Chapter Two

"Oh my god, I can't believe you!" Lara looked very insulted.

"I don't understand what the big deal of not knowing that they exist," I said and opened the other soda.

"What is the big deal?! You're missing out great music and great people!" she said angrily and stood up looking like she was about to kill me.

"Okay calm down, I totally agree with you," I said and stood in front of her and slightly pushed her to sit down again. The fact that she was angry was laughable to me and I knew that there was no need to argue with her. "I indeed live under a rock musically wise, so I will ask you one more time, who are those people?" I said and sat back on my chair.

Lara took a deep breath and looked right into my eyes; her facial reaction was steady. She looked like she was about to give an important presentation. Lara is always good with her facial reactions; she has a steady poker face that can't be played with. Unlike me; I can't hide my emotions it will always be written across my face.

"Get me a pen and a bunch of papers," she said and moved everything from the table between us.

"Why?" she stared at me deadly. I hate this stare; it freaks me out a little. "Okay," I got up quickly and got her what she wanted.

"Clear your head and focus," she said firmly and put the papers on the empty table.

"Okay, I'm ready." I sat on the chair and looked at the papers as she held the pen.

"BTS or Bangtan Boys." she wrote it on the center of the page and drew a circle around it. "They are seven idols in the band." she drew seven arrows. "RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook." she wrote each name after each arrow "Each one has different positions," she said and looked at me to make sure I'm listening.

"Okay," I said to confirm her.

"I'll start with the positions and with RM," she said and flipped the paper and wrote the word positions and the name right under it on the beginning of the paper "RM is the stage name of Kim Nam Joon, his positions are leader of the group and the main rapper okay," she said and looked again at me.

"Okay," I said and felt like she was going to test me at the end of whatever she was doing.

"Jin is the stage name of Kim Seok Jin, his positions are the visual and a vocalist." I felt like she was writing an article teaching people the steps of how to know Korean bands, couldn't help but giggle. "Focus Tia!" she shouted at me made me giggle more.

"Sorry, continue please."

"Third one is Suga, his real name is Min Yoon Gi and his position is a lead rapper."

"Wait, there is a difference between the main rapper and lead rapper?" I asked.

"Yes, you will know the difference when you listen to the songs."

"I'm going to listen to the songs?!" I asked sarcastically but Lara ignored my question and just gave me one of her death stares. "Continue," I said to stop her stare.

"J-hope or Jung Ho Seok, his positions are the main dancer, rapper and sub vocalist."

"Hmm." I shook my head.

"Then Jimin, his real name is Park Ji Min and his positions are the main dancer and lead vocalist."

"Two main dancers?"

"Shut up." I smirked. "Then here's my favorite one, V, his name is Kim Tae Hyung and his positions are lead Dancer, vocalist and visual." I looked at her, I was about to open my mouth to say something, but she raised her hand "Yes, Tia another visual," she said without raising her eyes from the paper.

"Lastly we have Jungkook or Jeon Jeong guk and his positions are the main vocalist, lead dancer, sub rapper, center and maknae which means the youngest in Korean," she said and looked at me.

"Wow Jungkook has a lot of positions," I said and raised my eyebrows.

"Yup," Lara said and shook her head in agreement and then looked again at the paper. "You need to know that age is very important in Korea," she said. "From the oldest to the youngest," she said and started to write years beside each one's name. She wrote beside Jin's name the year of 1992, Suga 1993, J-hope 1994, RM 1994, Jimin 1995, V 1995, and then Jungkook 1997. At this point, I really didn't understand what is the point of knowing any of that, but I didn't say anything. "So next thing personalities," Lara said and took another blank paper.

I took a deep breath and hugged the bowl of chips hoping it will end soon.

Next Morning.

May 7, 2017.

12:00 PM.

My alarm made its usual noise. I took it and throw it at the floor; It was a metal one that never breaks. I sat up and moved my hair away from my face. I was very tired; I didn't get much sleep. I spend the whole night with Lara telling me or to be more precise teaching me about BTS and K-pop in general. She told me about everything I needed to know to be a professional K-pop fan. She refused when I tried to listen to any BTS songs before knowing who they are and how they work, but she showed me their pictures. I was surprised at how handsome each one is, especially Jungkook. I got up and went to take a long cold shower to help me fully wake up.

