Chapter Text
“Kitty, get more tape please,” Mr. Moon says, interrupting her train of thought.
“Got it!” Kitty says enthusiastically. Tape. Easy. A good first task for her first day on set. She just needs to find someone who has some. She scans the busy crew, squinting. Everything is blurry without her contacts, and she finds herself wishing she hadn’t gone into today blind. To her left she spots a crew member with a large bag. “Hello,” she says, her voice confident. “I need some tape please.” He looks up at her blankly before responding in Korean. She catches a few words, but not enough. What does she need? Good question.
“Uhh…” Kitty tries to respond in Korean, but her words fail. She’s been working hard, especially after floundering at the market, but learning a new language takes time, and time is one of the only things she can’t control. The venue is bustling with people, movement, and hot lights above her. Kitty needs a quiet moment to think, but it will never come. “The sticky stuff? It holds things?” Gaffer tape isn’t exactly a word that is Korean 101. “For the lights and the cords?” The man looks confused, grabbing an XLR cable. She shakes her head. “The…” she mimes the shape of a tape roll, and pretends to unfurl it. She smiles. He frowns. Somehow, she’s managed to mess up her first official task. She’s not supposed to be here just as Min Ho’s friend - she needs to make herself useful. She doesn’t know why that’s so hard. It’s tape, not rocket science.
Suddenly, Min Ho is beside her. He turns, speaking rapidly in Korean to the gentleman, who eagerly passes over two large rolls of tape. Kitty breathes a sigh of relief, though she feels a sting of shame. How did he know what she needed? Had he expected her to fail? Min Ho winks at Kitty, continuing on to whatever he was doing before.
“Thank you,” Kitty calls after him, her anxiety settling. He shoots her a smile, as he continues across the arena. He always knows what she needs, perhaps a little too easily. It’s encouraging but also a little embarrassing, that he can help so quickly with something that confounds her. Still, she eagerly brings the tape back to the stage and begins to help with taping down cords and cables, as requested. Just a small bump.
By lunchtime Kitty’s nerves are starting to settle, but she can’t help but wonder if she’s overestimated herself in joining the tour. Min Ho had told her in no uncertain terms that his dad expected him to work, and that the expectations for her would be the same. This isn’t a vacation, even though she was told to anticipate lots of free time and fun, so being unable to find a simple roll of tape feels like a colossal failure. She takes a few pieces of gimbap from the crew lunch table and settles alone at a table to eat, not feeling ready to socialize with other crew who might not understand her anyway.
Before long, Min Ho slides in the table beside her, bringing a bowl of warm bimbimbap with him. He slides a handwritten piece of paper across the surface, covered in both phonetics and Hangul. She squints at it. The words come into focus easily, but their meanings are still a mystery.
“What’s this?”
“Consider it a primer, for the last minute tour tag-a-long.”
“Am I just being a pain?” Kitty asks, looking over the sheet. There’s a lot of tour related vocabulary she’s never seen before, much more than she’d anticipated. She barely knows some of these terms in English, let alone Korean.
“No more than usual,” he says, flashing her a smile before taking a bite of his rice.
She rolls her eyes, reading the words over again and again. So many of the crew don’t speak English. She has to be able to follow it. She has to be able to communicate. This little cheat sheet is a start, but she has a lot of work to do. An almost impossible amount of work.
“Is it actually okay that I’m here? I don’t want to be a bother.”
“I wouldn’t have invited you if it wasn’t.” Invited is, of course, a generous term for how Kitty ended up on this tour. She’s replayed the moment in her head dozens of times: him walking away, her heart calling out to him. She hadn’t planned to ask, but the thought of being away from him for two months was more painful than she had the self-control to endure. He’d seemed pretty happy about it too, although maybe she was reading too much into things.
“Thanks, Min Ho.”
“I’m just making sure you’re not embarrassing yourself,” he says, arching a brow. “It looks bad if you can’t speak the language.”
“I know,” Kitty says with a frown. “But I’m going to fix it this summer! I’m in Korea for another year, and I’m finally going to master the language.”
