Unleashed

As a writer who usually works at home. I really pay attention to my home in general. Home is where I rest, where I work, and where I spend almost my 24/7. Thanks to that mindset, I am a picky chooser when it comes to house, hotel, and every accommodation in general.

But when I came to Taeyeon’s villa in Bali…

I fell in love instantly.

“Welcome to my villa-sweet-villa!”

Taeyeon welcomed me cheerfully when I stepped into her cottage in Jimbaran area. The villa wasn’t exactly spacious, but it was really great with a small private pool and comfortable couches placed all around the place. It was a well-designed villa that put the occupant’s comfort at all cost.

“Your place is so homey,” I said as I put down my bag on the floor. She nodded enthusiastically as she walked to the sofa in the living room. She settled herself on top of the very comfortable sofa.

“Where I should put my things in?” I walked to her seat and sat next to her. She raised her head little bit and looked at the corner of the room—where a small cupboard located. Without any words, I understood her answer, but I didn’t unpack my things. Instead, I plopped to the sofa next to her.

“Yah, Jiyong,” Taeyeon called me casually. Yeah, since the beginning, we decided to drop the formalities. We’re both born in the same year too. “I only have a bedroom here and it’s only has one bed too. Do you mind if you sleep on the living room?”

I nodded. Yeah, even though I am a picky chooser about accommodation, these past 378 days of journey make me getting used to move from one room to another—and not all of those rooms were comfortable and clean. Taeyeon’s villa living room, even though not exactly spacious, was very clean and comfortable. She must have taken care of it very well. “Yep. I have no problem with that.”

We spent the moment in comfortable silence. I didn’t know about her, but I was tired from walking around, getting my things from my previous hotel, and moving here. “Are you tired?” I asked to break the silence.

“I do.” She admitted. But from her voice, I knew she hasn’t lost her happiness and cheerfulness. “But walking around and enjoy the new things I see when walking is my passion as a traveler. Even though I’m tired, I have no complain doing that.”

“You do have a big passion for your job, don’t you?”

She didn’t immediately answer my question, instead she took a momentarily pause and took a deep breath.

“Yes I do. I think every writer should have a big passion for their job, because if they don’t, they’ll make a soul-less writings and that writings won’t relay the writer’s message to its readers.”

Her words made me startled. Again, she touched the ‘soul’ of writings topic—something I avoided for the past 3 years, but with her, talking about that was comforting. It was like talking to an old friend whom knows you really well.

With that, I thought again… was she an angel from God? Was she the one?

“Do you have a big passion for your writings? What made you become a romance writer?” She asked back to me. Now, her body has shifted to my direction to face me better. I did so too so I can see her better.

“I used to have a thing for romance novels, but it doesn’t wake any creativity in my head. So I knew romance is not my field.” She admitted as she laughed softly. I grinned along with her.

“Before some things happened, I did have a big passion for romance novels, Taeyeon. It was my breath and soul, I couldn’t live without it.” I told her. This time, I would tell her something about myself that I rarely talked about—even to my family member!

That was because Taeyeon had showed me some sign that she was the angel from God. She was the one I was praying for the past 3 years.

“If you asked me why I became a romance novelist, the answer is because I found a way to express myself honestly by writing. Some part of my novels are my own experience.” Then, I finished it off with a laugh.  She smiled at me—that kind of sweet smile that will melt any men’s heart.

“Thank you for today, Jiyong.” She suddenly said. “Thank you for agreeing to become my travel partner. Thank you for the interesting and amazing talks. I enjoy everything.”

I was confused at her attitude—and I didn’t hesitate to show it on my face. Furthermore, she suddenly got up from her position.

“Where are you going?” She didn’t have any idea to leave me in Bali alone right? After her offers and plea?

“Upstairs,” she answered casually. “Why? Do you think I’ll leave you alone in this villa?”

I awkwardly laughed at her and motioned her to go upstairs—where her room was. She just smiled at me and walked to the stairs.

Steps were heard from the wooden floor of the stairs, and as the steps’ sound was diminishing slowly, I plopped my head in the sofa’s hand rest. I was dead tired, and what I really needed right now was sleeping.

I was a second close to finally sleeping, before Taeyeon’s voice was heard from upstairs.

“Yah Kwon Jiyong!”

I opened my eyes again and found her standing next to railing. She had that beautiful smile of hers and an encouraging expression.

What? Encouraging?

“I can see that you love your job from the bottom of your heart, so I sincerely wishing for you to get your muse back ASAP!”

Then she was gone in a second, as if she didn’t want to see my reaction. I didn’t know, I didn’t bother to ask even after all the things happened. But to be honest, I was startled at her sudden yet thoughtful encouraging words, and as a response, I put a thankful smile—even though she wasn’t looking at that.

“Thank you Taeyeon.” I said to myself before I let myself fall into a deep, peaceful slumber that I haven’t had in a while.

I didn’t know what had happened to me ever since I met Taeyeon.

My life was a neat and well organized one—I am the driver in my life, with no one to dictate me what to do or where to go, thus I have full control of my life. But when I met Taeyeon in Bali…

Everything changed.

I finally let someone to lead me, I finally let someone talk to me about that ‘forbidden’ topic, and even though it was slow, I finally open myself and talk about that topic—letting the burden lifted from my heart.

Just like that day, 7 days after I and Taeyeon became travel buddies and I had officially moved to Taeyeon’s villa, she—along with her Balinese friend named Ketut—took me out to a small village in Seminyak. There, we saw a Hindu ceremony called Mepandes. It was a ceremony where teenagers who were reaching puberty got their teeth trimmed by the priest.

“Wow…” I whispered for Taeyeon to hear. “I don’t think this kind of culture exist. Don’t you think it’s a bit extreme?”

Taeyeon shrugged her shoulder as a sign of no clue, but she tapped Ketut’s shoulder and asked my question. Hearing that question, Ketut laughed.

“There there my friend,” he said in English with heavy Balinese accent. “It may looks scary, but if you know the reason behind the ceremony, you’ll be thankful for your parents! It is not only for keeping you a far distance to hell in after life, but also for shaping your identity as a human being.”

I was startled at his statement. Identity as human being? Could that means… a lost identity?

“When Balinese got their Mependes, it’s a wish to not losing their soul, heart, and personality as a human being—especially as a Hindu—among this metropolitan and ruthless society nowadays. That’s why Balinese said that Mependes is a form of resp