I was at the beach with the two boys, my son and his BFF, plus our little doggie, when they found some little crabs. They were squealing and bringing them over to me, then running away to get more, me laughing at their funny running. I noticed a few tall guys nearby also flipping over rocks but not holding anything. Suddenly, one of them screamed out, then ran right towards me, hiding behind me as one of the others chased him with something small. I laughed once I realized it was a little crab, super tiny, just wiggling its little legs in terror. I threw my arms out to protect the one who was hiding behind me, then fell to the ground with laughter when the first one got pinched by the crab and flung it into the air, the poor crab landing inside his shirt. I continued dying of laughter, but managed to lift the guy’s shirt, found the crab hanging on for dear life, got it off, then put the crab back into the sand, telling the guy he was good to go, all the while barely breathing because I was now crying from my loud laughter. The first guy, who had been hiding behind me, was also laughing so loud he was now on the sand, while a third guy had calmly sauntered over to observe the whole scene, followed by a fourth one, also calm.
The one who had been attacked by the crab turned around and flung his arms around me, exclaiming how I had saved his life and he was so thankful I was brave enough to handle killer crabs, which made me start giggling again, so that set off the one on the sand again and soon all three of us were looking at each other, crying, but also unable to breathe because of our laughter. Finally, one of the calm guys stepped towards the one in the sand, pulled him up, then turned and said to me, “Hello, I am Pornesian Parapio. Thank you for helping my friend. His name is J-Move. The other one is J-Dope. Our calm friend over there is Yeon Kimin. You seem very friendly.”
I smiled up at him, since he was extremely tall, then replied, “I am happy to help anyone who is afraid of crabs. Your friends are super funny!! I haven’t laughed that much in a while, so that was awesome!!” He smiled back, then looked at the others and explained that they don’t get to the beach that often, so they aren’t used to nature or animals. I had calmed down enough to talk normally, so I asked if he wanted me to help his friends not be so afraid, which made him laugh this time, but he nodded his head, so I found a large rock and turned it over, then found a couple little crabs, gently picked them up, then went over to Yeon Kimin and asked for his hand. He held it out, I flipped his hand to be palm side up, then put one of my hands under his, placed a tiny crab in his palm and smiled at him.
He smiled back and started making little noises because the crab was super tiny and cute, then I went to the other two, and offered, but they backed away, apparently now afraid to touch any more crabs, so I turned to Pornesian and asked for his hand, then did the same thing as Yeon, flipped it over, placed my hand underneath, then added the remaining two crabs to his palm, while smiling up at him.
He smiled back at me and agreed that the crabs were super tiny and cute, then said how much he liked tiny and cute things. I asked if he wanted me to find him some more tiny things to see and he immediately agreed, so I went in search of more items. I found a few sand dollars for the two scared guys, then found three tiny shells to bring back to Pornesian. I presented the sand dollars first, both J-Dope and J-Move smiling and being super happy they were not alive, so they couldn’t be scared, then I gently placed the three tiny shells into Pornesian’s palm again, since he had since let the crabs go. He smiled when I touched his palm, then ran his other hand through his hair and said, “You are very cute. I like your kind heart and big laugh.” I looked around, making sure he was talking to me, then replied, “Oh, thank you! You are cute too!”
Then I realized what I had said and immediately blushed, which made him laugh and ask, “Can I have your phone number? I think you are fun.” I was still surprised, but said, “OK, but are you sure? You know that’s my son, right? And I have this little doggie too?” He laughed again, then looked right into my eyes as he told me, “I love that you have a son and a doggie already. It shows how much love you have that you give to others. I am sure I would like to stay in contact with you, if it’s ok.” I nodded, then told him my phone number, not really believing he would ever attempt to text me after today.
