"I swear Hyerin, if this is just another one of your absurd schemes I'm partaking in, I'll never take you to Milky Bee again," I threatened, still being half dragged by my bubbly companion. Jeopardizing our once a month ice cream outing seemed like a serious threat, but maybe not to Rinny.

"Oh come on, is that the best you got? I thought you'd think of something a lot more creative with that calculating mind of yours. Maybe even threaten to move out? That's an ultimatum I could take seriously," she smirked, knowing I would never go to that extent.

"Don't tempt me," we both knew it was a pitiful lie.

"Julie, you'll love it! Trust me, this will be the most exciting night of your very uneventful life. Besides, I've been trying for months to get us these tickets-"

"-which I'm paying for," I interrupt, rolling my eyes.

"Right, cause I won our bet. Told you I could down more soju than you before passing out," she winked at me, "but anyways, live a little, why don't ya?" Hyerin flashed her infectious smile, looking ridiculous with her teeth bared and nostrils flaring so harshly.

Although we've been friends since med school, it only occured to me recently that many of the things she did were to make those close to her laugh. Especially when I least expected it, Hyerin would go the extra mile to brighten up my day. The girl never complained, always insisting that people were made to smile and live for their heart's desires. Her beliefs were both outrageously idealistic and endearing at the same time. Hyerin lived by principles of her own, even during med school when conformity was essential to getting out alive. She would henceforth refer to school life as "those dark times", although I'm sure she enjoyed nearly every moment of it. Always one to see the bright side of everything, her darkest of times were no exception.

The noise grew louder and louder as we approached the outdoor venue. Hundreds of people were already bustling near the entrance, inciting a cacophony much to my distress. The people formed a crowd (or mob) that blocked the entrance to the building labelled "CJ E&M". Not all excited, my mood grew even more sour when I realized that nearly everyone was a girl. A fangirl. A pack of squealing, not-so-intelligent looking pack of hormonal girls were gawking as they awaited to enter. And now Hyerin was forcing me to join them.

"You're kidding me," I muttered under my breath.

"I kid you not! We're going Julie~" Hyerin squealed, a noise I rarely ever hear from her. Rinny never liked to follow societal standards set for girls her age, but today seemed to be an exception. This new "fangirl" Hyerin was such a foreign concept, and one not completely welcomed. Then again, I couldn't blame her too much as nearly every girl waiting was under the same trance. The two syllable word "oppa" would forever be ingrained in my memory in a not-so-pleasant high pitched squeal.

"Julie, I cannot tell you how much I dreamed of today! Nearly every girl in Korea has grown up watching these music shows, and perhaps even attending them I've waited thirteen...no, fourteen years to stand in this line," Rinny smiled to herself, unable to control the grin spreading across her face, "appa promised I could attend as many as I desired once we finished residency."

For the average physician, Hyerin could have been into her late twenties or early thirties by then. Fortunately, she has not only connections but skills. Her father was the one who made it all happen. He'd manifested not only his daughter's dream, but also her bestfriend's in a timely manner before the primes of their youth. Nothing spoke volumes more about his dedication than his intense study sessions that often ended past the break of dawn. It was this way that Hyerin and I had become the youngest doctors to officially be employed in the Republic of Korea.

"Was this your motivation to study hard? You graduated from Korea's top knotch medical school just to attend a show?" Rinny flushed, immediately covering her cheeks.

"That wasn't my only reason...but what about you? What was your motivation?" she challenged.

I flipped my hair over one shoulder. "The answer is obvious. You know me too well Rinny,"

She scoffed, the fangirl moment phase passing momentarily. "Of course, how could I forget. My warm hearted roommate never does anything without receiving in return," she said in a joking voice. But deep inside both our hearts, we knew that she wasn't humoring herself, and certainly not me. To anyone else, the remark would've seemed like a taunt. But Rinny and I have both come to accept it as fact.

Suddenly an uproar catches our attention. Just when I thought the fangirls couldn't possibly grow any louder in volume, they surpass my expectations. The screams follow a wave pattern, deafening near the clusters closest to the outdoor cafeteria. Next to me, Hyerin's breathing hitches.

"Omo, it's him!"

"Oppa~ over here!!"

"What to do, what to do, I'm breathing the same air as Kim Taehyung,"

Who? I watch as the girls around me lose their minds over the supposed idol who'd emerged from the building. Hyerin's now grasping my arm so tightly I'm worried my circulation will be cut off beforewe make it to the concert hall.

"Julie," she said, full of determination, "I'm going to marry him one day."

