11 Where Did You Come From?

Their usual meeting place was actually an arcade in Mapo District, Nam-joon and Min-soo jointly owned it and had it built upon graduating from high school. They would play games, hang out, drink and flirt with girls. Although most of the time it was just the two of them along with some other friends of theirs.

Mapo was as bustling as ever and by the time he arrived outside the arcade, Nam-joon had already called three times, asking where he was. The guy was as impatient as ever.

Stepping out of the car, Min-soo was assailed by the sounds and smells of the city. Being in Hongdae, it was naturally full of students, buskers and street dancers, despite the spectacular fall of the entertainment industry nearly a decade ago. Hongdae still developed into one of the cultural centres of Seoul. Even without the presence of the Hallyu Wave, people's tastes, interests and ideas would not remain stifled.

They might not have the same outreach as K-pop and K-dramas had in his past world, but they still existed, albeit on a smaller and localised scale. However, Min-soo had a plan to change this. He would take this opportunity given to him by his Grandfather to turn things around, set this world back on course and bring back the joy that is K-pop to the masses.

Since he already knew Nam-joon, then he might as well start with bringing together BTS, so that he could finally see a concert with all seven members. Something that he had not been able to experience in his past life. It seemed like a rather mundane reason, but it would only be the beginning. He had far larger ambitions for his future.

He walked into the arcade and was immediately wrapped in a bear hug, he knew without a doubt it was Nam-joon. Min-soo waited for him to let go, before dragging him over to the counter. The arcade doubled as a pub in the front and arcade in the back. It was currently empty bar the two of them and the attendant who asked for what they would like to drink.

"Just give us half a dozen bottles of soju." Nam-joon answered immediately.

Min-soo merely shook his head but did not refute him, half a dozen was on the low side for Nam-joon, it seemed he had guessed they had some business to talk about.

The attendant passed over a dozen bottles in case, before walking out to the back. The bar was finally empty, but for the two of them. At both entrances stood two big security guards, they were assigned by his Father, to look after the bar/arcade.

"Min-soo-yah, it is so good to see you, here drink up." Nam-joon gushed as he cracked open a bottle and passed it over. The two of them clinked their bottles and drank up.

After they had both gone through three bottles each, Nam-joon finally asked. "Who are you?"

Min-soo was a little shocked but he remained unfazed, "Are you drunk Nam-joon?"

"Min-soo-yah, you don't know how much I have suffered in these past three months. Having to drink alone. Having to manage the business. Sometimes, I just want to run away. Do something meaningful, go somewhere where I can do whatever I wanted. Haven't you ever thought about this?" Nam-joon asked melancholically.

"Nam-joon-ah don't lie. You love the feeling of being depended upon." Min-soo responded.

"True. I knew you know me the best. So, what now? Do we just go back to goofing around every day?"

"Nam-joon. I actually have something to ask of you. Have you heard about the renewed Hallyu Wave project?"

"Oh, President Kim Dae-jung's failed project? I think I heard my dad talk about it at lunch. Why? Oh, is that what you went to see your Grandfather about?"

"Yeah, he wants me to get in it, so that it can help with his party's election prospects. Don't you remember how you used to love poetry?"

"Hm… I only dabble in it these days, it calms my mind. But what about it?" Nam-joon asked with slight interest.

"I want to start an entertainment company and I want to create a boy group. What do you think?" Min-soo responded in an excited manner.

"Boy group?" Nam-joon's eyebrows were raised, it had been the last thing he had expected, he had thought Min-soo would talk about movies, dramas or something, but the last thing he expected was a boy group.

"You want to create idols? Like those Japanese ones?" he asked with slight confusion.

"Sort of, but not really. I know you thought about this once, I still remember those times you wrote your poetry and added music to it, you said they had become lyrics. Don't you want that feeling again? I know you wanted to run off and join those underground rappers. I could see it."

Nam-joon's eyes widened as Min-soo's words spoke to him on a deeper level. Even though he was only relaying his own words back to him, it offered him a new perspective. He had been feeling slightly lost in his life, day in day out doing the same thing, there was nothing new, it was starting to feel stale. He had long been convinced by his mother to not seriously think about a career in music, especially with it being barely existent.

But now, hearing these words from his best friend, he could not help but feel a little agitated, a small fire was lit in his heart, it had always been his life-long dream, to stand before a crowd and bring happiness and joy to them through his songs.

Perhaps, just perhaps, Min-soo was right, he could already tell where the conversation was going.

"Kim Nam-joon are you willing to follow me and be the first member of the boy group I want to make?" Min-soo asked in a solemn manner. His eyes were glowing as they stared into Nam-joon's eyes, they were full of expectation and confidence. Nam-joon could not help but be affected by the mood and thought to himself, hell why not.

"Okay. Let's get it."

On that cold, autumn night, in a bar in Hongdae, the global phenomenon that was known as BTS would once again begin its rise in this stagnant world. Where they would go and what the future would hold for them, well, that was a matter for the history books.