I was exploring Boston on my own, attempting to get to the beginning of the walking tour I had signed up for, when I noticed a group of large, rowdy basketball players, clearly in high school, waiting near the address I was searching for. I checked with the person standing nearby wearing a costume and sure enough, I was in the right area for the tour, and the entire basketball team would be joining me. Five minutes later, we began the tour, walking up the sidewalk as the guide began their usual speech. They asked a question a little while later, which I knew the answer to, but because I was the only female on the tour and the shortest person as well, nobody could see me. This happened at least three more times before one of the basketball players noticed and told me he had an idea. He took my backpack off and handed it to one of his teammates, then literally lifted me in the air and shouted, “She has the answer!”

The team clapped and the tour guide looked shocked, but I was laughing and told my answer- it was right. After that, they all took turns holding my backpack and lifting me up, calling me “Mama JJ”, while laughing. Their coach was always there, and I assured him that I was not trying to ruin their tour, but he confirmed that the team was having a lot of fun with me, so it was fine. There were two other men on the tour, but they always stayed in the back and never spoke directly to anyone else, so I ignored them.

This continued for the entire two hours, when it was finally time to end the tour and go our separate ways. The team wanted me to give them my contact info, but since most of them were minors, I refused and told the coach I would use the contact info he had through the school, to make it safe and legit. Turns out, they were only about an hour away from where I live in Seattle, so it was super funny- now I could watch their games and cheer for them like they had cheered for me today! After we said our very loud and wild goodbyes, they went to the left, while I stood still, in the shade, checking my phone for the food/vendor market that was supposed to be within walking distance, where I was planning to eat lunch.

I was fully focused on my phone until someone approached me and asked, “Excuse me, but are you searching for a place to eat lunch?” I looked up, then realized how tall the guy was and blinked a few times before answering, “Yes, there’s supposed to be an outside market nearby, so I’m seeing how far it actually is to walk there.” He smiled, then said, “We were on the same walking tour, and I enjoyed your enthusiasm about history. Could we join you for lunch? I am Joon and this is Kwan.”

“I am Sami, nice to meet you,” I replied.

Then I pointed to the right, saying, “It says we only need to walk three blocks that way, which is not too bad for this hot weather. I am sure you would have done the same thing on the tour if you were the only male with an entire group of females and you knew the answers.”

I looked up at him, waiting for his response, but was surprised when he laughed and replied, “I highly doubt it would have been as much fun as the tour we just had. Since you are leading the way, can I carry your backpack? I noticed you let the other guys on the tour take turns, so I should take a turn now, right?”

I rolled my eyes as I handed him my backpack, then said, “Sure, if you really want to, but I really don’t know why everyone keeps offering to carry it- I am strong enough and it’s not even that heavy. Since it’s busy on the sidewalks, you should probably go first, so I can hold onto the backpack, and nobody will get separated. I can give you the directions if you want to lead.”

He looked at my phone that I held up, then nodded, and stepped in front of me, pausing for me to grab one of the straps, then began walking, with Kwan being behind me closely. The first block was easy, so was the second, but on the third one, we had to pause because the walking signal was red, meaning pedestrians weren’t allowed to cross yet. He turned around and asked if I was ok, so I smiled and nodded, then he stepped behind me to whisper something to Kwan, clearly not wanting me to hear. Just as they were chatting, the walk signal turned green, so I took a step towards the crosswalk, but wasn’t looking ahead, I had only checked left and right for cars. I was suddenly grabbed and moved to the right just as a bike came speeding towards me, almost knocking me down. Joon was panicking, making sure I was ok, while I was confused about what had actually just happened. He then decided I was no longer safe behind him and grabbed my hand, pulling me across the crosswalk with him.

When we reached the open market, he let go and asked if I had ever been here before, but I told him I was just visiting as well, so we would need to walk around to see what food options there were, then we could decide what we wanted to eat and find somewhere shady to eat. I was happy it was covered with umbrellas and shades, so I took off my hat and then Joon laughed- I guess my hair was wild. I put my hands on my hips and exclaimed, “Hey! You can’t make fun of my hair sir! It’s hot and I have had my hat on all morning. How dare you tease me when I bet your hair looks just as terrible!”

