So normally I would not even think of writing down the ridiculous things that happen to me, yet here we are, recording the life events that led to this moment. First, I ignored a bunch of emails from random people commenting on my stories. That’s not unusual, not anything special, and really should have made things simple. Then, however, there was one specific account that continued to email, claiming to be one of the BTS managers, which of course I assumed was a scam, so I wrote back and asked them to please stop contacting me with scams. After at least twenty emails, I could tell someone else had taken over the writing because there was a lot more detail and a lot more expression being used, vs the formal words that had originally been used.
Turns out, it was legit, their managers had actually been trying to contact me, but I didn’t know. When the writing style changed, I knew, and asked why- that’s when I found out one of the members had taken over, trying to convince me to contact them. Apparently, my stories had started to become popular on social media platforms that I do not have, so of course I had no idea. He wouldn’t tell me which member he was but insisted I needed to contact them because they wanted my help with something involving writing, which would have made sense, but I was still very suspicious and honestly thought I was still being scammed. I also refused to give any of my personal information out, afraid of exposing my name and therefore, endangering my school and the students inside. Paparazzi are crazy sometimes and don’t respect boundaries, so I was worried they would attempt to gain access to the campus and somehow stalk the kids.
The mystery member assured me this would not happen, but I obviously did not believe him right away. I mean, would you have? Anyway, he spent the next week annoying me with emails at all hours of the day and night, so eventually I had to agree to at least take a phone call with them. Once I heard their voices, and they heard mine, we had so much fun talking and laughing that I knew it was safe to tell them my real identity, and they would keep me a secret. We figured out the only time I could fly to Korea was during my Thanksgiving break, since I would have five consecutive days off and even though it was annoying to wait that long, it was all we could manage, so we chatted frequently until then and somehow made it work.
Suddenly, November was here, the flight was happening, and I was flying to Korea alone, or so I thought. I had checked in, with only my carry-on bag, since I could only stay three days, and headed right to the gate. I was nervous about flying on such a long flight alone, but it turns out I had nothing to worry about. When I was called to board, they checked my info and directed me to the seat I was assigned, by the window, but there was a giant man blocking the way. Before I could even ask him to let me in, another passenger dropped their bag, I tripped on it and went tumbling down.
Luckily, I was caught before I hit the floor, and when I looked up to thank my rescuer, it was the giant man who had been sitting down. He stared down at me, then smiled, and said, “Looks like I made the right choice to fly with you today-you clearly need someone to watch over you.” I was so embarrassed, but looked right into his eyes and replied, “I can take care of myself actually!” He laughed at my hands on my hips and introduced himself, “I am Kim Nam Joon, but you can call me Joon if you want. We have spoken on the phone many times, but of course we have never met in person until now. I am glad we have time to talk on the flight before we land in Korea.”
All I could do was stare up at him, now not as defiant as before, unsure of what to say, since I was completely shocked, but also had so many questions! I took a deep breath and decided to pretend I was expecting this, then asked, “Did you decide to fly with me, or did someone make you?”
He laughed again, then answered, “I offered because I knew it would be a great chance to see how you really act and gain a sense of how trustworthy you really are.” I accepted his explanation and dropped my hands, then climbed into the window seat he motioned to. Once I sat down, he sat in the seat right next to me, and showed me how to buckle, but no matter how many times I tried, the one I had would not clasp together, so I gave up and asked for his help, while he was laughing, and felt my cheeks burn as he leaned over to rescue me once again. “You know, I actually can take care of myself in the real world, I promise!” I exclaimed, as he was inches from my face. He smiled and replied, “Sure, I bet you are fully independent all the time. Can’t wait to see the proof once we land…” I acted offended, turning my face away from him and folding my arms, but he was laughing too hard to make it last long and soon I joined in.