Just then, both boys came running up to me, shouting about something giant at the edge of the water, so I picked up our little doggie and ran over to see, followed by all four of the guys I had just met. Turns out, they had found a giant crab, so it was just chilling near the edge of the water, minding its own business. Both J-Dope and J-Move instantly screamed and ran back away from the water, wanting nothing to do with the giant pincers they saw, afraid to be pinched. Yeon slowly and carefully reached into the water, grabbing the giant crab by the shell, away from the pincers, then cried out, “I got it!” when he yanked it up from the water. Both boys started chanting and exclaiming how Yeon was a hero for holding the crab, which made Yeon laugh, then he held it low enough for the boys to look at and touch, which they enjoyed a lot. Pornesian was just watching; Yeon having a blast, the boys having a new hero friend, and me smiling at the kindness of strangers, while holding my scared little doggie.
He reached down to touch my free hand, then said quietly, “This is what makes life happy. Having friends bring happiness to others.” I squeezed his hand and smiled up at him, agreeing. Yeon found a hermit crab, so once he had caught it, the boys went wild as he showed them, while J-Move and J-Dope kept running back and forth to the waves, then away whenever Yeon had a new creature. I kept laughing at their antics, glad they were all having fun, then I asked, “Have those two ever been near beaches before, or do they always act so afraid of everything?”
He laughed and replied, “We don’t really get to explore outside much, so they really don’t have a lot of experience with beaches in general. Those two definitely do not like beach animals, so it’s really funny to watch them be more scared than the two younger boys.” I laughed, then watched as Yeon caught a small fish, turned around to show the two scared guys, who ran closer to me and Pornesian, then tried to hide behind us. My two boys were so excited and were attempting to touch the fish, while poor Yeon tried to hold it, wiggling for its life. After about two minutes, he let it go back into the waves and found a starfish instead, which was much easier to hold. J-Move and J-Dope both knew this was safe, so they went back down to the water’s edge and carefully touched the starfish, so I clapped and cheered!
Pornesian also clapped, then commented, “How do you find so much joy in life?” I just smiled up at him, then answered, “Well, I’m a mom and a teacher, so I think joy is part of who I am, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to share my happiness with my students or my son and his friends.” He stared at me for a few seconds, then asked, “Wait, you are a teacher? What ages do you teach?” I replied, “I teach nine- and ten-year-olds, which is 4th grade for us. I love my job!” He continued staring, then mumbled something to himself, which I did not hear, so I focused on the group by the water, now exclaiming over the sand dollars Yeon had found that were still alive. They found a few more critters, then Yeon asked if they wanted to make a trench for the water, like a river, so the boys started digging with their hands, since we hadn’t brought any tools. J-Move and J-Dope were finally excited about something, so the five of them, Yeon, the two Js and my two boys, all started digging together, somehow making a plan, but also causing chaos in the making.
I stood a few feet away, just laughing and cheering, while Pornesian stood next to me, then pointed to a piece of driftwood about ten feet away, saying we could go sit while they were digging and let them have their fun. As I turned, Yeon called out to me, asking me to take his phone from his pocket so it wouldn’t get wet, so I did, then the two Js asked the same thing, which I also did, so when I turned back to Pornesian, he was laughing, as I now had my little doggie in one arm, their three phones in my other hand, completely loaded up, but still happy. He took the three phones, then seemed unsure of what to do, so I turned around, told him to unzip my backpack, put the phones inside, then zip it back up. He did so quickly, then asked why I would help them, since we had just met.
“Of course I would help anyone who needs it. I don’t care if we just met or if I’ve known you for years. It’s all the same to me. Helping someone is helping someone. Done,” I explained. He smiled, then pointed to the driftwood, so I followed him, doing fine until I stepped on a rock I thought was steady, but when it flipped, I fell to the left, about to hit the sand, but he caught me just in time, setting me upright and asking if I was ok. I just stared back up at him, saying I was ok, not sure why I was freaking out about being so close to him. He brushed my arms a couple times, then stepped back, taking my free hand and leading me the rest of the way to the driftwood. He sat down, then took the little doggie from me, so I could sit down and balance, then I took her back, switching to my other arm, the one away from him. He started asking about my life, but I wasn’t sure how much to share, so I asked if I was talking too much, or if it was ok, and when he assured me he liked hearing about my life, I tried to stop worrying so much.
