The last couple days have been fairly uneventful. Well, at least compared to going to Kim Taehyung's house and meeting most of BTS. As much as I have just wanted to chat with V, I have been endlessly preparing for my first day teaching! I swear the school will never run out of papers for me to fill out and sign. But all is well. I am super excited to meet the kids (they are all fifth graders) and find out what it is really like. On the flip side, I am also incredibly nervous- maybe even more nervous than meeting V. I guess I am nervous in a different way, though. Then again, if I can do that, I can do anything.

It's finally the big day, so I got up early this morning to go for a run, shower, meditate to calm my nerves and eat a good breakfast. Now, it's time to head off to the school! Since it's only a couple of blocks, I grab my keys and school bag and head outside to walk over. It's a beautiful day which I am taking as a good sign. It's warm but there are a few perfect puffy clouds in the sky keeping the intense sun at bay. I'm happy. As I approach the school, I take deep breaths, straighten my outfit and walk inside. When I first arrived, I came here for a tour, to meet my supervisors and coworkers, and to get rolling on paperwork.

The outside is a little dated, but the inside is very clean and recently re-done so it's very nice. I walk to my designated classroom after checking in and find my first group of six students has already arrived. During regular school hours, I teach six students at a time to allow for easier English immersion. Each class period, I get so see six new kids. Then after school, I will be holding the first play practice for the English-immersion theater program. I walk in and smile at my students. Half smile back, two whisper to each other, and one little boy sits behind them, frowning. He must be nervous. I wish he had a friend in the class.

"Good morning, students." I say in Korean. I want to ease into it a little and introduce myself since they are so young. They all greet me formally in a uniform manner. This is soooo not America.

"I am very excited to teach you English this year. I hope you are excited to learn. Please look forward to having fun here and learning a lot. My name is Ms. Mia. What are your names?" I ask. They introduce themselves one by one until it reaches the shy little boy in the back. He stays silent, his head resting on his arms which are crossed on the desk in front of him.

"What's your name, sweetie?" I ask again. He frowns further, but then offers a very quiet reply.

"My name is Kwan Jae-geun." He replies.

"Well it's very nice to meet you, Kwan Jae-geun. And all the rest of you too. Shall we get started on the lesson?" They all nod sweetly except Jae-geun and I begin my lesson. All six of them listen very well and pick up the pronunciation very well. It's great teaching kids because they learn so quickly. I wish I had learned a language at their age. After the lesson, we all clean up the room together to prepare for the next class, but Jae-geun lingers as the others leave promptly.

"I am very glad you came to my class today, Kwan Jae-geun. I hope you will come again and we can become friends. Do you want me to walk you to your next class?" I ask. He shakes his head adamantly. I am surprised he responds so strongly. It must be because the other kids are gone. "Okay, well I hope you have a great first day. Fighting!" I say, trying to encourage him. I used to be as shy as he is. It's not easy. I watch as he walks away and greet the next six students as they walk in. All the students are great, but I have to admit Jae-geun is my favorite. By the end of the day, I am tired but satisfied with how well the lessons went. On to theater practice day one!

Basically, any student who wants to take part can join in. This performance is not about talent or aptitude, it's mostly about English immersion in a creative way. Most of the students here have parents who want their child to have extra practice in order to learn English faster. There are about fifteen students when I show up to the auditorium and I am pleased. That amount will be great. Since it is more of a show than an actual linear play, this will be enough students to carry it off but not too many that it turns to chaos.

"Hey everyone! If you don't know me, my name is Ms. Mia and I will be coordinating this program. I am a native English speaker from Moab, Utah in the United States of America. I have a degree in Theater, so I am very excited to share my passion with you. Shall we get started?" I ask and the students cheer. Well, all except one. Kwan Jae-Geun in the back. I smile. Hopefully he sticks around. Theater helped me overcome my shyness. Maybe I can repay the favor. We go over the show's concept, do some low key auditions and play games. Mostly I am observing to see who will fit best where in the show and also just teach the terms they will need to navigate the rehearsals, warm ups, and games. As the kids leave, I high five every single one of them. I give Jae-geun an extra smile and wave as he leaves with his dad. He smiles back and my heart is full. Then, I grab my stuff and head home for the evening.

