Finding Zen (With BTS' JIMIN)

4. Ordinary? Not For Long.

HER

Zen stood at the counter. She's quiet and overthinks way too much for her own good as she scans her surroundings and tells herself to calm down because it was just another normal day at an airport.

She had suddenly had to present at an international conference and they even flew her over in business class.

She stood at the posh counter towards the end - one, because it was furthest from the crowds and second, the que was shorter. She kept looking around, light luggage pressed to her legs as she fiddled with her sleeves and the straps of her backpack.

The noise in her head from her thoughts were cleanly sliced through as soon as screams erupted. Not the blood curdling kinda panic stricken ones, but the starstruck one.

The staff and a few regulars seemed pretty unfazed but not Zen, she began racking the celebrity lists in her head as her gazed snapped to the direction of the shrieks, but she did not expect it.

Her eyes widen, the grip on her luggage loosens ever so slightly before her grip tightens past painful, whitening her knuckles. She didn't want to be around a crowd. She felt like a mess and these were the number ones in the surroundings. The ones who's fans announce their arrival to over a mile in radius. She wanted to go into her business class waiting area. Away from people. Away from a possibility of being the mess she was in front of her most respected celebrities - among whom she happened to have found someone really similar to her. He sure didn't know her, but her knowledge of him was disproportionate even amongst his teammates.

She was quaking internally and she desperately hoped it wasn't showing as she fidgeted with her stuff - passport, tickets, boarding pass, bag straps and handles, her sleeves, the hem of her cardigan and her hair.

It wasn't a long walk and there were five - now one more person left, leaving four more people ahead of her. She turned to see a sea of people ram into them left and right.

She felt her chest tighten and her breath shorten. That would've scared her to death. Being scared of attention by screaming dhe would've just kept quiet, but they kept bowing and it didn't look odd and forced. They had masks and shades on and that was better for them. Especially with people probably trying to get a momentary contact with them.

The doors gave up too and some staff stepped in to keep it open since they were takimg quite a while just to get to the guard at the door.

Zen stared, secretly wishing them well and also hoping she would be gone soon. She wished her paths wouldn't cross since she was unsure if her persona would kick in in time to greet and walk past or she would just end up making her look like a bigger mess.

She looked away once security managed to get only the boys and their staff in. The people outside literally clambered over one another to watch them through the glass walls.

The lady ahead sighed and Zen hummed a little as she commented on the scene "They aren't this crazy for the others... I know who they are, but this much is... cringe and eerie all at once..."
She flashed her a smile "you seem polite... and mannered." Zen shyly smiled back. She had pushed her mask down to her chin and she felt the colour and heat over her face and ears. The woman smiled "Have a safe trip. My daughters I'm visiting are about your age... early tewnties.." Zen again justs smiled for a moment before softly speaking "Thank you, you too, I believe they are nice people like you too."

Mentally relieved at the fact that her persona snapped on in time,she did a slight bow to the lady as had become a habit of hers.

The queue had drained and she was up after the lady who had introduced herself as Bailey and denied her attempt at adding an honourific, but little did she know that she was right by the VIP counter and they walked up there behind their staff.

She was shaking internally, but since she was facing their way she decided that it was best she smile and bow. Her Korean kicked in as well as she gave them a simple "Hello, Annyeonghaseyo" before turning straight slowly hoping they'd not see her awkwardness inside.

They smiled, some waved some said the words back. It felt normal instantly. Except for that aura they seemed to have. Even the staff were polite, but they had turned off the regular route by the time Zen stepped up and without messing up managed to check her seating up and chuck her suitcase into the cargo. The moment she had passed all the check points and was looking for her lounge area, she slowed, thoughts collecting as soon as the persona diminished. She didn't even resist it much and as long as it didn't interfere with her path to the lounge, she wasn't that concerned.

Did those fans look jealous... why am I the enemy when I just politely gave them space to breathe after that ordeal...

Also... did I manage to look at all of them polite?! Did I end up staring... did I make a mess... did I give a longer glance than the others?!

Uh oh...

Him...

It sent a slight shiver. I had actually corssed paths with him at the most possible yet unexpected places... I knew I had to sit and so I hurried into the lounge since it seemed like the right one.

The posh space was empty and Zen wondered how much the committee had spent to help her broke ass travel like this.

She wasn't calming down and to do just that and also take a stroll around she walked to the bathroom which was a huge marbled unisex bathroom.

'Wise decision since there's not going to be many people', she noted.

Staring about like a tourist at a palace for a moment longer than she intended, she heard the lock turn in a stall. Immediately turning on her heels she opened the tap almost shrieking as the cold water made contact with her skin and slowly adjusting the temperature.

She was shaking already and now the reflection of the person who was shutting the door behind himself. All she could see was their back that had been turned to the mirror, but that alone was enough to send shivers all over to the point that she felt that even if she amped up the heating on the tap it wouldn't scald her.