In-ah’s POV

The drive to our lunch destination was a quiet one, and it’s not because we didn’t have the energy to keep up a conversation, but because the members were glued to their windows, awed by the scenery. It was adorable how they were behaving like kids—gawking with wondrous eyes as they spotted new things and greedily taking pictures as if they were collecting gold. Preoccupied as they were, it gave me a moment to breathe. I rolled my shoulders, trying to lessen the rigidity in them. Being too stiff might give off a bad vibe. I didn’t want to put a damper on their outing.

Jackson then tore his gaze from the window to smile at me. “Thanks again, for doing this for us, In-ah,” he said. “I’m glad you came along.”

“You’re welcome, Jackson,” I replied with a breathless but mirthful chuckle. Even now, I could hardly believe that I was currently hanging out with GOT7. There were thousands of fans out there who would kill to be in my shoes. “Besides, this is a win-win situation for me, too, if you think about it. I have a break from work and get to spend time with you guys. I kid you not when I say there are no such things as good days anymore.” As I said this, our destination was in sight. I pulled the car into the lot and parked.

“Well, here we are, everyone! Hope you like tacos! Let’s hurry ‘cause there’s typically a line.” Based on their shows and interviews, GOT7 were major foodies. Tacos seemed like a safe bet, since you could customize them, especially at this place, which provided a variety of styles and flavors.

“Noona, how do you say the name?” Young-jae asked, pointing at the sign.

“Vel-vet Ta-cos. Velvet Tacos.” I was a little worried that my pronunciation was too fast or too indistinct. He was a beginner at English, and I had no experience in teaching languages.

“Don’t worry, In-ah, I got this.” Bless him—Mark took over the reins, patient and comprehensive as he practiced with Young-jae.

While we waited in line, I listed my recommendations to them. This local taco joint was well-known for their combinations. My regulars here were the Nashville Hot Tofu Taco and the Spicy Shrimp Taco. If you guessed that I liked spicy stuff, then you were right on the dot. As a group, we put our heads together to prepare our order. The members agreed that they wanted the same thing as me, which I found a little odd. Well, except for Jackson, who wanted the Buffalo Chicken Taco. Then I remembered that he wasn’t fond of seafood.

“Order number 151 for In-ah!” hollered the waitress. We went up to the counter to grab our food and then made way to the patio area. Since the restaurant was popular, the crowds were big on weekend afternoons, so it was better for us to split from the masses. Besides, the weather outside was wonderful. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy the nice blue sky and fresh breeze while eating? I stalled a bit as I rearranged my food, curious as to what GOT7’s reactions might be when they took their first bite.

“Wow, this is so good!” Jae-beom exclaimed, grinning. “I didn’t know tofu could taste this awesome!”

“I love how spicy it is!” BamBam complimented, taking another enthusiastic bite of his shrimp taco.

We all chowed down, too hungry and delighted to talk when yummy food was present. Being big eaters, the boys decided to get more. I politely declined when Yu-gyeom asked if I wanted another taco.

He turned to Jackson and asked, “What about you, hyung?”

“I’m good, buddy,” Jackson said, waving a hand. “You know I’m trying to keep up with my diet.”

Yu-gyeom shrugged and left with the others.

Which meant that I was alone.

With Jackson.

Me and Jackson. Alone.

One plus one equals two, but it was only now that it suddenly dawned on me how two could be such an awkward number. Like, hello, I was sitting with my favorite GOT7 member, and my brain thought it was the perfect moment to be short-circuiting. What do I say? What do I do? I had no help to turn to.

Just when I was about to stammer out something to break the silence, Jackson beat me to it.

“Thanks for bringing us here, In-ah,” he said warmly. He inclined his head towards his groupmates who were eagerly awaiting their turn to order. “Guess you could say it was a big hit for us. We’ve never had anything like it back in Korea.”

I humbly rambled out a “You’re welcome” as I fiddled with a napkin.

“By the way,” he continued on, not bothered by my skittishness, “didn’t you say you did art? Do you have any pictures I could see?” He stared at me intently.

My stomach did somersaults when he mentioned that. So he really did remember that small detail from our phone call. “Um, y-yeah, sure. I…I have a few on my phone.” I fumbled to fish out my phone and unlock it. My face felt warm as I showed him some of the painted wine bottles and pencil sketches I’ve done over the years.

“Wow, did you do those?” Jin-young asked, appearing from behind Jackson to get a good look at the pictures, his haul of food cradled in his arms. “Hey, Jackson, let us see, too!”

