C h a p t e r  1: Misplaced

"Thank you for flying with SM Airlines. We hope that your stay in Seoul will be one to remember and hope to see you again." The pilot stated through the intercom as the plane descended.

Returning from a business trip in America, Sulli was exhausted and depleted of all energy. Becoming a business manager at her age was a feat unheard of. Sulli was able to crawl up the ranks quickly, and the reason was simple––she loved her job and was good at it. She always offered to go on business trips, taking some time away from Seoul to see the unknown, but her job was busy. For multiple nights, Sulli fought the torment of jet lag, finally managing to get over it, but needing to return back to her homeland of South Korea. She thought she would have gotten used to it by now, having been on multiple business trips since she began working, but that was not the case.

Patiently sitting in her airplane seat, she watched as the Seoul skyline approached, augmenting by the minute. Gathering her belongings from below her airplane seat, she carefully placed them back in her carry-on luggage as the low rumble of the plane rang through her ears. The runway reached closer and closer until she felt the sudden jerk of the airplane wheels striking onto the ground. Smiling to herself, she knew she was back home. 

After waiting for the speakers to announce that the plane had finally stopped moving, Sulli brought her luggage down from the overhead compartments. Flattening her hair, which had been ruined through her sleepless tosses and turns on the airplane seats, she combed her fingers through her hair to untangle the mess. As she stood up, her legs shook as standing up became an unknown sensation after sitting for fourteen hours. She struggled to grab her luggage and set it on the ground, trying to refrain from hitting anyone. As she slowly set her luggage on the floor, a painful blow struck her head. Looking to her right, a man about her age was clutching his luggage tightly as a look of penitence spread on his face. 

Sulli brought her hand to her head as she tried to dull out the pain. She was irritated that the man did not watch for her presence, however decided to dust it off knowing that she was low on sleep and thus easily annoyed.

"I am so sorry!" He remarked in concern. "Gwenchana?"

Sulli hated interacting with strangers in non-business settings, so she merely nodded and quickly walked down the aisle with her carry-on luggage. Exiting the plane, she lost sight of the man as she followed the crowd of passengers through the airport towards the baggage claim area. Swiftly, Sulli took out her airplane ticket to check which gate her luggage would be at: G17. Following the signs, her feet led her to the conveyor belt which was constantly spitting out new luggage. Taking her phone from out of her pocket, she checked the time, 8:10 a.m. She had just enough time to return to her apartment and meet up with her childhood friend, Krystal. As she focused on the baggage claim area, her phone vibrated in her hand lighting up with Krystal's name.

"Krystal?" Sulli tried to hear the other side of the phone line, over all of the loud-speakers and white noise in the airport.

"It's me. Are you off the plane?" Krystal was one of the few who knew that Sulli suffered from pistanthrophobia, and one of the few people that Sulli genuinely trusted.

"I'm at the baggage claim. I should be home around 9:30." Sulli replied as she continued to stare at the revolving baggage claim. Hearing the thud of luggage, she suddenly saw her gray baggage drop out onto the revolving belt. "Oh, I found my luggage. I'll call you back when I'm in the car." Hanging up the phone, Sulli went to reach for her luggage. In a rush, Sulli hoped to meet Krystal as soon as possible, forgetting to check the luggage tag for her name.

Walking out of the airport, she hurriedly rushed to her car as she placed both of her luggage in the back trunk. Sliding her phone out she texted Krystal, "I'm on my way, just meet me in my apartment."

Igniting the car engine, Sulli drove away from Seoul Airport with an air of relief. With a small glint on her face, the corner of her eyes crinkled as she realized that she had accomplished yet another business trip.

------------------------

Entering her apartment, she was welcomed by Krystal's open arms. Sulli's lips parted as Krystal pulled her into a tight embrace. "How was the business trip?" Krystal wondered as she assisted Sulli with her luggage.

"It was great!" Sulli replied cheerfully as she set her keys down on her shoe stand. "I helped to come up with a new advertisement that the top executives approved so this might get me a promotion."

"I'm so proud of you Sulli. I wish I was as smart as you." 

"And I wish I had your looks." Sulli retorted as she always envied Krystal's natural flowing hair and perfect smile.

"Sulli, come on, you're not ugly!" Trying to act casually, Krystal looked at her nails as she changed the subject, "Did you meet anyone new?"

Sulli was in the process of unpacking her luggage as she heard the question. Momentarily stopping, she looked at Krystal. "I'm not in the mood to meet anyone new." She sighed as she sat down on the couch. "Plus, it's a business trip so it's pure business."

"Sulli, you have to move on from Myungsoo." Krystal softly said as she solaced Sulli.

"I know." Sulli replied as she heaved a sigh. "I'm just not ready to go through the same things, and with my mom putting me on all these blind dates I just can't...I mean she set up a blind date for me tomorrow!"

"Why not, we finish unpacking your suitcases and then we go eat out at your favorite place." Krystal offered as she tried to lighten up the mood. Sulli bitterly smiled in return as they began opening Sulli's other suitcase.

"I just don't get my mother." Sulli remarked as she ped her checked baggage. "I'm twenty-three for god's sake, what's the rush?"

Krystal shrugged in return as she commented, "Maybe she doesn't want you to be an old maid."

Sulli looked over at Krystal and pouted, "Yah Krystal! You're so mean to me." Silently sulking to herself, Sulli expected to see her hand lotions and other makeup products, however, instead of her clothing and toiletries, Sulli was welcomed with men's shirts and shorts. Staring in disbelief, Sulli groaned feeling a wave of humiliation wash over. "No way!" Tilting her head, she saw a corner of a picture tightly tucked under a navy polo shirt. Carefully extracting it, she observed it. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?" Krystal asked as she was busy with Sulli's other suitcase.

Checking the luggage tag, Sulli felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. She internally shook her head as she tried to re-read the tag once more, but nothing changed. The name was still on the tag in jet black ink, neatly written, 'Choi Minho'. Looking at the photo of the stranger, Sulli began to piece things together as her mind formed a hazy image of being on the plane. Then, she remembered, "The guy on the plane," she thought as she covered her face with her hands in distress. "Krystal..." Sulli half whined as she brought Minho's picture out. "Do you happen to know this person?"

Krystal turned around as she scrunched up her face. "Ani, is he a famous model that I happen to not know about?" Pausing, Krystal eyes sent a weird glint as she smirked, "Or, did you actually meet someone new?" Teasing Sulli was always Krystal's thing, and she never ceased to stop.

Sulli's eyes widened as she persistently shook her head. "Krystal, of course not!" Smacking Krystal on the arm, Sulli asserted, "Don't jump to conclusions."

"Then who is he?" Krystal replied as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Krystal, seriously!" Sulli sulked. "So, the story is kind of––" Placing her finger to her chin, Sulli paused. "It's kind of funny."

"Oh no, Sulli what did you do? Did you lose your passport?" Krystal began to rummage around the luggage to find it, only to be stopped by Sulli's arm.

"No." Tilting her head, her voice slightly wobbled. "I may have lost my luggage."

For a moment, Krystal's face went blank until she fully registered what Sulli had just said. "You lost your luggage?" Pointing to the gray luggage sitting on the ground, Krystal commented, "But isn't that your luggage?" Then it took Krystal a moment to figure out that the belongings within the luggage were not Sulli's.

Without words, Sulli shoved the picture of who she assumed to be Minho, in Krystal's hands.

To Sulli's dismay, Krystal began laughing as she held the photo. "Yah Krystal, what's so funny? I lost my luggage to a stranger!"