Chapter 26: Ride Along
Even if we are from different universes,
we still share something, like everyone else.
Happiness and sorrow.
'I hate it.'
Silent expletives explored out my mouth by only the movement of lips and an absence of voice from vocal cords The car honked reaching zero speed with the shutdown of its engine, taking its stand by the side of the smooth pitch road. It was the third time, in the past two hours of journey. The loud sound effect which arose at the back of the car was ear-impairing. A river of excitement seemed like had been poured down the lungs of the youthful boys. I shot my strongest yet unreachable glare at the back through the rearview mirror, shaking head to myself.
Verily, none was happier than them when they were told to get off the car for a moment for engine checking purpose. They jumped out of the car, dashing around like kids in kindergarten. I sluggishly hopped out too then stood agaianst a random trunk that came in near and pulled out my phone.
'How much time will it take?' Namjoon asked the man who was busy with the car's front lid upped. He replied without shifting his gaze, 'I can't tell, the mechanic's on the way. They have sent off another car. It will take a while, I guess. There's nothing else we can do.'
'Oh, it's okay. We are good.' He huffed before jogging to join the other members.
Apparently where the car had stopped was indeed a nice place, a line of grey through green under the vast blue, away from everyday pollutions. The sun was too bright, but the clouds surrounding the sky was giving out a perfectly balanced proportion. The only thing that was disturbing at the moment, was the group of seven boys who perhaps had thought of the place as a karaoke room and was screaming whatever meaningless that came to their minds out. The car was heading for a Puma photo session the location of which was evidently a little far from the regular city. After its end, they had two interviews to undergo, and a run episode to shoot alongside. But...did they care? Worry didn't seem like a word founded for them. But being stuck in the middle of the road meant being free from their regular schedules, at least for a minute, reaching for their heart to give its nutrient for fulfilling the demand of their freedom.
'Y/N ah!'
'What?' I scowled at the male who stood before me in his jolly self. 'I am thirsty. I need something to drink.'
'Bring some for us too, Jiminnie.' Jin shouted from a distance.
'What are you? A kid?' I looked down getting my eyes engaged on the screen, 'They are kept at the back of the car. Get them out yourself.'
'Wae? You are our manager, right?'
'So?' I gave a disregarding look.
'Please...jooseyo...' He put on a cute face pouting his lips together. I stuck my tongue out, 'Aegyos don't work on me, sweetheart. I am tired right now, so please get them out on your own.'
'Why are you so lazy?' He crossed his arms over his chest, 'If you don't get up now, I will tell everyone how you got so happy and cried your eyes out on my shoulder the other day when I gave you your gift.'
I clenched my jaw in irk, 'Huh?'
The smirk was inevitable on his face, 'You heard me, and I ain't lying.'
From the uncountable number of causes I marked inside my mind, just one was enough to express the uttermost disgust I held for the boy, which was officially sealed and approved by his current statements. This is why I hated to show my weaker self before others. They just knew how to use it for their own purpose. Bitter, sadistic, selfish rules, just normal human natures I suppose...
And about this guy? Hmph... who was I kidding?
Blowing a gush of air out through my nose, I moved my limbs in a snail's pace and got myself up, exhibiting my defeat. The male just snickered and followed along.
'Here!' I threw the carrier bag at his direction, which he successfully managed to catch in the air. 'Thank you.' He sipped through his teeth. I shifted my hand upside down not giving a damn and decided to join where the others were.
'Y/N, do you know how trees go online?'
'Umm, no?' I gazed sidelong at the oldest who was already prepared to let out his windshield laugh.
'They log in.' And then the sound of laughter no one was born ever to beat. I joined in a mild one along with him for a while. The rest just shook their head in frustration.
'Hyung, if you continue your jokes like this, you are pretty soon about to zone everyone out.' Namjoon said. 'Shut up, I am funny.' Jin's eyes sparkled up one second, probably recalling another joke of his enormous storage. I bolted up, 'Sorry, I need to get the bottles back. I will give a check to the car-issue too and join again in a second. Save my space.' I picked up the bag heading towards the car standing at a distance.
'See hyung, you scared her away.' Jin shot a glare in reply to the maknae who was busy sticking his tongue out, pretty soon completing his loading for the rest of his conversations.
'Oh, just five minutes more? Well, okay.' I bowed turning on my heels.
'I was liking it out here tho...' Jimin emerged out of nowhere accompanying me on the walk back. Crossing his arms behind his neck, he let out a small breath, either in relief for being in fresh air or in disappointment to go back too soon.
'Y/N, mind for a selca?'
'Uh-' Before I could even finish, he brought out his phone holding it before both of our faces, 'C'mon.'
'Why are you standing that far?' He tugged on my arms, bringing me near his torso to get my face within the frame. I gulped in nervousness, seeing the lack of distance in between our standing figures.
'Jimin...'
'Yeah?'
'T-there's something stuck on your hair.' My tongue moved to speak out something else that I had intended to speak.