Every time I asked about his life, he either avoided the question, or gave me a very vague answer, like a general response that any robot could have said, so after about ten minutes I was super annoyed and finally said, “Pornesian, listen, I get that you want to have some privacy, but you aren’t really being fair to me. I have answered at least ten questions for you, but every time I ask you something you avoid it or give me some random answer that doesn’t even make sense. Please just tell me if I am wasting your time or if you want to go join your friends again- I won’t be offended at all. I think I deserve the truth.” He took a deep breath, clenched and unclenched his jaw, then replied, “You are right. I was hoping you wouldn’t notice…” I stood up, put my hands on my hips, and cut him off as I exclaimed, “Wouldn’t notice?! Seriously?! Do you think I have rocks in my head?? Any human on the planet would notice!!”
He laughed, then took one of my hands off my hip and pulled me back to the spot next to him as he continued, “Ok, I apologize for saying that- you clearly did notice and are obviously very observant. What I meant to say was that I was hoping you would be so distracted by the others that you wouldn’t really be paying attention to what I was saying, and I could get away with it. I am sorry for underestimating you. Please don’t be mad and let me explain why.” I rolled my eyes, but also nodded, so he kept going, “We have trouble meeting regular people because of who we are, so being treated normally is a special occasion for us. I was worried if I shared too much information about my life, it would cause you to change the way you look at me, or think about me, and I didn’t want that. I was selfish, thinking I could pretend to be something I am not, just to keep you from finding out the truth and suddenly not being interested in me anymore.”
I looked right into his eyes and replied, “Listen, Pornesian, I do not care if you are an alien, a vampire, werewolf, or mermaid. Whoever you are, whatever you do, it doesn’t matter to me. I care about how you treat others, how you speak to others, and how you treat animals. All of those things have shown me your sweet, genuine, and very kind heart, so nothing else matters. Unlike most people in the world, I do not judge others, since I do not know what you are going through. You deserve a chance to be yourself, to show me your true colors, without worrying how I will react. That is the truth.”
He sat quietly for a minute or two, so I worried I had upset him and stood to walk away, but he pulled my hand down, looked into my worried face, and said, “I am so happy we met today. Thank you for being so truthful with me. I will do my best to be truthful with you from now on, if you give me a chance. Honestly, my name is not Pornesian, but I use that fake name, so others won’t recognize me and treat me differently. I am famous in a lot of places around the world, so I never know who I can trust and who is going to take advantage of me attempting to live a normal life. My real name is Kim NamJoon, but you can call me Joon. Please don’t be mad that I tried to trick you- I really didn’t know if I could trust you when we first met.” I squeezed his hand, then replied, “Well Joon, I totally understand. I don’t blame you at all. I do not care what you do, as long as you are a good human being.”
He smiled at me, then responded, “I’m so glad you want to know the real me! Also, their names are totally fake, but it’s for their protection as well. We like being normal and having fun without the pressure of being recorded all the time.” I nodded, then pointed to all of them, still digging and laughing, having a blast just being normal people on the beach. “This is why you need to have fake names. This couldn’t happen if your location got leaked to the press and I would never take away their fun, or your safety, for a moment of selfishness. You deserve to be happy, without the pressure of being stalked,” I commented.
Just then, they all started calling us over to see their tunnels, so we joined them, watching the water running along the trenches, seeing how happy they all were, even noticing they had decorated with extra shells they had found. I asked the boys how they were doing, but they wanted to keep playing, so I asked Yeon and the two Js, since I didn’t know their timeframe, but they all said they were good to keep playing for a little while, which Joon confirmed, so I offered to find more decorations, to be useful, which they all liked, so I went back up the beach a bit and sat in the sand, letting my little doggie explore as far as her leash would let her, since she was clipped to my backpack. Joon sat next to me, gently and carefully helping me dig in the sand, him, holding out his hand every time I got something for their construction, me gingerly placing the shells or pretty rocks into his palm each time.
