One Call Away

Kookie’s POV

“Hey! There’s a coffee shop!” I yelled excitedly at Jin and Rap Mon who were following behind me.

Rap Mon looked up from the map in his hands to see where I was pointing. “We can get coffee later. The art museum is right around the corner.”

Jin turns the hand held camera over to me. “Besides Kookie, you just had coffee.”

“But that was the hotel coffee.” I argued. “Come on. It won’t take long to just run in and grab one.” I start to beg.

They both rolled their eyes at me before agreeing. I hurry inside before they get a chance to change their minds. They both went to sit down while I ordered my cappuccino. We stayed there while I drank deciding on other places we wanted to go see today.

It was our first day in Las Angeles and we were going to be here for a month so we were spreading everything out so we didn’t run out of things to do.

Both of them looking through pamphlets then checking the map to figure out where they were. I ignored them knowing I was going to just be following along. I might as well had went on vacation with my real parents from how they were.

Too bad V and Jimin wanted to go see their families. Then I would have had someone to goof off with. I continued scanning the building looking at all the different art work. Most of them were drawings. All of which were gorgeous.

I was looking at the drawing of a group of people drinking coffee by the front door when someone walked in. I glanced over at her and froze. She was beautiful. She walked over to the counter pulling out a canvas from her bag. I couldn’t take my eyes off her while she talked to the manager giving him the covered canvas. He handed her some money before getting a drink for her. I couldn’t hear anything they were saying but her smile was so bright. I realized I was staring when she sat down at a table across the room pulling out a sketch book beginning to draw.

“Jungkook!” I heard Rap Mon yell getting my attention. She had noticed him too looking up at us. I quickly looked over at him hoping she didn’t notice our eye contact. “Are you ready?” He asked once my attention was on him.

Jin looked over to her direction. “We aren’t leaving for a while are we?” He asked sighing.

Rap Mon looked at him confused then followed his gaze. “I guess I’ll go get a drink then.”

“Get me a caramel Frappuccino too.” Jin says to him going back to the map. “Go say something to her.” He says nudging me.

“I don’t know what to say.” I tell him nervously. “And I’m sure she only speaks English.”

“So? You speak English.” Rap Mon says sitting down with the drinks.

“I’m not the best at it.” I say sighing. “Besides. I’m sure she has a boyfriend or something.”

“Just go ask her name.” Jin says. “Or continue staring like an idiot.”

They stopped trying to convince me to go talk to her after a few more moments. I couldn’t stop watching her as she drew in her book. The way her nose wrinkled when she didn’t like something before erasing it. When she would put her pencil between her teeth looking it over.
The butterflies continued to worsen the more I watched her. When she finished her drink she put the book away standing up to leave.

“Kookie go.” Rap Mon said pushing me.

I continued to watch her in silence as she threw the cup away walking out the door.

“Well there she goes.” Jin said sighing leaning back in his chair.

I then notice her pencil sitting on the table she was at. I go over picking it up then rushing out the door. But she was gone. Jin and Rap Mon came up behind me on the side walk.
Jin patting my shoulder. “Maybe she’ll be back tomorrow.” He said guiding me over to the museum. I stuck the pencil in my pocket going with them.

I couldn’t stop thinking about her the whole rest of the day. And kicking myself for not going over to her.

The next day I woke up early getting ready. They seemed to take forever getting around. “Guys come on! She could be there!” I said trying to hurry them along.

“Kookie. Calm down.” Jin said putting on his clothes.

“Yeah. If she is there then she will stay for her drink again. Just relax.” Rap Mon added going into the bathroom.

I checked my hair again in the mirror before grabbing the pencil and putting it in my pocket.

“Have you been going over what you are going to say to her?” Jin asked getting into the mirror to fix his.

“Yeah.” I then say in English. “Hello. My name is Jungkook. You left your pencil yesterday and I wanted to return it to you.”

“Good job.” He says smiling at me. “Now you just have to say it to her.”

“And don’t forget to ask her name.” Rap Mon added coming out with his new clothes on.

“Hello. My name is Jungkook. You left your pencil yesterday and I wanted to return it to you.” I practice again. “How do I ask her, her name and not sound weird?” I said horrified not knowing where to put it into my introduction.