After takeoff, he started telling me how the flight would go, how many hours it would last, and how it worked once we landed, since I would have to go through a different part than he was used to. Within the hour dinner was served, so he helped me navigate the really interesting new foods I had never tried and was shocked when I picked up the chopsticks to use them as easily as he did himself. Turns out, even famous people can be impressed! I laughed at his facial expression because it was clear that he rarely made it, then he smiled super wide and clicked his chopsticks with mine, like a toast or something. After that, we talked for hours, mostly laughing, until I could not stop yawning and he realized the time difference was catching up to me. I had turned to face him, leaning on the back of the seat sideways, when he noticed my eyes struggling to stay open.
He chucked quietly to himself, then asked, “Why don’t you just lean on my shoulder, so you can rest a bit?” I shook my head and replied sleepily, “I can’t touch you. The papers I signed for this trip said I am not allowed to touch any of the members for any reason, and I don’t want to get in trouble.”
He quietly said, “I don’t think anyone is watching you right now and besides, you are tired. I don’t think this counts.” I tried so hard to argue, but I really had no good reasons not to believe him, so I twisted myself back to face the front and whispered, “Are you sure Joona? I might sleep the rest of the flight and what if your arm goes numb?” He looked right down into my barely open eyes and whispered back, “Somehow I think I’ll survive sweetheart.” I didn’t catch the end word, or I would have protested, which he was counting on, as I leaned on his arm and instantly fell asleep. When I was halfway woken up by a noise, it was several hours later, the lights of the plane were still off, meaning we were still pretty far from Korea, and I was no longer leaning on Joon’s arm. Somehow, I was now wearing a hoodie that was not my own, and my seat had been reclined, so I was actually sleeping next to a giant cuddly pillow, or so I thought. I didn’t question anything, just dozed back off.
The next time I was actually woken up, it was Joon and he was somehow leaning over me, whispering, “Emmi, it’s time to wake up now. We only have a little while until we land.” I blinked and stretched my arms, not fully realizing where I was or even who I was with at that given moment. He laughed to himself, then reached over to rub my cheeks gently, saying, “I know it’s hard, but you do actually have to wake up now. We can’t land until everyone is awake and safely sitting up again.” This seemed to force me back to reality, though I still had no idea where I was or what time it was yet. I sat up, looked all around, then asked, “Where are we?” He gently lowered the hood part of the hoodie I was now wearing and whispered, “We are on a flight to Korea, where you will meet the other members and help us.” I nodded, pretending to understand.
I held up both my hands, to show the sleeves that now covered them, and asked, “Joona, what happened to my hands? Where did this hoodie come from? How can I do anything?” He laughed at my sleepy confusion and replied, “Sweetie, you needed my hoodie last night because you got cold and I couldn’t let you rest and shiver at the same time. It’s too big, but that just makes it extra adorable when you wear it. I think you are cute with it on.” I think I should have been embarrassed, but since I was still waking up, I just nodded, accepting his explanation as fact and focused on figuring out how to get my hands to actually poke out from the sleeves so I could use them. He helped me, then brushed some of my wild hair out of my eyes, while I said, “I cannot wait to get off this plane and have a shower to be clean again!” He laughed at my spiciness and then explained the choices for breakfast.
Soon we were packing up and exiting the plane, but it was a very secure procedure, so we had to wait for everyone else, including the crew, to disembark before security escorted us off and through a special security hallway. I was afraid of being a problem, because I was a foreign visitor, but he assured me it wouldn’t be an issue since I was with him.
Wow, he was right- we zipped past customs and immigration, showing my passport and getting into the SUV he pointed to way faster than I expected. He took my bag and tossed it into the trunk, then opened the door and helped me step safely inside. I was still not fully aware of everything that was happening, so when he suddenly appeared in the seat next to me and leaned over to buckle me in, I did not protest or ask any questions- I just accepted the situation as it was. He said it was about an hour-long drive, so we had time to wake up a bit before having to do anything official, which I was thankful for!
