Day Four

The sound of whispering and movement wakes me up. Jenn's leg is crossed over my hip and my head is leaning on Namjoon's belly. I slowly sit up, removing her leg off of me. Tae, Kookie, and Namjoon are still asleep, everyone spread across the couches and floor. Jimin is curled up on one of the breakfast bar stools, hugging his knees. Jin is cooking something on the stove while Hobi is washing the sink of dishes from dinner last night. They're whispering amongst themselves and giggling. I walk over to the kitchen, "Good morning. Mmm, coffee." "Good morning," they collectively say back. Jin looks over to me, "I'm making everyone breakfast. Gaeran toast, rice, and banchan with coffee." I peek around his shoulder, smiling from the savory scents coming from the stove. I look around again, "Where's Yoongi, by the way?" Jimin laughs, "oh, he's probably still sleeping like a rock. Tae wouldn't stop cuddling him in his sleep so Yoongi cursed him and went to the guest room." We continue quietly chatting as I start gathering dishes and set the table before going upstairs to shower.

I decided to dress comfortably. A white shirt, frayed jean shorts, red Converse high tops, and my favorite red BTS zip-up hoodie. I let my hair hang down, lightly curling the ends, and put on a little mascara and gloss. I get downstairs and everyone except Tae and Joonie is awake and setting food on the table. Jimin jumps on Kookie, "Jungkookie, wake up! Food is ready! Get up before I pour cold water on you." Looking towards me, Jimin gestures towards Namjoon, "Can you wake up Namjoon-hyung?" I nod and walk over to the couch Namjoon is sleeping on. I sit on the edge of the couch, leaning over his side. He's snoring so loudly but he looks so peaceful sleeping. I tickle his chin but he swats at my hand, making me giggle. I tease his face, wiggling his nose and lightly pinching his cheeks. I'm giggling, reaching over to run my finger across his jaw when he suddenly grabs my hand, a smile spreading across his face. I smile at him, "Finally you're awake." He places my hand against his cheek, "Hmm. . . G'morning." The feel of warm skin against my hand reminds me of last night, making my heart race. My face gets hot as my cheeks turn red. I clear my throat and quickly pull my hand away, "Get up, Lazy. It's time to eat." I hear him laugh as I walk away.

"So, what are your plans today," Hobi asks as we finish cleaning up. We both lost "Kai, Bai, Bo" so we ended up getting cleaning duty. I continue drying the glass in my hand, "Well, we're going to the K-Style Hub, Olympic Hall, and Coffee Prince Cafe. Depending on how long that takes, I'm not sure. There are so many things to do in Seoul. I absolutely love it here." Hobi passes me another wet plate, "Ooh, you'll have fun today, then. Make sure to watch one of the holographic shows. We have the charity show in a couple of days so we will end up spending the day in the dance studio. Why don't you and Jenn come by when you're done touring? You can watch us practice." "Are you sure? Won't we be a distraction?" I ask. I'm already excited but nervous about being a burden. Instead, he laughs, "We perform in front of thousands, of course, you won't be a distraction. Please come, it'll be nice to have friendly faces there to cheer us on. It will especially make Joonie happy." My mouth drops and I laugh, "Hey, I know what you're trying to do and it can't happen." He turns off the faucet and drys his hands on a kitchen towel, "Why not? I've seen the way you watch each other when you think the other isn't looking. You both get the biggest smiles whenever the other talks. We all can obviously see there's something growing between you two, and in the 6 years I have known him, I've never seen him so relaxed and happy. Genuinely happy." I consider what he says and my heart melts, "It's just not logical for anything to happen between us. I live a world away in another country with a simple life. He lives here and is part of something as big as Bangtan. Right now is his chance to shine and live his dream. It's not like I'm just a car ride away. He should be with someone that can always be here when he needs their support the most." Hobi considers my words, nods and we finish the kitchen in silence.

It's 5:43 pm when Jenn and I walk out of Gyeongbokgung Palace. "Gahhh, I'm starving," Jenn complains, rubbing her stomach. "Me, too. Let's grab a quick snack on the way back to the loft. I want to hurry up and make dinner for the guys before heading over." Earlier in the morning after the guys left, Jenn agreed to stop by during their practice. We decided to surprise them with dinner and prepared homemade pizzas. Jenn takes the pizzas out of the oven and packs them while I finish packing salads and water. We get to the studio and peek in the door. They're running through choreography and singing for We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2. They look tired and sweaty but they still put a ton of energy into performing. The song ends and they instantly double over, exhausted and reaching for their towels and waters. Jenn and I walk in, "We have a delivery order for uh, B. . .T. . .S?" They laugh at our sarcasm and after a second, Jungkook's face lights up, "PIZZA!" Jin laughs at him, "JK, how do you know it's pizza when they haven't even opened the box?" "Hyung, you know I'm sensitive to smells," replies Jungkook as the guys take the food and drinks from our hands and set them on a nearby table. I stand back to let them ravage the food first, "We figured heavy greasy food would be hard on your stomachs with practice so we made homemade pizza. It's all low-fat and healthy ingredients so it's not greasy or anything. . ." They stand around the table, plates in hand, "yaaahhh, this is daebak!" They all happily stuff their faces, Jin making R-rated sounding moans as he eats.

