Outside That Building

Prologue

The sun was up high, and the surroundings were filled with pink leaves coming from the cherry blossoms in straight and organized line. I held onto my bag and continued walking, sometimes taking a stop to take pictures of what could catch my attention.

It has been a decade and a half of wishing to go here, and finally, here I am today.

It was an unfamiliar place but because of some Kdrama's I'd watched, I felt like I have been here before and all has turned familiar. Wala akong kakilala, wala akong kasama, ngunit magaan pa rin sa pakiramdam.

Inilibot ko ang tingin sa buong paligid sa hindi mabilang na pagkakataon. Sa kabilang kalsada ay tanaw ang matatayog na establisiyemento ganoon din sa kabilang gilid ko. Sa dinaraanan ko'y may mangilan-ngilang piraso ng kulay rosas na mga dahon. It's spring.

It was relaxing. Nang-aanyaya ang paligid na pasyalin ko pa ito ngunit alam ko sa sarili kung ano talaga ang dahilan kung bakit nandito ako— It was to see them...

I know it sounds ridiculous. They had disbanded years ago and were probably living a life that who knows. But still... I have the faintest hope within me.

Years ago, when they kept on inspiring people, I had promised myself to see them in person. I had tried many times attending their fanmeet, their concerts, but I was not financially capable of doing so. So now that I have lifted myself up from all the mud and has became a successful makeup artist, I want to at least fulfill that promise to myself.

Nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad sa direksiyong tinuturo ng mapa. I have typed the location of BigHit Entertainment and thankfully, it will not take a very long walk from the hotel I am staying.

I am planning to stay here for a month or probably more than that.  And with that period of time, my only goal is to search for them.

Hindi ko nga maintindihan kung bakit ang pinagtatrabahuan nila ang pupuntahan ko ngayon. They can't be there because they weren't under the entertainment anymore. But as I said, I have all my hopes high even if it's faint. And for sure, they still keep in touch in some of their co-artists or their manager, may not be frequently but at least from time to time.

After a five-minute walk, I found myself looking up at a tall building. My heart just immediately skipped a beat when I realized that I was standing outside the building they were working years ago.

I imagine them going out the building with silly smiles on their faces or with tired but worth it laughes. I imagine them going home exhausted from practice. I imagine them going in their service that will bring them to which award shows they'll be attending, and the imagination goes on and on.

I stood there in my red coat, a high-waisted jeans, and a pair of boots with my feet stuck on the ground, my eyes on the sudden verge of tears, and with my hands almost trembling.

I was then startled when a hand held my elbow and dragged me towards the building.

"Come on, let's get inside. It'll start just a few minutes." I heard a soft voice from the woman pulling me.

I was astonished by the sudden movement that I wasn't able to pull my elbow back and to ask a question. The next thing I knew, I was already inside the BigHit Entertainment building.