YOONGI's POV
I woke up to my phone buzzing from God knows where. My fingers began searching only to realize I was running through the fabric of the carpeted floor. With my eyes half-opened, I rummaged through the sheets in the dark. I wasn't asleep that long so it still must be around four or five in the morning. Who the hell could be calling at this hour?
After a few more seconds of playing hide and seek, I begrudgingly pulled myself upright and turned the bedside light on. Whoever's calling must be about something highly important. I don't have anything scheduled today and my manager absolutely understood how much I value my resting time.
My phone was still vibrating when I finally found it almost falling on the other side of the bed. How did it get over there?
My manager's name, Yoon Jae, flashed on the screen. What could this be about? I bent my neck from left to right before answering the call. Wasting my time thinking of Jungkook was definitely a bad idea. It drained all the energy out of me. That prick. Aigoo. He's giving me a headache without him even doing anything. I'm getting a massage after this.
"Hyung?"
"Yoongi-a, it took you forever to answer. I was already thinking of coming over."
"Sorry, let me check what time it is. Oh, it's past four in the morning. And oh, it's my rest day." I responded with a tinge of sarcasm. However, my mockery doesn't work on him anymore. He has the most experience out of all our managers. I'm sure Bang PD chose him for me knowing how much of a handful I can be. I have to admit I've put this Hyung through hell countless times, which is why I'm trying my best to be a tad bit better at my demeanor.
"I'm sure you wouldn't be sleeping anymore with what I'm about to tell you."
Interesting. "What is it?"
"One of the biggest local artists you've been wanting to work with reached out a few hours ago. She said she wanted to do a collaboration with our company, with you to be exact." His voice was calm but I can tell there's some excitement to it that he's trying hard to hide.
She? There's only one person on my list and Yoon Jae Hyung knows who it is. I've idolized her ever since she debuted and I'd give anything just to work with her. So, don't tell me.
"I don't have to mention her name, do I?" He snickered.
Well, I can't be so sure. "Just say it." I can feel my hands starting to get all sweaty.
"It's Lee Ji-Eun, better known as IU."
My lips broke into the biggest smile. What the fuck?! Is this for real?! I feel like I just won the lottery. I pulled on to my hair just to be sure I was no longer dreaming.
"Yoongi-a, are you still there?"
I remained speechless for a couple more seconds. I was still trying to process the big reveal. I've collaborated with other artists in the past and I couldn't be more thankful. But all of them weren't really part of 'My list'. But IU sunbaenim just tops it all. She came from rags to riches. She's a singer and a songwriter too. She's a self-made queen. In fact, whenever she appeared on TV way back, I'd pause whatever I'm doing and just focus on her. Her lovely face and beautiful voice are incomparable. And now I get to work with her! I can't believe it! This is insane!
"Yoongi-a, don't you wanna hear any more details about this?"
"Sorry, I just spaced out." I sounded relaxed but deep inside I'm screaming like a teenager.
He snickered once more. He was happy for me, I know. "You know she's an actress too right? She's starting the shoot of her new drama by Monday. So she only has this weekend to partner with you and finish the song."
"That's... That's a day from now." The Daegu trip...
"Exactly. But she wants to do it differently though. She doesn't like the idea of just sending things back and forth and putting everything in one piece. She wants to do it old-school."
"In a studio?"
"You got it. Isn't it thrilling? You get to be with her in one room. Considering how jam-packed her schedule is, this is such a rare opportunity Yoongi-a!"
"No doubt." ... isn't happening.
"She already had the lines written up and had some ideas of the melody. 'I just need his magic to make the song happen.' were her exact words. Damn, she wants you kid! Bang PD's gonna be ecstatic."
"I'm sure he will. I'm... I'm ... beyond words."
"Ha! You should! I, myself, seemed to be floating on air right now. I can't wait to tell the other managers. Anyway, today is technically Friday, so you have the rest of the day to come up with the beats and stuff you have in mind. You know her style, so it wouldn't be so hard I think. You are The Genius. This should be just a walk in the park. Call you later, kid."
"Thanks, Hyung." I put the phone down and just stared blankly into space. I can't even put into words how exactly I'm feeling right now. I've wanted this for so long and it's finally happening. We've had so much going on as BTS and this collaboration with IU sunbaenim is going to take my career as a producer to a whole new level. My greedy self started salivating for what's in store after this song is released. It's gonna be big. I can already see the spotlight flashing on me as I receive back-to-back awards on stage. I admit, at this age, accomplishing so much as SUGA of BTS, Agust D, and SUGA PD just blows my mind. I don't mean to brag but what the hell did I do to deserve this?
But I guess it is true when they say that there are things you must sacrifice. You can never really have it all. For this partnership to happen, I have to cancel on Rozie.
