I got my website created and posted some of my stories, along with song lyrics I thought nobody would EVER read, so imagine my surprise when I actually got emails from people saying they genuinely liked what I had written? I was shocked! Anyway, I continued to do my own thing, posting new content once a week, never really thinking anything about it, but one day I saw there were multiple emails from the same person, so I decided I should at least read them- they were clearly very persistent. Turns out, it wasn’t a scammer or just someone random- it was Yoongi from BTS and he wanted to talk to me about my lyrics. I took a deep breath and replied to him, not expecting anything in return, because what are the chances that he would really see my response and actually write back?

Very high because the next time I checked my email he had written back and asked if we could talk about my lyrics. Sure, of course, I would love that, since he’s one of the best rappers, writers, and producers in the music world right now. I sent my phone number, but not really sure how it would work because I only speak English, but when he called, he was able to speak and understand English with me, which was super fun! He has a great sense of humor too, so we got along right away, joking and just easily talking, something I really appreciated.

He asked about my lyrics, so I explained that writing is obviously how I express myself, like how he uses rapping and music, so the words might not make sense to anyone else, but it helps me clear my head when I’m upset or feeling other strong emotions. He understood and agreed- he could sense that through the words even without any music behind them. Yoongi wanted to know if I would mind collaborating on a few songs, since he wanted to use some of my lyrics, but change or blend a couple together for their new album. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. How could I even be considered for such an important task, when I was literally just writing from my heart the whole time? He said that’s where the best songs come from and I couldn’t really argue, since he does have the experience and fame to prove it.

I agreed to work with him, thinking we could just facetime or call or something similar, but he requested I fly down to California to work with him in person, since it would be much easier to share ideas without needing to rely on technology. I was extremely worried about bothering him, or the other members, but he assured me it was necessary and wouldn’t be a bother at all, so I reluctantly agreed. He said a staff member would be calling me to arrange the travel, since anyone who came to visit had to follow strict protocols to protect their privacy and location, which I completely understood. I would never want to invade their personal lives, so I told Yoongi I would agree to whatever rules they had and follow anything they asked me to do, which made him happy.

The next week I flew down to LA, was picked up by a random staff member, driven to three different houses, then finally ended up at their actual location; after being forced to sign a document saying I would not reveal anything to the public or I would be facing legal action. It sounded serious, but since I had no intentions of being that dumb, I knew I was safe and happily signed. We got into the garage, then I was told by the staff member that Yoongi was waiting for me in the basement, they would bring my suitcase upstairs for me, and to go right down to meet him, since he was expecting me. I went inside the door, saw the stairs, went right down, and found him hard at work, like I expected.

I put my backpack down on the ground and approached him slowly, saying, “Yoongi, I am here just like you asked. It is good to see you in person. I am so excited to work with you!” He spun around in his chair, saw me, smiled, jumped up, and held both of my hands in his as he said, “Zoey, I am so thankful you arrived safely. Please join me right now so I can show you what I am working on.” I sat next to him, where he played a melody for me that sounded awesome, clearly meant for a rap or fast-paced song, then turned to face me. “I want to change your lyrics into a rap for me to perform, if that’s ok with you. I think your words are powerful and can help a lot of people.” I nodded, waiting for him to tell me what to do.

He handed me a computer, with the changes he had made, and asked me to read it over, but try to say the words to the beat, like I was rapping it. I did as I was told, while he played the background music again, then when it stopped, I saw his face and asked, “Yoongi, what is wrong? Did I do something I wasn’t supposed to?” He shook his head and replied, “I am just shocked that you can rap because I thought you were just a writer, but I see now that you have many talents. Can you record that for me, so I can use it in the background?” I blushed and told him, “Yoongi, no, I am just a writer! I cannot do what you do!”

He laughed and pulled me over to the recording room, then said confidently, “Can you please just try for me, just once, so I can see if my idea will work?” I could not say no to him, so of course I agreed to try my best. He explained how it worked, then left me with the computer, which had the lyrics, and went to get the music ready. I was so nervous I could not even think straight, but I knew he was counting on me, and I refused to disappoint him! After a few failed attempts, mostly due to me really being scared to even try and not fully understanding how to wait for his cues to start talking, we finally found a groove and were able to make a few good versions, one of which he was satisfied with.

He tricked me though because when I thought we were done, he appeared at the door with a sneaky grin on his face and changed the computer to another document, then wanted me to do the same exact thing, but with a different backtrack this time. I was instantly suspicious and asked, “Yoongi, did you make me come all the way down here just so you could secretly trick me into becoming a rapper so you could just laugh at me when I’m gone because I sound so terrible?”

He looked right at me and answered, “No, I would not do something like that to you, but I do want your voice on recordings, and I knew you wouldn’t agree over the phone, so that’s why you had to come in person. Please don’t be too mad.” I could not be mad at him even if I tried, so I just took a deep breath and replied, “Well, then let’s get this over with because I hate doing anything that will bring me attention that I do not deserve.” He shook his head and closed the door as he walked back to the controls.

We worked for another two hours until he was satisfied, and I felt like I was dying… When we finally got it just the way he wanted it to sound, I was so excited I came running out of the booth, met him in the middle of the room, he hugged me, I took his hands, and we did one of his silly dances together, me mirroring his moves, until I realized we were not alone… There were six other guys sitting on the floor, watching, in shock, while Yoongi and I had our celebration moment. I stopped immediately, turned to face them, and said, “Hello! I am Zoey. Yoongi probably told you about my visit.”

