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heoneyology · 5 years

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snow angels | l.jh

A/N: this is an entirely self indulgent soft bias fic for the holidays because I was away from home asdfgjk

Word Count: 3222

Genre: fluff

Pairing: reader x lee jooheon (monsta x)

Warnings: soft fluff and some cheesiness at the end, gender neutral reader

Summary: You were supposed to have the holidays off, and go home on vacation, but due to some unforeseen circumstances—not only are you stuck working, but you’re also stuck at the airport thanks to a winter storm. Stressed and disappointed out of your mind, Jooheon’s silent thoughtfulness over the situation slowly cheers you up.

It would be an understatement to say that this year was ending terribly. Describing it as simply terrible would be lightening the load of the situation. With the intensity at which you were silently seething—though you aren’t even entirely certain you’re seething, with how upset you are. Your eyes sting enough that you think you can cry, but there’s a weight on your shoulder that makes you think maybe you’re just saddened—yet the way in which you keep replaying the flight delay announcement over and over in your head, like a broken record, suggests you’re seething; festering in your mix of feelings. You can’t find it in yourself to make light of the situation in the slightest, or even attempt to find something positive to focus on otherwise.

You weren’t even supposed to be here, working, and now stuck in an airport thanks to a weather-induced flight delay. One of the staff had gotten sick last minute with the flu, and cut your vacation time you’d specifically saved up for the holidays short. You were supposed to have been on a flight yesterday, headed back to the States, for your holiday festivities. The company had called you just as you had finished packing your suitcase, expressing to you how this was an emergency and since there were only two of you that knew how to manage this part of the job, you were needed. They apologized profusely and promised compensation for your plane ticket—which was all good, but it still didn’t make for a fair trade. Especially considering you were now stuck in an entirely different airport, bound for the States still—but for work.

The flight is delayed until further notice due to bad weather conditions. The announcement over the intercom had said. The words haunted you, replaying in your head, and you wished you could block them out. Even when you close your eyes, resting your head against the cool glass overlooking the snow-dusted runway outside, you can’t rid yourself of the echo of that announcement.

A part of you tells yourself you probably shouldn’t be this upset about the weather causing the flight delay. The storm had started at an awkward enough time that there was no telling if your flight yesterday would have been delayed or not, as well. There’s a possibility, work or otherwise, you could’ve been stuck in the same situation.

What was frustrating about all of this was that the airport staff didn’t know when weather conditions would clear enough for your flight to take off. They had said a minimum of five hours. If that was true, you’d still make it to your schedule in time… if not, there was no saying what might happen…

“Hey.”

The soft, gentle voice of Lee Jooheon breaks through the fogginess of your mind. Slowly, you open your eyes, taking a moment to silently stare out the glass of the window your head is rested against, watching snow gather at the window as the wind blows it towards the building, before it fades away, not sticking to the surface. The weather outside almost seems worse now, taunting your mood. You let out a small sigh, pulling away slowly and turning to face the owner of the voice.

The second youngest member of Monsta X has his lips pressed in a hard line, staring down at you with furrowed brows. He wiggles his hands gently, showing off two cups in either hand.

“There’s hot chocolate,” he lifts one hand as he says this, and then the other, “or a latte. Do you have a preference?”

“You shouldn’t be drinking sugary things,” you murmur, reaching out for the hot chocolate. He relinquishes the cup to you, before taking a seat on the bench next to you.

Jooheon gives your shoulder a nudge with his own. “Just say you want the hot cocoa, it’s okay.”

You scoff, taking a small, careful sip from the cup. In fact, the hot chocolate doesn’t feel festive in the slightest—you’re almost certain that’s why Jooheon brought it over to you, knowing your original plans for the holidays—and you’d like nothing more than to not drink it at all. Or even coffee, at this point. What sounds nice, instead, is burying yourself under a large blanket and disappearing from the world for an extended period. You’d rather not be here, let alone be functioning.

