Restless

AN: Another song for another chapter. Have a listen to it! Especially to the BTS fans out there. Thank you!

_______

"So what's one dish here in the Philippines that's unforgettable for you?" One of the reporters from the press conference said.

Three days ago, we were in Indonesia. We started off our tour there and indeed, it was really memorable. Not only was I able to make a new friend, I was able to see a large crowd of our Indonesian fans. It was really something worth cherishing. I also exchanged contacts with Angel. She said that once she was able to settle her matters in Singapore, she'll come visit me in South Korea. We both are looking forward to that.

Now, we're here in the Philippines. One thing I noticed a few days ago was that most of the fans here are really into KPOP. It was SO surprising. I remember arriving in the airport and were greeted by fans who were screaming REALLY loud that I couldn't even hear the instructions from my manager. Even when we got to our cars in the airport, the screaming never stopped. It was the same thing with our concert here last night, but even louder this time. It was definitely a blast to say the least. The fans were not even fan chanting but were singing along with our songs. It even went through my IEMs. My favorite part of the last night's concert was when the fans sang along to Smile Flower which was really heartwarming. I'll definitely remember our concert here in the Philippines.

Today was our last day here before we fly to Singapore tonight for our long-awaited concert there. We just made the most of our day today as we toured the City. We had nothing to do anyway except to go to this noontime variety show in the Philippines called, Showtime. It was a famous show in the Philippine's local channel. We even got the chance to perform there. Since my mom's half Filipino, I knew how to speak Tagalog fluently and was able to communicate to the hosts properly and not just speak in English. Now, we were wrapping up things through a massive press conference.

Zee chuckled. "I don't know about you guys. But I love balut (boiled fertilized duck egg). Like LOVE it."

Seiji-hyung grimaced at the thought as Jiwoo shivered just thinking about it. Seiji-slapped Zee's arm. "What the hell? You find THAT delicious?"

Jiwoo was still having goosebumps at the thought of eating balut. "Something must be wrong with your taste buds."

Zhang also joined in on the conversation. "Really? I kinda like it."

"Not you too." Jiwoo facepalmed. He then turned to Yo Chul-hyung. "Hyung, say something."

Yo Chul-hyung nodded. "To be honest, eating balut was… a 'unique' experience for me. I've never tasted something like that before. But it wasn't bad. But I still think that Chicken Adobo is the best. I really enjoyed it."

Jiwoo and Seiji-hyung groaned at the same time. I chuckled at their reactions. "That's true though. It was a great experience to try out those dishes. However, I like the food called… Bulalo?"

Jeong Do snapped his hands. "Oh! The one that tasted like Beef Stew! I like that one too!"

"Same here." Dominic agreed.

Matt-hyung laughed. "Really? For me it was pancit canton."

"That noodle thing?" I asked as I raised my eyebrow at him.

He nodded in agreement. "That's right. It kind of reminds me of a Thai dish back in my hometown."

"Make sense." Dominic said.

The conference was coming to an end as the last reporter was called to ask his question. He stood up and smiled at us. "Hey, guys. I'm Nieman Flores from MiwNims Magazine. I just wanted to ask what your plans are after the tour?"

I held my microphone up to answer him. "We haven't thought that far yet since our main focus for now is the tour itself. But after we're done, we're going to focus on the JYP Nation Concert and maybe work out on some new songs. I don't know. But basically, after flying around the world for two and half months, we'll be flying back again for about a month to do the concert."

Jiwoo then raised his microphone before turning to me. "Why don't you talk about your solo album?"

"Oh yeah! Right! My album is almost done. I'll probably be promoting it before we head for our JYP Nation concert. So please wait and be excited for it. Thanks." I replied.

Nieman followed up his question. "What about the group comeback? Are you already working on your next album?"

Matt-hyung decided to answer for the group. "Like what JayB said, we're still focusing on the tour. But if I would have to give you an answer, I'm sorry, but it's difficult to say since we still have a lot of things to do for the current album. But to answer your question, we aren't working on the latest album yet."

The conference ended without any lapses. There was one more thing that we needed to do before heading back to the hotel to pack our stuff and be ready for our trip tonight. We were riding a private plane bound for Singapore tonight because the flight that we booked got cancelled at the last minute. There weren't any flights left that could accommodate everyone in the group including the staff. So we decided to call in a favor and got a private plane instead.

We were now at the hotel lobby of the hotel where the press conference was held. There was another thing that Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, was known for. And it was the traffic during rush hour. That was what we were currently experiencing at the moment. The vans that were supposed to pick us up 30 minutes ago were running late due to the traffic. Hopefully, we can still have time to freshen up and pack.

"Wosik-hyung, I need to go to the bathroom first. I think it'll be awhile before our van arrives." I told our manager which he nodded in response. I then went to find the bathroom.

After doing my business in the bathroom, I saw that everyone was still waiting for the car to pick us up. I decided to wait in the restaurant before sending a quick message to our manager. On my way there, I saw a familiar face sitting at one of the tables.

I went to approach him and decided to kill the time by talking to him. "Excuse me? Weren't you that reporter earlier?"

He turned to me before he suddenly stood up as if he was shocked to find me here. "Mr. Kim! What a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here?"

"Nieman, wasn't it? We're still waiting for our vans to arrive and pick us up. The last time our driver called, he was near Boni Avenue Station. That was thirty minutes ago." I explained.

Nieman took a quick glance on his watch before he chuckled. "It's quite normal to be late during this time of the day. He'll probably be here in about thirty more minutes."

I gave him a wry smile. "Well, I guess it gives us more time to chat."

"That's true." He gave a light chuckle.

"Nieman?" Another voice called out from behind us.

We both turned around and saw a man in a suit approaching us with a wide smile on his face. Nieman shook his hand happily as he greeted him. "It's rare to see a busy man like you casually walk around in this hotel."

"Well… I like to check and see from time to time how this place is doing." The man replied.

Nieman turned to me and smiled. "I'm sorry. Mr. Kim, let me introduce my friend, Antoni Tan. He's also the owner of this five-star hotel."

I shook Antoni's hand as he smiled at me. "Please, call me JayB. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tan. Thank you for allowing us to have our press conference here at the Wanderer Lithe Hotel."

"Please, JayB. The pleasure's all mine. I AM a huge fan of Alpha after all. And oh! No need to be so formal with me. Just call me Antoni." He laughed.

His words made me really happy. "I guess I should leave you guys to talk."

Antoni waved it off. "No, don't worry about it! Our meeting here is purely coincidence. Why don't we sit down and have a chat? It's not everyday that I get to meet the leader of Alpha. Or are you in a hurry?"

I took out my phone to see if there was a text or call from my manager. Seeing that there weren't any, I turned to them and smiled. "I have a few minutes to spare."

"Wonderful!" Antoni clasped his hands as he exclaimed.

We sat down at one of the tables and Antoni started ordering us some drinks and a few desserts. Nieman turned to me and smiled. "So I'm curious, but at the same time I don't want to offend you."

"Fire away." I encouraged him to ask.

"You know I'm a reporter, right? Why did you come and approach me? Celebrities usually avoid the press. What made you think that it was okay?" He asked.

"Wait. So JayB just approached you out of nowhere, AND started a conversation with you?" Antoni was also surprised. He then turned to me. "Hey, if Nieman wasn't my friend, I would be avoiding him completely too."

Antoni's words made us laugh. I then smiled at them. "Celebrities who have dark secrets usually avoid reporters because they're afraid of being exposed. For those who have nothing to hide, they become insecure because reporters usually try to dig and plant some dirt when there was nothing there to begin with."

Our food and drinks finally arrived. Nieman then raised his eyebrow at me. "Really? Which one are you then?"

"Neither. I believe I have nothing to hide. I also believe that I've got nothing to be afraid of. Besides, if ever I do something that'll offend people, I know I'm responsible for what I do behind the camera. If it comes to bite me in the butt someday, let it be." I replied with a smile.

"Even if it ends your career?" Nieman asked.

"Even then." I replied as I took a sip from my coffee.

Antoni slowly applauded with a smile on his face. "My respect for you just went up on a whole new level, JayB. Your ideals are just… unique."

"Is that a compliment?" I chuckled.

Nieman shook his head as he answered for Antoni. "It's the best compliment you can get from him."

"Hey! That is SO not true!" Antoni protested.

After his reaction, we all started laughing. We continued chatting some more after that. It's weird. Even though we've just met, it feels like we've been friends for years. These guys are okay. Even if Antoni was the owner of this amazing hotel, he didn't exude an air of arrogance. Not one bit. Even Nieman wasn't showing signs of hostility towards me. I guess this could be the start of a great friendship, and maybe a form of partnership. It would also help us establish some connections once we launch our first Filipino P-POP group.

Suddenly, my phone started beeping. When I took it out, I saw a message from my manager saying that our ride was here. I turned to look at the two new acquaintances that I've met and smiled at them. "Antoni, Nieman, my manager just messaged me. I really enjoyed my time with you guys, but I have to go. I hope that this won't be the last conversation that we'll have."

They both smiled at me before they handed out their business cards. Antoni then patted my shoulder. "Not a problem. We are friends now, aren't we?"

I nodded in response. "We are. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. If you ever need anything, or if you ever drop by in the Philippines again in the future, don't hesitate to give us a call." Nieman chuckled as he extended his hand.

I gladly took it and gave him a smile in return. "You got it. Same here. Come visit me in South Korea some time."

"Sure thing." Nieman replied.

Antoni then snapped his fingers as if he just remembered something. "Ah that's right! I've been meaning to ask something."

"What is it?" I asked as I raised my eyebrow.

He had that nonchalant look on his face. "How are you so fluent in Tagalog?"

_________

"Is everything okay, Zee-ya?" I asked Zee who was constantly fidgeting and searching his backpack.

We were now in the airport waiting to be called by our stewardess to board the private plane. It was already 20 minutes after 8PM. Alpha barely had enough sleep last night because of the energy drink that we drank during our concert. If it wasn't for Seiji-hyungs medicine, we would have stayed awake the entire night. The rest of our members were exhausted from today's schedule. They were either sleeping or busy with their phones. But there was one thing in common. We weren't being lively and were not talking like we usually do.

Zee turned to me with a surprised look. "Hmm? Oh! I'm just checking to see if I didn't forget anything."

"You've been doing it about ten times now. I'm sure you're all good to go." I assured him.

He smiled wryly at me. "You know how it is, hyung. I usually forget or lose something."

"Alright. Let's just do one final check to be sure then. Do you have your passport, other valid IDs, wallet and the boarding pass?" I asked.

"Yep. Check, got it, and… it's here. All good." He responded as he showed me everything.

I nodded in response. "I guess you're all good to go then."

"Wait, that's it? You won't check the rest of my stuff?" He exclaimed.

"Zee-ya, even if you lose the everything except for the things that I've mentioned, I'm sure you can just buy a new one. As for those things that I checked, it'll be difficult to travel without them." I told him as I slowly shook my head.

He shrugged. "Okay then. If you say so."

Zee then went to plug in his earphones leaving me without anyone to talk to. I opened my phone to see if there were any new messages. It's been days since Dahyun and I communicated properly. Dahyun was either too tired or too busy to message me. She hasn't even called since that night after our first concert in Indonesia. Although we were okay, it was still hard not to miss her. I just think that she doesn't miss me as much as I miss her.

Jiwoo suddenly gave me a nudge on the shoulder. "Staring at your phone won't make you receive messages from her, hyung."

"Am I really that obvious?" I gave him a small smile.

He chuckled in his response. "We share the same room, ride the same car, and have been seatmates in our flights. I've seen you check your phone more than an average person does."

His words made me laugh a little. "Are you saying that I'm not part of the average people?"

"What I'm saying is that if you want Dahyun-ie to message you, you have to message her first." Jiwoo said as he continued playing on his phone.

I sighed in response. "She's busy, Woo-ya. I don't want to disturb her right now. Besides, tonight's their concert in Macau."

Jiwoo gave a sigh of his own before pausing his game and then looking at me with his eyes narrowed. "Hyung, she's going to check her phone once she's done. In case you forgot, they're in the same group as my girlfriend too. Tzuyu tries her best to communicate with me too, you know? You know how busy the tour gets. When we're having our concerts, we even often forget that we're dating someone. The busyness does that to us, hyung. Unless someone initiates the conversation, nothing will happen."

"That's true. But what if…" I tried to talk when Jiwoo suddenly placed his hand in front of me to stop me from speaking.

"I know what you're going to say. Don't even dare think about backing out without trying. You know, for someone who loves taking risks when it comes to business, you're pretty cautious when it comes to your dating life." He groaned.

I gave Jiwoo a wry smile. "It's the only thing that I'm afraid to risk and ultimately make a mistake."

Jiwoo patted my shoulder. "Hyung, there are no perfect relationships. Just two people trying their best to love without expecting anything in return. That's just how things are. The moment we think that 'oh, I have my needs too' is the day we become selfish. We enter a relationship because we want to make the person we love feel special. We want to see them happy. Even if we have to sacrifice things. Otherwise, why get in a relationship when all we want is to satisfy our needs of being wanted, being loved, being cared for, and being able to talk to someone who understands. Better hire somebody who can do that for us then, right? But that doesn't also mean that you forget about yourself in the process too."

When Jiwoo said those words, it was as if something in me was brought to light. I felt like I've been selfish all along. But he's right. I didn't need to tiptoe on eggshells just because I'm afraid that I might offend Dahyun. Besides, I'm sure she'll reply when she isn't busy or at least understand the situation. At least we can keep the communication open and ongoing if I started it. After this realization, I sent Dahyun a message about how I was doing before asking her how she was.

Jiwoo saw what I did and it made him smile. "Good. I knew you'd get it."

"All thanks to you." I bump my shoulder with his.

He chuckled before giving me a cocky smile while shrugging. "What can I say? I'm a professional when it comes to this thing."

I roll my eyes at him. "Yeah. Whatever you say, Woo-ya."

"Excuse me? Alpha? Your plane is ready." A stewardess came to inform us. We then followed her towards the gate where our plane was currently parked. It was a pretty big plane for it to be called a "private jet". It almost looked more like an airbus than a private jet. Still, as long as we can get to Singapore in one piece, I'd be happy. Soon enough we started boarding the plane.

