ONE YEAR LATER

Ji Hoo said farewell to the last patient and locked the clinic door behind him. He walked slowly to his office and sat down. He looked over at a framed picture of Jan Di. "Pogoshipoyo." He said as he placed his fingers on the still photo of her smiling face. He sat there for a moment in silence before he pulled out a pen and some paper from the desk drawer and began to write.

Dear Jan Di,

I hope this letter finds you well. How are things in the states? Are the doctors at John Hopkins treating you well? I hope you will find your way back to Korea soon. So much has happened since you left.

Ga Eul and Mika are both pregnant. Can you believe it? Yi Jung and Woo Bin sure can't. They say they're too young to be fathers, but despite their resistance to growing up, I know they are overjoyed at having children. Of course the wives are giving them no small amount of trouble with their ridiculous cravings and mood swings. You'll come back to visit the babies once they're born, right?

Joon Hee has taken over the mantle at Shinhwa. She's now overseeing both domestic and international affairs. However, I think it won't be too much longer until she will be able to share her burden. Your brother is set to graduate soon and he has been working alongside Joon Hee. I think she is grooming him to be a director at Shinhwa and even Madam Kang is impressed with his business sense. Your parents must be so proud of him.

Your parents stop by to visit me at the clinic from time to time. Omonim brings me food and Abunim and I go fishing. It's nice to have them around or else I'd spend my days doing nothing but working at the clinic and taking care of the foundation.

As for Madam Kang, it took her a long time to grieve. The boys and your parents visited her often. I came along sometimes. It was hard to walk in that house and know that Gu Joon Pyo wasn't there. She's starting to come back to her old self, though. And that's a good thing….and sometimes a bad thing if you know what I mean.

Jan Di, despite everything, I miss you. I hope you will come back to the clinic when you are ready. Life isn't the same without you. Everyone asks about you, especially Ga Eul. You should call her more often.

Well, I guess that's been our life in a nutshell. My phone is always on, just so you know. I hope to hear from you.

-Yoon Ji Hoo

Ji Hoo folded up the letter and placed it in the mailbox on his way home.

A month later, Ji Hoo found himself on a plane headed to London. From his first class seat, he looked over his itinerary for the International Physicians Association conference.

"Aish, it's going to be busy." He said.

"Would you like a drink, sir?" The flight attendant asked.

"Wine, please." He replied.

The flight was long, but it gave him ample time to review his notes for the seminar he was giving on the importance of vaccinations in the East. Finally the plane touched down at Heathrow airport. A limousine was waiting for him and drove him to the Ritz hotel.

After a quick shower and nap, he dressed up in a light grey suit. The jacket was long, almost to his knees. Under the jacket he wore a white shirt and blue ascot. The pants were tailor fitted. He slipped into his black shoes, adjusted his cufflinks and headed downstairs for the welcome dinner.

The ballroom reminded him of the one from last year's conference at the Royal York. Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Walnut chairs with lush red velvet upholstery surrounded each table covered with a satin cloth. Roman styled murals adorned the walls and small statues placed in the recessed alcoves kept vigil over the room. The carpet was garishly opulent with ornate design of red, yellow, black and grey.

Ji Hoo mingled for a bit until he saw Young Seongsaengnim. "Seonsaengnim!" Ji Hoo waved at his former medical school teacher. "I am glad you were able to attend this year as well! I was afraid I wouldn't know anyone."

"Yah…look at you Yoon Ji Hoo. I hear things are going well at the clinic."

"Yes. It's hectic, but it keeps me busy."

"So it should be. I can remember back in medical school you were always so studious. I never had such a hard working student as you." Young Seonsaengnim gushed.

A woman's voice came from behind Yoon Ji Hoo, "Seonsengnim, you told me I was your hardest working student."

Ji Hoo swirled around to see Jan Di standing there in an elegant black dress with silver sequin accents. She wore her hair down, with a silver flower barrette, sweeping her bangs back and placed just above her left ear. His heart skipped a beat. He would have thought that Yeong Seonsaengnim would have given him a heads up of her attendance.

"Well, it looks like you know someone else here, after all. I must mingle with other doctors, if you'll please excuse me." Young Seonsangnim smilled and waved goodbye before rushing off to another group of doctors.

"You look amazing, Jan Di. I wasn't expecting you here again." He said with surprise in his voice.

"Mmm. Well, Young Seonseangnim invited me to give a presentation on Eastern medicine versus Western medicine."

"Wow, you must have learned a lot at John Hopkins." Ji Hoo had so much more he wanted to say but didn't know where to start. The two of them just stared at each other for a while, taking in the other's presence. The MC of the evening stepped up to the podium, "Excuse me everyone, if you could have a seat, dinner is about to be served."

Ji Hoo wanted to steal a few more moments with Jan Di. "What made you come back?"

Jan Di reached inside her handbag and pulled out the letter he wrote to her. "I've been missing out on too many things and I felt the time was right to return home."

Ji Hoo was still in shock over the sudden appearance of Jan Di. He glanced at the letter, thankful she received it.

"Well, I better go see where my table is. You know I can't skip a meal." Jan Di said with a wink.

"That's for sure." Ji Hoo laughed.

He began to walk away in a daze, his mind still reeling, when suddenly Jan Di called after him. "Would you like to grab a drink later...oppa?"

Ji Hoo turned around and smiled warmly. "I'd like that, Jan Di-ah. I'd like that very much."