Sometimes I would find a super pretty shell or rock and ask Joon to keep it separate, safe, just for me, so he put those ones in his pocket, secretly thinking about how adorable it was, but not wanting me to know he was thinking that. As we sorted, he started asking me questions again, but this time, he was actually answering me back, as long as I didn’t ask anything too specific about what they were working on currently- he legit couldn’t tell me that part because it was so secretive. Turns out, we have a lot of things in common, including mental health struggles, especially feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, pressured to be perfect, and not being able to sleep.
It was so nice to be able to speak freely with him, not worrying about Joon judging me, just honestly listening and sharing his own thoughts or worries alongside me. I was already attracted to him before, but as he continued talking, I felt like I could trust him and that made it even harder to resist his charms. As we chatted, he also started gently knocking his knee against mine occasionally, rubbing my back or arm, brushing my hair away from my face, and running his fingers along mine when I handed him decorations, sending shivers down my spine and causing me to blush multiple times, which I was desperately trying to hide from him. I finally realized he was doing it on purpose when he winked, leaned over, put his head against mine, and whispered, “I really like these cute shells you keep finding.”
I could have caught fire right then and there on the beach if anything flammable had been near me, which I’m guessing he was expecting, because when he leaned away and saw my face, he smirked and ran his free hand through his hair, then winked at me again. That was enough to break my trance, and I replied, “Ok, that wasn’t fair Joon. You can’t flirt like that and expect me not to react. You are so mean!” I folded my arms across my chest and pouted, which made him laugh and touch one of my burning cheeks, then reply, “I’m sorry, I was just testing a theory I had, but I never expected your reactions to be so adorable. Please don’t be angry. I promise to stop now- I got the answer I wanted.” I was not ready to give up my battle yet, so I continued to pout and fold my arms, which prompted him to say, “Please don’t be mad at me forever. I really am sorry…” Now he pretended to pout, and I could not resist his ridiculous facial expression, so I laughed and sighed- life really wasn’t fair sometimes.
The guys at the beach started hollering for us to bring the decorations, so we got up and went down to them, helping place the shells and rocks all along their construction project. It was a mix of random tunnels, trenches, and a few mounds that looked like they had almost been homes at some point… Anyway, we made it look “fancy” and once they were satisfied, they all stood up and started chatting, trying to talk over each other, so I was confused about what was even being discussed.
Joon looked at me and shrugged, also unsure about what was happening, but then my two boys said they were hungry, so they wanted lunch, which we had packed in the car, in a cooler, but we would need to walk back to the car to get it. They invited Yeon, and the two Js to join us, which they happily accepted, apparently being excited about food as well. I turned to Joon, who looked unsure about the situation, so I said, “Don’t worry Joon, I have extra food, so even though it won’t be a ton, I have enough for everyone to have something and that should help keep you guys from starving for now.” He smiled and watched my two boys lead the way to the car, the other three guys following right behind, Joon walking in the back with me and our little doggie.
It was a little walk to reach the parking lot, so everyone was slowing down and getting more and more thirsty/hungry as the walk continued. When the boys saw the car, they ran and started cheering, while I was laughing at how they acted like they were dying… so dramatic. I had extra water bottles, so I handed them out, which Yeon and the two Js gladly accepted, then Joon got the last one and thanked me- he didn’t expect me to give them anything, but I was happy to share what we had- they clearly hadn’t brought anything with them.
The two boys grabbed the picnic mat and ran to the grass to find a shady spot, then tried spreading it out, but the wind was making it into more of a kite situation, so the two Js ran over to help and the whole thing turned into a giant comedy. I was attempting to hand Yeon the big cooler but was laughing so hard I could only point, and luckily, he understood, then walked over to assist the struggling group in the shade. Joon grabbed the smaller cooler, I gave my little doggie her water, then rolled down the windows, clipped her leash to the seatbelt and left her to sleep in peace- I was parked in the shade and was about ten feet away from the grass, so she was perfectly happy and safe and wanted to sleep in her doggie car seat with her blankies.