'Oh? Can you brush it off?'
I feebly nodded and dragged my fingers up to run through his hair field. His hair was silky, texture soft like butter melting against my finger skin. I felt an urge to play with their volume, which I couldn't. Yet I took my time to travel through their mass, partially reaching the scalp until sluggishly dragged out the almost invisible tiny leaf part stuck on one of the strands.
'There.'
'Thank you. Now say noona.'
'Noona?' I laughed.
'To pout.' The camera shutter flickered.
'Y/N,' he observed the saved pic, 'I was thinking of dying my hair new. Which color do you think would suit me?'
'Hmm? I don't know, go bald.' I spoke, trying to pay lesser attention as the boy's eager face kept invading into the least distance of vision of my eyes.
'Aish! You are the same as hyungs. They told me the same thing!'
'Majority always choose the best.' I tilted my head envisioning the male's bald look, letting out a secret sneer. 'Okay, how about mint?'
'Mint?' He gave an oblique glance at the certain guy who was sitting far secluded with his headphones on, 'You think that would suit me?'
'You would look good in an-' I stopped then said, 'I don't know.'
'What color do you like better?'
'Why? Are you gonna try according to my likes and dislikes?' I flipped my hand, 'You can go purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red or...how about black?'
'Black?' He parroted.
'Yeah. That's your natural hair color, right?'
'Aha...' he mumbled lowly. 'I think you would suit the best in that, just my opinion. That is your natural self, who you are. Go with black.'
'That's what I don't want...'
'Huh?' Partially perceiving what he said under his breath, I replied in interrogative, 'You don't want that? What's wrong with it?'
My voice whether reached the male's ear or not, was unable to reach his mind, which seemed like was lost a thousand miles of distance away, climbing up a high tower with a depth of thoughts that was unknowable to others, to me.
'Jimin?' I called his name, trying to get him back from the height he had attained away from reality. He blinked his eyes irregularly, talking in a way to himself, 'Nothing...' He provided a small smile, still lost.
'The shade of black, it just holds what I was, the void, desperate one from before, who couldn't sing well, dance well, didn't look good, who had a life petite and hopeless like its own uncolored feature, I simply and certainly do not want to get it back. I don't...'
The loud peep from the road took his attention away, 'Let's go.' He rushed to the second car that had arrived to pick them up. I stood for a while immobile, before joining the rest in.
This time, for the first time ever,
I knew what he felt.
I could see, the real of Jimin.
'So yeah, the interviews are supposedly canceled for today and the run episode shooting is scheduled for later, as you can see it's already too late for those.' The manager spoke, pointing at the sky which had darkened a long time ago losing its flying colors in shine. Finished with supervising the staffs who were packing things up, I went back to pick up the boys' stuff to get them inside the car. The males walked in with exhaustion, one by one climbing up to their seats waiting for the car to start.
'You look really tired, Y/N.' Namjoon suggested, 'You can take a seat at back. I will seat in front on the passenger's one instead.'
'No Namjoon, I am okay, really. You don't have to get troubled for me.' But my sleepy, dropping eyes probably were too noticeable to the tall guy, 'It's totally fine, I am not sleepy at all, I can manage.'
He walked towards the front seat. I muttered a 'thank you' and went in settling at a side on the back, and closed the door. The car moved back to the pathway, gradually gaining speed on the almost vacant street with soft glinting lights illuminating all across the Seoul. Everyone inside the car was asleep, snoring lightly. I rolled the glass down to let the wind come in, if it could take away a little bit of my sleepiness until the car reached its destination. However, it made me feel sleepier than before, failing on my responsibility as the assistant manager. I sat straight to keep myself deprived of the soft cozy seat, trying hard to keep myself up. Then, there was a shifting sound at my side and two big hands wrapped around my waist.
In a surprise, I turned to the left, finding Taehyung sleeping like a log with his innocent mode on. He looked too comfortable in the position, so he snuggled closer, continuing to use me as his bolster. I slowly tried to push his arms off to enable myself for some slight movements.
'Taehyung...' I mumbled slightly despite not willing to wake him up. His soft brown locks danced over the closed eyes due to the wind gush. The eyelids trembled with the low sound of my voice, they were pressed tighter with a furrow of his brows. The lips curled down at one side, sucking the left cheek inward, with the continuation of rapid eye movement. Low exhausted breaths rushed out from his lips...
'Eomma...'
I paused hearing his mutters, observing how his knuckles tightened with his grip on my sleeve. The slight tension on his face was visible, proving all the signs of him having a bad dream. I didn't move for a while.
Next minute, I placed my hand on his back, patting lightly with the fingers crawling up and down in a constant low speed. The male shifted a bit loosening his embrace around me. The frown was gradually fading, gaining back the sweet babyish peaceful state like before as he continued his cute little snores.
They might be idols,
They might be criminals,
but at the end of the day,
they were still humans...
I was failing at my job.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone