BTS Imagines

Flying to serendipity (JK one-shot)

Suitcases, flight announcements, and a ton of people trying to find their way. So many faces in one location, but none catch his eye. Except for her's. A familiar person in the crowd of strangers.

She is perhaps his age, maybe a bit younger. All that he knows is that she still takes his breath away after so long, the memory of her never leaving his mind after the first time he saw the traveller.

This is a terribly lucky coincidence, for the youngest of the Bangtan crew has seen her before just mere months ago at Incheon Airport. She, however, does not know this nor has she spotted him here.

Yet.

He remembers her sleepy face after a rough night, had seen her small figure laying sprawled over three wooden chairs in the hall of departures, trying to go comfortably into the night but failing in doing so. Her arm was put protectively over the silver coloured suitcase that was two-thirds of her height. She looked serene yet troubled.

How he recognizes her? The way she places her legs over the top of her suitcase and gets lost in the music she listens to as she drinks a cup of coffee, always cappuccino. The smell was never memorable until she once quickly brushed past him and he smelled the slightly chocolate aroma on her.

For hours he can look at her as she reads to pass the time, black glasses occasionally sliding off and her unconsciously putting them back in place, eyes never leaving the e-reader in her hands. It reminds him of Namjoon, who also has his nose stuffed in a book whenever there is an opportunity to do so.

The way she walks is as fast as lightning and as proud as a wolf in spite of her height and other insecurities. He knows she can take care of herself, even when she is far from home in a strange country.

Something has changed though.

Her hair colour, now more brown than blonde.

The suitcase, small and made of black fabric.

The backpack, bearing the mark of an Irish beer instead of his group's logo.

Her attire, now more suited to the wintery weather instead of to the clammy Korean heath.

The fedora looks amazing on her.

Even her phone case has changed, no longer a flip case, but a simple hard case.

Nevertheless, some things stay the same.

The case still has the Cheshire Cat on it.

Her hair is still short and voluminous, framing her face with wild locks.

Her makeup is simple, only eyeliner and mascara.

The maknae chuckles light-hearted when a man sits down on the seat next to her and holds a conversation with someone on the other end of the line. He watches her expression change. Yep, she still gets annoyed by people sitting and calling right beside her.

'Kook, come on. The others are already walking ahead.' His Gucci loving friend places a hand on his shoulder. 'Hyung, is something wrong?'

The corners of Jungkook's mouth curl up into a sweet smile. 'No, I just found my serendipity.'

Taehyung looks puzzled and follows the other boy's gaze. Upon seeing her he understands. Finally, the dreaming demeanour during practice and at home makes sense. 'Well, would you look at that. Maybe you should go say hello,' he teases.

The young man flinches at the thought. 'I'm not going to do that. I can't talk to her.'

'Why not?'

'She probably doesn't speak Korean and my English is terrible.'

'It isn't that bad.' His friend gives an encouraging nudge against his shoulder.

'Tae, no. I'm not going to do it.' Rapidly, though with a heavy heart, Jungkook turns towards the direction his other hyungs went in. The other five boys look back at them from the end of the hallway filled with luggage and others trying to reach home, wondering what is taking the youngest two so long.

'Kookie, what's up?' Namjoon asks when he sees the slight rosy brush of colour on the maknae's cheeks. The boy does not answer his leader and just keeps walking to their gate as it is shown on the big boards in the hall of departures. In spite of that probably being the last time he sees her, he nevertheless hopes she will show herself once more before he boards. Even if it is just the rushed image of her as she hurries to her own gate.

Just one more time.

***

The air feels stuffy despite the ventilation in the plane. The aisle is too narrow and thus causes a human traffic jam as people try to put their suitcases in the cupboards overhead.

Although they are all seated near each other, Jungkook has been set apart from his hyungs. Not that he really minds, because it gives him some room to sleep, think, play games, and relax with music until they reach their destination.

'Hey, um, sorry, but may I pass?' It feels as if his eyes will pop out of their sockets when he hears her voice. 'So I can reach my seat?' A slender finger points at the window seat next to him. There goes the only view he could distract himself with from the thought of her. He stumbles to his feet and clears the path for her.

The scent of wood, citrus, apple, prunes and tonka beans.

The smell of summer.

Memories of Incheon resurface.

She is here, truly here.

'Where are you going?' Jungkook asks in the best English he can muster after gathering all the courage in the world.

She looks at him, not having expected to have a conversation at all. 'Me?' He nods. 'I'm going back home.'

'Where's that?'

'Holland.'

That rings a bell. 'Amsterdam?' he tries. It is a famous city and he knows a fairly big part of the Dutch population lives there. To be honest, for the rest he does not know a lot about The Netherlands.

She laughs. 'There is more than Amsterdam, you know. Take it from someone who doesn't live there.'

'Me and my friends...' the maknae trails off, trying to form a proper sentence in a language so different from his own, 'go to Amsterdam. It's fun.'

A sweet smile forms on her lips. 'Enjoy your trip, but also visit other places. The Netherlands has much to offer.'

Suddenly he is feeling braver than before. It is now or never. 'I'm Jungkook.'

In the moment after her mystery is solved and he discovers the answer he had secretly been looking for, but could only imagine.

All up there, among the clouds in the sky.

Where her and his brothers fly.