Once the picnic mat was down, Yeon helped get the food out, then Joon set the other cooler down and unloaded it as well. The boys dumped all the chips out, then told their new friends about all the sandwich choices, so they could decide what to eat. I doubt Yeon, the two Js, or Joon had ever eaten peanut butter and jelly, egg salad, or ham sandwiches, but they happily accepted each half and took tentative bites, then shared with each other. I also packed apple slices, grapes, strawberries, string cheese, dried mango and peach fruit slices, banana chips, and mandarin oranges. Yeon’s face lit up when he saw the oranges and that’s when I knew for sure who they actually were, but of course I didn’t say anything out loud.
Everyone ate whatever they wanted, me just watching, waiting for them all to be full or satisfied first, helping open items, pass out wipes for sticky hands, collecting trash, etc. Joon was nibbling slowly, watching me care for everyone but myself, for about half an hour, when my two boys proclaimed they were done and wanted to go to the playground, which prompted the two Js to stand up and want to join them. I was so happy! After they had run off, I cleaned their areas, using a grocery bag for the trash, making sure Yeon had the baggie for his orange peels, then started organizing what was left, putting their waters (which I had labeled with sharpie) back into the cooler with the ice, so they would all four have cold water after they returned. “Are you ever going to have your lunch?” Joon asked. I laughed, then explained, “Joon, don’t worry- I always eat after the boys are done because if they need anything, I have to be ready to help and that is easier without any food in my hand. I also like them to have first choice of the food, so I don’t mind eating leftovers. I’ve been doing it for ten years, so it seems normal to me now.”
He looked at me, clearly shocked by my revelation, then commented, “One day I am going to make you eat first, to show you that you deserve to be a priority and not overlooked.” I ignored him, since I don’t really mind and couldn’t see why he was so bothered by it. Yeon was happily munching away on his oranges, while I tidied up and saw what was left. “Yeon, you can have the rest of the oranges if you want. I won’t have to pack them up again if you eat them for me!” He smiled, then said, “How did you know I was going to love the oranges?” I smiled and replied, “Lucky guess!” Then I turned and winked at Joon, surprising him and when I saw his face, I laughed, seeing how he was now the one receiving the flirting and he clearly didn’t know how to respond.
Yeon started telling me about how much fun he was having and how he hoped we could remain friends because it was so nice to be treated normally for once, which is when I said, “Yes, I imagine it’s difficult to be followed by fans all the time. I am sorry for all the people who do not respect your privacy. At least now you know there are real people who just want to make the world a better place.” He stared up at me, said something in another language to Joon, who shook his head, then Yeon asked, “How did you know we were famous and had fans? Do you know who we really are? Did you still choose to treat us like you didn’t know?” I laughed and replied, “Yes, Joon mentioned something about you guys being famous around the world, then he told me his real name, so then I realized who you guys really are, but of course I pretended not to know. I would never take away your fun or ruin your morning just because I was selfish. No way sir. You all deserve to have happiness and live normally whenever you can!”
His face was in shock, which made Joon laugh, but I was worried about him being upset with me, until he said, “Oh, wow, that’s amazing! So, you know my name is not Yeon? I am actually Yoongi but use my fake name when meeting strangers to keep myself protected and anonymous. Why did you not say anything earlier?” I replied, “Yoongi, would it have changed anything about the fun you had or the food I was sharing?” He shook his head, so I continued, “That’s why. It makes no difference to me who you are or what your name is. As long as we all get along, I’m happy. Besides, official names aren’t important anyway. Nicknames are way more fun because they carry meanings!” Then I smiled at him, and he nodded, agreeing. When he was done with the last three oranges, he put the peels in the baggie and ran over to the playground, me hearing the boys shout, “Yu-Yu!!! Come play with us Yu-Yu!!!” I laughed, then waved at them as they called my name and waved.