This weekend was supposed to put another milestone in our relationship. I plan to finally have her meet my parents and the rest of the family. This is one step closer to having her carry my last name, Min. I've been silent about my plans because I don't want them jinxed. But without her knowing, I have slowly laid out everything in my head. There is nothing else meant for us but forever. I will put my life on the line for it. All I need is the perfect time to carry it all out.
This little bump on the master plan may not be so bad. We're gonna be busy for the rest of the month, so maybe moving the timetable for another thirty days won't hurt. I'm not really canceling on her. I'm just putting this on the back burner in the meantime. This is for us anyway. I'm sure she'll understand.
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JK's POV
Already on the second hour of our trip to my hometown, I'm quite relieved that things are a little more comfortable between us. I was still testing the waters with her so I'm still trying to be careful. I don't want to talk too much thinking I might annoy her. During the silent times, she didn't seem to feel awkward though. Her eyes were glued to the window, appreciating the endless scene of mountains and bridges over clear waters. She already had numerous wow moments whenever there's something that caught her eye. I found myself smiling every time. It was such a lovely day, with the sun showing off on the blue skies above.
If I went on this trip alone, I would've been dozing off or most likely playing random stuff on my phone. However, my eyes were nowhere else but her. The more I gaze at her, the more beautiful she becomes. It's like uncovering layer after layer of never-ending glamour. I'm in so much awe that I had to check if I had my mouth wide open just in case she glances at me all of a sudden.
I glimpsed on my watch and it's been half an hour since we talked. I think this is a good time to start another conversation. This is so naïve of me but I don't want to mess things up. Baby steps. Slowly but surely.
She was on her phone, looking all so serious. I didn't want to hover and ruin her privacy so I asked, "What are you reading? You look like you're so into it." This isn't the first time she met my eyes, but I always find myself weakened by her gaze. I had to dig a couple of fingernails onto my palms just to keep a straight face.
"I'm googling about Korean wakes and funerals." She appeared shy all of a sudden. "I just wanna make sure I act and talk appropriately."
This is such a turn-on. Not everyone gives interest to culture and customs so this effort from her sinks me deeper into this rabbit hole.
"You could've just asked me, you know. But let me see what you have so far." I inched closer to her, closer than I intended to be. I leaned over a little bit more for me to see her phone's screen. But hell, I didn't really care what she looked up. I want her to get used to my nearness. I smell good, I made sure of that.
She didn't pull away but I can tell the distance between us affected her somehow. She remained still and didn't say a word. So when I looked at her, her eyes were already on me. I always win staring competitions and I'm going to ace this for sure. And just like that, she avoided my eyes and softly cleared her throat. I silently chuckled at my victory.
"It says here that Korean funerals last two nights and three days. For so long, Koreans had made it a rule to hold funeral services at their private residences. But now, people take the deceased to one of these large hospitals to hold the final ceremony, for the sake of convenience and other reasons."
"True." I wasn't really reading the page with her. It bought me time to appreciate her beautiful face up close. But I must say the way she spoke is just so eloquent. She reminds me so much of Namjoon Hyung.
"The family may choose to buy burial clothing ahead of time to assure their loved ones of a proper burial. Sangju, the chief mourner, is the first son or grandson of the deceased."
"That's my dad. Go on..."
"I see." She was about to read the next line when I reached for her hand. She quickly looked at me, questioning.
"I wanna see the screen better." My alibi. I just really want to touch her hand, period.
I positioned the phone a little bit towards my direction as part of my act, but my hand never left hers. I don't know what's going on in her head right now but the butterflies in my stomach have definitely gone wild.
"He... He..." she cleared her throat again. So is this a sign whenever she feels uneasy?
I chuckled again to myself. "He "let" his parents die, so he is believed to be committing crimes against heaven. As an expression of filial piety, he is in charge of the pre-burial, funeral rites, and memorial."
"The Sangju is in charge of preparing the body. The deceased is covered with a white quilt or burial shroud. The body is washed with incense, nails are cut, and hair is combed. Cotton is put in the mouth and ears, coins on the eyes, and rice in the mouth. The fallen hair and nail clippings are placed in the coffin. This ritual helps the deceased in their journey into the afterlife. In the end, the body is dressed in suui, the traditional hemp funeral garb. Wow. This is totally different from where I'm from."
"Really? How do you do things in your culture?" Speaking about funerals isn't really one of the many topics I expected us to talk about. But this is so much better than having no conversation at all.
"Well, the one in charge of the funeral and everything isn't necessarily the son or the daughter. It can be anyone in the family. We dress them formally too but times have changed. We often dress the deceased using their favorite clothes. The casket is opened for viewing so the make-up artist from the funeral parlor would glamorize them and make them look like they're just sleeping."
What the hell. "Open Casket?" I'm not sure if I just misheard that.
"Yup. Most of the time, just the upper body showing. The guests would line up one by one and appreciate the deceased loved one's face."
