Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Ara is a 30-year-old respected PhD scholar specializing in cultural studies and musicology, currently living abroad on an exchange in Seoul. Her world is academic conferences, late nights in libraries, and deep dives into Korean music’s cultural impact — especially K-pop.
Ara is also in a PC Bang in Hongdae at 11:30pm on a Thursday glancing over her shoulder trying not to feel embarrassed as she types

"thirty year old Sagittarius woman, sun sign compatibility BTS and Got7"

It’s 11:30 pm the low hum of PCs and the occasional sounds of soft clicking across keyboards. This is being interrupted by…the furious bashing of keys clearly in frustration coming from the back of the room. Masked up and hood up, the figure in the back corner attempts to remain incognito or as incognito as someone can be as a foreigner in Korea.She slowly types in her date of birth and a brief description of her occupation, and hobbies.

AI : Here you are......... [Loading......]

Ara- Sagittarius, age 30.

Traits: Adventurous, independent, philosophical, optimistic, sometimes (often) blunt (especially when drunk).

Ok AI is a being bit sassy she thinks but she glances over her shoulder trying not to feel embarrassed as she continues to type

"sun sign compatibility BTS and Got7"

Here you go ...[Loading].....

Here is your Zodiac compatibility Kpop Idol edition

Ultimate Fictional Matches
Top BTS Match: Jin (Sagittarius) – witty twin flame

Top GOT7 Match: Jackson (Aries) – explosive soulmate energy

Ara swigs from her hydro flask, choking slightly at the strength of the Soju.
Ok I need to get a grip, "what does this even mean?" She mutters to herself

AI: I’m glad you asked…..[Loading….]

“Whoa whoa whoa” Ara exclaims, forgetting that she has been wearing and therefore speaking into a headset.

HERE IS YOUR PROFILE IN FULL...

💖 Sagittarius Queen x GOT7: Zodiac Idol Edition
1. 🥇 Jackson (Aries) – “The Firecracker Soulmate”
Sparks? More like fireworks. He's bold, you're wild — you'll wrestle and kiss in the same breath. Never boring.
Compatibility: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Ship Name: SagJack: Wild hearts, no brakes
2. 🥈 Jinyoung (Virgo/Libra Cusp) – “The Secret Softie”
If his Libra side shines, it’s all wit, books, and slow-burn tension. Virgo side? You'll tease him out of his routines.
Compatibility: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Ship Name: Jinsag: Elegance & edge
3. 🥉 JB (Capricorn) – “The Stoic Heartthrob”
A Sagittarius tames the cold CEO? Challenge accepted. You spark something he didn’t know he needed......

Ok that’s enough....she hits pause.  Cold CEO, what in the fanfiction.... she thinks to herself "ok I don’t need a deep dive into the entirety of the group this is too much behind the scenes" she says out loud .

AI : Of course BTS [ Here you are…[.Loading….]

“Argh” Ara groans.

Compatibility: Sagittarius x Sagittarius = pure chaos, wisdom, and warmth.
🪐 Dating Profile: "Two Comets, One Love Story"
Name: ARA
Age: 30
Zodiac: Sagittarius ♐
Vibe: Witty intellectual with a suitcase half-packed and a philosophy book in hand
Ideal Date: Midnight museum tour followed by instant noodles on a rooftop.

Her Match:
Name: Kim Seokjin (Jin)
Age: Timeless (but actually 32)
Zodiac: Sagittarius ♐
Vibe: Worldwide Handsome meets Cosmic Philosopher

“Ok this is ridiculous” Ara removes her headset and tosses it on the table, the lo-fi beats doing nothing for her nerves.

Dragging the keyboard towards herself she decides she might as well finish what she started she types in sheepishly…

Compatibility Jackson Wang

AI : Here you go
[Loading…..]

