(Guide Us to) A Million Stars

18🔥

Surprisingly, the phone reception was still strong in the forest. Tae and I were able to text each other emojis the first few days he was gone. He let me know what he was doing: 🏕, 🚣‍♂️⚾ 🎆. I informed him that I was 📖, 🚶‍♀️, 🍜. And later Seonhwa was coming over to hang out.

That day, Seonhwa came over insisting that she wanted some time away from her parents even though I wanted to get out of my apartment. After a late lunch, we found some karaoke videos on TV and used the microphone from my tiny recording studio (my guitar and Tae's keyboard). Her first song was "Loser Lover" by TXT.

"Aren't you ARMY?" I asked, as she adjusted the mic in her hand.

She scoffed. "ARMY can be fans of other groups, you know?"

"Oh...I'm new to this K-pop world so I only know BTS." I listened as she sang, bopping my head to the catchy hook. After it was over, I chose "Zero O'Clock" and tried my best at the Korean pronunciation. I caught Seonhwa grinning as she gathered a bottle of soju and shot glasses from the kitchen and prepared one for me.

"Here. Maybe this will help," she said, as she held out the glass.

"Thanks! They say this stuff loosens lips." I gulped it down in one shot. We had a blast drinking and singing. She told me all about these new groups: Stray Kids, Blackpink, EXO, and Seventeen. I made her sing at least one BTS song and chose Jimin's "Filter."

"'I can be your genie...how about Aladdin...'" she sang, not as enthusiastically as the other K-pop songs.

"Are you thinking about Jimin?" I asked.

"'I'm your filter,'" she whined/sang overdramatically.

"Cheer up! They're coming back in a few days."

She shrugged. "They do not have a busy schedule right now so I do not see him anyway."

"Then this is the best time to tell him how you feel. So you can see him more!" I threw my hands in the air, exaggerating my advice.

She whimpered. "What if he does not like me?"

"I'm sure that's not true." I touched her arm for reassurance.

"When I took this job, I tell myself, 'Seonhwa, be professional.'" She bawled/said, "I did not think I fall in love!"

I put my arm around her shoulder, almost hanging on her, losing my balance. How much soju did I have?

She continued. "I could lose my job. It is the end. Game over!" Wow, how much soju did she have?

"So you're just going to give up? I think Jimin is worth it."

She looked surprised. "Are you kidding? You really think so, Suni?"

"It's true!"

"Oh my gosh!" she said, excitedly.

"So, you should have a heart-to-heart talk with him and try to make it work. You got this! Fighting, girl!" I added that last part because I'd heard other Koreans say it when giving encouragement like in a K-drama.

Seonhwa squealed. "Fighting!"

We clasped our hands and moved them from side to side. Then we both yelled, "Fighting!"

After almost collapsing from laughter, we threw ourselves on opposite sides of the couch. My phone alerted a text so I checked it. It was from Tae. "Go with Chan 🍓 or 🥑?" I squished up my face in confusion. The doorbell rang and I expected Chan to appear. Could Tae be asking if I wanted to go with Chan...somewhere? But where?