PART 1

After 13 hours flight with one stop midway, jet lag and my aching from sitting all the time. I am finally happy to be on firm ground. While I try not to express my happiness by directly laying down on the floor that leads to airport hall, I roll my trolley behind me while I follow the rest of the passengers. Nanami said she will be waiting at my terminal so the uneasy feeling of getting totally lost vanishes...until I arrive at the exit. Except some people that are all above my and Nanami's age no one seems to wait for me and no one looks like Nanami. I pull out my phone and turn it on to check her picture again. “There is no way I would not be able to recognise her.” I sigh and look around when a strange middle aged man notices my kind of lost expression and starts to grin at me. I try to keep my poker-face and lower my head as I try to walk away from the middle of the exit to not stand out so much. Nanami, please come find me. While I make sure that the strange man stops staring at me, I figure out that I still need the rest of my luggage and look around trying to get used to the signs that explain the directions. After figuring out the English descriptions underneath the Japanese, I want to follow them when I hear fast footsteps coming from behind. I just want to turn around when I suddenly get hugged by something grey with lots of hair. I stumble back and try to balance the sudden weight against me when a familiar face looks at me and talks in an overly exciting voice. “DASHA-chan! Gomen (sorry) I totally took the wrong gate but I noticed it too late, I rushed here and everything. I even had one of those 'Welcome to Osaka' signs but...but now...now I couldn't even show it to you.” She suddenly let go of me and starts to pout and whine while she holds on to my hands. I can't help but chuckle when I finally see her in person. She wears an oversized sweatshirt, skinny ripped jeans and her long dark waves softly caress her face. I start grinning and reach out my hands to hug her. “Thank you for coming to pick me up.” She sighs and hugs me back before she let go and lifts the sign. “Nice to meet you.” I chuckle and nod my head while I bow politely. “I am in your care. Thank you for having me.” As I lift my hand I see Nanami glare at me almost cutely but sceptical. “Dasha-chan, you are way tooooooooo polite. I may be Japanese but stop behaving as if I am my grandmother.” She sighs and grabs my luggage and presses the sign in my hands, then links my arm with hers and pulls on me to start walking. “Is that all of your luggage?” I shake my head and as if we known each other for years I start to feel more comfortable. “I have another bag to pick up.” Nanami, nods and smiles at me when she suddenly looks worried as she guides me through the airport. “Did you sleep on the flight here? How is your jet lag? You look tired.” I turn to here and sigh. “I couldn't really sleep on the flight, and I am bit tired but seeing you woke me up.” Nanami laughs and snuggles here head teasingly on my shoulder. “Yush! I figured that out, that's why when we come home a hot bath is already waiting for you.” She grins and leans her head a bit to the side. “After that you will feel all relaxed.” I remember her talking about her parents running a bathhouse but I never was at such a place so I am kind of curious and excited to go.

While we walk to get my other luggage we chat about my flight and just random things. As we arrive at the baggage claim my bag is the only one left on the line. I go and grab it and turn to her. “Alright, that's it. You said your brother drove you here? Is he waiting somewhere?” Nanami nods but rolls her eyes. “Niichan, almost forced me to let him drive me to the airport to pick you up...I guess he is more excited to meet you than me.” I chuckle but act pouty. “Does this mean you are not excited to see me? Guess the girl that suddenly hugged me a few minutes ago all excited got lost on the way here. I actually wanted her to stay a bit longer.” Nanami frowns and grabs my trolley again. “Hump...” She turns her back to me when she suddenly turns back at me and blushes. “I am honestly a billion times more excited that you are really here than anybody.” I look at her and my chest feels warm and cozy. “Nanami, I am really glad I am here too.” I pat her shoulder and she smiles at me immediately. I may be mistaken but I think I could even see here eyes get a bit teary. Nanami smiles then shakes her hair out of her face and takes a deep sigh. “Well then should we head home?” My head nods and my lips build another smile. “Hai! (yes)”

After we met her brother at the parking lot and she introduced me to a him, who kind of got so shy and embarrassed to see me that I kind of started to worry if he would be alright to drive, but luckily we arrived safe and sound at their home. Nanami told me to get out because her brother has to park the car. As I step out I look at her home. It looks really huge and as for my surprise, it is really new and modern. I expected some kind of traditional home, the one you see in movies or manga's. Nanami notices my amazement and chuckles next to me. “What? Does my home look so fascinating?” Without noticing I nod my head and sigh at the same time. “I didn't know that you are rich.” Nanami sighs and acts superior with a grin on her face. “Wait until you meet my butler and our housekeepers.” My eyes open wide when she starts to talk about that and the cozy feeling from before turns into an uneasy feeling. Butler? Housekeeper? She never told me about that before. As I try to look not too surprised she steps on the first door steps and turns to me while she points her hand next to me. “See our butler is just coming, with your luggage.” I stare at her and suddenly I feel like I have to make a good impression, when I turn to the side and see her brother looking at Nanami with an annoyed expression. He says something in Japanese but I don't really understand it, but from the sound of it, it seems that that he kind of scolds her, but when Nanami starts to chuckle and walk next to me to pull on my arm, I notice that she was just fooling around. “That was all made up, am I right?” Nanami chuckles and nods her head. “Hai! Gomen, Dasha-chan.” I sighs but can't help to feel relieved.

