It was perfect. The perfect plan. Your dream, it was to come true and you were excited. Living in Australia, as great a land it was, had its down sides. For example, your favourite Korean was highly unlikely to ever come to your home country. So, instead, you decided to go see them at their next concert. Being a university student didn’t make it easier either, but you planned your trip so that you would be back in time for the next term. Yes, the perfect plan.

But, you didn’t know Korean. You had tried so hard to learn the language, but you just weren’t that good at it. Deciding you had learned enough to get you by on the four days you were to be there, you gave up, practicing what you did know so that you didn’t forget. Yes, you would remember enough to survive Seoul. Once again, a perfect plan.

Even though, who could prepare for this? You had only just arrived, hyped to see your favourite band in real life and not just a screen at home. On your mobile. A mobile you no longer had. You never expected such a thing to happen to you, but now it had, you didn’t know what to do. Some person, some random man had walked right up to you, knife in hand, and took everything. Your money, phone, even your plane ticket.

That was two days ago. You had tried finding someone to talk to. Even to get directions, but you couldn’t get yourself understood. These city people were either too busy, or simply didn’t have the patience to understand you and your broken Korean.

So you gave up.

The rain poured down on your back. You had managed to find the more ‘safer’ part of the city, but you still cringed at the people who passed. No one looked your way, eager to get out of the wet. You were hungry, tired and cold with only the rain to drink. You finally stopped, sitting on the edge of a garden, the bus bench full of people waiting for their ride. The bus came and it left, it’s lights hardly penetrating the thick as it passed you.

You were alone.

Slipping off the low garden edge, you curl into a ball, unaware just how much you were shivering, your tears blending with the rain splashing onto your face. More lights passed, but none stopped. No one else walked this late at night. You close your eyes, exhausted, but you can’t sleep. Especially not when you hear a vehicle pull up. It wasn’t illegal, you knew that, but still, you tighten your grip around yourself, trying to blend into the shadows and hoping that whoever it was didn’t accidentally step on your head.

Voices. They were speaking Korean and they were getting closer. Opening your eyes, you see feet near your head, facing you. Did they belong to one of the voices? You close your eyes again, trying to remember the little Korean you knew, but it was no use. The words simply would not come to you and again, you give up trying to understand them.

The feet took a step back and you saw a knee. Whoever they belonged to now knelt in front of you, though you still couldn’t see their face. They were still trying to talk to you. Couldn’t they just leave you alone? But now, more voices had joined, some of them sounded concerned. They feel quietly and the kneeling person spoke again. “English? Do you speak English?” Blinking, you look up, trying to see who was speaking. A quiet cheer from the others.

“You speak English, yes?” Same person. Silently, you nod, unable to see their face with the streetlight behind them.

“Are you hurt?” You shake your head.

“What is your name?” And you answer, voice weak. Another voice spoke, then another. They sounded like they had agreed. The one kneeling in front of you offered a hand. “Come. We can help you. Okay?” You didn’t answer and simply took his gloved hand.

As it turned out, you had been lying in front of a rather prestigious hotel, and now the man was leading you inside. In fact, a whole group of them were and you couldn’t help but wonder if this was the smartest thing to do. Thought aside, you didn’t dare look at the others and concentrated more on placing one foot in front of the other.

After what seemed like an age, you finally arrived at their room and couldn’t help but let out a smile when you stepped inside. It was warm. Oh so very warm compared to the freezing rain outside. After all, you lived in a hot country. You weren’t very tolerant of the cold. The one who had been speaking to you lead you to a couch and sat you down while another had fetched a towel, draping it across your shoulders. Shivering, you wrapped it around yourself and muttered a thanks in reply, barely recognising that the other had to translate.

In warm room, on a comfy lounge, you really didn’t have the strength to stay awake anymore and you fall. You fall into a very deep sleep and you dream about home. You dream about sleeping in your own bed, about listening to your favourite band, about seeing your family again.