The conference room was packed. Bang Shi Hyuk had called an emergency meeting, and even the bantans were present, which was unusual. Today was a special occasion, after all. Subin stood behind the crowd, feeling Jimin's gaze on her. He couldn't quite see her.
She had felt uncomfortable ever since that evening when he asked her out and she didn't respond. She just ran away. She had run away like a coward. She couldn't sleep that night. She kept remembering Jimin's face and his beautiful eyes. She was angry with herself because she should have responded to the boy. "Stupid! Stupid!" she repeated to herself. She didn't hear the director explain the reason for today's meeting:
"As you all know, a charity dinner will be held in the heart of Seoul this Sunday. We have been invited as well. But there are two pieces of news: Good and bad. I'll start with the bad news. Not everyone will be able to attend. There was a murmur in the hall. The staff immediately began whispering. At the last minute, we were asked to reduce the number of guests. Therefore, only those higher in rank - managers and directors - will go.
"So what's the good news?" someone in the room asked.
"I'm not sure if this is good or bad news. I haven't decided yet, but we decided to be clever. Since guests have the right to bring a family member, we decided to take a different approach. Instead of your relatives, you will bring your employees. This way, more people will attend the dinner. So, during the day, please choose a partner and submit the list to me. Have a nice day, everyone!" He said this and finally left with the bantans and the manager.
Subin was left alone in the empty hallway. Her head was spinning. Jimin. The proposal. The job. Dinner... Why did all this have to happen to her at once? A charity dinner. Dinner. Dinner. She'd have to wear a dress, and she didn't have anything suitable in her closet. She didn't have anything suitable in her closet. On top of that, she had to find a pair. It would be easier to die. Her hands instinctively reached into her pocket for her phone. Beeps:
"Yes, Subin!" Tae's voice came through the receiver.
"Taehyung, help me!" she whispered.
"Did something happen?"
"Let's meet in an hour at the café across the street."
"Okay..."
There were almost no customers in the café. Only two lovers were sitting by the window, talking sweetly. Subin sat alone at a table. She ordered two cream-filled lattes and waited for Tae. But he was already quite late. Half an hour late. Finally, he appeared at the window. He was dressed in his usual style. First, he called out to Subin, waving his hand and smiling broadly. Then, he pressed his face against the window and pulled funny faces, making the girl and the other onlookers laugh. The café staff laughed too, standing aside.
"Hi!" the guy said cheerfully as he sat down in a chair. "Sorry I'm late." The guys couldn't decide what they wanted for lunch. So, what happened? Why did you call me?"
"Taehyung, save me. I need you now more than ever."
"Oh, it must be serious if you're telling me this. But you know, I can't be trusted, and I can't be asked for help. The consequences are dire."
"Tae, please!" She put her hands together imploringly.
"All right. Talk." He took a sip of coffee.
"I have nothing to wear to the charity dinner."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Everything. Help me choose an outfit."
"Are you serious?" He widened his eyes in surprise. "Please!" Subin gave Taehyung puppy dog eyes, knowing he wouldn't be able to resist.
"Aww, look at her. She's such a grown-up girl," the boy said, smiling slightly. "Oh, fine. I'll help you. Because of you, I'll have to skip lunch with the guys. They ordered beef. Mmm, delicious. He closed his eyes and imagined licking the spicy sauce off his fingers.
"I'll feed you, I promise. Just go shopping with me."
"Really?" Then I'll go for that. I'll call the guys so they won't wait for me." He went out into the street, and Subin happily finished her coffee.
Two hours of shopping still hadn't yielded any results. Subin didn't like any of the fifty dresses she tried on: One was too short, another too long, a third too revealing, and a fourth too conservative. Either the color was wrong, or she didn't like the print. He was worse than a girl when it came to shopping. Subin had already regretted asking him to come with her a hundred times. The dinner was the day after tomorrow, and she still had to choose a partner, so time was running out. She already knew who she would go with, though. The manager would probably ask her, but no. He had definitely already asked Choi InSuk. He wouldn't miss the opportunity to show off with a beauty in front of the cameras, especially with the chairman's daughter, who had initiated this whole Sunday masquerade. So, Subin was left alone. She should have thought about this earlier.
