Lee Jong Hyun suddenly wakes up from a very disturbing nightmare. He opens his eyes and sees nothing but darkness. Sighs. Heavy sighs. He starts to grasp for some air inside the dark spacious corners of his room. Suddenly he feels so suffocated and isolated lying with his back in his huge white bed. He uncovers himself from the warmth of his duvet and wipes the cold sweat all over his face. He slouches at the end of the bed with both of his hands supporting his head. He reaches over the bed side table looking for his phone left uncharged last night.

“Gosh. It’s only 2AM.” He breathes in despair thinking of that horrible nightmare. He checks the time but instead his heart skips a beat in his lock screen photo – picture of him and Seung Yeon in his house in Japan. He throws his back again in the bed and closes his eyes remembering every bit of their relationship back then. The sincerity of her beautiful amber eyes, the warmth of her genuine smile, the tenderness of her sweet lips, the comfort of her embraces and her bright presence. He still loves every single part of her and it pains him a lot more how his love remains strong for her.

After taking a quick shower, he looks into his favorite airport combo - cargo pants and white shirt.  His impulsive thought voices him to go to Japan. Without any particular reason, something is pushing him to go back to where everything started. For peace of mind and closure maybe, he thinks. Also he has been receiving lots of calls from Kwang Jin and his mom, Mariko since he came from back from the military. Without any second thoughts, he carefully takes a cab going to the airport and takes the earliest flight going to Tokyo.

 

“What am I even doing here? Haaist.” He gives a senseless smile while talking to himself, putting on his face mask and Nerdy cap. The plane has now landed safely in Tokyo airport.  Unsure of what’s waiting for him there, he bravely starts to walk. The sun shining brightly welcomes him the moment he exits the airport. It feels so blinding and refreshing at the same time. He looks up in the clear blue skies and suddenly his worries seem to dissipate because of the good weather.

“It’s crazy. But whatever it is, I know there's a reason.” He continues to talk casually to himself. He goes straight to Mariko’s restaurant for a delicious breakfast even without informing her and her husband. The cab stops shortly in red light. His attention is now at the rigid alley on his right, the spot where he almost had a fight with Kwang Jin and his friends when Seung Yeon was in danger. He smiles foolishly to himself. When he’s about to turn his head away, he suddenly sees an image of a girl, almost identical with Seung Yeon’s features. 

 

“Wait.” He abruptly says in Japanese when the car starts to move in green light, surprising the driver. He takes another focused look but the place is quiet and empty. There’s no one. Clearly no one. He thinks he just saw her and in a blink of an eye she’s gone.

“Any problem, Sir?” The old Japanse cab driver asks him after seeing the troubled look on his face.

“No. Nothing. I am sorry. Please continue to drive…” He says resting his back at the car seat.

“I just thought I saw someone familiar…” He murmurs as he continues to watch at the busy streets of Tokyo. He convinces himself to let go of that idea because it is really impossible for her to be in Japan as well.

“Maybe you’re thinking about her too much.” The cab driver tries to . Jong Hyun lets a sweet shy laugh.

“I just can’t get her out of my head. It’s been three years but she’s still the only person who makes me this crazy.” Unknowingly he’s starting to have a very friendly conversation with his driver – adding to the lists of unknown reasons for him today. Their conversation seems to be going out well.

“Forty-five years ago, I met the girl I know I wanted to live the rest of my life with. She’s everything I dreamed of. But time was so cruel for us back then. I needed to leave her because I need to fight during the Japanse war. I left her with a promise that I will return safe and alive. And that’s the only thing I held on to survive the war. But a lot of things happened within that time. I heard from a friend that she moved to China and since then I lost contact with her. I came back alive and strong but she’s gone. I somehow wished that I better died in the war since there’s no reason for me to start a new life without her. She’s all I have and she’s all I wanted to have.” The driver warmly shares his story.

“And what happened? You didn’t find her?” He curiously asks.

“I did my best to look for her, I didn’t stop. I always lived in one mantra in life – If time was so cruel for us that time that it broke us apart, I hoped time will let us find each other again. And it did. It just happened without us knowing how. I was so mad that time because I have to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto because I have to take my friend’s shift who was sick that time. I need to drive an old tourist car in Arashiyama to transfer some Chinese tourists and it happened that she’s the tourist guide in that group. Can you even believe it? We felt like it was really bound to happen. I told to myself that I will never lose that chance again to make her mine. I said if ever we meet again, I need to make sure I’ll ask her to marry me. And I really did. This is why life is worth living for - being with the people you truly love.” The driver now stops in front of a big restaurant as navigation says they have arrived. He gives Jong Hyun a heartfelt smile after his story. Jong Hyun is simply amazed by his story and his words struck him directly to his heart. Somehow a glimpse of hope crosses his heart again, that one day there will be a continuation of Lee Jong Hyun and Gong Seung Yeon story.

“Thank you for sharing your story, Sir. Continue to live well with your wife.” He’s sending a happy message but traces of sadness reflect in his eyes.  He opens the door getting ready to hop outside. “Hey kid…” The driver stops him. “If two people really believe that they are right for each other and that the only thing standing in their way of happiness is poor timing, they need to fight like hell to circumvent it because love takes effort. Don’t give up. So go, get her!” He expresses himself like a real father to him. He might not know everything about him but thanks to his nice words that he’s feeling all recharged and positive.

 

“What’s going on here?” The first words he utters right after entering the newly renovated restaurant. There are already lots of people inside – most of them are familiar to him. He takes a quick look on each of th