"You guys, I'm excited to have our guest for today's show back." Ellen tells the audience from the front of the stage. "Please welcome BTS!"
One by one, the boys walk on stage with Namjoon leading them out. Each of them gives Ellen a hug before taking a seat on the couch and stools set for them. I cheer extra loud for Jungkook as he sits down in the back row beside Jin.
"Now, I feel like you guys don't require an introduction anymore, but let's go ahead and do a quick roll call, you know, just for fun." Ellen motions towards Namjoon to start the introductions.
"Hi, my name is RM, and I'm kind of like the spokesperson for the group so..." he trails off as the audiences roars into cheers.
"Hi guys, I'm V," Taehyung holds up his hands in a cute little wave, followed by more screaming.
"Good to see you guys again!" Hoseok waves his arms over his head at the crowd. "I'm your hope. You're my hope. I'm J-Hope."
Oh my god, did he really just say that?
I snicker into my palm at Hoseok's self-introduction, making a couple of girl sitting next to me sneer in disapproval. I mouth 'sorry' to them, but they're attention is already on Yoongi, whose soft voice can't even be heard over the screaming crowd.
"Hi!" Jungkook waves at the crowd, making my heart swell with pride. He looks so stinking cute up there with his friends, so I sneak a few pictures on my phone to send to our parents.
"So," Ellen starts once the boys finish introducing themselves, "you guys are starting your world tour here in Los Angeles. How does it feel to be back?"
Namjoon tells her how much they love Los Angeles and getting to see their international fans, and Taehyung and Hoseok add in when they can find the words. I force myself not to laugh at how lost the rest of them look, but Jin isn't even pretending to listen, which cracks me up.
"Now, you call your fans ARMY, and they certainly are dedicated like an army, but are you dating any of your armies?" Ellen looks to Namjoon to translate, but he just laughs and shakes his head.
"We spend so much time traveling and working, so it's hard to have a relationship with how busy we all are." He looks around at the group, but none of the boys have anything to add to that question.
"Okay... except I don't believe you for a second." She presses, making Namjoon laugh even more. He must be trying to protect Charlotte by not talking about her. "You guys are some of the most eligible bachelors in the world. In fact from the looks of it—"
The screen behind her flashes on with a picture from the LAX airport yesterday with me and Jungkook walking towards the cars. His arm is wrapped securely around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.
Oh dear
"—it seems like one of you brought your girlfriend with you." Ellen smirks as she waits for the boys' reactions.
"Noona!" Taehyung cheers, and Namjoon and Hoseok echo him while the rest of the boys laugh.
"Ahhhhh so this 'Noona', it's hard to tell from the picture but is that you, V?" Ellen looks between Taehyung and the screen, but he doesn't seem to understand what's going on.
"No no no, that's Jungkook and his big sister." Namjoon clarifies for her. "In Korean, we call older girls 'Noona' like 'big sister', so she is our noona."
"Hi Noona!" Taehyung spots me in the front row and waves happily, and I shyly raise my hand back.
"Wait, she's here? You brought her to the show?" Ellen looks around excitedly and follows their eyes to me. "Is this your um— your noona?"
"Yeahhhh," Jin hollers happily when a microphone is handed to me, pumping his arm into the air for added effect.
Hold on, I did not sign up for this
"Hi Jungkook's sister!" Ellen waves at me and smiles.
"Hi Ellen," I squeak into the microphone nervously. I've always hated public speaking, but this is a whole new level.
"What's it like knowing all the girls in the room want to hook up with your brother?" She asks, clearly amused with her own question despite her serious expression. A brief surge of confidence comes as I see my brother looking over at me.
"Go for it, ladies, he's single!" I look over my shoulder at the audience and am met with deafening screams of excitement. When I look back at the stage, Jungkook is covering his face with his hands while Jin and Namjoon cackle at his expense.
"Sounds to me like you all just got the family blessing," Ellen deadpans to the audience, but even she can't fight her laughter when the girls roar into screams again.
"Noona likes to embarrass me, even now that I'm grown up," Jungkook says in Korean, but Namjoon quickly reiterates for him in English.
"He said his sister likes to embarrass him even though he's an adult now." Namjoon chuckles and reaches behind him to pat Jungkook on the knee, making the girls in the crowd giggle. Jungkook throws his hands over his face, which only makes the girls scream louder at the cute action.
"I think, for poor Jungkook's sake, we should move on before he dies of embarrassment." Ellen shifts in her a seat and allows the boys to collect themselves before pushing forward with the interview.
