Fanfiction We Found Fate [Kim Nam-Joon x OC] *Ch. 1 posted! 8/9/21* (1 Viewer)

[ChiaraStar169]

I'm not going to make any promises this time of continuing it, bc whenever I do, I end up needing to scrap it. lol But do read, like, and for sure comment - I love hearing what you think! (as long as any criticism is constructive, that is lol)

Chapter: 1
Summary of this chapter: Lauren meets Nam-Joon when she rings him up as his convenience store cashier, and he gives her his phone number. That night, they set up their first date over text.
Characters appearing: Lauren, Nam-Joon, Eliana
Word count: 1013

Lauren’s POV

“That’ll be $4.75,” I told my convenience store customer. The woman, who was probably in her late twenties, had come in to purchase some Children’s Motrin for her sick seven-year-old, as well as some other flu remedies.

The woman gave me a five, and I gave her a quarter in exchange. “I hope you have a blessed day,” she said with a smile as she took her shopping bag and turned to walk out.

“I hope your kid feels better soon!” I called after her just before she reached the door. She gave me a thumbs up as a thank you, went out to her car, and disappeared from sight as she slid into it.

My next customer was a tall, young Asian guy with his hair dyed flaxen blond.

“Hello,” he greeted me in a Korean accent. “Do you know where the ice cream is? I was told you sell ice cream.”

“We do,” I said. “It’s on aisle seven.”

“Thank you.”

The guy bowed before me and went off to look for his ice cream, and he came back five minutes later with two pint-sized containers of cookie dough ice cream.

“Hey, you got my favorite ice cream flavor!” I commented as I rung him up. “What a coincidence!”

The guy laughed. “Actually, I’ve never had cookie dough before, but I’ve heard it’s delicious.”

“It sure is! Your total comes to $1.76.”

He gave me a five-dollar bill from his wallet, which had previously been in his back pocket. “There you are. I’m Kim Nam-Joon, by the way, and I think you’re very pretty.”

I giggled nervously. “Thank you. I’m Lauren – Lauren Peters; it’s nice to meet you.”

“What are you doing tomorrow night? Are you down to hanging out?”

“Yeah, we could do that! I’m wide-open tomorrow; I’m thinking we could meet at the Chinese place down the street, say around five?”

“Suits me.” After confirming to himself that there wasn’t anybody behind him, Nam-Joon asked me for a piece of paper. When I gave it to him, along with a pen, he wrote his name and phone number down and gave it back. “Text me later so I can have your number, too. What’s your name again?”

“It’s Lauren Peters, and I will be sure and do that.”

***

As the day went on, I kept going back to my conversation with Nam-Joon. He looked awfully familiar, and I felt like I’d heard his name before. But when and where did I first hear it?

When I got home after work, I called the babysitter, Kelsey, to see if she could watch my five-year-old daughter Eliana during my outing. She answered with, “Hey, Lauren! What’s up?”

“Are you free at all tomorrow night?” I asked. “I need a sitter for Eliana because I’m going on a date.”

“A date?!” Kelsey repeated. “I thought you were still getting over Mark?”

My ex-fiancé Mark and I had called off our wedding a little over a year ago because I’d caught him cheating on me with a now ex-friend of mine. According to his confession, he’d impregnated her behind my back.

“I can’t stay mad forever, you know,” I said with a laugh.

“Yeah, that’s true. So, who’s the new guy?”

I put my feet up on the ottoman to get more comfortable on the couch. “His name is Kim Nam-Joon; I met him when I rung him up at work.”

“Is he cute?”

“Yeah, he’s really cute, and sweet. We’re meeting at the Shanghai Shack at five, and I can’t wait! So, you said you’d be able to sit, right?”

“Absolutely! I’ll be there at five on the dot.”

“Who was that?” Eliana asked from behind me.

“That was Miss Kelsey,” I said, smiling. “She’s coming over to hang out with you tomorrow night.”

Eliana’s beady eyes lit up. “Yay, Kelsey! Where are you going?”

“I am going on a little date. Do you remember what a date is?”

Eliana rubbed her chin and then seemed to have a lightbulb moment. “Oh! It’s when two people go out together.”

“Exactly! It’s kind of like our girls’ dates, but in this case, it’s more serious.”

“Why?”

“This is my first date with a new man, so it’s important to find out what kind of person he is, hence the seriousness. It’s kind of like a job interview.”

“Oh! There’s a man? Is it Mark?”