I saw the confused looks on their faces, so I turned to look at Yoongi, who said something in Korean, but then looked at me sheepishly and admitted, “I actually didn’t tell them you were coming because I didn’t want to ruin the surprise.” I covered my face with my hands and just stood there, now completely embarrassed and unsure of what to do next. I didn’t have to worry though because a few seconds later I felt someone gently taking my hands off my face and looking at me with curiosity, then saying, “Hello, I am JK and I think you are happy.” He hugged me and spun me in a circle, then put me back next to Yoongi, grinning and exclaiming happily in Korean to the others.

Soon, I was surrounded by the rest of them, hearing their names and shaking hands, or getting spun around, or hugged, or just patted on the head. I just looked from handsome face to handsome face, trying to figure out what my next move was, when Jin said, “Yoongi surprised us, but I am sure your visit was important and so I agree with him.” I smiled and he continued, “I am known to be worldwide handsome, so you can love me if you want.” I burst out laughing, causing JHope and JK to follow, then soon we were all laughing while Jin looked genuinely confused about what was so funny. I could not breathe, so I turned away from his face and took several seconds to try to calm down, which is when I accidentally tripped on someone’s foot and would have fallen if Yoongi had not caught me.

I was so embarrassed by my clumsiness, but he smiled and said it was no big deal, he was happy to catch me anytime. I just blinked, having no response at that moment, which made him laugh, as he took my hand and guided me over to the sound board. He told the others he wanted to share what we had been working on, so I had listen while he played the two songs I had recorded for him, dying of embarrassment, wanting to disappear somewhere, but luckily JK saw me and happily let me hide behind him, away from everyone else’s view.

I was just enjoying a few moments of peace, since JK is so much taller than I am, when suddenly I saw a set of eyes peak around his shoulder and smile at me, giving me a thumbs-up, then wink, which made me want to sink into a black hole even more, even though I knew Jimin meant well. When he was done playing them both, Yoongi was explaining how he found me, why he wanted to invite me to visit them, and what he hoped to accomplish while I was there.

JK moved to the side and stood behind me, now putting me into the middle of a very large circle of guys, all watching me, all expecting something… I looked at their kind faces, then saw Yoongi beaming, but still didn’t know what I was expected to do or say. Joon asked, “What inspires your lyrics?” I sighed in relief- something I could finally answer! I explained how I just express myself better in writing, so when I feel something strongly, I need to write it down and clear my mind, which I didn’t realize was an actual talent- I thought I was just helping my own mental health until Yoongi found me.

JK put his arms around me from behind and spun me around, laughing, then set me down again, me questioning what just happened, but Jimin explained, “JK is very happy to see other happy people, so he always shows his love.” I nodded, then got scared when he walked over and stood right in front of me, just smiling, until he hugged me and did the same thing, which apparently was my new normal? I was soon so confused about who was actually spinning me that I got dizzy after the seventh or eighth spin and fell to the ground, right in the middle of them. Yoongi was right there, asking me if I was ok, so I shook my head and just closed my eyes tightly, hoping the floor would stop tilting if I did.

He said something serious, then I felt like I was suddenly in an open field, nobody was touching me anymore, so he must have asked them to move back to create space. I kept my eyes closed for at least two more minutes, then cautiously opened them, to see Yoongi kneeling next to me, looking worried, while the others stood carefully around me, just watching. I was still dizzy, but told him, “Sorry for causing trouble already Yoongi. I hope you guys aren’t mad because I got so dizzy.” He gently touched my cheek and said, “Zoey please don’t worry about us. We are sorry for getting so excited.” I smiled up at him, still not able to get up, which he saw, and told the others not to spin me so much next time.

I was suddenly lifted off the ground and to my complete surprise, JK’s happy face was beaming as he carried me over to the couch they had in the room, where he gently set me down, right next to him, so I could lean on his giant shoulders, which I was very grateful for. Yoongi sat on my other side and gently took my hand in his, which helped distract me from the dizziness. Jin came over and patted my head, then said, “I’m sorry if my handsome face made you dizzy.” I just looked up at him, seeing double still, and couldn’t even respond other than a tiny smile, but I could hear the others giggling at his comment. That’s when someone mentioned the time and Yoongi realized we had been working for over six hours without stopping, so no wonder I was extra dizzy- we hadn’t eaten all day! He felt so bad for not noticing, but since he focuses on his work and doesn’t stop for breaks often, he completely forgot about what I might need.

Joon told everyone it was time for them to go upstairs to eat, which promoted a loud discussion about what to cook, causing my head to feel like someone was pounding it with a hammer. I looked at Yoongi, who saw me trying to cover my ears, with tears in my eyes, and he told the others to not yell so loudly because it was hurting me. Once they saw my eyes, they knew it was time to go upstairs, so everyone left, except Yoongi, who just stayed with me, waiting for me to feel good enough to join the others. After a few more minutes, I was able to sit up on my own and he asked if I thought I could walk up the stairs, so I said yes, but only if he was next to me, just in case I fell. He happily reached for my arm and guided me to the stairs, walking slowly with me the whole way, even catching me when I missed a step, until we reached the top. He hugged me and said he was proud of me for trying to hard when I was clearly not at my full power.