South Korea, January 2016

The day has come. The plane just lands safely in Incheon. Jane stands up from the seat she has been sitting for this long flight from Chicago. She manages to talk to her Dad, postponing her comeback until second week of January. She says that she needs to finish the special class. But she lies. She needs to be physically and emotionally prepared before she comes back to Korea. Because this country gives biggest ache to her heart that makes her left this country to live with her grandparents in Japan for 5 years until they died and then she lived in Chicago until yesterday.

She takes her small backpack and follows the other passengers toward the exit. At the exit door, she closes her eyes and takes deep breath.

I can do this. She whispers. She doesn’t care if people look at her weirdly right now.

Jane walks down from the stairs to get her luggages. With 2 big suitcases, because most of her things have been sent earlier, she stretches her neck to find someone who is supposed to pick her up.

Suddenly a man dressed in black suit approaches her. “Excuse me. Are you Miss Park? Park Jaein?”

Jane scans the guy from head to toe. This guy is too young to be someone’s chauffer. She nods her head “Yes, I am Park Jaein. But please call me Jane.”

The guy nods his head and turns around without offering any help to carry Jane’s suitcases.

Jane drops her jaws. What the hell is this guy’s problem? Is he angry?

“Are you coming or not?”

“I’m coming. Can you help me with these?” Jane points at her luggage.

That guy scoffs “I’m not your chauffer, do it yourself.”

***

30 minutes of silence in the car makes her crazy. Jane never considers herself as rude or impolite. But she cant ask anything to this guy. He gives this “do I look like I care” vibe. So Jane decides to keep herself shut.

After looking around at the scenery around her, she doesn’t recognize this area. She hesitates to ask the guy but what if he is not someone who her father sent to pick her.

“Hmm… excuse me. But I think this is not the way to my home. Are you sure that my father sent you to pick me up?”

“…..”

“Okay, I’m being serious here. Answer me or I’ll open the window and ask for help because you kidnap me.”

“We’re not going to your home. Don’t ask anythi