Joon watched me eat a few grapes that had escaped, a couple strawberries that were somehow on the lid of the container, and a few other random items that had been forgotten or discarded, until I had everything cleaned up that was in great condition and all the half-eaten stuff had been my lunch. He shook his head, then helped me pack up the rest of the food, took the baggie to the trash can, and joined me back on the mat, both coolers packed and sitting in the shade, me just relaxing next to them. He sat next to me, opposite the coolers, then asked what we were going to do the rest of the day, so I said nothing special- the boys would be exhausted from the morning, so I’d bring them home to have some fun with their online gaming friends before I had to drive his BFF home at 3pm, since that is when his mom gets off work.
Joon asked if we were free to have dinner with them, but I hesitated, knowing how picky my son is about food and knowing he doesn’t like restaurants, crowded places, new people, etc. Joon quickly eased my fears by explaining, “No, sorry, I meant can you and your son join us at our rental house, where we can cook for you and the guys can keep your son entertained again. We have lots of board and yard games at the house.” I bit my lip, trying to think of a good excuse, which Joon instantly realized, then said, “I know it seems intimidating, but I promise we will be great hosts and make you both feel welcome if you say yes. I really want to spend more time with you.” I gave him a half smile, then agreed, saying, “Ok, I guess we can try it, but please promise you won’t get upset if I need to leave to bring him home before you are ready to be done. He is an early bird, so he gets up at 6am every single morning, without an alarm, and needs to get to bed at a decent hour or else he turns into a cranky bear the next day and I do not want to be tortured!”
He laughed, then patted my leg and promised, “If you leave after dinner, I will not be upset. Just because we act like night owls, doesn’t mean we don’t understand the importance of sleep for kids. I promise not to be upset whenever you must leave. Disappointed, definitely, but not upset. But that’s just me being selfish, so it doesn’t count…” I looked at him, confused, not sure what would make him selfish, then he raised his eyebrows at me, winked, then smiled… Oh! I looked away and blushed, now understanding what he meant and not wanting him to see my face. He pretended to stretch and reached his arm behind me, then leaned close and whispered, “You know I think it’s cute when you blush, right?” I was so shocked I accidentally looked right up into his handsome face, which was, unfortunately, inches from mine at that moment, causing me to panic and freeze, unsure of how to get out of the awkwardness I had created.
He leaned his forehead on mine and continued quietly, “Maybe you should stop being so adorable if you want me to stop being attracted to you.” I literally had no brain power in that moment and could only bite my lip as I stared into his eyes, unsure of how to proceed, not knowing what I should say in response, since every word I’d ever learned seemed to be wiped from my memory suddenly…
Luckily, the boys started shouting my name loudly, so I was able to look away and give my attention to them, which allowed me to create distance between myself and Joon, giving me a chance to breathe and gain my brain functions back. He laughed, then followed me to the playground, wondering what the boys were shouting about. Apparently, they were playing hide and seek with the Yu-Yu and the two Js, but they wanted to hide also, so they needed me to be a seeker, which I agreed to, since the park was super close to the car, the stuff was fine in the shade, and our little doggie was definitely still safe and happy in the shady car, just napping. Joon agreed to help me seek, so we counted to ten, eyes closed, then we began walking around the play structures, searching for any of the five hiders. We heard lots of giggling, lots of running feet, but never saw anyone until my son ran out from behind a slide, followed closely by Yu-Yu, both giggling and yelling for the others to run away. I was distracted by them, so I didn’t see another random kid jumping off the slide, and when they went flying by my head, I lost my balance and would have fallen straight into the ground if Joon had not caught me.
