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Lydia stood in downtown Chicago, carefully adjusting her camera to capture the perfect angle before snapping the shot.  She smiled as she surveyed her work.  She had perfectly portrayed the little, blond girl gazing up with glee at her red balloon as it stretched towards the skyscraper behind her.

But as Lydia continued to study the picture, her jaw dropped.  She stared intently at the tall man standing behind the tiny girl.  He was gazing into a storefront window, the glass reflecting his image back to him.  He was nearly six feet tall.  He was wearing a hat that covered his hair, except for a few golden tufts that stuck out under the back.  His long legs were clad in jeans, and a long-sleeved, flannel, plaid shirt remained unbuttoned to reveal a white T-shirt underneath.  She stared at his portrait in shock before glancing up to see if the man was still standing there.  He was.

Without conscious thought, she felt her feet beginning to carry her towards him.  She never took her eyes off him.  He took a step away from the window and pivoted towards her as she came upon him.  He looked up, and their eyes collided.  It really was him!

Namjoon.

Momentarily, she stood, unmoving, simply gazing up at him in wonder.  Then, somehow, she found her tongue.

“Excuse me.  I was just taking a picture of that cute, little girl over there,” she pointed to her right at the owner of the pigtails that were currently bouncing about as the tiny girl skipped down the sidewalk in one of America’s most populated cities.  “I didn’t realize you were in the background.  Would you like a copy of this picture?  It’s pretty cool!  See!  I caught your reflection in the window.”

Namjoon stared down at the petite beauty below him.  He was nearly a foot taller than her!  She was adorable.  Big, brown eyes.  Gorgeous, brown curls cascading over her shoulders.  Her tanned skin glowing in the dying light of early evening.  She had a tiny waist and wide hips.  She was a beauty from head to toe.  

Did she know who he was?  If she did, she was giving him no indication.  She was holding her camera up to him.  Out of courtesy and a little bit of curiosity, he looked at the picture.  It was a lovely photograph!

He glanced up at her and smiled.  “Were you hoping for my phone number?” he asked, teasingly.

Embarrassed, Lydia blushed.  She hadn’t planned this conversation.  Her mouth had had a mind of its own.  She’d had no intentions, had she?  She couldn’t say what she was thinking.

It’s just…this...this was Namjoon!  Her bias.  Her most beloved member of BTS.  The one with which she most identified.  In her wildest dreams, she had never imagined that she would ever meet him.  So she had not mentally prepared herself for any conversation with him.  It crushed her because she knew there were so many things that her heart longed to say to him.  She had deep thoughts, and she wanted to share them with him.  As he had so often invited her into his own mind through his lyrics.  But now, she was afraid she’d just looked foolish.

Suddenly tongue-tied, she whispered, crestfallen, “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to disturb you.”  Forlornly, she turned away from him.

“Wait—” Namjoon reached his long fingers out to touch her shoulder.  Her back was already turned towards him, but he hadn’t missed the hurt look in her eyes.  

 Hearing an odd note in his voice, she turned back towards him.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked, unsure why her answer was suddenly so very important to him.

She nodded.

“Oh.”  Why was he disappointed?

“You often post pictures of yourself from your travels.  I just thought you might like this one,” she murmured.  “I didn’t even think about how I would get it to you.  I wasn’t trying to get something from you.”

She was gazing at the ground.  But he wanted to see into her beautiful, brown eyes again.  Without thinking, Namjoon lifted his forefinger until it came to rest under her chin, then he drew her face up until she was looking into his eyes.

“What’s your name?” he whispered.

Shock coursing through her at his touch, she simply stared up at him.  Tiny bombs were going off under his fingertip where it touched her skin.  Her heart thundering, she stared upward, far upward – he was so tall! – into his beautiful eyes.

“Lydia,” she spoke very softly, mesmerized by his chocolate orbs.

She really was here.  Standing on a sidewalk in Chicago.  With Namjoon.  Staring into his captivating eyes and sensing the overwhelming beauty of his presence.  It was wrapping around her like a warm comforter, protecting her from the cool indifference that she had encountered in most avenues of her life.

It hadn’t made any sense to come to Chicago for a concert when she lived in New York City, but she knew her friend Grace was coming to this concert, so Lydia had chosen to spend extra money to travel here to see her friend.  They weren’t going to connect until tomorrow, but if she hadn’t come here, then she would never have met Namjoon!

Namjoon smiled.  “It’s nice to meet you, Lydia.”  He glanced at the camera hanging around her neck.  “I would like a copy of that picture.  Would you come to dinner with me, and we’ll figure out how I can get it?” He smiled down at her.

His finger was lingering still on the soft skin of her face.  Why was he so reluctant to break that simple contact?

—

“Heyyyyyy!” Hobi shouted as he opened the door.  Then he stopped in shock as his eyes traveled from Jungkook to Tae to Jimin, and he took in the faces of several girls he’d never seen before.

His eyes came to land on one particular face.  A beautiful woman with dark hair and big, brown eyes.  The darker skin of her countenance was glowing under the overhead lights.  Everyone else seemed to be grouped into pairs around the table, yet she sat alone.  Dare he hope that the seat next to her had been reserved for him?

—

I looked at Jungkook.  He smiled at me before addressing Hobi.  “Hey, Hobi.  Come meet our new friends.”  He started with me.  “This is Grace.”  Jungkook gestured towards me before stretching his hand out to indicate the others.  “And her friends, Sanduni, Sara, and Sandra.”

—

Hobi was gazing at the last girl.  She smiled at him as Jungkook relayed her name to him.

Ah!  Sandra!  What a beautiful name!  And what a glorious grin!

Instantly, a song began to write itself in the notebook of Hobi’s mind as he wandered towards the empty chair next to her.

“Your smile is my light,

Like the moonlit night

That turns my world so bright,

Pulling me from my plight. 

“Your sweet smile frees me.

Your kind eye sees me.

How can this truly be?

You’ve come to set me free.”

He could hear the music and the lyrics as he gazed at Sandra.  Sweet Sandra.  He hadn’t even spoken to her yet, but somehow, he couldn’t wait any longer.  For some reason, he felt like he already knew her.

“Hi!  I’m Hobi!”  His whole countenance lit up as he addressed her.

She smiled kindly at him.  “I know,” she responded in a very quiet voice.

He grinned at her as he turned his chair around and straddled it backwards to face her.  He rested his chin on the top of the chair back.  “You do?  Are you an ARMY?”

She nodded.  

“Hmmm…let me guess…You’re a Jin bias?”

She shook her head.

“No?”  He scratched his chin.  “Yoongi?”

Another shake of her head.

“Namjoon?”

She just looked at him.

“What?  Still not right?” He looked at the maknae line surrounding them.  “Well, clearly, it isn’t one of these young pups…”. Then he glanced over at her, a vulnerable look crossing his face.  He stuck a finger up against his chest as he whispered, “Me?”

Sandra smiled and then reached into her purse and pulled out a photo card.  She held it up for him to see.

The face staring back at him was…

Me. 

Hobi looked up at her in wonder. 

Sandra is here for me?