Out of all the ways I’ve thought to spend my weekend, I never imagined it would be at a ear piercingly loud k-pop concert filled with crazy fangirls. 


Earlier that same day, I got a call from my best friend Jia pleading with me to come to a concert with her—it was for her favourite K-pop group, Florix—. She claimed she ‘accidentally’ bought two tickets instead of just one, and she didn’t want to waste a perfectly good ticket. I initially thought to decline her offer, not wanting to go to a noisy concert—I hate loud places—but she eventually convinced me by saying she’d buy me dinner after the concert was over. I mean, how could I refuse free dinner? I’d go to the concert, sit there for a few hours, leave and get my free dinner, now that sounded like a good deal.


I arrived at the concert venue a few hours later and found Jia waiting at the entrance. “Jada, Finally!” She yelled, sounding like she’d been waiting for hours already. I rolled my eyes at her. Jia is the type of person to always wear comfy clothing, you would never catch her in a skirt or a crop-top, she’d always complain that it would be too restraining to move around in fancy clothing like that. You could imagine my shock as I saw her with a soft pink mini-skirt, a white cropped shirt, pink high heels with bows on the back and she even did her makeup! “Jia? Is that really you?” I asked, disbelief evident in my tone.


“Well of course it’s me! I just got a bit dressed up.” she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear “so…how do I look? Nice right?” she asked in a cute soft tone, waiting for my reply. I nod, “you do, so much so I feel underdressed.” I looked down at my own clothes, and I was just wearing grey sweats, and a baggy white graphic tee. Jia, not replying, just grabbed my arm and started dragging me to our seats near the back row. 


Me and Jia finally took our seats, the audience was already booming with cheers and squeals of excitement. I already didn’t like how loud this place was, and this is all before the concert had even started.


As soon as the idols arrived on stage,their fans began chanting their names in sync like it was some creepy ritual. I just sat slumped back in my seat, waiting for the concert to end already.


Finally after what felt like ages, the idols started performing. The crowd—which I thought was loud before—became even louder than before, waving their bright light sticks in the air, and screaming the lyrics to the songs so annoyingly loud, I thought by the time this was over, I should get my ears checked.


By the second hour of this misery I was praying in my head that this would be over soon. I tapped on Jia’s shoulder, “Jia” I whispered in a soft tone. She didn’t hear me—I mean, how could she with how quiet I was— “Jia!”I yelled this time. She turned her head and looked at me clearly annoyed. “What? You’re distracting me from looking at my oppa’s!” she complained. My body shuddered as she said ‘oppa!’ Jia was the type of person to do anything to get away from acting cute, but seeing her now it felt like she was under some spell causing her to go from a laid back, sluggish tomboy, to a complete opposite! I shake my head “never mind..” I mutter, still bewildered on the switch in character. 


I slumped into my seat again when my eyes came across one of the members of the group. I felt this sense of familiarity towards him, like I had met him before. Like I had known him a long time ago. Could it be him? Those soft cheeks, but still sharp jawline. Those sharp deep dark chocolate eyes, that i just couldn’t forget—even after trying so hard to—and the pale white skin. Was it him? I rubbed my eyes, and then shook my head. It can’t be him. I must have not slept enough last night, I thought to myself. 


Finally it was the end of the blaring concert, I felt relief, I could finally get my dinner and go home.


My relief was short-lived when I felt a hand tugging at my arm, “Jada! Come on, the fan meet is gonna start soon, and we’ll be the last in line if we keep moving so slow!” A fan meet? She hadn’t even told me that part, it was all just we’d go to a concert and leave. Without even waiting for my reply, she started dragging me to the area where the fan meet was being held.


At the lineup, my eyes widened as I saw what looked to be about maybe a hundred to two-hundred fans waiting excitedly. Jia urged me to hurry before it gets any longer than this. We stood at the back of the line and I could already feel my legs hurt. I turned to Jia, and she had a jolly smile plastered on her face. “I’m so glad we made it here early!” she exclaimed. Early? It looked like it would take us an hour or two before we even got to the front. I turned to see if anyone had come behind us and my mouth had dropped when I saw what felt like heaps of people standing behind us now. Maybe Jia’s right, we are pretty early.


As we made our way through the line—very slowly—I began to notice just how cringy this group's fans were. When they got to the booths where the idols were, the fans—who were mostly girls—were doing aegyo, trying to give them weird gifts, and continuously asked for the idols' hand in marriage. I got goosebumps all over my skin. Finally as I felt my legs almost collapse, it was our turn to talk to the idols. My plan was to just say a simple hello, maybe even add in a ‘how are you?’ and go to the next member. 


I took my seat in front of the first idol. There was a glass border between fan and idol—probably to stop crazy fans from trying to make-out with them—I said hello, and went straight to the next, while I looked over at Jia who was taking her sweet time to have a long conversation with all of them. 


Eventually it was finally time for me to meet the last idol. I glanced up at him. instead of saying the same hello like I did to the others my eyes widened in shock. 


It was now clear, I could never forget that face. That man, there was no doubt to it. The eyes, nose, lips, and right down to the facial structure all stayed the same. Just as before. 


Was it really him? My saviour, yet the back-stabber that led me right back to my living hell. It was him, I was a hundred percent sure.


Jung Haneul.