The last day of shooting wrapped up with an air of bittersweet relief. Cameras were packed away, props dismantled, and the crew, exhausted yet smiling, gathered together for a group photo. Laughter filled the set as one by one, people tugged at Taehyung for a quick selfie or a solo shot.
Rhea, as always, stayed at the back, clapping quietly, holding onto her own small sense of distance.
Later, the crew celebrated with a modest soju party. Bottles clinked, cheers echoed, but when the glasses passed toward Rhea, she gently shook her head and asked for a cold drink instead.
Taehyung noticed. Again.
He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing not out of judgment, but curiosity. She wasn't avoiding him, nor was she trying to stand out. She just existed differently; her silence wasn't awkward, it was intentional. And that intrigued him more than he wanted to admit.
By the time pack-up was called, Rhea was already heading back into her quiet, heavy-hearted world. Taehyung, however, returned to his own home carrying something else with him: her photo and the email address she'd written on his phone.
That night, he dropped both into the group chat with his brothers, the ones who had dared him to this challenge.
Almost instantly, the chat lit up.
RM:"Who is this? Whose email is this?"
J-Hope:"???"
Jin:"Explain yourself, Taehyungah."
Jimin:"OH. So she's real?? You actually got her contact?? Jungkookah, look! This is your crazy admirer!"
The teasing made the thread buzz.
Jin:"Wait, what? Someone explain this madness to me."
RM:"Yes. Proper explanation, please."
Jimin:"Kookieee, take a look already."
Finally, Jungkook's name lit up on the screen.
Jungkook:"Yah, hyung… I imagined someone completely different. This feels… odd. Not my type. Honestly, I just feel bad for her."
Taehyung frowned. A weight pressed on his chest at Jungkook's words.
Taehyung:"Don't judge her by appearance, Jungkookie. She's rare. Different. Trust me, she's not what she seems. At least a chance with her."
Jin:"What is happening right now? Taehyung, are you seriously matchmaking for Jungkook?"
That set Jimin and J-Hope off into fits of laughter, emojis flooding the chat.
Finally, Taehyung typed out the short story of what had happened in the past three days, the rooftop talk, the secret she had carried for seven years, the way she'd never once asked for an autograph or selfie.
A silence followed before RM responded:
RM:"Seven years? That's… heavy. To hold feelings for someone you weren't even sure you'd ever meet. That's not ordinary."
J-Hope:"ㅠㅠ That's actually sweet."
Jungkook's reply came after a pause:
Jungkook:"I respect her feelings, hyung. But I don't feel anything. She's not interesting to me. And honestly, I don't have the time for this."
Taehyung:"Go on one date, at least. Then decide."
Jungkook:"Nah. I'm too busy."
Taehyung only chuckled, Jimin following along with his playful laugh. The chat soon shifted to lighter topics, but Taehyung's mind didn't.
Long after the others logged off, he sat staring at the screen, the saved email address glowing faintly, her photo quietly resting in his gallery.
He didn't know why. He just knew he didn't want this to end here.
Even if Jungkook didn't see it now, even if no one else understood, Taehyung's curiosity wasn't letting him go.
At the very least, he wanted to know her.
As a friend. Maybe more. But definitely not as a stranger forgotten after three days.