The wind blew strong on her face. as they rode the motorbike against it. Hyemi clutched the rider's waist even stronger. Chaewon mumbled something from the front, but could not figure out what because the visor was blocking her friend's voice, plus the wind blew her already distant voice away. Chaewon said something again. This time, Hyemi leaned closer, pressing her chest on Chaewon's back, trying hard to listen.

"You'll ... -ake .. -own!"

"What did you say?!!" Hyemi shouted at the top of her lungs.

"You'll ...! Break...! My....! Bones...!"

That was super clear. Hyemi smiled at her own silliness and loosened her grip on Chaewon's waist. She tried to relax. Relax. Yes, she was supposed to relax that night. The motorbike ride should help her relax. But she was not able to. She was never relaxed at the idea of meeting new people. Strangers always make her nervous.

they was supposed to meet Chaewon's friends. Male friends, as Hyemi to put it. Chaewon's high school male friends. They came, drove actually, all the way from Seoul, just to meet Chaewon. Goods friends perhaps. So good that they were willing to spend six hours driving from Seoul to Busan and back just to meet up with a friend. 

What a waste. Waste of energy. Waste of money. Waste of time. Hyemi kept the comments to herself, not wanting to hurt Chaewon. I wouldn't have done the same thing for any of my friends that was her silent reflection.

The abrupt stop of the motorbike brought her thought back to the road. Chaewon had stopped at a crossroad, as the light was red. Hyemi adjusted the strap of the helmet; loaned by her course mate. She looked up at the sky. It was dark and starless but no sign of bad weather. She sent a silent prayer to God for good weather that night. Night in Busan were always better without rain, as people prefer to meet up with friends outdoor, catching up on stories while sipping their drinks. And the same goes for Hyemi and Chaewon.

Hyemi had known Chaewon for one year, but the friendship that they shared was more of a sisterly relationship. Maybe it was because Hyemi does not have a sister, plus Chaewon is one year older than Hyemi. They liked to spend time together, especially on outings like the one they were about to venture on that night. If time did not allow them to go out, they would spend time in their rent house, slurping hot instant noodles. They enjoyed each other's company.

After another 15 minutes, the motorbike slowed down, signalling that they were about to reach their destination. Hyemi started to feel nervous again. Chaewon parked the motorbike along with other motorbikes in front of a restaurant.

 "Don't worry. They are only my old friends. And they are good people." Chaewon assured voluntarily, as if she could read how nervous Hyemi was feeling from Hyemi's expression.

"No worries about me. I'm always like this when meeting new people, especially if they are males." Hyemi replied honestly.

"There they are!" Chaewon almost shouted, waving vigorously in the direction of two young gentlemen.

The boys stood up politely, almost too quickly, as Hyemi and Chaewon approached the table. They bowed at Hyemi, smiling politely, and then cracked very big and friendly smiles towards Chaewon. Obviously, they had known each other for years!

"Hyemi, these are my old friend, Kai and Sehun. This is Hyemi, my junior at college." typical introduction, Hyemi bowed, offering a decent smile.

They were about the same height. Kai had tanned skin while Sehun was pale. Both of them wore T-shirt,  jeans and sneakers. Nothing elaborate about their attires. They looked like any other normal, typical guy out there.

They took their seats and ordered a few drinks from the cute waiter that came to their table. Chaewon, Kai and Sehun talked about their old times in school,  but at times shifting to current issues that took place in their lives recently. Kai talked more to Hyemi compared to Chaewon.

He's just trying to make me fell comfortable, that's all, an internal dialogue formed in Hyemi's mind, while she sat listening to Kai.

He asked quite a number of questions about her. After 30 minutes, she started to relax and was able to ask questions as well. Sehun hardly asked Hyemi any question, which was relief for her; Sehun looked like the shy type of guy. She feared she had nothing to say to him. It was better talking only to Kai than having to cope with both. Chaewon was lost in her conversation with Sehun which left Hyemi and Kai, sipping their drinks, shifting from one subject to another. Kai seemed to have lots of ideas which was good for Hyemi, as she preferred to listen to answer.

It felt like the conversation had lasted only a few minutes when the boys said that they had to make a move, or else they would not be able to reach home for their class the next morning. Both of them were studying at the same private college in the heart of Seoul, so arriving on time was crucial in order to avoid the traffic jam. So, they said goodbye and thought that was it, not knowing that Chaewon had passed Hyemi's mobile phone number to Kai, who had discretely asked for it just before they left.