He stood me up, made sure I was ok, then I flung my arms tightly around him, thanking him for saving me from another fall. He said maybe I was falling on purpose, so I could be close to him, since maybe I wanted him to hold me in his arms. I tried to be sassy, but when I turned to run away, my shoe got caught and I fell again, him rescuing me, and my face now on fire, so embarrassed, him laughing at my attitude, but also loving the result. I gave up and just leaned on him for a minute, hiding my face and hoping I would melt into the ground, but when that didn’t happen, I took a deep breath and said, “Joon, I swear I am not falling on purpose, but it does seem like I’m extra clumsy today and I am so sorry!”
He smiled and said he didn’t mind- he liked it when I needed him to rescue me, which made me spicy again and this time I was able to keep my balance as I ran away, now searching for the hiders and keeping myself away from Joon at the same time. I was giggling and hiding, then running and seeking, zooming in and out of the structure, but when I saw J-Dope hiding in a giant tire, I pretended not to see him and let him be, giving him a smile and a thumbs-up, then I went past and searched for someone else. I eventually found everyone, but Joon was now hiding from me, so I sent the boys on the hunt for him, while I waited with Yoongi near the edge of the playground.
“This is so fun to be normal again. I hope we can do this again with you soon because we like spending time with you,” he said. I smiled and replied, “Yoongi, I love spending time with you all too. I am so happy we met today, and I was able to show you that no matter where you travel, there are always good people. Are you ok if we join you guys for dinner? Joon invited us, but I think I should ask you as well…”
He nodded, then told me, “Yes, please come over! What a great idea! Then you can help me cook! Joon is terrible and not allowed in the kitchen because he destroys things. You will be much better I think.” I laughed, knowing he was right about Joon and now I was excited about learning how to cook with Yoongi! Soon all the guys and my two boys were tired and hot, so we decided to end the fun and pack everything up, then I would drive back to join them for dinner with just my son. I got the address from Yoongi, then told him my phone number also, just in case he needed to contact me directly, and we went our separate ways. It was already 2pm, so I needed to get going to make sure my son’s BFF got home on time. We made it back to our house, let the boys relax in the coolness, I walked and fed our little doggie, then we took the BFF home and drove to meet up with the guys.
Their rental was not too far, so we found it easily, then my son went running into the house, calling out for Yu-Yu and the two Js, which made us all laugh! I didn’t bring our little doggie, knowing she would prefer to stay home anyway, and I could focus on helping Yoongi without worrying about her getting out into the yard or street. We both removed our shoes, then entered the house after both Js appeared and shouted for us to come in. They brought my son into another room, where the games were, while I wandered to where I assumed the kitchen was. I was just in the hallway, walking slowly, not really paying attention, when there was a little step up to get into the kitchen/dining room that I did not see. I tripped, put my hands out to catch myself, but never hit the floor because somehow Joon had seen me and stopped me from falling. I instantly said thank you and turned to face him, then said, “Ok, I know it seems like gravity hates me, but I promise, I actually can walk perfectly fine when I’m not near you guys!”
He laughed and hugged me, then took my hand and guided me into the kitchen where Yoongi was already prepping stuff. I saw the sink and washed my hands, while asking how I could help. Yoongi said I needed to chop some veggies for him, so he showed me the knife and cutting board, then gave me the veggies and turned away, working on the meat already. I asked how he wanted them chopped, he told me each one, then I began slicing carefully, focusing on making sure I followed his directions while also keeping my fingers safe, since the knife I was using was sharp. I had chopped the lettuce, cabbage, carrots, onions, bell peppers, and was working on the green onions when he turned back around and looked quite shocked, then asked, “How did you chop them all so perfectly, so fast?” I just shrugged, smiled at him, then answered, “I like to cook and bake, so I can do pretty much anything in the kitchen if you ask me.”
The whole time I had been chopping, Joon had been sitting at the counter talking to us, not allowed to help, just there for entertainment, but now even his face was surprised as he saw all the veggies in pieces. I might be shy about other things, but I am very confident about my kitchen skills, so I started asking Yoongi what else I could do, since I had finished the last veggie and was still able to help. He needed help with the sauces now, so he showed me several containers, then gave me measuring cups and spoons, then told me each measurement and I added it to a giant pan. He needed me to stir them together with the water he had started with, then we were going to add some of the veggies and meat, to make a soup/stew. I was excited to try something new, which he saw and commented on, then Joon said something just to Yoongi in Korean, and Yoongi agreed, but neither one explained the comment to me, so I ignored it, not wanting to be rude in someone else’s house.
