Jimin was worried. He had lost sight of Eileen. He had backed away into the crowd to avoid detection by both Tae and any security cameras lurking nearby. Or cellphones recording the whole escapade. But then he’d seen Tae coming straight for him, so he had wandered off in a zigzag, hoping to lose his best friend.
How could he explain Eileen? The whole relationship was so new, so fragile, that he wasn’t sure he was ready to share her with anyone. Not even Tae. These thoughts scared him. Like she was a mirage. A beautiful figment of his imagination. He was afraid that this was all a dream, and at any moment he would wake up to find she had flown away with the wings of the dawn, only to be burnt up by the bright heat of the noonday sun.
And now he had lost her. His heart sank. Just then, a hand clapped him on the shoulder.
“Jimin! I knew it was you! Why are you fleeing from me?”
Somehow in that moment the friendly voice speaking in Korean comforted his heart in an unexpected way. And he felt pierced for a moment by a sudden remorse that he had been unwilling to tell his best friend about Eileen. He looked up into Tae’s intense eyes that now held concern.
“I’m so glad you’re ok, Jimin-ssi.” Tae spoke with relief, the clear affection in his voice wrapping around Jimin’s heart to give him the hug he needed in this disappointing moment. He had so wanted to take Eileen to the art district.
Jimin sighed as he searched for the words to respond, but Tae spoke first.
“Where have you been all night? And all day? And why didn’t you call us?”
Jimin looked sharply up at Tae. “What? I did. I called Yoongi’s room and left a message.”
“Yoongi? He never said anything. I bet he didn’t even check his phone. I think he’s still sleeping.”
“What? Oh, for crying out loud!” Jimin grimaced. “I lost my phone last night, and Eireen—” Jimin cut himself off.
“Irene? Who is Irene?” Tae raised his left eyebrow.
“Not Irene. Eireen.”
“Irene?” Tae raised his right eyebrow.
Jimin sighed. “I…lllllluh…een.”
“Ohhhhh,” Tae nodded, the lightbulb coming on. “Eireen.” He shook his head. This didn’t help. “Who is Eireen?”
“She’s my friend.”
Tae narrowed his eyes at Jimin as he remembered the woman that had been standing next to Jimin right before he’d run off. “Is she a redhead?”
Jimin nodded, “Yes.”
“You spent all night with her?” This time both of Tae’s eyebrows flew skyward, shocked that Jimin would spend the whole night with a girl.
“We didn’t have a choice!” Jimin yelled defensively.
Tae’s eyebrows were doing a fascinating dance now as he looked intently at his friend. “You were both kidnapped, huh?” He pursed his lips and began to stroke his beard – or what would have been his beard had he had one. “This is like a scene I once acted out in an audition. Did they stuff you into a trunk? Or handcuff you to the car door?” He looked furtively around before bending close to Jimin and speaking to him in an aside, “How did you escape?”
Tae’s eyes piercing him, Jimin smacked Tae on the shoulder. “Don’t be ridiculous! We weren’t kidnapped!” he whispered ferociously. “We…we had to flee from the mob, but we were afraid they had her license plate number, so we left the city. We ended up sleeping out in the country under the stars.”
“You slept with her?” Those eyebrows bobbed in surprise.
“No! I didn’t sleep with her!” Was Tae trying to ruin the girl’s reputation? “I mean, yes, I did, but no, I didn’t! I didn’t do what you’re thinking! Get your mind out of the gutter!”
“Hey! I’m not the one who spent last night lying in a field with a girl.” Suddenly, he grinned slyly. “How was it? Was it fun?”
Jimin just stared at him before shaking his head.
Tae now furrowed those fascinating, dark eyebrows. “It wasn’t even a little bit fun? Either this girl is completely boring, or else…I think you did something wrong then, Jimin.” He was laughing behind his blank expression.
Jimin blushed.
“Oh-ho. Methinks you did have some fun, after all, huh? But you’re not going to tell me, are you? Ahhh,” Tae sighed, forming a petulant expression with his lips as he shook his head. “Ever the chivalrous knight, you hwarang, you! I don’t know why you ever had a reputation as a player. You couldn’t hurt a girl if you tried. And you’d never try.”
And this right here was why Tae was Jimin’s best friend.
“You are every bit as chivalrous as I am, Tae. I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Hey, why didn’t you just call one of us to come get you?”
“We didn’t have a phone. She accidentally left hers at her apartment in our haste to escape. And who knows where mine is?! And now, I can’t find her either!”
Tae recognized the distress in Jimin’s voice. Apparently, Jimin cared more for this girl than he was letting on…
Tae could relate.
—
Jin stood in front of the mirror in the Disney store holding Snow White up next to his face. He should take a selca with her. He pulled out his phone and did just that. He wished all seven of the Bangtan Boys were together so they could all pose as her dwarves. Of course, that would be laughable because they would all tower over this doll. Even Jimin! Maybe they could change the story to Snow White and the Seven Giants. Jimin would enjoy that.
“Jin, what are you doing?” Hobi meandered over towards him.
“Tae said I should buy Snow White. Since there’s seven of us. We can be her dwarves.” They both began to crack up as they remembered their now famous dance practice video.
Hobi began to dance in the middle of the store. He was re-enacting that amusing practice. “Well, I guess Tae would be the resident Snow White expert.” He laughed again. “Remember when Joonie’s shoe went flying?” He doubled over with laughter as he imitated Namjoon’s move that had made him shoeless.
“Laughing at my expense again, I see,” Namjoon interjected dryly as he entered their space. He was tired of looking at toys. He was ready to return to the good, old outdoors. It was simply beautiful outside today!
“The only thing is,” Jin continued his earlier train of thought as he held up a Cinderella doll clad in her famous blue dress, “blue is my favorite color. And Cinderella looks amazing in this dress. Maybe I should buy her.”
Hobi shook his head. “Nope. Snow White is wearing some blue too, and she’s definitely our mascot!”
Jin held both dolls up next to his face and blew the mirror a kiss. Namjoon snapped a picture before opining, “Why don’t you buy them both?”
Jin met his own gaze in the mirror and considered the possibilities. If he did purchase them both, Cinderella would no longer be missing…