As expected, a video leaked of me pinning that woman to the ground. I later discovered from the articles that her name is Haneul. I find it strange that her name means "heaven" because I've since associated her with a whore out of hell.
Anyway, enough about my personal feelings towards her. Haneul evidently wasn't the one who released the video. A friend was recording her interaction with BTS for bragging rights and uploaded it on their own. The clip garnered millions of views within days. Luckily, the majority of the ARMY fandom was on my side. There were tons of tweets saying how cool I was, calling me a badass, and talking about how they would have done the same thing if they saw Haneul touching Taehyung.
Haneul, however, wasn't pleased with ARMY's reaction; she expected the fans to be on her side. She was gravely mistaken though. The situation obviously backfired and now Haneul is the most hated person in the fandom, not me.
Because she didn't get the response she wanted, Haneul went to Dispatch to complain:
BTS' Bodyguard Assaults Woman?!
Ryu Haneul, a JYP Entertainment employee, claims she was assaulted by a Big Hit bodyguard unprovoked. Miss Ryu comes to us in an arm sling and a pained expression on her face.
"All I was trying to do was congratulate my friend, Kim Taehyung, on his many awards. Then out of nowhere, BTS' bodyguard attacks me and dislocates my shoulder," said Ryu. "It was one of the most painful experiences of my life."
Ryu is asked what should be done about the assault. She replied, "I want an apology."
The interviewer then wonders if that is all she is seeking. Ryu goes on to state that she is also planning to sue the assailant.
We reached out to Big Hit for a response. A spokesperson for the band disclosed, "If Miss Ryu proceeds with her case, we will be countersuing for slander."
BTS' spokesperson continued, saying, "Ryu Haneul and Kim Taehyung are not friends; they do not know each other. Our company's bodyguard was simply protecting the member. Ryu was making Mr. Kim uncomfortable, and our employee handled the situation before it escalated. We are sorry for Miss Ryu's injury and wish her a speedy recovery."
If this is taken to court, you will be the first to know. Stay tuned for updates.
The Dispatch article wasn't well-received either. People still aren't in support of Haneul. Sejin is under the impression that Big Hit's promise of countersuing will scare her into dropping the case where things can be settled outside of court. The company will likely just pay for her hospital bills and call it a day.
By the time I have calmed down from this whole ordeal, my aunt Lani, Annalise, and her friends are due to arrive in Seoul. Sejin and I drive to Incheon International Airport at six in the morning to wait at baggage claim for them. Their plane lands a little after seven.
Spotting her boyfriend, Lani immediately runs over to Sejin and engulfs him in a warm hug. He pulls down his mask to give her a small peck. She then embraces me. "It's only been a month and I've missed you like crazy."
"I've missed you too, Aunty," I grin into the hug. When we pull away, I have yet to see my sister. "Anna isn't with you?"
"She and the girls are using the bathroom," Lani enlightens me.
I help my aunt in getting her bags from the carousel. Eventually, Annalise and her friends find us.
"Sorry for keeping y'all waiting," says Annalise. "I had to piss like a racehorse."
"Classy as always," I chuckle. I face the other two girls. "How was the flight?"
"Long!" exclaims Eira. "It feels good to finally stretch my legs."
"I thought it was good. Then again, I slept the whole time," Tess laughs.
Eira glares at Tess. "I would've slept too if someone didn't snore the entire flight."
"I forgot my nasal strips," she shrugs.
I giggle at their interaction. "We'll stop at a pharmacy on the way to the hotel."
***
Sejin drops the four of us off at the Josun Palace Hotel before taking Lani back to his apartment where she'll be staying. I approach the front desk clerk, giving him my name to check in. The man clicks at his keyboard. "Ah, yes. Wilson. You're in the Josun Grand Masters Suite."
"I'm sorry, what? I thought I booked a regular Masters room."
"It says here that you originally reserved that room, but last night it was changed to the Presidential Suite." The clerk lays the room key on the desk. "A card is already on file, so you're all set for room service, the mini-bar, dining, the spa, and anything else you'd like."
"Wow." I pick up the key. "Thank you, sir."
"My pleasure," he smiles. "Enjoy your stay, Miss Wilson."
I walk over to the lobby sofa where the girls have been sitting while I was checking in. "Your first surprise starts now."
Annalise lifts a brow. "First surprise?"
"Come and see," I beam, wiggling the key card. The three friends hop up from the couch and follow me to the elevator. I press the button for the top floor.
A short ride later, we reach our desired level. I examine each room number until I arrive at the end of the hall.
Here it is!
After scanning the card, the door unlocks. I swing it open. "Welcome home."
Their mouths drop to the ground, their eyes filled with awe. Tess enters before anyone else, screaming, "This is fucking insane!"
"D, is this a joke?" Annalise questions me in disbelief.
I shake my head. "It's all yours for the week."
The girls abandon their suitcases and have a look around. Remaining in the entryway, I whip out my phone to send a text to the group chat.
Okay, who changed my booking?
Joon: You mean the hotel?
Mhm.
Joon: I didn't, no.
Hobi: Wasn't me.
Tae: Me neither.
Jin: I didn't change it.
So who did?
Jimin: Yoongi hyung is ignoring his messages right now 🤨
JK: Sus.
Yoongi, did you upgrade the room?
Yoongi: Maybe.
You didn't have to do that 🥺
It must've cost you a fortune!
Yoongi: It didn't. Don't worry.
Jin: I'm just glad you used your own card.
Joon: I paid you back 🙄
Jin: Whatever 😒
Haha good job, Joon!
And seriously.
Thank you so much, Yoongi. The girls are really happy.
I'll see you guys when I get home.
I slip my phone into my pocket and join my sister for a tour of the suite. This place is absolutely huge; two bedrooms with large, soft beds, two marble bathrooms, a kitchen and dining area, a living room, conference room, a study, walk-in closets, floor-to-
ceiling windows. The room even has four TVs.
Stopping at the mini-bar, I give them a warning. "Stay out of the alcohol. Legal age here is nineteen, which none of you are."
"So no clubbing?" Tess inquires.
"Correct," I affirm.
She sighs. "Damn."
"The clubs here in Seoul are a lot of fun, I won't lie. But there are a million other things to do. You'll never be bored."
"What's first on the agenda?" Eira wonders.
"For lunch, I'm taking you to Korean barbecue. It's a must," I answer. "Then, we're gonna go to Gyeongbokgung Palace dressed in traditional clothing. We'll end our night overlooking the city at Namsan Tower."
Her eyes light up. "Sounds like a plan!"
"You guys are probably exhausted, so I'll let you rest for a while."
"Jet lag is a bitch," Tess grumbles.
I was just going to head back home so that the girls could have some peace and quiet, but they insisted I relax with them. Annalise and I lie on one of the beds together for a nap. I begin to doze off almost immediately, letting my body sink into the downy mattress. However, my sister speaks, jolting me awake again.
"I owe you my life," she mumbles, clearly drowsy.
"Hm? What for?"
"For everything you've done to make this trip happen."
"It's only possible because of the members," I impart. "Namjoon put you in first class and Yoongi upgraded the hotel room. I had no idea this is where you'd be."
"But you were willing to arrange everything. And you're giving up a week of your busy life to hang out with some teenagers."
I laugh before saying in earnest, "It's all worth it because you're here."
"Y'know, it's been hard being away from you," she divulges subsequent to a period of silence. "After spending so many years attached at the hip, it's weird that you're not around anymore."
"It's weird for me too," I concur as I run my fingers through her hair.
Annalise gazes at me. "Do you think it'll always be like this?"
"No," I disagree with a shake of the head. "Maybe in the future, we'll end up in the same place."
"I hope we do."
My voice becomes nothing but a whisper. "I do too."
***
We nap for a few hours. I wake up feeling refreshed, but the girls wake up more tired than when they went to sleep. I think of Tess' earlier words: jet lag is a bitch.
The three friends are undoubtedly hungry at this point, so we get ready for lunch in a hurry. I choose a restaurant close to where we are going to be renting hanbok. This was the first time Eira had tried Korean dishes. She loved it, announcing that samgyeopsal is her new favorite food. As for Tess, she couldn't believe banchan was given free of charge for every meal. She said she wishes America was like that.
Following our meal, we walk to a little hanbok rental shop. Although I've lived in Korea for ages now, I have never dressed in traditional clothing. This will be a new experience for all of us.
We bow to the owners to greet them, and they promptly have us pick out what color hanbok we want to wear. I select a faint blue and white dress. An ajumma-a cute, tiny woman with short black hair-picks my size hanbok from a rack and hangs it up behind a curtain. She then gestures for me to join her before disappearing behind the curtain again.
"Take clothes off, please," requests the ajumma as she steams the wrinkles out of the chima.
"O-Oh," I stutter. "Jigeumieyo?"
She nods. "Nae."
I fiddle with the hem of my shirt, hesitant about undressing in front of a stranger. She notices that I'm slightly uncomfortable and says, "All fine! Naked people every day."
That's right. I didn't take into account the fact that she dresses people in hanbok daily. It's nothing out of the ordinary for her to see me unclothed.
I remove my top and my pants while she finishes de-wrinkling the hanbok. Ajumma approaches me, pointing to the mirror in front of us. "Barabwa."
I tilt my head to the side, confused about what I'm supposed to be looking at exactly.
"Beautiful," she utters. The woman places her hand on my shoulder. "You."
A smile plasters itself across my lips. "Kamsahamnida."
She gives my shoulder a few loving pats and goes to the rack to get the underdress. And once she's done assisting me, Ajumma adds the finishing touch to my jeogori by hanging a norigae. I thank her for her help as she pulls the curtain open. Annalise and her friends audibly gasp at my appearance.
"You look gorgeous, D!" my sister praises. "I can't wait to get mine on."
The ajumma notices her excitement and lets her go next. I'm then ushered to a different room by a younger woman, likely around my age. She braids my hair and pins in a binyeo.
"Blue is definitely your color," the hairstylist tells me.
I glance down at the chima, my eyes becoming crescents. "Really?"
She reciprocates my grin. "Really."
After our transformations are complete, we make the short journey to the palace. Keeping my word, I snap tons of photos to send to the members. I send them to my mom as well. It's late back in Ohio, so she'll see them when she wakes up.
We spend a few hours walking around and exploring Gyeongbokgung. Tess admitted that she felt like a princess. This was surprising considering her appearance. Normally, Tess wouldn't be caught dead in a dress. She's your average tomboy, always opting for oversized t-shirts and a pair of joggers. Nothing wrong with that though. It suits her.
The four of us return our hanbok prior to going back to the hotel. Since we have a while to kill before Namsan Tower, the girls and I decide to hit up the spa. We all go for a massage, electing for the classic shiatsu. Afterward, the friends ask if we can get mani-pedis. I inform them that this is their vacation, so of course we can; whatever they want, they get. Plus, my nails are horrid from picking at my fingers. I could certainly use this.
Because the woman who did my hair at the hanbok shop said blue is my color, I pick out a cornflower hue. Annalise chooses yellow with rhinestone accents, Eira selects purple and a glitter topcoat, and Tess goes for a simple shade of black.
Entering the suite again, I help the three girls with their makeup. Eira mentions while I'm applying her eyeshadow that she's in search of her future husband during their trip.
Tess rolls her eyes. "She's delusional."
"I am not!" Eira defends herself.
"Why are you trying to find someone here?" I wonder.
"Because the guys in Ohio are trash," she replies. "Especially in our hick town. The boys there only fish and hunt and drive gross pickup trucks."
"Hate to break it to you, but men are trash everywhere," I apprise.
"Anna told us your boyfriend is perfect though."
"I just got really lucky."
"Well, maybe I'll get really lucky too."
"Keep dreamin', E," Tess chuckles.
Eira shoots her a dirty look.
"Tess, leave her alone," my sister scolds. "Let her dream if she wants to." Annalise hops onto the bathroom counter. "I have faith you'll find your Prince Charming soon."
