That Person in Shinsadong. (신사동 그 사람 )

"If you can see that person in Shinsadong, please tell her that someone loves her so much. Even though, she must have forgotten me... I still want my feelings to reach her heart. "

Note: The entire story is based on Hong Ki's POV.

The dark clouds gathered together above the sky at that time, along with the ravishing moon and the twinkling stars as our hearts were bounded together under the shimmering moonlight. I know that it was not a coincidence; it was fate who brought us at that place... 

Spring 2003 

My feet dragged me to that place. Darkness permeated everywhere and there weren't many cars and people on the road. I leaned my back against the street light and looked up at the wide sky. A smile appeared on my face as I observed the how the stars shone brightly. "I wonder if I could reach those stars," I whispered under my breath as I tried to reach them with my arms. 

"The stars at night are so pretty," someone muttered softly.  I was startled a little bit to know where the voice came from as I knew that I was the only person on the place. However, I was wrong. Without knowing, a woman was beside me; watching the beautiful stars. Her face was pale and her eyes were full of melancholy and pain. I could see the she had been encountering some problems in her life.

My heart started to beat faster as I continued at looking at her. "What are you looking at?," she suddenly asked while looking at me straight in the eyes. I gulped hard and avoided my eyes on her. "Nothing," I replied shortly. 

Our conversation ended and of one of us dared to talk. There was an awkward atmosphere between us. 

"Do you think that I can be a star someday?," she asked me while cutting off the silence.

My eyes stole a glance at her. "Maybe," I mumbled gently. After that, we began telling jokes with each other, which made us laugh and comfortable. Every time she laughed, my heart almost jumped out to joy. I could not avoid those eyes that were looking at me through the dim light.  After a few hours of talking, we finally bid goodbye with each other. 

"I will go now. It is almost 2 pm," she excused herself and walked away through the dark alley.

I lowered my head slightly on the ground. "Wait," I stopped her while reaching my hand to her figure. Her head looked back on me with a confused look on her face. "C-Can we meet again?," I asked nervously while avoiding her gaze; which made my heart to flustered.

She smiled softly at me and waved her hands. "Let us meet again in the same spot and time." 

A smile appeared on my face as her figure faded little by little as she went on her way. I leaned my back against the streetlight again and watched the stars while thinking of her. Neither do I know that I was secretly fell in love with that person. I did not even ask for her name; I fell in love with a stranger.  I fell in love with that person in Shinsadong. 

The sun was replaced by the moon again as I was already in that place again, waiting for that person to arrive. The clock struck at twelve but no one came. The street of Shinsadong was empty; there were no cars and people around. I gulped hard while looking for her. "She will arrive," I whispered under my breath as I stared at the flowers that I were holding on my hands. 

Time passed by quickly and I was still alone. No one came. She did not come. It was already 4 am but there were no signs that she arrived. "Maybe, she did something important," I calmed myself while forcefully let out a smile on my face. My heart was disappointed but there was hope on it; that we will meet again.  A heavy sigh escaped from my mouth as I walked away from that spot, "Tomorrow. I know that you will come and we can see each other again."

I waited again at that same place but everyday was the same; I just stayed for nothing as she did not come again. I brought a lot of flowers but they always ended up on the rubbish bin. I threw another set of flowers on the bin. They were dry and the colors had faded already as I waited for a few hours. I clutched my chest, "I know that we can meet again." Yes, my heart was still full of hope that she will come and that promise will be fulfilled.

Spring 2004

Another year has passed. I waited again at that street of Shinsadong but the person that I met before while secretly feeling love does not come and left me there alone. Everyday, I went to our usual meeting place but it was still the same. I never saw her again.

But, just in case that I would see that person again, I would wait that night at that place. But that person does not come and made me cry. "I will wait again," I said to myself as I threw a set of flowers on the bin while a tear rolled down on my cheeks. I wiped my tears away and watched the stars as they twinkled gracefully under the sky. Then, I went back home, with my heart full of hope that I would meet her again even for the last time. 

Spring 2005

Just as usual, there were no signs that she came while the time now passed by midnight and moved to dawn. "Another year has passed... Where are you?," I screamed loudly at the open space as I stomped my feet on the ground disappointedly. During this year, I went to Shinsadong every month but no one came. I was starting to lose hope but my heart was telling me to go there. My feet dragged me there even though I knew that she will not come.

Ah, that person who I met that night must have forgotten about me.

Spring 2006

I always went to that place to meet her but again, she did not fulfill her promise and made me wait there for such a long time. "She has forgotten about me," I mumbled softly as tears were b on my eyes. My heart was starting to tear apart into million of pieces. I had been waiting for a few years now but I thought that I was waiting for nothing.