Compatibility: Sagittarius x Aries = sizzling, fearless, iconic
🔥 Dating Profile: "Ride or Die, But Make It Designer"
Name: ARA
Age: 30
Zodiac: Sagittarius ♐
Vibe: Rule-breaking romantic with a passport full of stamps and a playlist full of bangers
Her Match:
Name: Jackson Wang
Age: 31
Zodiac: Aries ♈
Vibe: Streetwear king + philosophical gym bro

Ok that’s enough internet for the night. Ara pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs to herself. Contemplates another swig of soju, but just sighs and leans back in her gaming chair.
Why is Ara drinking in a PC Bang on a Thursday night, instead of working on her latest research paper for a conference? In order to understand the current predicament we need to time travel exactly two and half weeks into the past.
Let’s rewind to the beginning of this potentially cinematic love story....

TIMESKIP - two weeks (& a bit earlier)

Seoul National University

The lecture hall was packed, the air buzzing with anticipation. Ara stood behind the podium, adjusting her glasses, she’s short -sighted, so doesn't actually need to wear them to give her presentation as she can see her notes clearly. However she always likes to see her audience clearly, and it makes her look more intellectual, and isn't academia just cosplaying as an intellectual by wearing tweed. Her heart is steady despite the crowd. The crowd is much bigger than she expected, but that is expected as the conference today is not just middle-aged academics, but there are rumours swirling online that some Kpop idols may be in attendance, sadly her presentation are just 2D versions of their favourite idols.

As she began discussing K-pop’s role in shaping modern identity, she notices a figure sneaking in the back row, a black baseball cap, a white t-shirt, black jacket, a white mask and dark sunglasses. He removes the sunglasses, as he takes a seat. Ok Ara thinks to herself, a bit weird but she's had students wear masks in lecture before, it's very common in Korea she has to remind herself. Ara clicks to the next slide, and she launches into her speech. Suddenly twenty minutes have passed by.

"Finally to conclude I have shown using music videos, idol variety content, and fan-produced media, how we can interrogate how performance personas blur with perceived authenticity, fostering parasocial relationships that heighten emotional investment of fans, and ultimately lead to increased profits for entertainment companies. Thank you so much for your attention."
Ara gives a short bow, and sighs in relief as the audience begins to applaud. Speaking for extended periods of time in Korean always gives her a bit of a headache

After the lecture, the room clears out, as there is a short recess before the next panel, a group of students, mainly young women, swarm to ask Ara questions. She’s pleased but glances around them and notices the man in the baseball cap still seated lingering in the back.
Finally done with questions she gathers her papers from the podium, and glances at her watch. Glad she still has another fifteen minutes of break, she could probably go grab another coffee. Nectar of the gods. The masked man finally approaches the podium she realizes there are just two of them in the room, minus a man she has just noticed by the door who has an ear piece. Is he somehow connected to the man in the baseball cap?

“Your analysis of music and culture is… refreshing,” he said, voice firm but sincere. “I’ve always felt there’s more to what we do than just the stage.”

“Oh thank you”. She responds 

Ara can’t quite tell who he is with the mask and the hat, but can now assume he must be a singer.

“ Oh I’m 1994, by the way.” Ara sometimes forgets the cultural norms here.

“1992.”

Ok I’m going to call him Idol-Oppa, Ara thinks but doesn’t say out loud of course.
Ara can’t help but think Oppa, her inner fangirl threatening to come out. Ara knows that she is considered huge by Korean standards, at 179 cm so she is always a bit shocked when a guy who is over 180cm speaks to her. It makes her feel feminine, and god maybe she should try dating apps again…... .and now he’s looking at her and she's staring into his brown eyes, and his mask is moving which means his lips are moving and oh god—did he say something?

“ I did have a question” The soft spoken man must have said.

Ara realises she needs to focus on the conversation.

