Letters to Hae

Chapter 6

 Rachel's POV

Rachel and Diane sat comfortably in deep conversation at a very nice restaurant. They had left the concert venue feeling very hungry but by the time they reached their restaurant table, they only felt like a cuppa and dessert.

Rachel wanted to know what Diane's true opinion of the Super Junior live show was and didn't hesitate to ask her, what seemed like millions of questions. Diane was very diplomatic in her answers and Rachel found herself laughing. Rachel knew that Diane did enjoy the concert but couldn't see her being a Kpop fan like Rachel was. Rachel was beaming from ear to ear. The moment still felt surreal to her and she didn't want to let go of the memories.

Diane admitted that she felt a little overwhelmed by the fans devotion but was impressed overall by the experience. She was itching to get back to shopping and Rachel laughed during their talk of plans for the next day.

As Diane excused herself to go the ladies room, Rachel took the opportunity to take a picture of her dessert and coffee and uploaded it to her Instagram account. She was beginning to enjoy documenting her travels through photos. She liked that she still maintained her anonymity behind the lens. As she waited, she took in the view around her. She could've stayed a few days in this city, she thought, but work commitments needed her back home by Tuesday next week.

Rachel began to recollect the emotions she felt during the Super Junior concert. She had been to too many concerts in her own country, but nothing compared to tonight's concert. She was in awe of all the members on stage. She did find herself lost in Donghae's performances and scolded herself for not giving all the members equal time of her attention.

Diane returned and the girls finished the last of their coffee and chai. Diane spotted someone staring at their table and it dawned on her that it was the same man that she passed on her way to the restrooms.

She moved in close to Rachel and told her that they are being watched by a cute guy from the back of the restaurant. Rachel had no interest but Diane informed her that he looked very similar to one of the performers on stage she had watched earlier. Diane discreetly, and with much laughter, took a photo for Rachel, and Rachel quickly looked at the picture. She zoomed in on the pic on her phone to reveal it was indeed her one and only bias. 'Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!!' whispered Rachel. Diane's laugh was heard across the restaurant. Diane had just seen Rachel's face turn from curiosity to sheer panic. Rachel let out a belly laugh at Diane's giggle and they both decided to head out and make their way back to their hotel.

"He deserves privacy... good thing he doesn't know who I am!!!" she told herself as they got up to pay the bill. She was proud of herself to have her back to him the whole time and she was even more proud that she resisted the temptation to turn around and stare at Hae. At the cashier, she decided to order a Chai latte, the way she liked it, and have the restaurant deliver it to him, at his table after she had left the restaurant. She asked the staff if she could leave a note with the hot beverage to which they obliged.

It was now well past 1am. They had taken their time heading back to their hotel. They both agreed that the whole night was a really lovely treat. They spoke a little of their impression of the hotel while they got ready for bed. In bed, Rachel found Diane quickly had fallen asleep and she was quick to turn the nearby light off for her. Rachel checked her phone before bed, but soon found herself tossing and turning. Diane could hear her movements and suggested to Rachel to either go out on the balcony for some air or head to the pool for a quick swim to tire herself out.

It took Rachel less than a minute to decide. "A swim sounds perfect... it's night... no crowd.... so why not...". She thought. She grabbed her swimmers and even though it was a little cold outside, she convinced herself that the pool water would be warm. With a long-sleeve sundress over her swimmers, she headed out. She noticed that she felt good in her swimsuit tonight. She felt good knowing, also, that no one would see her in her swimmers, which meant she didn't have to worry about her insecurities.

She quietly entered the pool deck area. She was on the phone with Diane. Diane couldn't fall back asleep and had decided to go for a swim with Rachel. She was now heading to the pool as well. Rachel placed her towel, phone and room key down. She took off her sundress and stepped into the warm water. She was right, she thought. The water was just the right temperature.

She stayed close to the edge. She had no interest in doing laps or going for a swim. She just wanted to soak for a little while.