CHAPTER 5: First Day

Incheon International Airport.

Korean Air from JFK airport has just landed. Seongwoo got off the plane with a smile. The tip of his lips couldn’t stop to make a curve, showing that he was really happy to return to his homeland.

Seongwoo immediately settled the immigration process and picked up his suitcase. He walked happily past the arrival hall. And from a distance he had seen the man waiting for him.

He speeded up his pace and once the door automatically opens, he shouted very loudly. "AAAAROOOON!"

The man who picked him up immediately covered his face, feeling the second embarrassment by his friend's behavior.

"Well, you never change, Sean! Really love to embarrass yourself in public places and it got me embarrassed too." Aaron greeted Seongwoo with a complaint.

Seongwoo ignored Aaron's complaint and hugged him. Then in the next few seconds he commented. "Yes, I never changed, but you changed. Why did your body shrink like this? It feels like I’m hugging kindergarten children."

Aaron instantly hit Seongwoo's . "You rascal!!"

Seongwoo could only grin. And then they both laughed.

-00-

Aaron helped Seongwoo put his suitcase in the car. After that, he took the driver seat and Seongwoo was in the passenger seat beside him.

Aaron Kwak. He is Seongwoo’s senior in America. New York University alumni just like Seongwoo but in different major which is journalism. Aaron has been 2 years back to Korea and working in a TV station as a reporter. From Aaron, Seongwoo got an offer to work in a tour & travel company where his acquaintance works.

"Woah, daebak! Heol! Jinjja! Wanjeon! Real!!" Seongwoo constantly commented all the way to Seoul. He found Seoul having developed rapidly into a city that is no less metropolis than New York.

Aaron chuckled at his friend's behavior. "You're like a hick I'm carrying from the middle of nowhere. You really don’t look like a New Yorker." Aaron commented as he shook his head.

"Hey, I haven’t been back for 14 years. FOURTEEN YEARS. Can you imagine, Aaron Kwak??!" Seongwoo replied passionately.

Aaron laughed again before speaking firmly, "Well, since you're back in Korea, can you stop calling me by name and replace it with hyung? Don’t forget, in Korea there's that hierarchy, man! Call me Youngmin hyung."

But his friend just laughed. "Okay, I'll try ..." Seongwoo said seriously after stopping his laughter.

Aaron seemed surprised to see Seongwoo willing to comply with his request easily.

But in the next minute, Seongwoo just called him with aegyo, "KAKARONG oppaaa ~~"

Aaron rolled his eyes, feeling regret for putting a little hope on his friend.

He was surprised again when Seongwoo rolled down the window and leaned his head slightly out of the window. "Yah, what are you doing? It's in autumn, aren’t you cold?" Aaron asked anxiously.

Seongwoo shook his head with a smile. "For me, Seoul will always feel warmer than New York."

Aaron chuckled. "You crazy boy."

Though hearing Aaron's outburst, Seongwoo ignored him. For him the view of Seoul city was more interesting. He inhaled Seoul's air as he closed his eyes, trying to feel and collect the remaining scent of Seoul he remembered. He exhaled it out as he opened his eyes and said in his heart, Seoul, are you glad that I’m back?

And suddenly he got the idea. "Aaron, can you take me somewhere?"

"Where are you going? Do you want to pee?"

"Hish, no! Get me to my dad's house." Answered Seongwoo sure.

Though that answer actually made Aaron not sure if what he was hearing was true.

-00-

"Are you really going to visit your dad now?? It's in 4:00 am, man!" Asked Aaron the umpteenth time even though his car is now parked in the field near Seongwoo's old house. "Your dad and brother may be still asleep now."

"I'm not going to visit them now, I just want to see the house."

Seongwoo's answer made Aaron shaking his head.

"You wait here, I'll walk to the house." Said Seongwoo as he got out of the car.

"Okay, but don’t be long! I have to do coverage at 7."

"Uhm. Don’t worry." Seongwoo replied briefly before he closed the car door and walked to his house.

He remembered clearly this alley, where he and Euigeon often chasing around.

He tried to remember which electric pole he had scratched with Euigeon when they were kids. Unfortunately as soon as he found it, their scribbles had disappeared,because that electric pole seemed to have been repainted.

Seongwoo couldn’t stop smiling. Even though the temperatures of Seoul in autumn morning is able to make other people cold, he felt really warm. He was beyond happy to be back to his real home.

And the house he called his real home is now in front of his eyes. That simple and small house was able to warm him extraordinarily.

Seongwoo saw the headlamps of his house light up but the inner lights still not lit up, signing that the owner of yhe house hasn't started their activity.

"Maybe Aaron's right, they're still asleep." Said Seongwoo while still smiling.

Now he even ran a little while put his hands up high. He didn't believe his father and brother he missed so much over the years was now just a few feet away. It's all like a dream for Seongwoo.

If he could, he wanted to yell out loud calling his brother, asking him to come out and hug him immediately. But he remembered what Aaron said before allowing him to leave, "Don’t make a fuss in this early morning, or the police will arrest you and send you back to America."

Seongwoo chuckled. "Yes, I'll be back here later after work."

-00-

"I live downstairs, if there's anything you need just go to my room." Said Aaron while dropping Seongwoo into his new