The stewardess then introduced the pilot to us. "Everyone, Captain John Christopher Pelon will be flying us to Singapore tonight."

"It's a pleasure to pilot a well-known group like this." John said.

Zee slowly stood up from his seat with his mouth wide open. "Chris? Christopher Pelon?"

"Well, if it isn't the legendary inventor/programmer himself. How are you doing Zihao?" John, who Zee called Chris, responded.

Zee approached him and gave him a hug. They exchanged pleasantries before Zee turned to us. "Everyone, this is a good friend of mine. Chris here is the owner of Everton Corp. A company that sells parts for planes and new modeled planes as well. He's also a first-class pilot. I've worked with him when China and the Philippines worked together on building fighter jets."

"Are you even allowed to say that?" Matt-hyung asked.

"It was supposed to be a national secret, but what the heck? You guys also have a secret of your own, right? I'm sure you're willing to keep one more." Chris chuckled before giving us a wink.

He probably knows who we are. I mean, people who own large companies know who we are. That's just how connections work. He then smiled at Zee. "Well, we better get this plane moving. You still have a pretty big day tomorrow."

"You know it. But what are you doing piloting this plane? Why can't you just let other people drive?" Zee asked.

Chris laughed. "Hey, I was a pilot FIRST before I became a businessman. I love planes, that's why I chose to drive them for a living. It just so happens that my business clicked, that's why I barely flew them nowadays. Now that I got that chance again, why can't I do it?"

"I get what you mean. Well, we'll leave this trip in your hands then." Zee shook Chris' hand before going back to his seat.

I didn't realize how tired I was until I passed out in the duration of our flight. The next thing I knew, Chris was already informing us that we were about to land in Changi Airport in Singapore. Dominic suddenly started coughing violently. "God, why now?"

I turned to him with a worried expression. "You okay? Your cough's been getting worse since after our concert last night."

Ever since the start of the tour, we've been restless. We had several other schedules and TV show appearances on top of our scheduled concerts. Not to mention our fan signing events per city. It was just hectic. Sleeping in for about 4 hours was already considered a blessing for us. The past few days, it had been a non stop two to three-hours sleep for us. This caused us to be sick. Good thing Dominic was here to help us. After our concert in Indonesia, Zhang already got a stomachache. He probably ate something that was foreign to him. During our concert in the Philippines, Jeong Do and Matt-hyung were having a fever. Dominic also was coughing so much that it was just horrible. I also feel restless somehow. I feel like I'm about to have insomnia.

Dominic shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I already took the medicine so I'll be fine. This is a sign of me getting better."

"More like you getting worse." I snorted.

He chuckled before coughing again. "Hey, I'm the doctor here. So when I say I'm good, I really AM good."

"Hey, I'm just a concerned leader who's trying to take care of his people." I raise my hands in defeat.

"Thanks, Oh great leader." Dominic rolled his eyes.

"But seriously though, you have to get yourself checked after we settle in the hotel tonight." I suggested.

He nodded in response. "I already told Ming Do-hyung that I'll be heading to my hospital after checking in. Don't worry. I'll be ready for tomorrow's concert."

"It's not the concert I'm worried about. It's the fan signing event tomorrow morning." I reminded him.

He snapped his fingers. "Oh right. That. It would be awful to be there while being sick. It would be even more awful if I wouldn't be able to make it."

"Exactly." I agreed.

Dominic nodded his head. "I'll have myself checked tonight. Worse comes to worst, I'll have to buy that expensive cough medicine."

I raised my eyebrow at him. "You're the owner of multiple hospitals around the world. Are you that much of a scrooge that you're afraid to spend for it?"

"Ya! I'm not a scrooge! It's just THAT expensive for a cough medicine." Dominic yelled.

Seiji-hyung must have heard the two of us bickering since he turned to us while removing his eye mask. "Ya. Domi-ya… I made that expensive cough medicine. AND if you knew how long it took to make that, you'd understand. And if you want, I have some with me right now."

"Hyung… if you had it all along, why didn't you give me some when you've been complaining about how much I've been coughing?" Dominic facepalmed.

"I knew it'll crush your pride if I handed it to you for free." Seiji-hyung smirked.

Dominic narrowed his eyes at him. "What's the catch this time?"

"You. Mina. Me. My girlfriend. Double date." He said with a huge grin on his face.

Both Dominic and I were surprised with what he said. My jaw fell wide open. "No fair! Why are you inviting him for a double date and not me?"

Seiji shrugged. "It was HER decision. Not mine. Sorry, JayB-ya."

Dominic chuckled. "If that's the case, I have to agree. When do you want to have it?"

"Once we're done with the tour. She's also quite busy right now." Seiji-hyung replied.

"Alright. You got it." Dominic said.