What follows surprises Ara is an interesting conversation turned debate on the tensions between creativity and corporate demands, as the masked stranger argues that para social relationships are much more authentic than Ara  had just argued in her presentation. And actually he's not as soft spoken as she first thought, and she can feel herself kind of getting worked up about the whole conversation. And he's very expressive considering she can barely see his face. And now she kind of wishes she was the type of Kpop fan that can tell who someone is just by the shape of their eyebrows.
Unfortunately they are interrupted by an older gentleman walking into the room, Ara recognises him as an older professor in the department. The break must be ending, at least ten minutes must have gone by.
“ I should go,” he says.

“ Oh right….”

Ara didn’t realise her heart had been racing and time had passed so quickly; she loved a good debate.
She realised she didn't even think to ask his name, and was about to ask but....

" Ah you must be IT person I requested, here is my laptop thank you for your help."

Another day, another micro-aggression Ara thinks to herself.

She's dressed in a blazer and everything. Feeling slight frustration she takes the laptop off of Professor Kim.

And as she turns her head to watch the tall stranger walk off, she can't help but admire his broad shoulders.

"Ok, I'm ready to try hinge again". she mutters to herself

Chapter Text

Ara could feel her concentration slipping in the first panel after lunch, maybe the tteok-bokki hadn’t been a great idea as it has left her feeling full and lethargic. She felt like now was a good time to take advantage of SNU’s vast campus, absolutely full of green spaces. Since she arrived two months ago, whenever she felt overwhelmed she would head to one particular spot located in the woods behind the amphitheater. She reminisced to herself as she made her way over. Fantasising about the peaceful comfortable atmosphere, the birds in the background speckled light coming through the trees. Ara can’t believe a place like that even exists in Seoul, a city that is so densely populated. And she managed to find her own favourite spot nestled under a set of trees. Which includes a long bench, dedicated to a Korean poet whose work Ara silently promised she would read one day. It was only a three minute hike which now feels like thirty because she’s wearing tweed. Ara caught her breath leaning against a tree. As she was about to clear the trees she realised that there was someone already there. Someone in her secret spot.

She took a moment to observe him from where she was hidden by the tree. A black baseball cap, a checkered collared shirt with his sleeves rolled up, the man was sitting with his legs stretched out crossing them at the ankle. She couldn’t see his face as his head was bent down, eyes on a book. She noted a leather bound notebook on the bench beside him, on the bench, her bench. Of course there was someone there, how did this man even find her spot? she grumbled under her breath. Ara decided then and there that she had come all the way and the bench was obviously made for two people, it wasn’t a lawn chair. Jutting her chest out she walked over with new found justification. And she parks herself on the other side of the bench. The man who had been deeply focused finally looked up, staring with wide eyes. He looked startled and wary, but glancing down at Ara’s lanyard he visibly relaxed his shoulders and turned back to his book.

Ok, he didn’t say hi. Should I say hi? Ara thought to herself completely puzzled by the situation.As an extrovert she was used to it, chatting up strangers. In Korea it was even crazier. Ajussi’s in the park, taxi drivers asking if she had a Korean boyfriend, someone always wanted to approach her to chat.

There was something though about the atmosphere that made her want to be quiet, contemplative, this stranger somehow offering Ara a place to breathe.

She takes in her surroundings , slowing down her breath. In...out...In...out. A few minutes pass and she finally feels her eyes drawn towards her silent companion, the soft rustling of his paper as he turns the page. Furtively glancing at his side profile, she appreciates that yes, this man was also very handsome, and quiet and mysterious, and what is in the air today? The man places the book down and picks up the leather bound journal, and Ara notices that he pulls a fountain pen from his shirt pocket. What century is he from? She glances at the book realising it’s a poetry book. Ok I’ll call him Mr Poetry Ara thinks. She actually recognises the book, it’s set in Jeju island, and it’s a book she’s been wanting to read. And damn.

“ I couldn’t find that anywhere”

He looks up from his journal.

“ Hmmm?” he said.

Ara realises that she accidentally verbalised the running commentary in her head.

“ oh I’ve been looking for the book everywhere, I’ve tried every Kyobo bookstore in Seoul, but its always sold out” she said indignantly

The stranger smiled, his eyes crinkling in the corners.