He laughed and stammered, “Ok, ok, you win! I won’t laugh anymore, but your reaction was worth it. You are quite adorable when you get mad!” I was not amused, so I stomped my foot, which only made him laugh more, then I turned my back to him, pretending to ignore him. He moved in front of me and took my hands off my hips, then apologized, “I’m sorry for laughing, but you are very dramatic and it’s cute. Please will you give me another chance?” I couldn’t say no to him when he smiled right at me with his dimples, so I nodded, then sighed, “Ok, fine.”

He let go of my left hand, but kept my right one, confusing me, then began pulling me along, clearly not trusting me to walk alone. We saw several delicious options, which I pointed out to him, and when we reached the end of the corridor, we huddled together to see if we could agree on a common place. Kwan said he would agree with whatever we chose, so I asked Joon what he wanted and he told me, “There were three good options I saw: Udon, BBQ meats, and the deli wraps. Which one do you want and I will agree with you.”

I shook my head and commented, “We cannot have Udon on this hot day- sorry! Let’s do the BBQ meats so we can each get something different and share! Plus, they were right next to the fruit cups, and I think that would be delicious today!” I had been swinging his hand while I was talking, then grasped it with my other hand as well when I was done, looking up hopefully into his eyes, begging him to agree with me.

I didn’t know it at the time, but there’s nothing he wouldn’t have agreed with at that moment, me being super close to him, swinging his hand in mine, then gazing up at him happily. He took a deep breath and answered, “Ok, let’s do what you want. I agree that cold fruit will be good today.” I let go of his hand and clapped, then turned to march over to the vendor we had seen selling the BBQ meat. He quickly reached for my other hand, saying, “Hold on, let me keep you safe!” I continued walking quickly and once we reached the vendor, we found out they had several types of BBQ sauces to go with the chicken, beef, and pork on kebabs, so we decided to get 12 kebabs, since they were small and we were sharing anyway.

When the vendor gave us the total, I had already reached into my wallet to get my bank card, assuming I would be paying, as neither one of them had mentioned anything about money and I don’t let people starve.

The look on Joon’s face when he realized neither one of them had a way to pay was hilarious- he was mortified and was trying to have two different conversations. One with me, “Oh my gosh! I am so sorry! I don’t normally carry money around for myself!” and one with Kwan, in Korean, very loudly and clearly very annoyed.

I found it amusing but knew he was upset that a girl was paying for food when we had just met. I paid the vendor, then put my wallet away and stood on my tippy toes to be as close to his face as I could reach, which still wasn’t eye level, but I tried my best. I took his cheeks in my hands and said, “Joon, it is completely fine for you to not have money right now and I understand that you are upset about me paying, but I promise it will all work out in the end. One day you can help someone in need and it’ll make them smile. Please don’t be mad at me.”

I’m not sure what shocked him more- the fact that I was inches from his face or the fact that I was holding his cheeks in my hands, but either way that man was speechless. I let go and began accepting the food from the vendor, with Kwan having to help me because I couldn’t carry all the plates at once, since they were still hot. We saw the fruit vendor right next door, so while Joon was still in shock, I quickly took a few steps and got three fruit cups, each with different kinds, so we could share as well. These I could carry on my own because they weren’t hot, so once I was holding them, I led the way, with Joon being directly behind me, now holding onto the hem of my shirt, Kwan following closely behind him.

The only “seating” was these really tall tables with bar stools, so we found a spot with enough space for us to squeeze together, then set the food down, Kwan on the far right, Joon in the middle, and myself on the far left. I looked around, wanting to see if anywhere had free water, and once I spotted a hydration station, I skipped over without warning, causing Joon to shout after me, but once he saw how close I was actually going, he stopped and just shook his head. I balanced all three water cups carefully, spilling a little on the way back, but then set them onto the table as well, smiling, proud of my accomplishment.