“After she says something back to you.” Jin says picking up the camera. “I’m sure she will just tell you though.”

I continued going over my line the whole way to the coffee shop. Even though I spoke English fairly well I was still scared I would mess it up. I almost run into the building looking for her.
She wasn’t here. I looked at the clock seeing that it was only 8:00. Maybe she will be here soon. Jin took me over to a table while Rap Mon got our drinks. We stayed there for an hour when they started wanting to leave.

“We can try again tomorrow.” Jin said standing up.

Reluctantly I got up with them gathering my bag. Once it was on my back I heard the door bell and my eyes darted over to it. There she was.

I froze in my spot until Rap Mon pushed me. “Go!” He yelled in a whisper at me.

I nervously walked over to her as she set her things down at the same table as yesterday. When I was in front of her she looked up at me then smiled. Her eyes were a milk chocolate color.

“Hello. My name is Jungkook. You left your pencil yesterday and I wanted to return it to you.” I was able to stutter out. I probably sounded like an idiot. I handed her the pencil and before she could say anything I turned around darting out the door.

Jin and Rap Mon came running up behind me when I stood at the corner.

“What the hell was that?” Rap Mon asked confused.

“I panicked!” I yelled back at him. “I said what I was supposed to and then panicked! She probably thinks I’m an idiot.”

“Calm down.” Jin says putting his hands on my shoulders. “We’ll try again tomorrow. We just have to come up with something else for you to say to her.”

“I can’t go back there after running out the door.” I say surprised at his solution.

“Oh, you’re going back.” Rap Mon says. “There has been too much effort to not go back.”

“How about you just say sorry for how you acted and ask to buy her a drink.” Jin says.

We went to a few different places that day. I kept going over in my head how stupid I was and all the ways it could have been different. They finally decided to call it a day earlier than planned from how I was acting.

The next morning was a whole new story. They had to drag me out of bed to go to the coffee shop.

“Kookie come on!” Jin yelled grabbing my arm pulling me up. “You have to go buy her a drink.”

“I can’t. She thinks I’m an idiot.” I say sitting up the rest of the way.

“She doesn’t think you’re an idiot.” Rap Mon says getting clothes from my suitcase. “Put these on.” He says throwing them at me.

I reluctantly put them on before fixing my hair. I walked as slow as possible to the coffee shop. I started to turn the corner to run away but Jin grabbed me before I could pulling me through the door. She wasn’t at the table she normal sat at so she wasn’t here yet.

Rap Mon got our drinks while we sat down. I watched the door hoping she wouldn’t come in today. To my dismay she walked in about five minutes after us. I looked away hoping she didn’t see me. I then feel a light tap on my shoulder. I turn around seeing her standing there smiling at me.

“Hi. I just wanted to say thank you for my pencil. You ran out before I could yesterday.” She then turned around going to her table to set her things down before going to get her drink that the barista had ready for her. She got out her sketch book starting to draw. I turned away from her looking at Jin and Rap Mon.

“See she doesn’t think you’re an idiot. Now go talk to her.” Rap Mon says pushing me.

“And she keeps glancing over here.” Jin adds.

I look over catching her gaze before she quickly looked back down at her book continuing to draw. “She already has a drink. I can’t offer to buy her one now.”

“So just go ask her what her name is and if you could join her.” Jin says pushing me now too.

By the time they convince me to go over there she is almost done with her drink indicating she was going to leave soon. I slowly stand up then make my way over to her. She glances up seeing me and closes her book. I wasn’t able to see what it was before she closed it. She smiled up at me waiting for me to say something.

“Umm. Hi.” I stutter out.

“Hey.” She says still smiling up at me.

“I’m sorry about how I acted yesterday.” I say scratching the back of my head looking at the floor.

“Oh it’s ok. Do you want to sit down?” She asks pointing to the chair in front of her.

“Yeah.” I say almost excitedly before sitting down.

“So I didn’t quite catch your name. What was it?”

“Jungkook.”

“Maranda.” She says stretching out her hand to shake mine. I couldn’t help but notice the drawing pencil tattoo on her wrist.

Notes