A Modest Proposal (Kim Namjoon/ BTS) (#SerendipityAwards)

8. The Stars

“So this is where Kim Namjoon’s second segment will be shot?” Ji Ah inquired as her eyes surveyed their surroundings.

The director, who handled Bangtan’s music videos, had picked a secluded suburb just on the outskirts of Seoul as the location for the short films of Love Yourself. Namjoon’s site was encapsulated in wild shrubbery flanking the decaying road. A dilapidated bus stop stood in a state of neglect, a small bus parked next to it. The day was scorching hot, the heat creating ripples through the glass panes of the windows as the sizzling heat permeated the pavement Ji Ah’s feet currently rested on.

Namjoon and Yoongi were lounging under erected shades designed to guard against the blistering sun. Stylists and make-up artists hovered over them, ensuring that the pair looked fresh and hydrated despite the sapping heat. Ji Ah’s eyes landed on Namjoon, who was clad in a green t-shirt and corduroy pants, a black cap concealing his hair.

“Are you, perhaps, wondering if it’s the sun that’s hotter or Kim Namjoon?” So Min sprung up beside her friend who jerked up at her voice.

Ji Ah chortled at So Min’s outlandish comment. “That is not what I was thinking at all,” she stated derisively, wiping her brows and hoping that the shoot would begin soon. She needed a reprieve from engaging in needless activities. Like tracing the sweat that slid down Namjoon’s forehead, pooling at the edges of his lips as one of the staff members hurried to wipe it away.

Ji Ah shook her head, checking her watch for the umpteenth time. The girl supposed to appear in his part of the highlight reel would be arriving any time soon.

“Gah! Why is it so hot?” Yoongi whined from beside Namjoon as he rubbed his forehead.

The leader raised his eyebrows. “So why have you decided to come along? Isn’t your shoot scheduled for the evening?”

“It is,” Yoongi replied languidly as he leaned against his chair. “But since it’s at the same site more or less, I surmised it would save time and energy to just tag along and wait my turn.” The rapper’s eyes glinted mischievously as he studied Namjoon. “And besides, I thought it would be interesting to watch your little drama with Hong Ji Ah unfold.”

Namjoon sighed as he pulled the hand-fan closer to his face. “There is no drama waiting to unfold and I bet you’ll fall asleep the minute this shoot begins.”

“That’s true too,” Yoongi acknowledged, a smug look on his face as Namjoon shook his head.

His eyes roved over to where Ji Ah stood, her hair pushed under a snapback, long overalls gracing her lithe figure. She seemed absorbed in a conversation with Kang So Min and Namjoon speculated, not for the first time, how many layers her headstrong personality actually concealed. Wanting to divert his attention, he focused it on the highlight reels instead.

Each member would play their own roles, with their own partners for the four-part short films. His marked the third segment of the second reel, Jungkook and Seokjin having already filmed theirs the preceding day.

The themes reflected their idea of narrating the story they had envisioned in a haphazard manner, not necessarily releasing the albums in a chronological order. The members had felt that this would add a novelty to the storytelling, increasing the impact of the message they wished to portray through it.

Namjoon’s thoughts were interrupted when a minivan pulled up beside their spots, the doors sliding open to reveal the slender, lean frame of Oh Han Seol, a trainee who had been cast alongside him. Her long, brown hair was clipped at the nape of her neck, a white cap adorning her head. Han Seol was clad in beige shorts and a plaid shirt which concealed the white tank top she wore underneath.