That Summer Break With My Brother's Band

1 Darl+ing

I hold on to my friend Selena's hand and squeeze it as the airplane is about to hit the ground. I have never really felt quite relaxed in aircrafts and I'm glad the flight is almost over. Only the landing is left.

"See, that was it," Selena says as she strokes my hand.

Although she is wearing a mask, by the sight of her eyes I can see that she is smiling at me. I bite my lip underneath mine. Yes, it is finally over. We're back on the ground.

"I can't wait to stretch my legs," I whine as I look outside, seeing my beloved homeland: South Korea, which I haven't seen in more than 6 years.

When I was 14, I decided I wanted to go to an American high school instead of staying where I lived. That wasn't really an impulsive decision. If you have some time, let me explain why I was determined to leave my home.

I have an older brother, who was 19 at that time and just a few months away from debuting in a new K-Pop band called Seventeen. When we were younger, we used to be very close, but when he'd found out he loved singing and creating music, there was nothing else he wanted to do but achieving his dreams as a musician. And so he got scouted, and we grew apart. We kept in contact via social media and video calling, but we didn't see each other that often anymore since he was too busy doing whatever he needed to do to become an idol.

So, that's when I figured that I wanted to see some more of planet Earth and be a little bit more independent. And to be honest, I really needed to escape. Not from my brother, he is the sweetest human being there exists, more from my family who had always been treating me like the useless younger sister of the oh so talented wonder kid. It is not that they literally told me those accusations to my face, but they made it very clear to me at family gatherings when the only thing they were interested about was my brother and his music. Not a single question was about my life and my hobbies. Anyhow, long story short; I just didn't really feel like I belonged there anymore and I wanted to run away. So, America it was.

High school in America was really fun and I made lots of friends. I also joined a semi-professional dance club and found part of my passion in there. But my other passion was writing and that's why I applied for a writing study after I had graduated high school. I got in, and on that university, I met my now best friend, Choi Selena. After a few weeks of hanging out with her, I'd found out that she also has an older brother who coincidentally debuted in the same K-Pop band as my brother. That same night, I video called my brother and asked him if I could see his band member S.Coups. This man's face was priceless when I shoved his sister into the frame and we had so much fun that night while chatting and playing online video games, so we did more video calls with the four of us and became a really close friend group, even though we were located on the other side of the world.

Selena and I just finished our second year of university and passed all of our tests and assignments. To celebrate our well deserved vacation, both of our brothers invited us over to their house in South Korea where they live together with the rest of their band. We are really excited to meet the other band members, since we have only seen them in their music videos and never in real life before. And I must admit that I am most excited to meet Vernon, since I have always had a little crush on him. I mean, come on, he is really hot.

When we're escorted out of the plane, I check my phone to see if I have any messages, which I have.

"My brother has texted me," I say to Selena as I read the message out loud. "He says due to work he can't make it to pick us up, but he has sent someone else."

Selena shrugs. "Let's hope he's sent Wonwoo."

I laugh, knowing she has a big crush on Wonwoo. And I can't blame her, he is hot as well and for as far as I know, completely her type.

After we've received our luggage, we walk into the main hall of the airport, looking around for a Seventeen member who is supposed to pick us up. And since it is super crowded, it is a hard quest. I firmly hold onto Selena's hand so that we don't lose each other.

"There!" Selena points and I notice two cardboards with the names Choi Selena and Lee Blair written on them held up in the air.

"That's us," I say as we walk towards the cardboards. I recognize both guys from the band's music videos, but can't tell their names.

When we get closer, we notice that the two guys holding the signs both have a security member with them who keep some screaming girls away. And as we try to walk towards them, they hold us up as well.

"Sorry, no autographs today, young ladies," the one with a moustache speaks to us.

Selena and I share a confused look.

"We're here to be picked up," I say but more with a question mark as I point at the cardboards the two idols are holding up.

"Do you two have an ID?" the security asks.

We both show them our ID, and they let us through.

Both Selena and I bow politely and I introduce myself: "Lee Blair, at your service."

"Ain't no way you are Jihoon's little sister!" the guy in the light blue polo blurts out. "What was in your food that wasn't in his? What are you? Like, 6 ft?"

I laugh as I answer: "6'1 to be exact."

"Wow," he looks up at me in awe.

"Impressive," the other one then says. "My name is Minghao, by the way."

He smiles behind his mask and gives his band member a little nudge.

"Oh yeah, right. Hi, welcome ladies. My name is Junhui."

"Pleased to meet you," Selena waves. "And I am Selena."

"Then you must be Seungcheol's sister," Minghao says.

"Two sisters it was, then we've collected both of them," Junhui speaks. "Let's taxi them home."

After they've paid the security for their service, the two guys escort us to their car, a cute pink Suzuki. They help us put our luggage in the boot of the car and as I walk towards one of the doors of the car, Minghao suddenly runs past me and opens the door next to the door I was eyeing on: the passenger seat.

Since I am a little shy around strangers, I look at him with a questioning attitude.

"Are you coming in or not, my lady?" he asks as he moves a strand of his dark blue hair behind his ear.

I share a look with Selena before thanking him and getting into the car. Minghao closes the door behind me and then sits down in the driver's seat. Selena sits down in the seat behind me.

As Junhui leans over to put on the car radio, he looks at me and Selena and asks: "What kind of songs do you two want to hear?"

"Do you have any...?" Selena asks as she looks at me. "...Twice?"

Minghao giggles. "No, we only stream Seventeen songs in this car."

I frown but go along with it. "Then Pretty U will do."

"Oh my Gods, yass girl," Selena says as we smile at each other with the knowledge that Pretty U is our favorite song to sing and dance to when we are drunk. We know the whole choreography to be exact, and we're proud of it.

I notice Junhui sharing a look with Minghao and rolling his eyes, but nevertheless putting on the song to our joy.

The whole ride Selena and I are jamming to the songs we know. We were just intensely rapping to Call Call Call when Minghao pulls up onto the driveway of an enormous villa.