"Seriously?" I don't wanna sound offensive but I never really heard this in my life. "Isn't that..."
"Scary?" She giggled. I must have looked horrified. "It may be for some. But it's basically just gazing at the same person, only this time, he or she is dead."
I can feel goosebumps all over. It was a good thing I was wearing long sleeves. I can't imagine having to experience that first-hand.
"That's why it's important that they still look good even if they have already passed away. It gives the family a sense of relief that the loved one is now free of any sort of suffering or pain. The last viewing is the most significant. It's the final chance that we get to see them, touch them even. Do you know that some would open up the caskets so they can get a last embrace or kiss with the dead?"
"What?!" I sounded like I just lost all the sense in me. I withdrew my hand from hers and ran it through my hair. This is a little too much information for me to take.
She laughed lightly. "Are you okay? You look a little pale." She touched my cheek with the back of her hand.
"I'm all good. It's just... it's just different, you know. Don't take it negatively..."
"I get it, don't worry." She smiled sweetly and bit her lower lip. Please don't tease me.
"Please don't do that..." I said absent-mindedly. The words were out before I even realized it.
"Do what?" Her eyes were wondering.
"I mean... When we get to Busan, you may not want to go around saying things like that with my family. I mean, don't get me wrong. They may take some time to digest everything, that's all." This is simply one of the very few times I'm thankful I can think of believable comebacks.
"Of course. But honestly, I don't think I can even speak when we get there. My Korean's just off, not even conversational." She buried her face in her hands, feeling sorry for herself.
"Most of my family speaks English fluently," I assured her.
"Really?!" She exclaimed, relief spreading all over her face. Her smile was upon her lips once more.
I don't think I can ever get used to how lovely she is. This is the nth time she has taken my breath away. My heart is surely complaining of all these erratic beats I've been feeling because of her.
"But you may want to call yourself differently. Koreans pronounce the letter R and Z in a distinct kind of way. So your name may sound like... Lojie."
"Ooooh... I didn't know that." Her interest spiked evidently. She rested her chin on one of her palms, deep in thought. Her lips protrude in a cute little pout. "So should I change my name then?"
"Let's call you Jangmi. It's rose in Korean."
"Jangmi?"
"J is actually pronounced as Ch in Korean."
"Oh, God. Why can't you just pronounce letters as is? This is all too difficult. So are you telling me your name's Chung kook all this time?"
I laughed but felt my stomach churning as this is the first time I've heard her say my name.
"Just a slight correction. K is pronounced somewhat like G in Korean. So it's Chungguk."
She pursed her lips together as a sign of surrender.
"I can't. It will take me years to learn all these. I'm getting a migraine." She fell back on her seat, her fingers started making small circles on her temples.
She amuses me so much. God damn it.
"Come on. Just try it one more time. You can do it." I gently pulled on her arms to get her to sit upright facing me. "Say my name."
She burst out laughing all of a sudden.
"What?!" Totally confused.
"Is this the part where you want me to call you Daddy?" She snickered some more.
"What?!" I can feel my ears burning again. This naughty side of hers is getting me pumped up. I squeezed her cheeks softly. "You gotta stop doing that, I'm warning you."
She did stop but why do I feel like the warning was supposed to be directed at myself. The struggle of getting my eyes leveled with hers was getting harder by the second.
"Come on. Try saying it, just once. Chungguk."
With my hands still on both sides of her face, she intently looked at my lips, her mouth following exactly how mine moved.
Hold yourself JK. Don't do anything rash.
She took a few seconds to probably practice it in her head. And when she was sure enough, she got it correctly, she gazed directly into my eyes and said, "Chungguk."
I've never heard my name mentioned so beautifully in my entire life. "Say it again." She didn't need to. She got it right. But I just can't get enough of it. It was like a symphony playing in my ears.
I didn't expect her to comply. But damn, she obeyed me.
She delicately put her hands on mine. With both our eyes still fixed on each other, she did as she was told.
"Chungguk." she uttered my name again. But this time, it came out even more magical. I'm just motherfucking blown away.
I was already biting the insides of my lips, trying hard to control myself. I can hear my heartbeat banging loudly in my ears.
Let go of her JK.
But I didn't. My eyes shifted to her lips.
JK, let her go.
I know she can see where my eyes are focused. But will she stop me?
JK, don't do it. Let her go.
What if she won't? What if she wants me to?
Playing deaf to the voice screaming in my mind, I decided to act by impulse. If she didn't want me to, she would've drawn back by now. But she didn't. She remained still, waiting for my next move.
Disregarding the consequences of this choice, I cut the distance between us and gradually closed my eyes, bracing myself for the contact.
Any second now. Just a bit more.
And when I thought I would already feel her soft lips on mine, darkness suddenly filled the room.
To be continued...