Seoul Mates ~ ATEEZ

Chapter 9

After settling into my new, cozy, apartment in Seodaemun, I'm now ready to go surprise San at KQ Entertainment. I take a taxi to Gangnam. Once arriving to KQ Entertainment, I give the taxi driver my card that I will be using solely for purchases in Korea. I opened another bank account just for this purpose. I had transferred all my savings for college in Korea to that account so I could make safe transactions while in Korea. I feel quite financial savage when it comes to that. Anyways, I walk through the doors of KQ Entertainment, grabbing a snack or two and banana milk. Wow, is this deja vu or what? Haha. I sip on my 바나나 우유 while riding the elevator up to the ATEEZ floor.

I walk out of the elevator and spot Mingi from across the way. Mingi also spots me and yells my name, because it's Mingi. He's loud like that. I shush him because I don't want San finding out I'm here. I have a bouquet of flowers and a plush toy to gift him as we are reuniting for the first time in one year and 5 months. Mingi nods his head and says,
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm a foreign student at Yonsei University. I'm doing an exchange program for the spring semester." I explained.
"Ah, so cool. I wish you luck with university." Mingi said.
"Thanks, Mingi 오빠." I said. Since all the ATEEZ members are older than me, they have requested that I call all of them by 오빠. It used to cringe me out to use oppa, but since being in Korea and diving into the culture, it's not that weird now. It feels less weird now.

I find San relaxing in one of the studios with Hongjoong. Looks like they're working on a song together and it's sounding dope. I wait until the song stops playing and at a moment when they stop talking. I barge through the door, it slams against the wall, and I grit my teeth as it banged the wall.
"미안해. . ." I said, bursting out with laughter.
"괜찮아." Hongjoong said, waving it off like it was nothing.
"희정! 자기아~" San said sweetly as he stood up(Heejung! Babe~)
"산 오빠." I said, "여기."(San oppa, here)
"그것은 무엇일까요?" San asked(What is it?)
"Your favorite, a stuffed animal. I also got you 꽃들." I said(꽃들 = flowers)
"Ooh, 노무 예쁘다." San said(So pretty)
"I had Issac 오빠 design them for you. You know, Isaac Flower? That floral shop." I said.
"Ah~ Isaac 선생님 from BTS Run." San said.
"Yeah, him. I'm glad that he was able to make the perfect bouquet for you." I said.
"I should thank him some time." San said.
"You don't need to ever thank him. He does his job out of the good of his own heart." I said.
"Aww, so poetic. I missed your words." San said.
"We're finally reunited." I said.
"Yes, come closer." San said. When I took a step closer to San, he doesn't hesitate to kiss me romantically. All the while Hongjoong was sitting right there.
"Ugh, lovers." Hongjoong said with a joking disgust.
"Hongjoong 오빠, have you ever found love?" I asked.
"아. . . One time. She was my first and last love." Hongjoong said.
"I feel like there's more to that story." I said.
"I do have a story to tell, so please sit." Hongjoong said.

San and I sit down on the couch that is in the
studio, and listen to Hongjoong's first love heartbreak. It is quite sad, actually. Before Hongjoong decided to go to Seoul to become the idol is today, he lived a normal life in his hometown of Anyang in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. While attending school there, he met a girl during middle school. They were seat partners and would talk every day. Before he knew it, Hongjoong was falling for her, but at the time, he didn't understand what these new feelings toward a girl meant. It wasn't until later on in his teen years that he finally understood. This girl also shared the same surname as Hongjoong; Kim. Her full name is Kim Eunjung, or in Korean: 감은정. Hongjoong described her as having the cutest short black hair with denim blue dyed underneath. Eunjung looks like this:

This girl had caught Hongjoong's attention from day one. Then, when he got a little older and into high school, which is right before he left to go become an idol, Eunjung became even more beautiful with age to Hongjoong. At last, he confessed his feelings to her and the saddest part of all, she told Hongjoong that she is already taken. Later on, when Hongjoong saw her around at school, he saw Eunjung with another girl. When those two broke up, Hongjoong saw her with a guy. It just hit Hongjoong that she was bisexual. He didn't know someone could like bother genders, but these days, it's really common, and now Hongjoong is as open-minded as even when it comes to sexuality and stuff like that.

As of recently, Hongjoong took a vacation to Anyang and he was able to meet Eunjung again. He asked her how she was doing lately, and from that fateful day in the café, Hongjoong and Eunjung started talking again. They added each other back on KakaoTalk and have been talking consistently for about a month now. Long story short, Hongjoong told us that he is interested in her again. Eunjung also told Hongjoong that she is single and available to date, if he were to ever ask, she already told him she would say yes. Eunjung likes Hongjoong's outgoing personality and laughs every time he makes a dirty joke. Yes, they even have the same sense of humor. It's like a match made in heaven. Wow, Hongjoong found his first love, his 첫사랑. I'm happy to hear they have plans to date soon.