That entire thought kind of kills the holiday spirit, and it’s not a thought you can voice aloud. No one else present had plans prior like you—which meant everyone else was in higher spirits than you, though possibly a little stressed due to the delay. Since they had already been expecting to work through the holidays and were used to the company they kept, they weren’t as bummed about this entire thing like you were. It makes it difficult, in hindsight, to turn down Jooheon’s offer of hot chocolate.

“I’m sorry,” Jooheon mumbles next to you, causing you to glance over in surprise.

“Why?”

“You had plans to see your family, and instead you’re stuck here. If Minji hadn’t gotten sick, you could still have your vacation… you wouldn’t be here in an airport, stuck, clearly miserable since it’s the holidays. You haven’t seen your family in almost two years since moving abroad…” Jooheon frowns, turning the paper Starbucks cup in a circular motion nervously. “It’s been hard for you. I know the guys and I don’t make it any easier sometimes. I’m sorry…”

Letting out a small sigh, you shake your head. “It’s not your fault, none of this is. It can’t be helped. There’s just some things we don’t have control over.”

Jooheon gives a shrug. “I can still feel guilty though. If we didn’t have a schedule none of us would even be here. And clearly you’re unhappy which makes me feel worse…”

“Jooheon, stop. There’s nothing we can do at this point. I appreciate your concern though.”

“Sorry,” he mumbles one last time, giving a nod.

You frown, though say nothing, instead taking a silent sip of the hot chocolate one more time. It’s hard to convey your emotions correctly at the time, everything you’re feeling twinged with that lingering unhappiness you’re understandably plagued by. However, you do appreciate his concern. The fact that Jooheon even remembers that you hadn’t been home in almost two years—a fact you had mentioned in passing, not even leading up to this expected vacation but instead, quite a while back during an unrelated conversation—meant quite a bit to you. Him voicing that aloud between the two of you had stirred some sort of unidentifiable emotion within you, something softer. It lingered at your core, mingling with the turmoil inside of you; soothing.

Despite that, you had no way to convey your thoughts correctly. You were still upset, but somehow feeling a bit comforted by Jooheon’s simple memory at a conversation you shared and his kind act—it was a confusing mix of emotions, to say the least.

“Jooheon!” You both glance up at his name being called by another staff member. Briefly, you take a look at him, gazes crossing, before he gives a small smile—small enough his dimples still soften his complexion—before standing up and heading off. Another sigh escapes you, and you glance down dejectedly at the hot chocolate in your hands.

It’s even less appealing without Jooheon here. The idea of having to stomach the sugary drink makes you feel queasy.

The paper cup is set aside, forgotten, and you soon return to your position of resting your head against the cool glass of the window. Outside, the snow continues to drift around in flurries. You allow your eyes to drift close, barely paying attention to the weather that has you currently snowed in. The chill of the glass provides some comfort, slowly easing away the headache building up from the most recent bout of stress this has all caused.

You aren’t entirely sure how long you sit there, partially napping against the window—Jooheon’s hot chocolate abandoned, forgotten; the cold from outside seeping into your skin. At some point, though, the intercom overhead crackles out an announcement and jostles you fully awake. The woman’s tired voice over the intercom grumbles out a weather update—one you take note that other staff with the team listen to intently, though there isn’t any particular change. You briefly allow your eyes to glance out at the snow just beyond the window. As you do so, the airport falls into a sort of strange hush again—not quiet enough to be a full silence, but the level of peoples’ speaking is just loud enough to create a white static noise in the background.

Suddenly, you’re aware of just how cold you are sitting next to the window, and you push yourself up from your seat. Gathering your suitcase and carry-on bag, you shift your position to the seats right across, setting your belongings next to a staff member who glances up from their phone.

“I’m moving this here while I go to the restroom,” you say, barely making eye contact with the staff. It’s not that you don’t all get along well—but everyone is tired from this situation to the point where no one seems to be taking note of anything in particular anymore, disinterested and stressed beyond belief. The staff nods, before you pull your winter coat tighter around you and head off to wander the airport.

When you find the airport bathroom and finish your business, you’re almost tempted to stay camped out next to the hand blow dryer for the remainder of the night. Not only do you appreciate the warmth the water provides as you wash your hands, but the hot air blowing out of the air dryer feels just as comforting—and temptingly warm. You have to steel yourself to leave the bathroom despite the warmth, though find yourself immediately regretting it once you’ve stepped back out into the open airport and the slight chill hits you again. Technically, you’re still working, though, and know you have to return.

You don’t make it very far to returning, though—barely making it five or so steps before your hand is snatched mid-swing, and you’re stumbling back the few steps you’d managed to take.

“Oh!” The tone is a familiar one, though surprised. Instinctively, instead of retracting, slender fingers wrap around your own fingers tighter.

Righting yourself up, you glance upward. “Jooheon?”

“Your hand is really warm.” He sounds a little dumbfounded, and blinks at you.

You quirk a brow. “Did you know the bathrooms have built in hand warmers?”

“Oh! Nice!” Jooheon’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise—and you find yourself surprised to catch a small glimpse of the tiny little eyelid mole on his left lid as he does so. “Are you pre-warmed enough now?”

“Yes? I think? I’m much warmer than before. The window really wasn’t a good place to take a nap…” You trail off, wondering what he meant by pre-warmed. A little confused, you give him a slow blink, before you give a small tug of your hand from his grasp in order to pull away from him—you’re one of his staff, true, but if any fans happened to be lurking around, things could be taken the wrong way.

Jooheon’s grip, however, tightens. “Good, because it’s about to get cold.”

Before you can register his words, an impish grin spreads across his face, and he’s tightening his grip on your hand that you’re attempting to reclaim. He turns, tugging you along in the opposite direction of where the rest of his group members and staff are resting. You have no choice but to stumble along after him—hoping he knows where he’s going. After just a few turns of some rather large corners, you’re already lost.

All you’re really aware of is that you seem to be descending—which doesn’t seem like a very good thing.

“Jooheon, where are we going?”

“On an excursion.”

“Well, clearly,” you retort, trying to keep your tone as light as possible. But really, you don’t need added stress to this night. “We’ve already been on more floors than I remember there being at this airport. Where are we going?”

Jooheon glances over his shoulder at you. “It’s a surprise, okay? Just trust me? The hot cocoa didn’t seem to cheer you up, so I’m resorting to extreme measures.”

You frown at him, wondering again why he’d asked if you were pre-warmed and what these extreme measures could possibly be… but Jooheon had never given you a reason to not trust him. So, you find yourself falling silent and trailing along behind him, focusing instead on the sounds of your footsteps against the linoleum underfoot.

Things don’t start to sink in—at least for where you’re going, not why—until you’re standing right in front of the glass doors of the airport entrance. Before Jooheon is even pushing the doors open, you can feel how cold it is outside. Cold and barren, the entry of the airport has never looked emptier than it had right then.

“J-Jooheon, it’s too cold—” But your protest falls upon deaf ears, Jooheon already shoving the door open and pulling you against your feet locking up. You’re practically dragged outside against your will by the idol into the snow flurry. The cold hits you like a ton of bricks, slamming against your face rather harshly.

Strangely enough, though, there’s a weird calm that overtakes you as the door to the airport falls closed behind you. The silence hits you immediately—that strange snow silence, where there’s sound but simultaneously there’s also no sound, the snow absorbing everything. Yet you can still hear it—you aren’t really sure how to explain the sensation. A shiver passes through you, and Jooheon instinctively pulls you closer to his side. The two of you stand there, studying the snowfall together for a moment. You watch the flakes twist and turn in swirls, before the breeze shifts just enough and the entire flurry diverts its direction all together at once.

“Are you ready?” Jooheon suddenly breaks the strange suspended silence, glancing sideways at you.

“What?”

He gives a small, amused, smirk—just enough of one that a dimple pops on one cheek—and then, he’s running. You let out a startled squeal of surprised, being dragged along with him. The cold of the snow hits you all at once, then. There’s at least a foot of snow that’s gathered, enough that you’re trudging as you run together, and more falling still as it clings to every part of you that the flakes can touch as they land. You feel the cold on your head where the snow gathers and at your feet as you’re forced to run along after Jooheon.

“Are you ready?!” He calls again, over that strange heavy sound the snow gives off, and you’re about to ask what he means—but there’s no time; he lets go of your hand, glances around at the area quickly, and gives you a small shove—and gravity takes over.

You let out a much louder squeal this time, falling backwards into the snow—thankfully there’s enough that the landing is padded.

“Lee Jooheon!”

He’s laughing though—somewhere off in the distance; you’re now too cold to even consider moving from where you lie in the snow, grateful suddenly for the winter coat your parents had gifted you before you’d moved away.

Then, his laughter is closer, and you hear a soft plop. Turning your head, you’re met with a full grin and a face full of dimples, Jooheon staring at you.

“I’m going to murder you,” you grumble.

“Not until the snow angels are finished.”

“What?” You sit up, staring down at him incredulously.

Jooheon blinks up at you, his brown eyes melting with a warmth that you thought you’d only find somewhere that wasn’t here—here, where you were stuck during the holiday working. Though you had to admit, who you were working for made this all seem a little less bad…

“Please make snow angels with me while we wait for our delayed flight?”

And the way he says it has something inside of you cracking. Despite how cold it is outside, the cold feels different than when you had been perched up against the window, as though you were icing over. Now, the cold felt soft, somehow. Padded, like your landing had been. There’s no way you can say no.

Jooheon’s grin soothes itself down into a smile as you lay back down quietly beside him. The only sound that touches either of your ears is the sounds of your jackets shifting as your limbs move, working against the snow. Back and forth, up and down—you swipe your legs and arms through the snow, creating the dress skirt and wings for the snow angel.

Both of you work in silence, before you’re sure that your angel is finished. Yet, you lay there still, staring up at the night sky and watching the snow swirl down upon you from this different view. The wall it creates as it descends upon you is strangely soothing.

“It’s pretty,” you murmur, barely aware of the words leaving your lips.

You hear Jooheon shift beside you, and suddenly he’s hovering over you—in your view, blocking the snow.

“Not nearly as pretty as you are,” Jooheon murmurs. You blink up at him, surprised, but don’t know what to say. From above, he studies you, and then suddenly he’s leaning down, gently pressing his lips against yours. You blink in surprise, before your eyes flutter closed at the warmth he provides—his lips bleeding it into you like a blanket slowly engulfing you. His lips move softly against yours, comfortable with no urgency.

You blink your eyes open slowly as Jooheon pulls away, hyper-aware of how plush his lips are once they are no longer locked against yours in the softest, sweetest of kisses you’ve ever experienced. He tastes like the caffeine from earlier, a lingering subtle flavor mixed with one that’s more him; honey and musk.

“Feel better?” He asks, voice hushed and tenor matching the snowfall.

You let out a breathy laugh. “Was your kiss supposed to heal me?”

Jooheon laughs. “No, but I’m sure it can if I try hard enough. Earlier—you were laughing—even though pushing you down and pulling you out into the cold may have not been the best, you could have definitely punched me instead of laugh. I got lucky with that one.”

It wasn’t until then, with Jooheon voicing it aloud, that you’d realized you had, in fact, laughed. Alternatively, you could have taken the situation a lot differently—so he was right with that one, pulling you out into the snow like this and pushing you down had been quite the risk on his part. Yet, amidst your cries of slight panic, you had laughed and smiled. The first since the news of the flight delay had hit. The first since you’d gotten the call into work, even.

“Yeah, I feel better,” you finally amend.

“Good. I know it doesn’t make up for anything, but I’m glad,” Jooheon grins down at you, giving a wink. “Let’s keep my healing kisses a secret between the two of us, though.”

You groan, throwing an arm over your face to cover the blush you can feel forming against the cool air. That was a holiday gift you hadn’t been expecting...

