You're Different

Maranda’s POV

“Daesung! I’m going to the coffee shop you want anything?” I yelled up the stairs to my older brother.

“No. I’m running late to the studio as is.” He said as he hurried down the stairs.

“Tell the rest of the guys I said hi then.” I told him as we both left our house.

Dae was my older brother who I lived with. He was a member of the Kpop group Big Bang. Our parents had adopted me when I was only four months old and he was five from America. After I graduated we decided to get a house together in Seoul. I had always wanted to live there because of how beautiful it was. I worked at a small café next to my favorite coffee shop as a waitress. It wasn’t much money but he told me so many times it wasn’t something I needed to worry about.

He was always protective over me. I had dated a few different guys while I was in and out of school but it always ended with them just wanting to either meet him or the rest of Big Bang so they could become an idol. There were a few times where it ended with Dae kicking their ass.
But he always took care of me. Anything I wanted he made sure I got. It never went to my head though, if anything I would sometimes feel bad about it. He let me feel better by letting me pay part of the monthly bills. It wasn’t ever close to half but it helped a little.

I made my way down the street. It was a nice day so I decided to walk. I go inside expecting Kat to already be there waiting for me. She didn’t drink coffee or tea but we would meet here in the mornings to hang out before we went to work.

Kat was adopted too. She was my best friend and sister of Seungri. She was a little bit older than I was. We met after the group started and were inseparable since. When she found out I was moving to Seoul she was ecstatic. She had already been living with Seungri so it made our lives easier.

When I didn’t see her I just went to get my tea and sit down. I was reading the book I brought with me which was Pet Sematary by Stephen King. It was by far my favorite book.
I had just gotten to the part where Louis buries Church when I started feeling like someone was looking at me. I glance up making eye contact with someone across the room. It was Suga from BTS. He quickly went back to his laptop.

I went back to reading thinking he had just been looking out the window behind me. After another few minutes I noticed it again. This time I just glanced not moving my head to see if he was staring at me again. He was.

I hated being stared at. People always were doing it either because I was American or because they knew who I was.

I closed my book. Putting it in my bag then walking over to him. He saw me walking over and took off his head phones.

“Alright Mr. Tongue Technology.” I say crossing my arms. “Is there something I can help you with?” I asked bluntly wanting to know why he was staring at me.

He looked at me a little taken back either because of what I called him or my rudeness. He then regains his composure. “Well. Clearly you know who I am.” He says turning in his chair to completely face me. “So that saves me from having to introduce myself to find out who you are.”

He didn’t know who I was. Now I was the one sporting the taken back look which made him smirk at me. “Maranda Kang.” I said dropping my arms from my chest.

“Do you want to sit down?” He asks pulling out the chair next him. I take the seat calming down from the realization of what is happening. “So Kang?” He asks still facing me. “That tells me you aren’t a tourist.”

“No I was adopted from America.” Is he going to make the connection? He is a fanboy of Big Bang after all. Everyone knew how much BTS loves Big Bang. And they had met a couple times at the Mama’s.

“Were you raised in Seoul?” He asked closing his laptop.

“Incheon actually. I moved into the city with my brother after I graduated high school.”

“You just look familiar. I’m trying to figure out where I know you from.” He then gets a curious look as he studies me.

“Well I’m usually pretty easy to recognize.” I say smirking at him. “But this is fun watching you try to figure it out.”

“So I should know you?” He asks with a smirk.

“It’s not that you should.” I say thinking through how to phrase this. “It’s that most people do.”

“So you’re an Idol?” He says thinking he is on the right track.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “No. I am not an Idol.”

“Actress.” He says getting playful with his answers.

“Nope.” I say leaning on the table with my head resting in my hand.

“Model?” He asks pointing at me.

“There are pictures of me but no I am not a model.”

“Well you should be.” He says with an almost shy smile.

I smile back trying not to blush from his statement. I then look at the clock on the wall seeing it was 9:25. “And our time is up.” I say standing. “I have to go to work.” I pick up my purse putting it on my shoulder.

“Where do you work? I can drive you.” He says standing up with me.

“No need. I work at the café next door.” I say pointing.

