We’re waiting in line five days to see BTS’ Jungkook in NYC
Not even 90-degree July heat will keep hundreds of BTS fanatics from waiting outside — for days — to see their guy.
Jungkook, a member of the K-pop sensation, is hitting the stage Friday morning for the “Good Morning America” Summer Concert Series at Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield. His new single, “Seven,” also drops tomorrow.
Devotees of the seven-member boy band started lining up Monday morning; by Thursday afternoon, crowds stretched along Fifth Avenue from 72nd to 67th Streets.
“I rescheduled all my appointments,” tattoo artist Kiila Armwood, 35, told The Post. “My clients know how big of a fan I am. I have about 10 BTS tattoos myself.”
Armwood traveled from Poughkeepsie on Sunday, and is part of a group of 14 super-fans who hail from as far away as Texas and Massachusetts.
Many of them declined to give their names because they had called out sick from work.
“I love their message. It’s very personal for me. BTS showed us how to love ourselves and not care too much about the things that might hurt us,” said Armwood.
One thing making it easier to love themselves? Many of the fans are indeed showering daily, according to Armwood.
“Some of our group has hotels, and some live in the area. Some have gym memberships. So we trade off. We go take a shower, get something to eat, go to the bathroom. It just makes it easier,” she said.
On Monday, Jessica DeLuca, 28, took a bus from Boston to see what will be her 30th BTS show.
“They just bring me hope. When I first got into them, I was in a really low place. They’ve kept me going through thick and thin,” said DeLuca, who works in the convention industry.
She and her friend Tiffany Bufis, who runs an Etsy shop with BTS-inspired gear, are part of a five-woman crew camping out.
“I have friends who have apartments nearby, so I’ve been showering every day. We have an Airbnb tonight. We do [the line] in shifts,” said DeLuca.
For the two women, the days-long line is not just an opportunity to see their favorite band but also to reconvene with their BTS besties, many of whom met when the band played a “GMA” concert in 2019.
“We all know each other through Twitter or camping out in 2019. It’s like a reunion,” said DeLuca.
Medical student Hamda Khan, 23, skipped work to stand in line.
The Connecticut resident has been on Fifth Avenue with her sister and friends since Wednesday.
“I do feel disgusting. I’m waiting for my turn to shower,” said Khan while resting on a blow-up raft. “My friends have apartments. We are taking turns. It’s a tag-team situation.”
She’s putting in the time even though Jungkook isn’t her favorite BTS member — Jimin is.
“They have helped my mental health. Covid was a disaster, I was studying online. I found BTS, and if you read their lyrics, you just naturally start loving them,” said Khan, whose social life revolves around the band.
“I would say 99% of my friends are through the BTS community.”
Washimul Sharif, 17 and from Queens, just joined the line after begging his parents to let him tag along with his 21-year-old sister.
“I love Jungkook,” said the rising high-school senior, who was with his pal, Aleema Ahmed, 20. “I’m going to stay overnight. My parents let me because my sister will be with me.”
“I’ve been a stan since 2015,” Ahmed, an NYU student from Queens, told The Post. “They got me through my adolescence, and I am growing with them. I’m grateful to them.”
She’s also grateful for her friends who did the earlier shift, setting up camp a few days ago.
“You have to have a system, or you’re not going to make it,” Ahmed said.
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