Can I help you?

Chapter 22

RM hangs up the phone. He walks to the rest of the team. "Sarah is found. She has had a concussion and whiplash, but is okay and will come home in a few days. Until then she is staying with Jhope in his home." The ladies all start to coo softly and look at each others with twinkle in their eyes. Jin is not amused. "How come he has to stay there?" RM is calm "For now it is for the best that she isn't alone. And he can help her out a lot too." Jin is still not having it but is resorting to silent protest. Emma breathes in, relieved. Sarah texts the girls in the evening too.

She and Jhope are walking around in the city. He is showing some nice spots and gives some explanations. Sarah is laughing and having a good time. His mother does still rub her back in with the cream 3 times a day. That evening, after a good dinner- without spicy stuff, since she is used to cook for Jhope his palette- His mom takes her to a sauna. Jhope smiles at how good his mom is with Sarah. She is naked with his mom and in a tub. "Doesn't it do wonders for your back, sweetie?" His mom is awfully acting familiar to Sarah, who doesn't really mind, since she is western and being familiar with strangers over a few days is no big deal. But somehow she can't shake the thought of his mom checking her out every now and then. "You are so plumb. You parents must be so proud that you eat that well." Sarah smiles. I wish they were... "You have such wide hips, and big boobs." Sarah starts to awkwardly shift a bit in the bath and smiles, not knowing what other reply to give. "You can have a lot of babies, I think." "I-I guess so..." Sarah turns red, not sure because of the heat of the water or because of where the conversation is going. "Hoseokie really likes you a lot." And there we have it... Sarah sighs. "I like him a lot too." The mom smiles. "But I cannot like him." The mom loses her smile. "No no no you can like him. Please." Sarah shakes her head. "I like him, but I like everyone from BTS. So I won't love any of them." His mom is a bit taken aback by her answer, thinking she sleeps with all the members of BTS. "Don't worry I don't love them in -that- way." Stressing the 'that'. His mom looks confused.

Sarah gets up and waves her hand as in to signal she is getting to warm. "So you sleep with my son and you don't want to be serious about him." Sarah stiffens. "H-how...w-what makes you think I sleep with him?" Sarah turns around, puts on a poker face. "I know about the morning after pill..." Sarah pales up again. "T-that was...wasn't for him... A morning after pill works best until 5 days after. S-so I just didn't have time in Seoul to get to a doctor, so I just thought I could ask one if I see one. 2 birds with 1 stone, you know." "So... You are not in love with my Hoseok?" Sarah smiles but internally is dying. "No... Not like that. I'm sorry." The mom seems settled with that answer, thinking Sarah is sincere. Sarah is relieved there are no further interrogations, but suddenly his mom says: "But he love you. In that way. I know my son, and he has the passionate look in his eyes. Once he has that one about something, I can't change his mind anymore. It was the same with his dancing. And when he left to Seoul. I could not change his mind. He had set his mind to it. And he gets what he wants because of his determination." Sarah hides her face in the towel, to keep the tears back. I'm so so sorry Hoseok... I truly am... She gets out of the bath house to change back in her clothes.

The mom has decided to drop the whole subject since she said all she wanted. At home Sarah goes to Hoseok's room immediately and crashes on the bed. She is crying hard into the pillow. The next morning she is busy on her notebook with making a summary about Gwangju. Jhope suddenly leans over her shoulder and points at a mistake. She turns her head and he places a kiss on her lips. Just a cute peck. "Hoseok shi." Sarah tries to keep the blush down. "I am ready here. I will take the first train tomorrow back home." She keeps the professional tone in her voice. Hoseok is a bit annoyed by her cold shoulder after spending such an intimate night together. She closes her notebook and gets up. She goes up to his room and puts the notebook in her luggage. She hears the door close behind her. Pretending like she doesn't know, she keeps packing. He doesn't do anything. She can hear him standing perfectly still. She runs out of things to pack so she is forced to finish up and get up too. When she is up she hears him move and suddenly his arms are around her. He lays his head on her shoulder. Sarah is trying to brace her heart, but it is beating so fast and loud. "Hoseok shi... Please." "I want to say it to you. Please let me confess..." Sarah hangs her head while holding his arms. She pushes her lips into his arms and blows hot air. "Sarah, I lo-" "You can't. I swear, you can't. You need to let me go. Please." He lowers his arms and lets her go. "Not just like that. I need you to completely let me go." Hoseok is really not understanding anything. Please let me go in peace, before I need to hurt you... Sarah's heart is crying out loud but her face is not showing any emotion. "But I am sure you feel the same...That night, we shared something." Sarah decides to throw her heart away and hurt him. "It was just sex, nothing more nothing less. It was amazing. I would do it often again with you. I would do it right here and now. But nothing more than that." She looks at him with a poker face, numbing all her feelings. She can see his face having a mix of emotions. Disbelief, shock, confusion, pain. Better take this home. Short pain. Ripping off the bandaid and ruining a love even before it can hatch. "We can never be a thing. I don't love you in that way. I am crazy about you and a big fan, but this is enough for me." She turns to the window, not longer able to see him like that anymore. Now let's walk away cooly like those movie stars do when there is an explosion behind them. She walks shakingly to the window and lifts the curtain to the side and looks out of it in the distance. As if she is saying that all has been said.

Hoseok looks at her face, he can't trace any emotion on it. Is she serious? Is she hiding something? Is she telling the truth? Is she lying? He is confused. "We can never be a thing." Why not? I want us to. Please; let us be a thing. She looks away now. No, don't look away from me, look at me! Let me read your face. She walks to the window. Is this really happening? In my own room. Are you going to leave a painful memory in the room I have so many memories in? I can't give you up. I have never given anything up. She lifts gently the curtain and the moon falls on her face as she looks out. Her face is even more pale, and she looks beautiful. No, I refuse. He walks towards her and holds her in a hug. Even if you don't love me, and just want my body, I will gladly give it to you when you want it. I will make you love me. I am sure I can do it. I am going all in. He grabs her head and kisses her passionately.

Sarah is surprised at this weird reaction. What is he doing? Didn't I just blow him away? "You just want to have sex with me? That's all? Then go ahead. Here and now? Let's go for it." Jhope says determined. He walks with her to his bed and is still kissing her passionately. He reaches for something in his nightstand and continues what they are doing.