"What if my Prince Charming is one of those Kpop boys?" giggles Eira.
The blood in my veins freezes. "You...You like Kpop?"
"Nah, I just saw those SuperM dudes on the flight safety video. I Googled them and that Mark guy is super cute."
Oh, boy.
Eira gazes at me. "Do you have a favorite Kpop artist?"
I open my mouth to answer her, but Annalise beats me to it. "Audaire is too focused on her own boyfriend to care about idols." Shen then sends me a wink for my eyes only.
"Exactly," I nod. "I'm a casual listener though."
A muffled snort comes from my sister as I go back to applying Eira's makeup. I bite down on my lip to prevent myself from laughing.
***
"This view is amazing!" Tess beams as we step off the elevator at Namsan Tower. The girls and I came after dark so that we could have a perfect view of Seoul ands its lights.
I haven't been to Namsan in forever. The last time I was here was on a date with Misun. We drank coffee together while overlooking the city. It's sort of a strange feeling to be back.
Thankfully though, Misun isn't on my mind much right now. All I'm really thinking about is how I want to be here with the seven loves of my life. It'd be so romantic. Nevertheless, it's nice being here with my sister and her best friends too. Annalise and I needed this quality time.
We approach the glass to have the best view of the entire area. I point out different places to them. "And that's the Han River. We're gonna have a picnic there on the grass tomorrow. Oh, and way over there is the Blue House where the president lives."
"Seoul seems so big from up here," Annalise comments.
"Well, it does have to compensate for over ten million people," I chuckle.
"Then why are the streets so narrow?"
"Good question."
When we're done checking out the 360 sights, we order some drinks at the little café and take a seat by the large window. I sip my lemonade, my chin resting in my palm. I stare transfixed into the night.
"D? Are you missing them?"
I glance at my sister, noticing that Tess and Eira aren't sitting with us anymore. I eventually spot the two inside the gift shop. Giving my attention to Annalise again, I confess, "A bit, yeah."
"I'm sorry they couldn't come with us."
"It's okay," I assure. "I've been sending them pictures all day, so they're with me in spirit."
She sets her hand out. "Give me your phone."
"What for?"
"We're gonna take a selfie together."
I give it to her. She then scoots closer to me and extends her arm. Annalise rests her head on my shoulder before snapping the photo.
"Send that to your boys," she requests as she offers my phone back to me. I obey and put the picture in our group chat. They reply almost instantly.
Jimin: You guys are adorable!
Tae: Looks like you're having a great time!
Hobi: Wish we were there with you.
JK: Noona, I'm going to rent out Namsan so that we can all be together.
Jin: ^ Just pay for it with your own card.
Joon: Are you ever going to let this go???
Jin: No.
Yoongi: Kook will rent out Namsan and I'll get us the Presidential Suite.
Yoongi: I think I owe you the room since I got it for your sister.
I guess we can start planning another weekend getaway after Jeju :)
Joon: For you, anything.
Hobi: Whatever your heart desires.
You guys are the best <3
Jimin: Can't wait for you to be back, D!
Tae: Yeah, we miss you lots!
Yoongi: Get home safely.
The girls rejoin Annalise and me at the table. They each bought a few souvenirs to give to their friends and family (and some stuff for themselves). While we finish our drinks, we hatch a plan for after the picnic tomorrow. The three of them are dying to go shopping in Hongdae.
"I needa buy one of those sweater vests I see everyone wearing," states Eira.
"Oh, yeah. They're super in right now," I inform her.
"Let's get matching ones!"
"Barf," gags Tess.
"C'mon! It'll be so cute!"
"I'll only do it if Audaire does it too."
Eira looks at me with puppy-dog eyes.
I sigh. "Fine."
"Yes!" She claps her hands. "We can wear them in Jeju."
Tess loudly groans and Annalise giggles into her palm.
"Alright, let's head back to the hotel," I insist. "We have a long day of sweater vest shopping ahead of us."
[AN] Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!
Aloha Nui Loa (all my love) <3