Jackson’s POV

“BamBam, are you ready yet? Come on, you look fine! We’re just sightseeing.” Being idols, it was understandable how serious we were in upholding our roles as fashion icons, but BamBam was on a whole ‘nother level, obsessive when it came to extravagance and beauty.

BamBam childishly whined to give him a few more minutes to coordinate his outfit, so we backed off reluctantly and I slouched in an armchair, letting my mind wander.

Touring around the city yesterday with In-ah had been breath of fresh air. Though the excursion itself was simple and predictable, none of us couldn’t deny good food and nice company. In-ah was really something. She was a huge fan of ours, yet she didn’t let her adoration of us get in the way of her manners. When she wasn’t crippled with shyness, she remained well-behaved and generous, which was intriguing to me. I couldn’t name what was it that she had that constantly stole my attention.

“So? I need to look awesome, regardless,” BamBam defended, shrugging on a bejeweled jean jacket and preparing to stick his feet into a pair of black suede shoes. “Noona is going to love this!”

Bored and impatient, I got up from my seat to smack the back of his egotistically-inflated head. He yelped in offense, but he deserved the punishment for his boasting. In the corner of my eye, I saw Jin-young roll his eyes as we got ready to head downstairs. I smirked, knowing that he was annoyed with the self-absorbed idiot and would’ve done the smacking if I hadn’t done it first.
“Now, because we’ve already spent a day with her, I know some of you are probably under the assumption that it’s okay to be all buddy-buddy with In-ah, but for her sake, tone it down,” Jae-beom warned sternly, staring down at the younger members with authority on purpose.

Mark pursed his lips contemplatively. “Why don’t we invite her to the concert tomorrow?” he suggested. “It could be our way of expressing our thanks for all the nice things she’s done for us.”

That was a great idea! In-ah had mentioned that she wasn’t able to attend our concert, so why not fix that?

In the elevator, Jin-young was next to me as we took our trip down to the first floor. He nudged me with an elbow and said teasingly, “So, Jackson-hyung, I bet you were thrilled when In-ah-sshi said you were her favorite, riiiiight? What do you think about her?”

I gave him an unamused look. What was up with him? Ever since we met In-ah, he kept making these misplaced suggestions about me and her. He needed a chill pill. Or a punch in the face.

Sighing, I said, “I admire her for being honest. And for being polite and modest. From what she’s told us about her job, she’s also hardworking and passionate. Other than that, there’s nothing else to talk about.” If Jin-young didn’t give up with his pesky questions, my scowl would have hardened. And my fist would be ready to fly straight for his gut.

We found In-ah in the lobby area, browsing through a magazine. Like yesterday, her outfit was simple and weather-appropriate, while her makeup was minimalistic. Then I paused, confused as to why I would be so conscious of any small details about her. Strange. I usually had zero tact when it came to noticing particulars.

BamBam zipped over to her excitedly. “Noona! Noona! Look at my outfit! The others say I’m going overboard. Am I?” I imagined him furiously wagging his tail like the attention-hogging puppy that he really was. He pouted grumpily when In-ah quietly eyed his striking clothes and then glanced at us for comparison. Unlike BamBam, we were dressed comfortably in jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers.

“You look like you came right out of a fashion magazine,” she commented, holding up the glossy publication she had been reading for emphasize. “Stylish, but unnecessary. Are you sure you want to be dressed like that? It’s hot today.”

Yu-gyeom slung an arm around BamBam’s slumped shoulders. “Lighten up! We’re always hot—it’s a known fact!” He and BamBam pretended to pose for a camera.

Their antics made In-ah look at us for help. We all shook our heads, telling her that their narcissism was an incurable disease. She nodded sympathetically and then clapped her hands, amped-up.

“If you’re ready, then let’s head out,” she said. “First stop is the aquarium. After that is the art gallery. Then, for dinner, we’ll go to Asian Town.”       

                                                                                            *******

“Wow, hyung! Look how big this is!”

