Always, It's You

Chapter 4

Taehyung's POV:

I was looking at Ashley.

A simple face without any makeup on. She had a nice smile with her powered glasses on, and a pair of calm, deep yet beautiful eyes.

We were chatting, she surely didn't know how to open up, Perhaps a loner.
I saw these characteristics in Jin and Yoongi hyung for ages, and I know them being the persons with the kindest heart out there.

"Mind telling me what happened?" she asked.

"I lost my bag at the airport." I smiled, guiltily.
"But they said they will call me if they find my bag," I said with my broken English, stumbling.

"And here is your phone!" she sighed, looking tense.
"Where you are staying? "

"I don't know, I had a reservation in a hotel, details were on the phone, but..." again I pointed at my phone.

She suddenly started to laugh. I couldn't but smile at her act.

"Have you ever been on a vacation on your own?"

I laughed and said, "no."

"Seriously? How old are you by the way?" she chuckled.

"I am 25. "

"So we are of the same age then!!!!" she smiled.

I returned the smile.

She wasn't eating, I said hurriedly, "what can I get you? What do you want to eat?"

She smiled nicely, "thank you, Kim, it's kind of you, but my order is almost on the way."

We ate in a comfortable silence after her food came.

"So, you need a new phone," she said. "Do you have extra money with you?"

I smiled silently if only she knew!!!

"You need clothes too until they find out your suitcase," she said.

"Yes." I nodded my head.

"And you need a place to crash tonight." She was thinking out loud.

I was going to assure her that those were no problems at all, I have money. But she said, "it's a festival week, you won't find a hotel to stay in unless it's your already reserved one."

Oh, really!!! Gosh!!! I could ask Sejin for helping me out as he was the one who booked my hotel. But that damn phone!!!!!

I was silent, thinking.......

"If you don't have any problem, you can crash at my place tonight," she said, suddenly finding a solution.

I was surprised. Yeah, that sounds rather good, but...
"Umm, I don't want to cause trouble, Ashley."

She waved me off,
"Oh gosh, leave it, they booked me a beach cottage, a whole beach cottage dude!!....you can stay there easily. And I am on a vacation anyway, we can go buy you a phone the next day, then you can go on your own, sounds good?" she said casually.

I had countless experiences with strangers and fans before, and she was nothing like them, it even didn't seem like she knew me.

I smiled.
All I felt from her was a positive, calm charm that I can't just ignore.

"Thank you, Ashley, it looks like a plan then!

[Remember the movie BEFORE SUNRISE? Or the movie BEFORE WE GO?
Trusting a stranger within a short period sensing a deeper connection and sense of security - it's really beautiful and I kinda had a picture of those during writing this story.

For those who find it unrealistic for a girl to be like Ashley, let me just tell you, it's inspired by a real story. My best friend is a free spirit, enjoys every bit of her life, offers earphones to others in the journey, takes random people for a meal just on a whim, travels alone, open-minded.
And if Ashley just inviting Taehyung to crash in her place seems out of reality, well, everyone in life is not paranoid.
My friend met her life partner just like that, offering help to a lonely traveler and ending up finding deeper connections.
Yeah, we all are careful and paranoid in these matters, but that doesn't mean this kind of people doesn't exist!

And lastly, I wanted to make this book more about deeper connection and understanding rather than a typical romance.
So if you find it unrealistic of Taehyung being not panicked at all and casually taking her offer and traveling alone without knowing English properly, I apologize. But I had him being lost in bon voyage and being casual about it in my mind during writing it. And him taking her offer? What better plan he had at that time really?]