I chuckled and shook my head no. “No, honey, not Mark. It’s a man I met at work today; I’m going out for dinner with him. That means you need to be on your best behavior for Miss Kelsey tomorrow night. Am I clear?”

“No staying up late?”

Whenever Kelsey babysits, I usually let her keep Eliana up until 9:30 versus their usual eight, unless it’s a Sunday or weekday night.

“Not this time; it’s a weekday night. And I don’t want to hear one word about you sneaking out of bed, alright?”

“Okay.”

A few hours later, after I put both girls to bed, I decided to text Nam-Joon. After he replied to my greeting, we had the following conversation.

Nam-Joon: How was the rest of your shift today?
Me: It was good! Nothing too spectacular happened, but I was happy to get home to my little girl.
Nam-Joon: *confused emoji* Little girl? I didn't know you had a daughter.
Me: Yep! She's five and going to start kindergarten this fall.
Nam-Joon: Ah, I gotcha! I take it you already have a sitter lined up?
Me: Yeah, her name is Kelsey; she’s a couple years older than me and has been watching them since Eliana was in diapers. Are we still on for tonight?
Nam-Joon: I’m game if you are. What do you say I actually pick you up?
Me: That would be cool! Let me give you my address…

I gave Nam-Joon my full address, and he thanked me.

Nam-Joon: I have to go now, but I will pick you up at your place at five.
Me: Great! See you then.
Nam-Joon: You, too.

 

[ChiaraStar169]

Chapter: 2
Summary of this chapter: Lauren and Nam-Joon have their first date at the local Chinese restaurant, where Nam-Joon convinces Lauren to check out BTS.
Characters appearing: Lauren, Kelsey, Eliana, Nam-Joon
Word count: 1012

The following evening, Kelsey arrived to babysit at 4:30, giving me a half hour to finish getting ready for my date.

“Hey, Kelsey!” I said when I opened the door for her, holding Hazel on my hip.

“Well, don’t you look dressed to impress!” Kelsey complimented. “Are you looking forward to your date?”

“Yes, definitely.”

“Kelsey!” Eliana exclaimed as she dashed into view from upstairs. She hugged her legs, and in return, Kelsey asked how she was doing. “I’m good. Mommy, are you leaving now?”

“In a minute sweetie,” I said. “I need to wait for my date to pick me up. So, Kelsey, it’s pretty much the usual tonight. Also, Eliana told me she wanted to go to the trampoline park, so I’d suggest doing that.”

“Those are always fun,” Kelsey said. “I also brought a new puzzle for Eliana to try – one with a picture of a puppy on it!”

“Yay!” Eliana cheered. “I love puppies!”

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Topaz, my English springer spaniel, started barking at it.

“Topaz, place,” I commanded sternly. Topaz shut up and assumed her position on the doggie mat by the bay window. “Good girl.”

When I opened the door, Nam-Joon was standing there with freshly-washed hair and a wide smile on his face.

“Hello,” he greeted, bowing in front of us. “Lauren, are you ready to go?”

“Yep,” I said, taking the elbow he was offering.

“Have fun, kids!” Kelsey called after us as Nam-Joon led me to his car. Before I got in, I gave a final goodbye wave to Eliana.

“Was that your daughter I saw in there?” he asked, plugging the name of the restaurant into the GPS. “She’s cute; she actually kind of looks like me.”

I gazed at Nam-Joon for a moment before I realized that he was right. Nam-Joon had a smile similar to Eliana’s, and they both had the same jawline.

“Holy shit, I get it now!” I caught myself saying.

Nam-Joon raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry?”

“I had a one-night stand six years ago; that’s how I got my daughter.”

“I did, too – I guess that’s why you looked so familiar yesterday. I can’t believe we just found each other again!”

“Me either,” I said as Nam-Joon pulled onto the street and started our drive. “I guess I should probably tell you, you’re a dad now.” I giggled nervously and blushed.

“It’s okay. At least I didn’t find out through you angrily demanding child support.”

“Fair enough. So, her name is Eliana, and she turned five two months ago.”

“Nice! What’s she like?”

“She’s very girly-girl and loves to dance, play with her Barbies, and she’s even in a cheer camp this summer.”

We stopped at a red light, which turned green shortly thereafter. “That’s cool! She sounds like a sweet girl. Are you sure you’re still single? I can’t even begin to imagine a young, single mother with a five-year-old.”

