Taeha pressed the button for the ground floor. The rest of the band members glanced at him, confused by what was happening, but Taeha gave a slight nod, and they immediately understood what they were supposed to do. Meanwhile, Kang Seojin was practically over the moon, thinking she'd be lucky enough to get away from Taeha sooner than expected.
After an awkward elevator ride, filled with thick tension, they finally reached the ground floor. The band members exited and Kang Seojin quickly counted the pairs of feet to make sure everyone had gotten out, only to be disappointed when she realized one pair of feet remained inside. She didn't dare turn around to look. Despite her curiosity, she was afraid it would be Taeha, and her fears were confirmed when Taeha himself broke the silence with his deep voice.
"Why do you avoid me?"
Kang Seojin turned around and found Taeha's cold gaze fixed on her. She was momentarily speechless.
"Uh, I didn't avoid you."
Taeha raised an eyebrow. "Haven't anyone told you that you're bad at lying?"
"What?" Kang Seojin asked, caught off guard.
"Also, shouldn't I be the one avoiding you, after you almost gave me a broken arm last time?"
Seojin's mind whirled. Is he still holding a grudge because I didn't apologize? She thought. She had planned to evade Taeha's question, but she knew that wouldn't get her anywhere. She was tired of running away and making a fool of herself. It was time to face him for real, so she braced herself. She didn't want to escape anymore.
"Well, you're the one who told me to stop stalking you," she said, trying to steady herself. "Uh, don't get me wrong—it's not like I stalked you that day in the park either," she added politely, avoiding his eyes.
Taeha flashed a sly smile, clearly enjoying her reaction. He seemed to enjoy the discomfort he was causing Seojin. He looked at her for a moment before leaning closer to her ear as though he was about to share a secret.
"You can stalk me from now on, so stop avoiding me. It's annoying," he whispered in a low, husky voice.
Seojin blushed bright red as she felt Taeha's breath brush against her ear. Just then, the elevator doors opened, and Taeha sauntered out while Seojin was left behind, still trying to process what had just happened. What was that? She asked herself, still flustered. At least he hadn't picked a fight with her. She was still as red as a tomato when she arrived at the hospital later that day. And, of course, she grabbed an iced Americano to cool down.
Things weren't looking up for Seojin at the hospital the next week either. She had hoped things would improve, but they seemed to be going downhill instead. She wished she could share her burdens with Minci, but Minci was just as busy. The two hadn't had a chance to hang out or even chat on the phone. Even when Minci wasn't caught up with surgeries or patients, she was working hard on a research project. She had recently been appointed the new head of the research team after the previous leader suddenly quit.
It was Seojin's habit to update Minci on her hospital life whenever she could, but Minci never mentioned anything about her work at the hospital. Seojin wasn't bothered by this; she understood the research project was confidential, so she respected Minci's professionalism and didn't push her for details.
Then, the day for the 5 GANG fan meeting came around. Seojin had almost forgotten about it, but Minci reminded her. She came to Seojin's room first thing in the morning, only to find Seojin getting ready to head to the hospital theater for surgery.
"What are you doing?" Minci asked.
"Can't you see? I have surgery in 15 minutes," Seojin replied.
"But you promised you'd come to the fan meeting with me!" Minci said, clearly annoyed.
"What fan meeting? Ah, is it today?" Seojin asked, only just realizing what Minci meant.
Minci was clearly displeased, and her frustration was written all over her face.
"Listen, I told you I wouldn't be able to come. Remember? Also, how did you manage to get the director to grant you leave? He's always so difficult about it," Seojin added.
"It wasn't that hard, actually. I just told him I wanted a day off, and he said Okay," Minci said, her pride shining through.
"Good for you," Seojin muttered, barely paying attention.
"Well then, give me your book," Minci said, eager to move on.
"What book?" Seojin asked, confused.
"The one you're getting autographs for!" Minci clarified.
"Oh crap! You should've told me earlier. I didn't bring it with me," Seojin replied, realizing her mistake.
"Don't worry, I'll pick it up on my way to the fan meeting. The password to your apartment is your birthday, right?" Minci asked.
"Yeah, the book is purple with a hardcover. It should be on my table in the dressing room. It won't be hard to find," Seojin said.
"Got it!" Minci replied, leaving for the fan meeting. Seojin, on the other hand, left for her surgery.
