As it turned out Yoongi had pulled some strings and got me hired on as BTS's personal housekeeper. I'll be living with the seven men and in exchange for room, board, and what I feel is substantial pay, I'll clean their grandiose condo and see to the upkeep while they are gone.
The fluorescently blue haired rapper must have gone through a lot in order to achieve this, and I am quite touched. He never said as much, not a word had been spoken about what he had done to produce such a position for me, but I know that he is likely the sole reason I am receiving this opportunity.

And opportunity it is. Thirty thousand dollars a year, and yet I also don't have to spend a penny for living costs. Big Hit is also paying my way to South Korea and had already obtained my passport and a work visa. There is even a possibility that they might help me take care of citizenship if, after the five-year contract, I wish to remain in South Korea. Of course, I'll have to learn Korean.
 

And this is why I am currently ecstatic. I have discovered that none other than BTS's own Rap Monster is willing to tutor me in Korean. The other boys, having been curious about their new resident housekeeper, have all sent me Snow requests as well. Namjoon is more than willing to teach me Korean and has promised that he'd have me speaking the language like a pro in no time. I am so excited. How could someone like me be so lucky? Things like this don't happen to me.
              

If it wasn't for the video call with Bang Si-Hyuk himself, and the unending mass of documents I'd had to e-sign I am sure I would still believe that this is all a dream.

The big man himself is actually quite endearing, and it had been hard to remain nervous for very long due to his kindly personality. He cares about the boys. I can tell. And for now, it sincerely seems as if that care extends to me as well. The idea is so novel and shocking to me that I still have yet to truly digest it.

Despite having told the boss-man himself that I really don't have anything outstanding to resolve here that couldn't be done in a matter of hours, he had insisted upon procuring me a flight for two days from my video call with Yoongi and the boys. Sunday I will be leaving America, and hopefully for good. A new horizon beckons and I can't wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
             

Sunday morning has arrived and as I pack my bag I am overwhelmed with the reality of the situation. This small town has been my home for my entire life.
It's the kind of place in which everyone knows everybody by name. Hell, I can tell my neighbor from across the street simply by the way she walks. Mrs. Roberts had, in her youth, had a particularly abusive husband. Despite his death over a few years ago she still retained a limp, left over damage, a courtesy of his beatings no doubt. I am lost in the memories, saying goodbye in my own way. This place has held my entire life up until this point.
After shoving everything inside I take a quick inventory to assure myself that I am not forgetting anything. Two pairs of leggings, three t-shirts, a BTS sweatshirt, a couple pairs of socks, a spare bra, a pair of tennis shoes, and my laptop. Besides my cell phone, this is legitimately all I own.
              

With nothing else to do at this point I decide that it is finally time to face the music. Although I do not feel as if I owe anything to the Tuckers I do owe it to myself to cut all ties cleanly.I make my way down the steps, bag trailing behind me. I am quite grateful. Yoongi has thought of everything. He had ordered me a small carry-on bag with an extendable handle and wheels and had also sent me money for cab fare, knowing full well that my employers would not likely see me safely to the airport.
He wanted to send me money to eat on as well, but I had denied him. I have a little money saved up. Enough to keep me alive until Korea at any rate.
              

 It doesn't take me long after opening the restaurant door to regret my decision to even say goodbye. There, standing in front of the door to the kitchen is none other than Sarah herself.
She looks so out of place here now. Designer heels and clothes creating a disparate image to that of the shoddy run-down diner. How did she even afford those? If she can afford this shit why does she need the money I had been sending her for so long? I regret it. I regret it all. Meeting Sarah. Allowing her to befriend me. And most of all slaving away under her parents so that they would send money for her education. See, Mr. and Mrs. Tucker wanted Sarah to stay and help run the diner.
               

But Sarah wanted to go to college. Without the extra support from her parents, she wouldn't have been able to unfortunately. Although the tuckers were not rich, they were certainly not dirt poor. Financial aid had been a stringent option at best.
But her parents would not pay for college, thus Sarah had convinced me to work in her place. In return, her parents would send the majority of what was due to me, to Sarah. And I had been fine with that. I knew it was breaking all kinds of labor laws, but I didn't care. Sarah's success had been more important to me.
                

She notices me almost immediately, thanks in no small part to the stupid bells on the door announcing my arrival. The leggy brunette is across the floor and standing before me in the span of but a few moments, confusion on her face as she notices my bag.
"Mom and dad say that they won't continue paying me until you get back to work!" She even has the gall to look aggravated at me. If I were a man I'd have given my left testicle for a chance to have chosen anything but stepping foot into this place.
                

"Well, sounds like you have a real problem. I'm moving to Korea. In less than five hours in fact..." I say to her nonchalantly. I am done. So done with this shit.
                