I held up my hands and exclaimed, “I can’t even write or type anything right now anyway, so I’m no good to anybody! I need to actually look like a normal girl before I meet anyone else Joona, or they won’t even like me!” I pouted a bit, still not mentally myself, which caused him to laugh and reach for one of my hands to hold, then he answered, “I promise you they will like you no matter what. Also, it’s better to look like your adorable self right now, than a normal girl who’s the same as others. Stand out and be unique!” I sighed and nodded, admitting defeat, since there was nothing I could do to change the situation anyway.
He continued to hold my hand, squeezing it whenever I needed reassurance for anything on the rest of the trip, including the moment when I was surprised by a tunnel that went underground, which startled me. He calmed me down and promised we would be fine, but I was not too sure about it… We finally reached the destination, wherever that was, and the driver had to enter a secret code to enter a gate, then a long driveway, then another gate, and finally a very large, enclosed parking structure, with two security guards in the booth as we entered. I was in awe of everything, since I had never seen such intense security measures before, and Joon kept quietly laughing every time I exclaimed, “Woah! Another gate?! Wow, a real-life guard?! Look at all the cameras!!”
Once the driver had parked, Joon got out quickly and I turned to ask the driver where we were, but then my door was pulled open and Joon’s happy face was there, carefully unbuckling me, then guiding me safely from the high SUV. I asked if I needed to grab my bag, but Joon said it was being brought upstairs for me, so I didn’t worry. I should have, but I was still very trusting in this moment, so I didn’t… He took my hand and led me through the mostly empty parking spaces, then to an elevator, where there was a keypad and the driver had to enter a code to even access the elevator- that’s how secure it was!
We finally got inside, the driver pushed the button, and away we went; up, up, up, until we reached the 12th floor. There were no windows, so I just held onto Joon’s arm/hand tightly and closed my eyes- I was scared we would never stop climbing higher and higher.
Once it stopped, the driver stepped out first, then Joon led me into an open area that looked like the lobby for business- there were random chairs and couched for waiting, several smaller coffee tables, and a few lamps strategically placed. It looked so fancy, like nobody ever touched it, which made sense when Joon pulled me right through the lobby and straight down a hallway leading somewhere in the back. The driver had to enter another code at a giant set of double doors, then he smiled, but did not continue with us- we entered by ourselves; apparently his job was done. Joon turned down a hallway to the left and quickly guided me to a room that looked like a women’s clothing store, then turned to face me, gave me a quick hug, and said, “I am not allowed to stay for this part, but I promise to see you soon! I can’t wait for the other guys to meet you!”
I was so shocked at the fact I was being abandoned, that I could only stare at him as he turned and exited the room like something was on fire. If I hadn’t been feeling so alone, I would have laughed. A really nice older lady approached and asked me something in Korean, then realized I could not understand her, and switched to English, which made me smile and respond happily, “I am Emmi, and yes, I am nervous about being alone with you right now, since Joon didn’t tell me anything about what was happening or what the timeframe was for this trip.” She laughed, then led me to an area where they clearly planned to do something with my hair/ makeup, as well as clothing, so when she asked if I was ready, I just shrugged my shoulders and asked, “Do I have to follow your directions?”
She nodded, so I continued, “Then yes, I am ready. Just tell me what to do and I will listen. I am cranky with Joon for not warning me, but I won’t make you deal with my attitude- you don’t deserve it!” She laughed again, then pointed to the chair closest to her. I sat down, then realized I would need to take off his hoodie for them to do anything, but once it was set down on another chair, she called another younger girl over and they started working. For the next hour and a half, they added purple and dark brown colors to my hair, then washed, dried, and styled my hair some kind of fancy way, picked out an entire outfit for me, finished my entire face full of makeup, and managed to find matching shoes that were not high heels, since I refused to wear them and break my neck just to look fancy for whatever terrible situation I was now being forced to participate in. Sigh. I looked in the mirror, not recognizing myself, but accepted my fate and allowed the younger girl to lead me back out the door and towards another room.
