After work, Tommy regularly would walk a couple blocks down to the nearest, good bar. Good here meaning not exorbitantly expensive. He often would get a couple of beers, typically no more than three, and a small order of chicken wings. He usually went unaccompanied and enjoyed every second of it. Not much of a people watcher, he’d watch the TV at the bar. Afterall, he didn’t have one himself.
Today was no exception. He had his three beers (decided he will have the fourth and fifth at home), ate his chicken, and watched the FC Seoul highlight reel. Tommy didn’t know much about soccer, preferring basketball when growing up, so he decided to call it a day at around 8 o’clock. The sun had just set when he stepped out, and the sky remained a variant of deep orange and purple. Walking with his hands deep in his pockets, pass his job and studio space, he looked for a cab that could drive him home. What’s the use of a license if I can’t afford a car? he thought every time he took a taxi, which was not often. Gangnam, of course, was littered with cars, all foreign makes. It made Tommy bitter and sad. Why do I have to work in Gangnam, anyway? Why can’t I work in Hongdae? I made good music there too…
“Tch,” he sucked his teeth, silently complaining to himself as he finally hailed a cab. He bowed his head in greeting at the driver as he opened the door, his foot nearly inside until a pair of hands grabbed his jacket from the waist, pulling him back onto the curb.
“Please, let me ride with you. There’s someone after me!” the tiny stranger yelled with urgency, her big, dark eyes glaring at him pleadingly. With one look, he recognized the young girl hiding in her oversized hoodie, the hood itself nearly covering half her face.
“B-Beulping?” he stuttered back, shocked and useless. But the girl, who was no doubt an idol and a successful one at that, persisted, grabbing onto his arm and tugging.
With wide eyes and his mouth nearly agape, he nodded, moving aside before crawling into the cab after her. Beulping, he thought, Black. Pink. It can’t be. Moments passed in silence before he could muster out anything.
it had been a while that she had noticed the stranger behind, following her steps. the lamplit avenue gave it away, their shadow casting on the concrete. it was why she couldn’t go straight to her destination. she wasn’t going to conveniently lead him to their company’s van. stalkers take drastic measures. memorizing license plates was the least of it.
jennie makes a turn at the corner. rookie mistake, because it only makes the situation apparent. this person was eager to chase after her. but she was desperate to get rid of them. she then starts bolting down the path like a real runner at the start gun, each one of her mighty strides were worth at least two of her normal ones. she was slightly athletic, what with all the dancing that she did in practice and the yoga that keeps her flexible among other benefits, but she didn’t know she could run this fast. and it only quickens in pace, the pounding noise of her shoes resonating off the walls of the alley with a clanging echo that matched her heart throbbing inside her chest with a thick fear. this can’t be another run in with a druggie. she’s done befriending those sort of people, and she didn’t mind not finding out who this pursuer is nor did she care for their actual intentions.
the first thing she spots at the end of the small detour was an innocuous bystander, nothing to do with her situation, no one she knew personally. it was just, what she would call, a fateful encounter. she approaches the male with urgency, and all he gives her was this dense look. on top of that, it was hard to make out what he was saying.
“are you two getting in or not?”
the driver’s yell triggers more adrenaline, giving rise to more rash decisions. this time, she hastily pushes him inside and lets herself in after. in all the rushing, she states an address to the driver so quick it sounds of a tongue twister. the engine revs and off the car goes. she turns to look through the window behind, finding the stalker to have given up on their trail and she sighs in relief, sitting slackened on the comfort of the car seat. her hood comes off and she fans herself with her hands. “thank god.” she whispers harshly to herself before finally giving a good glance at the male beside her. “oh, i’m sorry i pushed you like that… you’re okay, right?”
