“Ji-hyo ah…” Calls her mother while slowly entering Ji-hyo’s room.

“Neh, eomma?”

“What are you doing, dear? Is my pretty daughter busy?”

“Hmm not really… I’m just revising my thesis. Waeyo?”

“Ah right, my baby almost finished her study and soon to be bachelor. I’m so proud of you baby!” She said while kissing Ji-hyo’s cheek.

“Ah eomma! I’m not a baby anymore!”

“Well, no matter how big you are, you’re still my baby forever.” Ji-hyo’s mother hugging her one and only daughter.

“Hehehe nehh, I’ll be your baby forever.”

“Anyway Ji-hyo ah, you do remember that in a week we will go to Paris, right?”

“Of course, eomma! How could I forget that? Look, I even already start packing.” Ji-hyo pointing her suitcase at the corner of her room.

“Hmm Ji-hyo ah, is it okay if you going there alone?”

“Mwuhh??? Waeyo?”

“Somethings came up and instead going to Paris, my client said that she would like to meet at Venezuela alongside commissaries of her company.”

“Then I will come with you eomma, it’s kinda scary travelling to another country alone.”

“Ji-hyo ah, you’ve been registered for your short summer course learning French there, also the flight ticket can’t be refund.”

“Then your seat will be empty just like that? You sure is know how to wasting your money.” Ji-hyo sounds a bit upset.

“Ji-hyo ah…. I did this for our family. If this project success, then we can live better than now. Besides, my flight ticket and accommodation will be paid by her.”

“Aren’t we already have a better life?”

Yes, Ji-hyo’s family is actually can be categorized as well-off family. Her parents own a trading company and currently want to try their luck to expand their business to another country. Their very first client from abroad is Venezuela’s company, but the CEO wants to meet at Paris since she’s currently handling her company in Paris. But a while ago, she changed her mind to change the meeting place at the headquarter of her company, which is in Venezuela.

“Ji-hyo ah, we’re doing this for you, for your future….”

Ji-hyo knows it so well that her parents want to give her the best. Her family once live poorly but her parents never give up until they can have their own company right now. And after thinking about going to Paris alone, without parents, she thinks that it’s a good idea. She will be ‘free’, right? Moreover, she will be staying there for a month. There will be bunch fun things she can do there.

“Arasso eomma.” Ji-hyo finally said. “But I will stay at your friend’s house, right?”

Her face now smiling widely knowing that her daughter didn’t sulky. “Of course honey. I already asked her to pick you up once you arrived.”

“Okay then, it’s okay for me to go abroad alone.”

“Aigoo my daughter is so kind and brave." Her mother's caress her cheek. "Anyway Ji-hyo ah, don’t forget your mission to go there, okay? You have to search a school for you to take master degree.”

“Of course I won’t forget that, eomma. That’s my main mission going there, isn’t it?”

“Nehh, and you should report everything you do in there, okay? If you can, call me every day.”

Ji-hyo chuckled at her mother. “You were fine when asking me to keep going to Paris without you, but why you suddenly sounded worried about that?”

“Aishh this kid! Even when I was asking you to keep going, deep inside I’m worried about you. You are my one and only child. I just want to make sure everything is fine because I don’t want to lose you…”

“Aigoo eomma, you worried too much to your daughter who turns 23 this year. You are not gonna lose me because we only separate for a month. Okay then, I promise I will keep you updated and stay healthy.”

“Oh, and promise me that you won’t do silly thing there like getting drunk.”

“Errrr….. eomma, I think I can’t promise you that……”

“Yah!!!!”

“Ahahaha eomma, I promise I won’t drink…….. too often and too much. Even if I drink, I promise to take care of myself.” Ji-hyo hugs her mother tightly to convince her.

“Arasso, just remember your promise, okay? I can’t bear losing my only child in another country.”

“Got it, maam! You won’t lose your daughter because she will come back home perfectly.”

It’s finally the D-day Ji-hyo travelling to other country alone. The moment she arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport, she has been welcoming by Kim Ji-soo, her mother’s friend. Her mother’s friend is actually Korean who live in France after married with French guy. They have one children, 2 years older than Ji-hyo but he currently at London, taking his master studies.

“Imo…. Is it really okay if I stay at your son’s room?” Asked Ji-hyo to her mother’s friend in Korea

“Gwenchana, he is not here anyway. Rather than being empty, isn’t it better if you stay here?”

“Neh imo…. Gomawo.”

She replies with smile. “Ji-hyo ah, you must be tired, do you want to take a rest?”

“Aniyo imo, I sleep a lot during my flight so I’m not feeling sleepy or tired at all. I actually planning to strolling around this area and maybe visiting my course place, Institute de Paris.”

“Keure? Then you can go with my husband. He wants to go out to take care of few things. Come with me.” Ji-soo take Ji-hyo’s hand so that she follows her to downstairs.

“Honey, what time you would go to meet your client?” Ji-soo asked her husband in English.

She usually using French and English to communicate with her husband. This time she uses English so that Ji-hyo might understand what they are talking about.

“I’m about to go, why?”

“Can you bring Ji-hyo along with you? I mean, she said she wants to strolling around the city. You can just drop her at Eiffel tower or maybe Champs-Élysées and picking her up again once you are done meeting with your client.”

“Imo it’s okay, I can go there by myself.” Said Ji-hyo to Ji-soo in English before move her gaze to her imo’s husband. “Sir, you don’t have to accompany me, it might be a burden and troublesome for you since you are about to meet your client.”

“You are not a burden to me, Ji-hyo. You are my guest, so I suppose to treat you good. Besides, I will have a meeting at a café around Eiffel Tower. Come on, take your things and we will go now.” He said warmly to Ji-hyo.

“Yes sir.”

“Oh don’t call me sir, that’s too formal. You can call me uncle, uncle Pierre.”

“Okay then uncle, I will go and take my bag.” Ji-hyo dash to her room.

Along the way, uncle Pierre talk a lot. He tells Ji-hyo about his son and wife. He's a bubbly and warm person which makes her comfortable being with him even though she just met him today.

“Ji-hyo, is it okay if I just dropped you here?” He said once they reach their destination.

“It’s okay uncle, it’s my first time being at Eiffel Tower and must be fun strolling around here. I guess 2 hours will passed quickly.” Answered Ji-hyo happily.

“Okay then, I will fetch you here in 2 hours, okay? Just wait for me if I haven’t arrived yet.”

“Okay uncle.” With that, Ji-hyo get out from the car and starts to walking around.

At first, she was amazed to see this iconic tower of France. She excitedly taking pictures of herself with Eiffel tower as a background. But just like that….

It’s only 15 minutes here but she already feels bored. The excitement didn’t last long. The more she’s staring at the tower, it’s just like she’s staring at Namsan tower. Maybe that's becau