Thank you!
Chapter 2
The next day, Hyun-Ae and I went to a casual restaurant not too far from the house. When we got there, Hyun-Ae pointed out that Ji-Min was waiting for us outside. He did indeed look very handsome, with short blond hair, dimples, and a dazzling smile.
As we approached, Ji-Min got up from his seat on a bench, bowed in front of us, and gave Hyun-Ae a hug. Then, they had a brief conversation in Korean, which I assumed was an introduction because my full name was mentioned.
“Lydia, this is my cousin, Park Ji-Min,” Hyun-Ae said to me when they finished.
“Nice to meet you, Ji-Min!” I said, shaking his hand.
Ji-Min bowed again and said, “The pleasure is mine, Lydia. You are from America?”
“Yeah, from Tennessee.”
Ji-Min’s dark eyes widened. “Oh! That is long flight. How you do?”
“I slept for most of the flight, and then I slept in this morning. Let’s go in; I’m starving!”
The three of us entered the restaurant, where everyone was speaking Korean to each other. When we got her attention, the hostess said something in Korean, and Hyun-Ae responded. Then, we followed her to a booth next to the window and gave us menus. As I looked over mine, I was relieved to see that the Korean-written items were accompanied with English translations.
“What looks good to you?” Ji-Min asked me.
“Hmm…” I said, still perusing the menu. Then, a picture caught my eye depicting a delicious-looking steak dish. I pointed it out to Ji-Min.
“Oh, very good choice!” Hyun-Ae commented. “That is Korean barbecue steak. You will love it!”
“Well, barbecue steak it is, then!”
A moment later, a waiter came to take our orders, and after we placed them, we continued our conversation.
“So, Ji-Min – are you a cousin on Hyun-Ae’s mom’s or dad’s side?” I asked.
“My dad’s,” Hyun-Ae replied. “He’s the oldest son of my dad’s sister; Ji-Min also has a younger brother named Ji-Hyun.”
“Cool! I also have a brother, as well as two sisters.”
“What are their names?” Ji-Min asked.
“My sisters are Rachel and Caroline, and my brother Caleb is Caroline’s twin. Where did you grow up?”
“I am from Busan, on the southeast coast. I later moved to Seoul for my band.”
I smiled, as I’m a real sucker for guys in bands. “Oh, you’re in a band?”
“Yes, with six others. We are Bangtan Sonyeondan, or BTS.”
“You HAVE to check them out!” Hyun-Ae chimed in. “They sing and rap in both Korean and English, and they also dance.”
“Awesome!” I said. “What do you do in the band?”
“I’m one of four vocalists,” Ji-Min said. “The other three rap.”
“How did you become a band?”
“Our record company held auditions for a new boy group back in 2010. I really didn’t think I would be in, because lineup change several times. We start in June of 2013, so we been around for a long time.”
“Oh, wow! I can sing, too, but only in English. I couldn’t rap to save my life, though.”
Our food came, and we started eating while we talked.
“How you like steak?” Ji-Min asked me as he watched me take my first bite.
“Mmm…” I said as I chewed the savory steak and swallowed. “Very good; thanks for the recommendation! What are you eating?”
“It’s called kimchi. It’s made with Korean noodles, meat, and vegetables; mine has chicken.”
“Can I taste it?”
Ji-Min placed a sample of his kimchi on my plate, and I picked it up and started chewing. It was a little too spicy for me, so I spat it out.
“What is wrong?”
“Too spicy,” I said, taking a swig of water. “Y’all must like spicy.”
Hyun-Ae laughed. “We do!”
“What do you like to eat in America?” Ji-Min asked.
“We usually eat things like hamburgers, pizza, hotdogs, and lots of other things. We’re a melting pot, really, so we like all sorts of foreign cuisines, too – mainly Mexican.”
“Like what? Like… tacos and stuff?”
“Yeah! There’s also something called a quesadilla, which is a tortilla with cheese filled with your choice of meat, usually chicken or beef.”
“That sound yummy!”
The conversation continued through the rest of the meal, and afterwards, Ji-Min gave Hyun-Ae a hug before she and I went back to the house.