Once, the interview is over, they move to the second stage to sing, and the sea of girls follows them over. I hang back to keep from getting swept up in the frenzy, having had my fill of ARMYs for the week back at the airport.
"Hey girl," Charlotte pops up next to me with her phone in hand, ready to record the boys' performance.
"Hey!" I smile at the familiar face. "You missed the interview."
"I was backstage watching," she tells me.
"That doesn't sound as fun," I frown.
"Namjoon and I have a system that makes it easier for us to date and work together. When we're at work, he's RM, and I'm their social media director. So I like to stay out of the fans' eyes when he's working. I'm dating Namjoon, not RM from BTS." Charlotte seems sure of her answer, but even she can't hide the fleck of disappointment in her current situation.
"Does it bother you that he doesn't talk about you in interviews?" I press, hoping she knows that she can talk to me if she needs.
"Sometimes, but then I remember that the less his fans know about me, the better." She forces a smile, but I don't push her any more than that.
"I know we're both technically working, but if you ever need some girl talk, I'm here." I look around the crowd of screaming girls, feeling overwhelmed by their dedication to my brother and his friends. "I have a feeling we're going to need each other to stay sane throughout all of this."
"That means more to me than you know." Charlotte smiles gratefully, and I playfully bump her hip with mine. We sing along with this boys as they perform, hurrying backstage the moment their done before the fans notice us.
"FOOD!" Seokjin is the first to burst into the dressing room, followed by Taehyung and Namjoon. The boys make a beeline for the catering table, with the exception of Namjoon, who crosses to Charlotte.
"Hey sweaty," she teases, but he just ignores her and kisses her.
"You like it," he taunts back.
"Get a room," I laugh as Jungkook and Jimin walk in, followed by Yoongi and Hoseok.
"I forgot we're not the only ones who speak English now." Namjoon chuckles and pulls away. "Sorry Jungsoon-ee noona, the guys usually just tune us out since they can't speak English."
"What you mean?" Jimin walks over and puts his hands on his hips. "I speak English... very good."
I laugh, amused by his efforts, but then I notice how his forehead is slicked with sweat, and his toned chest is highlighted beneath the frame of his unbuttoned shirt. Suddenly, my laughter halts, and I have to gulp.
Did it suddenly get hot in here?
"Noona," Jungkook walks up to me with exhaustion written all over his face. "Did you like the songs?"
"Of course, Kookie," I pat his head as it comes to rest on my shoulder. But for how exhausted he is after such a short performance, I'm suspicious. "Jungkook, are you really that tired?"
"I um, I had trouble falling asleep last night" he sputters out.
"I'll give you some melatonin tonight." I pat his head affectionately until he lifts it from my shoulder.
"That's okay Noona, it was just from the traveling." Jungkook insists, walking over to the catering table before I can press the issue further.
I sigh and follow him over to the food, not realizing how hungry I was until I saw everything in front of me. I fill my plate and walk back over to the couches where I find a spot to sit between Jimin and Jin.
"Hey Jungsoon," Jin smiles at me before taking a bite of his noodles.
"Hey Jin oppa, you were great up there."
He smiles at my praise, shrinking back shyly at my words. "Thank you."
"Hyung is blushing!" Taehyung laughs with his finger pointed at Jin.
"Ya! I'm allowed to like it when a pretty girl compliments me." A wadded-up napkin sails into Jin's cheek, making him turn to the source, which happens to be my glaring little brother.
"Jungkook!" I gape I surprise. "Why did you do that?"
"Hyung was flirting with you," he grumbles with his eyes still narrowed at Seokjin.
"Aish, I wasn't flirting," Jin protests before taking another bite of his food.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Their stylist comes walking in with wide eyes, and the boys all freeze in fear. "I know you're not eating in your stage clothes."
"Of course not," Jimin flashes him a charming smile, which seems to soften the older man's anger slightly.
"Get back into your street clothes before you take another bite of food, or I'll make you wear the sushi costumes on stage again," he warns before swiftly exiting the room.
"Guys!" Taehyung looks around the group with an excited smile, but Yoongi is quick to silence him.
"No Tae, we're not wearing the sushi outfits again," he says shaking his head. Taehyung's smile deflates immediately.
"We'll step out so you guys can change." I nod towards Charlotte, but she looks at me with a confused blank expression. "They need to change clothes."
"Oh," she quickly stands up and carries her plate outside with me following close behind.