“Well, I wasn’t for a while. I used to date this guy Mark, and we even got engaged… but the wedding never happened.”

“Why didn’t you end up getting married?”

I sighed. “I caught him cheating on me behind my back literally the day after he proposed. Apparently, he’d impregnated a friend of mine and wanted to leave me for her.”

“Oh, wow,” Nam-Joon remarked. “That was a pretty dick move. I hope you and the other girl aren’t friends anymore.”

“Yes, it was,” I replied matter-of-factly. “And no, we’re not friends anymore.”

“That’s good.”

***

“Nam-Joon, your English has gotten quite fluent over the years,” I commented as we waited for our meals to come. Nam-Joon had ordered some General Tso’s chicken, and I had selected sweet and sour pork. “How did that happen?”

“I actually taught myself,” he said. “I learned from this sitcom… have you heard of ‘Friends’?”

I gasped. “Oh, my God, yeah! I used to watch it all the time when it was still airing. What has been your favorite episode?”

He shrugged. “Probably the one where Rachel gives birth to Emma – that was hilarious!”

“Yeah, it sure was!” I agreed with a little chuckle.

“Oh, speaking of babies, how did your parents react when you found out? I hope they were supportive.”

“My dad wasn’t at first, but everything changed once Eliana was born. He’s still not too thrilled about having been a young grandpa, but he’s long gotten over everything else, like the fact that I was sixteen when I had her. What would your folks have thought?”

“They probably wouldn’t have any hard feelings towards me. Of course, I didn’t know until now.”

“True. What have you been doing since our one-night stand?”

“Well, shortly afterwards, I started training to be a Korean pop artist – K-pop for short. Then, three years later, I debuted as the leader of a group called BTS.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard of them.”

“Yeah, we started out in South Korea, and then we broadened our horizons to other countries. This is our first time on American soil, so I’m not surprised you haven’t heard of us. What about you?”

“I ended up finishing high school at home so I could raise Eliana. I met Mark through a mutual friend the summer I graduated.”

“And so, you only lasted about a year?”

I nodded. “That’s about right. Tell me more about this BTS group.”

“There are seven of us in the group – four singers and three rappers.”

My jaw dropped at the mention of a musical group of seven. “Seven?! That’s huge!”

Our waiter came into view with our food, so we paused for a moment as we got ready to eat.

“Yeah, but not by Korean standards,” Nam-Joon said in response to my comment. “In K-pop, seven is actually the average size.”

“Oh, really? That’s amazing! So, are you a singer or a rapper?”

Nam-Joon took a sip of water and a bite of chicken. “I’m both, actually. I’m officially one of the rappers, but I also sing.”

“Wow! I’ll have to check you out, I guess.”

“Definitely!”

 

[ChiaraStar169]

Chapter: 3

Summary of this chapter: After dinner, Nam-Joon treats Lauren to ice cream and convinces her with a kiss into going to one of their concerts. Onm the way home, he lets her listen to some of BTS' songs, which she enjoys very much.
Characters appearing: Lauren, Nam-Joon, Kelsey, Eliana
Word count: 1045

After dinner, during which Nam-Joon and I discovered that we have a lot in common, Nam-Joon paid for both of us and walked me out to his car.

“Where would you like to go next?” he asked me. “I know you and I both love ice cream.”

I giggled. “You remembered! But yeah, there’s a Baskin Robbins over in the next town; that’s always been my favorite place to get ice cream.”

“I’ve never heard of Baskin Robbins,” Nam-Joon confessed as he opened the front passenger door for me. I got in and buckled up, and he got in the driver’s seat.

“Honestly, you haven’t lives until you’ve gone there; their cookies-and-cream is especially good.”

“Well, Baskin Robbins it is, then!”

***

Baskin Robbins wasn’t busy at all, so we were able to place and receive our orders, pay, and sit down to eat in no time.

“So, back to BTS,” Nam-Joon said. “I was just wondering – we still have some tickets left for our Chicago gig, if you’re up to coming.”

“How do you know I’ll like what I hear when I check you out?” I asked with a smirk. “I mean, I do love a good concert, but—”

Nam-Joon cut me off with, “Then you’ll definitely enjoy our show! Please take them, Lauren; it’s either this or throwing them away.”

“But I’ve barely gotten a chance to listen—”

Nam-Joon cut me off again, this time by leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine in a kiss.

“You’re coming to see us in Chicago – bottom line,” he said after we pulled away.