I just stood still in the middle of the room, unsure of how to proceed, since the girl had simply told me to wait there for someone to come find me. I saw a cute flower on one of the tables, so I went over to check it out, accidentally tripped on the dress they had put me in, and would have fallen to the floor if someone super strong had not literally swooped me up and spun me around.
I was too surprised to even scream but started laughing when I saw who it was. Jungkook!! I had my arms around his neck, so it was easy for me to squeeze him and exclaim, “You saved me JK!!! I’m so happy!!” He laughed and spun me around an extra time, then set me down gently, held both my hands in his, and replied, “Hello!! I like rescuing you! I can save you anytime!” I smiled and nodded; thankful he had caught me before I had ruined the outfit. He started pulling me away from the room, so I asked, “JK, where are you taking me? Do you know what is happening?” He shook his head and grinned, then pointed down the hallway to another room, as he continued to guide me there. I noticed his outfit matched mine, as in, it was the same color scheme and generally same type of material, something really flowy, which did not make sense, since I was supposed to be a secret.
When we reached the other room, JK pointed to another guy, also wearing similar clothing, and said, “That is Tae. He is happy to see you also. We like you.” I nodded, then waved at Tae, who quickly came over and held one of my hands, then said, “Hello! I have heard nice things about you. I’m happy to see you today.” I nodded, now wondering what was happening, since they all seemed to be matching me, but for what, I did not know… Suddenly, there was a very loud discussion at the back of the room, where I saw a tall guy explaining something passionately to another tall member, as they slowly made their way across the room towards me. Again, I noticed the clothing, but was no longer suspicious, as it was clear something was planned for us all to do together. The first guy approached, then said, “Hi, I am J-Hope. I am so glad you could join us.” I smiled and nodded, while the other member immediately exclaimed, “I am worldwide handsome Jin! You can love me if you want.” I laughed and shook my head, while he looked confused; apparently, he was not used to rejection?
Just then, Joon appeared, walking with a much quieter member, so when they reached me, the quiet one said, “Hello, I am Yoongi. Thank you for traveling all the way over here for us.” I smiled- I appreciated his calm presence in the chaos created by the other five. Joon looked embarrassed as he explained, “I had no choice. They are making us do a photo shoot with you for something and I was told to bring you straight from the airport, so I am sorry for not telling you ahead of time. I hope you won’t be too mad.” I frowned, then pretended to be mad, but honestly, in that room full of happy guys, I just couldn’t! He laughed, then pointed the way to the area where the photos would be taken. We had to pose and stay still for the next hour, constantly being told how to look, where to turn our bodies, etc. and by the end I was even more delirious than before. I could not understand why I was even involved, since I was literally a complete secret and not supposed to be shown to anyone. That’s when Joon explained why they had purposely used flowers, fans, and other props to hide my face in every single photo we had taken… I thought for a moment, oh yes, that did actually happen and now it made sense! Hooray! I could be anonymous still!!
We were told we could exit the room, to go change into our regular clothes, so I started to follow them all out of the room, but someone gently tugged my arm, so I stopped and turned around. It was JK and he was smiling shyly before he asked, “Can you help me with a secret project? I want to write a story, but I don’t have the right words.”
I nodded and replied, “Of course I can help you! Just tell me what you want!” He spun me around, then grabbed my hand and started walking out, while trying to explain what he was talking about. I listened hard, focused on every word, so even though there were some confusing moments, I got the gist of what he was telling me. I winked at him when we reached the changing room, then went into the same room with the two ladies I had been in before. They helped me change, take off most of the makeup, and somehow look halfway normal; although they were unable to do anything about my hair- that was not their territory, so they told me to wash it when I showered later, which was my dream (or so I told them) and they both laughed.