I perked up, beaming. “Thank you! I’ve been drawing since I was six. It’s kind of my number one hobby.”

The boys were quick to finish their second round of food. We tidied up and then returned to the car.

“Where to next, In-ah-ssi?” Mark wondered as we fastened on our seatbelts.

“Since the weather is nice outside, I thought of showing all of you around Rice Village and Hermann Park.

It’s a great place to relax and enjoy. There’s also a Japanese garden nearby.” Relaxation and enjoyment.

Those were my top objectives for the boys. They deserved all the good stuff in life, and I was determined to give it to them.

The ride to the park was just fifteen minutes away. Once we arrived, the younger members rushed out of the car, too hyperactive to be contained, their arms outstretched and their voices free. It was impossible to hold in my laughter as I watched them goof around like crazy ducklings.

“They’re always like this,” Jin-young remarked brightly, a fond look in his eyes. “Their enthusiasm makes a nice counterbalance to us hyungs.”

Reaching the greener area, GOT7 started taking pictures and selfies. That was cool of them, however, I didn’t feel inclined to join, as I wasn’t much of a camera person. Not wanting to disturb their fun, I wandered across the small bridge to the Japanese garden, where I would relax until the members were ready to move on.

Right then, I saw a flash in the corner of my eye. A photo? Who could it be? Swiveling around, I spotted him…and my mouth fell open with shock.

Jackson Wang took of picture of me?! Hey, who gave him the right to! Aw, shucks, did he capture me with a weird expression? Was my posture sloppy? My clothes untidy? I was having a mini meltdown just worrying about it. Ahem, this was why I didn’t take pictures, folks.

Jackson noticed my deer-in-headlights look, which instantly made him a little uneasy, as if he belatedly realized that he might’ve done something wrong. “Oh, sorry. When you were admiring the garden, the frame looked nice, so I took a shot.” He smiled apologetically. “Is it okay? I can send you the photo, if you want. You look innocent, really.”

I rubbed my cheek, testing to see if I could move my stiff facial muscles. “That’s okay. Thank you, though. I would love a picture. It’s just that…I’m not much of a picture person,” I admitted. “Not my kind of thing.”

“Really? I’ll remember that, then.” Relieved that there wasn’t a misunderstanding, Jackson moved closer and then asked, seemingly out of the blue, “About your art…have you ever considered doing it professionally?”

I blinked, caught off guard. “Wow, you’re the first person to ask me that.” I cleared my throat, a part of me hyperaware that he was only a few steps away and entirely focused on me. Calm down, In-ah. We’re just having a casual conversation. “Well, yeah, I have wondered what it would be like to be a professional artist. But, unfortunately, in my family, we have very high expectations when it comes to career choices, and being an artist doesn’t make the cut. Instead, I discovered I could use my creativity elsewhere when I got introduced to science. Creativity is a key feature in research, after all.” Though there was a wistful look in my eyes, an untroubled smile formed on my lips. “I gained a love for research, where theoretically there are no restrictions to what we do in the lab. And not only that, I can be my own boss.”

Jackson seemed to share my sentiments. His rueful expression was reflective of mine. “Yeah, I understand where you’re coming from. Both of my parents are star athletes, so they held the expectation that I should follow in their footsteps. My father wanted me to take up fencing like him. But when I got to my teenage years, I realized that I love making music. It took me awhile to convince them to let me audition for JYP.”

By looks alone, GOT7 may seem like they have it all, the fame, the looks, and the money. On the contrary, off stage, they’re just normal human beings going through different ups and downs in life.

“Hyung! Noona!” called out Young-jae, beckoning at us. “There you are—we were searching for you two. Let’s go, the others want to go to a café for drinks.”

“Any good cafes nearby?” asked Jae-beom with a tired air to him. The boys probably needed some midday caffeine to reenergize.

I reassured all of them that there was this lovely coffeehouse called Agora we could go to. We hopped into the car and made our way there. The second we walked in, the boys gaped, amazed by the small and quaint interior. Jin-young commented how it would be the perfect place for chilling out with a cozy book or do some work in peace without being lonely. Jackson and I decided to order the drinks while the others found a table in the back.

Mark had an idea when Jackson and I showed up with the beverages. “Hey, In-ah-ssi, how about a quick game? Since you’re a big fan of ours, prove to us that you know our tastes.” He cocked a brow, giving me a challenging look.

