Dusk was slowly creeping in, blue tailing red and orange on the horizon as the sun sank beneath the Han river. It was a cool respite from the warm sunny day. All around Banpo Hangang Park, people dotted the green lawns and moved around the paths in their preferred mode of transport: walking, cycling, roller-skating, skateboarding and more. I had found a nice bench near the river to watch the beautiful fountain light show. Excited, I took out my kimbap and beer that I bought from the convenience store and set them on the bench. Then, I retrieved my notebook and started to sketch the scene before me. I hoped that there would still be enough light so I could sketch the fountain and make notes on the coloring that I could continue when I got home.

Far off in the distance, children laughed and the low chatter of people hummed. I heard the gentle stirrings of strings being plucked, and turned to see a guy wearing a baseball cap tuning his guitar. He was nearer to the water than I was, and his back was towards me as he gazed at the serene river. The guy wore a green flannel shirt over a white t-shirt, and light jeans with white Nike Air-Force 1s. As he turned in my direction to grab something from his backpack, I saw that he had nice smooth skin, big eyes and full lips. He looked up, and our eyes met for a second, before he turned back to his guitar. On closer look, it seemed that the instrument was an ukulele, since it was smaller than a guitar and had only four strings.

Goosebumps blossomed on the skin of my arms; what was this feeling? When our eyes met, it felt like I’d seen this guy before. It was such a strange moment because nothing about his face looked familiar, yet at the same time, it felt like seeing the face of someone you knew since a long time. The guy began to strum some chords on the ukulele but he didn’t sing, humming instead.

Just then, music swelled as lights started strobing around the Banpo bridge. Massive jets of water streamed from either side of the bridge as lights flashed in time with the music. I made quick sketches and notes as the performance continued, marveling at the beautiful spectacle unfolding before me.

Gradually, the show came to an end, and my hurried on paper slowed down and trailed off. I finally took a well-deserved bite of the delicious kimbap and downed a big gulp of beer. So refreshing! I was so lucky to be able to enjoy simple pleasures like this, being outside among people even during these times.

As I packed my notebook and stationery into my purse, I heard someone approaching my bench. Could it be the guy with the ukulele? I looked up expectantly, but it was just a girl asking for directions to the nearest convenience store. I helped her as best as I could, and looked around for the guy, but he was nowhere to be seen anymore. He must have already left. Oh well, it was just some kind of weird déjà vu. I grabbed my purse and left for the train station.

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It was the second weekend that Joong Ki was at Banpo Hangang Park again. He had spent the day playing soccer with his friends, and he wanted to relax and unwind before the week ahead. Spotting an empty bench next to the river, Joong Ki walked briskly so he could reach there before someone else sat on it. The park was crowded as usual, with many people waiting to catch the beautiful fountain light show. The sun was setting, a golden ball of fire swallowed up by the waters of the Han river.

Joong Ki took a deep breath, loving how the fresh air cleansed his body and mind. He took his ukulele out of its case and started tuning it. All around him was the chatter of people interjected, by the squawking of seagulls, and a light breeze ruffled his hair and clothes. He turned to grab his phone from his backpack, and saw a pretty girl watching him. She wore khaki jeans shorts with a cute fluttery top, and she had shoulder-length hair with bangs. On the bench beside her was a sketchbook and some stationery, alongside an unopened roll of kimbap and a bottle of beer.

Their eyes met, and Joong Ki swore he felt some kind of electricity between them. She had beautiful eyes, even from this distance, and it felt like she could see right through him. It was such a weird feeling, and Joong Ki felt the hairs on his neck rise. It was funny, he knew he had never met her before, and yet, it felt like he knew her. Spooked, his heart beating fast, Joong Ki turned back to his ukulele and started strumming some chords. What was that? Such an intense feeling of déjà vu. The music calmed him down and he started humming.

Just then, overhead music started as lights flashed and water gushed out from both sides of the bridge. The show had begun. The crowd cheered as the show started. Joong Ki took the opportunity to look at the girl again. She was working furiously on her notebook, sketching and writing as she observed the performance. Should he talk to her? Joong Ki wondered. He felt inexplicably drawn to her. He was getting hungry anyway, so he made his way quickly to the convenience store nearby to grab a hot bar and some beer, and thought about what he should say to her.

When he returned, Joong Ki realized that the girl was no longer there. Disappointed, Joong Ki berated himself for being a hopeless romantic and sat on the bench that she sat, digging into his food and drinking the beer. He was gathering the trash when he spotted a coin pouch on the ground. It had a vintage print and when he turned it, the initials, KSR, were sewn onto the back. Could this belong to the girl? Joong Ki kept it safely in his backpack, and resolved to come back next weekend, hoping that he would meet the girl again.

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Unrelated but cute video of SJK playing ukulele and singing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fp0J0vdDcA