He nods. “I’ll practice with you. You need it. ”
“You’re the best!” Kitty exclaims, and he smirks.
“I did have to promise you’d be helpful,” he adds.
“I will be! I promise.” Kitty says insistently, and he nods in agreement.
“I’ve got to get back to work - my dad is trying to prime me on everything. See you later.” He shoves the last few bites of his food in his mouth, before pushing back his chair and heading to work.
He’s gone as quickly as he appeared and now it’s just Kitty, a sheet of foreign terms, and a sinking feeling of inadequacy. She could have been home in Portland, rather than here in Korea, lounging in the pool, and bothering her dad to drive her places. But Min Ho’s handwriting in front of her reminds her that maybe she doesn’t have to go at this alone, and maybe it’s a sign of greater things to come.
Later that night, Kitty’s studies the sheet in her room. Her eyes feel heavy, exhausted from the long day, but she’s committed to learning what she needs to do. She’s almost given up for the night when there’s a knock at the door. She looks through the peephole of her door to see a familiar face.
“Hey, Min Ho.”
Min Ho enters, looking her over as he slides off his shoes. “Glasses?” he asks, curious. “We lived together for a semester. Why have I never seen you in glasses?”
Kitty pauses, making a face. “I hate them.”
“Why?”
The way he looks at her, Kitty feels her heart somersault. Min Ho makes fun of her about everything but this, this little thing that always made her feel insecure, he’s not touching. “I don’t know,” she says. “I wore them a lot when I was younger.” None of the media growing up ever had attractive women in glasses. It made her feel like less.
“You should wear them more,” Min Ho replies. “They suit you.”
“Because I’m such a nerd?”
He balks. “I’m helping you with your failure at the Korean language. I would never call you a nerd.”
Kitty rolls her eyes. “Well, I’m going to have to wear them more,” she says. “Because I only have a week and a half of contacts left, and we don’t exactly have a fixed address to order more.” The hazards of a spontaneous tour. He nods. “So why were you looking for me?”
“I thought you’d want food. And some more Korean practice.” Min Ho looks at Kitty, as she hesitates. “Come on Covey, I saw how uncomfortable you looked. So, starting, now , Korean only. For tonight.”
“Alright,” Kitty says, thankful. “But don’t expect me to be good company.”
He says something that she doesn’t understand, with a glint in his eye. She really needs this practice. And she can’t complain about a little more time with him.
They walk the streets of Seoul, side by side. The streets are alive with bright lights, colourful billboards, and neon signs. Even at this late hour, the streets are full of people, hustling across the sidewalks, chatting in Korean, and ducking in and out of storefronts along the route. Min Ho, mercifully, slows his Korean to a more manageable speed, and willingly mimes out some words she doesn’t understand. They stop by a local take-out place, and Kitty is delighted by the smells of spices and frying meat. Min Ho orders for the two of them, and soon they settle down on a bench by the Han river to eat and chat. He’s held her to his promise - not a word of English, at least not without an immediate translation.
“I like this,” Kitty says, in Korean, taking a bite of her food.
“I’m glad,” he replies.
Kitty takes another bite, feeling the heat grow in her mouth. She coughs, blinking quickly. “Actually, this is really spicy,” she says. “What is it?”
“It’s delicious,” he says, taking another bite. “You’re weak.”
“For some reason I never thought you’d like spicy food,” Kitty says, before continuing in English, with a touch of British accent. “Maybe it’s the accent.”
“I may be posh, but I’m still Korean.”
“Hey, I made you speak English!”
He shrugs, continuing in Korean. “And I made you speak Korean.” Touché. And even though there’s still a lot of stammering and thinking, she’s doing it, semi-successfully.
“How was your first day?” he asks, as she takes a swig of water.
“Good, but hard.” She sighs, her mind swimming. “Can we speak English for a minute? I have so many thoughts and I don’t know how to get them out.”
He gives her a nod, as if to say go on.
“My mom never taught me Korean because, well, actually I don’t even know how well she spoke Korean. She never really got the chance to teach me anything. But it’s weird having this piece of me, that should come naturally, and just being so useless at it.”