"Subin, have you chosen who you're going to dinner with?" She suddenly asked as Subin tried on another dress in the fitting room.
"Not yet. As usual, I'm doing everything at the last minute," she joked as she pulled on the dress Tae had chosen for her.
"Has anyone asked you yet?" she asked, approaching the rack of colorful dresses.
"No, I'll probably go alone if I can't find a date," she said, coming out of the fitting room in a black dress. "No, I don't like it. Try this one on." He handed her a dress. Subin sighed heavily and went back into the fitting room. He sat down on the sofa opposite her. After five minutes of thinking, he suddenly asked, "Will you go with me?"
"What?" She poked her head out from behind the curtain. "With you?"
"Yes," the boy said confidently, smiling. "With me."
"Aren't you going with the guys?"
"Um, yes. But there are seven of us. Someone will be left without a date. I don't want to be alone that evening."
"Okay," the girl replied, zipping up the back of her dress. She walked out.
"Perfect," he whispered, opening his mouth. He stared at her for a long time as she stood there smiling. Finally, he made his choice:
Sunday. All the reporters in Seoul gathered near the building where the important event was to take place. Guests arrived one after another: Stars and idols. GOT7 had just arrived, followed by Park Seo Joon with actress Hwang Jung Eum, Lee Jung Seok with his drama colleague Han Hyo Joo, and members of Big Bang, Infinite, SHINee, and VIXX. There were more stars here today than in the sky, and they all shone brighter than the Milky Way.
The Bangtan Boys were among the last to arrive. Bang Shi Hyuk was the first to come out to the press with his colleague. The boys followed him: Jin was with Jungkook, Namjoon was with Hoseok, and Yoongi was with Jimin. They were all handsome in their suits. Each one was better than the next. Only V was missing. The boys were about to go inside when a car pulled up to the red carpet. The door opened. Taehyung stepped out wearing a beautiful black suit and a bow tie. He offered his hand to his companion. At that moment, Jimin froze. Subin was wearing a red dress with her hair down and heels. She was stunning. All attention shifted to them.
Subin walked with her to the entrance of the building, holding her arm and holding his head high. Jimin just watched the sweet couple. Why did they come together? Why didn't he tell anyone about his plan? Why didn't he consult the others? Why? Inside, everything screamed in pain again, and his smile turned into a pout. But he won't give up, will he? No, he will see it through to the end, no matter the cost.
The dinner turned out to be different from what Subin had imagined. First, the directors of influential companies and many celebrities greeted everyone. Then, they were all invited to the table. Appetizers were served, and small plates of food were brought out. Jean was definitely not thrilled with such a dinner. Wine and champagne flowed freely. Old ladies and gentlemen, whose creative work was long gone, sang on stage. The rich girls were dressed to the nines in furs and covered in gold and diamonds.
Subin saw the crème de la crème of society gathered in one room for the first time. She felt a little uncomfortable when the daughters of the heads of state discussed her while standing aside. The Bangtans followed Ban Shi Hyuk, who introduced them to his "friends." In turn, they introduced the boys to their unmarried daughters. It was painful to watch Choi InSuk cling to Jimin in a short dress and drag him everywhere.
Jimin was already bored of talking to the wealthy girls. They complained that their hairstyles were awful and asked if their makeup looked okay. The boy often ran away from them, pretending to go to the bathroom. Instead, he went to the balcony to breathe fresh air and enjoy the silence. He couldn't get the image of Subin in a red dress out of his head. With Taehyung. His heart hurt again. The phone rang. The guys were looking for him. He had to go back.
The room was stuffy and too noisy. Jimin started looking for the others, but the first person he saw was Subin, sitting alone at a table and holding a glass of champagne. He walked over to her. He sat down next to her.
"Why are you sitting here alone? Look how much fun everyone else is having," he joked, pointing to the other guests.
"Yeah," Subin said, smiling. "You're right; it's a lot of fun here. Songs, dancing, and an empty stomach. I'm starving." She took the last sip from her glass. Jim sat looking at her for a long time, then suddenly said.
"Let's get out of here."
"What? Where to?"
