The summer was hot in Seoul, humid hot. Haeyeon arrived during the monsoon time. Being a stranger to the new climate and new place was not the only thing Haeyeon had to coop with.

Seoul is a place to make memories for more than one lifetime.

 

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Heaving the overweight luggage to the 3^rd floor of the place that was now home was pure exhaustion. But nothing mattered anymore.

Haeyeon did it. She was free. She made it to Seoul. Far away from the people and country she despite so much. Even if, what she felt, was only foolish anticipation or just the mind of a teen, she felt home. Truly home, like she belonged here. It just felt so right.

Entering the passcode in the door lock was a first, strange but already loving the weirdness of the new life she was starting. The lock made a happy short music and Haeyeon was ready to enter.

Kicking her shoes off in the entrance hall was something just so Korean, and seeing the shoes that were scattered in front of the elevated floor made her heart bloom. This little things, actually meaningless to most people meant somehow so much to Haeyeon.

She now laid there on the dark red-ish wooden floor, staring at the floor boards and the heavy suitcase lying beside her, taking some deep breaths.

*This is it* she thought and sat up to inspect her apartment further.

The view was beautiful. From Yongsan-Gu up until the Hangang and even further until the horizon. High new buildings mixed with rundown apartment complexes as far as one can see. The distant buzzing from the main road in her Dong was only a background noise but crickets dominated the sound that entered from the wide open standing sliding window/door construction. Truly beautiful.

But after enjoying the view and the moment for a little, a faint voice spoke in Haeyeon’s head… *What now?*

Ignoring any other thoughts inside her head she went straight to unpack so she could go out and explore.

Having no person to hang on to, Haeyeon just went for it.

Everything was so different and.... better. Even the trash on the street which smelled like anybody would throw up made her inhale it and exhale happily.

This was the smell of the big city life!

She just walked around Huam-Dong, so she’d get to know her neighbourhood better.

At Huam Shi Djang (후암시장) was a little Kimbap place (김밥).Haeyeon went inside and a cute Ahjumma came and greeted her.

Politely she bowed back and sat in the back overviewing the street and busy market.

"Ahjumma (아줌마 ) one beef soup" Haeyeon shouted through the little shop „And one cheese Kimbap to go please!"

"NEEEEE" she heard the Ahjumma reply and relaxed in her seat.

On the left hand side was a fridge thingy with metal cups inside. Besides that was a water vending machine and on top of that was a shelf with a little TV.

The table was in a weird orange wood colour and had ridiculous patterns all over.

It was a small but a very home like feeling place. Even if it didn’t seem like that. To Haeyeon it did.

The Ahjumma came and served her side dishes and came quickly back with the main dish. A happy smile on her face. She must have been very beautiful once.

Haeyeon began to wonder what the Ahjumma’s life story might me. Getting the chopsticks and the spoon out of the sink in the table she started eating like a beggar. Shoving everything into her like there was no tomorrow.

A simple memory but a very peaceful one.

But trouble came soon.

 

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Yes, Haeyeon was sixteen and still untouched. Her mind was sharp but to some things she was very naïve. People looked at her everywhere she went and touched her hair and skin, sometimes they looked her deep in the eyes to check if she wore contact lenses.

Everyday Haeyeon went to a language and cultural school at Sinchon to be tutored. They taught her reading, etiquette and so much more. And every day Haeyeon went to a dance Studio next to the building Rain, a famous singer and actor, owned. So the day came that Haeyeon was able to order food and read the menu on her own, even conversing with the waiter.

Haeyeon always loved dancing, but a very different kind of dance. But it was still dancing, and soon she was only thinking about dancing. Even at home she danced and stretched.

Her flatmate was a kind and very knowledgeable woman. Her name was Ah Na. It was shortened because Haeyeon wouldn’t have been able to remember yet another foreign name. She had very foreign features and she too came from another country. She also came to Korea by the age of seventeen to study. Her journey did started off in Busan and she stayed most of her life since then in Korea.

She married once an American and gave birth to a child, but soon divorced him as it didn’t work out. That year she was to be 36 but she always denied that and said she was turning 29.

Ah Na was a blessing but maybe also one of the reasons Haeyeon did become reckless, but Haeyeon still loves Ah Na dearly.

One of the most important things Haeyeon learned from Ah Na ; Never let a guy take you home or let him know where you live.

This rule would safe Haeyeon’s a lot of times.

 

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The day I meet him was a rainy day.

I remember that day I went out with friends so clear. The streets were hot but the air was very humid. The skies ready to open up and pour down on us. We waited for another friend I did not know. The rain started falling heavily and umbrellas popped up everywhere. We had forgotten ours and ran to a building to find some safety from rain.

 I enjoyed the rain yet again a little too much and started singing and danced a little. I felt as free and light as the wind. Free and with no boundaries, no worries, nothing, just a wind. Suddenly a voice complimented my little dance and humming, it made me jump and the voices owner held me back from falling down the stairs behind me.

Awkwardly I greeted and thanked him as it turned out he was the person we were waiting for. We agreed on going to pick something up first and then eat together. We had to dive beneath the umbrellas of the other people to move in the heavy crowd. We kind of split up but it made fun to move like a snake through the small gaps of people.

I don’t really know why…. I was so happy… A big crossing came. People stood waiting for the light to turn green. Cars rushed by.

And I made one step forward. I was so calm. I took another step and I heard honking.

Strong arms held me back from going my next step, they quickly pulled me back into safety.

“It’s dangerous “the voice said stern “Don’t die. I will take care of you”. It was my friends friend.

I just stared at him. He didn’t let go of me and even as the lights turned green he held onto my jacket. Like a leash. It may have seemed nice and cute and what not but to me it was like he held onto me so I wouldn’t do something stupid, of course that was nice, but if I felt like dying I wanted to die. I was free to decide …. But he made sure I didn’t do it.

He…Lee Soo Hyuk.

On rainy days I think a lot about this first meeting.

Maybe if I wouldn’t have caught his attention things would have turned out differently.