Joon handed me a kebab, then took one, and pushed the plate towards Kwan. I tasted the tanginess of the BBQ sauce immediately, then exclaimed, “Oh my gosh it’s delicious!” I guess I might have had some sauce on my face because Joon leaned really close and used his finger to gently help me out, saying, “I love how excited you get over little things.” I shrugged, then continued eating. I kept the conversation alive, with Kwan barely speaking, but Joon asking a ton of questions until we had finished and it was time to clean up, so I could head to my next tour and they could do whatever.

I had packed wet wipes in my backpack, so after we wiped our hands to get all the sauces off, Joon would not let me carry any of the trash and insisted he throw it away for me, I assumed because he wanted to prove he was useful after all. When he returned, I said it was nice to meet them, and I hoped we could stay in contact because I had fun hanging out. He panicked and began exclaiming, “Wait! No, this isn’t over! I am… We can’t… You shouldn’t…”

I was laughing so hard I could barely walk at this point, but I managed to stumble out of the market area and into a shady spot near a tree, so I could face him as I responded, “Joon, I have no idea what you are saying, but I have to get to my next tour and I highly doubt you can come with me, so let’s just exchange numbers and see each other later, ok?”

He shook his head quickly and replied, “No, we actually do have a tour nearby as well, so it is probably the same and I do not want our fun to end just yet, so I will get your phone number, but I will also follow you to the tour and join you, if it’s ok.”

I showed him the reservation of my tour, which he then pulled up on his phone, and told Kwan something in Korean, which he clearly did not want me to hear. He pointed to the way the map showed, then reached for my hand and I rolled my eyes, knowing I would be perfectly fine walking alone.

He laughed at my attitude, then led us down the street and across the crosswalk, making sure to check with Kwan multiple times. Kwan was on his phone and ignoring us, so I didn’t know why Joon was so concerned about him. After a few more blocks, we reached the giant harbor, where the tour of the ships was, and crossed the little bridge which brings you down onto the docks. Someone was waiting at the beginning of the dock, checking their list for reservations. I held up my phone and confirmed who I was, so they smiled and pointed down towards one of the hugest sailing ships, causing me to jump and clap- I was so excited to have this opportunity! Kwan held up his phone and showed them something, which caused them to point in the same direction they had just shown me. I was instantly suspicious- what are the chances he just happened to have the exact same time of the exact same sailing ship tour as me?

I walked a little way down the main dock, then stopped suddenly and turned to face Joon, my arms folded across my chest. He was startled, but didn’t fall, so I asked, “Why are you following me? I know you didn’t have the same tour planned when you woke up this morning, so how in the world did you manage to get the exact same time and place as me?”

He turned to face Kwan, who held his hands up and shook his head, clearly telling Joon it was his problem, so Joon sighed and admitted, “I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do this afternoon, but after spending all morning with you and seeing how you interact with others, then enjoying lunch with you, which I am completely embarrassed about you paying for, it just seemed like things shouldn’t end so suddenly. I asked Kwan to get us on the same tour as you, so I could spend more time with you and make this amazing day continue because I like being near you.”

I accepted his answer and continued walking down the dock until we reached the correct ship. At the beginning, they asked for volunteers to take part in their Boston Tea Party reenactment at the end and of course I volunteered- Joon did as well and I was so happy! The tour showed us all around the ship, then when everyone else went up above the deck, one of the tour guides took Joon and I down below and helped us put on costumes- I was a Patriot (of course) and Joon had to be the Loyalist. The costumes were hilarious, so Joon kept making fun of me, with my gray 1700s style wig and hat, plus Patriot uniform. I did not care because it was going to be epic, but I should have noticed how he continued to find reasons to touch me; fixing the hat, straightening the wig, helping me with a button, tying the oversized boots, etc.

Once we were up above, the other tourists were laughing- one of them was recording for me because I wanted a video for my students. Behind each of us was someone with our cue cards, like a script, since Joon had never studied the Revolutionary War in America before and I had never had a conversation about it with a pretend Loyalist. We had so much fun reenacting it that when it was time to actually dump the pretend tea into the harbor, I didn’t want it to end!

