Belong | Min Yoongi

28: Present Day

The park that's 2 blocks from your apartment is perhaps one of your favorite places in your neighborhood. It helps you escape the sometimes stuffy city and gives you the space to breathe. There's a sufficient amount of benches and an elegant structure in the middle. People are on picnics and kids are playing around, and the mix of laughter and chatter is a relief from all the buzz of filming that you do everyday.

It's been over 4 months since you've been here. You're over halfway through filming the entire series, with some scenes to be done back in Seoul, but you've found comfort here despite the exhaustion. It's a different environment than what you're used to and you've taken it as a challenge to grow as an actor.

It adds to the excitement of what else you could and would do after, and it's the only thought you could hold onto so that you don't have to think of what you left behind to be here.

Sometimes you wish that you'd wanted something else. Something simpler, perhaps - one that doesn't demand too much of your time and emotions, or that doesn't require you to travel too far or give things up, or one that would allow you to be around people you love.

But as you were going through your shots during filming earlier, you were reminded of just how much this means to you, that all the time you'd dedicated to working on your craft will always be worth it, and that even if it could be quite isolating sometimes, it still allows you to connect with people. It gives you experiences you'll never forget, too.

You wait at the park for Jimin, who said he had to pick up your tickets for a cabaret show you're watching with some of your co-actors this weekend. You both separated earlier after you got sucked into a vintage shop you found on the second floor of a bookstore, and you insisted on waiting for him so you could both buy ingredients for dinner. He's been enjoying cooking here and you've loved hanging around the kitchen, too.

It's been a while, though, and you're wondering where he is, so you sit on your usual bench and give him a call.

"Jimin, where are you?"

"Hey!" He says, almost too forced. "I just got the tickets but it was a little tough since my translation app was being weird and all. Anyway, they're doing a special performance for the 8PM show, so I thought to get that for us. Also, uh, are you at the park? At your usual spot?"

"Okay, that sounds good. And yes, I'm here. Where you said you'd be meeting me 10 minutes ago," you groan.

"I'm sorry! I told you, I had communication issues, and then—"

"I can just meet you at the deli," you interject.

"No!" He yells. "I mean, you said you'd wait for me and I like our walks there."

"Fine but where are you? You've bought the tickets and the dance hall isn't too far from the park," you sigh.

"I'm just, uh... taking a while," he stammers. "There's traffic at the intersection."

"You're walking. How does that affect you?" You ask, as you hear shuffling around and the cars honking in the background.

"Because there are cars?"

You're close to just getting up and walking to the deli on your own. At least you could chat it up with the lovely old man running it. You look around the park and appreciate the good weather. You wouldn't mind staying around a bit more if you weren't so tired.

"Jimin," you start, grabbing your bag and readying to go.

"Look, I'll, uh," he continues, a bit of panic in his voice. "I'll be there in—"

"Oh my god."

You almost drop your phone as your eyes look out towards the entrance, feeling as if they're playing tricks on you right now. Because you can't possibly be seeing this.