He woke up and he saw her still sleeping. He reached for the photo, and he smiled. They did look good together. He wanted to take the photo back, at least he had something he could remember her, his beautiful Ji Hyo. She stirred, he quickly hid the photo and went to wash up.

She woke up and saw he was already waiting for her. She smiled sheepishly and went to the bathroom. She felt her watch vibrate again, two more days, another two more days.

“Where to today,” she wondered, she was running out of idea. She quickly washed up, maybe he would had some idea. “How could I forget Namsan tower!!” she exclaimed.

She ran out of the washroom and hurried him. “Let’s go, I know where we can find a lot of couples.” They left the hostel, picking up sandwiches along the way to Namsan. They choose to hike their way up. They slowly walked up the hill, the trees had turned yellow, brown and red. It was beautiful.

“Autumn is always so beautiful.” She said.

“Yeah, it’s my favourite season. I love the different shades of leaves.” He said. “I used to see mountains of autumn leaves in the army. It always calms me down. I love it when the cool autumn breeze blew the leaves off the trees, it was like rain”

“Yeah, we no longer had natural seasons. We could choose the seasons we love most and stay there. I lived in autumn place, The leaves always hang on the trees and never fell down.”

A gentle breeze raffled the trees, the leaves came falling down. Ji Hyo saw the beautiful sight and tried to catch the fallen leaves. She was like a kid, giggling uncontrollably. “You are right, it’s beautiful.” She collected some of the leaves, “I am going to keep them.” She saw a piled of leaves, she pulled Jong Kook and ran towards it, “Hurray!” she jumped into it. Some of leaves flew up, it was a gorgeous view. She was so pretty and innocent, he knew he would miss her and he will love autumn forever, autumn will remind him of her.  

They reached the top and Namsan tower came into view. They went to visit the top of the tower, they could see the whole Seoul.  If he was impressed with the ferris wheel, he was now in awe of the modern technology. He saw flyovers with cars zooming on them. He also saw high rise building every where. “It will be more impressive at night. You can see all the lights from the city.” Ji Hyo said.

“But been here a few days, I couldn’t see the starry nights,” commented Jong Kook.

“That is because the lights are too bright. Gain some lost some.” Replied Ji Hyo. They came down from the tower and Ji Hyo bought him to the platform where lovers’ locks were all over the platform.  They saw a couple, putting their locks on the fence.. They put their hands together and wished they were together before they threw the keys away. The man hugged the woman and whisper somethings in her ear. She giggled and they left. They decided to follow the couple for a while. The man took the woman to a more secluded spot and start to kiss the woman, then his man hand disappear under the woman clothing. Ji Hyo and Jong Kook quickly turned and headed back to the platform. Jong Kook was shaking his head. The man didn’t seem to be in love with the woman.

They decided to sit around the pavilion.  There was a group of people sitting around. Jong kook saw one of the man’s eye was looking longingly at a woman, but the woman arm was around another guy. When the woman behaved more intimate with her boyfriend, the man eyes showed jealousy. Then they noticed he sighed and looked away, his eyes grew sorrowed and left the group. They felt pity for the guy but the woman and her boyfriend did look in love and both seem to care deeply for each other.

“What if you fall for someone who didn’t love you.” Ji Hyo asked.

“Nothing, I will walk away and prevent myself to get in more” he replied. “It is the best for each other”

“What if you discover too late and you couldn’t stop loving her” she wanted to know more.

“Since she found the best person she loved, I will give her my blessing and walked away.”

“What if she didn’t met the best person, will you make her yours?”

“I don’t know. He may not be the best person but as long as he the best person for her, she had my blessing.”

“I think you are not a human, you are too prefect.” He didn’t know whether she was praising him or scolding him.

“Let’s go, I am getting bored.” She said.

“To where?” he asked.

“Where you want to go?” she asked.

“I only knew there is a palace in Seoul.” He answered.
“How about we visit area around the university?” she asked.

“I am ok.” He wanted to say he will be ok anywhere as long as it was with her, but he couldn’t say it out loud.

They were in the university town in no time, they choose a place for lunch. “Where can we observed people and yet discreet?” She saw a café, “Let’s go there”

The café was a zoo theme café on the 2^nd floor overlooking a busy street of hong dae. It reminded him the day they spent at the park looking at the various animals. They could see people walking up and down on the streets. Groups of youngster were talking loudly as they passed by downstairs. They watched the couples strolled by.

Most of the couples were didn’t manage to catch her eyes, they are just normal couples.

“Sigh .. not much romance here also.” She felt frustrated.

“I thought they are ok. Normal people, normal love life” he said

“I know, but they didn’t show me what the difference between now then then.” She said

“Maybe there no difference, we just called it a different name.”

The night grew deep and she went back hostel feeling she didn’t accomplish anything.