“Well then it was very good to meet you.” He says stretching out his hand.

“You too.” I say taking his then bowing.

He walks with me over to the door to the café then leaves. I walk in seeing Bora staring at me with a smile standing next to Kat.

“Was that Suga?” She asked me her smile growing.

“It was.” I walk around the counter putting my purse and jacket away before clocking in.

“So what happened?” Kat asked sitting at the counter.

“Well he was staring at me.” I say irritated.

“Oh no.” She then leans back in her seat. She knew how much I hated being stared at.

“So I walked over said, ‘Alright Mr. Tongue Technology. Is there something I can help you with?’ To which he asked me my name and if I wanted to sit down. He was trying to figure out where he knew me from.”

“You called him that?” She asked laughing along with Bora.

“Yeah.” I said laughing now too. “He still hasn’t figured it out. He thought I was an Idol, actress, or model.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Then I had to come work so that was it.”

“Girl! I can cover your shift! Go back over there!” Bora said pushing me.

I laughed at her excitement. “He left in his car after walking me to the door.”

“Did you give him your number or anything?” Kat asked hopeful but knowing I didn’t.

“No.” I say shaking my head. “I don’t date anymore remember?” I say raising my eye brow at her.

“This is different though. It was Suga. He is already in a successful Kpop group and has his own solo work.” She then rolls her eyes at me.

“Yeah the group B T S.” I say exaggerating the band name. “You know, the biggest fanboys of Big Bang.”

“You’re ridiculous.” She says rolling her eyes at me again.

“And you need to go to work yourself. Get out.” I start waving a towel at her.

“There weren’t enough kids today. I got a call saying not to come in.” She says with a huge smile on her face then snatching the towel out of my hand. “So I am going to stay and bug you all day.”

They both continued with their assault on me about not either getting his number or giving him mine but I just ignored them waiting on my customers.

Bora went on her break about noon leaving me with the whole shop. One of my customers was being very picky about their food so I had to return her sandwich for a new one again.

“Nick!” I shouted back to the cook through the window. “I told you no lettuce on this one.” I put it into the window.

“Sorry, Maranda.” He says grabbing it. “Is it that stickler again?”

I had already come back there five other times because of her. “You know it.” I say sighing.
I then hear the bell to the front door. I cursed under my breath. I was already stressed out with this bitch I didn’t need another table right now. I turn around putting on my face to great them when I see who it is.

Suga. With the rest of BTS.

I smile over at them. “Sit wherever you like gentlemen.” I say to them. Nick puts the new sandwich into the window and I take it back to bitch before going over to them.

“Hi. What can I get you guys to drink?” I ask taking out my note pad smiling.

They each give me their drink order. I walk behind the counter grabbing a tray for all the drinks. I then see Kat slide a napkin to me on the counter. I pick it up seeing my phone number written on it.

“Kat, I’m not giving him my number.” I say throwing it away. “I don’t date remember.”

“Oh come on! Give this a try.” She says to me pulling out another napkin with my number.

“No.” I say sternly to her. “And how many of these do you have?”

She then pulls out a bunch from her pocket then turns her dispenser around for me to see. “I’m out of napkins.”

I roll my eyes at her picking up the tray with the drinks. I go around the table handing all seven of them their drink before getting my pad back out. They each give me their food order. Kookie whispering his to Jimin to tell me.

I finish writing it down then go to put it in being stopped by Suga. “Alright. Have you ever been in Big Hit before?”

I smirk over at him. “Still trying to figure it out?”

“Yes.” He says leaning back in his chair.

“No. I have not been in Big Hit.”

Rap Mon then chimes in. “Have you been to any entertainment company?”

“Yeah a couple.”

“Which ones?” He asks.

“YG and Loen.” I then leave putting in their order.

“So are you going to tell them?” Kat asks me.

“Nope.” I say popping the P. “This is too much fun.”

“I was hoping you would say that.” She says with a big smile on her face.

I go over checking the rest of my tables. “Maranda, order up!” I hear Nick yell from the window.

I go over getting the boys order then going to the table. “So are you dating an Idol?” Jin asks me as I am passing around the food.

“No. I am not dating an Idol.” I say slightly laughing.