Her brother follows us and when I turn to him and look at him, he immediately lowers his face and starts to blush. Guess he must be quiet impressed by me, what is kind of cute but makes me wonder how much Nanami talked about me with him. But as soon as I met her parents, I got to know how much she talked to me. They greet me warmly then say something in Japanese to Nanami which makes Nanami reach for my hand and guide me further into her house. “My mum asked me to show you your room and the bath, so you could refresh yourself before we eat dinner. Oh and don't be surprised when she keeps asking you about your art.” I look at her and frown. “My art?” Nanami gets shy and scratches her head. “Well...you see I kind of showed them your works and my parents got really impressed by your skills, so I suppose they will talk about your art as soon as we are on the table. I whine and grab Nanami's hand tighter. “Nanami~ Wae? This is embarrassing.” Nanami stops in front of a door and grins at me then claps her hands together and bows her head faintly. “Gomenasai (polite way to say sorry in Japanese)” She lifts her head and opens the door. “That is our guest room with an extra bathroom. My mother already let the water in the tube for you. Just feel yourself at home.” She smiles as I turn my head to the room. One wall of the room is a huge window, with view on the city. My luggage is already in my room, that means that her brother must brought it in when I was meeting their parents. Everything looks new and modern and if I can't get even more amazed, I hear a high mechanic noise from behind me. I turn to Nanami when I see her fixing something on a small remote control. “This is the AC and heater if you are too cold. When you click the grey button with the small square, then the TV turns on. The zapper is on the shelf. Well as for this I guess that should be enough for now. I leave you alone now to get ready and feel at home. If there is anything just ask.” She smiles at and is just about to leave when she stops and walks to the shelf and picks up a phone. Nanami walks back to me and hands it to me. “We have Wifi and all for your own phone but, since we will go to the concert tomorrow and won't be home so much when I show your around the city, once my parents left for their own vacation, I thought of staying in contact just in case wouldn't be bad. It is my old phone, I switched it form Japanese language already to English. You can use it as you like don't hold back.” I hold on to the phone then look at her and smile when Nanami continues. “My number is already saved inside.” I sigh and interrupt her with hugging her. “Thank you, Nanami. I am glad I came here. Thank you for inviting me over to your crazy and fancy house.” Nanami laughs and hugs me back then let go and steps outside. “Etto (well, let me see), then until later, my room is just next door, if you need anything.” She winks at me and shows me her tongue then leaves and shuts the door behind her. Trying to let all this sink in I flop on the bed and sigh. This is really amazing. I am staying here for free but it is the same as if I am staying at a Grand hotel. How can Nanami be so kind. Rolling on the other side and pulling on the super soft pillow I shut my eyes for a moment and feel once again really grateful that she invited me. As I am really tired I almost fall asleep, but just when I am about to doze of, I jump up and shake my head. I get up and walk to my trolley and put out my stuff then walk to the bathroom to get in the tube. When I open the door to the bathroom I sigh almost as if I already expected that. Just as the rest of the house the bathroom is just as fancy. After taking off my clothes and washing my body quick with the shower, I get in the bath. My body relaxes immediately when the warm water wraps around my skin and my muscles that felt all stiff from the flight start to relax too.

Once my body recharged after resting in the bath and before I get too dizzy from the heat, I get up and dry myself and get changed. When I leave my room I already smell the food in the hallway. I look to the door next to me and knock on it. “Nanami?” Just a few seconds later she opens the door her hair wrapped up in a towel as well. “Did you finish? Do you feel better?” I nod my head. “Yes, thank you.” Nanami steps aside and get into her room that is covered with iKON posters and fan items. Looking at her room my eyes stop at the wall next to her desk. This? This...”Nanami? You have every art I ever published of iKON printed out.” Nanami smiles and nods her head. “You are my most favourite artist...I can't help it. Come on...I am hungry.” I sigh and look at her. “You seriously like my art a lot.” Nanami grins at me and nods but smirks. “But not as much as I love Chanwoo-kun.” I chuckle and sigh. Nanamis obsession about Chanwoo really is no joke. She adores him from all seven the most. But I guess I am the same. I don't even want to think about what I would do when I meet Bobby and Hanbin in person. I probably faint right away. The thought alone makes me feel dizzy. Thinking about being able to see them live thanks to Nanami wanting me to visit her makes feel really lucky and happy.

The dinner with her parents indeed went by as Nanami predicted. Her mother asked me about my art as soon as we were finished with the meal and Nanamis father asked me about if I want to make my art become my job to earn a living. Getting asked all those questions got me feeling kind of nervous but seeing Nanamis face, looking at me with an almost apologetic expression made me bear the questions. At one point Nanami managed to rescue me from more questions and we went back to my room. Before going to bed we chatted for two more hours about what we will wear tomorrow and how we both are too excited to sleep. Nanami excitedly showed me all her notes of places in Osaka she wants to show me and the shops she wants us to go shopping to. While we chat no one of us actually feels tired but once we decided to watch old interviews and shows of iKON, we kind of both dozed off.

