hoy – #runseokjin_ep.tour 2025

Currently listening to: The Astronaut – Jin from BTS

You and me, 끝나지 않을 history
(You and me, never ending history)
Oh, 나의 우주가 돼 준 우리의 이야기
(Oh, our story that became my universe)
목적지 없이 흘러가는 저 소행성처럼
(Like that asteroid that flows without a destination)
나도 그저 떠내려가고 있었어
(I was just drifting away too)
어둠 속에 찾은 나의 모든 dream
(All my dreams found in the dark)
새롭게 시작될 story
(A new story begins)

Prompt snagged from: TCMC

Friday was a bit of a shift from my usual routine. My coworker’s husband dropped her off at my place so we could carpool to work together, which meant a later start for me.

I only worked a half day at my primary job because that night, I was going to the Run Seokjin Episode Tour with friends. BTS… priorities.

After I clocked out, I headed over to my Maggie’s place so we could get ready together and carpool.

First stop: AYCE (all you can eat) K-BBQ. It’s the brisket for me. I think I single-handedly annihilated an entire plate. That’s all I ate. No rice, no bulgogi, no noodles—just brisket and 쌈장 (ssamjang – spicy bean paste) like a woman possessed. My friends had a bit of everything—corn cheese, radish wraps, bulgogi—but all I wanted was the beef brisket.

After that, we hit up a cafe that was hosting Jin-themed items from small vendors. I snagged a cute cup for $1.50—one for me and one for each of my friends. I also ordered a taro smoothie with lychee jelly. We also exchanged freebies (bracelets and stickers) with other patrons.

And just when I thought I was done, my friends peer-pressured me into ordering a boba toast topped with marshmallow. At that point, I just accepted that I was on a one-way express to Lard Ass City. Or maybe, depending on how you look at it, it’s just… more cushion for the pushin’. Either way, it was delicious.

Next up: Starbs for a caffeine hit (Americano, of course) and a bathroom break. We started handing out bracelets and freebies to other ARMY fans in the area, and then made the mile-long walk to the Honda Center. The line was already long, but the vibes were great—chatting, exchanging more freebies (I still need to sort through the Blackpink ones, even though there weren’t that many), and sharing stories about how we became fans of BTS.

We stood in line for a good hour and a half before the doors to the arena opened.

Despite having nosebleeds, the seats weren’t terrible since Honda Center is way smaller than SoFi. I would’ve loved to be closer, but dropping a grand just didn’t feel worth it—not when BTS is set to start touring again in 2026. Gotta save…

The concert itself? Magical. Electric. Surreal. Even though it was only Jin AKA World Wide Handsome, it felt amazing. He was playful, charming, and wholesome.

There was a mini game show vibe going on—we played charades and he had to guess “Coldplay,” and everyone immediately started doing the iconic hugging motion (because that CEO and HR side-piece jumbotron moment is now running rampant on the socials). He nailed it, though and we all laughed.

He also roasted ARMY for not knowing Korean, which—fair but at least I could sing along. I was really impressed with the non-Koreans knowing how to speak and sing in Korean though. But now I’m curious if he teases the Korean fans when they butcher English lyrics. Equal opportunity, right? It still trips me out whenever I look around at these K-pop concerts and realize I’m one of the few Koreans attending. Most of the fans are either Caucasian, Hispanic, African-American, or other Asians. I love the diversity and their appreciation for our culture.

I hate to say it but Jin is probably one of the most underrated singers in BTS. His voice reminds me of first generation K-pop singers who have range and convey emotions while singing. He’s also known to have the “silver voice” for his stable breath control and strong falsetto.

NGL, I was hoping at least one other BTS member would show up since they’re all in LA right now, but no surprise guests. Still, I have a gut feeling one of them was in the crowd, lowk. 

The whole show flew by. Fastest two hours of my life. No one wanted it to end—it felt like a dream I didn’t want to wake up from.

Afterward, we caved and bought bootleg t-shirts for $10 outside the venue to give to the friends who couldn’t make it. Then we schlepped it back to the car, made the drive back to my friend’s place so I could grab my car, and I finally got home sometime after 2300.

Showered, changed, and then logged on to work my secondary job remotely for a few hours. I still have to go into work Saturday, but I didn’t mind. Some nights are just worth it… as long as I have coffee, I’ll be alright.