting him to stop so abruptly. "Ow, why'd you stop walking so suddenly?" She complained rubbing her nose. Not getting a response, she peered over his shoulder to see what he was looking at. Her eyes landed on the woman from before.

Leila gave Jackson a cautious look and handed his car keys back to him. "I'm feeling a little sick," she said, noticing the slight slur to his words. "Make sure you call a designated driver when you go home."

Taehyung looked up from his conversation, overhearing Jackson and Leila.

Jackson frowned,  narrowing his eyes at her. "Take my car, I'll have one of these guys drive me home," he said pointing to an older staff member, she had briefly met, next to him. He held out the car keys to Leila.

The older man smiled at Leila. "Don't worry, I got him."

Sighing, Leila took the keys. "Okay," She said before bowing politely to the man. "Please take care of him."

Jackson waved her off. "Go, get home quick and rest up."

Leila nodded him goodbye before turning around. She paused seeing Yoongi blocking the stairs. He stared at her with an expression Leila had never seen him look at her with. She felt an icy chill in her heart, forcing her to tear her gaze away. She looked past him as Leila as she walked towards the stairs. Leila still felt him looking at her before he moved aside to let her pass. But Eunha stood blocking the stairs.

Leila glanced at Eun-Ha's face questioningly. "Excuse me." She said curtly.

Eunha gaze lingered on the girl for a moment before she too stepped aside.

Leila sped down the stairs and out of the restaurant without turning back. Out in the fresh air, Leila let out a deep breath as she unclenched her hand in which she had Jackson's car keys. The keys left deep red impressions on her palm. She hadn't realized she'd been gripping onto them so tight. Not out of anger but out of heartbreak. Why did it hurt so much to say all those things to him? She thought she would've felt better cutting him off before he could hurt her any further.

That's what she usually did. Other than Jackson, Leila never had any long term relationships, whether they were romantic or platonic. She always distanced herself before she got too close, afraid of being rejected or hurt. But Jackson was the only person insistent enough to stick around. In a lot of ways Jackson reminded Leila of her father, or whatever she still remembered of her father. Even after 15 hours at a construction site, her father would always come and sit at the side of her bed. He stroked her hair as Leila shivered in the dark of her room, cuddling her baby brother. Some nights when he came later than usual, he would whisper, "I'm sorry Leila, for coming so late. Don't be scared of the dark anymore, I'm here." He would pull the covers over her and say, "You did well taking care of your brother while I was gone." Her father's calm velvety voice calm her and lull her to sleep. Simple things like that comforted Leila, even though it wasn't the dark she was afraid of. She was afraid of being left alone.

Jackson was the same. He too could sense her distress and somehow he always knew how to unknowingly help. But he never asked what was wrong and she was grateful for that.

Leila absently unlocked the car, pulling open the door to the driver's seat.

"Noona! Wait up!" Kim Taehyung jogged towards her.

Tae's voice pulled her from her thoughts. She watched the singer wave with a warm smile on his face. His cheeks were flushed a soft shade of pink which could be either credited to the abnormally chilled wind of the night or the amount of alcohol he'd consumed. Even with windswept hair, flushed cheeks, and baggy clothes Taehyung looked like a model. The vocalist bent down holding his knees as he attempted to catch his breath.

Leila looked at him in surprise. "What happened?" she asked.

Tae stood up straighter and rubbed the back of his neck sleepily. A charming yet shy smile spread across his full lips. "Take me home?"