(Guide Us to) A Million Stars

14🎇

After the V Live ended I was anxious to ask Tae if our secret about dating was still intact. As I was getting ready for bed, I received a 🍒 from Tae and knew to meet him in the courtyard of the complex. So I had to change from my pajamas to my "I ♥ LA" sweatshirt and yoga pants. Then I reapplied a bit of makeup and brushed my long hair. Normally I had a bedtime routine that I followed religiously and once I was in bed, even a fire couldn't get me out. But I made an exception for Tae.

I found him in the courtyard standing under the cherry blossom trees. Most of the flower petals had already fallen but the scene, including the most handsome man in the world according to Korean magazines, still looked beautiful. This was the first time he had asked me to meet him outside, just he and I. Not a company building with a hundred HYBE workers and not the privacy of my apartment. Here, out in the open, at night with no one around, the excitement made me act like I was in a K-drama. I skipped down the trail towards him, my arms raised in the air.

"So pretty!" I yelled. When I stopped to face him, he shushed me, reminding me that even tough this was the first time in public like this, we had to act a certain way.

He turned to walk down the trail so I copied him, ten feet away. I took in the view of the tall buildings around us and wondered which floor the BTS dorm was on. When I asked him, Tae said it was top secret. "So do the members know our secret?" I inquired, knowing we had to deal with this sooner or later.

"Yes. They know now. Most of them are happy." Tae made a face and I could guess who the unhappy member was. "Actually Jimin is the one who said I should meet you here. Like you say on Weverse you wanted to meet under the cherry blossoms." I smiled at how Jimin was such a good friend. He continued, "Namjoon and Hobi happy because they have girlfriends too."

"Too?" I turned my head to glance at him. "Meaning...you have a girlfriend?"

The expression he gave me was undeniably sexy. One eyebrow raised, closed mouthed half-grin, and slightly shut eyes. "Suni...can I be your boyfriend?" Ah! Does he even know what that smoldering look does to girls?

I tried to play it cool. I continued walking along the trail, facing forward. I could feel him staring. Finally, I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him. Complete with cute aegyeo actions, I sang the "Ottoke Song" in Korean.

"Niga neomu joha, ottoke ottoke

Niga neomu yeppeo, ottoke ottoke

Narang manna bollae, eotteohke saenggakhae?

Janmal malgo malhae. Jeohdago jeohdago..."

I ended the song with a dimpled smile and finger hearts. Tae seemed stunned at first, then a smile crept onto his face. In three strides he closed the space between us and held up his hand, fingers curled and thumb downward. I brought my hand to his and happily completed the hand heart.

"Can we please go to your apartment?" he asked, a hint of mystery in his voice. It was getting late and I didn't know what he had in mind, but when he flashed me that smoldering look again, I couldn't resist.

***

Once inside my place, I knew what he had in mind. He showed me as soon as he walked in and found me hiding behind the door. He pushed me up against the wall, crashing into my lips to kiss me. I had heard that Koreans liked when the opposite sex did aegyeo but I had no idea it would have this kind of effect on Tae.

He made a move toward my bedroom, not breaking our kiss, then brought me to the living room instead. We threw off our padded coats and he darted to the couch and sat down first. He put his hand up to stop me from following him. I stayed still. Only the hallway light was on behind me so I could hardly see Tae's face.