Okay, here's the hard part: how am I supposed to live my normal life and refrain from texting V every five minutes? Honestly, he's probably already moved on. No, I don't think he's forgotten about me like all those romance stories about celebrities. But even if he had fun yesterday and was intrigued, he has to be too busy. And he can have almost any girl he wants. There are perfectly toned, immaculately styled, uber-talented kpop stars out there just waiting to date him. Besides, it's clear that BTS isn't allowed to date or look like they're dating. And dating is a jump ahead from where we were yesterday, anyway. Wow, Mia. Calm yourself.
To take a break from my incessant flow of thoughts, I jump in a hot shower. It doesn't slow the thoughts but it adds some relaxing hot water, at least. Then, I climb out and take my time getting ready, even picking out a face mask to do while I do my hair. It's a paper mask that is bright gold. I look like the world's strangest Egyptian sarcophagus. My bright red hair breaks that illusion. Today, I let it dry to its natural straight texture and leave it be. I skip the makeup all together and put on some sturdy high waisted jeans with a simple white t-shirt tucked in. To top it off I put on converse but pack my hiking boots. On today's menu is Achasan Mountain. Nothing like a good hike to refocus.
I take the bus most of the way there and a taxi the rest of the way. It takes a good couple hours, but by the time I arrive, I have saved a lot by taking my time. On the bus, I listened to an audiobook on the Korean War. Although I have done tons of research, it never hurts to learn more. I also listened to the conversations around me for part of the time. Yes, I know that is eavesdropping. But I have to keep up on my language listening skills. I think I understood pretty well.
With one final check for text messages, I sigh and turn off my phone. I have one rule and one rule only for hiking days: my cell phone stays off until I return to the base of the mountain. I used to listen to music or answer the occasional text while hiking, but I realized it didn't matter to me after a while. Besides, really listening to the nature around me is so rewarding. Plus, if I keep out my headphones, I may be able to talk to some locals and practice my korean. But what if V texts me while I am hiking? Well, I doubt it. And if he does, even V from BTS can wait a few hours. With that, I head up the first hill.
The day is clear and bright, but overcast. That's my favorite kind of day. It's warm and scenic without being too hot or too cold. The twigs and leaves crunch under my boots and I can hear the cicadas chirping all around me. It's nothing compared to the mountains I hiked in Alaska one summer, but it sure is beautiful. And a nice break from the intensely urban feeling of Seoul. I can already tell I'll be coming here a lot. At the peak, I stop and rest for a while. Instead of packing a whole meal, I just brought a granola bar and my water bottle. While I watch the trees flutter in the breeze, I eat my snack and think of all the great food I can eat when I get back down to civilization. For about twenty minutes, I just sit there and think. A couple people greet me and I greet them in return, but mostly I just take it in. However, my grumbling stomach becomes impossible to ignore, so I start my slow descent.
The path down is even more beautiful as I say goodbye to the lovely trees and tiny wildflowers around me. It'll be a hot minute before I get to come back. At the base of the mountain, I look up at what I just climbed and don't even want to turn my phone on. Nonetheless, I do. I know my family probably contacted me and are waiting. It starts up to show I have missed three messages. Two from my mom and one from my brother. I smile. Knew it. As I wait for a taxi, I reply to them. My mom ends up calling, so I chat with her while I sit in the car. At this point, I am tired and want a shower, so I just take the cab all the way home. Once there, I hop in the shower and get changed to go get some dinner. My hair goes up in a bun and I put on some black leggings and an oversized sweater.
It takes me five minutes to walk to a nearby restaurant that I have already been to once on my first night. They make the most delicious soup dumplings. My stomach growls as I wait for them to make my order. Just as my food is coming out, my phone starts to ring in my pocket. When I pull it out, V's contact is on my screen. I don't even want to know the face I am making as I try to collect myself and answer it. My stomach growls again as my food is set down in front of me and I swipe to pick up the call.
"Hello?" I say, tentatively. Another loud growl from my stomach.
"Hello, Mia." V says in English. Oh my god that was adorable. "Where are you?" He asks. I gulp.
"I am at a restaurant near my house, about to eat dinner." I say.
"Oh, I was going to invite you to dinner. Hm… Well, what are you doing tonight?" He asks. I'M NOT FREAKING OUT AT ALL, THIS IS FINE.