Everyone clapped and we bowed, my hat falling off, his wig sliding down over his face and then even the tour guides had to join in the laughter. They said it was the best tour group they’ve ever had and appreciated our genuine interest in history, which made the costumes come to life. We followed them back downstairs to change, while the others were led off the boat. I needed help getting the outfit off, so I waited for Joon to change first, it was just over his regular clothing, then he came to unbutton the fancy Patriot jacket I had on. I was so happy and just rambling on and on about how amazing he had done, how much fun it had been, which part was my favorite, that I completely missed how he was looking at me, brushing wild hairs away from my face, helping me get everything off and put back where it belonged, untying their boots and putting my original shoes on, then just standing in front of me, grinning, but also staring, not saying anything.

When I looked like myself again, I threw my arms around his neck and exclaimed, “Thank you so much for making this the best afternoon ever! I am so lucky we got to meet and I hope we have many more adventures together in the future. You are my new best friend, and I can’t wait to do more things with you!”  

He tentatively hugged me back, then mumbled something, but I couldn’t hear him because the ship noises and harbor sounds were so loud, so I leaned back to see his face and asked him to repeat himself. He leaned down and carefully rested his forehead on mine, then whispered, “I have never had so much fun with someone I just met, and I agree that we need to have more adventures together. I don’t think you know how your smile and laughter affect those around you, sharing joy and bringing sunshine wherever you go. It’s very cute when you get so involved you forget who you really are and I like it.”

I smiled at him, still not getting what he was trying to say, which he realized and sighed, then stepped back and asked what I was doing now. I had to explain how I was then going to change into my concert outfit and head to the train station, so I could get to the concert on time. He chuckled, then asked if I would be mad if he offered to give me a ride instead, since he was going to the same concert. I was shocked, then squinted my eyes, saying, “Wait- are you telling me this whole time you have been the same Joon from BTS, but you never mentioned it to me?”

He shrugged his shoulders, then confessed, “I wanted you to like me for just being myself and not because of someone you thought you knew. Are you mad?”

I shook my head and replied, “Of course not! How could I be upset with you when we just literally had the best day ever together?! I think you should give me some credit at least! Besides, I can’t wait to meet the others and show them our video with the costumes- they won’t believe what you agreed to do!”

His face looked horrified for a second, then he said, “So if you want to meet the others, does that mean you are agreeing to travel with me right now instead of taking the train?” I nodded, which caused him to wrap me in a giant hug, saying, “I’m so glad I don’t have to lose you!”

I laughed at how dramatic he was being, then followed him up the ladder to the deck, where we thanked the guides again and began disembarking the ship. The gangplank from the ship to the dock at the harbor was wobbling because of the wind, so I was using the rope railing to steady myself, but when I reached the bottom, I tripped, landing right in Joon’s arms, forcing my cheeks to catch fire. He checked to make sure I wasn’t hurt, then asked why I was blushing. I covered my face with my hands and told him how embarrassing it was to be rescued by him for just walking, but he took my hands away and held them in his, telling me, “I think it’s adorable that you need to be rescued all the time and since it gives me an excuse to be close to you, I hope you don’t ever stop.”

I stared back at him, unsure of what was happening, finally realizing he may actually be attracted to me, when he chuckled and took my hand, leading me up the main dock walkway and back to the city streets. Within five minutes we were in an SUV, heading to their hotel, where I could change into my concert outfit and then ride with them. Once we arrived, we all got out and I followed Joon into the elevator, then onto their floor and into one of the rooms. I was immediately hugged and lifted into the air, then spun around and attacked with kisses all over my head. I had kicked my shoes off upon entering, so when he set me down, JK exclaimed, “I am so happy to meet your tiny feet and kiss your cute little head. I am JK and we are good friends.” I smiled, since his happiness is contagious, which Joon saw and obviously approved of.

JK grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hallway, yelling along the way, so when we reached the main living area, some of the others were already there. He pulled me directly to Tae, introducing him, then he did the exact same thing as JK, picking me up and spinning me while kissing my head repeatedly. I asked if that was common when meeting new people, but Joon just laughed and said no, they just really liked me. Jimin was next and he gave me a gentle hug, which I was thankful for, feeling a bit dizzy after Tae’s greeting. Last was Jin, who simply patted the top of my head with his hand and nodded, as if he accepted my presence, but nothing more. I laughed so hard at his greeting, everyone stared for a second, having never been in such an odd situation before, but then they joined in and soon we were all laughing, having the best time ever, without ever needing words.

