Sweet Night (18+) || kth ||

One Year Ago...

Airports are like New York City: it never sleeps. There's always something happening, people coming and going at all hours. There are those who make their living here, while others almost live here. Some are just staying for their jobs, some have no jobs and are just loafing around. There're stores, restaurants, even sleeping areas for the flight crews. And in some secluded waiting lounge, famous and powerful people watch the world go by them.

I was one of those people. Up in the VIP Lounge, I gazed down at the bustling crowd one floor below me, hidden by the tinted window. I wonder what it would be like to become those people. To live a normal life. What goes one in their minds? What are their problems? How do they go about solving them? I sighed despondently. Not so long ago, I was one of those in the crowd, gazing upwards and wondering what's it like in the VIP lounge, where everything is plush and carpeted, and everything is served to you by a smiling attendant.

Taking a sip of brandy, I sighed. Soft music played in the background, blending perfectly with the murmur of the crowd in the VIP lounge, which wasn't many. Suddenly, I felt so frustrated my grip on the glass tightened. I fought the urge to throw it against the window.

"Hey."

A hand reached out and grabbed mine, forcing me to ease my hold on the glass. I looked over at my friend, who grinned at me.

"Relax, breaking that won't fix things up for you."

Park Jimin was my friend from high school. But even though we were the same age as most of our classmates, our friendship was different. Despite our differences, we still understood each other. I think it's mostly because we're both outsiders. Jimin grew up in Busan. I'm from Daegu. Most of our classmates were originally from Seoul. And that distance made us closer to each other so that even now, years later, we're still best friends.

"I don't know what to do, Jimin-a," I said to him. "I feel so lost, so empty, so...."

I reached for the right words to describe what I was feeling. But as Jimin only looked at me blankly, I knew he would never understand what I'm going through. How would he? He's a star now.

"Look, Taehyung," he said, inching his seat closer to mine. Nobody was paying attention to us, mostly because our bodyguards were nearby warding people away. "I know, okay? I know how you feel. This much fame can also be suffocating."

I scoffed.

"But listen to me," he insisted. "Everything's going to be fine, okay? Things will only get better from here on. I mean, this where we want to be. We finally got here, right? That counts for something nice."

He smiled earnestly at me. I nodded my head a little, pouting my lower lip. He was right, this was what we wanted back in the days when we belonged to the crowd below. We both wanted to be famous, to become a star. That's why we entered the Korean Arts High School in the first place, because we both wanted to be up here someday. We just diverged a little. Jimin joined JC Music and became a pop star. I joined Purple Entertainment and became an actor. And we made it. Despite all odds, we made it.

So, why did I feel so empty inside still?

The soft music was cut short by the little the chime that preludes an announcement.

"Good evening. All passengers for flight N2364 bound for New York, please proceed to the predeparture area."

Jimin and I looked up as the announcement was repeated. Then, he downed his own scotch and gave me a clap on the shoulder as he stood up. "Hang in there, okay?" he said to me. "I'll call you when I land."

"Jimin-a, I don't know what to do," I told him lifelessly. Mostly because my own flight won't be for another half hour and I don't want to spend that time alone.

Jimin bit his lower lip and looked at me with concern. "Get a hobby," he said. "Or something that will distract you. Sing, dance. You're a good dancer, you can try dancing."

"A hobby?" I repeated, sarcastically. "You want me to get a hobby."

"Just," he heaved a sigh. His manager called out to him. "Just get a distraction. Something to make you forget your woes, even if just temporarily. Something to make you smile while you blow off some steam."

I watched as Jimin walked away. A distraction, huh?

The attendant came by and asked if I would like to have another glass of what I was having. I smiled and shook my head. She walked away. I watched her ass swing from left to right and back again, licking my lips.

A distraction, huh?