Strings

Episode 4: Curiosity

**Mauve's POV**

There’s nothing really interesting happening in my life just the usual routine: work, work, and more work, with the occasional dinner date with friends. One fine evening, when we went to a restaurant, there was this song playing in the background. I didn’t know the name, but somehow it got stuck in my head.

We enjoyed the rest of the evening, gossiping and laughing like always, clicking pictures to capture the moments. But that song, it lingered in my mind. When I got home, I decided to Shazam it. After finishing dinner and our conversations, we chose to stroll around instead of taking cabs home. It was fun, we were laughing so hard like it was the last night of our lives. People were staring and judging us, and we could feel it in their eyes.

Lisa: “Do you think they’re judging us?”

Nia: “Let them. Judging is their job.”

Me: “Yeah, we’re making memories, they can’t ruin that for us.”

We just ignored the stares and continued our little stroll until we finally got tired and decided to call it a day.

At home, I quickly freshened up, took a hot shower to relax my aching muscles, and prepared some detox tea. While sipping the tea, I searched for the song and on the first try, I got it. It was by a K-Pop boy band called BitiBiti.

I liked the song a lot and listened to it again before falling asleep. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

A few days passed. One day at work, I was humming that song when a well-known colleague smiled and said,

“Oh, you like BitiBiti? My daughter is a huge fan too!”

That comment made me happy and sparked my curiosity to learn more about the band. I started with their songs and instantly fell in love. My colleagues were surprised because after that day, I kept grooving and singing BitiBiti songs nonstop. Slowly, I was becoming a Bell, that’s what BitiBiti’s fandom is called. One day, it hit me: I didn’t even know the members' names! What a shame! So I made a list:

* Kim Nami

* Kim Se-Jan

* Min Yun

* Jung Ho-Sungh

* Park Jim

* Kim TaeV

* Jeon Kook

I had to take lessons to memorize their names and match them to their faces. It took days. My YouTube feed started suggesting all kinds of BitiBiti-related videos, and I spent hours watching interviews, dance practices, and fan edits. Watching those videos made me feel at ease like never before. It was a mix of happy tears and relief. I read about their struggles and could relate to mine. It felt like a connection was forming between me and BitiBiti and it was beautiful.

But there was one thing I couldn’t understand. That pull I had felt before it wasn’t just stronger now; it was almost overwhelming.

One afternoon, I was talking to my best friend over coffee.

Me:“You know, I think I’m becoming obsessed with BitiBiti. Their music, their story… it just hits me somewhere.”

Lisa: “Sounds like you found something that speaks to your soul.”

Me: “Yeah, but there’s this weird pull. It’s like they’re connected to something bigger—like a destiny or something.”

Lisa: “Maybe you’re meant to discover something through them. Or maybe it’s just your heart trying to tell you to open up more.”

Me: “Maybe… but it’s different this time. It’s not just a fan thing.”

I smiled, unsure whether to be excited or scared. The more I dove into BitiBiti’s world, the more I realized this was no ordinary fandom, it was becoming part of my life, part of my journey.

And the pull? It was only growing stronger.