You inhaled deeply, the cool air rejuvenating your lungs. You closed your eyes and allowed the cold breeze to caress your cheeks.

“Seoul is indeed beautiful!” you shouted. Jung Hwan exploded into peals of laughter. You shot him a glare. He quickly composed himself.

He cleared his throat and said, “Sorry, but we’re in Gyeongnam Busan now.” Your face turned a bright shade of red. He stifled another laugh. “Sorry!” He quickly uttered. “We can go visit Seoul someday if you like.” He grinned at you.

“This is embarrassing,” you mumbled quietly to yourself.

“We’re almost there!” He gave a wide smile, and his eyes vanished.

The two of you arrived in front of a tall building. He led you up a short flight of stairs. “Am I going to stay in your house?” you asked.

“I’m going to leave you at my friend’s house. My family won’t like it if I were to bring a girl home. Besides, I don’t really know you; it’s our first time meeting today.”

Jung Hwan knocked on the large door. A middle-aged woman answered the door.

“Mrs. Jang, I’m sorry to bother you this late!” Jung Hwan bowed, and taking his lead, you bowed too.

“Oh, Jung Hwan dear, what brings you here?” The woman looked happy to see him.

“I was wondering if my –” He struggled to find the correct word. Mrs. Jang’s eyes instantly lit up; you knew what she was thinking.

“Cousin,” you quickly said in an attempt to clear her misunderstanding. Jung Hwan turned around to look at you. You gave him an apologetic smile and shrugged your shoulders. “Nice to meet you, I’m Jasmine!” You gave her a bright smile and went forward for a hug. She looked surprised by your action but returned your hug nonetheless.

“Ah,” Mrs. Jang looked dejected. You gave Jung Hwan a tiny nudge.

“Right, cousin,” he continued. “Is it alright for her to stay at your house?” he asked cautiously. “She has nowhere else to go.” He added.

Mrs. Jang smiled. “I’m sure Jason would want to help his friend too.”

“Thank-you so much!” He bowed again. You quickly bowed too.

“Does your family know about this?” Mrs. Jang asked.

“O-of course, they said that they’re sorry to trouble you.” He stammered. “Great, now I’ll have some explaining to do if my family finds out,” he whispered in your ear. You stuck out your tongue.

“Thanks, I’ll be going to my new room then!” You grabbed your bags from him and followed Mrs. Jang into the house. His footsteps became faint; he left.

“Call me if you need any help.” Mrs. Jang shouted from the kitchen. She was a really nice person, and she was easy to get along with. You looked around the room. There were many books on the shelf, and most of them were on astronomy. Pictures of a handsome boy were hung on the wall and placed on the table too. You examined his face carefully; he was really good-looking. You carefully placed the photo frame back to its position.

You made your way to the kitchen. Mrs. Jang was whipping up a sumptuous meal. “Mrs. Jang,” You tapped her lightly on her shoulders. “Whose room am I staying in?” you asked.

Her face fell but she quickly brightened up. “That’s Jason’s room,” she said. “He isn’t around anymore so you can take his room.”

“Is it really okay for me to take his room?” you asked. “I don’t mind taking the couch.”

“It’s nothing, you can take his room.”

You went back into the room and began hanging your newly bought clothes in the wardrobe. Beside your clothes, you could see other blue tops, pants, scarves and so on in it. Even the wardrobe was painted a light blue. “Jason must have really liked blue,” you thought. You closed the doors of the wardrobe and combed your long wavy hair into a loose bun.

Your wrist guard started lighting up, illuminating the room with a bright yellow. You fumbled with the buttons on your wrist guard. The connection wasn’t that good, but you could still make out the face of the woman. Her eyebrows were knitted together. “Hey Mom,” you said.

“What took you so long?” You could hear the anxiety in her voice. “We were so worried!” Your Dad and grandmother popped out in the small image box.

“Hi!” You waved. “I’m fine, really. It’s great here. The people are friendly and nice!” You grinned. “I’m staying at Mrs. Jang’s house now. She’s a kind lady; don’t worry about me!” Their looks softened.

“We miss you already!”

You groaned. It was only your first day away from home. You knew where this conversation was heading.

“I got to go. I’ll talk to you guys later. Bye!” You quickly ended the conversation. You sat yourself on the big and comfy bed.

There was a soft knock on your door. Mrs. Jang opened the door slightly and peeked her head in. “Dinner is ready.” She announced.

The moment you stepped out of the room, you were greeted by the colourful spread on the round oak table. You stood agape.

“Take a seat, dear.”

You returned to your senses. “This is amazing!” you said – more to yourself than for Mrs. Jang’s ears. She heard it all the same and smiled a little.

“It’s good that you’re here,” Mrs. Jang said. “I will have company, and that poor kid won’t have to come down every few days now. He’s been such a dear.”

For a moment, you thought about a certain guy with soft brown hair and small eyes hidden behind a pair of thick spectacles.

Author's note:

In case you're wondering who Jason is, he's one of the characters in 'Aldebaran'.

It doesn't really matter if you haven't read it though. You'll still understand the story.

I hope that clears any doubts. (: