Hyun Hae is working in 10mag.com for two months now; yes she’s still a newbie, but because of her outstanding performance, she has been granted a vacation by her boss—a weeklong vacation which is what she actually need to fulfill her promise to her Okasa (mother)—visit them in Japan every three months.

After leaving the office, she immediately called the airline company and booked herself a ticket to Japan the following evening. Hyun Hae plans to surprise her Okasa with her visit, she told her a couple of days ago that she may not be able to have her regular visit soon since she just started on her new work.

Her Okasa understood but Hyun Hae knows that she’ll be happier if her daughter could pay them a visit. The fact that her grandmother will be celebrating her 76^th birthday added to the longing. But now, the wheels have turned, she will arrive on time for the preparation.

With the thought of how she would make her family happy tomorrow evening, Hyun Hae couldn’t help but smile as she walks down the street. It’s a warm summer afternoon, she now wears her long hair loose, it has a vibrant red color now, but only the hairs at the bottom part of her head, near her nape.  Hyun Hae loves the sun as much as she hates the rain, weather can really dictate her mood; and in a warm and windy day like this, she lets the wind play with her hair. She continues her walk when she suddenly saw something.

There are two young men by the side of the street, by the look of things, they seem to be communicating with each other but both of them looked confused with what the other is saying. Being the natural curious that Hyun Hae is, she walked closer to the two young men. One of them looked familiar but she is still thinking of the place and time where she has seen that face. She walks closer.

“You!”, Hyun Hae points her index finger onto the man with the look of recognition on her face.
The two young men then looked at Hyun Hae, surprised by her sudden appearance.
“Oh, it’s you, but I have a name you know, Bang Minsoo-imnida. Long time no see, Missie, what do you want now?”, he said with a small smile playing on his lips.
 

“Nothing, I was just passing by and I saw you two, the way I look at it, you two are trying to talk with each other but couldn’t understand each other at the same time. Curiosity struck me so I just wanna check you guys out, by the way, what is happening?”, she explains ignoring the smirk that is permanent on Minsoo’s face.
 

“Oh, I think he’s a foreigner, he’s trying to ask directions from me but even as I try my hardest, I couldn’t get to understand a thing he say, I know he’s trying to speak some Hangeul, but still…” he let his sentence trail off.
 

The other man then started mumbling things, Minsoo couldn’t understand a bit from it. “Pa’no na?”, he said softly while showing off a worried façade.
“Pilipino ka?”, Hyun Hae asked in Tagalog. She recognized his words, and since she was born and spent her early years in the Philippines, she knows how to speak the language fluently.
 

The other man’s face then lit up upon hearing his language being spoken to him. They then started talking in Tagalog.
“Yes, you too? Oh my, I’m so happy you came, you see, I keep trying to ask him how to get to the subway station so that I can get to Daehakno. I’m on a trip with my friends here when they suddenly disappear. I stopped walking to tie my shoelace, but when I’m finally done with it, my friends are gone. Our phones don’t work here so I don’t have any other way to get back with them but to go home to our room and wait for them there.” He stated with great speed Hyun Hae almost worry he will choke anytime soon with his own saliva.
 

“Okay, you can calm down now”, Hyun Hae is still speaking in Tagalog, “the subway station is not far from here, I’m originally headed there but I have something to do first so I’ll just give you directions, okay?”
The young man then nodded. She gave her the directions and he left happily, thanking her almost thirty times before disappearing from her sight.

“Whoo, that was, rare”, she said as she heaved a sigh.
“I never would’ve imagined you can speak another language.”
Hyun Hae got startled when she heard Minsoo talk, she totally forgot him being there! She’s probably overwhelmed with the fact that she met a Kababayan here in Korea.
 

“Woah, you startled me, I forgot about you being here. Oh well, yeah, I was born in the Philippines and lived my early years there, that’s how I know the language.”
“Oh, that explains it, but you’re a Korean?”, he asked, his brows furrowed.
“Yes, I am, but I am a Filipino as well. Okay, off I’ll go.” Without bothering to hear his next words, Hyun Hae then walked to her destination—gift shop! She’ll buy her grandmother a gift for her upcoming birthday.
 

Minsoo is about to ask what language did she just used but then all he can see is her long hair being blown by the wind as she walk fast towards a certain store. He decided to follow her.

When she’s inside the shop, she immediately greets the owner of the store. “Annyeonghaseyo, Ahjumma!”, she said then bowed her head.
The store owner then smiled upon recognizing who her new customer is.
Hyun Hae is a regular here since she makes it a point to bring something for her mother and grandmother every time she’ll fly to Japan.
 

“Oh, Hyun Hae-ssi, I’m so glad you came today”, she said enthusiastically to Hyun Hae’s surprise because for the past years that she’s been visiting the store, this ahjumma just greets her with a warm smile.

By this time, Minsoo also reached the store. He heard the store owner say Missie’s name. So, her name’s Hyun Hae, he thought to himself.
 

“Huh, why so excited all of a sudden? I’m not used to you being this energetic, ahjumma, what’s on?”, she honestly commented.
“Aish, this kid, well, the thing is, this old lady here,” she said turning to point at the old lady standing by the counter. Hyun Hae looked at the old lady, then back to face ahjumma.
 

“What’s up with her?”
“She’s Japanese and knows very little Korean, I couldn’t understand what she’s trying to say. I really prayed for someone to come along to help me, then you came”, she explained with happiness evident on her glistening eyes as she look at Hyun Hae.
 

Understanding the situation, Hyun Hae then approached the old lady and tried talking about her concern.
Speaking in Nihongo now, “Kon'nichiwa, watashi wa anata o tasukeru koto ga dekimasu ka?” (Hello, how can I help you?)
 

The old lady’s face then lit up with delight. “Finally, a Japanese! I keep telling her to find a Japanese for me, so I can tell her what I want but she just keeps on waving her hands in front of my face like a maniac”, the old lady speaks rather rude but Hyun Hae placed it as the speech of someone tired and irritated.
 

She then spoke softly. “So, Obachan, what is it that you want? I’ll tell her what it is so we can all get through with it, okay?”
The old lady nodded. “Well, I’m just asking her for some discount since I’m gonna buy five of this stuff”, she said, showing Hyun Hae the mug she is about to purchase. The mug is in five different colors, probably the reason why she wants to buy five, Hyun Hae thought.
She then translated the message to ahjumma who has been watching the two and awaiting what she is going to say. Ahjumma’s face lit up once again before nodding her head, telling Hyun Hae that she agrees to the old lady’s bargain, but Hyun Hae figured well enough that ahjumma just wants to get this thing over with.
 

The old lady then paid the agreed amount; her expressions are now softer than before. She thanked Hyun Hae before heading out of the store. “Domo arigato gozaimaa.”
Hyun Hae bowed her head and gave her a smile, “Doitashimae.”

All the while, someone is watching the three ladies inside the store, listening to them talk.
“Now you speak Japanese as well?”
Again, that voice!
This time, Hyun Hae knew who it came from—Minsoo.