“It's very good, it's a great continuation from his first collection.” mr poetry remarks

“Oh I've read his first collection, I really enjoyed how he focused on the ocean, really the sea between jeju and the mainland, it’s a great metapore, metafore?”

Ara can’t find the word in Korean, specialised academic vocabulary always catches her out.”

“Ah yes metaphor…. I appreciate the symbolism too. I wonder when one thinks about the depth of the ocean, it can be a barrier, but also speaks to connection.”

He was so gentle correcting her Korean, that Ara was taken off guard. She normally feels quite self-conscious and stupid when she doesn’t know a word, and the professors at SNU are strict about correcting her. It puts her at ease. His voice is so deep , Ara thinks, and soothing like the stream that runs past her secret spot that she’s now sharing with a stranger. And now her inner thoughts are getting poetic too, what is going on… Ara doesn’t realise that she hasn’t responded back, but the brief silence is suddenly pierced by the ringing of the stranger’s phone.

“응, 응, 괜찮아. 알아. 곧 갈게. 아니…응…그냥 혼자 좀 있고 싶었어.[Yes, Yes. I’m fine. I know I’ll be there soon. No...Yes... I just needed some alone time…] 응, 혼자 있어. [Yes, I’m alone] ”
Hanging up the phone , He turns back to Ara

“ I need to go, I’m needed.”

“Oh right”

He grabs his book, placing it under his arm with the journal and stands up looking a bit apologetic and promptly starts walking away.
Ara is in a bit of a daze over his abrupt departure. And it strikes her again as he disappears from view. That she once again didn’t catch his name. An unfortunate theme today, meeting men without getting their names, she sighs to herself rubbing her temples. Feeling another headache coming on. She closes her eyes listening to the hum of insects and birds crying in the distance. Glancing at her watch she realises it is finally the last session of panels. So she stretches her legs out, stands up and heads back to the conference building.

_____________

Finally done she sighs to herself, as the audience applauds politely for what is probably the most boring panel she’s ever attended. Now all that is left is the post-conference reception drinks and the conference dinner. Thank god there is normally good alcohol at the reception including her favourite drink, champagne. But then there is what comes after. The dinner. The dinner where she will inevitably end up pouring soju for middle-aged men, who will eventually hit on her when they are drunk. It’s quite miserable to think that the only attention she gets is from drunk middle-aged Korean men. She has had no luck on hinge since she’s gotten here, barely any matches, just guys with faceless accounts asking if she is open-minded. She steps into the hallway to make her way down to the courtyard when she almost bumps into two girls right in front of her. Why are they standing still and blocking the way? How irritating.
She peers around the girls to see if there’s something or someone blocking the way. And that’s when she sees him.

Platinum blond hair and tan skin, oh my god he’s hot Ara muttered under her breath.
And tall he must be six foot, and he was literally glowy…glowing?

Ok this is definitely one of the idols they were rumours about on twitter, she thinks to herself. If not due to his looks, but the fact he was walking down the hallway towards her with security and girls holding up cameras trailing him. Ara was the only person without her phone out, and he made eye contact with her as he walked past, giving her a little wave, the corner of his lips twitching upwards.

Did he just smirk? Ara thought to herself.

“ oh my god, did you just see that?” the girl blocking her way exclaimed to her neighbour.

“Wait did you get that on film he was totally waving at me”

The girl who was just filming him as he walked past now showing the footage to her friend.

“Who is that?” Ara asked.

“ How can you not know!!! It’s Kai from Exo. He's filming a university series, as part of his promotion for his comeback. So he’s attending the conference as part of the filming. I heard about it on twitter.”

