Andromeda

IV.

 After they had finally stopped laughing, they explained to me that the boys were, all jokes aside, part of a major music group from Korea.

"Why are you here, then?" I asked.

"We're on..." Yoongi tapped his fingers on his leg, probably trying to find the right words, "an extended break, I guess. For a few weeks."

"And you decided to come here, of all places?" I said, gesturing to the dingy railway stop we were in, and technically, to the not-great town as a whole.

Andromeda pointed at Jeongguk, who was furiously shading something in with his pencil. "We're only here until Kookie finishes his drawing. Then we're getting out of here and even further out."

I shook my head. "Again, why?"

Namjoon was the one to answer me, taking a sip from his coffee cup. From what I could tell, Taehyung had downed the two cups he'd been given and had then taken Jimin's share. "Sometimes you have to," he paused, "get away from it all?" he asked it as a question, looking at Andromeda. She smiled and nodded slightly. Namjoon looked proud of himself. "Idioms are hard," he said.

"What are you talking about, English itself is hard," Seokjin said, stealing Taehyung's coffee cup and downing the rest in a gulp. Taehyung shrieked loudly, and Jeongguk half-jumped before frantically checking his drawing to make sure he hadn't ruined it.

I looked at Andromeda. "Are you part of their company?"

She laughed loudly, before covering her mouth with a hand. "No," she said. "I'm just a friend. And the one who owns a place nearby."

In spite of myself, I scoffed. "What's this place got to offer?"

She didn't seem offended, she just smiled. "Absolutely nothing. Except once you get further out, you should just see the stars." She had a dreamy look in her eyes, and I wondered if it made any logical sense to buy a living residence based on the ability to look into the night sky.

"You could see them if you want to," Jimin said. "The stars, I mean. We've got plenty of available space."

"You can't just invite someone you just met to a place in the middle of nowhere," Yoongi said. "They'll think you're weird."

"We are weird."

"Would you like to, though?" Andromeda asked quickly, and this time there wasn't a hint of a smile on her face with the words.

I felt a little put on the spot, but I had to be honest. I did want to spend more time with these people.

"Yes," I said. "I would like to."

Jeongguk then whispered something into her ear, and within a moment of seeing their eyes light up as they spoke to each other, I could tell that there was a chemistry between them that was even more special than the one shared between the eight of them. It was difficult not to feel jealous of them and their connection.

"Come back here. Friday, at sundown. Someone will be here to drive you there," Yoongi told me.

"Could I have the address first, please?" I asked. "Just in case."

"Just in case we're actually crazy murderers and you want someone to know where to find your dead body in case you never come back?" Taehyung asked.

I stared at him.

"Sure," Andromeda said, and she held out a hand to Jeongguk. He turned a page in the sketchbook and scribbled something on it before tearing it out and handing the paper to Andromeda. She handed it to me with a smile, though I was still staring in shock at Taehyung.

It was a little unnerving to be called out as such.

"Kpop idols," Yoongi said, explaining.

"We're used to crazy people," Namjoon said.