"Dad, what about Emilia?" I asked.
"Emilia? Why are you suddenly asking about her?" he asks.
"Tell me, anyways."
He remains silent for a minute.
"Yeah, she is okay. She just left after doing the house chores."
I never thought I would be talking about Emilia, our house help back in America. But, right now, I just want to get out of this car. I don't know if it's intentional or what, but Jungkook is too slow.
"Right," I replied to dad.
Silence again. I have talked about everything, his day, his meals, his routine, even discussed the house bills. I don't know what to ask anymore, but I just want him to stay with me on the phone.
"What about John?"
He remains silent.
"Hana, are you missing home this much? Do you really want to know how well John is doing the gardening?"
"Sure," I replied without hesitation.
"I have a client, Hana. I'll talk to you later."
"But-" he already hung up the phone. I eyed Jungkook. He is calmly driving, singing to the light beat playing in the car. I still keep the phone to my ear.
"I heard him hanging up," he says, turning the steering wheel.
I want to die.
"No, he didn't. It was just a connection-"
"You are avoiding me. I know," he cuts me off.
I wish I could do that.
"The thing I am not sure about is if you are avoiding me because you genuinely don't like me or it's so that you can hide your feelings from me," he says.
I choose to stay quiet because I have no excuses to defend the facts.
He looks at me again, while my eyes are fixed on Jungkook's apartment building in the distance. He lets out a smirk laugh, applying brakes in front of the building.
"Stop teasing me. You'll regret it," his smile has disappeared somewhere far. He is too serious, not good for anyone.
"Tell Yoongi to come quickly. I need to go home," I state, completely ignoring his remark.
"Why?" I look at him. "Do you have a boyfriend waiting at home?" I knew he was saying it, sarcastically. "Just tell him you got another."
He kisses me on the side of my cheek, barely touching his lips on my skin, and gets out of the car, walking towards the building.
[Half an hour later]
I am still sitting in the car in front of Jungkook's apartment. Yoongi is not coming anytime soon. The car's engine is still running, giving life to the heater in the car. I tap my phone to call Yoongi when I see Taehyung walking to the car. He gives a light knock on the window of the driving seat and opens it a second later.
"Hey! I am honored to drive you home today!" he says smiling.
"Oh, hi. Sure, get in."
He sits and buckles his seatbelt.
"Where's Yoongi?"
"Ah! He won't drive anyone till I don't know," he says, as he turns the steering wheel, joining the lane.
"What?" I jump forward. "What do you mean? Has he left the job?"
He looks at me with wide eyes and laughs. "No, no! He is sleeping. Nobody knows when he will wake up."
"What do you mean?"
"Nobody has the authority to wake him up anytime. He will wake up on his own time," says Taehyung, explaining with a serious face.
"Woah!" I let out a giggle. Taehyung laughs too.
He gently slides his hand in his poofy jacket's pocket and takes out a hand-sized, black-leathered diary. He offers me to hold.
"How's it?" he asked.
I rubbed my hand against the glossy leather on the diary. I have never seen something like this.
"This is beautiful!" I exclaim. "Is this yours? Looks antique."
"I bought it when I went to China last year," he says, pointing towards the diary. "And no, it's not mine. It's for Jungkook."
"Jungkook?" Taehyung gently combs his hair with his fingers, exposing his hunky forehead.
"He loves diaries. He writes almost everything."
That was surprising. I could never imagine writing him in diaries. He had such a busy schedule every day. I doubt he barely got time to even think.
"Woah! So this is your first time giving him a diary?"
"No! I have gifted him like," he places his hand under his chin, acting as if he is thinking. "like ten?"
"Whattt?" I jumped out of my seat again, making him startled.
"Ten, that is only mine. Hyungs gives him diaries too. One of his cupboards only has his diaries."
"Does he only collect them or really write?" I asked out of surprise.
"He writes in them, religiously. It doesn't matter if it's dark, raining, storming, or even if he is about to die, he will still write that death is coming."
"Damn, he is-"
"Crazy?" inquires Taehyung, laughingly. I still gaze at the diary in my hand.
"Do you know why I am giving him this?" he asks, tapping on the diary to make me alert.
"Why?"
"Because, he finished the two diaries Jin and Hobi hyung gifted him on his birthday, three months ago."
What does he even write? One letter on one page?
"So, he begged me to give him this diary, as I once told him that I bought one for him from China."
"You didn't give him then?"
"He barged right in the bathroom. I knew you were waiting here, so I'll give him tomorrow."
God, now I know. He talks less and writes more.
It made me eager for every passing moment. What does he write in them?
"Guide me to your home," I came out of the flooding thoughts hearing Taehyung's deep voice.
********************