"Anywhere." Let's buy ramen and eat samgyeopsal." After hearing this, Subin's stomach growled contentedly. Jimin didn't wait for an answer. He got up from his chair, grabbed the girl by the hand, and pulled her toward the exit. Subin didn't resist. She followed him, smiling happily.
The streets were warm. Streetlights illuminated the gray sidewalks. There were still many people around, but that didn't bother Jimin. He didn't hide his face like he always did when he went outside. Today was a special evening, and he didn't want to hide his love. He couldn't wait to walk hand in hand with Subin, but it was still too early. There would definitely be no turning back because he would win her over. She would realize that she didn't need Taehyung. She needs Jimin and only Jimin.
On the way, they wandered into a small diner. They ordered ramen and samgyeopsal that still needed to be cooked, but Subin was starving and couldn't wait any longer. While Jimin fried the meat, Subin devoured the hot ramen, enjoying the noodles' homemade taste.
The girl was the same as when she was in their kitchen eating porridge. She was just as sweet and hungry. But today, she was even more beautiful. She wore a red dress and had her hair down. She wore red lipstick, but there was almost none left. Jim's heart trembled like a baby bird's at that moment. Finally, they were alone, and nothing would stop him from making this evening special and bringing happiness to the girl he loved.
"How delicious..." Subin sighed, finishing her ramen. She shook her head, bringing herself back to her senses.
"Here, eat this," he said, handing her his bowl.
"No, you eat it."
"I'm not hungry," the boy replied, turning the meat on the stove.
"Thank you," she said, starting to eat again. Then, they ordered more kimchi and rice. Jimin carefully and politely placed pieces of meat in her rice, and she happily ate everything that had been prepared for her. When she had eaten her fill, she exhaled with relief. "I'm full," she said with a satisfied smile.
"Would you like another piece?" Jim asked, pointing to the last juicy piece of meat on the stove.
"Oh, no. Thank you. I'm full." Jim chuckled happily and called the waitress over to pay the bill.
After a hearty dinner, Jim couldn't take his eyes off Subin. It was dark outside, and there was no one around except for them and the starry sky. His phone wouldn't stop ringing, but he ignored all the calls and turned it off so he wouldn't be disturbed. The girl walked wearily along the road. At some point, she stopped and took off her shoes, which were hurting her feet terribly.
"Cool," she said with a smile.
"What are you doing?" the boy asked, surprised.
"I can't walk anymore. My feet hurt terribly."
"But it's cold outside. Your feet will freeze!"
"It's okay."
"You're strange."
"You should try it, too. You'll feel better right away."
"What? No way."
"Just try it..."
"Okay, but if I don't like it, I won't walk barefoot." Jimin took off his shoes and socks. It felt light and fresh.
"Well?" The girl asked, seeing the smile on his face.
"Good," he whispered.
"That's not all." She grabbed his hand and ran across the grass. They ran barefoot for a long time, playing tag. Then, they fell tiredly onto the grass and looked up at the sky. "When I was little, I would go out into my yard every night and wait a long time for a shooting star. When it finally flashed in the sky, I would make a wish."
"Did they come true?"
"No, only once when I asked the stars to bring my dad home."
"And did he come?"
Yes, and he brought my brother and me lots of candy.
"I also made a wish once..." Jim began, remembering the night he stood on the dormitory roof and saw a shooting star while looking at the sky. Folding his hands in front of him, he asked the heavens to grant him the happiness he had been waiting for.
"Did it come true?" Subin asked, not taking her eyes off the stars.
"Yes..." the boy said quietly, looking at the girl.
Just one wish, and it came true. She is now next to him. She tells him her secrets, smiles for him, and shares unforgettable moments of joy with him. All that suffering was worth it to be with her at this moment. It was worth the long wait, and he seized his chance, clinging to thin threads, afraid to let go.
"Lucky," she said, looking at Jim. She saw stars and love in his eyes. He was glowing with happiness and smiling. At that moment, her chest felt pleasantly tingly. Her heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was trying to jump out of her chest. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and her legs went numb from the new sensations. Could she be in love?
"You still haven't answered my question."
"What?"
"Answer me now."
"Yes..." she whispered. Jim smiled.
He leaned over her. He gently touched her lips. It was so sweet, so tender, so tremulous. The world turned upside down. There was no one else around—only them. Just the two of them. Kissing...