A Year to Change Your Lives

Chapter 5

By the time Reader had been in Seoul for nearly two months, Christmas was rounding the corner. She'd been pleasantly surprised to see such familiar customs as lights, decorations and special food brought out all around the city. One day in the middle of December, Tae and Jimin clattered into the living area dragging a slightly wonky Christmas tree with them. They hadn't though or known to purchase any decorations and so it stood bare, like an overbearing indoor house plant, but Reader and Laura were so touched by the gesture they almost wept. Reader couldn't say that she was missing home, but she loved Christmas and would have been sad to let the day pass without some ceremony.

Laura explained that although Christmas was a national holiday in South Korea, it was mainly there for genuine religious purposes but that some western traditions had started to creep in. They resolved that they would make the whole house a traditional Christmas dinner on the 25th and try to show them as many Western traditions as possible. Sung-Ho became very excited about the prospect of filming and encouraged Reader to think of more ways she could introduce them to British culture.

In Reader's and Laura's mind, Christmas lasted for two week and you spent the whole time oscillating between velvet and sequins and a fluffy onesie on the sofa, but here it was really just about one single day, and so the work continued all the way into the week leading up to Christmas Day.

Her dancing was improving week on week much to Hobi's delight. She could easily work her way through Dynamite and some of the easier parts in a couple of other singles. She was getting used to performing in front of the members (happily with no repeat appearances of Jungkook's evil alter ego). She was doing better and better with all formal choreography, but she was not doing well when it came to freestyle dancing, just to any song, at any time, theoretically, on the stage.

When watching their concert tapes back, it became clear that firstly, not all seven of them were always on stage together. They usually made time for the individual members' projects to get an airing. Nor did all seven, when they were on stage together, just perform their set choreography. Sometimes they would have a different set up – an entire verse of Fake love performed in individual light boxes coming off and on – and sometimes, they dispensed with their formations all together and just strutted around the platform. ARMY loved both equally, explained Hobi. Usually their stages were built at the centre of the arena with a runway to the back and this meant that all 360 degrees of audience would get each of the seven members facing out to them at one time or another.

"They each have their preference for one of us, so we have to make sure they get to see each of us clearly." He expanded.

"Ah, their 'Bias'." You quoted and Laura explained. "That's what they call it."

"Ah, yes. Bias." He grinned. "I think maybe this time next year, you'll be some of ARMY's bias."

She giggled and shook her head. "Not if I can't get this dancing thing right." And she got to her feet, putting the rubbish from their quick lunch in the bin in the corner. "Woah," she said swaying a little as a white out hit her.

"You'll feel better once lunch kicks in." Said Hobi getting to his feet too. "Although you didn't eat much, only a little rice."

"I'm just trying to get in shape." She smiled.

"Well, you're looking good now." He replied, unabashed. Most un-British. "None of your clothes will fit you."

"That's okay. I've got loads of stuff from the stylist. I mean, it's all really weird stuff that I wouldn't normally wear, but hey, I guess I'll make it work."

"And," chirped Laura, "We have a shopping day tomorrow." And then spoke again in Korean. Ah yes, the weekend. Thanks god! You'd decided to go because it was one of the last times you were going to be free and able to go out before her details were released, at which time, she was assured, she would not be able to go anywhere, at least in Seoul, unnoticed and unmobbed. The level of access she had to the fan's adored members of BTS was so unprecedented that the Sasaeng fans might try just about anything to get to her.