Too bad it was a piece of cake for me. Mark shouldn’t underestimate my persistence in watching their reality shows, interviews, and lives.

“Well, here is a strawberry smoothie for Jae-beom, chocolate shakes for Yu-gyeom and Jackson, and iced coffee for Young-Jae, BamBam, Jin-Young and Mark. Did I get it right?” I raised a seriously, am I right brow at them.

The boys stared at each other blankly before bursting into laughter. I rolled my eyes, but I was inwardly relieved that I didn’t fail.

Jackson grinned, playful. “I’m curious, as a fan of ours, which one of us is your favorite?” Suddenly, all the members had their eyes locked on me, each one of them silently trying to give me nonverbal messages and cues to pick them as my favorite. My cheeks flared up, embarrassed for being put on the spot. Geez, why did it have to be this question of all things? Talking to another fan about your bias was one thing…but talking to your idol group was another. Don’t get me wrong, I adored GOT7 as a whole—it’s just I secretly like Jackson more.

I did my best to convey that. “Before I tell you the truth, I must remind you that I love you all because you’re amazing and talented and funny—”

“Get to the point,” interjected Jin-young.

“—and I hope this doesn’t change anything between us. So, yeah, I have to admit that I am…um…well…more of a…Jackson fan.” I coughed awkwardly, averting my gaze. Please don’t be offended, I pleaded.

“HA! YES! Thank you, In-ah. You made the right choice.” Jackson was so ecstatic that he forgot to mind his volume. He bowed his head apologetically at anyone who glanced his way and then stared at me with such bright, winsome eyes. Holy moly. He might as well have shot me at point blank with an arrow.

Bashful, my lips quavered as I struggled to explain myself. “Oh, well, for m-me, it’s because your confidence and presence onstage makes y-you stand out the most. Plus your voice is really impressive when you rap.”

Half of me was satisfied that I got tell him; however, the other half was worried about what the members would think.

“Why so worried, noona? Did you think we would be offended?” Yu-gyeom said with a small chuckle.

“Don’t worry, it’s common topic for us,” Jae-beom reassured me. “But I am pleased that you’re a big fan of us. Why do you like our music so much?”

“Actually, I like the variety and expression you put into your music. Also, your music motivates me big time. It was a stress reliever during my college years.” My exuberance took control of my mouth. I continued to praise them about their lyrics, choreography, and lots of other things until I felt like a deflated balloon, all wrung out of air.

“I’m glad to hear that! I didn’t know it was motivating for you!” BamBam cheered.

Because I was winded from blabbing nonstop, it took me a second to register that a pair of arms were wrapped around me. He was hugging me! My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Jin-young and Jae-beom quickly ordered BamBam to sit down, knowing how overwhelming the experience was for me.

After I cooled down a bit, we moved on to other topics. Out of curiosity, I inquired about their perspectives on being artists, like what it was like performing in front of thousands of people and the work behind their music-making. In return, they asked me about college life and the things I liked about Houston. Then Jae-beom noted the time and reminded his groupmates that they needed to head back soon for evening practice. As I drove them back to their hotel, they apologized for cutting the tour short, but I told them I understood, for they needed to rehearse for their concert on Sunday. Besides, we could continue our tour tomorrow.

I dropped them off at the hotel. The younger ones were gushing about having a great time. They enveloped me in a hearty hug.

Right on cue, Jin-young snapped at them chidingly, “Yu-gyeom! BamBam! Young-jae! Don’t wrinkle our tour guide! You’ll suffocate her! Be nice!”

For some reason, BamBam, the little twerp, found my blushing entertaining. “Noona, you’re so red!”

“BamBam…” The underlying threat in Jae-beom’s voice matched with the firm look that was on his face. “Behave.”

Mark finally dragged the younger ones inside the hotel before they could tease me further. In the end, it was one plus one again. Me and Jackson.

“You know, while we were having fun, I realized how lucky we were to have met you. I’m glad we’re becoming friends. ‘Cause you’re awesome, In-ah.” Jackson held out his hand, and I vaguely wondered if I was dreaming as I shook it. Today just kept getting better and better. Compliments. Hugs. Handshakes. I really didn’t deserve GOT7, yet here we were. “See you tomorrow. Drive safe,” he said, kind and warm.

I waved goodbye and waited until he had disappeared into the building before I got into the car and drove off. My heart was beating fast, and it probably wouldn’t calm down for days to come. How could it when it kept thundering and racing whenever GOT7 was involved?

Tomorrow. I get to see them again!