#jooheon fanfic #monsta x fanfic #mx fanfic #jooheon imagine #jooheon scenario #jooheon drabble #monsta x imagine #monsta x scenario #mx imagine #mx scenario #m.writes

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mamapeach7 · 4 years

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Daeul

Preview / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11 / Chapter 12 / Chapter 13 / Chapter 14 / Chapter 15 / Chapter 16 / bonus

Chapter 17

She herself didn’t know what to identify as when it came to Hyuk.

Their vacation in Tahiti had ended a month prior with the New Year following, having spent time with each other, friends of course Minji. Daeul was to turn three years-old in two and a half weeks which meant that his grandparents were thinking of him once more.

Standing at the doorfront with his son in his arms and Hanji by his side, he smiled at the woman next to him before turning his gaze to his parents once more.

“This is Oh Hanji…”.

She clenched tightly onto the sleeve of his arm as she smiled tightly at the elder couple in front of her.

They smiled vaguely to her -- a kind of warm yet soft smile that let you know that because they had already accepted her. Whether it was because they were aging by the day or because they knew that their son and grandchild needed someone else in their lives, regardless of whether she was grateful.

Hyuk seemed to have noticed as well since he quickly glanced down to her and smiled before placing a hand on top of hers.

They were certainly more domestic than their son -- insisting on making dinner themselves and ensuring that everyone had food on their plate at all times. Daeul sat between them -- Hanji to his right as always and his dad on his left.

“So Hanji…”, Hyuk’s older mother began, making the said female tense up a little.

“May I ask what you’ve studied?”

Hanji cleared her throat and wiped her hands with the napkin on her right before speaking softly.

“Well, I-I actually took history -- c-classical civilizations and monarchies.”

“Oh, that’s great! History was my favourite in junior high.”, Hyuk’s father piped in with a wide smile on his face, making Hanji feel a little more relaxed.

“Really! I uh, I actually taught ancient history for a year after I graduated.”

“A-Any plans for later on?”

She averted her eyes from the pair and focused on the silverware in front of her, thinking about her recent application to the museum in Manchester which Minji had told her about. She certainly did send them her best essays written in university and her teaching experience.

The one thing she hadn’t told Hyuk was that she had been accepted to begin work in England effective in three weeks.

“W-Well I...I’ve actually been granted a curating position in...in England.”

Hearing the scraping of Hyuk’s butter knife on his plate mid-way slicing up a piece of broccoli for Daeul, she immediately knew he came to a halt.

Hanji turned her head slightly to find his eyes on her before he quickly ripped them away and continued to feed his son.

“England! S-So then just mainly English history or..?”

“Well perhaps for the most part b-but of course I-I’ll get the chance to feature other areas…”

“You know, I had a friend in my second year…”

The voices around her had drifted off as she averted her attention to Hyuk who continued to eat in silence, occasionally turning to Daeul and feeding him some of his own food.

He finally managed to meet her gaze, fixating his eyes on her as they held a kind of sorrow that would linger in her mind for days to come.

“...That was mom -- she said she can’t wait to see you again for Daeul’s birthday.”

Hyuk sat in his bed, which he now shared with Hanji since they had decided that she was no longer considered as an employee under his roof, placing his phone down on the nightstand.

“Aw, that makes me feel so giddy.”, Hanji gleed as she gently sat next to him.

And as it became a habit, they shared a long stare of admiration in silence -- sharing the peace and quiet of the now sleeping house.

“A-Are you going to Manchester?”

Sighing heavily and avoiding his gaze, she instead grabbed hold of his fingers and resided in front of her on the soft gray sheets.

“It’s um...It’s actually been something that I’ve been planning e-even before we met.”, she whispered.

Now sitting up straight to properly face her, Hyuk crossed his legs as he leaned in closer. “H-How long will you be gone?”

“A while.”, was all she could say with a jutted lip which turned into a sorrowful smile.

He was silent momentarily, still playing with her fingers noticing her mauve-painted nails. She could sense that there was a slight worry in him -- perhaps even fear. There was something in him which whispered that like Daeul’s birthmom, Oh Hanji could leave him too.