We all finish eating and the guys are taking a rest break goofing off and talking with Jenn about the places we went today. I'm cleaning up the table and packing the leftovers for them when someone grabs the container from my hand. I look up and it's Namjoon, "Here, let me finish this. You're amazing for bringing us dinner, the least I can do is clean up." "No, no, I've got it, it's fine. You're working and exhausted. I can take care of this. You should relax," I protest, reaching for the container but he's already packing it away. We end up cleaning together and turn around, leaning against the table and watching the others. He moves closer and leans against my shoulder, "Did you have fun today?" I smile at his closeness, "Yes! It was so much fun. Everything's so different, new, and beautiful here. I'm in love with this city." Subtly, he wraps his arm around my back, holding my waist, "Tomorrow, we're doing more practice runs and rehearsal so I won't get to see you. Our show is the day after, will you come? Jenn, too, of course. You can have backstage passes. I'd love it if you could be there. To be honest, it'd be nice to see your face once I'm done." I feel myself blush and look away, "I'll be there."

Kookie and Tae bring two chairs and set them side by side in front of the mirror, "Come sit. You're going to be our audience." Jenn and I look at each other, trying to hide our excitement and sit down. The music starts and I instantly get hyped. It's "Hold Me Tight". Jenn and I sing along with them, swaying to the melody. Joonie's part comes up, "Your scent is what makes me complete, Come over and hug me…" I make eye contact with him and instantly blush, covering my cheeks with my hands. They also practice "Silver Spoon" as if they thoroughly want me to die. Every time they pelvic thrust towards us, Jenn and I laugh, covering our faces. I still wonder how I got to be this lucky! Lastly, the sweet twinkling melody of "Butterfly" starts. It's one of the songs that made me fall in love with BTS in the first place. Kookie's voice absolutely takes my breath away as he starts singing. I've listened to this song a million times, mesmerized by the lyrics, but none of that compares to this moment. The music, their voices filling the room, their swift and sensual but precise movements, even the aura in the room has changed.

About halfway through the song, I start to get choked up and I realize that after the last few days, after meeting Namjoon. . . the real Namjoon, this song has taken on a whole new significance for me. I start watching him and without any self-control, I can feel warm tears fill my eyes. "You're just like a butterfly, from afar, I steal glances; if we touch hands, will I lose you? You shine in this pitch-black darkness that is the butterfly effect, your light touches, I forget the reality at once.." He's now become my butterfly and there's nothing I can do about it. I bend over, reaching for my water, and wipe the tears before anyone can notice. They finish practice and gather their things. Yoongi walks over to me and quietly asks, "Are you okay?" His question catches me off guard, "Huh? What do you mean?" Yoongi looks towards Namjoon then back at me, "I noticed you tearing up when you couldn't keep your eyes off of Namjoonie. Just so you know, he's not taking the situation any easier than you are. You obviously have something, we all can see it but I also understand the situation you're both in can't be easily resolved. It's something I guess I have some experience with. For now, though, you're here for a couple more days. Why don't you spend whatever time you can together and make the most of the time you have. When the time comes, a solution will come with it. Go home and sleep on it." He pats my shoulder and walks away. "What was that about?" I jump, turning around to find Joonie behind me. I slap him in the shoulder, "You scared me! Anyway, it was. . .nothing. Just asking how my day went." He's smiling, still sweaty but looks breathtakingly handsome. I decide to take Yoongi's advice, "So, the day after the show is our last full day here. . .You still owe me that tour like a local. Will you spend that last day with me?" A big smile stretches across his face, "Really? Do you mean it? Of course, I will!" He grabs me around my waist, picking me up in a bear hug. Laughing, I playfully slap him on his shoulders, "Stop before everyone sees us!" He looks up at me, "They're already watching us." I look over and they are watching us, laughing. My face turns red but I still giggle, "Ok, ok, I get it, you're happy. Put me down, Muscles." He sets me down and whispers directly into my ear, "I'm going to make sure you never want to leave." He plants a small kiss right below my earlobe, making my heart instantly skip a beat for him.