That Saturday, during the final concert in Fukuoka, Alex and Ji-Hoon decided to head out to the local food stands. They had both been so busy on their own time with edits, that they hadn't had much time to hang out together in the last couple of weeks. 

When they arrived Ji-Hoon took a deep breath in and exhaled, "The smells are amazing! What do you want to try first?"

Alex craned her neck to see down the long line of food stands. There were so many to choose from! Luckily, she had already made a list of some stands she wanted to try. "For sure we need to start with yakitori."

They headed to the first stand and placed their order. When their food came out, Alex's mouth started watering. They each had 3 grilled chicken skewers. It was the best thing she could remember eating since they had started traveling. 

The next stand served them Hakata Ramen, a local favorite of thin noodles in a pork bone based soup. They ate their noodles in silence while watching people pass by. Ji-Hoon was watching Alex as she idly played with her noodles.

"Do you want a drink?"

Alex looked over at Ji-Hoon and rolled her eyes, "Why, do you have a scheme to get me drunk again?"

He laughed and shook his head, "No, you just look like you need a drink. What's on your mind? You've been pretty quiet all night."

Alex pushed her noodles around with her chopsticks, she shrugged her shoulders, "Nothing really. Just work stuff I guess."

Ji-Hoon narrowed his eyes at her, "I know you better than that by now. Spill it."

Alex cringed, she wasn't sure if she should tell Ji-Hoon about her feelings for Yoongi. She didn't want to come off as unprofessional, but Ji-Hoon had confided a lot in her and never seemed to judge her about anything they had talked about before. 

"Well, there is something else I guess." She took a deep breath and let it all out. "You know that Yoongi and I went to that basketball game the other night. We had a really good time. Then at the end of the night . . . . " She trailed off wondering how to continue. "Let's just say that I'm pretty sure Yoongi confirmed for me that he likes me."

Ji-Hoon smiled at her, "Well that's great, you both like each other, what's wrong with that?"

"Ji-Hoon, he's a part of BTS! I'm just . . . . me. Where could this possibly go? When the filming is done, I'll go my way and he'll go his. I feel like I'm just setting myself up for heartbreak."

He pushed his noodles around a bit while considering what to say next. "Alex, this isn't some teenage spring break at the beach. You both are adults, currently spending a year together. You can't always assume the worst just because it may not be the ideal situation. Remember, Yoongi is not the type to act without thinking things through. If he has treated you in a way to let you know he likes you, then that means you are different and matter to him."

Alex considered that for a moment, "I know, I just worry about what happens in the end, when it's time to say goodbye."

"Who says there has to be a goodbye? You never know what is going to happen. Instead of preparing for the worst, why not focus on the now and enjoy all the good things that are happening?"

Even though Alex knew he was right, her anxiety about the future still kept her from believing that something good might possibly be happening for her in the relationship department. Most of her life, she was let down when it came to men. She promised herself after her last relationship that she would never let a man take more from her than he gave. She had put a wall around her heart since then. It wouldn't be easy to break it down unless that person had the patience and ability to find the key.

Was she falling for Yoongi? Of course, he made it hard not to. But, he didn't know the ins and outs of her yet. She wanted someone to really know her, all of her. If Yoongi took the time and accomplished that, then there was no way she could keep that wall around her heart up. 

Ji-Hoon broke her train of thought, "I'll say this, because you are my friend and you deserve honesty. If you two start dating, it won't be easy. There will be hurdles to jump through, both personally and publicly. There will be tough decisions ahead that both of you will need to consider. However, with what I've seen between the two of you, I think you both care more for each other than either of you have admitted. Once you two come to realize that, you both may finally open up and allow yourselves to be happy."

Alex smiled, she appreciated his honesty. Ji-Hoon was very observant, and had a way with figuring people out. HIs words actually comforted her, grounded her. She pushed all of her negative thoughts out and decided not to worry any more that night. 

"You're right, I need to quit jumping too far ahead. One day at a time." She grabbed her purse. "Ready to go?"

He nodded his head. They headed out toward some market stands near by. It was Saturday night and the place was packed with tourists. Ji-Hoon found some trinkets to take back home to his mother and father. Alex found a scarf and a pair of sandals she knew her mom would love. She was walking by one of the last stands when she saw a table full of miniature Buddha figurines, all with different fascial expressions and poses. Some of them reminded her of the guys. She picked one out for each of them that suited their personalities. A smiling Buddha for J-Hope, a menacing one for Jimin. The one she picked out for Yoongi made her laugh, sitting with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. It was perfect for him. 

When they got back to the hotel, Alex thanked Ji-Hoon for helping to clear her head, and they went to their separate rooms. Alex put away her purchases, trying to think of a good time to give the guys their figurines. By now the concert was over, and they should be heading back to the hotel. She went through her phone and was uploading pictures to her Instagram. Not even thirty seconds later she got a text message.

Noona, are you still awake?

We missed you at the concert! 

Come to the suite, we are ordering food!

LOL, yes I'm still awake, and I'll come down, I got all of you a surprise!

Alex figured it was a good time to give them the figurines to finish out the end of their Japan tour and they seemed to be in good spirits tonight. She had to admit she was feeling a little guilty for missing the concert that night, but filming was done for that week, and she had needed a small break from the concert scene. Sometimes it could be overwhelming, and a part of her needed to recharge her energy from all of the crowds.

She grabbed the bag and headed down to the suite. She wondered how Yoongi would be since they hadn't seen each other after last night. Since all of the guys would be around she figured he would stay chill and just play everything like nothing had happened. It was probably for the best. She was still unsure of where they stood, and it wasn't like they were official or anything. She was going to have to keep her cool and follow his lead.