On my way to stardom

30. Challenge

'Oh, look at her, she's an expert of our dances now. She even does 333 better than Namjoonie,' Jin hyung laughs.

'Ah, hyung-ah, you're not that much better than me,' he replies.

We all laugh at their mini argument.

' We are going to New Zealand after tomorrow, you should join us as well!' V hyung suggests to Shannon.

' Sorry, Taehyung oppa, I'm going to Melbourne for another schedule.'

'Oh, what is it?'

'I'm doing a fan meeting event at the Lotte Duty Free there.'

'Daebak! I also saw the commercial you did for their new campaign, and you looked so cool in it!'

Jimin hyung also says, 'yeah we saw you on the billboards and LED screens outside the Lotte Duty Free in Seoul as well. See, you're getting there!'

She blushes with all the compliments, which makes her look even cuter. 'Thank you so much, oppa. I'll work even harder in the future.'

'It's still too bad that Shannon can't come join us, though,' Suga hyung says. It's so rare for him to show so much fondness towards someone, me and Jimin hyung often have to jump on him to make him give us a hug. Damn, seems like Shannon has made her way to everybody's heart.

'Yeah, last time we went to film Bon Voyage I went bungee jumping. It was honestly one of the best things I've ever done,' I say.

'Yeah, Jungkookie gave us so much good content for the show. I was too afraid to do that. Ahhh, I'm getting old now, aren't I?' RM hyung says.

'I'd never do it either,' Shannon replies. 'I'm so afraid of heights that sometimes it's hard for me to go on a raised stage.'

Oh, really? I suddenly got an idea to give her a new phone...

----------

I head to the ANZ Stadium the next morning earlier than the rest of my bandmates. I've got important things to set up with the technicians.

A few hours later, they finally arrived for the concert rehearsal.

I take my phone out and ask Jimin hyung, 'hyung, do you think I should get a new phone?'

He has no idea about my plans, so he answers innocently, 'why? You only got it a few months ago.'

Shannon is right next to us and I know she can hear us. I reply, 'I just don't feel like using this model anymore.'

'It's an iPhone 11 pro! You're tired of it already?' He asks. 'Wah, Jungkook-ah, look what money did to you. You used to be so careful with money, what happened?'

Shannon came into my life. That's what happened. 'Nothing happened.'

I look over to see if she's looking but she looks really concentrated, maybe she's mentally running over the setlist like what I sometimes do before going onstage. 

On her left wrist hangs the bracelet I got her.  I got it from the Cartier Flagship store in Paris and let's just say it cost a bit more than what normal young people of my age would earn. That's why I will forever be grateful to all the opportunities I got from being in BTS. My heart also goes all fuzzy when I think about the fact that she's remembering me whenever she sees the bracelet. Trust me, I am also not used to this side of me either. I AM JEON JUNGKOOK! Just kidding...

Ok, so the fake conversation didn't work. I need another approach.

Direct is the key.

I walk over to talk to her and fakes a cough.

She jumps slightly as if she has no idea I was here, she asks, 'Jungkook oppa? Are you ok? Do you need some water?' 

She hands me her bottle of water and I take a sip from it. That's what I and my hyungs do anyways. I think she also picked it up.

'You're doing "Euphoria" for your last song, right?' I ask.

She nods, 'yup, so you can go on stage with "My Time" next.'

'I've got a challenge for you,' I try my best not to smile too suspiciously. 

She raises an eyebrow, 'what are you suggesting, oppa?'

'I've asked the stage mechanics to install the hook and cables so you can fly around the arena during "Euphoria" like I did at our "Speak Yourself' tour.' I add, 'just to add some "wow' effects for our ARMYs out there.'

The cameramen for our Bangtan Bomb series and her Shannon behind-the-scenes are now filming our conversation so she practically cannot say no.

She seems to have picked up the same message, but she still doesn't give up. 'Jungkook SUNBAENIM,' she's emphasizing that for the video, 'I am afraid of heights.'

I smile at how she is slowly panicking, 'well, that's why I said it's a challenge.'

Her eyebrows furrow together and it just makes me want to pinch her cheeks. Ah, darn the cameras. The camera director nim even encourages her to take on the challenge, for the sake of some juicy content.

'Just try it for the rehearsals first, and we'll see if you like it or not,' I go with the flow.

She gives the camera director nim one last look to beg for his pity but it doesn't work. She lets out an unwilling sigh and says, 'fine.'

When the camera directors have walked away to film the others, she asks, 'ughh oppa, what do you get out of this?' She narrows her eyes at me.

I chuckle, 'let's talk about what YOU, Shannon-ssi, get out of this challenge.'

She tilts her head to one side and I continue. 'I am looking for a new phone but I don't want to waste this,' I take my iPhone 11 pro out of my pocket and show her. 'If you go on the hook for "Euphoria", it is yours.'

Her eyes light up when I finish my sentence. I just knew she wants a new phone so bad but wouldn't spend money to buy a new one. 'But it's new...'

'I'm just tired of it.' I give her a gentle shove because the stage manager has just announced it's her turn to rehearse, 'go rehearse now, I'll see you onstage.'