He shrugs. “You’re bad. But if you keep trying you’re going to improve.” He looks at her sideways. “I still have earplugs from when your room was next to mine if I need them.”
“Ha ha… very funny,” Kitty says. “But I’ve never felt so bad at something.” She blinks again, staring at her food. “God this is hot.”
“You’re also bad at eating spicy food.” Kitty snorts. “Let’s grab you some aiseukeurim to fix the burn.”
Kitty grins, hopping to her feet. “Excellent. Ice cream solves everything.”
“Almost everything,” he replies, following her. “Lactose intolerance.”
It’s easy and smooth. Almost like a date. Being with Min Ho is the easiest thing in Kitty’s life right now. But in some ways, it’s also the hardest.
The next night is the first concert of the tour at the KSPO dome. Energy and emotions are high, and after getting back from the show, Kitty is wired and in need of a relaxing moment to herself before bed. She finds herself at the hotel pool, deserted at this late hour. As a child Kitty always loved to swim; it was the one sport where her body felt fully comfortable and not awkward. It’s only natural then, that after the first concert of tour, a swim and a dip in the hot tub are in order.
She places her glasses on a side table before jumping into the pool. She swims a few laps, feeling the cool water on her skin. The water glides against her, peaceful and refreshing. The lights to the pool are dim, and the water hugs her body.
She comes up to catch her breath, when she hears a familiar voice.
“Can I join you?” Min Ho. She’d recognize him anywhere, blurry or not. He has a presence that makes her heart flutter. She wonders how long he’s been standing there.
“Wait, you swim?”
“Of course I swim. What kind of question is that?”
“I don’t know. I figured the chlorine would ruin your hair and skin, ” she replies, ending with a British accent.
Min Ho shrugs. “My skincare routine is flawless. Nothing can hurt it.”
“Teach me your ways!” Kitty exclaims. “But sure, come on in…unless you splash.”
Min Ho looks almost offended. “Do I seem the splashing type?”
Kitty laughs. He doesn’t, mainly, although he does seem the type who could eagerly get into a water fight, with the right kind of coaxing. “Come on in then.”
Min Ho enters with ease, his body gliding smoothly through the water. He seems comfortable, natural, like he’s done it a lot. He’s always full of surprises, around every turn. Every time she thinks she truly knows him, there’s more to discover.
He resurfaces beside her, pushing his hair away from his face. It reminds Kitty of when they were caught in the rain in Bukjeong. She didn’t know she loved him then, although in hindsight she should have. It’s hard to believe just how in denial she was. And now that she knows, sometimes it’s all she can think about.
“I’ll race you,” she exclaims, pushing off the side, launching herself towards the end of the pool. He zooms off, laughing as she narrowly beats him to the wall.
“That wasn’t fair!” he complains. “You left before me.”
Kitty shrugs. “Then try me again.”
They both push off, and he presses past her, reaching the end wall quickly, and hoisting himself onto the side of the pool deck as he waits for her.
“God, you’re such a show-off,” Kitty says, once she reaches him. She looks up at him as he smirks down at her.
“I think you mean a “heo-se-jaeng-i.””
“Doesn’t an -i at the end usually mean affection? Because I did not mean that.”
“Look at you, understanding Korean.” He pauses, meeting her eyes. “Although I think you did mean it.”
Kitty rolls her eyes dramatically, although she feels her stomach do a flip. “Well, this time I’m going to win.” She takes off again. This time he pushes ahead, and they reach the wall at the same time, quibbling and laughing over who made it there first. Soon conversation devolves into chatting about tour, senior year, and about life in general. Min Ho intersperses regular Korean vocabulary while Kitty does her best to keep up.
Soon, he pulls himself out of the pool, wrapping a towel around his waist. He gently picks her glasses off the table. “Maybe I can see better if I wear these too. What do you think?” He slides them on, pairing them with a silly smolder.
“I think you look ridiculous.”
“You’re blind, Covey. Otherwise you’d know that I am pulling off these glasses perfectly .” He pops a hip, and meets Kitty’s eyes through the glasses, a smirk on his face.
Kitty rolls her eyes. “Come on, Min Ho, give them back.” He shrugs, almost a taunt. “Seriously, stick to sunglasses.”