The next day thanks to Nanami's setting an alarm on her phone we got up in time. After deciding on a total different outfit as we discussed yesterday - typically girls – we got ready in time. Since it was raining, I decided to wear black skinny leg jeans, a white long sleeve shirt and my dark blue bomber jacket, I bought for the trip, and my adidas sneakers. Nanami, decided also on a pair of simple blue jeans, a checked shirt, totally double B style and a cardigan with her white Converse. As I look at her while we stay in the entrance hall and put our shoes on, I can't help but think that that outfit kind of reminds me of the one iKON sings about in 'My type' and I grin at her.

Nanami's brother, Yu volunteered to drive us to the concert venue again and to pick us up afterwards, since their parents left for their vacation much earlier today. Totally ready for the concert with our self-made fan signs, the portable chargers for our phones and our brand new konbats, we head to the concert.

As we see the queue of fans waiting already at the concert entrance, we just then realise that we really will see iKON live! My stomach feels like flipping up side down from the growing excitement and my throat feels dry. I turn to Nanami and grab her hand. “Nanami, please hit me, pick me or anything. Because I can't believe that I am about to see iKON live. Look how my hands are shaking. Look, look!” I lift my hand that trembles as if I am freezing and Nanami laughs and grins to me. “It's okay, Dasha-chan. This is not a dream. We will see iKON live. I am shaking too.” We scream in high pitch voices, probablly creeping Nanami's brother out but I couldn't care less right now, because nothing, really nothing could change my good mood.

Two hours pass by when we finally enter the venue and our 'seats'. As I see the stage right in front of me and the konfire filling the whole hall with the most beautiful red light, I have ever seen, my heart stops for a second before everyone gets quiet and the show begins. I look at Nanami and in sync with everyone else we scream “iKON!!!!!” then start to sing along with iKON to each song. When they are in front of us again during the encore, we lift our banners as high as possible and scream to our hearts content, especially when they stop their performance to do the PPAP dance version. Not caring if I will lose my voice I scream when Bobby stands in front of me and smiles at the crowd. I try to show him to give me a merchandise or something, but he seems that he has nothing left looks shy. I hear Nanami scream 'Oppa' so loud next to me but my eyes are fixed on Bobby and nothing else. My knees start to feel weak and my pulse races as I lift my hands trying to reach out to him, when he turns around and runs back to Hanbin and Yunhyeong. I sigh but when Nanami pulls excited on my arm and points at Chanwoo in front of us, I grin and turn to Chanwoo and reach out to him when he touches our hands. Nanami and I scream and jump so much that I can see the security guard look at us with a faint glare and we make sure to stop jumping as excited as we did. The concert ends and as iKON leaves the stage after saying thank you to us, we slowly but with a feeling as if we are in a dream come back to reality. Not that this was not real, but it is still hard to believe that this actually happened. Nanami and I leave together with all the others iKONICS while we can't stop chatting from the excitement about how awesome this concert was. Hanbins cute and short hair peeking outside from his beanie and Chanwoo touching our hands is the main topic while we come outside the hall. Yu waits for us at the place we agreed to earlier and waits there with another boy. The boy looks at Nanami and sighs when he sees her and walks to her. He takes off her jacket and puts it on her shoulders, while he says something in Japanese. I don't really understand except him calling her 'baka' (idiot) but look at her kind of tenderly. I smirk faintly as I notice Nanami suddenly turning red and walk next to Yu. I lean to him and whisper. “Is it her boyfriend?” Yu turns to me and glares at me but sighs and shakes his head. “He just has a one-sided crush on my little sister.” I turn to Nanami and then back to Yu. So it is like this. I kind of feel envious for Nanami to have someone that is in love with her. Thinking about that makes me wonder if I will ever have a boyfriend. I mean, ignoring the fact that my love towards Bobby and Hanbin kind of raised the bar so high, that the criteria what a man has to have to make me fall for him, got really high. But thanks to that I can't help but pity the boy that is love with Nanami. I sigh as Yu offers me his umbrella when it increases to rain. I turn to him and nod my head slightly as I step closer. Yu seems suddenly shy as we walk to the car. I think he is kind of cute and enjoy this little gesture. On our way to their home Nanami and I keep on chatting about the concert while the boys on the front probably get slowly annoyed by us but we don't care.

The rest of the day until before we went to bed we keep on chatting about the concert and watch the clips we made during the show. Nanami now even more in love with Chanwoo than before, let her have this cute 'in love' kind of expression since then. We chat until our throats start to hurt so much that even the warm cup noodles won't help us. Since it is already late we decide to call it a day and go to bed, because we want to be fit again for our shopping trip tomorrow.

to be continued...