I am never ever going to learn this stupid language.

Deni thought as she sat there looking over her notes from class. She had lived in Korea now for 3 months and knew just a few words. Those words she learned from her countless hours of KPOP music listening and K-show watching back in America. 3 months ago she had the opportunity to move to the place she truly wanted to be and jumped on the opportunity. How she even got it, she wasn't sure, but she was now an intern for Eat Your Kimchi, but couldn't speak the language of her new home. She decided to take classes to work on her Korean, so she could begin to learn it and eventually speak it fluently. 

Gah, nah, dah, la.... She began to recite the consonants in her head. Gah, nah, dah, la...

Ugh, why is this so hard. She thought laying her head down on her arms that she had crossed on the table in front of her. She then began to bang her head against her arms. Why.....must.....this....be....so....hard. She thought between each hit of her head to her arms. She was so frustrated but it was not in her character to give up. No, no, Deni, you are going to learn this. You can do this. Say them out loud!

"Gah, nah, dah, la, mah, bah...." she began to say out to herself. "Sah, ah, jah, cha, kah, tah, pah, ha..." Over and over she said them out, not realizing that she was saying them wrong.

-----------

He laughed at himself as the scene of this poor girl trying to speak Korean unfolded in front of his eyes. This was his favorite coffee place and he frequented it regularly when he wasn't out shooting films or singing with his band. It was a shop that was on the outskirts of town, where people knew him as Seunghyun and not Top. Sure, they knew his profession, but to them he was just another man, sitting drinking his coffee and writing song ideas in his notebook. He'd never seen her here before and was drawn to watching her. Maybe because she was not Korean, maybe because she was seriously butchering the Korean alphabet, maybe because she was so beautiful with her red hair bouncing light off of it. Whatever the reason, he couldn't help but watch her from across the cafe. No no no, its not gah, its Kah, K-ah" he thought grimacing every time she'd mispronounce the letter. Oh lord, no its not bah, its puh, p-uh...agh this girl is killing me.

Deni was too busy butchering the language to notice that he had been staring at her for some time now. She was far to focused on trying to say the alphabet and not so focused on the weird and strained faces he'd make every time she'd mispronounce the words. "Gah nah dah la, mah, bah, sah" she began to sing to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". "Ah, jah, cha, kah, tah, pah, ha..." Oh, that helps! I think I'm finally getting the hang....

It's Kah, not gah." He said walking up to her finally unable to bear any longer hearing her butcher the pronunciation.

"Excuse me?" Deni said looking up.... falling open to see her favorite rapper standing in front of her.

"You're saying it all wrong...its kah, with a K, not gah with a g..." He said, not even asking to sit down, but doing it anyways. "I can't let you sit here and butcher my language anymore." 

"Oh, oh, I mean, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that, its just I am still new to this." She still couldn't believe that TOP, her bias forever was sitting there correcting her. "Do you want to help me?"

Top smiled then chuckled, "I wouldn't have sat down if I didn't. Now repeat after me, ok?" Deni nodded and smiled as TOP began to riddle off the alphabet. Deni did as she was asked, repeating after TOP. After a few minutes of TOP saying a letter and then Deni repeating he stopped. "What's your name, I'm..."

Deni smiled, "I know who you are TOP, would you think I would not?" She giggled. "I'm Deni."

"Ah, Deni, beautiful name for a beautiful girl." TOP smiled causing Deni to blush, "It's so nice to meet you. What brings you to Korea?" 

"My job, I work for Eat Your Kimchi, Simon and Martina, you know them?" 

"Yes, I've heard of them. You are lucky to work for them, you're from...."

"The U.S. but I am moving here permanently. Which is why I am sitting here trying to learn the basics of Korean language and failing at it!" Deni smiled and then put her head in her hands frustrated.

"Nah, no you aren't failing...say them back to me...ok, just say it and I'll help you..ok?"

"Sure...ok...Kah nah, tah, rrah, mah, puh, sah, ah, jaah, cha, kuh, tuh, pah, ha..."

"Perfect! See, I told you that you could it. Perfect pronunciation even!" TOP sat back in his seat pondering a moment. "You know what I think?"

"What do you think?"

"You need a tutor...someone who is Korean, preferably someone tall, with a deep voice, who raps and sings."  Great going genius you just made yourself so obvious. He quickly scribbled something down as Deni laughed, "Do you know anyone like that, because I agree, I could use a tutor!" Goodness he's adorable.

TOP smiled as he got up, slipping his number to her on a piece of paper then leaving the cafe. Deni picked up the paper and opened it to find his number and a little note.

Call me anytime you need help with that terrible pronunciation of yours. -TOP  

A Note: I am currently learning Korean, so there is a good chance there will be more of these. I may make it a series to help teach myself, not sure...but  on the bright side this totally helped my alphabet pronunciation, which I actually was saying wrong for a while.