December 15th

Krystal POV→

(Los Angeles, California, USA)

"Yeah, I'm heading inside Starbucks. Where are you?" I catch a glimpse outside as the rain pours down on the roofs, streets flooded with water, people carrying umbrellas and wearing scarves and boots. It's winter, all right.

"Sorry, sorry! This really cute guy just asked for my phone number—and I had to–"

"You didn't."

"I did." 

"Oh my god, I have told you hundreds of times. No scratch that. A GAZILLION TIMES. Not to give a totally hot guy, who is also a stranger, your phone number!"

"I know, I know, it's just been a slow year for me, and hey, it wasn't the house number, it was my cell phone number, in case he's a stalker, and won't stop calling our house phone. This way if he is a creep, I can just block him from my cell.  No harm was done."

"Uh huh."

"Enough, I'm turning on the corner now, did you find a table?"

"Yeah, while you were flirting and giving your number to some total stranger, I was in desperate pursuit for a table."

"a booth, yes?"

"Yes, a booth."

"Kay, kay. I'm heading inside now. I'm hanging up."

"Bye." They just never learn, do they?

 Okay, let's get started. Let's check my inbox.

( 2 Unread Messages )

Only two, huh...

[Grandma] Subject: Hi sweetheart, it's grandma........

one from grandma...

[New Uknown Address; Jung Jongwhan] Subject: Hello Krystal, it's your grandfather.

wait...the other is from my grandfather in Korea?

What the hell? Well, I have my grandmother's email, but not my grandfather's. It's weird. Him, sending me an email. Does he even know how to write in English?

I click on the unread message tab.

Dear Krystal,

It's been so long since I have last seen you. Almost 4 years. I am sorry for not visiting the last few years, it's quite a long flight for me to do every time. Calling us is not enough. We would like to see you, dear. Why not come visit us? I will pay for your ticket. I know your sister would love to see you again very much. You should bring Hansol as well. He's still family and it's been many years since the both of you have seen your sister. Please do come visit. 

Yours, Grandpa

. I feel like . I take a sip from my warm coffee that the barista brought over.

"Hey, Krys! Hello!" I look up and see Stella waving in my face. "You ok?" she asks me sitting down, removing her soaking jacket and scarf. 

"Yeah. Sorry."

"What is up? You look like you've seen a ghost. What are you looking at?" She pulls my laptop towards her, I try to stop her, but she gets a good look before I pull it back.

"I'm sorry. YOUR GRANDPA IS EMAILING YOU?" She jumps over to my side of the booth. "What does he want?"

"Me."

"What?"

"My grandma also sent me one. Let me open it." I click on the other unread email.

Dear Soojungie,

It's grandma. How is my lovely university student doing? How are your grades? Nothing lower than C's is acceptable. How is your boyfriend doing? 

Same old questions as last time.

"Boyfriend?!" Stella freaks out. "My old Ex."

"Jeremy?" she asks. I nod. 

"Wasn't that like, forever ago?" 

"Oh yeah."

"When was the last time you spoke to her?" She eyes me with this guilty eye thing she always does. "Well, I called her 4 months ago, and I emailed her a week after that....so a quite a while ago." I look back down at the rest of the message.

The reason I'm emailing you is because it's your grandfather. He's not doing so well. They say it's old age. He is 77 years old. Turning 78 this year. We would come visit but it's too hard for him to fly over there again in his age. Won't you come visit us now? I know you are finishing up your semester and you have winter vacation soon. Why not use that time to come and visit. This time you can see how big Yeri has gotten, she's much taller since you last saw her. I'm sure she would like to see you too, and Hansol. She probably doesn't act it but I know she misses you both very much. She hasn't seen you both since she was 8 years old. I don't need to remind you that she's already turned 18 years old. I'm also aware that Hansol turned 19 years old this year too. I haven't seen him in forever either. I would like you both to visit this winter. 3 weeks is all I'm asking. I love you Krystal so very much. 

Like that, I start to cry. Stella finishes reading the message too and hugs me without saying a word. She holds me as tears run down my cheeks. "You're gonna go, aren't you?" 

"I can't." I can't. I just...

"Why not?"

"I haven't seen my little sis—Yeri in 10 years. I don't know how to face her. I love my grandparents very much. But they want to me bring our brother. Our brother. He's not gonna come."

"Sorry, I kinda forgot you have a little brother and a little sister too."

"I sometimes do too." I hate to admitting it to her. Hell, I hate even saying it out loud.

"That's why you have to see her. So you can't forget. That out there you have someone who looks just like you and is your little sister. I have an older brother too, and there are times that I hate him so much, but—hey, he's still my big bro, and I care about him. I wonder how he is doing. How he's living. I think you should go. It's only 3 weeks. It'll be over before you know it."

I stare at the window, thinking about what Yeri is doing right now in Seoul. She's probably sleeping still. She's probably gonna wake up any hour now and get ready for school. Hansol—he's probably working right now, or probably having lunch right now somewhere underneath a subway track. I do miss them both, very much. They're my little siblings after all.

"Okay, you convinced me. I'm gonna go. But I have to call him first to let him know he's coming." She laughs and wipes the tear off my face.

"Well, I'm gonna go get my drink and help you look online for some flights go to Seoul."

"Incheon."

"What?" 

"Incheon, that's the airport I need."

"oh yeah, I knew that." She says.

"haha, thank you." 

"Go call him already." She pushes me to side.

I pull out my cell phone from my purse and scroll down the contact list to the letter 'H'.There it is. Hansol. It's weird to be calling him out of the blew, what if he doesn't pick up. I need to stop thinking. I push his contact info and press on the call icon. It's ringing.

"Beep....Beep....Beep.....Hello?" The sound of his voice. He sounds like he's walking. In a busy area. I hear the rain pouring on his side.

"Hey there. It's me. Krystal."

"Yeah. I know. Caller ID."

"How are you? I mean, is this a good time for you?"

"Well, yeah. I guess. What's up? You do know it's not the 24th, right? It's not Christmas yet, you're calling me a few weeks early." He's still a smart . "It's good to hear from you, though." He mentions after. It makes me smile a bit inside, to know he feels that way too. "Yeah well, I do need to check up on you once every few weeks to make sure you're still breathing and not lying a ditch somewhere from the night before." 

"Ha Ha. Very funny. I don't do that crap anymore. Just to let you know. I still party and go to clubs, but I stopped doing drugs. A long time ago." Thank god. "That's reassuring." It really is.

"So....?" he grovels.

Time for the question my own stomach is having a hard time settling on.

"What?" If there's one thing true about my brother is that he's not stupid. Far from it. 

"You called me. I'm betting it wasn't just a random thought. What's up?"

"When was the last time you spoke to Yeri?" I knew that question would make him feel uncomfortable. Maybe even feel a bit bad.

Hansol POV→

(Brooklyn, New York, USA) Same Day