He laughed again before his gaze met mine. I tried to hide the surprise as quickly as I could, but I don't think I hid it fast enough.
"Ah," He smiled and moved his hand off my back. "Should I assume that little look of surprise means you know who I am?" He asked innocently enough. Of course I knew who he was! Big bang's Daesung! Born April 26th 1989, the second youngest member of Big Bang after Seungri, his Japanese stage name is D-Lite and he is known as 'The Smiling Angel'. OF COURSE I FREAKIN' KNOW WHO HE IS! But, but what was he doing in front of me? I didn't know he went to school, and HERE of all place.
AISH! But I digress; I don't need him knowing that I am such a big fan, because being a mega fangirl is just creepy. I mean these guys are people too. They don't need crazy fans following them everywhere and being over the top and in their faces right? I swore that if I ever met an idol that I would treat them like a normal person, because let's be honest, with all the insanity that all most of them ever want anyway. From the look on his face, I think he is waiting for me to answer.
"Oh, um…yeah, course I do. You're from that singing group Big Bang." I pulled away from his support only to realize that moving to fast was still a bad idea. "Woah…" I grabbed my head, and at the same time he grabbed my shoulders to steady me.
"Hey now, let's take it easy there Kim-sshi." I looked at him from the corner of my eye. Did he just call me by my first name? I think he realized it to. "Oh, uh…I mean Ridi-sshi. Hehe, sorry. I am just really used to Kim being a last name, and not a first." He looked away, seeming embarrassed. I laughed a little as I felt his hold loosen.
"Nah, it's okay. I'm really American remember? So being called by my first name is fine." He looked at me as though I had lost my mind. I laughed yet again. "Okay, how about this then. You can call me by my first name because….uh…you're my first friend?" I think I might have surprised him there.
"Me? Your friend? Your….. first friend?" He asked honestly.
"Yeah. Seeing as it is my first day and all, and I've only been here for about a week. I haven't really made many friends so far. And, well if that scene in the cafeteria had anything to do with predicting the future, looks like I won't be making very many." I sighed and let my head fall into my hands. Such stress, and on my first day too!
"Oh, yes, well first let me just say I would be happy to be your friend. You're one of the first Americans I have ever, befriended…and um about Park-sshi." He moved himself to face me. "Come, let's sit at the table and I'll explain what was going on there. I agreed and he helped me up and to a chair close to me. He leaned over and looked at me before sitting down himself. "Feeling better? Still dizzy or hurting anywhere?" I laughed a little.
"Eh, not really. Only a little bit of the dizzy feeling when I stand up or sit down, but at this point I was expecting that." He rolled his eyes at me and sighed. I think he is realizing that I am not one to like attention, or mention when I'm hurting. I tend to do better when I deal with it by myself. Trying to get him back on the original topic and off myself, I went on. "So, you are part of Big Bang right? And please tell me more about Park-sshi hating Americans? This has a story to go along with it?" I started worrying that I had overloaded him with my questions as I saw his eyes get big for a moment, but he handled it just fine. Course he handled it just fine! What am I SAYING? This is the same guy who is used to cameras and microphones being shoved in his face constantly. Fans and reporters alike screaming his name and trying to ask him questions all at the same time…Course he can handle my silly little questions.
"Well first, about myself…uh…well, my name is Daesung, Kang Daesung. I am seventeen, um…I guess sixteen in American years." I laughed at him trying to do the calculations as if there was some kind of major change between Korea and America besides the languages. "I's part of the Korean pop group Big Bang, managed by the YG Family…." He seemed as though he didn't know what to say about himself, and I found it utterly adorable!
AH! Kim, focus! He is talking to you and all you can think about is how cute he looks. Flustered or not, you need to A) get a grip, I men LOOK at you and LOOK at him. You, a fat, average American girl who's being bullied at her first day of school, and him…well he is a very good looking, rockin' bodied k-pop superstar with perfect skin and hair, not to mention the smile of a god and legions of adoring fans who would protect him to the death. Thanks mental me, making me feel great here. And B) He's is talking, you know better than to ignore someone when they are speaking to you, especially someone who saved your skin a few times today. Yeah, that second part makes more sense right now, even if they are both relevant.
"…Park-sshi." He finished whatever sentence he was saying as I came out of my mental argument with myself.
"I'm sorry what?" I asked him, blushing from embarrassment of having to ask him to repeat himself. He laughed, then spoke again.