Joon checked the time and noticed we needed to start heading to the stadium, so I said I needed my backpack, but he had already carried it into the living room. He picked it up and led me down a hallway, showing me the bathroom where I could change. I thanked him as he closed the door, knowing I had very little time before I would be interrupted. I quickly used the bathroom and washed my hands, then took my pants off and replaced them with my white bike shorts and white mini skirt on top. I kept my long-sleeved white sun shirt on but added my white and red hanbok style short sleeved shirt on top. Then I put my red leg warmers on and was just getting the band aids out for my heals when there was a knock on the door and it opened, revealing JK’s smiling face. He marched in and asked about my outfit, saying it was cute, but wanting to know what I was doing now.

I explained how my concert boots are super cute, but very uncomfortable, so he then helped me put the band aids on my heels and pinky toes, hoping to avoid pain later. He then twirled me around like a ballerina in front of him, getting super excited when my skirt swirled. I put on fresh deodorant and body spray, which he also asked me about and smelled, giving me his approval, while I explained that I didn’t want to be the stinky person for others near me. That made him laugh, which is when Tae showed up, followed by Jimin right after. Once they had also approved my outfit and scent, they asked about my hair, which was still in a wild ponytail. I gave them a horrified look- I had not packed any of my hair supplies with me. Ugh.

Jimin held my hands in his and offered to let me use his stuff, since he’s the only one with long hair now, so we all went into his bathroom down the hall a little. When Joon found us a little while later, all three of them had been “helping” do my hair and it was now a giant mess, but we were all laughing, so I didn’t really care. Joon took one look at me, sitting on the bathroom counter, while they were all surrounding me, each doing something different to my hair, and closed his eyes, rubbed his temples, clenched and unclenched his jaw, then said calmly, “I think she needs professional help now guys, so let’s just get to the stadium, ok?”

They dropped what they were holding and ran from the bathroom, laughing, while I sat there, half of my hair sticking straight up or out, the other half somehow clipped up onto the middle…

He gently helped me stand up, then I rested my hands on his collar bones as I asked, “Does it look really bad Joon? Will you be embarrassed if you are near me when I look like this? Are you mad I let them help me?”

He shook his head and instantly replied, “Sweetheart, no matter how crazy your hair looks, I will always love it because it’s just one part of you. I am proud of you for accepting their help and being so kind to let them try, but you really do need a professional now, so let’s get you to the stadium, ok?”

I reached my hands up around his neck to hug him, standing on my tippy toes, when he laughed and exclaimed, “Ugh- your hair stinks now. I think they used too much hairspray!”

I let go and laughed, then spun around to check my reflection- I hadn’t seen their work for myself yet. When I was facing the mirror, I saw his face change, so I asked why and this time it was his turn to blush. He ran his hand through his hair and said shyly, “I just noticed how cute your outfit it and how it makes me even more attracted to you.” I could not have answered if my life depended on it- how do you even respond when someone says that?? He could tell I was struggling, so he wrapped his arms around me and rested his cheek next to mine, just standing there, smiling back at me in the mirror with those stinking deadly dimples. I had to look away and bite my bottom lip because I was about to catch fire again, which he absolutely did notice and thankfully did not comment on. He simply stepped back and took my hand, leading me from that bathroom into the other one, asking if I needed anything from my backpack.

I got out my clear concert bag and the freebies I had made, then made sure everything I needed was inside, since I would be in the crowd while he performed with the others and obviously couldn’t bring me back here for anything. Once I knew I had all my stuff, he carried my clear bag into the living room and then called the others and said it was time to leave. JK came rushing out, sliding across the floor and almost knocking me down, but Joon moved me just in time, scolding JK while attempting not to laugh. Tae and Jimin came walking out more calmly, with Jin right behind them, again, patting the top of my head as he got near.

I hoped he would accept me one day, but I knew that was his way of greeting me, so I had to accept it. I was extremely nervous about meeting Hobi and Yoongi, but Joon assured me there was nothing to worry about. Easy for him to say- he was used to being around them all the time!