He backs away, but she launches forward, grabbing them off his face with a laugh. As she puts them on, suddenly, everything is clear.
Every muscle, every glistening bit of skin, the lines of his face, his smile. Usually when she thinks about Min Ho, she can’t help but think about how supportive he is. How he makes her laugh. How he ribs her and bugs her but makes her feel whole. She thinks about the way he makes her heart feel, her soul, how he gives the best hugs, making her feel so loved… But those hugs are clothed. They’re always clothed. And right now, he is not .
What was she saying? The words are gone. She doesn’t want to stare. But she’s suddenly aware of the swell of his muscles, his abs, the freckles. There’s one above his left pec, one on his stomach, a third on his neck. She wants to trace them, stare at them, kiss them. This is a problem, and for some reason she can’t look away. They’re supposed to be platonic. They’re friends. They’re just friends . But why is her heart pounding so loudly in her chest?
“You okay, Covey?” He looks amused. There’s no way he doesn’t have some idea of what’s currently flowing through her head. She doesn’t have a good poker face. She doesn’t have any poker face.
“Uh, yeah, yeah, I’m good. Just adjusting to being able to see again.” She swallows, willing herself to breathe.
“Right,” he says, brushing his damp hair back from his face. Oh. He could be in some sort of surfer model ad, not that she can ever picture him surfing. Just the type to pose on the beach and make the girls go wild. She feels warm all of a sudden. So warm. It’s not the first time she’s seen him so wet but this is different , and her eyes trace a drop of water, down his neck, down his chest. Which is why it’s not helpful when Min Ho says —
“Hot tub?”
She nods, and goes to take off her glasses again.
He shrugs, cool as always. “Keep them on.”
Cool. Now she has to stare at his body more. Well, she doesn’t have to, but somehow it feels like there’s no other option. Kitty isn’t exactly known for her stellar self control, and she’s tired . She’s weak to him!
She slips into the warm water, suddenly feeling awfully self-conscious. Is he looking at her too! Has he been? Does he still have feelings for her? He’s being perfectly respectful, but suddenly she feels vulnerable.
“Are you feeling better about being on the tour now that the first show’s done?”
Kitty nods. “Yeah. It was really great. Eunice did such a great job and Joon Ho…” She watches Min Ho carefully. “Well, he may not be my favourite Moon son, but he’s still pretty great.”
“Right,” Min Ho says. “Think about what you would have been doing in Portland instead.”
“Well, probably, honestly, just spending all day in the pool–” oh god, he’s stretching. Kitty watches the ripples of his muscles as he stretches an arm above his head. She trails off, captured by the sight.
It’s hard enough for Kitty to be platonic with Min Ho on a daily basis, because her heart calls to him. She wants to be with him, hold his hand, hug him and kiss him but… right now it’s a different kind of feeling. A feeling she needs to stop. They’re friends . And for all she knows, Mr. ‘I was better off as a playboy’ might be perfectly happy with some no strings attached kind of fun, which is not what she’s looking for. Not with anyone really, but especially not with him. With him she wants all the strings.
She closes her eyes. “Covey, are you okay?” There it is again, a hint of concern, mainly amusement. Typical Min Ho.
“Just tired. I’m going to have a little hot tub nap.”
“Right,” he says dryly. “Just don’t die.”
She’s been fighting for her life this whole time. Death might be kinder. She opens one eye. Oh, why does he look like that? Why is he looking at her like that? So smug. So attractive. She shuts her eye again.
She can almost feel his eyes watching her. He doesn’t have to say anything, but her head spins on all the possibilities.
“So–”
“Okay, well it’s late! I’m off to bed!” Kitty exclaims, her voice rising in pitch. She can’t handle this anymore.
He chuckles. “See you in the morning. Do you need me to walk you up?”
“No, I’m good, thank you!”
As luck would have it, she doesn’t have to wait until morning to see him, as every time she closes her eyes, she pictures him: dripping wet, and so beautiful. Even when she tries not to.
This is going to be a really, really long tour. And Kitty might just lose her mind.