"Korea?!" The next few moments set my blood on fire.
Sarah looks at me as if I have gone full fucking daft. Searching for something within my expression, and apparently not finding it, causes her to erupt into a cacophonous and hysterical laughter.

"Oh my God! You're serious!" I sincerely hope she chokes on her demented braying. "You really think that you are going to Korea! And how do you intend to pay for that?!"
This bitch. Sarah Tucker is seriously blue in the face from laughing like the sadistic asshat that she is, and I am pretty sure she is going to pass out soon.
"I mean, it's my dream to live in Korea, so I'd know better than anyone. There's no way that you could afford it! If you have to lie at least lie efficiently sweetheart!"
                   

No. I am not listening to this. "Cut the crap Sarah. We both know that I am not that naive."
I force the tears that threaten to spill back down, refusing to show weakness in front of this she-demon. "I wouldn't make plans that I couldn't follow through with. As to how it's not really any of your business. All you need to know is that I won't ever be coming back here, and I will be living the kind of life that I should have been living all this time."
                  

I swear to God above that if I have to hear that fucking donkey's mating call one more time I am going to strangle her. I am almost grateful when instead, she narrows her eyes at me in anger. Almost.
                 

"What is that supposed to mean? You act as if I've wronged you! Honestly Emelia you should have known that this is the way things would turn out. You really should have seen this coming. And it isn't like you haven't benefited from this arrangement. You have a roof over your head. I swear you are behaving like such an ungrateful child!"
I see red.
                 

"Ungrateful? Are you serious... you seriously have the balls to call me, ME, ungrateful??!!!"
My hands ball up at my sides then, fingers clenched so painfully tight that they are rapidly becoming white. "After everything that I have done for you... Now you are acting as if you are entitled to it?! You think it's ok to push me to the side and fucking USE me?!"

It is clear at this point however that she, in fact, does feel that way as she immediately loses her temper and backhands my right cheek causing my face to jerk to the side abruptly. "I thought we were friends Emelia"

I know it well. Too well. She is trying to guilt me. But I'm not having it. "I could say the same thing." The glare in my cerulean eyes is ice cold, no trace of the fondness I had once claimed for this girl. "I don't know when or how you changed, but you are not the Sarah I cared about anymore. You are nothing more than a stranger to me now."
                 

Seeing that she was not going to get her way Sarah turns on her heels to leave, but not before directing a scathing remark at my back. "This isn't the end of this. Someday I will repay the favor, and if you think that we will take you back if you fail you are wrong. And you will fail. Mark my words"

With that, she is gone, and so is all of my rage. All that's left behind is this gaping hole in my heart, filled with emptiness. I despondently make my way to the kitchen, feeling much like an emotional zombie, with every intention of at least neatly separating with the people who had been my slave drivers for five years. They, however, refuse to look at me, much less speak to me. Apparently, they heard the whole thing. If I were to hazard a guess I'd say that they probably feel it to be a personal affront that I am leaving. Fuck it. And fuck them too. This is a chapter in my life that I never intend to revisit anyway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                

Before I know it, I am seated at the airport and awaiting my flight from the DFW airport to Seattle Washington. From there I will catch a plane to Seoul Korea, and that particular flight is bound to be long and torturous.

This is my first time flying, and I honestly don't want to think about all the things that might go wrong, but I can't help myself. Human beings are not meant to fly. It isn't until I am miles into the air that I realize I actually really like flying. Well, all except for the part where I leave my phone on the first airplane like an actual space cadet. It probably helps that Yoongi had apparently booked for me business class flights, and I am seated all by myself by the window. My seat even folds down to become flat so I can pass the fuck out.

The child in me is absolutely shimmering with excitement. I can't help but watch the world below with absolute wonder. I have been missing out on so much! Everything is amazing, and everything is such a wonder to me. I truly feel like the heroine of an adventure novel.
                

The flight to Seoul is indeed very long. I actually had ended up sleeping through most of it, however, and so the descent that quite rudely jostles me awake also startles me immensely.
The shuffle off the airplane takes forever, and it is disconcerting to not be able to hear my own language. I'd never have imagined that the lack of English would make me feel so lonely, but it does.

From every direction all I can hear is Korean, and although I am fairly certain I can exit the plain without knowing what is being said, it still leaves me with a strangely unsettling feeling. That feeling doesn't last for very long, however. As soon as I exit my terminal it is completely replaced with rabid and, possibly, quite embarrassing joy when I notice a masculine frame decked from head to toe in black holding up a welcome sign with my name on it.
He is wearing a face mask, but it doesn't matter. I know for a fact that it is Min Yoongi. A singular thought rushes to the forefront of my mind unbidden.

"This is it. This is my new horizon."