"Oh boy, you're already reminding me of Jiyoon hyung and Choi hyung." He continued to laugh a bit more. "Sorry I mean G-Dragon and T.O.P., you know, two of the other members from Big Bang. Just the way you seem to drift off no matter what is going on, mentally talking to yourself I would assume." Dang this boy already knew me to well. "But yeah, what I was saying before. About Park-sshi. Her ex-boyfriend, his name was Thom Senwall, and he was American. In the middle of last school year, he left to return to America because his father's company decided to relocate, again. She was completely heartbroken since she was convinced he was 'the one'. And now any American she meets reminds her of him, man, woman, child, anything." I was beginning to understand. "It is nothing personal, just the simple fact you are American. Your best bet is to just stay away from her and not make friend with anyone in her group."
"Trust me, that is not an issue." I looked down at my uniform and then back up at him. "I think I got the point of what she was trying to tell me, and I don't think either of us plan on being buddy-buddy any time soon." I saw him smile and then look at my uniform. He sighed and got up.
"I may be able to help you with that a little bit" He walked over to an ornate looking cabinet, opened its door and disappeared behind it for a few moments. When he reappeared, in his hands he had a what looked like a large t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants. "Here, go put these on. They won't exactly fit you like your clothes do, but they should be good enough to get you home and washed up." He handed them to me as I surveyed the clothing. The t-shirt was a size large, and had the logo from their first music videos on it. You know, the two "B"s? One forward and one backwards. And the sweatpants, were a size large as well, and looked like they would probably fit me.
Oh thank Shishus for men's clothes! I thought, laughing at myself for making a Super Junior joke in front of a member of Big Bang. Whoops, wrong group! I tried to play this one as cool as I could.
"Um, this shirt? B, B?" I made the best confused look I could muster.
"Oh, um…yeah, you know. For Big Bang, my group. I have a ton of them since all the specialty shirts they make for us are made in multiples so we never have to worry about ruining one in concert or during a shoot, or having to wash it for the next day…you know…that kind of stuff" He is so adorable when he is trying to play things off as normal, only to realize normal for him is so not normal for the rest of us! Hahaha! Aw!
Kim! STOP! We are focusing! Do not, I repeat do NOT get pulled in! Right, focusing.
"Wow, um thank you! This means a lot to me….sunbae?" I realized I wasn't sure what to call him, so I tried the first thing I figured would work. I mean he might be a little younger than me, but he was higher up in general then me right?
"Please, hehe….Sunbae is so…formal! If I can call you Kim-sshi, then you can call me Daesung-sshi, or even use what the guys call me if you want to Dae-sshi." Wow, I think I have a new favorite name in the whole world. Dae-sshi, sounds like music to my ears. It just works so well!
"Oh…okay." I realized again how much it meant to be able to call him by his first name. "Um, then Dae-sshi…uhh…" It seemed to weird, after all, I had been taught for so long to always use the right honorifics that it felt strange, but nice at the same time. "Thank you!" I smiled towards him, "I'll make sure to give these back first thing tomorrow!" I could feel my smile grow by the second. Having someone as a friend here in Korea was going to be nice. I now had someone I could to an extent talk to and be friendly with. That made me all the more happier.
"Wow, you have a really nice smile!" He commented towards me. "I like that! I can tell we are going to get along real great Kim-sshi! Helping you today was the right choice, even if it did mean missing my lunch schedule meeting." He laughed. "Actually, thank you. Those things are always so stuffy and boring that mixing it up a little like we did today was nice!" He went silent for a moment before speaking again. I could tell her was choosing his words very carefully at this point. "Listen, if you ever… need to…uh… find me at lunch time again. You know, like today, or if you can't sit in there because of Park-sshi and her group. You can always find me in here whenever I am in school. During lunch break, I am always in this meeting room with my manager and a secretary to work out my daily schedules and for homework help. As long as you want to, you're welcome to join me for lunch in here. I mean I wouldn't want my new friend to get bullied at lunch all because I couldn't be there to help her." He smiled and got up to leave so that I could change. "I'll be right outside this door on a call to my manager alright? If you need anything else just call."
"Thank you!" I called towards him as he walked out of the room. I changed as fast as I could, putting my dirty uniform in my bag and then putting my shoes back on. I was surprised at just how well everything fit. The t-shirt was just the right size, and the pants were not tight like I expected them to be. They fit perfectly over my fairly large frame. Felt nice to fit something in Korea for once that wasn't either too small or too tight on me. I walked over to the door and knocked on it softly to let him know I was done changing.
He came back in, still on his phone. It looks like someone wasn't happy with him.
"Yes, yes….I know. I didn't mean to miss it. I am really sorry! Something very important popped up. Yes, I know you sent me down just to buy myself a lunch because the secretary forgot one….I understand. I'm sorry; please apologize to the others for me. I didn't mean to miss dance rehearsal. I promise that I will be there for tonight's session. Yes, yes, alright, I'll make sure. Thank you, good bye." As he hung up the cell phone and came back over to me, I looked out the window and realized how late it was getting.
