Finest Jin

Big Event Pt.1

We rode in a nervous silence to the Awards Show, Jin holding my hand, Jimin holding Chers'. When the carpet came into view, Namjoon was the first out, and he held out a hand to help each member in turn. SeokJin led me from the vehicle, blinking in the blinding flashes of camera lights. My instinct was to shrink to the back and let the group pose but Jin held my hand firmly and pulled me along with him. He had always shirked public demands and was showing no qualms about us now. Jimin also had no such concerns, proudly proffering his arm and beaming with my daughter clutching his elbow. Cher dropped her head, trying to maneuver the red carpet with her eyes on the floor, but Jimin hooked a finger under her chin and lifted it. He needed her to be as proud of him as he was of her. When we reached the big backdrop, Cher and I held back to let the 7 boys pose together. The clicks were deafening.

"And Noona!" grinned V, and we were added to the line, smiling through another round of flashes. Once that was completed, Jin insisted on shots of us two only, and then with Jimin and Cher, then only those two. By the time we headed into the building, my retinas were flashing white spots. 

Seating arrangements had not considered dates. In Western celebrity, many stars were expected to always have a "plus 1" but Korean idols were to maintain the facade of availability. Even Taeyang and other married celebrities, often attended these high-profile events singly. A bench seat barely accommodating the seven Bangtan Boys was a few rows back from the stage and off to the side by the stairs. There was simply no room for Cher or I. When the usher was at a loss, they brought out a supervisor to discuss the matter. 

"The ladies can be seated over there, he gestured to a bench about 4 rows back. Will that be sufficient?" 

Jin considered, his handsome face straight and sharp.

"Sure. I will go sit there with my fiancé."

Jimin spoke up.

"I will, too."

SeokJin promptly led us over to the new seat and we were joined by Cher and Jimin. When Hoseok looked around for his brothers, he saw where we were. He patted Suga next to him, and we could see them talking and looking back at us. Before we knew it, all 5 men stood and joined us, tucking in down the line. I was by the stairs, then Jin, then Cher, Jimin, Hoseok and Suga. The others managed to negotiate the row behind us and the girl group Itzy relinquished their seats, gladly vacating in exchange for BTS' closer seats. The usher and manager looked on dejectedly. All their careful planning had gone right out the window, but everyone was seated now. The supervisor threw up his hands and strode away.

"You just do what you want, don't you?" I chided Jin. His dark eyes looked cheeky. 

"Of course. We've earned it."

Jimin grinned at that. I knew that he would never have had the guts to make a confrontation like that, but Jin had a way of doing so in which no one could be offended. He was classy but firm. 

"I am going to go to the washrooms, if that is okay. Cher?" She nodded, standing up. We slipped out past the people on the stairs, Hoseok joining us. 

"It's this way." He waved us to follow him and we did, looping through a vast parade of elegantly dressed celebrities. At the wide hallway, the line up for the ladies' room crawled back into the corridor. We got in queue. Hoseok left to the mens' room across the hall. They, of course, had no line-up. 

"Some people just never learn." An oily voice hit my ears. I spun, to come face to face with the poisonous, but beautiful, eyes of Miss Diva herself. She was in an ivory dress, her breasts pushed up to full prominence, on the verge of spilling out of her sparkly bodice. The gown was fitted, trailing behind her in a little puddle. It was so tight that it would have been hard to walk in if not for the slit that went up high enough that I could see the darkening at the top of her pantyhose. She was divinely beautiful and yet horrifically vicious. "Are you here with Hoseok now? Or Minho? Or Jin? I can't keep track of you, girl, and I thought I was good."