3.
I take this opportunity of silence to think about the events that have just unfolded in the last 10 minutes or so.
I am texting a random stranger from which my mother has recommended. This whole arrangement seems too much like the 90s except instead of letters we are doing it through text. It's 2018. I was sure up until this point that my mom trying to set me up with people was over. But I was wrong.
She has met a new level of desperation. She went to lengths in order for me to be texting a person I don't know. I mean, I don't even have a face to put with him. All I know is that his name is Justin.
Justin? I highly doubt he goes by that name in South Korea. Maybe because I am from America he felt the need to use his international name. I sigh. I'm overthinking this.
Why do I care so much? Maybe it's the fact that it is so mysterious that I want to know more. Maybe if not romantic, I can gain a friend from where my family is from. My parents are always complaining that I ignore my Korean roots. Maybe this can be a new beginning.
"Hm," I sigh. I've only spent a few hours watching various videos on my laptop but it feels like I've been laying in bed forever. I check my phone absentmindedly, not knowing why I thought I would've gotten a text.
It's 1AM in South Korea. He must be sleeping.
My phone buzzes, a notification from twitter lighting up my screen. I am happy to see it's from a K-pop group I follow. I unlock my phone and smile at the screen. Why is Jungkook awake?
I happily like and retweet his selfie. Jungkook is the youngest member of the k-pop band, 방탄소년단. (BTS). As a Korean American not only do I listen to k-pop, but of course I would support a group as they have begun taking over the American Market. Although my bias is Taehyung, I love all of them.
"So cute," I gush and start scrolling down the replies. It would be nice to see actual replies instead of spam; but, nonetheless I'm happy about all the attention they are getting. A notification pops up on the top of my screen.
J: hi
You: why are you awake? sleep!!
J: ahh
work
got just done
You: just got done*
I cringe at myself as I click send. I don't want to be that person.
J: thank you!!
I will be better
You: sorry haha
what is your job?
J: uhhh..
환대
(Entertainment)
How vague.
You: entertainment?
J: ok
sure
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
I giggle slightly at my phone. My hands feel a thousand pounds as I hold it above my head from my laying position, but I'm too lazy to move. I don't mind the minor language barrier going on through our texts right now— I find it endearing.
"Jae!" I hear my mom yell from the bottom of the stairs. I groan and ignore her as I type out a message.
If he is up this late maybe he works for a radio or something.
You: how old are you?
My door opens abruptly and it's my mother.
"Are you going to eat?" She questions me. Her face looks like she is done with the day.
I shrug, "I'm not hungry."
"Are you still texting him?" She questions.
"Why are you being so nosey?"
The smile on her face is too big. Something is going on and I feel out of the loop. I bite my lip as I watch the typing icon appear next to his name. Both of us jump slightly in excitement when he sends a message back.
J: ages are different...
Hm. ..
1997.
I can see my mom's facial expression through the reflection from my phone. I don't know how to decipher what she is thinking.
You: 1996.
J: 누나!!
(Noona!!)
My cheeks flush involuntarily.
"Eat something," my mom taps my shoulder. I glance at her and see she is holding an apple for me.
"Gee, thanks," I say in sarcasm. I grab the apple anyway and nod to her. As she is walking out I think to ask something, "do you think it's safe to give him my social medias?"
My moms eyes go wide, "You two are talking that much?"
I don't know what to say, "I mean.. not really.."
We have only had less than an accumulative twenty minutes of texting done. But maybe if I give him my social media he will be more willing to send me a freaking selfie or something?
"Are your pictures pretty on there?" She asks. I frown suddenly feeling self conscious, "let me see."
I leave the conversation screen and go to my Twitter. I am the most active on there and it makes me look cooler because I have a few thousand followers. Something about being Asian and me trying really hard to be aesthetic allows me to get a couple hundred likes on my posts.
I can't believe I am watching my mom scroll through my twitter selfies, but it wouldn't be the weirdest thing to happen today.
"Ooh, he will like these."
Her approval somehow doesn't make me feel much better. Although my mom likes to be very honest, I am still unsure if my pictures are enough. I sigh and open the conversation again.
"You and English. He will stop talking to you if you keep using it." She scolds me, "And make sure there's nothing controversial on your accounts. I mean it."
I roll my eyes, "thanks for the advice."
Happiness is all I feel when she leaves the room. My mom is making me anxious about texting him. Is there something I should know? Maybe this is all some big joke. She knows he is the ugliest man on the planet and is trying to make me look like a fool. Maybe this is payback because I took a semester off from university. So many maybes.
You: is it ok if I'm older? 🤭
J: perfect
^ _ ^
Why am I smiling like a fool? Get yourself together.
I take a leap of faith to get to know this mystery man and type out a message.
You: you should follow my twitter!
@ jae_
I click send and lock my phone right away. I'm cringing on the inside and feeling weird because he is probably looking at my Twitter now. I put my phone down on my bed and sit up, taking an anxious bite out of the apple my mom gave me. He's going to think I'm a freak with the amount of BTS retweets. I'm so stupid! I really should go filter out my liked posts.
My heart drops when my phone buzzes.
J: I will!!
tomorrow
sleep
...
now
sorry
it's late and English isn't working
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Why am I smiling so much?
You: ㅇㅋ
잘 자요
(Ok)
(Sleep well)
***
JUNGKOOK'S POV
(translated)
I cannot help the bright smile on my face as I sit against the practice room mirror. Although the rotating fans blow air on me to keep me cool, I can't stop my face from heating.
I thought the idea of talking to someone was just a distant thought. I also thought we were all joking around when we said we would participate in this for a relationship. I cock my head to the side while thinking. This might not be the best idea.
"Jungkook-ah," Jimin yells with a laugh from the exit.
I glance up from my phone. I've just found out that Jae is a year older than me.
"Yes?" I say.
The other members have left the room already to go shower, but when I'm texting in English it's hard for me to multitask. I don't know what I'm typing half the time.
I would ask Jimin for help, but he is worse than I am.
"Let's go," Jimin is now looking in the mirror, fixing his hair. We are both covered in sweat from how many times we just practiced our title track "Fake Love". Our comeback is in two months.
"Where is Namjoon hyung?" I ask.
I want to type out a reply to say goodnight to Jae, but my mind is hurting too much. Namjoon is a member I can ask without putting too much burden on him.
"I don't know," Jimin replies. I can hear him walking towards me, "why?"
"Agh," I sigh, "Help me."
I give Jimin my phone and he furrows his eyebrows trying to read the conversation. For right now I am fine with him reading it. I haven't said anything worth my heart to hurt over yet.
"Perfect," he says mockingly, giggling over my typed words. I roll my eyes.
"Stop," I go to reach for my phone back. It's then that it beeps, "what did she say?"
"You.. should.. follow my.. Twitter. You should follow my Twitter," he reads slowly and then all together.
I smile greedily and take my phone back. Hyung had told me this girl is pretty, so now it will be my chance to see who I am talking to. I leave the texting application and open Twitter. It freezes for a moment and takes a few seconds to load. Our notifications say 100k+. I ignore them for the time being and go to the search bar to type in her username.
"Wow," Jimin says, impressed. He is staring down at my phone as I am sitting. He's leaning his hand on the wall.
Jae is quite popular in her own respects on her account. Why do I feel suddenly nervous? Hyung didn't prepare me for this.
Her last retweet was me. Me?
"Hey," he points out, "she likes you."
I suddenly feel insecure about every selfie I have posted on Twitter.
"Wow," he repeats. A selfie she posted pops onto the screen.
13 hours ago
7,367 retweets 14,320 likes
"Oh my God," I say without thinking.
I don't realize I am smiling stupidly until Jimin hits my shoulder.
"What are you going to do?" He asks.
It will be hard not to want to talk to her now. We have had some discussions about dating during company meetings, but I'm not sure if this is what it will be. I don't know enough about her yet. And she doesn't know it is me she is talking to.
"She doesn't speak Korean well," I say, trying to justify a reason.
I click out of Twitter and return to the text conversation. I have to type something to end our messaging.
"You don't even speak Korean well," Jimin's attempt to make fun of me makes me laugh.
I am fully concentrated as I begin typing a final message of the night to Jae.
You: Pretty!
"No!" Jimin interrupts me. I backspace it away to make sure I don't send it.
"What?"
"Pretend you didn't look yet," he says, "she will ask for your Twitter next otherwise."
"Ah, smart Jimin-ssi." I praise and begin to type.
You: I will!!
Tomorrow
"Hm?" I ask. I show the screen to Jimin and he nods.
"I forgot English," I'm joking slightly but I can't think of any words to say goodnight.
"Sleep," he suggests. I nod frantically.
You: sleep
...
now
sorry
it's late and English isn't working
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
I show Jimin the final product and although I'm sure he is more confused than I am, he gives me a nod of reassurance.
"You think she knows what the hell we said?"
"No," we both laugh. I can see her typing and it relieves me.
Jae: ㅇㅋ
잘 자요
"Agh," I smile. "She says to sleep well."
"Wow we made sense." Jimin says, but my mind is too busy thinking about sleeping well for her.
"Let's go," he finally kicks me lightly on my thigh, "We have to shoot 'Run' early."
I complain in an audible response at the reminder. There is a looming thought hanging over me now— I don't know what I'm going to do when she asks me for a selfie.
_______________________________
A/N
»»———— IMPORTANT ———-««
Jae's character is Jo: @/cowsel (instagram) & @/ mygslibra (twitter).
Jo and Jae do not correspond with each other in any way. Any use of publicly shared content from Jo has been used in a fictitious matter and does not represent Jo as a person; instead, it is used primarily to convey ideas and major plot points throughout the story.
»»——————————————————-««