Idol Next Door

13

A sweet aroma of pastry filled Taehyung's nose as he entered Dahyun's unit, luring him to the kitchen where he found the girl facing the oven while bending her knees a little to check the progress of the pastries inside.

"Woah. You're baking now, too?" Taehyung asked in surprise as he sat down on the stool facing the kitchen isle where there were baking utensils scattered. He initially thought that Dahyun reheated her baked goods she bought, but turned out that she was actually the one making them.

"Mmm-hmm. That's why I told you come over," she answered, turning to face Taehyung. She started putting away the baking utensils, stacking them neatly on the sink. She then wiped the countertop with a wet cloth, removing the flour she had accidentally spilled when she was mixing the batter earlier. "You are not too busy, are you?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No. Actually, I just finished packing my stuff. We're off to America tomorrow for our US Concert Tour."

Dahyun nodded in understanding, then took out a container from the cupboard. She opened the container and placed it in front of Taehyung as she stated proudly, "I made brownies. Taste it. I just learned to make that yesterday."

"Wow, they look and smell good," Taehyung remarked, looking at the brown, bite-sized sweet treats, and popped them into his mouth.

"It's delicious," he nodded, savoring the pastry in his mouth.

Dahyun grinned proudly. "There's chocolate milk in the fridge," she said, and Taehyung headed to the fridge. He came back with 2 glasses of cold chocolate milk, handing Dahyun the other one. She drank from her glass and then put it down already half-empty.

"Having a tour in the US would be so awesome," Dahyun mused, wiping her lips with a napkin. "I can't wait to go there for Twicelights."

"How's your practice for Twicelights, by the way?"

"We're doing fairly well I guess, though we had to adjust and rearrange the choreographies in order to fit 8 members since Mina unnie is currently on hiatus."

"Is she okay now?"

"She's in Japan undergoing therapy. According to the doctor's advice, it was best for her to take a rest until her condition stabilizes. Taking a break from her idol life and staying with her family in Japan for the mean time might speed up the healing process," she explained.

"Until how long will she be on hiatus?"

"Until she fully recovers. I don't know how long exactly, but maybe a few months. We're not rushing, though. We will patiently wait for her return no matter how long it may take."

Taehyung nodded. "She's taking a break, good for her. I envy Mina-ssi."

"Why, you want to have anxiety disorder too?" Dahyun joked.

"I want to take a rest. Sometimes idol life is just... tiring. Being Kim Taehyung of BTS is exhausting," he said with a sigh. "Sometimes I think what would have been my life now if I stayed with my grandmother in Daegu and had not joined BTS? Maybe I'd be living an ordinary life."

"What job do you think you have right now if you had not auditioned to become an idol?" Dahyun asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Maybe a photographer? A professor? Or a kindergarten teacher since I love kids."