Ohmigosh…

I’m finally here.

Mindy stared at the tall building in front of her in awe.

X Broadcasting Station…

A young, fresh graduate from University, Mindy finally made it to Korea. She had majored in Korean and Communication Studies in California. During one of her summer breaks, she had managed to intern at X Broadcasting Station. She probably left a good impression on them as a hard and smart worker because they had offered her a job immediately after graduation. It was a dream come true. Mindy had always been fascinated by the Korean culture. The fact that she is half-Korean definitely played a part in drawing her into the culture. Needless to say, she was swept away by the K-Wave. She is a big fan of K-shows and K-pop. Her aim is to produce the best show in Korea - a show that can impact the lives of people. Now, she has a head start in fulfilling her goal. She felt her heart bubbling with happiness.

She entered the building, taking confident strides.

Ok, maybe she was not so happy after all. Sure, she got her ideal job but she felt so alone here. A few months into the job and she already felt that she was suffocating. The Korean work environment is strictly professional. Her relationship with her colleagues in XBS was strictly professional and it did not help that she was the youngest in her office. Age plays a huge role in the Korean society. It was a Friday evening and she walked into her small apartment. Her pay was good and she could afford a pretty decent apartment and furnish it well. Her apartment was her only solace from the stressful and competitive world. It provided her some warmth but then again, staying at home just reminded her of how friendless and alone she was. After taking a warm and relaxing bath, she was about to spend the night watching television when she accidentally knocked the newspapers off her coffee table. She picked up the newspapers and started to flip through it absentmindedly. A small advertisement at the corner of the page caught her eye.

‘Angel’s Hearth’…hmmm…

Mindy had always lived her life to the fullest. Though she is an orphan, she has never let that get her down. Music is her life. It was a gift to her from the heavens. She was naturally gifted with perfect pitch and it enabled her to improvise. Back in her University days, she would juggle between her 2 majors and performing for a band she had formed with her friends. She was the lead singer. Looking back, those were indeed the best years of her life.

Mindy wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck. It was a very cold night. She did not spend her night watching television. Instead she was out in her neighbourhood finding the bar café ‘Angel’s Hearth’. She wandered around a little more, finding her directions with her smart phone. A few moments later, she stood outside a decent sized bar café. It was at a quiet corner of the busy street. The signboard was a wooden board with the words ‘Angel’s Hearth’ carved into it. There was a figure of an angel carved into the signboard as well. She took a hesitant step and entered the bar café.

The interior of the bar café was empty. There were chairs and tables all around, morning café style. At the counter that was supposed to serve pastries and coffee, there was a large sign that read,

“CLOSED. HAPPY HOUR IN THE NEXT ROOM”

Mindy followed the direction of the arrow that was on the sign. It was another door. There were muffled sounds coming from the interior and Mindy carefully opened the door, hoping that she would not regret it.

Once she entered the next room, a beautiful piano melody hit her. A man with a deep tenor voice was crooning to a ballad on an elevated platform. There were warm orange spotlights on him whereas the rest of the room, apart for the bar counter, was dark. Mindy could make out an audience that was sitting on stools, in their own groups, with a small tall table differentiating each group. The room was warm and the atmosphere was peaceful and relaxing. Good music and some drinks, it would be a perfect way to unwind after a hectic day. She went and took a seat around an empty table. The performer was amazing. She closed her eyes and simply let herself relax, letting her emotions ride with the song. After awhile she opened her eyes and surveyed the crowd. All of them had the same indulgent expression on their faces. It was beautiful. After the song, the performer sat down on his stool on the stage and talked to the crowd for a little while. He shared the meaning behind the song that he had sung and how he hoped that they had enjoyed it. Mindy loved the whole atmosphere. The interaction between the performer and the audience, the friendly and warm feeling that this entire place exudes, Mindy felt a sense of belonging.

She made her decision and walked towards the bar counter. The bartender was dressed casually, a simple woollen turtleneck with the long sleeves rolled up. Mindy spoke carefully,

“Excuse me…”

He looked up and if looks could kill, Mindy thought that she would have died on the spot. This man had a natural scowl on his face and it did not help that he was really tall. Mindy had always been quite petite and she could feel this guy towering over her. He was really good looking, in a fierce kind of way. Mindy thought that if he had styled his bangs up, he would have looked even more intimidating.

“Yes?” he answered. His voice was low.

“May I look for the boss here?” she inquired politely.

He nodded his head and put down the wine glass that he was drying. He went to the back and Mindy could hear him shout ‘Ahjumma!’

A middle aged lady with curly short hair came out from the back with the man before in tow. She jokingly smacked him on the head, having to jump a little to do so and chided,

“Yah! Where are your manners, Kim Woo Bin? Call me Boss!”

The said man simply rubbed his head and chuckled before going back to work. The boss of the bar café approached Mindy amiably and asked,

“How may I help you dear?”

Min Er swallowed before answering,

“I would like to audition to be a