"I was just going to go over some lesson plans, why?" I ask. CASUAL.
"Lesson plans?" He asks in a quiet, sexy voice. Who knew someone could make 'lesson plans' sound sexy?!
"Uh, yeah. I moved to Korea to teach English as a second language." I explain.
"Oh, wow! You can teach me!" He said. I laugh.
"I can try!" I say. "I mean… not that you would be hard to teach or not understand or anything… I only meant it about me. Like, I can try but I am pretty new. And I don't want to be conceited or anything…" I say. Well. I was doing just fine. Thankfully, V laughs on the other end of the line.
"I'm sure you're a great teacher. Anyone who can sit by a stranger at the movie theater can teach English." He says.
"Thank you." I say bashfully.
"Well, since you are having dinner now, do you want to come over to our house tonight? I understand if that is too much, but I can't really go in public that often. I already got in trouble for yesterday." He says. I gulp. My stomach growls yet again.
"Uh, yeah sure. What time?" I might faint. Either from hunger or nerves, whichever comes first.
"How about in an hour? We are going to eat here and then I will send a car to your place to get you." He says, like that is a normal thing.
"O-okay. See you then." I say. We hang up, and I proceed to shovel some very hot dumplings into my mouth. The shop owner looks a little alarmed, so I just give her a thumbs up. As quickly as I can, I finish up and leave money on the table. Then I dash back to my place and look at myself in the mirror like a frightened cat. Taking my hair down is just not an option. It'll be a mess. Instead, I throw on some light makeup and perfume. Thank god I did a facemask today. BTS has the best skin in the world, I don't want to look atrocious.
Next, I pull off my casual clothes and opt for a nice yellow dress with flowers. It hugs my curves in all the right places, but isn't immodest. This way, I look nice without giving the wrong impression, especially as a foreigner. I throw on my best nude pumps and call it good. I figure in this case it's better to be overdressed than underdressed. BTS appears fairly laid back, but their pricetags are no joke. Last, I set out my nice gray trench coat and transfer my things into my purple Marc Jacobs bag. With that, I am ready to go- and just in time. I see the sleek black car pull up just as I am finished.
When I get in, the car is empty. I can't make up my mind whether it is more or less intimidating to not have V in the car waiting for me. The whole way there, I have to remind myself that V and the members are just human beings at the end of the day. They eat, sleep and put on their pants one leg at a time just like me. When we approach the gates of their apartment, though, it's hard to feel that way. To say the least, this place is massive. Every plant is perfectly sculpted and I feel like an imposter who doesn't belong. Even my nicest clothes feel too shabby. Stop it, Mia. You are good enough for anyone. If you don't fit in here, it's okay. After all, V is just one person. Just enjoy the moment. I have to remind myself who I am and suddenly, I don't feel as nervous. The car stops and the driver walks me to the correct place. But then, I am left standing there as I hear the doorbell reverberate inside. Gulp. No going back now.
Then the door opens. V stands there, looking casually flawless in all Gucci with a shining smile upon his face. "Mia!" You made it. He says. At this point, an American would offer a hug, but V doesn't so I have to fight my awkward feelings.
"Well, all I had to do was get in the car and ride here. It would be hard not to make it." I joke. He laughs (again, thankfully).
"Yes, but thank you for coming on short notice. It's one of our rare evenings off. Suga is busy and Jungkook is out of town to see his family, but everyone else is here." He says. I nod respectfully and walk with him as he leads me inside. I take off my shoes at the door, and he offers me some slippers. Normally, I would decline, but the tile floor is very cold. I laugh at how they look paired with my dress.
"You look very nice." He says in English.
"Your pronunciation is very good." I say, turning the compliment on him to hide my awkwardness.
"Thank you! I have been practicing." He beams. At this point, we have entered to main room of the house. On the couch sit four more BTS members, almost as dazzling as V. As we approach, they all look up. Rm walks over to shake my hand.
"Taehyung told us about your encounter at the movies yesterday. From your habits, I expected you to be weirder." He says. I laugh at his honesty.
"Well, you haven't gotten to know me yet. Maybe you'll change your mind." I reply. I'm only half joking. Jimin comes over next, followed by Jin and J-hope.
