In a Split Second || BTS

Chapter 3

My brain is physically aching from my attempts to keep myself awake. My thumb absentmindedly scrolls through the transcript of the interview Tammy sent me. At this point in the day – or night; I have not exactly been keeping track of the time in Seoul – I barely have enough energy to stay awake, much less process information.

00:06:05

V: [shifts slightly] Well, we were thinking about

V. Who on earth is V? Oh, yeah. The vocalist with the incredible vocal range and a boxy smile that Tammy fangirled over in an email to me. But what was he thinking about? My eyelids flutter, and I groan, dragging my hand down my face. Who cares what he was thinking about? The plane is completely silent aside from the two passengers still laughing a few seats ahead of me. The sleep mask over Tammy's eyes conceals most of her expression, but even in sleep, she seems to be thinking very intensely about something, probably my new job and all the ways I could mess it up.

I log out of my laptop and flip it shut, resting my forehead against the cold glass window. My reflection is mirrored in the transparent surface, and I examine my tired countenance against the inky black sky, which is smudged with clouds. My fair skin seems to sag with exhaustion, but my irises remain wide awake. The blue orbs with flecks of gold gaze back at me, asking a million questions at once. What are you doing? Why are you doing this? Will this end in disaster? Why does it seem like Tammy dictates my life? What would Madame Beaumont think? What would my parents think?

I focus on my dark surroundings, so my reflection fades into memory, and I look down at the lights dotting the cities below me. I have no idea where we are in the world, but at this point, the only thing that matters is that I am flying above the earth. Flying – the unattainable technology that was revealed to humankind through the study of aeronautics. It is so impossible yet so real.

Tammy stirs in her sleep as a static voice echoes through the cabin.

"Uh... we are approaching Seoul, South Korea. Our estimated time of arrival to ICN is 2:07 am, uh... The weather today will have a high of 25°C and a low of 13°C. Uh... expect a sunny day with a few clouds. Have a nice day, folks – I hope you enjoyed your flight."

"Enjoyed is a strong word," Tammy huffs as the intercom clicks out with a burst of static that gives way to the gentle hum of the engine. I look over to see her adjusting the sleeping mask, so it rests above her forehead like a headband.

"Bonjour, Tammy."

"Bonjour mon amour. From the look of you, I am guessing you went through my emails?"

"I didn't read all of them," I mutter, wincing as I rub my throbbing temples. "I stopped around the ninety-sixth email.

"Oh, well, you can finish the rest later. Speaking of 'later', I should probably run through this week's itinerary. We have to check into our hotel by 3:00 this morning, then I have about five business meetings throughout the day."

"What about me?"

"You have beauty rest to catch up on, because tomorrow, you are going to meet the stars themselves."

I groan and lean back into my seat, ignoring my body's plea to let my eyes flutter shut. "That's a pretty big deal."

"It is bigger than a 'pretty big deal'. BigHit set aside an entire day for you to get to know the boys because they have some philosophy that you have to be involved with the group before you begin teaching them. After that, you are expected to start mapping out the choreography for some new songs. I assume you read my email about hours and days a week?"

I pinch the bridge of my nose and yawn. "Uh huh."

"Oh? Then, how many hours a week did I guarantee?"