“Are you dating anyone?” J Hope asks after I put his plate down.

“I don’t date.” I say to him before taking the trays back.

“They are having a very hard time over there aren’t they?” Kat says to me.

“Very much so.” I say taking her cup to refill it.

“Please tell me we are going to let them figure it out on their own.” She says taking her cup from me.

“Absolutely.” I go over taking refills for the boys and taking their old glasses.

“So what kind of pictures are out there of you?” Jimin asks me.

“Media pictures.” I turn to see Bora walking back in from her break.

I walk over to her with a smile. “Welcome back you have seven at table five.”

“What?” She then looks over at them. She gets a smirk on her face. “You don’t want table five?”

“I’m having too much fun playing cat and mouse.” I say smiling. I hand her the ticket with their drinks on it so she knows what they all had.

They kept watching me as I went to the other tables. The looks on their faces when Bora went to their table to take over was perfect. I was supposed to go on my break when she had gotten back but the place was full so I didn’t want to leave her.

I then see Jimin and V stand up from the table going over to Kat.

Kat’s POV

I look up seeing Jimin and V sit down next to me at the counter.

“Can I help you two?” I say smirking.

“Yes. What is your name?” V asks me with a smile.

“Katrina Lee.” I say smiling at him fully now.

“You seem to be good friends with Maranda.”

“She is my best friend. More like sister.”

“When did you guys meet?”

“In 2005.”

“How?”

“When we were visiting Seoul.”

“Why doesn’t Maranda date?” Jimin asks getting to the real question.

“She is tired of being used. We both are.”

“Why would you guys be used?” He asks sounding concerned.

“Because of our brothers’ job.” I say rolling my eyes.

“Well what are they?” V asks thinking they are getting somewhere.

“Idols.” I say with a smirk.

I see Jimin staring at me with wide eyes. “Oh my God.”

Maranda’s POV

I saw Jimin and V go over to Kat asking their questions. She was having fun with them but I knew it wouldn’t take long if they asked the right ones.

“Oh my God.” I turn to see the look Jimin is giving Kat.

They figured it out. V turns looking at him too.

“What did you say your last name was?” Jimin says in almost a serious tone. The whole shop is looking at them now.

I rush over before she answers the question. “Bora I’m on break.” I say as I grab him pulling him into the back. I quickly shut the door behind us.

“You’re Daesung’s sister.” He says with the shocked look on his face. “And that is Seungri’s sister.”

“Yes. Now shut up and listen to me.” I say sternly pointing at him.

He still has the shocked look but quickly calms down.

“I am not interested in being toyed with when it comes to who I am. I have been through too much shit as it is. So if you are going to tell Suga that’s fine. But I will have nothing to do with him. I am not a fucking step stool to get to my brother and his friends.”

“Maranda wait!” He says interrupting my rant to him. “That isn’t going to happen with him. He isn’t that type of person believe me I have known him for years. And he already is a big Idol. He doesn’t need to use you to get to them. He can get into concerts himself. He has already meet all of them before. Maranda he doesn’t need you for any of that. And even if he did he wouldn’t do it. Underneath his hard exterior is a very caring person. He would never do that to anyone.”

“Jimin.” I say sighing. “He is your friend. You would tell me all of that. I’m sorry but I’m not going through this all over again. I understand he doesn’t need to. But that doesn’t tell me he won’t.”

“Just give him a chance. You are all he talked about when he came back to the house. The reason we are here right now isn’t because he wanted to figure out who you are. He just wanted to see you again. The rest of us wanted to figure out who you were because we thought it would be fun. None of us expected this to be it.” He paused waiting for me to say something. “I am very sorry that this happened. But please. Give him a chance.”

Kat then pears through the window. “I’m on his side.” She says pointing at him. “And you know that I have the same feelings and rules as you.”

“Just get to know him.” Jimin says to me seeing Kat is starting to help him break me down.

I look over staring at Kat not believing she is agreeing with him. “Are you serious right now?”

“Yeah. Just give him the chance.” She says to me.

I continue glaring at her. “I will think about it.” I finally say to them. I grab my jacket and purse then leave out the back to go on my break.

Notes