***************************************
Meanwhile, the 5- GANG members were getting ready for their much-anticipated fan meeting. The atmosphere in the dressing room buzzed with energy and tension. Staff members moved quickly in all directions, making last-minute adjustments and ensuring that everything was as perfect as possible. It was, after all, their first fan meeting in three years. Although none of the members showed it outwardly, a sense of nervous anticipation lingered in the air.
Once their makeup was done and they had changed into their stage outfits, the boys remained in the dressing room, waiting for their cue. They passed the time chatting about various things to distract themselves from the excitement building up outside. But the tone of the conversation shifted when Il-Soo suddenly brought up Kim Tae-Ha's condition.
"Hyung, are you okay?" Il-Soo asked, casually leaning against the door, casting a quick glance down the hallway as if to check whether anyone was listening in.
"Why wouldn't I be okay?" Tae-Ha replied in a cool, dismissive tone, clearly uninterested in the concern.
Il-Soo hesitated, then said, "The thing is, since we'll be in front of the public soon, I think you should be more careful about your health."
Tae-Ha immediately caught the meaning behind Il-Soo's words, even though he had chosen to be indirect. The vagueness irritated him more than the concern itself. With a quiet sigh, Tae-Ha stood up from the couch he had been sitting on and looked directly at Il-Soo.
"Haven't I warned you guys not to worry about those things?" he said firmly, raising his hand to signal the rest of the group into silence.
The room fell quiet at once, though confusion was written across their faces.
"Get ready. Our manager is on his way to get us," Tae-Ha added, his tone steady.
His cryptic remark deepened the confusion among the members, just as the dressing room door suddenly burst open. Il-Soo, who had been leaning against it, stumbled forward with a startled yelp, landing a few steps inside the room.
Soo hyun, Woohyun, and Eunsang gasped simultaneously, while Tae-Ha, oddly composed, appeared completely unfazed, as if he had expected the interruption.
"What the hell are you boys doing?" their manager bellowed, glaring at the room. "We don't have time for this. Come with me. The meeting is about to start!"
"Yes, boss," Il-Soo muttered sheepishly as he pushed himself off the floor and returned to his seat.
"What are you waiting for? Follow me!" the manager barked before spinning around and heading down the hallway.
As the boys followed, Eunsang glanced at Tae-Ha, who was helping Il-Soo adjust a part of his costume.
"Hyung, how did you know Minhyuk hyung was coming?" he asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.
Eunsang, being the youngest member, often found himself at the center of playful teasing, and his innocent expression only made it easier. Tae-Ha burst into laughter at the maknae's clueless reaction. Wrapping an arm around Eunsang's shoulder, Tae-Ha gave his ear a playful squeeze, prompting even more laughter from the rest of the group.
When the 5- GANG members finally stepped onto the stage, the audience erupted. The fans, mostly girls, screamed and shouted their idols' names in sweet, excited voices that blended into a loud, chaotic harmony. The energy was electric, and from the very beginning, it was clear the event was going to be a huge success.
The members took their seats behind a long table, each with a stool placed in front of them for fans to sit on during the meet-and-greet. The moment the event started, the boys were fully engaged; smiling, talking, and signing nonstop. They barely had time to lift their heads as they greeted fan after fan who had waited so long to see them.
Gifts poured in endlessly, and the 5-GANG members accepted them all warmly, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love. Among the sea of enthusiastic fans was Minci, who had also been waiting patiently, more than two hours had passed before it was finally her turn.
Minci first met Il-Soo, the group's leader and her bias. She received his autograph and even snapped a cute selfie with him. Then she met Eunsang, Soo Hyun, and WooHyun. At last, she reached Kim Tae-Ha.
She took a seat on the stool in front of him, placing her autograph book on the table, alongside another book. Seeing her, Tae-Ha gave her a warm smile, and Minci returned it with one of her own. Tae-Ha casually picked up Minci's book, flipped to an empty page, and signed it with his marker. Then, he looked up at her.
"Should I sign this book as well?" he asked, picking up the second one.
"Ah, of course. Actually, it's not mine. It's my friend's book. She also wanted to come today, but she was busy with her hospital shift," Minci explained.
"Ah, I see," Tae-Ha nodded lightly and opened the book, signing his name on an empty page.
"Can you write down her name as well?"
"Yeah, sure. What's her name?"
"Kang Seo-Jin."