"It's very nice to meet you, Mia." Jimin says respectfully, bowing. I forget how formal he can be sometimes, because he is so open around the other members.
"Hi, Mia. I'm Jin. V made us very excited to meet you." He says. "Even though you only met yesterday. I hope you will feel comfortable here." I smile.
"Thank you, that is very kind." I say. J-hope steps forward a little.
"Hello, Mia. I'm J-hope. Wow, your korean is very good. It almost sounds authentic." He says. I have to admit, that makes me proud.
"Ah, thank you so much. I have studied hard the last two years. It's an honor to meet you all. I have been a fan for a while. Thank you for inviting me to your home." I say.
"Do you want to watch a show with us?" V offers. "It's not the most exciting idea, but we were already beginning a new series." He explains. I smile and nod.
"Yeah, what show?" I ask.
"Goblin: The Great and Lonely God." He says. Yes, it's one of my favorites.
"I love that show!" I exclaim. They all laugh at my enthusiasm.
"Great, take a seat wherever you like." V says. I regret the dress a little, but I think it made the right impression. But man, what I wouldn't give for a pair of sweatpants to watch this show in right now. I take the seat farthest from the other four guys, a little single chair to the left of the two big couches they share. I think this makes the guys more comfortable too. During the show, they ask me questions about myself which I gladly answer. For the most part, V sits quietly, listening intently. RM starts by asking me why I came to Korea.
"I would like to tell you I have a great reason, but I honestly just think I needed a change. I have always been interested in travel and I don't know anyone who has been to Korea from back home. And the more I learned the language and culture, the more beautiful it became." I say. Jin asks a follow up question.
"So what do you do for a living here? Do you have a degree or something?" He asks.
"I majored in English and Theater back in America and somehow I was lucky enough to find a job here that wants me to use both of those things. There is a children's private school here in Seoul where I will be teaching English as a second language and helping with an English immersion theater program as well. It's kind of a miracle that I found a job that's so perfect for what I want, so I am very excited to start." I explain. Many people would just smile and nod while listening to me go on about my new job, but the five members of BTS who were here seem genuinely interested. V in particular does, which is a relief. I always felt a connection to him, but I think we will actually have plenty to talk about. Thank goodness.
"That sounds really interesting. I wish I had gotten to do that as a kid. I would probably know English." V says. I smile.
"I wish I could've done the same for Korean or another second language. But I am glad I can take part in it now." I reply, trying not to linger too long on V's face. He makes it hard though, keeping direct eye contact with me. Dang, that boy is intimidating.
"What are some of your hobbies?" He asks, forcing me to look back at him.
"Well, I love to sing. I was good enough to get through theater school, but I'm not Jimin, Jungkook, V, or Jin." I say, winking at Jimin as I pause. They all laugh in the cutest ways but also seem very happy to hear it. V does that laugh where he keeps his mouth totally open and closes his eyes, Jimin giggles while covering the bottom half of his face, and Jin's shoulders move up and down repeatedly as he reacts. RM and J-hope also laugh along. "Buuuut I still love it. I also love painting. I used to help paint the sets for our productions in college. And I love reading and hiking." I say.
"Wow, you have a lot of talents!" V says enthusiastically. "Who is your favorite artist?" I smile. This is one of the reasons I first noticed V.
"Well, I don't know if Van Gogh is still your favorite, but he is certainly mine…" I say, coy. His face instantly brightens.
"Really?!" He asks.
"Yeah, when I was twelve, I took a trip to Paris with my parents and we went to the Louvre. Ever since I saw his paintings there, I have loved him. His paintings really speak to me." I say. He nods along with what I say.
"When is the last time you painted something?" He asks.
"Uhm… a couple years ago now. I only did acting my senior year and I didn't have time to do any personal painting." I say. V stands up suddenly, excited. I flinch a little. His other members just shake their heads and laugh. Clearly they're used to this.
"I have everything you need to paint and I never use it. Do you want to have some?" He asks. I freeze for a moment then recover.
"Oh no, no. That's okay, I can get my own." I say, modest.
"No, please! I insist. Follow me." He says then takes off down the hall immediately. Jimin and RM laugh. I laugh with them and give them a knowing look, then get up to follow V down the hallway. Luckily, I can hear him humming in a far off room so I follow the noise. He stands inside a slightly messy storage room with tons of different boxes. He rummages through a large yellow box and pulls out a bag full of expensive looking paint, brushes, and canvases.
