It is 2015 and Kim Taehyung had just experienced the pressures of being a K-pop idol. His group, BTS, broke through the Korean mainstream media and was enjoying commercial prosperity. But with that success came with a price. To escape the overwhelmi...
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As Taehyung stepped out of the subway train and walked across the short tunnel into one of the largest malls in Canada, he spotted a flight of escalators leading up to the higher levels of the shopping centre.
It wasn't like he never went to a luxurious plaza before; there's a few in Seoul that could rival the TEC, such as the historic Times Square Mall, or the popular Lotte World. But what set the place apart from the ones in Seoul was that it was dotted with individuals from different cultural, social, religious and economic backgrounds, wearing various fashions.
Taehyung was in awe at how most seem to pass by not even glancing at him, as if he was part of the crowd despite his platinum blonde hair and fancy get-up. And people smiled at him out of civility, rather than out of curiosity or recognition.
For the first time in the entire year, he could shop without being stopped for an autograph.
Not that he was ungrateful to his fans; after all, it was because of them that BTS even gained attention in the Korean entertainment industry. He was just not used to the sudden trappings of fame, as he spent most of his life on a small village farm.
Looking at himself right now in the reflection of a store window, he was indeed a tad ostentatious to be travelling later to the less glamorous streets of Toronto. The lady at the OTIC booth had kindly warned him that aside from the pleasant spots in the city, there are some undesirable sections that to be walking around with Hermes and D&G would be dangerous.
Taehyung stopped by at Roots, a proudly made in Canada store and picked up some plaid shirts and a couple of hoodies. He also dropped by the accessories display and snatched up a pair of low-key sunglasses.
With his purchases in hand, Taehyung skipped past all the fine-branded shops and headed for Bentley, which sold nondescript baggage aside from distinctive ones, where he would find one that would fit the Hermes he's been carrying.
After making his last purchase, a Canada Goose jacket at Harry Rosen, the K-pop idol bee-lined to the nearest men's restroom, changed out of his lavish gear and donned on clothes that looked more befitting for a farm boy from Korea.
