She's an American songwriter living in South Korea. He's one of the biggest idols on Earth. When they meet, sparks fly - but can they overcome past traumas, and find a happy ending?
A Kim Taehyung fanfic.
[Note: I like narrative, so there is a lot of that in this story. If you're here for the smut, I recommend chapters 16-24, 27, 35, 44, 45, 55, 58-60, 62, 67, 75, 78, 80 and 88. There's some steam in the Epilogue, too.]
The phone ringer startles me out of a mindless daydream. "Yeoboseyo?"
"Yeoboseyo," a man's brisk voice responds, "This is Park Chan-yeol with BigHit Music, part of the Hybe Company." I blink a few times, and then look down at the Seoul phone number on my mobile. Is this really happening?
"Yes, Mr. Park. How can I help you?" I reply.
"I have a note here that you have been flagged as a potential new team-member candidate for songwriting and composing. Would you have time to interview next Tuesday at 2:30 pm?"
"Uh, interview... in Seoul?" I say, trying not to let my voice squeak from the shock.
"Yes, that's correct. At the Hybe Building in Gangnam-gu." My mind races. I have two classes to teach that afternoon, but I could probably convince Amanda or Kyunghee to cover for me.
"Yes, I can be there. What should I prepare?"
"Please prepare your resume with photographs and bring your passport with your valid E-2 visa."
"OK, and should I bring any songs? Lyrics? Demos?"
"No, that will not be necessary. We received your work samples with your application."
I confirm the time and place, thank him, and hang up.
I have a good job teaching conversational English at the university in Pohang, but after four years, I need a change. It's hard to teach pronunciation through a face-mask. I teach only 18 hours of classes per week; before the pandemic, I really enjoyed all the free time. There were so many opportunities to go to concerts, restaurants, and bars, take weekend trips around Korea, visit museums... but all of those venues are closed or running with severe restrictions now. I'm just about to lose my mind with boredom.
Honestly, the only things that have kept me sane the last few months, as covid precautions have dragged on and on, are listening to music and writing songs. I was a music major in undergrad and a musicology major in graduate school. I had always loved to play, sing, and write, but music-making ended up on the back burner for the first couple of years that I was working in Korea.
These days, though, singing and songwriting once again are a big part of my life. My guitar and keyboard are permanent features in the living room, instead of being tucked into a closet most of the time. Some of my students have also introduced me to the world of Korean popular music, and there is one group that I have fallen head over heels for: Bangtan Sonyeondan.
BTS's music soothes my soul, and their shows like "Run BTS" and "In the Soop" ease my loneliness as I sit alone in my small apartment night after night. I feel so inspired by them to make music, although my musical taste and style usually run more to RnB or indie rock. I can't rap to save my life, in any language...
In my boredom and ennui, I even recorded a demo tape and sent that with some song lyrics to BigHit a few months ago. Apparently, somebody there liked what they heard - at least enough to give me an interview.
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