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Namjoon picked up the box and glanced at Yoongi.  “I can’t believe that Tae has been missing for three days now.  He missed his birthday with us.  And New Year’s Eve.  I’m really starting to worry about him.”

Yoongi’s face was pinched with concern.  “I know.  I am too.  But, listen, it’s your turn to take her a gift.  If Tae were here, he wouldn’t miss a single day.  So, come on, get out the door.  You don’t want to be late.”

“I’m just glad that he picked something unbreakable for today.”

“Joonie, you gotta stop thinking of yourself that way.  You’re not the god of destruction.  I don’t care what ARMY says.  Everybody trips and falls sometimes.”

Namjoon glanced doubtfully at his friend.  “Thanks, Yoongi, but…”

“No buts.  I’ve seen your face when you break something.  But it doesn’t change how we feel about you. You’re still our fearless leader.  You are the hardest working person I know.  I wish you’d just…learn to relax a little.”

“That’s rich coming from you, Yoongi.  Staying up all night to finish a song…”

“Teaching yourself English just so you could carry us into the English-speaking world on your narrow shoulders,” Yoongi retorted.

“Hey!  All Joon had to do was ask me for help.  My shoulders aren’t narrow!” Jin entered the room.

“Your shoulders might be broad, but your knowledge of the English language isn’t,” Yoongi responded heartily.  “Nope, Namjoon has done that all on his own.”

“Hey!  Tae and I are working hard to help him,” Jungkook suddenly voiced softly as he stepped through the doorway.

Namjoon ruffled his hair.  “And you’ve done a great job.  Both of you,” he reflected with a sad smile.  “Tae, where on earth are you?” his voice echoed quietly around the room.  In each of the hearts assembled.

“Have we managed to keep his disappearance a secret still?” Jin queried.

Namjoon nodded.  “Everyone thinks he’s sick.  Just sleeping the days away in bed.  But I’m not sure how much longer we can keep up this ruse.”

“The police know what’s going on.  But they haven’t been able to find any sign of him,” Yoongi murmured.

“I can’t believe he left his phone here,” Jungkook mourned.

“And his identification card,” Jin added.

“So, if he did hit his head, he has no way of discovering who he is,” Jimin muttered as he stepped into the room.

“That’s not true,” Hobi pointed out as he followed Jimin into the living room.  “All he has to do is walk around Seoul and look up.  Eventually, he’ll be staring himself in the face.  And then he’ll realize that he is a part of BTS.  I feel confident that he will find his way home soon.”

The other boys glanced at each other.  Each becoming more doubtful of that eventuality with every passing moment.  Tae had already been missing for three days.  They were beginning to fear that they would never see him again….

––

April didn’t wake up until the knock sounded on her door.  She stumbled out of bed.  She’d stayed up late with Poppy and their new friend.  The mystery man.  The extremely gorgeous boy with a heart of gold.

She flung her door open and caught a glimpse of a tall man with light blonde hair striding towards the elevator.

“Hey!” she shouted after him.  “Did you leave a box in front of my door?”

He turned and looked at her.  A confused expression on his face.  He glanced at her doorway.  “What box?” he queried.

She looked down.  There was nothing there. 

She felt an odd sense of disappointment flooding her.  First, her mystery man hadn’t remembered her.  And now, she’d awoken to a new year.  Void of gifts.

“Um.  Never mind,” she mumbled as she turned away from the stranger and closed her door. 

She was going back to bed.  She hadn’t turned in until two in the morning.  She and Poppy had stayed up late getting to know each other.  April grinned.  She finally had a real friend.  Two, if she counted their mystery man.  Which, of course, she did.  No one had ever lavished her with gifts before.

Except…how had the last two been delivered? 

Unless…he had had some help.  Was it possible that one of his friends was delivering his gifts in his absence?

Maybe.

As she settled back into her bed, she heard snoring coming from the other bed.  She glanced up.  She’d forgotten that he’d fallen asleep here.  Poppy had looked vaguely disappointed when she’d realized that their new friend hadn’t managed to stay awake until midnight.  And it had appeared that he wouldn’t be sleeping in her dorm room either. 

April had been privately delighted that he was going to stay over at her place.  She wanted to get to know him better.  Even if he didn’t know himself.  She already knew enough about him to like him immensely.  No one else had ever bothered to learn her cousin’s cookie recipe in order to make her some sweet treats.  Clearly, the man was completely lovable.

She leaned back and closed her eyes.  And heard an odd noise out in the hallway.  Then a knock sounded on her door.  Slowly, she climbed from bed again.

She was surprised a moment later to discover Poppy standing in the hallway.  Holding a white box with a red ribbon.  April furrowed her brow at her new friend.

“Poppy?” she mumbled, nearly incoherently.  She was only now realizing how tired she was.

“I found it.  Outside your door.”  Poppy held the gift out towards April.

A huge smile suffused her face suddenly.  “He brought it after all!” April exclaimed, reaching for the gift.

“You thought he didn’t?” her new friend queried.

“Someone knocked a few minutes ago.  But when I opened the door, there was nothing there.  I thought…I wasn’t getting a gift today.”

“Is he still sleeping?” Poppy asked as she tried to peek around April.

“Yeah.  And I think I’m going to go back to bed.”

“Oh, okay.”  Poppy sounded disappointed.  “I’ll just come back later then.”

April smiled at her.  “Sounds good.  I’ll text you when I wake up.  Okay?”

Poppy nodded.  “All right.  Then you can show me what you got.”  She peered down curiously at the little box.

“Oh, right.  Did you want to watch me open it?”

Poppy considered her.  “No.  That’s okay.  I’ll leave you alone to open it.  I mean, it’s personal.  You probably want to see what you got…by yourself.”

Poppy had read her mind.  “Thanks, Poppy.  I’ll text you soon.”  April shut the door slowly and leaned back against it as she prepared to open her present.

She took a deep breath and glanced over at the bed where her mystery man was sleeping.  Clearly, he hadn’t delivered this present.  So…who had?