Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart. – Marcus Aurelius

Fate has the power of intertwining people’s life with others. I innocently believed that fate has a planned course for me. That even though many sorrows come my way, there will always be a ray of light in the end of a dark tunnel. That hoping for something good and striving to be better will bring a fortune to me. That waiting for that destined someone will be totally worth it and that when I found him, we will brave the odds and come out triumphantly, together at last.

I am 23 years old. Both my parents were members of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. My mom was a pianist while my dad was a violinist. They were both gone. My mom had a brain tumor and died when I was eighteen then my dad had a car accident right after I entered college. I have an older brother, Inguk Oppa who is a neurologist in Seoul National University Hospital. I have my own set of friends and my own set of worries and troubles.

For a normal girl like me who is living a simple life, I didn’t know how complicated my life would be the moment my eyes laid on him. That simple accident that binds me to him and that short moment when our eyes met left me reeling with a strange feeling. I didn’t know that it was fate pushing me towards him. I didn’t know that a love that transcends time and space is actually possible and that I will be a part of it.

My name is Seo Hyun and this is my story.

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2013, Seoul

The start of spring. I looked around as I sat on the ground, waiting for my best friend to come. The trees and the flowers blooming signal the start of my favorite season, spring. I always enjoyed reading here outside with the trees hiding me from the sun and the smell of the grass tickling my nose. I lie completely on the grass and stare at the cloudless sky before I close my eyes to savor the feel of nature. “Ah! Being a third year Foreign Service student in Seoul National University can be hard at times but whenever I looked around and see the beauty life for me has to offer, I can’t help but think otherwise.”

I was close to falling asleep when a shadow hovers above me. I opened my eyes and saw Yoona, “Enjoying the view?” she asked me. I laugh and sat while she put her bag beside mine. My best friend and my only confidante in life, Im Yoona stood above me.

 “Jinwoon said that he is free today so we can visit Jungshin later,” Yoona informed me before she flopped herself onto the grass. “Good! I’m excited to see his new laboratory. I can’t believe he managed to get a sponsorship,” I replied. Yoona opened one of her snacks and began eating. “Cool, right? Who would have thought that Jungshin will be a scientist? He is too goofy to be one,” Yoona said with full of food. I laugh, agreeing at what Yoona said.

Jungshin, Jinwoon, Yoona and I have been friends since we were kids. We grew up together. Yoona and I are in our third year in college studying Foreign Service while Jinwoon is in his senior year in med school. Jungshin, on the other hand, is a chemist. Yoona’s parents are both vocal trainers and they have their own voice academy. All of us expected Yoona to follow on her parents’ footsteps so naturally, we were all shocked when she decided to join me in studying Foreign Service. Yoona’s older sister, Soojung Unnie is the director of their academy.

 Today is the only day that all of us are free to meet and we decided to visit Jungshin in his new laboratory.

“Where is Jinwoon?” Yoona asked. She lie on the grass beside me and looked at the sky.

“He said that he will meet us there. I think he is still in his class,” I answered her sleepily.

“Jinwoon is graduating this year, right? Will he be an intern in his family’s hospital?” Yoona inquired.

“I think he mentioned it once. I guess he will be.  Jung Medical City is one of the famous hospitals in Korea,” I said, remembering Jinwoon mentioning his future plans to me. Jinwoon’s family owns the Jung Medical City which is one of the best hospitals in Korea. Jinwoon’s dad is the hospital director. Jinwoon’s family has been a family of doctors. In fact, my older brother, Inguk Oppa’s best friend happens to be Jinwoon’s older brother, Ilwoo Oppa who is a neurosurgeon in Jung Medical City. Only Eunji, who is Jinwoon’s younger sister is different. She is in our department in Foreign Service, studying to become a diplomat too and is in her second year.

“Woah! That is so cool. So you will be the wife of the future director of Jung Medical City,” Yoona teased me, giggling at her words.

“Of course not. How many times do I have to tell you that Jinwoon and I are just friends? I don’t feel that way to him,” I said, too used with the teasing coming from Yoona that I do not even get annoyed anymore.

“Tell that to him. He is still pining over you. Why do you think he doesn’t have a girlfriend yet?”

“He knows it already. We’re just friends,” I replied.

“I still think you need to have a boyfriend so that Jinwoon can get over you. If not, he will be waiting for you forever and it’s not good for him,” Yoona stated.

“Fine. Get me a boyfriend!” I said, smiling at her.

“Easy for you to say. I’ve been introducing tons of guys to you. They are either too self centered, too superficial, too serious, too funny, too (insert negative adjective here) . You are sooooo picky! You keep being that way and you will end up with Jinwoon instead,” Yoona said, making the quote – unquote sign on the air. I glare at her and after a while we both laugh.

“What do you want me to do? I just haven’t found the right guy, I think. A guy that is like my dad or –“

“Or like the characters in your favorite books or like your mom’s first love?” Yoona asked. “Do I need to remind you that guys in your books don’t exist? And that nice people like your dad and your mom’s first love are often taken by God first?”

“I’m sure there is someone out there. It would be nice if he would have Dad’s gentleness and Mom’s first love’s romantic side as well as his humor,” I said, slowly falling into the world of imagination.

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