"I was starting to wonder why this lunch break seemed to go on forever, and why I was getting hungry all over again! Ha!" I smiled and laughed as he finally reached me.
"Yeahhhh. I'm sorry about that. I just didn't want to get you up before you were ready, I mean you took one serious blow to the head. May I?" He asked pointing to the back of my head.
"Uh sure." I moved so that I was facing away from him, and I could feel him gently touching my head to see if he could find the bump. "AISH!" I almost screamed as his hands touched it. I know he was trying to be gentle but no matter how softly hw would have touched it, I can promise it still would have burned.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" He said letting go of my head quickly. "I just wanted to check to see where the bump was and how big it was." He put his hands behind his back like a child caught doing something wrong. I just smiled and put my hands to my temples.
"Nah, it's cool. I just didn't expect it to hurt so much." I grabbed my bag and ruffled threw for a moment. Finding what I was looking for, I pulled out my cell phone. My shiny new Cyon cell phone that of course I had bought because of Big Bang's endorsement of it. Well that and the cool clear slider touch screen. I was hoping he wouldn't notice, as I stuck the phone out and asked him "Dae-sshi, um, may I have your phone number? You know, as a friend who wants to keep I touch?" I kept trying to think of more reasons. "You know, also this way if I cannot come and sit in while you're having your lunch meetings, I can…uh…text you some funny jokes, or something interesting and keep you amused…or something." I ran out of ideas, so I just smiled as big as my mouth would stretch and held it out for him.
He laughed at me before taking the phone from my hands.
"Quite a few reasons there huh Kim-sshi? And a Cyon huh? You wouldn't happen to know that Big Bang is a Cyon spokeperson would you?" He smiled as he put his number into my phone and ai tried to fake innocence.
"Really?" Fake gasp, "no way! I had no idea! I just got it because I thought it looked cool." I don't think he bought it. At this point he must know how to read fans. I am an open book.
"Alright, but then you have to do something for me!" He poked me in the stomach with my own phone to give it back. I looked at him with a questioning look before he continued. "You have to give me your number as well. You know, so this way when you text me, know it is you, and not some crazy fangirl or stalker person." I went to open my mouth and speak, but he stopped me before I could say anything. Already knowing what I was going to ask. "Yes, it has happened before. So no, I do not answer unknown callers. It's just easier this way." He handed me his phone and I gladly put my number in it under 'Kimmi-sshi'. He took it back and checked over my entry. "Kimmi-sshi? Really?"
"Yeah, well I used to hate that name, but ever since I got older, I let my best friends call me that name. You know, the ones that have proven themselves worthy and deserve the right to use my nickname. Right now that includes my friends Teresa, Stephanie…and now you!" I laughed placing my phone back in the front pocket of my bag.
"Well then I feel truly special." He said holding the phone to his chest like a treasure. "Thank you very much Kimmi-sshi!"
"No problem Dae-sshi! Now, if I am not mistaken you have a practice or something scheduled for tonight. Right? I know I heard you mention it on the phone before hanging up with your manager." He looked guilty as he softly kicked the floor.
"Yeahhh, I guess so. We have a music video shoot coming up and we are supposed to be practicing the dance tonight and performing it for Se7en-hyung. I already missed our afternoon rehearsal because I was with you, so I have to go to tonight's. Don't think I mind though, I had fun helping you this afternoon and hey, made a new friend in the process." We both laughed.
"Such an optimistic guy, huh Dae-sshi?" He just laughed and ran a hand thru his hair.
"Yeah, well you know. That's me! . Well then I guess I'll see you later, there is car waiting for me downstairs and I need to get there soon." He opened the door and began to walk out before stopping and mentioning quickly. "Oh yeah! Don't worry about returning the clothes to me. You can keep them. Their just extra dance practice clothes I have sitting around in case I forgot mine at the hostile. And just so you know, my classroom is room 304." I listened to him as he walked out the door and then yelled back at him.
"Alright, thank you Dae-sshi! My classroom is 310! You know, in case you ever feel like visiting!" And then the smiling angel was gone. Going to another long night of practicing, just so him and all of Big Bang could be perfect for us VIPs.
After getting home, my mother asked me how my first day went. I could have told her about the bullying, about the problems and me hitting my head and the nice bump I had being hidden by my hair. But instead I kept it simple and easy.
"School went great! I made my first friend and everything!" At that time, I don't think my smile could have been any bigger if I had tried.