I check my phone and see a text from V waiting for me. "How was your first day?" He asks. I can't believe he took the time and remembered.

"It was wonderful. I am so excited and encouraged." He replies a few minutes later with a single smiley face. I am not sure what to say after that, so I decide to hop in a relaxing bath. While the water runs, I add a generous pour of my favorite bubble bath and breathe in the scent of tangerine spice. Immediately, I'm more relaxed. I shake out my neat braid and pul my hair up so it's out of my way, Lastly, I put on some calm music in the background and let myself relax into the water. I may or may not also give myself a bubble beard.

Once I am thoroughly relaxed, I get out reluctantly and french braid my hair for bedtime. However, once I get into bed I can't sleep. Well, I could lay here and stare at the wall…. Or I could do something productive for a little while. So, I get back up and head over to my kitchen where I prepare a cup of tea and then set out the bag of painting supplies from V. Just looking at it, I can tell all of it is very expensive and high end. I don't think I am a bad painter, but I certainly don't feel like I can live up to these supplies. Nonetheless, I take a look at my blank canvas and dig deep for some inspiration.

The brushstrokes come naturally after that, slowly coming together to form the picture in my head. After not practicing in so long, it comes together better than I expect. I step away a few hours later, definitely tired, and grin. It's good enough I might even share it. Then again, it's a painting of V… so the thought of him seeing it makes me a little shy in a way it wouldn't if I was simply a fan going to a concert or fanmeet. Somehow, I am straddling painting V as a fan who appreciates him as a member of BTS and the emerging feelings I have for him in real life as just a human being. All these contradictions (and likely my overwhelming tiredness) cause a few tears to slide down my cheeks. I wipe them away and clean up quickly so I can go to bed. Sleep will help.

In the morning, I get ready and then stand in front of my painting with my mug of coffee, evaluating. There are a few slight changes I make before I head to work. Sometimes, inspiration just hits you at the right moment, though. With sleep and coffee in me, I gain the courage to text V. "I may have painted you something... " I say. As soon as I hit send, I regret it. Waiting for replies and sharing things that I make are not my strong suits. In fact, both of those things make me more nervous than anything. Sitting by strangers at movies? Sure. Playing my music in the car with other people? Nope. Sharing a poem I wrote? Nope. So, with that, I leave for a new day of teaching.

The morning passes fairly uneventfully. With actual lessons beginning, I decide to spend the second day seriously digging in to some English basics and greetings. The faster I can teach some groundwork, the farther we will get over the year. Kwan Jae-Geun is a little brighter this morning. His back is straight in his chair and he participates more genuinely. It makes my chest swell up with happiness. In fact, it even makes me put more energy and effort into my teaching. I wish I had theater practice tonight, but it's only on Mondays and Wednesdays. Oh well, it's something to look forward to tomorrow. I high five everyone as they leave class and by three o'clock I am heading home to scrounge up something to eat. Before I can, my phone buzzes. It's my mom.

"Hello?" I answer. It's strange to speak English again.

"Mia! How are you? I haven't heard hardly anything from you since you landed!" She said, a bit too excited. Still, it's always nice to hear from your mom.

"Oh, Mom. If only I could tell you how wonderful it is. I don't even know where to start." I start with meeting V and move on to tell her about school. Both are so exciting in different ways, but I still know teaching is more likely to last so I talk it up more. I tell her everything for about an hour while I have some tea and finally get her to hang up and trust that everything is fine. By then, I am very hungry. But once again, I am interrupted in my food search by a familiar buzz. Oh, mom. But it's not mom. It's V. I have trouble swallowing for a second.

"Hello?" I say in English, then correct myself. "Annyeonghaseyo." I say instead. I can hear him laugh lightly on the other end.

"I know what hello means." He says.

"Right. Yeah, I just have to stay in the habit of speaking Korean. I don't want to forget what I've learned." I say.

"How are you?" He says. It's such a simple question that I have been asked a million times, but it sounds so sweet and caring coming from Tae. I smile.

"I'm absolutely wonderful." I say, biting my lip.