12:30 PM.

I went downstairs heading to the garden where grandma and Lara were sitting. "Hey you," Lara said and ate a whole mini muffin at one bite.

"Morning grandma." I blow her a kiss, she smiled back and then I looked at Lara. "Hey, when did you wake up?"

"At 11:00 AM." Lara used to sleep late due to her work, she always drew after midnight, her creativity doesn't work in daylight.

"We're not opening early today, go sleep more if you need to," grandma said and looked at both of us.

"I'm okay," Lara answered.

"I have some writings to do before heading to the restaurant," I said and stood up heading to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.

Grandma's phone ranged, it was on the coffee table in front of the TV. "Bunny give me the phone please," grandma shouted to me. I was already done making the coffee, I took her phone and went back outside. Grandma took the phone and started to talk in a loud tone; she was talking to one of her old friends. She left us and continued her call inside the house.

Lara was already done with her breakfast and she started to drink her tea while playing a game on her phone. I took one of the pastries with my left hand and moved my chair to face the far view of the sea. I closed my eyes enjoying the taste of the freshly made pastry. I had many things to do this day. Another article I needed to write, a lot of supplies I needed to buy for the restaurant. My mind was organizing everything, it's a habit I have; organizing everything first inside my mind then write it down. My head was leaning back a little while my legs were rested on another chair in front of me.

"60's fashion… Elena Nathanael…club soda…tomatoes…" I whispered to myself, Lara didn't move her eyes from her phone. She knew what I was doing at that moment.

"Potatoes," Lara said.

"Also, potatoes…," I repeated. I was seeing everything I need to do inside my head like imagining it before I do it. I kept saying other things I need to buy before heading to the restaurant, my voice was in a whisper but loud enough for Lara to hear. "And…Jungkook," I said and opened my eyes widely.

Lara moved her head to the left and looked at my shocked face. "Did you say Jungkook?" Lara asked.

"His photo pop in inside my head!" I said and looked at her in surprise.

"Which photo?" Lara said and looked back at her phone.

"The sweaty one."

"What?" she said and moved her head again to look at me.

"He was wearing a white t-shirt, very sweaty, he was holding a part of his t-shirt up showing his perfectly fine abs, his hair was like kind of wet and he was biting his bottom lip…" I stopped and bite my own bottom lip.

"T, are you okay?" Lara said with the widest smile ever.

"Huh?!" I realized what I said. "Yeah…uhm it's… a good photo," I said and sat up straight.

"Right," Lara said and smirked. At that moment grandma entered the garden and stood on the head of the table. She looked at me and stepped closer.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong with your face? it's really red?" grandma said and put her hand on my right cheek.

"Nothing!" I said quickly and put my hand on my other cheek; it was very warm. I didn't notice that my whole body was getting hot.

"Are you okay? Do you need to see a doctor?" grandma asked.

"No! it just the hot weather!" I said and waved randomly.

Grandma looked at me then at Lara who was still smiling. "Grandma, I think we need to get Tia a date," Lara said and winked at her, Grandma giggled and looked at me.

"My bunny is all grown up," she said and played with both of my cheeks. I didn't have any love experience before and grandma knew that; she always argued with me that I need to have a boyfriend and to enjoy my youthful life to the maximum but I'm not that outgoing person like her and Lara.

I smiled at her. "I'm going to Melina's house, don't forget to buy everything on the list," grandma said and left.

"Okay," I shouted after her.

The house main door closed after her. "Manos?" Lara said suddenly.

"What?"

"I will ask Manos out for you," she said.

"Not funny!" Manos is our old friend and neighbor who had a major crush on me when we were in middle school, I never really thought of him being more than just my good old friends.

"I'm not kidding, the man had a crush on you for like forever now! Just give it a try," she said and took one grape to eat.

"No."

"Why not?"

"He's simply not my type."

"Who is your type then?"

Jungkook image pop in again in my head. I didn't know how to reply. "I don't know yet! But I do know that Manos is not my type," I said firmly and looked away.

"Are you thinking about sweaty Jungkook again?" Lara looked at me and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"No," I said and took a big sip of my coffee, trying hard to remove his image from my head.