The younger ones were definitely entertained by what the aquarium had to offer. They dashed from tank to tank to marvel at the various fish and sea lifeforms. In-ah wore this fond, relaxed expression as she watched them. We had partnered up to tour the facility, and in my case, I was paired with In-ah, which gave me the opportunity to observe her closely. She appeared so innocent and easygoing as she happily appreciated the sights. Like this, she possessed this magnetic force that unwittingly drew me in.

A few tanks later, we heard a little girl crying. Going around the bend, we found her and In-ah immediately knelt down to console her and ask her what’s wrong in a sweet, caring voice.

The girl managed to speak between sobs. “I-I… Ahhh! Lost my mommy! Waaah…” In-ah gently urged her not to rub at her eyes, which was a bad habit to have. I crouched down, ready to pull out my handy-dandy weapon. Tada! My aegyo! It always worked to charm my niece. After a few attempts, the kid started giggling.

Next to me, In-ah was gawking, her face frozen with incredulity. Maybe she was taken aback seeing my aegyo in person?

Then she regained her bearings. She cleared and took the child’s hand in hers. “We should go to the front desk or find a security guard,” she reasoned. Her dependability and steady patience with children was inspirational.

On our way to a help desk, we came across a woman frantically searching the area, shouting a name. The girl with us brightened and called out to that woman, waving her free hand. The woman spun around and gasped in relief. She immediately darted over to us, tears in her eyes.

“Thank you so much!” cried the woman after In-ah explained where we found her daughter. “I was looking everywhere for her. I had to take an important phone call, and when I turned around, she wasn’t there all of the sudden. I’m so sorry for the trouble.”

“No problem, ma’am. She was really scared, but thankfully my friend calmed her down.” In-ah’s civil tone took on a sterner edge. It was like the coffee spilling incident all over again. She was not afraid to point out people’s faults. “However, next time, it would be best to pay attention to your kid, instead of your phone.”

Out of reflex, the woman pursed her lips in mild offense, but she accepted the earnest reprimand. “Understood. Thank you again.”

The girl smiled up at us. “Thank you, miss! You and your boyfriend are cool!”

Both of us widened our eyes in surprise. I peeked at In-ah sideways, discovering that she was as red as a strawberry. I wondered what was going through her head right now. Was she happy? Confused? …Stressed?

The sudden sound of Yu-gyeom’s voice snapped me back to reality. “Noona! There you are! Huh? Hyung, what’s with your expression? You surprised ‘bout something?”

“None of your business,” I griped, stuffing my hands in my pockets. No need to tell them what happened if I could help it.

Jae-beom’s stomach growled, redirecting our attention. He asked if we could get food on our way to the art gallery. In-ah heartily agreed, and we exited the aquarium.

While driving, In-ah said, “I’ve been to the art gallery multiple times already, so I have first-hand knowledge of the place. Need me to explain a piece or artifact? I can do that. Oh, and please be honest if you get bored. I won’t be upset. Art isn’t for everyone.”

I smiled to myself. Her passion for art was really evident by her upbeat chatter.

                                                                                    *******

We had just finished touring the art gallery with In-ah. For the first time since we met, In-ah had thrived, as if the art gallery was her natural habitat. Full of energy and b with interest, her eyes sparkled when she had explained the artifacts and paintings. Excluding Jin-young, most of us had zero idea what she had been talking about. I had seen the two of them bond over the art, and it had been that instance that made me wish that I could’ve related to her more. Maybe I should ask Jin-young to give me lessons on art.

By the time we were done touring the gallery, it was close to evening. Everyone was starving.

“Welcome to Lucky Palace!” announced In-ah. “It’s one of the few Korean barbecue places here. Thought it would be a nice change from American food.”

The thought of eating home food made our mouths water because nothing could beat Korean food, in our opinion. We found a table and a waitress came by to take our order.

“We’ll have Combo A, with extra meat. Thank you,” In-ah requested. However, judging by the members’ faces, we knew that it would not be enough. Realizing this, Jae-beom and Mark added bimbap and ramyeon to the order.

In-ah looked at us with uncertainty. “I know you all have big appetites,  but is it okay to eat so much before the concert?”

“We do this all the time,” Young-jae explained heartily. “It helps us get through practice and rehearsal. We don’t eat like this every day.”

