Love Maze | BTS Poly

Strangers and Cigarettes

"Audaire, come here!" calls Misun, the Korean teacher of my class.

I was cleaning the desks but put down the Clorox wipe to meet her where she is standing at the front of the room.

"What's up?" I ask.

"I want you to go somewhere with me this Saturday."

I raise an eyebrow, the corner of my mouth turning up in a small smirk. "Like a date?"

Misun and I have been hooking up for quite a while. Nearly the entire time I've been teaching English here. She has never asked me out for the entirety of our "relationship." Well, that's kind of a lie. She wanted to spice things up last month and had me meet her at the park for a late-night rendezvous. I was scared shitless that we'd be caught and charged with public indecency. Luckily, the park was empty.

Misun nods. "Yeah, I suppose."

"What do you have in mind?"

She claps her hands together and a wide smile breaks across her face. "I won a raffle and got front row seats to a BTS concert! You familiar with 'em?"

Obviously I know who BTS is. You can't live in Korea for over ten months and not know them-they're everywhere. Literally. You can't walk a block in the city without seeing something about them. But I wouldn't consider myself a fan. Those boys are extremely talented, I'll give them that. I just don't like Kpop that much.

"I am, yeah."

"Are you a fan too?"

"Totally!" I lie.

"I can't believe you never told me! We could've watched Run BTS together!"

Run BTS? Do they have an exercise show or something?

I decide to play dumb like I know what she's talking about. "Damn, sorry. We totally could've. Next time we'll watch."

"Alright, good. So you'll go with me to the concert then?"

"Of course."

"Awesome! It's Saturday at seven. I'll pick you up for it."

I flash a smile and nod.

"I'm gonna head out, okay? I'll see you tomorrow morning."

She throws her bag over her shoulder, looks around to make sure no one is watching, and then kisses me on the cheek. I feel myself blush as I watch her exit the classroom.

I finish cleaning and then leave to go home to work on my lesson plan for the following day.

***

The rest of the week goes by quickly and Misun and I don't see each other besides during class. But before I know it, Saturday is here. I've done a little research on BTS-learning their names (at least trying to) and listening to the songs on their setlist for the concert. I can't have Misun knowing I lied.

I apply my makeup heavier than my everyday look, completing it with a large winged liner and red-stained lips. Misun hates when my lipstick transfers all over her, so she told me that if I didn't switch to a stain, she wouldn't kiss me.

I decide to keep my hair in its natural state, putting some cream in it to help hold the waves. I then get dressed, opting for a red off-the-shoulder top and a pair of black cargo pants with a silver chain hanging off my hip. My wardrobe and fashion sense got a million times better when I moved to Korea. No one in Seoul would be caught dead looking nothing other than red carpet ready.

I'm feeling a bit nervous, so I throw back a few shots of alcohol to loosen up. My cell phone dings with a text. I screw the cap back on the bottle and grab it off the kitchen counter.