[With ARMY④] "BTS Helped Me After I Lost My Mom"

This story is part of the With ARMY series, in which K-POPIT meets BTS fans across Spain.

ARMYs who had cheered on BTS from far away finally got to share the same space, sing the same songs, and jump alongside the group they had followed for years.

BTS, made up of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, held "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' IN MADRID" on June 26 and 27 at Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain.

Elena, 25, and Martina, 24, traveled from Italy for the show. The two are 10-year ARMYs who have followed BTS since 2016.

Madrid marked the opening stop of the European leg, and it also marked their very first BTS concert after a decade of fandom. "I cried because I was so moved," Elena said. "It feels like magic. It's truly amazing and I'm so happy. The world feels beautiful."

What drew Elena in was the group's own creative voice. "They built their own identity," she said. "They produce, they write songs, they work on the choreography. They're involved in everything. That's what makes them so special."

For Elena, BTS carried her through one of the hardest times in her life. "When I lost my mom, BTS was a huge comfort to me," she said, her eyes welling up.

Martina said the group changed the way she looks at the world. "They make me a better person," she said. "I often think I can be a pretty negative person. I'll focus on the bad side of things, but thanks to BTS, I've learned to see the beauty in small things."

The friendship that started with BTS has lasted 10 years, and the two have become irreplaceable to each other. "The biggest change of all is that I met Elena," Martina said. "Today is the 10th anniversary of our friendship," Elena added. The two looked at each other and smiled.

Liliia, 21, came to the show from Ukraine with a friend. "I've been supporting BTS since 2018, but today is my first concert," she said. "Coming to a concert is expensive, so I worked hard and saved up for this day." She added, "I can't believe I'm actually here right now, actually seeing BTS in person. It's a really meaningful day for me."

Falling for BTS also gave Liliia a new hobby. "I found BTS during a hard time. It feels like they saved my life," she said, her eyes lighting up. "They were like a fresh breeze, and they inspired me. Because of them, I started dancing, and I really love it."

Fans arrived in Madrid carrying different stories, but for one night they sang the same songs and jumped in the same room as BTS. After years of waiting, the show was more than a concert. It was a moment to look back on the comfort and memories of the past, and to feel a fandom that will keep going.