Seiji-hyung smiled as he handed a vial of the medicine to Dominic. Just then, the captain announced for us to stay in our seats as we were about to land. Just like that, we finally arrived in Singapore.

________

"Great job today." Jeong Do patted my back as I continued to breathe through the oxygen mask.

A lot happened the past two days. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. Dominic became well just in time. The good news was, he wasn't able to miss the fan signing event. He was still able to pull through. It was a pretty tough day. As soon as the event ended, we immediately headed to appear on a TV show. After the show, we went straight to rehearsals. I was pretty much sleepy by the time we were finished. Our rehearsals ended late at night. We then had to wake up early to work out before heading for a morning talk show that we were asked to appear in. There was also this TV show in Singapore that asked us to do a cameo. It was just really hectic.

To top things off, we had our rehearsals but it didn't feel like one. Everyone was pretty much exhausted and drained at this point. It was one of the most unforgettable schedules that I ever experienced in our career. Good thing we had about two hours of rest before we had our make-up done. The fans really expected a lot from us today, especially since our stop here was almost cancelled because of the complications regarding the venue. Good thing we were able to clarify things and were able to perform in this amazing place.

And then there was the thing with Dahyun. She finally had her day off yesterday, but because of our busy schedule, we weren't able to communicate that much. I could sense the disappointment from her. We've both been looking forward to it. It was because of the change in schedule with our tour that schedules didn't match up during the first week and a half. But Dahyun was kind enough to understand the situation. We didn't want to force things that didn't work in our favor. Our messaging was constant but it took time to reply. Our calls lasted for about 3-5 minutes each time. Still, we were grateful for the little time we can still spend with each other despite the situation.

Our concert in Singapore finally came to an end, and I realized by then as to why our company chose Singapore as our supposed first stop. It was because of how loud and massive our fan base here was. This has got to be the largest venue that I've performed in from this tour so far. The fans were so loud that I could barely hear myself through the IEM. I had to remove one of them just to hear the music clearly. Still, it was hard enough to tell because of the cheers and singing that the fans were doing. It was truly amazing to witness.

Though the fans saw it as amazing on the outside, there were a lot of things that were happening backstage. Jiwoo sprained his foot in the middle part of our concert, and had to tape it in order to perform until the end. Dominic even wanted him to sit it out but Jiwoo insisted on continuing to perform. Despite the situation, Dominic allowed him to continue while giving him some painkillers. Jiwoo knew that it would hurt like hell after the concert. Which it did. Jiwoo was groaning and crying out in pain right now. Dominic is currently treating him.

Seiji-hyung also hurt his shoulder since he fell down hard while running around the stage during our finale for Aju Nice. It's not that bad, but Dominic decided to have it checked before it gets any worse. It was hard for Dominic. It became harder when I collapsed… not just once... but twice. It was fortunate that it happened backstage. The first time happened after three consecutive performances of our fast-paced songs. Obviously, as we continue our tour, our stamina and health decreases. Thankfully, we had a team of medical and health professionals that helped us with our food intake, mandatory exercises, and daily check ups.

The second time I collapsed was after our the performance unit had our turn. The performance unit is, after all, in charge with showcasing the team's dance abilities, so we had no choice but to give it our all. No questions asked. Even Jiwoo was struggling with the pain, yet he continued dancing. Matt-hyung also just recovered from his fever, and yet he was giving it everything he's got. What was my excuse? But still, Dominic asked me not to over do things. According to him, I collapsed because of the lack of oxygen. It made sense since there was barely enough air going around the venue considering the number of people in it. But even so, it was indeed a great concert I believe.

"Thanks… I almost died… twice." I told him jokingly.

Jeong Do chuckled as he messed up my hair. "I know. I was the one who carried you back to the dressing room even though I was still pretty much banged up from the performance."

"Why didn't you let the medical personnel carry me instead?" I chuckled.

He shrugged. "You fell on my back as we went down the backstage. I panicked so I rushed you to the dressing room. I didn't even realize that Domi-ya was already calling out to me to put you down."

His words made me laugh lightly. "Still, thanks."

"Anytime, man." Jeong Do replied.

"JayB-ya, you got a call. Your phone's been ringing nonstop since you got off the stage." Ming Do-hyung called out.

I raise my eyebrow at him. "Really? From who?"

"It's Dahyun-ssi. Wosik-ssi probably told him about what happened earlier." Ming Do-hyung answered with a wry smile.

Jeong Do slapped my back as he laughed. "Go. I bet she's worried about you."

Ming Do-hyung returned my phone. After which, I went out of the dressing room to look for some place quiet to call Dahyun back. Seeing that there was no one inside the waiting room near the backstage, I went in and called Dahyun.

"Oppa! Finally! You called! Are you okay?! What happened?!" were the words that barraged my ear the moment the call went through.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I just passed out from the lack of oxygen." I answered with a chuckle in the end.

