The Truth Untold / BTS / V / KTH (completed)

twenty-eighth

"Oh?" I am confused. "Why did he ask you to do that?" She looks up at me.

"Because no one will be staying in the room."

My face drops. I stand in stunned silence, unsure what she means. I must have misunderstood. She takes the basket and leaves the room, almost running away from me. I just stand there trying to process what she means by that. I have no explanation. But I don't know her at all and it's possible she may be a little jealous of me. I try to shake off what she's said, I have so much to focus on today and I can't wonder why my room, as I've come to think of it, won't be my room anymore.

Taehyung meets me in the living room, he's wearing a button down and a beautiful suit jacket over baggy trousers. He looks dressed up, but it's definitely because he will be on his own sort of stage, meeting company executives and press.  He drives us to the showcase venue and I decide just to ask him about Eun-yi.

"Is your housekeeper closing my room up?" He stares straight ahead at the road.

"Not that I'm aware," he says not looking at me.

"She said she's leaving," I continue. He nods.

"She won't be in the house tonight, she's just taking some time off," he says avoiding the heart of the question. "Why do you ask?"

"I must have misunderstood," I say thinking about it, still questioning, and wondering if I can forget this and concentrate on the showcase.

***

He pulls the car into the circular drive of the venue and a valet takes his keys to park. He helps me out of the car and we step into the door, as security look straight at him and nod. He leads me toward a group of people I've never seen before and he smiles proudly as he introduces me. I  bow my head at the small group of older people in suits. They wish me good luck for the performance and don't have much else to say to me which is fine with me because I am now starting to feel nervous and I don't know how to make business small talk yet.

When we are alone, Taehyung lets his hand brush over my bottom playfully as he leads me toward the seating area. He grins and gives me a private wink as we step in to see the darkened theatre. It's a lot larger than I expected it to be. I've performed occasionally in larger venues but seeing this one, the number of seats, each seat representing a pair of eyes on me, is terrifying, and thrilling at the same time. He takes my hand, perhaps sensing what I'm feeling. He lifts it to his soft lips and leaves a long slow kiss.

"After tonight, you can do anything Sunny. Anything," he says softly. I turn to him, my eyes full of the gratitude that's filling my heart. "I'll be here, I'll be watching, with your parents." I nod. "Now, go do what you need to to get ready and knock 'em dead." I can feel the warmth of his smile, reassuring me. I nod to him again, smiling. He kisses my cheek and turns to leave me alone in the room.

I smile, pleased with myself, as I stand alone taking in the space. I walk towards the front of the stage and step up to the side of it where the people are working, adjusting the lighting. A woman steps out from behind the backstage curtain with a headset on. She looks down at a clipboard in her hands then looks up at me.

"Sunny," she calls to me. I look up surprised. "Come back stage, they're ready to fit you and do makeup." I wasn't expecting them to need me so quickly. I step up onto the stage, taking a quick view out at the seats as she talks  and walks quickly.

"I'm sorry I didn't know you needed me so soon," I say struggling to keep up with her.

"We moved some things around is all," she says leading me through a large group of people backstage.

"Did the schedule change?" I ask nervously.

"Yes, but you're still closing of course." She turns to me as she stops in the doorway to the makeup room. I don't understand. She can tell I'm confused. She leans closer. "You're the star of the show," she says. A look of shock comes over my face as she speaks. "You're the one they want the press to focus on," she continues. She turns away heading towards the hallway, calling over her shoulder to me, "Make up first, then hair. Wardrobe last. I'll send someone to get you when it's time to rehearse." I nod in agreement even though she's disappeared in the crowd in the hall.

I step into the crowded room and am surprised to recognize a group of girls in the corner all dressed in similarly themed outfits, huddled together. My eyes meet Hae-won's who stands awkwardly not meeting my eyes. Kwan is near her, and she doesn't look at me but I know that she is sneering at me, still trying to intimidate me.  But I feel powerful, valued, and loved, and I'm immune to her attempts to discourage me. I sit down in a make up chair and can see them whispering in the mirror behind me. I smile at the make up artist and she begins to clean off the make up I came in. I close my eyes as she brushes the sponge over my face applying foundation and I can hear the girls moving off toward the doorway.

"Sunny?" I hear a quiet voice say close to me. I pop open my eyes and I see Hae-won looking back at me from the reflection in the mirror, she looks nervous and checks the doorway the others have just gone out. "I'm sorry about that night, and, and for not being welcoming to you. I feel bad about it now, even if the others don't."

"It doesn't bother me now. We all got to where we needed to be in the end," I say as the make up artist lifts my chin to apply some powder.

"I hope you do really well tonight. Everyone knows you were going to be a solo, I think that's why no one treated you well. They were Jealous. I guess I was too."

I turn my head to look at her. "Thank you Hae-won, it means a lot to hear that. I hope you do well." I smile at her and can see that she's a little relieved. She nods and runs off to follow the others out of the door.