Given the volume of bodies packed so densely into a tight space, I hadn't even been able to catch a glimpse of this 'Kim Taehyung'. But I roll my eyes anyways.

"Yeah, and I'm going to be the queen of England one day," Rinny gives me her best threatening stare, her eyes demanding that I stop ruining her fantasy.

"I mean it! We're destined to be together, as much as you're destined to marry some forty year old doctor at your clinic. Doctor Choi is still single, right?" she wonders out loud, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"We are NOT going over this again," I groan.

"Those dark circles age you at least eight more years, and the translucency of your skin made me mistaken you for a ghost before. I'm just saying, Julie, people would never guess that we're the same age. Remind me to doll you up when you finally decide to date," if there's anything I learned living with Hyerin for seven years, it's that no one disses you better than your best friend does.

"My eyebags aren't that noticable," I mumbled, self consciously patting the hollows circling my orbital bones. Unlike Hyerin, who I swear has a photographic memory, it took me hours longer to retain information. Needless to say, she was able to sleep much longer the day before exams during med school.

"Julie, I tell it to you as it is," she snapped, ending the discussion.

The desperate fangirls behind us pushed with all their strength to get closer to their idol. Whoever this Kim Taehyung is has earned my respect. Anyone with the power to bend hundreds, perhaps thousands of fangirls to his whim gained my admiration. At the same time, my annoyance rivaled this admiration. He'd caused the pack of girls to push and claw against one another in the most uncivillized manner I'd ever seen.

"Excuse me! I need to get through!" a girl, not much older than Rinny and I, shoved her way through. Her ripple in the chaos caused another fangirl to elbow me in the stomach, much to my horror. The area she happened to strike was already tender from last week's incident, one of spontaneous bleeding. If you asked me how it happened, I would look you in the eye and tell you I don't know. Hemophiliacs dealed with impulsive bleeding episodes all the time, even unwarranted ones.

"Omo! I'm so sorry! Aish, who does she think she is?" the perpetrator quickly apologized, but just as quickly forgot about it and moved on. Desperation seems to make people forget basic manners as well.

"Julie! Are you alright?! Oh no, I'm so sorry, I never anticipated the situation to get this chaotic. Has it worsened the bruise?" Hyerin panicked, lifting the hem of my shirt to reveal a massive patch of purple-blue flesh. The swelling elevated the patch of skin above the surface, creating a hematoma. When Hyerin first heard that I'm a hemophiliac, she'd always paid extra attention to my surroundings. If anything served as a potential threat to my health, she'd always made sure to get me somewhere safe. That is just the kind of person she is. So I couldn't blame her too much for letting this happen. The regret that instantly seized her face reminded me of why we are best friends. 

"It's alright, Rinny. I have some spare factor concentrate in my bag, but we need to get out of here," I said, already feeling dizzy from the internal bleeding.

"Of course. Let's get you somewhere to rest," Hyerin held my arm protectively before charging her way throught the masses. Her ferocity was not unlike the previous girl pushing through, only Rinny had a much more pressing matter to attend to. Now on full mom mode, Hyerin barked melodramatic statements regarding my condition while simultaneously apologizing in her I'm-not-sorry-at-all voice. If the hematoma didn't so much like a knife stabbing into my gut, I'd probably be laughing.

"Ma'am, if you're trying to sneak in before the show begins, I'm afraid someone has already played that card today-"

Out of pure desperation, Hyerin lifted my shirt. Only moments later, the hematoma had developed into a bloody maroon, spready halfway across my abdomen. If I wasn't a surgeon or hemophiliac, the sight surely would have made me pass out. Hyerin's dramatic demonstration garnered the attention of nearby fangirls, many of whom gasped at the gruesome display.

"Let her in! It might cost you your job if she drops dead because of your petty paranoia!" one of the girls yelled at the security guard. One look at my stomach instantly changed his expression from doubt to alarm. He quickly ushered us inside before any of the other girls could follow.

"The nurse is across the cafeteria, the second door on your left. I would come with you, but we don't have extra security guards to fill me in. I trust that you'll fix your friend up before sneaking around the idols' rooms backstage," the guard said to Hyerin, giving her a pointed look, "please don't intrude on anyone's privacy. It's only my second week on the job and I don't want to be held responsible for letting a pair of troublemakers in early."

"Will do," Hyerin gave him a quick thumbs up. We were in. 

Whatever I was expecting, it certainly wasn't this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's note:

First chapter is up!! Again, kinda slow beginning, but it's just the setup. Please support Julie in her new fic!!