Dahyun sighed. "That is SO not okay. I was really worried when Wosik-oppa answered the phone and told me about what happened. Are you sure that you're fine now?"

"Positive." I replied. "Thanks for calling. I really missed you."

"I miss you too. So much." Dahyun answered. "By the way… you won't believe what happened today."

"Yeah? What?" I replied as I chuckled.

Dahyun then went on to explain the details of their schedule down to the end of their concert. It was like listening to a little girl excitedly telling her parents what happened during her first day in school. It was really nice to hear from her. It's as if I could see her smile just by listening to her voice. After a hard day's work, it definitely pays off to hear from her. Time seemed to fly by as we continued talking and laughing over the phone. Before I knew it, Wosik-hyung opened the door to the room that I was in and signalled that it was time to go.

I sighed. "Dahyun-ah… Wosik-hyung's here. We need to go back to the hotel now. I'll call you when we get there. Alright?"

"Oh! Of course! I need to wash up as well. Catch you later?" She responded.

I hummed sadly. "Okay…"

She must have noticed the sad tone in my voice. "Hubby… Don't worry about it. We'll both be flying to Tokyo tomorrow. We can have our date then. So cheer up. Okay?"

"Alright, princess. I'll you later." I responded.

________

"What do you mean there's a change in our schedule?" I asked our manager, Wosik-hyung.

It was the day after our concert in Singapore. We finally arrived in Tokyo International Airport. It was still quite early in the morning. But even though we had another sleepless night, we were very much alive and kicking. Why? Because Twice would be arriving here from their concert in Malaysia. Most of us were looking forward to seeing them again. Especially for those who had their girlfriends in the group. But it was weird that Zee was looking forward to arriving in Japan more than us when Yuna was back in South Korea. He wouldn't tell us why though. We were also looking forward to meeting our Japanese fans as well. That's the reason why we're here in the first place.

Both Twice's and Alpha's managers talked as soon as both groups arrived at our meeting place. Since the company got us a bus instead of a Van, we'll be heading to the hotel together. Even though we're staying in one hotel, our rooms were in different floors to prevent controversies from sparking. Even if our relationships were supported by our fans, we can't help it if there were still some people who were willing to go to extreme lengths just to split us up. After all, our "fans" just "want what's best for us." That aside, our excitement was cut short as soon as Wosik-hyung dropped the bomb on us regarding our schedule.

Apparently, because of the changes in our schedules for our tour, it affected most of the other schedules as well. What was supposed to happen is that we'll have all our TV appearances today and have our technical rehearsals tonight after Twice's concert. We then will have our day off tomorrow. Technically, we would still have our sound check at 3:30PM tomorrow but still, we had the entire morning to ourselves. Twice would have their concert tonight and had two days off afterwards before they head to Osaka for their second concert in Japan. We were supposed to have our date tomorrow. But our schedule got all jumbled up. Our day off was changed to today, and our planning team cramped up our entire schedule for tomorrow. We also had our fan signing event late in the afternoon tomorrow before the concert. Twice also had to appear in some of the TV shows today, and their stage and technical rehearsals were in the afternoon. In short, our plans to have our date were ruined.

"You heard it, JayB-ya." Wosik-hyung confirmed.

I roll my tongue inside my cheek. "You can't be serious? I mean… we already had plans."

"May I remind you that you came here to work?" He added.

If it weren't for Dahyun holding me back, I would have exploded. I just sighed in response. "Alright. But do we have a day off here after the concert tomorrow?"

Wosik-hyung smiled. "That's the good news."

"But we'll be travelling to Osaka the day after tomorrow." Dahyun said.

Her words made everyone in the group frown. "I guess it wasn't meant to be."

"Don't worry, JayB-ya. We'll update you if there are changes in our schedule." Twice's manager assured me.

I sighed helplessly. "Thanks, noona. What's Twice's schedule this morning?"

Their manager took out her clipboard and checked it. "Well, they'll be appearing in a TV show at 10AM. It's still 40 minutes past 5AM right now. We're supposed to head to the hotel to check in early and rest before heading to their hair and make-up schedule at 8:30AM, but you can spend time with them as soon as we get to the hotel, if you guys want?"

"Really? Seriously?" I excitedly asked before turning to Dahyun who looked exhausted. Everyone else from Twice looked drained too.

Jeong Do approached me and patted my shoulder. "It's best if we let the girls sleep some more, and then we'll just have breakfast at the hotel's dining area at around 7AM. What do you say?"

"I think that's a great idea." I agreed halfheartedly. As much as I wanted to spend time with Dahyun, I still believe that she needs all the rest she can get after having back to back concerts.

Dahyun took my hand and gently caressed it with her fingers. "I'm REALLY sorry."