That she could leave and promise to come back but would actually never.

“I-I’m leaving the week after Daeul’s birthday.”, she whispered before bringing both her hands to cup his cheeks and raising his head to face hers.

“Say something, Hyuk.”

It took him seconds to finally face her, bringing his head up mere centimeters in front of her. She didn’t miss the quick glances back and forth her eyes and lips, letting her know what he may have wanted.

“Y-You’ll come back, won’t you?”, he asked with his brows curled.

Do you even have to ask?

“Well, I have one very good reason to.”, Hanji spoke softly before pulling him close into a firm kiss, running her hands down his neck and over his plum blossom tattoo which was dedicated to his mother.

Hyuk rested his hands on her waist before slowly laying her down and hovering overtop of her, deepening their kiss as the dim yellow light in their room surrounded them warmly.

She knew she would miss a whole year and perhaps even more of Daeul’s life, so she hugged him tightly like she always did whenever she held him in her arms.

His small body would be bigger a year from now so she savoured every last second as she inhaled the familiar scent of baby powder and vanilla.

“Don’t grow up -- stay small forever.”, she joked as she swayed with him side by side as they continued to hug.

The boy could only manage to embrace her without a single thought or idea of what was going on and gave her a short peck when they pulled apart.

Thankfully the airport wasn’t too crowded -- Minji had come along to of course bid her sister farewell and to help unload the baggage. She was saved as second on the ‘to-hug’ list which Hanji kept quick as to keep herself from bursting into tears.

“To all those math kids who made fun of us social science students.”, Minji encouraged, making her younger sister laugh in glee.

And then there was Kwon Hyuk, whom she had hugged plenty the night prior and refrained from doing so again so as to not make her departure even more miserable.

“I hate goodbyes.”, he said as he held her hand, swinging it with his.

“It’s not -- it’s not goodbye.”, she reassured.

“Oh! H-Here’s my address in Manchester.”, Hanji pulled out a small piece of paper from the pocket of her jacket. “So if we can’t call every day for some reason, you can at least write to me or you know...send me something.”

She joked lightly with a smile, making him chuckle.

He stared longingly at her one last time before gently grabbing her by the back of her head and pulling her into a kiss, making her eyes water as she had promised herself she wouldn’t hug him right before she leaves.

“If you ever feel lonely -- look for the moon.”, he whispered into her ear.

“And especially when it’s full, you’ll know I’m with you.”

Her flight had landed her around seven o’clock in the evening. She stepped out into the crisp February air, her luggage resting on each of her sides as she waved a hand in the air for a cab to drive her to her accommodation.

As one pulled over and she began to place her bags in the truck, she caught a glimpse of the night sky -- the stars dancing in pitch black with a large moon hovering them all.

Just then she heard the ringtone of her phone go off and when she checked that it was from Hyuk, she furrowed her eyes as to how he was able to text her so quickly considering it was long-distance.

However, when she read that the only thing he had sent her was a simple icon of a crescent moon, all the fears and worries she had been holding slowly faded.

END

#dean #deantrbl #deanfluenza #kwon hyuk #story

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leynabts-blog · 5 years

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Heart & Seoul 2

*Font in bold is a character speaking Korean. Thanks for reading!*

Time is supposed to help heal. Why do we even tell others that time heals? How much time is too long? When should you be magically healed by time?

Time has not been on my side. It has been 5 months since my breakup with Trenton. I still think about that cheating bastard everyday. Memories of him haunt me everywhere I go. My apartment is filled with thoughts of him. Everything in this small town makes me think of him. Being with Trenton for so long also means we have the same circle of friends. I can’t even enjoy a night out with friends without thinking of him. How am I supposed to move on if Trenton is everywhere I look?

I try to keep busy with work to keep my mind off of things. I come to school early to set up my classroom and stay late after school grading and lesson planning. It got so bad that the janitor would kick me out of my classroom and tell me to go home. Keeping my schedule packed had helped some, but constantly being surrounded by thoughts of Trenton is making it hard to move on.

