The trip back to Seoul the following day wasn’t the easiest for me. All throughout last night, I haven’t been able to compose myself. I have looked every part of the hotel for her hoping to find some clues as to who she was. But dang! I wasn’t so lucky for she left without a trace. Not anybody that I had asked knew who’s the girl that I danced with.

Gawd! She haunted me. Haunted me like no other girl did.

I felt the need to talk to someone that knew me the most. I needed to be banged in the head to get some sense into me.

!!! I need to get laid.

***

Canada.

I can’t really decipher what and how I feel about this country. More than three years ago, I came here with my parents leaving everything behind back in my homeland, Korea.

Everything.

My heart. I silently left it with the only man I truly loved. Kwon Jiyong.

I was bitter as I tried to get accustomed to living here in Toronto but nothing seemed to work out. And that’s when I decided to go back to Korea and take back everything that I’ve left behind.

Everything.

Including my heart.

Even if I started to pick up the pieces of what I’ve left and had felt whole again (almost?) I’ve let my heart stay where I had left it. With Jiyong. For safekeeping.

For all I know, he can keep it forever. As it had dawned into me that forever I’ll love him. Without asking anything in return.

It was almost 6 in the evening when I heard my mobile phone ringing.

“Ji?” I sat up in my bed as soon as I heard him call my name at the other end of the line.

“Dee. I need directions here.” He said.

“Directions? What do you mean? Where the hell are you?” I asked.

“I’m at the airport. I just got here.” He said.

“Airport? You mean here in Canada?” I asked.

“Yup. Where else do you think?” Jiyong asked coughing out a laugh.

I soon ended the call after giving Jiyong the directions on how to get to my place. I honestly felt excited knowing that he was coming over.

“I’ve only been gone for 3 days and he’s already missing me.” I could feel my smile reach up to my ears.

Gawd! The thought of Jiyong missing me brought more excitement in me this time. I felt giddy that I wanted to shriek. Yes. Like the way Bommie does it.

In about half an hour I’d be seeing him again so I jumped out of my bed and went to my vanity desk. I started to comb my hair and decided to put some light make-up on. As I was applying my watermelon pink lipstick, I suddenly remembered what happened a few days ago in HK.

Up until now, I could still feel and taste the kiss that we shared that night. It had haunted me day and night. It tasted so sweet and felt so tender.

“He sure knows how to kiss.” I softly cringe as I remembered it again.

But then.

“Oh no!!!” My happy thoughts suddenly halted and started to panic.

“What if his reason for being here is because he had already figured that it was I that he was kissing that night?” I asked myself mentally.

I started to feel dizzy and sick.

“What am I suppose to do then?” I continued to ask.

I know for a fact that I wasn’t much of a good kisser but with the way that we had kissed that night, I somehow knew (or should I say hoped!) that it felt different. I wish he felt it too.

Then I began to recall what he had said to me after our kiss.

“Where have you been hiding all this time?”

That could mean something right?

But then, he is Kwon Jiyong. The playboy who could sweep every girl off her feet that he had taken fancy of. The smooth-talker. The ladies’ man.

“Was he just being his usual self that night?” I questioned my own reflection in the mirror.

I sighed.

“Whatever! If he still doesn’t have a clue that it was I. Well and good. But if ever he does, I’ll just say that I wasn’t the one who initiated the kiss. It was the truth anyway. Try to let it pass as a not-a-biggie thing.”

“I hope that Minzy didn’t say a word to anybody about me being there.” I sighed again and closed my make-up kit.

I trust Minzy anyway. I know that she can keep a secret.

She has too.

Then I started to head downstairs to tell my parents about our guest who’d be arriving in about quarter of an hour from now.

***

I parked my car in front of a house hoping that I have the right address. And so just to make sure, I checked the address again that I had written down on a small piece of paper back at the airport when I called Dara earlier.

“Okay, this is it.” This has to be it. I’m really not so good with street directions, addresses and those stuffs. I usually make it my chauffeur’s task to know each and every place that I needed to be at.

I rang the doorbell twice and soon began fixing myself. I dusted my jeans and straightened my white crew neck shirt.

“Coming!” I heard Dara’s voice on the other side of the door.

Thank God I have the right house.

“Hi!” I greeted her as soon as she opened the door and revealed herself wearing old denim shorts and spaghetti strapped top.

“Ji! Come in.”She said smiling at me.

I missed her smile.

“Where are Auntie and Uncle?” I quickly held on to her arm and asked her before I entered their house.

“They’ll be coming down.” She informed me.

Just as I was about to step inside their cozy living room, Dara’s parents came down from the stairs.

“Jiyong! It’s nice of you to visit us here.” Uncle said reaching out for a handshake.

“Sorry for coming unannounced, Uncle.” I said after receiving a slight pat on my shoulder from Dara’s dad.

“Kwenchana, Jiyong ah. You’re most welcome here.” Auntie said giving me a hug.

Thank you Auntie. How have you been? You’re more beautiful than the last time that I saw you in Seoul last year. And not a bit older too.” I said. I knew I may have sounded a little off with that. Maybe it was the smooth-talker in me has suddenly taken over. But I have to admit that I meant what I said. Dara’s mom was beautiful. The first time that I saw her, I knew right away where Dara got her looks.

“Jiyong! Can you please stop flattering my mom?” Dara said and gave my left arm a nudge.

“What? I’m just telling the truth here. Auntie, maybe you can share some of your beauty secrets to Dara. I’m sure she’ll be needing them in the near future.” I said trying to tease Dara. In return of my teasing, I earned another nudge and a solid whack on my chest with the newspaper that she was holding.

“Dara. Why don’t you show Jiyong his room before we have our dinner? I’m sure Jiyong is already hungry.” Uncle said.

“Ummm, Uncle, There’s no need for that. I mean I’m planning to stay at a hotel.” I quickly said.

“No. You are not doing such a thing. I insist that you stay here with us.” Uncle said.

“Well not unless of course you prefer to lodge yourself into one of the posh hotels in the city. I know that our house isn’t much but I can assure you of comfort and great home cooking.” Auntie tried to convince me.

“Stay with us. We’d love to have you here.” Dara’s mom continued.

And who could ever resist that? Not me.

“Oh well, if you insist. I’d be more than happy to stay. Good home cooked meal really topped it, Uncle.” I said laughing.

“Ma, I should warn you. Jiyong has a big appetite.” Dara said which made her parents break into laughter.

***

As I’ve expected, during dinner my parents kept throwing questions at Jiyong.

I, on the other hand kept on avoiding looking at him. For one thing, Jiyong and I haven’t gotten to the part yet as to why he was here when I helped him settle inside the guest room.

It’s a good thing that he barely noticed that I wasn’t joining in with the talks during dinner. And I couldn’t help but sigh a relief when it was over.

I immediately excused myself with the reason that I needed to take a shower. And so, I started to pamper myself inside my bathroom obviously wanting to take time and avoid Jiyong.