I gave her a smile before caressing her face. "It's fine. You need to sleep too. We'll be in the same bus heading for the hotel anyway. You sleep along the way while leaning on me. It counts as 'spending time' too, doesn't it?"

She giggled. "Let's do that then."

That's how it turned out. We spent the entire trip to the hotel just sleeping. The moment we got to the hotel, we immediately headed to our rooms to catch up on some sleep. We ALL needed it at the moment. But before we did, we made sure to set our alarms before our scheduled date. My roommate was changed and I was with Zee time around. Before I went to sleep, I could hear him talking on the phone with Yuna. It sounded as if they were excited for something. I didn't continue to eavesdrop as the bed was really that inviting. After a few blinks, I quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next thing I knew, my alarm was blaring loudly, but I kept ignoring it. It was then that Zee started waking me up. "Hyung! You've been snoozing your alarm twice now! Wake up! It's almost 7 in the morning!"

I jolted upwards which startled him. I snap my head towards him. "What times is it again?"

"It's almost 6:45AM. We'll be having breakfast in 15 minutes." He replied. Zee was already dressed as if he was out to meet someone.

"When did you get up?" I asked him.

"I was awake the entire time. I didn't feel sleepy at all." He shrugged.

I sighed. "Pick my outfit for me, please. I'll go and take a quick shower."

He kept typing on his phone as he replied. "Sure. What do you feel like wearing?"

"It's really hot outside. Something light and cool, but not that flashy." I suggested as I got into the bathroom.

"I got it." Zee replied. After taking a quick shower, I entered our room again to find Zee still on his phone. He turned to me and smiled. "You're done? What do you think?"

I turned to the set of clothes that were on my bed. "White plain shirt, my over-sized olive green haori, a pair of jean shorts, a white cap and my white tennis shoes… not bad."

Zee scoffed. "Not bad? It's the BEST! Considering the kind of wardrobe that you have."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah. Yeah. My wardrobe sucks. I know. You keep telling me that. Anyway, where are the others?"

"Matt-hyung just shot me a text saying that everyone's already in the restaurant downstairs." Zee replied.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go?" I chuckled.

Breakfast was served. It didn't even look like we had less sleep. The place became rowdy and noisy as soon as we got together. It's been two weeks since we last saw each other. This was definitely something we missed. You can't trade a life of fame over friendship. Fame might fade away, but friends, REAL friends, they stay. Before we knew it, breakfast flew by like it didn't happen in the first place. Twice's manager was already calling them to go to their appointment in the salon.

"I know. I know you miss me. But I'll definitely call you after our concert tonight. I promise." Dahyun giggled as she tried to escape from my hug.

"No!~ I want to keep you for myself today!~" I tried to act cute, but failed as I watched everyone cringe as I did so.

Dahyun didn't mind as she turned to me to give me a kiss on the nose. "Stop being a baby and let me go. Otherwise, I'll get another earful from my manager."

I sighed in response. "Fine. But you HAVE to call me after your concert."

Jiwoo snorted. "Uhh, hyung? You must have forgotten that we have a technical rehearsal after their concert."

"Right. We have that." I replied.

Dahyun pinched my cheek as she stood up. "Just call me when you're done tonight. I REALLY have to go now."

"Will you be alright if I call you by that time? We might finish late tonight." I asked.

"I'll wait. Besides, we have our day off tomorrow." She smiled before taking off.

"Alright then. Take care and have fun! I love you!" I yelled out which made everyone around us stare at our table while others started smiling widely.

"Love you too!" Dahyun made a quick turn to look at me before rushing off.

"Ahh… young love." Seiji-hyung teased as he leaned on his hand while looking at me while raising his eyebrow a couple of times.

"Shut up." I replied as I pulled his hand which made his face fall flat on the table.

__________

"Alright! Rest up everyone! Great job today." Wosik-hyung announced as soon as he started handing us our key cards for our room.

Our day was spent with Alpha going around Tokyo to see the sights. We already lost track of how many times our fans spotted us and asked for our autographs. Still, it was a fun do-nothing day for us. After doing some shopping and touring, we decided to sneak in Twice's concert and watch them perform. We'll be staying at the same venue to rehearse afterwards anyway. Their manager was kind enough to give us passes so we could stay in the VVIP section. But she specifically asked us not to disturb the girls by going to the backstage in the entire duration of the concert. Of course we agreed to it. Twice's concert was really awesome to say the least. It was epic. They've really improved a lot. It was wonderful to watch them perform LIVE like this. We feel like real fans as we chanted along to their songs.

Soon the concert ended as we watched as the girls exited the stage. Of course, their fans noticed us and asked for our autographs as well. The security then came over to help us get away from the crowd. We needed to prepare for the rehearsals after all. The crew started to work rapidly on the changes for the stage. There wasn't that much of a change and with the help of technology, we were able to start our rehearsals soon after. The rehearsals ended late but it was earlier than we expected. We were back at our hotel and I REALLY wanted to just run towards Dahyun's room and see her. But we were banned from seeing each other in the hotel since we didn't want to spark up unnecessary rumors.