At my highest point of desperation, I decided to Google “Ways to move on from a breakup.” The search results were filled with articles from Eharmony to Cosmopolitan. I rolled my eyes knowing none of these will actually be helpful, but what did I expect from a Google search? After skimming over several articles, I quickly became tired of reading about accepting my emotions and to cut off all ties with my ex. One article caught my attention however. It was titled “10 Ways to Accept Your Breakup and a New You!” Although the title made me cringe, it was filled with encouraging and fun advice from people after their breakups. One woman I connected with when she wrote about how she was from a small town and how it was hard to move on from her breakup. Something that helped her was to do something off her bucket list. She wanted to travel so she booked a trip for just herself. She wrote about how she learned so much about herself and everyone needs to vacation alone or do something they always wanted to do.

I stopped reading and thought about what I wanted to do. What was on my bucket list? Where would I even go if I planned a trip for myself? I remembered in college when I planned to one day teach in another country. This was before I met Trenton. Once we started dating I just forgot about it. Now I can actually consider it. Closing the tab to the article, I Googled “Teaching overseas”. I found a website with information about teaching abroad in other countries. Intrigued with the idea, I learned about teaching in several countries. Overwhelmed with all the possible places I could go, I closed my laptop. Am I really considering moving overseas? Although it sounded crazy, something felt right about the decision. Life is too short to be living in a small town mourning over a breakup. This would be the perfect time to move overseas. If I hate it, most placements are just a year. I could always move back if it doesn’t work out...

Where would I even go? I chose to let fate choose my country. I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down all considered countries: Ireland, Japan, China, South Korea, France, Mexico, and Brazil. I ripped the paper into sections and placed them in a bowl. I mixed the pieces the best I could.

“Okay, let’s see where I’m meant to be,” I said as I felt for paper in the bowl, “I’m going to…..South Korea.” I smiled as I opened the application.

“Are you sure you want to move to Korea?” my mom questioned at dinner. After telling them my decision to teach overseas, they quickly planned a family dinner. I now see it was to talk me out of moving.

“Mom, this is a great opportunity. It’s also only for a year.”

“I know, but it’s going to be difficult not seeing you for a year. My baby will be on the other side of the world! I’m your mom. It’s my job to worry about you.”

“I know this seems rash, and it was at first. I want to experience life on my own for a bit. Experience another culture. I feel I invested so much of myself into my relationship with Trenton. Teaching overseas was something I always wanted to do. This is a great time to do it. Also, through this program someone will pick me up at the airport and show me around. They’ll show me the best way to get to work. Housing is also taken care of. I think this will be an exciting adventure.”

“Couldn’t you just move to Nebraska?” my brother jokes shoveling food into his mouth. He didn’t even attempt to chew before speaking again, “You don’t know anyone there. Do you even know how to speak Korean? You’re going to die there.” he said pointing his fork at me.

“Andrew!” My mom attempted to correct him.

“I will learn the language,” I defended, “There are several apps I downloaded to teach me. Right now I know the basics: hello, goodbye, thank you, my name is. I’m hoping I can pick it up faster when I’m surrounded by the language.”

My brother shook his head at me knowing not to say any more. My dad on the other hand had to add in his few cents, “I don’t think you should go. Why leave your current job? It pays great for a teacher in this area. It is also the best school in the district. A job like this will not be waiting for you when you come back. You also need to ask if you will be making as much money in Korea. You say housing is taken care of, but will you be saving money? I know you are going to use what you earn to do tourist things like go out to eat and shop. Remember you have student loans to pay. All I ask is that you weigh the pros and cons.”

I continued twirling my spaghetti on my fork, losing my appetite as I listened.

One Year Later….

“Can you believe our program is almost over?” Tina exclaimed, “I’m looking forward to going back home to London! I can actually find shoes and bras my size! No more overseas shipping costs! Cheers!”

“Cheers!” we laughed touching our glasses and taking a sip of our beers. I looked around the table at all the new friends I made through the teaching program in Korea. Many of them plan to move back home while others are natives who we met through work or housing.