I sighed in defeat. “How many tickets are there?”

***

During the drive home, Nam-Joon took the liberty of playing some BTS songs for me that he had in a playlist. He had actually been right in saying I’d like their music; in fact, I was bobbing my head to every song. By the time Nam-Joon pulled into my driveway, we’d reached the end of the playlist.

“So, you liked it, then?” Nam-Joon asked as he walked me to the door.

“I loved it!” I admitted. “Now I can’t wait to see you guys. Thanks for tonight, by the way; it was fun.”

“And I had fun with you. You’re a very sweet girl, Lauren, and I can’t wait to see you again.”

“We’ll see each other at the concert,” I reminded him. “By the way, what’s the date?”

Nam-Joon nodded in appreciation for the reminder. “It’s on the 24th in Rosemont. I’ll stop by later with the tickets.”

“Thank you,” I said, taking in his appearance once again. “How tall are you, anyway?”

“About six feet. One thing I noticed about you tonight is how your face lights up when you smile – I like that.”

I giggled. “Thank you, Nam-Joon; that was nice. Well, I think I’ll head in for the night now; I’ll see you on the 24th!”

“I’m looking forward to it already.”

Nam-Joon gave me a wink and a smile, and I watched him drive away until the headlights were no longer visible. Then, smiling with gratitude, I unlocked the front door and let myself in. To my surprise, Eliana was still up, watching “Spirit” with Kelsey.

“Kelsey, what’s my daughter doing up?” I asked suspiciously.

“I had a bad dream,” Eliana confessed.

“She really did,” Kelsey added. “She came downstairs a few minutes ago and told me this, so I put on ‘Spirit’ to calm her into going back to bed.”

I sighed. “Eliana, you really need to go back to sleep; it’s 9:30.”

“Okay,” Eliana said reluctantly.

“So, tell me about your hot date,” Kelsey prompted me. “You went to the Shanghai Shack, right?”

“We did,” I said. “We also went to Baskin Robbins for dessert, and he actually kissed me!”

Kelsey’s jaw dropped. “You’re lying! On the first date?! What provoked this?”

“Well, it was really a spontaneous move – he was shutting me up because I refused his offer to let me see his band, BTS. But then, he played some of their music on the way home, and I changed my mind.”

“Aw, that was sweet of him! Can I come? I do love a good concert.”

“Me too!” Eliana chimed in.

“That was actually my plan,” I said. “He gave me three tickets, so I’m going to take both of you with me.”

“Awesome! What’s their music like?” Kelsey asked.

“Oh, you’d probably really like them. The lyrics are a little hard to understand because it’s mostly in Korean, but it’s a good mix of pop and rap.”

“That’s cool!” Kelsey yawned and stretched. “Well, I’m about ready to head home; I’m pooped after having so much fun with the girls. I’m glad your date went well, though.”

“Thank you,” I said, reaching for my wallet and producing a $20 bill to give Kelsey as payment. “Have a good night!”

Kelsey turned Eliana’s show off, much to her disappointment, and got up to leave. “You, too.”

As soon as Kelsey walked out and closed the door behind her, I told Eliana to go back to her room so I could tuck her in.

“Mommy?” she asked when we were both in her bedroom.

“Yeah, sweetie?” I returned.

“You’re not going to see that man again, are you?”

I lovingly ran my fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead. “I’m afraid so, and from the looks of it, we’ll probably be together for quite a long time… but you’d really like him, though – he’s so much better than Mark was.”

Eliana pouted. “I don’t want a new daddy!”

“Well, this man wouldn’t exactly be a ‘new’ daddy for you; he’s technically your biological father.”

“What’s bye-loggle?”

“It’s a fancy way of saying he helped create you. I’m sure you’ll come around when you meet him.” I looked at my watch to discover that it was now almost ten. “Close your eyes and go to sleep now; it’s almost two hours past your bedtime.”

“Can I have Cupcake?” Eliana asked, referring to her stuffed gray kitten.

“Of course!” I found Cupcake on the floor next to the bed and gave it to Eliana. Then, I kissed her goodnight, turned off her lamp, and closed the door softly as I crept out.

 

[ChiaraStar169]

Chapter 4

Summary of this chapter: Lauren takes Kelsey and Eliana to Chicago for the concert, as well as to visit Lauren's sister Jordan and her kids. At the venue, Jin develops a crush on Kelsey and asks her out.
Word count: 801

On Friday, Kelsey, Eliana, and I flew up to Chicago for the concert. My twin sister Jordan lives in Elmhurst, twenty minutes southwest of Rosemont, so booking a hotel wasn’t necessary since Eliana and I would be staying with her.

