Serendipity: The Amazing Journey Of A Soulmate

16. Euphoria

Inna has been moving from place to place in the past half hour, her camera hungry for shots.
I'm sitting on a bench now, watching her from afar as she tries to capture the unusual calm of the Han River. She looks so passionate about her task, so lost in the artistic process and I can easily see that she lets herself succumb to the healing call of photography. It is a beautiful morning, the sun brighter than ever, reflecting its warm rays in the surface of the river. The temperature increased a little from an hour ago and I notice Inna taking off her denim jacket and letting it drop on the green grass, resuming her photo shooting. There is something about the way her slender arms hold the camera, so graceful and ardently. She looks my way, waving a hand and smiling radiantly, which makes my heart jump in my chest.
Being here with her, in this spring day, gives me a sentiment of peace, my soul finally content. It's been a long time since I felt this light on the inside. Of course, the presence of my bandmates gives me joy and I will forever be grateful for having them in my life. They are my greatest supporters and most reliable friends, the people I can always count on. For as long as I can remember, it has always been just the seven of us. We fall together and we rise together. This exceeds friendship, this is brotherhood, this is loyalty. We're all bound for life.
But Inna brings another type of comfort. Something that touches the deepest and most hidden spots of my soul. Something I can't quite explain, but it's there. It's huge, making me question everything I knew about myself. Every smile, every word, every bit of her she chooses to give to me feels like getting reborn into something different, better, a new me and yet... Yet it feels like going back to the old me. Like regaining a long lost piece of myself, becoming whole again. It doesn't make sense to the mind, but my soul knows. It knows!

It looks like I've been trapped in my own mind for good minutes because by the time I draw myself out of it, I find myself sitting alone in the almost empty park, Inna nowhere to be seen. Where did she go? Scanning the surroundings, my eyes desperately search for her, my heart getting cold at the lack of her presence. The magnitude of these feelings is enormous and I hate it and love it at the same time. I love it because it makes me feel whole for the first time in my life. But I hate it even more for bringing me this exhilarating and sublime experience  that I know it won't last.
My phone starts ringing and with my eyes still wandering, I take my time pulling it out of my pocket.
"Yes, manager" I say removing my cap and running a hand through my hair, ruffling it.
"Namjoon-ah, I hope I didn't wake you up" my manager Sejin says.
"Ah, no. I'm out for a bike ride. What happened?" I say, stuffing my cap in the pocket of my hoodie.
"I'll keep it short then. Your schedule for this week has changed. On Monday you have to stop by the headquarters to meet a new foreign producer we're trying to get to work with us. I already sent you the details about him."
"Sure. I'll look at it." I wonder who that might be. To be honest, I am pretty exciting on getting to work with new people. Their different approach on music is welcoming, a breath of fresh air. It helps me a lot with developing my style.
"Also, there is an event on Friday you and the boys have to attend."  There goes my free week. I was hoping I'll get some time for myself these days. To just rest and read and work on my music. Sighing heavily I bend down, letting my elbows rest on my legs.  "What kind of event?" I ask rubbing my eyes with the tips of my fingers.
"You know the Uppertown magazine? They are holding a fashion show to celebrate their spring collection and new concept.
"A fashion show?" I ask surprised. "Manager, I don't know what to say about this-" I start, but Sejin cuts me off.
"Look, I know this type of event is not exactly your thing, but this is important for BTS. We're going to collaborate with the magazine for some photoshoots and interviews in the future. Just bear with us, okay?" My manager explains. He knows us too well and he's been by our side since the very beginning. I know he works as hard as us, always doing his best to promote and take care of the band. He probably disagrees with this as much as I do, but that's one of the many sacrifices we have to do as artists. When we chose this path, we were told to endure. But no one told us to what extent. It got better with time, but it still bothers me. Ah, I shouldn't complain. These trivial things are just small sacrifices we have to make in order to keep our dreams alive and continue spreading the message we have for the world.
"Okay. I'll let the boys know" I give in, letting out a long breath and biting the inside of my cheek. "Excellent. I won't disturb you any further, Namjoon. Enjoy your ride and try to get some rest." He says before ending the call. As if I can rest will all this tempest that's taking over my mind.
"I've never seen someone to look so down for attending a fashion show before" I hear a sweet feminine voice speaking, bringing me back to reality. I look up and see Inna standing in front of me, gazing at me with amusement in her eyes and holding a huge cotton candy on a stick, in the shape of a blue bear.
"Here. This will cheer you up. They didn't have a koala, but it was the closest one to Koya* " she laughs, handing me the sweet snack.
I think her laugh became my favorite sound, the music genre I'd want to listen to for the rest of my days. I smile back and take the candy from her hand, rising up from my seat. "Let's walk" I say putting a hand on her back and leading her to the area with trees and green grass, hoping to escape the heat of the sun.