“What do you plan on doing, Nora? Are you going to extend or stay longer?” Eunseong asked.

“I hope to stay. I like Korea.” I smiled hoping I said that correctly. Almost a full year in Korea and I’m not confident with speaking. I’m stronger at listening.

“She’s never leaving me! Nora will stay in Korea forever!” Minji joked clinging to my arm. I held on to my friend tightly. Minji has been my best friend during my time in Korea. It has been a blessing to have her live across the hall from me. Not only has she taught me so much about Korea, she has been a great friend to rely on. Honestly she is one of the main reasons I want to stay.

“I can never leave you! You are so small, I can take you home in my….” I stumbled forgetting the word for pocket. I pointed to my pocket so she would understand. Instead she gave me a confused glace, still attached to my arm. “Pocket” I sighed in English.

“Oh! Pocket!” Minji translated.

“I really should know that” I laughed hitting my head. It was such a simple word. How could I forget?!

“Well, I have a possible job for you if you don’t want to extend in the school you are at,” Minji offered.

“What job?” I asked. I’m not sure what Minji was thinking. She is a stylist assistant for different entertainment companies. She is hoping to become a lead stylist one day. Right now she bounces around with a few lead stylist who will ask for her help if needed.

“Remember when I helped on the set of the photoshoot for BTS?”

“Stop bragging! We all remember!” Tina blurted jealous. I laughed at her love for Kpop. I enjoy it, but not as much as Tina.

“Yeah? Where you basically were running errands for the lead stylist? Did you even get to meet BTS?” I teased.

“I was in the same room for five minutes! That time was valuable because I heard that they are releasing a new album-”

“WE KNOW! I can’t wait!” Tina interrupted.

I couldn’t help but giggle at the glare Minji gave her. Minji is small and adorable like a puppy but she can bite if she wants, “I heard that they will be pushing harder in America because of the travel restrictions that were released a while ago. They are going to spend more time there because they are limited how many times they can leave Korea.”

“Lucky American bitches,” Tina mumbled.

“Tina, calm down,” I laughed, “What does this have to do with me finding a job?”

“Their manager was saying they want to hire someone to help the members practice their English since they will be there longer. YOU should do it!” Minji clapped her hands together excited.

“Nevermind! I’m staying in Korea! Sorry Nora, the job is mine!” Tina joked but she looked pretty serious.

“Minji, I’m sure they are looking for professional translators. I’m sure their company already has people to help. Also, I can barely speak Korean.”

“You are professional! You are a teacher!” she argued.

“Okay, if you can get me an interview, I’ll go.” I said rolling my eyes. There is no way Minji could get BTS management to schedule an interview with an American who barely speaks Korean.

“Yay!” Minji cheered, “Your interview tomorrow morning!”

Tina spit out her beer. Eunseong jumped to avoid it from hitting him.

I just stared at her with my mouth open. “Huh?” I asked unable to form words.

“After I heard, I talked the their manager and told him about you. Where you have been teaching and that you are looking to stay in Korea longer. He gave me this card and said to meet him tomorrow morning at 8. The job isn’t guaranteed but you have an interview.” she responded rummaging through her purse and pulling out the business card and handing it to me.

“You are so lucky I don’t teach tomorrow. What if I couldn’t make the interview?”

“I WOULD GO!” Tina shouted. Eunseong patted Tina’s shoulder to calm her down.

“Please go to the interview. I would feel bad for BTS if they had to deal with Tina,” Eunseong laughed as Tina glared.

I glanced at the small card in my hand reading over the information. Should I go? I mean, I don’t really understand Korean Idols. Celebrities in America are so different to me.

“Please say you’ll go! I’m going to die if you don’t! WHAT IF THEY ARE AT THE INTERVIEW?” Tina gasped and Eunseong plugged his ears.

“What the heck? Why not?” I laughed holding up my drink, “I’ll go!”

#bts #bts namjoon #bts fanfction #bts fanfic #kim namjoon

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