Chapter Text

DESTINY

The fansign (part 1)

Ok, so we are the last ones in the line… But who cares? We made it!

Lily is smiling like a freak; we are both breathless and my heart is going to jump out of my chest with how hard it is beating. I still can’t believe we made it just in time to get in before they closed the doors. I can feel the excitement and adrenaline in my veins and it is not going to go away very soon. Pedaling all the way till here after Lily’s car didn’t want to start this morning and the next bus would take too long to arrive was crazy, but our best option. I am so happy we have a Ddareungi card. Sometimes it pays off to be a broken student.

- Oh my God, who would have thought that we would be standing here right now. It is meant to be! We have to make the best out of this! Enjoy it to the fullest. 

Lily is so cute when she is determined, she reminds me of this baby meme that became really popular some years ago where the baby is making a tough face with a closed fist like saying “we can do it!”. And that reminds me once again of why I am here in Korea at all.

When I came to Korea 2 years ago for my studies, I thought the country would be interesting to get to know because of its differences to mine. But at the same time, I just knew I would fit in. And I was right.

I love this freedom to be a bit “childish” and act tiny and cute, it makes me feel so at home. Where else in the world can you just walk around in weird contact lenses and funny childish hair updos (like I am doing right now) without anyone thinking you are crazy? I will tell you: not many places! (Unless you are going to a Cosplay event). But here no one cares. It is style, and it is fun. They embrace it, and so do I.

- I modeun geon uyeoni aninikka, unmyeongeul chajanaen durinikka, DNA…(Because all of this is no coincidence, Because we’ve found our destiny, DNA) I sing-song doing a funny imitation of Jimin where he is looking at the camera with his arm outstretch in the music video. She laughs hard and holds my outstretched hand like a High-five. 

- That is so fitting… I mean, I still can’t believe that you have been picked in the fansign lottery. I told you, fans buy 20, 30 CDs at once just to have a bigger chance to be here when they draw the Names. You and I have each bought just 1 CD! Our chances were so small…So if THAT wasn’t destiny, I don’t know what is.

Yeah, and she doesn’t even know the full story…

I was also kind of shocked by the news yesterday. These things happen so fast. They draw the names the day before the event, and you have to go pick your ticket for the next day when they announce it. If I had won a ticket alone, I would have just given it to Lily. She is much more of a fan than I am. That was already my intention as I was standing in front of the store counter to pick it up.

I asked the guy if they had to put my name on it or something because I wanted to give it to my friend, so they should put her name on it instead. And I guess that is what brought us to this. He looked at me with big eyes and said that it was really nice of me to do that for my friend. He asked if I didn’t like BTS and I explained that I did, but Lily is much more of a fangirl than I am, so I wanted to make her happy.

The guy on the counter looked at me with pitiful glistening eyes and whipped a tear out of the corner of his left eye. He said I was the best friend in the whole world while holding my hand, sobbing a little and blinking to fight away new tears. I was standing there feeling totally weird (but happy in a way), preparing to let go of his hand, thank him and turn around to go home with Lily’s ticket when he suddenly shouted, “WHAT TIME IS IT?” throwing our hands in the air and turning to search for his phone.

I gotta say, was a little scared by the sudden move… I stood there stunned for a minute, but when he turned around, he had a huge smile on his face, clapping his hand and shouting “IT IS TIME TO CLOSE THE STORE, IT IS TIME TO CLOSE THE STORE!” I was like, “ok… so I will be going, thanks” but he held me in place and explained totally happy that someone didn’t show up for their ticket and since they were about to close the store for the day, I should have it and go together with my friend.

Well, after that we both hugged and started jumping around like crazy people shouting, "IT IS TIME TO CLOSE THE STORE!". The people passing outside all thought we were enslaved, overworked employees, hehe. But in my head, I didn’t give a damn. I was like: "Ceeeeelebrate good times, come on!" (sorry, I sing in my head all the time). So yeah, this is destiny. But Lily doesn’t know that she would have been here with or without me anyway, if it depended on me. I didn’t tell her the details.