It was ten in the morning when we arrived, and once we got our rental car, I drove us down to Jordan’s house. When we got there and I rang the doorbell, it was answered by Jordan, who had her seven-month-old daughter Hazel on her hip and three-year-old Carter by her side.

“Well, look who the cat dragged out of Carterville!” Jordan greeted, giving hugs to me and Eliana and letting us in. “Eliana, how do you like your cheer camp?”

“She loves it,” I answered for her as I crouched down to Carter’s level. “Hi, bud! How are you?”

“I’m good,” Carter said. “Can I play with Ellie?”

“You sure may! Eliana, do you want to play with your cousin?”

“Okay!” Eliana cheered, following Carter to the playroom.

“So, what’s the occasion, and who’s your friend?” Jordan asked me. Meanwhile, Hazel started fussing and reaching her arms out to me, so I held her in my lap as we sat on the living room couch.

“Well, I recently started seeing a new guy, and apparently, he’s in a band,” I said. “His name is Nam-Joon.”

“And I’m Kelsey,” Kelsey said, shaking Jordan’s hand. “I’m Eliana’s babysitter, but yeah, Lauren and I are also good friends.”

“Well, look at you, sis! I take it he’s Korean?”

“He is,” I said. “We’re here to see his band perform tonight.”

Jordan gasped. “He’s in a band and gave you tickets?! What a man! So, is the music all in Korean?”

“It’s a group called BTS; most of the music is Korean, but some of it is in English. I think you’d love it because there’s some of your favorite hip-hop incorporated into it.”

Jordan laughed. “You know me too well. Kelsey, how long have you been babysitting Eliana?”

The chat continued until it was almost time to leave, so when we were done, I went to the playroom and said goodbye to Eliana.

“I’m leaving with Kelsey for the night, El. Be good for Aunt Jordan, alright?” I requested of her. “That means doing everything she tells you and being nice to Carter and Hazel.”

“Okay, Mommy,” Eliana said, seemingly paying more attention to playing with Carter and his toy cars. I shook my head in amusement and went back upstairs.

***

Kelsey and I got to the venue at six, just as the doors were opening. When it was our turn in the security line, I told the guard that I was with the band, making sure to show him my backstage passes.

“Oh, that’s cool!” the security guard remarked. “Which one invited you?”

“Nam-Joon; we actually go like six years back, but we just found each other again.”

“Nice!”

The security guard told us how to get to the backstage area, where we heard laughter as the guys had a conversation in Korean. The talking stopped when Nam-Joon spotted us.

“Hello, ladies,” he greeted with a bow. “Lauren, tell me who you brought with you.”

“You remember Kelsey from our date, right?” I asked.

“Ah, yes – your daughter’s sitter. I’m pleased to finally meet you, Kelsey.” He courteously bowed before her. “I’m Kim Nam-Joon, the leader of BTS.”

“Same to you, Nam-Joon,” Kelsey returned, shaking his hand. “Would you mind introducing everyone else?”

“Sure thing!” Nam-Joon listed off everyone’s names, indicating who was whom by pointing at that member.

~~~~~

Kelsey’s POV

“You are cute,” Jin said to me upon introduction. “But Kelsey is boy name, yes?”

“Actually, it’s used for both genders,” Lauren corrected. “In fact, it’s more common here for girls than it is for boys.”

“Ah, okay. I did not know.”

“It’s alright,” I said. “You’re not from an English-speaking country, so how would you know?”

“Thank you, Kelsey. You are sweet girl, and cute. Are you single?”

I blushed. “Yes, I’m single. Do you have a crush on me?”

“Well… in a way, I guess. Maybe we could hang out together, is that okay? Let’s say after show.”

“Yeah, I can do that. What did you have in mind?”

“On our way, I saw a place called Drunken Sailor; what is that?”

“It’s a nightclub,” Lauren chimed in. “My sister says it’s the best in town.”

“Oh! I like drinks and dance. Will you like, Kelsey?”

“Sure!” I agreed. “I’m always up for some dancing. The show ends at like eleven, right?”

Jin and I continued to hash out the details of our date, ultimately deciding on the two of us meeting backstage after the show and going to the Drunken Sailor for a couple of hours.