After all the excitement, I was officially exhausted, so I left my room and didn’t see anyone else, wandered down the hall, found the waiting room, then was too afraid to even touch the fancy furniture, so I found a nice, quiet, semi-dark corner and sat down, happy for a quiet moment alone. I should have known it would not last, not with seven of them around, and within a few minutes, I was joined by someone who also wanted some peace and quiet- Yoongi. He carefully sat next to me, then asked, “Why are you sitting on the floor?” I smiled and replied, “I am too afraid to mess up the furniture with my crazy hair, so this seemed like a better choice.” He nodded, then sat silently for a moment.
I liked the calmness he brought; no need to pretend, or have fake conversations- it was wonderful. He saw me close my eyes for a second, then asked, “Are you tired from all the commotion the other members make? They can be overwhelming at times.” I nodded, then answered, “I love you guys, but when it’s all seven members at once, it’s just a bit crazier than I am used to, so I’m enjoying this little hidden quiet spot with you right now because you help me be peaceful and I like it.”
He smiled and nodded but didn’t say anything else. It was only quiet for a little while longer, when I heard someone shouting while running up the hallway, so I looked over at Yoongi as he shook his head, chuckled, and explained, “Don’t worry, it’s just Jin. JK, Tae, and Jimin are teasing him again. He’s very dramatic when they take his stuff.” I laughed quietly, not wanting to give away the secret spot just yet, then watched poor Jin run past us and into another room, not even noticing the two of us.
Unfortunately, soon after, JK, Tae, and Jimin came running towards us and immediately sensed where we were sitting, so the calmness disappeared. Yoongi was used to it, so he admitted defeat and slowly stood up, then held his hand out for me, but was beaten by JK who hoisted me up and decided that carrying me like a sack of potatoes was a better idea.
I was so annoyed at being treated in such a way that I was begging him to put me down, while Tae and Jimin jumped around us and laughed, teasing JK about what he was going to do with me, pretending I actually was a sack of potatoes. I gave up after that, seeing no way out of this torture, until Jin reappeared and demanded I be put down. I was so dizzy from all the spinning JK had done that I instantly fell to the floor when he did, shocking all of them, but Jin most of all- he was able to stop my head from hitting any furniture just in time. He immediately started lecturing them about treating me so badly when they needed my help and made them apologize. I was too nauseous to respond, since the world was still spinning in my mind, but I did squeeze JK’s hand when he reached down to hold mine. I wasn’t mad- I just hate being dizzy!
Jin sat with me while I tried to breathe the dizziness away, J-Hope and Joon appeared to join in the situation, and eventually they all decided I was not going to be spun around anymore- even if it was just meant to be a game. Once I was able to sit up, Yoongi, Joon, and Jin started discussing something, while the other four listened, but did not interrupt. Apparently, it was the plan for the rest of the day, which included my safety now. Without warning, I was carefully picked up by JK, this time carried in a very gentle way, when he told me, “I am sorry for my fault. I won’t spin you again. I like you and I need your help. Please don’t be mad but do like me too.” I couldn’t be mad at such a sweet apology, but was also still not ready to talk, so I just nodded as he slowly carried me towards the elevator. I had no idea where I was going, but to be honest, at that moment, I literally did not care.
I just wanted to get some fresh air to make sure I didn’t vomit on anyone- my worst nightmare at the moment and a very real possibility. Once we reached the bottom level, we headed to the garage, where we should have found the same vehicle as before… Unfortunately, it had been called to another job, so there were two other vehicles in its place. I wasn’t worried about my suitcase, assuming it was in one of the trunks, so I didn’t even bother asking at this point. We somehow got loaded up, I ended up smack in the middle of JK and Jin, and the long drive began. Where we were going, I had no clue- I only knew it would be a long drive because Yoongi had shouted from the other car, “See you all in an hour when we get there!” Oh, I was not doing well, but if there’s one thing on this Earth I was absolutely determined to do it was not vomit in that vehicle.
