(Guide Us to) A Million Stars

49🔥

I love you so much Kim Taehyung

After writing that on a piece of paper, I pushed it aside on the yellow metal table, away from my bowl of ramyeon soup. There was only one other table occupied here in Jinny's Kitchen. As I blew on the hot liquid trying to cool it down before taking my first bite, I noticed Seojin and Wooshik standing behind the counter, waiting for more customers. Yumi kept busy behind the gimbap counter, prepping the ingredients. When she called for more grated carrots, that's when Tae emerged from the curtain divider that lead to the back kitchen.

He handed her a metal container, then turned and his eyes met mine. I tried to keep a poker face, not revealing to the director of the reality show that I knew Tae, but I couldn't help it. A bright smile formed on my lips. Then Tae and I both looked elsewhere at once and wondered if anybody had noticed anything in a mutual glance. In his navy blue uniform polo shirt and khaki shorts, he looked the part as a cute cafe worker. Before he disappeared into the kitchen again, my heart skipped a beat when he gave me the side-eye and a half-smile.

I went back to my soup and took the noodles with my chopsticks, eager to fill my stomach after the four hour bus ride from Cancun. Slurping the ramyeon into my mouth, the heat and flavor of the broth hit me first. Then my tongue started tingling. Then my lips. My throat started to itch and I wondered if I had mistakenly ordered the hellamyeon spicy noodles instead of the regular one. Trying not to show my discomfort in front of the cameras, I put my chopsticks down slowly and grabbed my bottle of mineral water, gulping half of it in seconds. That's when I noticed Tae peering at me from the pass thru window to the kitchen. He smirked and I just knew he was behind this little prank.

"Taehyung!" I called, feeling bold to point him out in front of everyone since he started this. Tae didn't respond. "Taehyung!" Finally I had everyone's attention. "You're fired!"

I heard laughing from the back and noticed everyone in the dining area was looking at me. The other workers smiled, knowing who I was since Tae had told only them about me. To show I wasn't phased, I took another big bite of the spicy ramyeon and danced in my seat to give the impression that I was really enjoying the dish. As I wiped the sweat from my brow, my eyes started tearing up.

***

Later when the employees took a break and closed the cafe, I waited for Tae at the entrance of the pier that jutted out into the waters of the Bacalar lagoon. Looking in front of me, I was instantly mind-blown by the shimmering blue hues ranging from light turquoise to navy blue. I wanted to run off of the pier and jump into the cool, clean water. When I noticed Tae approaching, looking handsome in his uniform and sunglasses, I turned toward him. At first I was confused when he walked past me. I assumed he needed to act incognito around me so I stayed still. Then I felt his arms wrap around my waist from behind and lift me up.

"Whee!" I squealed as my feet left the ground. As soon as he put me down, he put one arm around my shoulder and guided us down the pier.

"Walk with me," he said as we strolled side by side. My heart was delighted knowing that this was the first time he was showing full public display of affection. A light breeze picked up, the scent of suntan lotion wafting in the air. The sun was shining in this small Mexican town and really igniting the colors as it hit the water. Tae and I looked like a real couple and blended in with the other tourists.

My right hand crossed my chest to hold his hand draped over my left shoulder. "I love this," I said with a cheesy smile. "But I don't love spicy food."

He gave me a boxy smile and touched my head with his. "I know. That's what made it a good prank." He acted smug then pulled me closer to press a light kiss on my lips. "Thank you for your note."