Every time that she did not come, I would just think on how could not do anything about the looks that we had exchanged through the dim light and it would give hope to wait for her again and again. "That person in Shinsadong.... Where are you now?," I mentally asked myself while  looking at the stars at night with a heavy heart once again. 

Spring 2007

Years passed by quickly but whenever I waited for that person, times seemed to flow endlessly. Unlike before, I did not bother to bring some flowers. The hope in my heart was starting fade away. I started to ask myself if I should wait for another year or not. There were many things that were running on my mind. 

"Should I give up?," I asked myself while kneeling on the ground as I waited for her again. My feelings inside me were overflowing with grief and pain. Should I stop loving someone who does not even know me? Should I keep waiting for nothing? "Why can't I stop loving you?," I muttered softly while blinking my eyes, which were full of tears. Tears fell on my face, "I think it is now time. I made my decision now."

From that day onwards, I did not go to that place. I did not wait for that person again as that person who I secretly gave my heart to and loved for many years does not even come. By any chance that I wondered if I could see that person again, my heart started to beat faster just like at that night when we met at that place.

Spring 2008

For this year, I did not go to Shinsadong as my mind was telling me not to. Sometimes, I felt guilty for not going there but that person does not come even though I waited even though, it was already midnight and dawn. Ah, that person who took away my heart... that person in Shinsadong... must have forgotten about me. 

A sigh escaped from my mouth as I thought of her. "She forgot about me."

Spring 2009

After a year, I could say that I did not manage to completely forgot her. During the spring, I went to that place in case that she could come and meet me once again. I arrived in Shinsadong in the afternoon and there were many people on the road; my heart was hoping that I could see her amongst the crowd. But, I saw no one. I stayed for an hour and when I was about to give up on waiting until I saw an envelope, which was getting swayed by the wind. "Excuse me, can you please get that letter?," a petite man with a bicycle said while picking up the other letters that were scattering on the ground.

I nodded my head in agreement and got the envelope. Then, I handed it to him and he thanked me. He took out a bunch of letter on his bag. His hands were about to throw the letters when I stopped him.

"Why are you throwing those letters?," I asked him while urking my eyebrows. 

He stared at me for a while. "These? I do not know where to deliver these," he answered. He stopped talking for a while. "I think that these were prank letters," he added. 

The man gave me one of the letters and I looked at it. "The letters were even addressed to no one. It just said there that it was for the person in Shinsadong. There are many people here. I do not even know the person's name," the mailman confessed while preparing to leave. "Can I have it?," I asked him as I had a strange feeling about the letters. He nodded and gave me the letters.

At the street of Shinsadong, under the light of the streetlight, I read the letters. The oldest letters were from 2003- the year when I first saw her.

To: That Person In Shinsadong

It is me, the one that you met before at that night. I am sorry but I cannot come. I hope that you can wait for me until I can come back. I do not where to send this letter because we do not even know each other. By the way, my name is Minyoung. I hope that we can meet again.

From: Minyoung

"It was from her," I whispered under my breath as I randomly read another letter from her.

To: That Person in Shinsadong

Are you still waiting for me or not? Five years had passed since that day when I first met you but I still remembered you clearly. Honestly, I was diagnosed with cancer. On that day when I met you, that was when the doctor told me that I had this disease. I could not met you because I needed to go to the hospital almost everyday. I went to that place and waited for you but you did not come. Today will be my operation. I want to survive so that I can meet you again. I guess that you forgot about me? How should I say this? I think that I....... fell in love with you. I hope that we can meet again. Saranghaeyo.

From: Minyoung

That was the last letter that was from her. Without knowing, tears started to rolled down on my face. "Am I too late?," I asked myself while holding the letters on my hand. The last letter was written on the year of 2008- when I decided not to come again in this place. I clutched the paper and kneeled down on the ground while feeling so much regret. "Saranghaeyo."

At that night on that familiar street in Shinsadong under the streetlight, I watched the stars as they shone brightly under the dark sky. "I wonder if I could reach those stars," I whispered under my breath as I tried to reach them with my arms. I was waiting for someone to answer me. But, no one..... no one was there beside me. At that time, I knew that she was gone. 

"Minyoung~ah, you told me before that you wanted to be a star. You are now star in the sky. But, how can I reach you?," I mumbled gently as I stared at the brightest star at night. "Is that you, Minyoung?," I gulped hard and cried loudly. Tears were flowing on my face and I could not stop myself from remembering that day when I met. It was such a short time but my love for her continued for many years. 

The sun was starting to rise again as an indication of another day. I dusted off my pants and looked at the place for the last time. "Goodbye to that person in Shinsadong. I love you, but we weren't meant to be. But, we should have met at least once again," I mumbled softly as I walked away from that place.

While waking, I closed my eyes and looked back at that memorable place.

"By the way, my name is Hong Ki."