Ara reminds herself once again that she was on her way to the drinks reception, and at this point coffee is not strong enough and she really needs an alcoholic drink as this conference. This conference which is clearly just a hot guy convention, which is really throwing her off her game. She’s here to network and advance in her career as an academic. Not drool over handsome Korean men like she’s in a k-drama. She finally made it into the courtyard and scans the garden, spotting her salvation. The bar. Glass of red in hand, she now has a shield and is ready for battle. As usual the average age is 55, and as she sips from her glass, she surveys the landscape. She scans the garden hoping to see someone by themselves so that she can strike up a conversation.
She notices his back first. He’s wearing a fitted black shirt and wide legged long shorts and black boots. Not the typical academic look, but who is she to judge. His hair is short and gelled back, and he has black sunglasses propped on his head. She can’t see his face yet, but he’s standing by the cheese board with a plate, and she’s hungry too, so why not. two birds with one stone and all that. She walks over and grabs a small plate and starts to pile on different cheeses. It’s been a minute since she’s had cheese, and this is the good stuff imported from France, bless Seoul National University and their budget for fancy events.

The strangers side-profile is quite handsome she thinks, and

“Hey, how are you?”

Sunglasses stranger has turned his head as he asks the question and now he’s looking right at her.
A guy who is vaguely her age and handsome is speaking to her first. And he’s smiling. Oh god. Shit. Right, she needs to respond.

“Oh hey, I’m good”

“ Ara is it?, how’s your day been”

Wait, he knows my name? Ara thinks to herself.

“Wait, how do you know my name?” she says out loud this time.

“It’s on your lanyard.”

“Oh”

Ara glances down to look for his lanyard and realises he’s not wearing one. Ugh here we go, another handsome guy with no name.

“ I’m Jackson Wang from China” as he puts his hand out for her to shake.

Finally a name.But why is he saying it like he’s telling an inside joke. Well it sounds like a pick-up line if anything, and she feels her heart beating a little faster, as she shakes his hand.

“ Oh right, 'jackson wang' from China I’m Ara from all over the place”

Jackson’s eyes light up.

“It’s a long story…”

“ Ok Ara from all over the place.”

Ara scrambles for something to say “Uhm …..Your accent sounds super international.”

“Oh yeah, I went to an international school in Hong kong. Yours too, it’s quite trans-atlantic.”

“Oh I went to an international school too....... wait I love Hong Kong I had the craziest night out in LKF once.”

Jackson smirks, his eyes lighting up mischievously.

“Oh Wait…. oh god I sound so unprofessional, let me start again” ok pause and breath Ara says to herself.

“So did you give a talk today?”

“oh no I spoke on a panel”

“ Oh cool, which one?”

“Globalisation of Kpop.”

“Oh damn I missed that one I had to attend my advisors' panel in another room.”

He glances over her shoulder and suddenly breaks into a huge smile, he looks even more handsome if that’s even possible Ara thinks to herself.

“Hey I see my friend over there, Ara from everywhere, I must love you ........and leave you”, he winks.

“I’ll come back for you I promise.”

Ara blushes at his blatant flirting. And as he moves around he gets close enough that she can smell his cologne. Weaving through the crowd he grabs the shoulders of the unsuspecting man, who jumps as he turns around. Ara realises it’s Mr poetry guy. He smiles with his eyes crinkling again, even if he looks a bit exasperated.

Jackson says something in his ear, and mr poetry glances over, but Ara hears her advisor call her name clearly to meet some other scholars. So she turns her head. She’s reminded why she’s here at this conference in Seoul. She’s here to advance her academic career and finish her PhD. Instead she has been word-vomiting in front of handsome men all day long.
The conversation with her advisor and his colleagues from Korea University drags on and she sees in the corner of her eye Jordan…Johnson…& poetry man leaving. She is terrible with names...johnathan was it? and normally always needs them repeated. She didn’t even get their instagrams. She sucks. Ara feels her social battery finally exhausting itself. And so decides to call it a day and head home, she makes up an excuse to her advisor about having a headache. Finally she sits on the train home, and uses the amazing high-speed wifi (god bless Korea) as a chance to catch up on her emails. She taps away until she sees the subject line of the email she had been waiting for for months.

"Congratulations you have been selected for the research fellowship at BigHit Entertainment."

Holy.

shit.