Chance encounters

Chapter 3

I feel my eyes become heavy as we reach a higher altitude but I just can't seem to sit still. My heart won't calm down and I am starting to sweat as if all the air the room went out. This was it. I was sitting next to my ultimate idol, Kim Seok Jin. I'm pretty sure at this point I'm still at home, sleeping and drifting off to dream land because things like this just don't happen in real life. They just don't. So I try to pinch myself on the arm just to make sure that I'm wide awake.

I tried to peek at him and there he is. He's there looking all perfect with his hair all tousled, his eyeglasses which are a little too big for his face, his lips full and curved up in a smile as he watch something on his laptop. He was listening and bouncing to the beat of whatever it is that's playing and he just looks calm and serene.

He probably noticed me staring at him a bit too long because he turned his head towards me, pulled off his airpods and smiled.

"Yes?" He said to me. He was asking me if I needed anything from him cause the way I was staring, Im basically wiping the drool off my mouth.

I closed my slightly gaping mouth and just managed to chuckle and shake my head.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to stare and be rude." I said apologetically. I do actually feel bad because I felt like all their lives as a member of a famous group they've been on the spotlight with all the attention that some, they don't even want. So I shook my head and tried to adjust in my seat to turn my face away from him. I was actually embarrassed to look at him. Here I am, a 23 year old professional who kept gushing over her teenage crush.

"It's okay. I'm used to it now" He said as he looked back to what he was doing. "So as I was saying earlier, do you like Rj?" He smirked at me as he looked at the blanket covering me.

"Oh." I laughed. "Yes actually. And you... I mean, BTS.. The group.. I mean you're my.. And Rj.. and.. uhh.."

I was stuttering and basically slapping myself mentally at this point. How could I not form any words right now? This is so bad. And I'm making a complete fool out of myself here.

"I'm sorry. It's just.. I'm really a fan during my teenage years. And I just can't believe I'm sitting next to you right now and it makes me nervous." I tried my best to say it all in one breath which makes it sound sillier than I expected it to be.

He turned off his iPad and put it in the compartment in front of him and turned to face me so he can look at me as he talked.

"I get that a lot. And I understand. I mean we've lived our entire lives in the spotlight so it's really nothing new to me now." He said. He was smiling but it didn't reach his eyes. I can see how time had been pretty rough on him living his life like this. Trying so hard to put on a front for everybody in his fandom.

"It must've been exhausting.." I offered him a smile.

"I'm guessing you're not Korean. Are you a tourist? Or are you planning on staying in Korea?" It's nice that he tried to start up a conversation with me, a completely random stranger who stutters at the sound of his voice.

"Yeah, you're right. Actually, I just accepted a new job offer in a dental clinic in Busan. I feel like Korea is going to be a new start for me and I just felt like grabbing the opportunity when it came knocking on my door, you know what I mean?"

Every time I talk about my dream, I feel like a ray of sunshine going through my chest. It feels surreal & exciting. I wanted to achieve these goals and when I talk about it, it just makes me feel giddy and optimistic that I could actually make it happen. So regardless of who I'm telling it to, I always make a point for them to acknowledge how serious I am in plotting out my future.

"I totally understand. And that's good. I think you did the right thing in trusting your gut with this. I do hope you excel more on that dream of yours. And do give me your calling card, in case i get a tooth ache lll know who to call." He joked around. I didn't really give much thought to it. I thought he was just being nice so I handed him one and he accepted it.

Dr. Vera Garcia
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

"Wow, you're so young and you already have this title next to your name." He said as he checked my details on the card.

"I worked my ass off for that so I'm pretty happy that it paid off. And I'm still under the mentorship of the surgery department so it's really just a title for now." I said. I can see that he's trying really hard to stay awake so he can entertain me so I took the initiative to tell him to get some rest cause he already look so tired.

"You look so tired and sleepy. I'm sorry if I bothered you. Please, get some rest and I'll try to stay still so you won't wake up." I said apologetically.

"No it's okay. It's fun to have a decent conversation with random people. For once, I actually felt like a normal person having a normal conversation with some random girl I met on a plane back home." He said as he was trying to hold back a yawn but it won over him and he tried to snuggle into his pillow. As he tried to find a comfortable spot he opened his eyes again.

"But I feel really tired right now too, sorry if I'm so sleepy. You're not boring, I swear." He said. I laughed at his remark as he dozed off. I settled again to my pillow, wrapped my Rj blanket around me and pray to God that this wasn't just some dream..