At last, our food arrived in heaping plates. The meat was beautifully marbled and the vegetables fresh. Jin-young and I took up the responsibility of grilling the food. Soon, we were wolfing down the barbecue and side dishes, along with throwing out conversations here and there around the table.

For example, Jin-young asked, “So, noona, what inspired you to become a scientist?” I was puzzled, for I already knew her answer, but then I corrected myself, remembering that she had only explained her reasoning to me so far. This made me smug, and I hid my grin behind my drink as I sipped it. I studied In-ah as she faced Jin-young as they chatted. Her blushing was under control, probably because she had finally gotten out of that starstruck phase after getting more comfortable around us.

“Originally, I wanted to be a doctor, but I was steered away by how much schooling was required for it. Then, I realized teaching was an option that I liked and research was another way for me to use my creativity. Therefore, I combined those two—I decided that I wanted to become a professor and work in a lab on the side.” 

“Oh, oh! If you’re answering questions, I have one!” BamBam butted in, cheeky. “Noona…do you have a boyfriend?” Nearly everyone snapped into attention, abandoning their food in favor of the unexpected topic. Actually, I was speechless with building aggravation, one heartbeat away from yanking on BamBam’s ear for poking his nose into a sensitive matter.

“Yah! BamBam, quit it!” Jae-beom barked. He glared at Yu-gyeom as well, who had almost joined in on the teasing. “Where are your manners? Don’t ask personal questions unless she wants to tell us first.”
“Apologize,” Jin-young demanded, burning with parental indignation.

The two brats sulked a bit but sincerely apologized to In-ah. She smiled placatingly, saying, “Calm down, guys. Please, it’s fine. I can tell you, if you want. I’m very open about that kind of stuff.” After we exchanged a few debating glances, we nodded. “So, to answer your question—no, I don’t have a boyfriend, specifically not at the moment. I do have an ex, but we haven’t talked since I ended things.”

“What happened?” Mark prodded, careful and polite. “You don’t have to tell us, but it would help to understand.” Interested, most of us involuntarily leaned forward in our seats to hear the story.

“He was my first boyfriend,” In-ah began, twisted into a mournful line. “We dated for about seven months during my third year of college. That following summer, I decided that I had enough of his attitude and broke up with him. Essentially, I did it because his ego was in the way. He didn’t support me on an emotional level and he would lie without feeling sorry that he lied.” Her face fell, her gaze darkening with gloom.

“Did you ever love him?” Everyone stared at me in astonishment, not expecting that I would ask that. Heck, even I was amazed that I did. Hadn’t even realized that the question had left mouth until everyone gaped at me.

In-ah blankly stared at a spot on the table as she answered, “Nope. Not one bit. After I went over it in my head, I realized that being in a relationship with him wasn’t good for me. That’s why I ended things. Took me awhile to get over the breakup, and to this day, I have not talked to him since. In the end, he doesn’t even count as a first love.” Then, like a robot, she picked up her chopsticks and resumed eating as if she hadn’t spoken about a touchy subject.

“Well, I say, good for you, breaking up with him,” Jae-beom praised, nodding at her proudly. “You deserve better. And if anything like this happens again, just let us know. We’ll be there to scare him. Promise.”

The corner of her lips twitched. In-ah thought his words to be heartwarming.

“Anyway, noona, as a thank you, we’re inviting you to our concert tomorrow,” Young-jae proclaimed, holding up a hand when she opened to interrupt. “Hold on, I’m still talking here. So, yeah, it’s an invitation, and by invitation, I mean that you’re going to come, no questions asked. It’s free of charge, along with a free backstage pass. It’s a wonderful deal, I know. We’re amazing like that. Oh, and you should stay for dinner tomorrow, as well. Is that everything? I think that’s everything.” He peered at his groupmates for confirmation, and he was rewarded with several thumbs up. He sighed in relief.

In-ah was thrilled, looking as if she was on the verge of jumping out of her seat to hug all of us to death. “Yes! Of course!” she gasped. “I would love to come!”

“Great! Can’t wait to see you there!” Mark enthused. “Try to show up before we go onstage, okay?”

In-ah agreed. The smile she wore hardly dimmed even as we parted ways. My groupmates and I had a round of practice to do.