Hi fiction lover! Imagine the scene. You arrive at your favorite mall, about to head up to your go-to cafe to do some writing or school work. And then, you see him, Park Jimin at the Dior store, looking stunning in his #DiorSpring24 campaign. Starstruck, you forget about why you came to the mall. You stop for at least a minute, moving on before someone thinks you turned into a mannequin. This is what happened to me last year, when Jimin took over Ala Moana in Honolulu, Hawaii. It looked something like this (thank you, Jimin Global). I wish everyone could’ve seen the posters in person, before the people in charge decided to change the displays. I’m still crying over this. Anyway, I had a lot of ideas after seeing Jimin at Dior at Ala Moana.
We all know that BTS are global superstars. And after BTS debuted multiple movies in the theaters here in Hawaii, I felt that truth more than ever. Their hard work truly paid off, along with the loving way they treat ARMY. I actually got to see BTS: Yet To Come twice. First with my grandma and dad, and second with my mom. Not only did my family love the concert, it really changed me to know that BTS “arrived” in my hometown. This was not the first time, of course, but this was the first time for me as a fan to recognize that impact. (Don’t worry, I’m not sleeping on the time BTS visited Hawaii on Bon Voyage. That’s a whole different blog post for another time!).
Seeing Jimin at Dior at Ala Moana was more than just a dopamine spike. For me, many things resonated. Working hard for a dream, and finally seeing the fruits. Having pride in someone other than yourself. And all in all, crossing paths with someone new yet achingly familiar. The reason why I stopped was not the combination of the pretty clothes and the aesthetically pleasing shots, but the magnitude of seeing someone that you’ve been admiring for quite some time.
As I passed the Jimin display many more times in visits to the mall, I felt the same emotions surge up each time. I didn’t take a picture with the photos, stupidly believing that they’d be up there “for a long time.” But for once in the island of Hawaii, a display changed pretty quickly, and Jimin was gone when I came back from a trip overseas.
Have you had a similar experience? Maybe you saw Jimin in a Tiffany & Co. campaign (those were in Ala Moana as well!). Or maybe you saw one of the other members in their various ventures. If you saw their concert in movie theaters, did you also well up with emotion? For the lucky ARMY who got to see them live in concert, I can’t imagine how amazing that must have been.
Seeing Jimin at Dior at Ala Moana was a strike of lightning, yet as delicate as brushing arms with someone. I know that I wasn’t the only ARMY who was proud to see BTS make waves in the place they call home. As a writer, I thought of a collection of more K-pop inspired novels, and even though I won’t see that exact campaign again, I know I’ll see the Tannies once more. Check out my blog for more posts like this one. I’m not only an ARMY, but a MOA, writer, reader, and editor.
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