Storyteller | JHS ✓

Author's note

AHSIOFJEW YALL SEEING LEGIT 243 NOTIFICATIONS ON HERE AND ALL OF THEM BEING YOU LOVELY READERS COMMENTING AND VOTING ON THIS STORY MADE MY HEART SOAR TO OBLIVION JFEJOI THANK YOUUUU__I first got the idea for this story way back in the sixth grade.

Actually, no. I feel like the core of this story came from when I read a book titled "Call Me Hope" by Gretchen Olson during the summer of fifth grade. I remember vividly that there was one line that had me almost burst into tears: "I want someone to love me." That single line made me realize something. And that single line has stuck with me for all these years.

And that would eventually become the foundation for this story.

I became an army in 2018. December 8th of 2018, to be exact (yes, I marked it on my calendar.) It was around 9:30pm and my brother and I were scrolling through youtube for videos to watch. "Seagulls, stop it now" was in our recommended section and I had heard that it was popular so we watched it. And in the "next-up" section of that video was a lip-parody of "Idol." And so, because my brother and I were bored, decided to watch it.

And then the parody proceeded to slap.

I loved it! So I watched the original (didn't like it at first) and then some crack videos (JAMJAMJ I MISS YOU PLEASE COME BACK).

A couple weeks later, Magic Shop was used as an outro for a video (Bts mv vs reality) and I knew it was a bts song because it was the part where Jimin sang (he was my bias back then lol.) So I googled the lyrics and clicked on the first video.

I don't think I've ever cried that much in my entire life.

Listening to that song, I felt loved. I felt comforted in a way that I had never experienced before that point. I legit cried for a whole week straight at different intervals. I didn't know a song could comfort people like that (I liked listening to incredibly sad Vocaloid songs and they all just made me shed a tear at best.) I didn't know how these seven people who I used to roll my eyes at were doing incredible things to empower the young generation like that.

I guess I always thought of them as factory-made and that they were born into success or something. Yet, when Taehyung sang the words "If I told you I used to be scared of everything too Will you believe me?", all of my past opinions of them changed. I learned of their struggles and their insecurities. I learned of their hard work and hardships. And I learned how much love they had to give.

From that day onward, it may seem silly or cliche, but I made a vow to "be in this bangtanseonyeondan shit for life."

I don't plan on going back on that promise.

Later on, after I was getting used to crying over seven grown men, I stumbled across a Kim Namjoon fanfiction titled "Chai" written by the lovely Catchumylife. That fanfiction sadly is no longer on this platform, but it was the direct route that led me to read the most influential piece of literature I had ever laid eyes on.

Perhaps Catchumylife's most brilliant story: "Clay & Vinyl." That story changed me. I don't think another story will be able to impact me as that one did. It comforted me yet made me face the harsh truths that had never even occurred to me to be truths.

I honestly think Clay & Vinyl embodied what bts strives so hard to do.

And after that, I kept consuming stories that didn't just only tell a story. I read stories that implemented society's problems into the plot, I read stories that had the reader want to strive to be better, I read stories that have a theme or an underlying moral to them.

And that's what I hope I have done for this story.

My lovelies, did I succeed in this? Did this story teach you anything? Will this story stick with you?

If you hated this story, that's fine.

 If you loved this story, that's wonderful!

But my purpose in writing is that so someone out there who needs it will find it. My purpose is that this story will hopefully be a lighthouse to those trapped in the dark.

If at any moment in this story--any chapter of this book or any paragraph, sentence, or word made you smile or made you shed tears or reduce your pain even 0.01% less, then I have achieved my goal.

I wrote this story for you, dear reader.

Yes, parts will be dedicated to certain people, but this story will all its faults and brilliance will always and forever be dedicated to you, the reader.

My name isn't Minami and most likely, neither is yours. But at one point or another, we are all Minami who struggled to find a purpose and a dream. We will hopefully become a Hobi to someone like that.

I cannot thank you enough for making it this far.

Truly, I love you all more than the word love can ever hold.

And I purple you to the point of white. 

Love,

Shimorimiyori