"Here, these paints are my favorite. I use them occasionally but honestly I'm not very good. You should use them." He says, pulling out a midnight blue color. He intends to smear a little bit on a nearby canvas collecting dust, half finished. Instead, as he squeezes the tube to gather the paint to the end, his hand slips on the oil paint residue on the outside and a moment later I have midnight blue paint splattered all over my hair and face. V looks super guilty and shocked. I laugh.
"Well. On the bright side, I shielded the wall. Blue paint on white walls aren't the greatest." I say. He doesn't laugh, clearly concerned.
"I am so sorry! Let me get you a towel." He says, starting to run out of the room.
"I don't think that's gonna help with oil paint." I say. He stops to think.
"You're right. You should shower. Uhm. Hold on, I'll be right back." He says, darting toward the living room. I just laugh. What can you do? A couple minutes later, V comes back. "Okay, follow me. You can use my shower. Feel free to use whatever you need. I brought you a clean towel and here are some clothes. They'll be big on you but there's paint all over your dress." He frowns. "Ugh, your dress is ruined. I am so sorry. I can buy you a new one." He says, waiting in the doorway to his bathroom. I grab his hand without thinking. His eyes grow wide but he doesn't pull away.
"V. Should I call you that? Or do you prefer Taehyung?" I ask.
"Call me Taehyung. You know the real me, and that's my real name." He says. I smile.
"Taehyung. It's okay. It's just a dress. And just paint. I'll see you in a little bit after I shower, okay?" I say gently. I don't know where I got the courage to hold his hand and speak to him to directly, but it's wonderful. He smiles back shyly.
"Okay, Mia." He backs away as I close the door. As soon as it shuts, I lock it then lean against it beaming like in the movies. Then I hop in the shower and scrub off all the blue paint. I have to admit, I am excited to not be in a dress anymore and take off my makeup. The latter makes me a bit nervous around such famous celebrities. But again, they are just people. I remind myself that again. I use Tae's incredible smelling shower products and allow myself to take just an extra minute or two to soak in the hot water. My hair and skin feels healthier already from his high end products. I guess that's what being the biggest boy band in the world will get ya. Once I am sure all the blue is gone, I get out and curl up in the soft, oversized clothes V provided. I let my hair fall down, wet and natural. With that, I collect my dress and head downstairs.
They all wait patiently on the couches. V looks a little perturbed, but overall they look normal. They all smile when I come down the stairs.
"Glad V didn't stain you forever." Jimin teased, making V grumpier. I laugh it off.
"I've had worse. I do think I should get home, though. It's almost midnight. Thank you so much for inviting me to your home. It's been an honor to meet you all and I hope I will get to see you more. You're all so kind and welcoming. Thank you." I say, bowing. They all bow in return.
"It was lovely to meet you. I can't wait to hear how your first day goes." RM says. V walks over to me with a large collected bag of what I assume is paint supplies.
"I'll ride with you home." He offers, ushering me down the hall. His hand on the small of my back is electrifying. I wonder if he feels the same energy, with his hand tangled in my clean hair. Without a word, we walk out to the car, where he opens the door for me and sits across from me again as we pull away from the curb.
"I'm sorry again for your dress." He says, his eyes darkening.
"Don't be. I had a great time. And my hair is going to smell great for weeks now." I say. His face lightens up a little. After hesitating, he moves to the seat next to me and leans in.
"Will you come over again some time? I really like getting to know you." He says. My heart skips a beat.
"Yes. I like to know you too, Taehyung." I say. With that, he leans back in the seat and looks out the window.
"You look great in my clothes by the way. And my shampoo smells better on you that it does on me." I blush hard. The fact that he notices how I look and smell drives me wild. I can't think of something to say, so I just smirk and keep my head down. He knows I am blushing, I can feel it. All too soon, we pull up to my place. He leans over me to open my door and I bite my lip from the electric physical contact. He knows what he is doing.
"I'll see you soon?" He asks as I step out. I nod in reply. "Good." Then he shuts the door and pulls away. Wow. Somehow, he has left me even more breathless than the first time.
