Convergent Love

Chapter 1: Nervous

Beep, beep, beep! My alarm went off at 4:30am. I couldn't believe I had to wake up that early on a Saturday morning; I usually slept in until at least 9:00am. Saturdays were "me" days to just relax and not worry about school, work or anyone else. I treasured Saturdays! I laid in bed, cozy under the blankets for a few minutes, then finally convinced myself to get up. The room was still a bit dark with a small stream of light coming from the moon, and it was a little chilly. I definitely needed a cup of hot chai tea.

I walked over to my roommate's bedroom to see if she was up. She was not a morning person, but I had begged her to come with me on this hike for support and mainly to help calm my nerves.

"Malia, are you awake?" I asked, shaking her shoulder.

"Umm, go away," she complained.

"Come on, you promised you would go with me today. I need you!"

"It's too early. I need five more minutes, please."

"All right, I'm going to make hot water for coffee and I expect you to be in the kitchen in five minutes."

Malia and I had been college roommates since freshman year. We were both born and raised in Hawaii, but went to different high schools. We clicked from the first moment we met and had been pretty much inseparable since. As seniors, Malia and I were able to move into a two-bedroom apartment in student housing - so much nicer than being crammed into a small studio unit.

I dragged myself to the kitchen to heat some water and tried to decide what to eat for a quick breakfast. I was too lazy and anxious to make anything fancy, so I settled on a hot cup of chai and a couple of toast slices with butter and honey.

Malia finally stumbled into the kitchen with her eyes half-closed and hair a mess as I started to make coffee. "Remind me why again we're up at 4:30am to go hiking?"

"Hoseok is introducing me to his parents and brother, and they wanted to see the sunrise from Diamond Head," I reminded her.

"Ugh, that's quite a hike. Don't be surprised if I ask you to carry me half the way up," she whined. "Is his brother cute?"

"I've only seen pictures and yes, he's very cute," I said, smiling.

"Okay, then this may be worth getting up so early," she said as she headed to the bathroom.

My thoughts drifted to the day's events. I was meeting my boyfriend's family in person for the first time. I'd been with Hoseok for nearly six months and had only talked with his parents via video calls. They seemed very nice and welcoming. Still, there was that uneasy pressure of having to make a good impression. Hoseok's older brother Yoongi would be there as well. I'd only seen photos of him. Hoseok and Yoongi had similar looks - dark raven hair, beautiful almond-shaped eyes, a strong jaw line and a warm smile. The main differences were their height and Hoseok's cute dimples.

Yoongi was a production manager for a large music label. From what I was told, he worked long hours and had a very social and crazy lifestyle working with various music artists. He got us concert tickets to see Bruno Mars the past month. As far as I knew, Yoongi had no significant other because he enjoyed being single and having options. Still, there was something different and mysterious about him. I felt a strange sense of familiarity when I looked at his eyes in photos. I didn't know what it meant; maybe I'd figure it out after meeting him.

My phone rang, and I saw that it was Hoseok. "Hey, Sunshine! Just checking to see if you're up and almost ready to meet us." He sounded way too cheerful for that early in the morning. But I loved it when Hoseok called me Sunshine. It made my heart melt every time.

"Yeah, Malia and I just finished eating and are getting ready. We'll be leaving in about 15 minutes. I'm a bit nervous though. What if they don't like me, especially since I'm not Korean?"

"Don't be nervous. It'll be fine. They are going to love you as much as I do!" he confirmed.

"Okay, love you and see you soon."

From the bathroom, I heard Malia call out, "I love you too, and you owe me bigtime for this!"

"Yeah, yeah I know. Love you, my sweet, kind and supportive friend!"

After breakfast, I hurried to get ready. We had to be at the park by 5:30am to hike to the top of Diamond Head in time for the sunrise. Hoseok's parents were avid hikers and insisted on that hike since it was their first visit to the islands. I'd lived here all my life and was embarrassed to say I'd never done it. I hoped I wouldn't get too tired and could make it to the top for what promised to be a beautiful sunrise. 

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A/N ~ This was a short introductory chapter. Please take the time to get to know the characters in the next couple of chapters as all the fun, romance and unexpected twists unfold. Also, please give it a "STAR" vote at the bottom left if you enjoyed the chapters. Thank you!