We could just do our magic and take off the internet like how we usually do it, but we know that once it gets out, it would still create trouble for us. It was already bad enough that Joy and I were seen outside a club once. The rumor went on for about a week before it naturally died out.The hotel's restaurant was already closed since it was already 1AM in the morning so we couldn't meet up. The lobby was not a safe place to meet too. As soon as I got our key card, I immediately dragged Zee to the elevator so we could get back to our room. I really wanted to hear Dahyun's voice. As soon as we got inside our room, I quickly dialled Dahyun's number. It rang quite a while before she finally answered… or so I thought.

"Hello? Tzuyu-ya?" I was surprised that she was the one who answered.

"Hey, oppa." She replied nonchalantly. Chaeyoung also greeted by yelling out loud.

"Is Dahyun there?" I asked, still wondering why she answered instead of Dahyun. Zee, who was in the bed next to mine, was also calling Yuna. I decided to stay in our hotel room's living room to give them some privacy.

Tzuyu sighed. "Oppa… she's asleep. She fell asleep about an hour ago with her phone in her hand. She must have fallen asleep while waiting for your call. It took us a while to find where the ringing sound was coming from so we couldn't answer right away."

"She must have been tired from the concert, huh?" I chuckled slightly. But it was probably obvious that I was disappointed with how things turned out.

"It's not just the concert, oppa. She had to act out a lot during the TV shows that we appeared in. The fan sign didn't help either. By the time we started rehearsals, she was already pooped." Tzuyu replied.

I sighed in response as I sat on the couch while hugging my knees. "I see. Alright then."

"Do you want me to wake her up?" Tzuyu asked.

"No. It's fine. Let her rest." I replied with a chuckle.

Tzuyu became silent for a while before she spoke again. "We have our day off tomorrow. You don't have to worry about waking her up."

"No. Really. It's fine, Tzuyu-ya. It's best if she takes a good rest right now. And you should too." I insisted.

"If you say so, oppa. Good night then." Tzuyu nonchalantly said before hanging up.

Does it have to be like this when it comes to Dahyun and me? She's near, but it feels like we're miles apart. I know she's probably an arm's length away from me, but it's as if we're separated by oceans. We're in the same building, but it feels like we're in different dimensions. With these thoughts, I started going through all our photos in my phone and got a bit emotional. This situation reminded me of a song from the previous world. Though the song was meant for something else, the lyrics fit my situation right now. BTS' Spring Day definitely fits this situation. Without noticing it, I suddenly sang the song out loud.

[I miss you

When I say that, I miss you more

I'm looking at your photo

But I still miss you

Time is so cruel

I hate us

Now it's hard to even see each other's faces]

I slowly stood up and slowly headed to the window of our living room. It had a beautiful view of the evening of the city. Yet, it still looked… sad. I touched the window and felt the warm temperature outside. It's summer here, but because of what I was feeling, it felt really cold.

[It's only winter here

Even in August, winter is here

My heart makes time run like a snowpiercer left alone

I wanna hold your hand

And go to the other side of the earth

To end this winter

How much longing has to fall like snow for the spring days to come?]

I slowly made my way to the door. As I got there, I contemplated on whether it was a good idea to got to her room and see her at this point. Millions of thoughts and distant memories fill up my head. Is it bad to long for someone's presence this much?

[Like a small piece of the dust that floats in the air

Will I get to you a little faster if I was the snow in the air?]

It's better if I just stay here. It's better if I keep my distance for now. The longer we are apart, the more I'll miss her. And ultimately, I know our feelings would grow more from this. The question is, would it grow deeper? Or would it grow apart? I lean my back on the door as I ask myself these questions.

[Snowflakes are falling

Getting farther away

I miss you

I miss you

How much more do I have to wait?

How many more nights do I have to stay up

Until I can see you?

Until I can meet you?]

I slid my back on the door as I slowly sat on the floor to hug my knees. I tried to convince myself that this is just an obstacle that I had to face. My days with her are limited. I know that. Then another set of questions pop inside my head. Maybe people are just supporting us because of the show. After that, what would happen to us? Would there even still be an us?

[Past the end of this cold winter

Until the spring comes again

Until the flowers bloom again

Please stay there

Please stay there and wait]

As the song ended, I didn't notice that my face was already covered with tears. I slowly covered my face with the reality hitting me like this. Am I becoming more greedy by wanting more time with her? Am I being greedy knowing that we don't have much time left? Come to think of it, our married life started in spring this year. I have a feeling that our married life will end when the next spring comes. By the time our Spring Day comes, would everything still be the same? I pondered on these thoughts as I buried my face on my arms.

________