A Year to Change Your Lives

Chapter 54

In the closing days of December, the wind was blowing a gale against the windows of Reader's living room. They'd found that living on the high north side of the complex had given them different views and a down sweeping wind which pummelled all of their glazing as the Seoul winter built around them. They weren't often all in to enjoy it but today Reader and her flat mates were all at home.

The afternoon was idle and knowing it would be so, Reader had arranged a slot on that day for the new TV to be delivered. It was a Christmas present from her to the new house and really, her only contribution so far. It seemed the boys were happier with that than with all of the other furniture put together.

When it came, the box was shoved into the main room and Reader set about extracting it from the packaging. So thin it was practically 2D and so big as to make her regret listening to the recommendations from seven young men. They got it against the wall and then all stared at it.

"What now?" Asked Jimin, who seemed excited but had his arms crossed expectantly. When Reader looked, she realised that Yoongi too was handling the remote, almost imaging that it would just work by virtue of being out of the box.

"Well, we have to set it up and connect it and stuff." Said Reader narrowing her eyes. "Obviously."

They both turned and looked at her, a blinking innocence on their faces.

"Okay, I'll just do it shall I?" She said, rolling her eyes at them and confiscating the controls from Yoongi. Both boys seemed relieved and quickly left her to it.

Connecting all the wires wasn't hard, but the set up was in Korean and although she could guess at some of the options, she needed help with the others. Not wanting to call Jimin or Yoongi back she pulled out her phone, wondering if she could translate the text instead.

The picture on her lock screen made her smile. It was a still from one of the performance reels. A wide shot of all eight of them together, speaking to the audience, with Reader in the centre. It seemed a long time ago now, and deeply personal despite the glow of maybe 1000 ARMY Bombs captured in that frame.

Putting aside her musings, she looked for a translation of the Hangul that she was beginning to be able to sight-read. But the internet didn't seem to like what she was asking. She sighed. "Boys, can you come help?" She called instead.

Yoongi rounded the corner from the kitchen, pulling off the oven gloves he'd been using. "Ye?" He asked flicking his fringe away from his eyes.

They worked together for a little while. She tried to understand Korean and Yoongi tried to understand televisions. Neither of them did very well.

The door clicked open behind them.

"Annyeong!" Called out Jungkook and Reader breathed a sigh of relief at same time Yoongi did, immediately abandoning her and taking his oven gloves back to the kitchen.

Reader pushed the remote at Jungkook with a welcome kiss and flopped back on the sofa. Jungkook, who was fluent in both Korean and electronics set the TV up within five minutes and then joined her.

They leaned their heads together watching whatever channel he'd put on and starred at Reader's purchase.

"Good picture." He remarked and she nodded. "Good sound too."

"What are they saying?" She asked him lazily, pulling her legs up and tucking herself into his side. It was a mistake to sit down. She had to help Yoongi make the dinner really.

"They are trying to answer the problem on the screen. Here I'll put subtitles on and then you can see." He leaned forward and fiddled with the options some more. "You know, maybe it's time to learn Korean."