This happened several more times, conversations between just them, excluding me purposely, clearly about me, or at least involving me, since they would both look right at me as they were speaking, and I had finally had enough. I was at a good stopping point, Yoongi didn’t need me for a little while, since everything was chopped and simmering now, including the rice, so I turned and walked out of the kitchen, telling them I was going to find the other guys- I needed a break from them. Both Yoongi and Joon look confused, but I didn’t care and left quickly. I found my son with the two Js, laughing and having fun playing Uno, then they asked me to join, so I did, needing a distraction anyway, since I was upset and needed a mental break.
We had only been playing for a while when J-Dope did something funny, which made me giggle, then set off J-Move, and soon we were all three rolling on the floor in laughter, unable to continue the game, just setting each other off every time we looked at our faces. My son was laughing with us, then tried calming me down, but it was so hard when the other two guys were still giggling and making silly faces at me. Finally, J-Dope was able to stop laughing and then I could stop long enough for J-Move to breathe, and we continued the game. I didn’t know it, but Joon had been worried about my sudden exit from the kitchen, sensing something was wrong, so he had followed me and found me giggling with the two Js, which made him smile and not worry as much. He had wandered back to the kitchen, so after I had finished my game with the Js and my son, I told them I needed to go back and check on Yoongi, so I got up and went back into the kitchen, not seeing Joon sitting at the table this time.
“How is it going in here Yoongi? Do you need my help for anything?” I asked, standing next to him, as he stirred something on the stove. He shook his head, then replied, “No, I have things under control for now, but why did you leave so fast earlier? Did I say something wrong?” I looked into his eyes and explained, “No, Yoongi, you didn’t say or do anything wrong, but I was upset because you and Joon kept saying things in Korean, without explaining what you were saying, and it was frustrating. I waited for you guys to translate, but then you never did, so I walked away to calm down and come back when I was ready to tell you how upset I was. I’m sorry for leaving you with all the work, but I am ready to help again if you need me to.” He nodded, then replied, “Ah, I see. That would be frustrating. I am sorry. We weren’t saying anything bad, it’s just easier for us to speak to each other in Korean, but we didn’t realize it would make you feel left out. I will try to always explain what I mean around you, if that helps, ok? I want to be friends with you.” I smiled and squeezed his hand, then said, “Yoongi, I want to be your friend also, so thank you! Maybe instead of keeping the two languages separate, you could start teaching me some Korean, then I could be more included in your conversations!”
He liked that idea and started rattling off all the names of the food dishes, plus ingredients, so I had to hold my hands up and exclaim, “Wow, hold on Yoongi! I didn’t mean to start saying things so fast! I can’t listen if you are going super speed!” He laughed, then pointed to the first pan and told me the name of the dish, so I repeated it, then he said it again, so I repeated it again, saying it better that time and he continued, slowly, while I learned the names of the dishes on the stove. Again, I hadn’t seen Joon in the dining room, so I was totally focused on Yoongi this whole time, so when Joon called Yoongi’s name and told him the table was set and ready for the food, I jumped, completely startled, and just stared at him across the room, shocked that he was even there. I was holding my hand on my chest, to my heart that was racing now, when Yoongi started laughing, then Joon rushed over to make sure I was ok-he didn’t meant to startle me.
I nodded, took a deep breath, and said shakily, “I’m ok, but holy cow you scared me!” He frowned and held both my cheeks in his hands, staring into my eyes, squishing me as he tried to read my mind or somehow x-ray my skull? He let go after about a minute, then stepped back and said, “I am sorry for not including you in the earlier conversations. I had no idea it would be upsetting for you. I now understand you felt left out. I never meant for that to happen.”