- Come along now everyone. But remain on your places in the line, you will be seated accordingly. Shouted someone from the staff, showing us the way to the room further inside the venue were everything would take place.

Lily looks at me smiling hard and I hold my hand out for her, returning her smile.

- Lead the way, Lily.

And then we are walking, entering a big auditorium behind everyone else. BTS music is playing, and all the fans are being quite loud. There are 5 rows with 10 seats each, all facing a small stage with a big table where the boys will be sitting.

The chairs for the fans are positioned with quite some space in between them. The first people on the line are already sitting right at the front, in their original order of arrival. Lily and I have the easiest seats to find, the last ones, closest to the door where we walked in through, at the back.

We wait for everyone in our row to enter it and walk to their seats. That takes a while. I am quite tired after the rush of adrenaline and exercise this morning, so I plop myself down on the last seat, very “unlady” like and stretch my legs before me, letting a big exhale leave my lungs, throwing my head back, eyes closed, my head hanging upside down from the back of the chair. I yawn- couldn’t sleep very well last night, we were quite excited- and open my eyes.

Um? Am I seeing things? Did I fall asleep?

Cuz I kind of see… BTS upside down?

No, I am not dreaming. No, not going crazy.

Yes, BTS is right in front of my eyes, behind my chair! (Panic mode on, now)

Of course, they would also enter through the same door we did, of course (IT MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL!!). And it is just my luck that I would be sitting here like a weirdo. Of course! Thank you, universe. Thank you, destiny. At least this can’t get any worse…

I blink twice. Mouth open like an idiot. I am freaking frozen, unable to move from the shock, so I watch them watch me:

Jungkook is moving his head happily to the sides like a puppy trying to meet my eyes, like saying: What u doing, human?

Jin is giving me heart fingers and holding his laugh back.

Jimin is waving sweetly like saying hello to a baby.

Namjoon seems to also have entered stand by modus like me, with furrowed brows, probably wondering what is wrong with me.

Yoongi is openly but silently laughing at me with his gummy smile while hitting his leg.

Tae is laughing with Yoongi while looking at me and pointing to the front - probably saying I should look to the front.

And Hoseok is smiling brightly but making a “silence” sign to me, with his finger in front of his lips.

Ok, I got it. No one but me has realized they have entered through the back door. Everyone has their eyes glued to the stage. And when I think about it, I can hear someone on the stage right now introducing them…

AND they have started walking in my direction. FORK! I gotta move!

They have to pass beside me and all the fans in the last seats of the row to get to the stage. Makes sense, yes, since they are coming from the SAME DOOR AS WE DID. Why lord? Whyyy??? Come on, stand up and be normal, stand up and be normal!!

PLOF!!

Yep that was the sound of my butt hitting the floor. Remember how naïve I was several seconds ago and thought this couldn’t get any worse?

Of course I fell like a drunken baboon. I am worse than Jimin in the clumsiness department, I would break things just like Namjoon if I were half as strong as him (so normally I just hurt myself on things instead of breaking them).

So yeah, I just fell on my butt while trying to compose myself before they passed me by. My head didn’t follow my instructions and kept on following them getting nearer and nearer while hanging from the back of the chair- the problem is, I was also trying to just stand up, so it held me in place and I fell.

The bad news is, they are right beside me as it happens.

The good news is, they all stop to help me (and probably wonder if I am stupid, but that is fair)

So what, if I am now the joke of the day? It was worth it, in a way…

I start giggling uncontrollably till I am full blown crazy laughing while Namjoon helps me stand up. They are all now looking worried, asking me if I am ok. I can’t answer cuz I have no air; I just can’t stop laughing. Then Lily is at my side, holding my hand and telling them that I will be fine, I am clumsy and used to it. My girl! She knows me so well. I give them a thumbs up and they are all laughing over me again.

Namjoon nods to Lily, gives me one last once over, says "see you later" smiling and then continues down their path to the stage. All the others smile and bow at us, following him.

What was that about today being our destiny?

I guess the universe hates me...