Idol Next Door

06

Dahyun was slouching on a couch while staring at the white box filled with sweet rice cake balls of assorted flavors in front of her. She was torn between eating them or putting them on display on her shelf with a label, "from the great V sunbaenim", to flaunt like it's some sort of trophy or life achievement she's greatly proud of.

The image of Taehyung's surprised face kept replaying on her head even though hours had already passed. She didn't notice it earlier but his face etched at the back of her mind made her realize how good looking he is up close. Very, very good looking. Dahyun had seen him at award shows, now and then, but never did she imagine that there would come a time that she's going to meet him face to face. Talk to him, even. She's so star-struck and it was evident as she was zoning out most of the time this morning.

Good thing they were only having a poster shoot for their Japanese singles that are to be released this June, Breakthrough and Happy Happy. If they were polishing choreos, she would surely miss the steps because she was on cloud nine.

Dahyun didn't know if it was Taehyung's face that's bugging her or the fact that they were neighbors and she was clueless all this time. She found it silly. They've been in the same floor for nearly a week now and they were both oblivious about it. Taehyung thought of her as a stalker and she thought he was a creep, where in fact they were celebrities themselves.

Dahyun could hardly believe that she was now neighbors with a member from the insanely popular group, BTS. Well, it was Hannam the Hill after all. A luxury condominium complex. Of course there'd be idols residing there too, but Kim Taehyung was the last guy she'd expected to be neighbors with. BTS were the accurate definition of rags to riches. Came with nothing and now had everything. Most kpop groups look up to them, including TWICE. Especially Dahyun. Although she's already friends with some BTS members, she still highly respects and admires them for being so successful.

"Unnie!" Dahyun's pleasant reverie was interrupted when Chaeyoung waved a hand in front of her face. "You are spacing out again!"

Chaeyoung just entered the room and Dahyun was too occupied to even notice her presence.

"Where are the others?" The younger asked.

"They went out to have noodles and pork for lunch."

"You didn't go with them?"

"If I went with them, no one will eat with you at the cafeteria. I know how much you like their salads there."

Chaeyoung's lips tugged into a genuine smile, touched at how Dahyun is thinking about her. Dahyun may not be vocal about it but her love for Chaeyoung often shows through her actions. They're best friends but she never forgets her responsibilities as the older sister. There are random times when she exhibits her 'unnie side' and pampers Chaeyoung and Tzuyu at any chance she gets.

"Come on, let's go. I'm starving," Chaeyoung said, pulling the other up to stand.

"Let's drop by my locker first," Dahyun said, grabbing the white box from the table as she stood.

Chaeyoung nodded, then noticed the box her unnie was grasping. "Are those rice cake balls? Where did you buy them?"

Dahyun had not told them about it yet. As much as she wanted to brag to her members that she's neighbors with a famous sunbae, they were so busy this morning and barely had any time to rest or chitchat. They were just sent out to have lunch and they need to gather again at the conference room by 2PM for a meeting.

"It's from my neighbor. He apologized this morning and gave me this," Dahyun answered while they walked out of the practice room and strolled along the hallway.