Page 37 of Idol Prize
Min Jae’s head dipped forward after a few minutes of slumber. Andy put a hand on his shoulder to steady him and, for a moment, thought Min Jae might end up resting his head on Andy’s shoulder. That sort of meet-cute always happened in K-dramas, and would signal the start of their eventual love for one another. But they already knew one another, and had only just recently moved past their rivalry to allyship. Love was definitely not in the cards, anyway, after Min Jae leaned his head back against the window instead. Crisis averted.
Besides, Andy finally had his phone back. First, he messaged his mom and his brother, Noah, to let them know about his new plans for his holiday break. It was the middle of the night in Sac, so he knew they wouldn’t reply. Next, he did what he’d been dying to do for the past month. He went online. He found andfollowed Leo, Min Jun, and anyone else he could think of from the show. Except Min Jae. The guy was a social media ghost. That would’ve been a red flag if they were trying to date or become friends. But they were already friends. Sort of. And Min Jae had so very many red flags already, it would’ve been more surprising for him to be active online.
Temporarily hampered in his search, Andy settled for a quick selfie. Well, two, to be honest. The first was just him, smiling as he made a small finger heart to post. For the second, he angled the phone to catch a bit of the sleeping Min Jae. Not to post. Just for himself and Leo. He chuckled as he took it.
Andy low-key dreaded his next task, but it had to be done. He reluctantly typed #MinDy into the search bar and hit go. The link titles were enough to make him instantly regret his choice.Dream Boy Project’s Dreamy New Power Couple.The American Stealing Hearts On SBN’s Idol Survival Show.Two of Hearts: A Tale of Two Dancers. He frowned as he scrolled further down, nearly yelping when he saw a link to #MinDy fanfic stories. Fanfic already? He would’ve sooner gouged his own eyes out before reading someone’s sexy fantasies about him and Min Jae. He doubted they held a candle to what he’d already imagined anyway.
An automated voice announced their upcoming stop at Suyu Station, so Andy poked Min Jae until his eyes fluttered open.
“We’re there?” Min Jae asked, shaking off the sleep from his nearly hour-long nap.
“Yep.”
Min Jae nodded. “Okay, great. Sorry about sleeping the whole time, but Dae Hyun and Seo Joon wouldn’t shut up last night.”
Andy smiled and held up his phone. “It’s alright, I had a month’s worth of internet to catch up on.”
Min Jae snorted as the train’s brakes squealed. “I hope it was everything you wanted.” He stood as the train pulled into the station. “Come on. We’ve got a bus to catch.”
Andy followed Min Jae from the train into the station, then to the stairs up to the street. He’d ridden BART a few times, so he was no stranger to long subway rides. His breath still hitched when they emerged onto Dobong-ro. He was finally in Seoul, the city he’d stared at through the bus windows the few times he’d been allowed outside of Sky Village. Even when Director Choi took them to dinner after their Chart Masters performance, Andy had ridden in the back of a van with blacked-out windows. But, here he was, standing on a busy street surrounded by mid-rise businesses and shops. They even had a Buster Burger right there on the corner. His stomach gurgled the moment he spotted it. Loud enough for Min Jae to hear, according to his chuckle.
“My grandmother will have plenty of food,” Min Jae said with an uncharacteristic sparkle in his eye. “She’s probably been cooking the whole time we were in the Metro.” He pointed to the long bus stop row in the center island. “We’re headed over there.”
Andy wistfully turned away from the siren’s call of the Buster Burger sign. “Alright. I’m excited to meet her.”
Min Jae let Andy take the window seat on the bus, helpfully playing tour guide, occasionally leaning across Andy to point at something through the window. Andy soaked it all in, knowing there was no way he’d remember it all. Famously bad at directions, he knew for a fact he’d never find his way back to the station by himself.
Strangely, Andy felt almost no anxiety about being on a bus in a part of Seoul he’d never find on a map with a guy he’d only known for a month on their way to meet his grandmother. Part of it was just the immersion he’d had at Sky Village, only hearing and seeing Korean everywhere. But it was mostly Min Jae. Something about seeing him in the wild, maybe. Or just seeing him outside of the contest, with no camera crew teams following them everywhere. He looked lighter. His expressions were a hundred times more relaxed and natural. He moved with a genuine ease that Andy had never seen. Seeing the ice kingwithout his frosty crown made him a hundred times more likeable.
“We should talk about what to expect,” Min Jae suddenly announced, busting Andy when he’d stopped paying attention. But there was no accusatory scowl or angry glare.
Andy frowned. “Why? Is your grandmother really scary? Should I be worried?”
Min Jae laughed. “No, nothing like that. My grandmother’s very easygoing. I don’t know how traditional your family is, but she’ll still expect the basics from you like formal speech and a bow when you greet her. But you don’t need to keep bowing, or hide it when you drink something, or anything like that.”
Andy let out a relieved sigh. “That’s good to know. My mom’s mother is like that. But my dad’s mother would smack me if I even accidentally said something in English.”
Min Jae’s answering smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. His first fake smile since they’d left the dorms. “This won’t be anything like that. Trust me.” He reached across Andy to tap the stop indicator strip. “This is us.”
Min Jae’s neighborhood was more like what Andy always imagined living in Seoul would be like. Cozy, with tight, single-lane roads, cute brick and stucco houses with tiny little courtyards, and the rocky peaks of low mountains thrusting skyward in their backyards. The area wasn’t flashy or even all that new. The houses were mostly well-kept and the streets were clean, but a few had bricks that needed fixing or stucco that needed patching. And it was nothing like his neighborhood in Sac, the very definition of suburban sprawl, with massive yards and attached, three-car garages.
Andy had no idea what he expected Min Jae’s house to look like until he finally saw it. It was perfectly Min Jae–a small, cute, single-story, dark red brick house with white trim and a brown, shingled roof. A little weather-beaten, with windows that hadn’t been washed in a while. A handful of short trees and shrubssprouted up in the narrow front courtyard behind a low brick wall.
Andy’s suitcase wheels clattered across the light brown pavers in the courtyard as Min Jae led him to the front door. He produced his keys, unlocked it, and swung it open.
“Welcome to my home.” Min Jae walked inside, pausing to slip off his shoes before inviting Andy to follow. “Grandmother!” he called out. “We’re here!”
A tiny, older woman with her silvery hair pulled back into a tight, neat bun appeared in the front hall, her hands in bright red oven mitts, with a frilly, blue and white-checked apron tied around her simple pink sweater and gray sweatpants. “Min Jae! Oh, I’ve missed you so much!” She rushed up and gave him a firm, tight hug. “You’re so skinny! Aren’t they feeding you on this show?”
Min Jae chuckled. “We actually eat pretty well.” He turned, gesturing toward Andy. “This is my friend from the show, Andy Kim.”
Andy immediately bowed. Unsure of how low to go, he stopped about halfway. “It’s an honor to meet you, ma’am.”
Min Jae’s grandmother quietly tutted. “So polite! Especially for an American.”
Andy lifted his head. “You already know I’m American?”
She chuckled. “Of course. You don’t think I’ve been watching the show?” She tugged Min Jae’s sleeve. “Bring your bags into your room and wash up if you need to. I’ve got food ready if you’re hungry.”
