(Guide Us to) A Million Stars

22🔥

Tae stared at me intensely as we stood toe to toe in the elevator. Then his face softened. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Talk to me, Tae. Where did you go?"

He held my hands and spoke quietly. "I remember you want me to talk to you when I feel like this." He inhaled slowly and then made the "Tata" face. "I feel...jealous. I saw Jungkook's name on that paper at Inkigayo. And in that email..."

"Aww, babe. Nothing is going on between us...but I also can't tell you what's going on. There's a reason. Please don't be jealous."

"I feel that sometimes. Even with my friends. But I will trust you. I know I should trust you. I am sorry I ran out like that."

"Thank you. I love you, Tae."

His countenance relaxed. "Saranghae."

I was about to slide over to the other side of the elevator, when Tae placed his hands around my waist and tightened his grip. A smirk formed on his face. As the elevator descended from the top floor, I returned his daring move and palmed his crotch. He jerked backwards and I smirked right back at him. We giggled, enjoying the thrill of accidentally being seen, a little too much. When he pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, his lips partly open, I knew it was too much for me.

Thankfully, the doors opened on the 13th floor and I swerved to the side, moving to the opposite corner. A group of a dozen Korean middle-aged business men entered the elevator. They were boisterous, smoking cigarettes, smelling of alcohol, and acting like frat boys in college. I was cornered and lost sight of Tae. The thought of having to walk past them when we reached the second floor disgusted me.

The man right next to me was talking loudly to his friend when he became quiet. I was facing away from him but I could feel his eyes on me. "Ya," he said in my direction, loud enough for only me to hear. "Ah...you foreigner."

I glanced at him, loathing how he was scanning my body like a plate of dessert. "Ya, how much?" he asked, his breath reeking of beer.

I shot daggers at him with my eyes, instantly regretting that I paid him any attention. He continued, "Ya, are you open minded?"

I ignored him, faced forward, and grimaced when he took a step closer to me. "I said how much," he insisted. I squished myself against the wall, wishing there was more room when his shoulder pressed up against mine.

Ding! My eyes flew to the panel of numbers above me and was relieved to find us on the second floor. Using my side and my back, I aggressively pushed past a few drunk business men to exit the elevator. Then I ran down the hallway.

***

Once inside my apartment, I slammed the door shut and made a retching sound. I leaned against the wall and inhaled slowly and exhaled, counting to ten. Auntie had warned me about perverted men taking advantage of foreign women. But I thought I was safe in a luxurious complex like this. The scary thing was, it could have been worse. What if I was alone with that guy in the elevator? I shook my head to get out of my thoughts.

When the door clicked open, I hesitated to turn around. Then I felt Tae's presence behind me.

"Do you want to finish what we started?" he asked, his voice dripping with intimacy.

He played a mix of K-pop songs and indie artists on his phone. Then his hand snaked around my waist. I flinched from his touch. His body was always welcomed on mine but at that moment the last thing I wanted was to be intimate with him. I shoved his arm away and took a step forward.

"What is wrong?" He put pressure on my shoulder to turn me around. "Are you still mad at me? I said I am sorry."

A silent beat. I wasn't sure if I should tell Tae what happened or if it would change what he thought of me.