Belated Mini Freak Out

So I saw BTS last week.

This is so random and I don't even have proof, but I swear to the k-pop gods I saw the boys of Bangtan last week. I was with my friend in Seoul for about 10 days and on Wednesday last week, we decided to walk around Garosu-gil before heading to Samseong-dong to meet a Korean colleague of mine.

I had turned to my friend and said, "this is the time you need to keep your eyes peeled for celebrities." My friend doesn't know a lot of Korean celebrities, she's only watched a handful of dramas, and the only k-pop stars she knows are those who have guested on Running Man. "Tell me if you see anyone who remotely looks like a celebrity," I had said.

We were in and out of shops before we stumbled upon a group of both boys and girls with gigantic DSLR cameras with lenses THIS HUGE with them. But because they were not just a gaggle of high school girls, I had easily dismissed them with a "hmmm... maybe they're a photography club."

A PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB???

It wasn't till we had walked passed them when I suddenly turned about face and said to my friend, "or you know, they may very well be sasaeng fans." And as soon as we started walking back towards the crowd a huge black celebrity van parks by the pavement and the doors open. I kept thinking to myself, "Oh my god, who is this? Who is this? Do I know them?"

With my eyes wide open, I waited with bated breath.

The first guy stepped out of the car but I did not recognize who it was. Maybe it was the group of fans right in front of me, maybe it was the crazy thumping of my heart, but my facial recognition skills were going haywire. Another boy stepped out and he had hair as bright as the sun. I remember thinking to myself, "Nope, G-Dragon isn't blond right now." I was remembering precisely the god-awful curly brown 'do he sported during Paris Fashion Week and this wasn't it. "Who's blond? Who's blond right now?"

Then it struck me. I finally looked away from the hair and moved down to the face and I immediately recognized Rapmon. I'm not the biggest BTS fan, but for the past few months their music has been on my playlist more and more and I've been repeatedly cussing myself out for thinking Jungkook is the cutest thing ever (because that kid is a baby). And so the moment I realized it was BTS in front of me, I was completely out of it. So much so that the only one I really and thoroughly saw was Rapmon. And by the time I had gathered my wits, all of the boys had already walked into Franck Provost and it was over. I didn't even really see Jungkook. I mean, I saw him, but I didn't see see him.

I was so out of breath that my friend was just laughing at me and trying to take a picture of my spazzing out. Which is why we decided to park our things at the nearest coffee shop, which happened to be Hollys Coffee. We were seated at the second floor, right near the windows, and we noticed that an event was about to take place across the street. A store opening is my guess.

There were bodyguards in suits with walkie-talkies on hand by the entrance, and several civilians waiting at the sides with their camera phones at the ready. Up at Hollys Coffee, there were several guys and girls with huge DSLRs also parked by the window. I had no idea who to expect to show up for the event.

Unfortunately, I'd never find out. As it were, we were already late for our dinner schedule as we had originally intended to go to Samseong-dong via the subway. With a disappointed heart, we cabbed our way out of Garosu-gil to head over to COEX.

But, man, what an experience. Just randomly seeing k-pop stars on the streets is not something that happens to me all the time. Or like, ever. Good times.