"Good. Now, I heard you have something for me." He says. Oh no. I totally forgot about the painting. I flush instantly.

"Oh, oh yeah. That's right. I do." I reply stiffly. "I mean, I didn't say it was good but it's something." I swallow thickly again.

"Well, can I see it?" He asks. I furrow my brow.

"Well, yeah. I mean, sure, sometime." I say.

"No, I mean, can I see it now?" He asks.

"I don't understand." I say.

"Open your door." He says. I freeze. No way. Still, I make my way over to my door and open it up. Sure enough, Kim Taehyung is standing right there. My jaw drops and I hang up my phone.

"When did you get here?" I ask, gesturing him inside. Good thing I tidied up this morning.

"Just a couple minutes ago. I wanted to walk along the Han River. Will you go with me?" He asks. I nod simply.

"Of course I will. Have you eaten, though? I am starving." I admit. My stomach growls. He smiles wide.

"Yes, I've eaten, but I don't mind. I'll sit with you while you eat." He says. Gulp. Talk about nerve-wracking. "But first, where is this infamous painting you have for me?" He asks.

"Okay, I am not an artist by any means. I didn't even take any art classes. And honestly, I kind of regret saying anything to you because I didn't want to just come off as another fangirl who paints pictures of you but here we are. It's over on the kitchen table." I lead the way over and watch as he takes it in. His hair is back to a natural dark brown and he is wearing a simple all black outfit with a mask. Right now it's pulled down on his neck. Slowly, a smile emerges. It's not like the other smiles. It's shy and sweet.

"Wow, Mia." He turns toward me and grabs my hand. "You painted this? It's incredible. I'm not just saying that to compliment you, it's amazing." He says. I am so overwhelmed I can't meet his eyes.

"I'm really glad I met you. Not just as a fan, though I am grateful in that way too. But it's honestly just nice to make a friend so soon after moving here. I am a long way from home. Thank you for hanging out with me, Taehyung." I say. I know it's maybe too soon, but I can't help it. Tears fall down my cheeks and I hug Taehyung. He seems stiff and surprised at first, but then slowly relaxes and hugs me in return. He even smooths the hair on the back of my head to comfort me. After a couple minutes, we pull away and I dry my tears.

"Thank you." I reiterate. "You're a good friend, Taehyung." I say, smiling. He smiles back.

"You're welcome, Mia. Now let's go get some food. May I have the painting you made?" He asks. I nod and hand it to him. Then I quickly grab a jacket and my purse and get in the car with V. We chat casually as we drive. When we arrive, I am astounded. The Han River is so beautiful, especially juxtaposed with the bustling metropolis of Seoul. I watch as it flows calmly among the skyscrapers. Tae looks at me knowingly.

"It makes me happy too." He says. We walk for a bit along the rail until he runs off suddenly, telling me to stay put. A couple minutes later, he returns with several varieties of steaming street food in his hands. My stomach growls again from the wonderful smell. My eyes light up.

"Thank you! Oh my gosh, it all smells so good." We sit on the concrete steps and watch the river as I eat. I can feel V watch me eat occasionally, stuffing my face with all the yummy food he bought me. Is it weird that he seems proud? That's not the usual reaction to eating so much in America, but I'm not complaining. I finish up and thank him again. By now, it's getting chilly outside, so I snuggle into my jacket as we sit and chat. V tells me about his favorite moments going abroad. I gain the courage to lean on his shoulder, hoping to steal some heat from him. I didn't think Korea would be this cold. After all, I spent a whole year in Alaska. But I suppose it's all relative. He chuckles at my boldness, but thankfully pulls me closer and keeps his arm around me as we talk. When he pauses, I interject.

"I didn't expect to feel so comfortable around you so soon." I say. "But you make me feel… right." I blush as I say.

"You make me comfortable too. I never thought I could trust someone so quickly after being in BTS, and maybe I shouldn't. But I also didn't think anyone could be weirder than I am." He jokes. I give him a slight push in protest, but he holds me tight against him. I don't resist again.

"I'd disagree but you're totally right." We both laugh, looking at the beautiful river before us. I never want this moment to end.