-----

"Your phone rang just now" Hani, her roomate, informed her without looking up from the magazine she was reading.

"Why didn't you answer it?" Hyemi asked, furiously drying her wet hair with her pink towel.

"I'm the shy type of girl, remember? Besides, it was someone by the name of Kai. So I figured it must have been a guy" still not looking up from the magazine in her hands, Hani gave an elaborate explanation which caused the pink towel to land on top of her head.

"Yeah, right!" Hyemi didn't stop to check her mobile phone, instead she quickly dressed up or else she would be late for her bus. She was scheduled to go back to her hometown that night, as the week that followed was summer vacation.

"Is that the same guy who has been calling you recently?" finally, an interrogation took her eyes off the magazine, Hani asked Hyemi, looking at the mirror, searching her roomate's face.

"Well... Yes.. Why?" Hyemi answered, her hands pulling the jeans up to her hips, somehow blushing, she hid her face by pretending to find something in the closet.

"Oh, come on! You can tell me, you don't have to be shy. Shy is just not you. Shy is me." Hani put away the magazine and sat cross-legged on her bed.

"It's too late to ask because I'm running out of late for my bus. But I promise I'll fill you in, okay?" with that, Hyemi grabbed her bulky travelling bag and was already out the door when Hani opened to protest.

-----

The bus station was crowded, which was a normal scene. She quickened her pace once she found the bus she was looking for. Hyemi climbed onto the bus, almost dragging her heavy bag, but that not kill her good mood to go back home. She quickly took seat near the window before the other passenger came.

Thank God I got this place first. Let's hope that it's a girl beside me tonight, so that I can sleep in peace. A silent prayer to God.

She took out mobile phone, retrieving the missed call. Kai's number flashed on the screen. She couldn't help smiling. The name sent warmth through her whole body. It was always did, since the night Hyemi met him. After that night, Kai had been calling her every week and the conversation would last for more than an hour. But Hyemi found it unexplainable why she felt at ease talking to this man. She quickly pressed the compose button and texted Kai. 

Sorry. Was in the toilet just now when you called

Hyemi looked at the screen for another minute. When the mobile phone didn't produce any sound, she pressed the lock button and pushed it down her pocket. She looked outside the window, and then to the seat next to her. The passenger was not here yet. If she was lucky, she could have the seat to herself, If only the passenger would forget that the ticket was for tonight she thought to herself. But that was not likely to happen. She looked out again, enjoying the crowded scene at the bus station. Parents sending children off. Boyfriends sending girlfriends off Children sending parents off. Friends sending friends off. Girlfriends sending boyfriends off. But nobody was there to send her off. A surge of loneliness  suddenly rushed through her. But she did not want to spoil her travelling mood, so she closed her eyes, adjusted her seat, hugged her body tightly and tried to get some sleep.

-----

Something shook her right thigh softly. The inside of the bus was dark, as the driver had switched off the light, She opened her eyes, trying to compute what was actually happening. Then, she realised that the source of the soft shaking was coming from inside her pocket. Her mobile phone! She quickly reached for it and without looking at the caller ID, she pressed the answer button. A familiar voice said hello at the end of the line. It was Kai.

"Sorry if I woke you up. I wanted to wait until the bus had left the bus station."

He remembers that I'm going back tonight

"Oh, it's okay" Hyemi said, noticing that the seat next to her was empty

Pity the passenger she must've forgotten that the ticket was for tonight

And so the conversation continued for another two hour until Hyemi heard the beeping sound from her mobile phone, warning her that the battery was running out. He had no choice but to vut the conversation short.

"Kai-ssi, I have to hang up. My mobile phone is running out of battery. I need it to call my dad when I've arrived" she had to forced the politeness, as she did not want to hang up

"Yes, sure"

You better

As she closed her eyes for another round of slumber, she could not help enjoying the happiness she was feeling inside. But she denied the idea that someone out there might be falling head over heels for her.

-----

He looked at his watch 

She should be arriving any time now

His hand made involuntary movement af snatching his mobile phone on the desk.

No, it's too soon. Maybe I'll wait till tonight

Kai tried to fight the urge of calling Hyemi

He couldn't help feeling lonely after the break up with his high school sweetheart. But he had to move on. There was nothing left to look forward to in  the relationship that they once shared; she had found a better man and they were getting married. Soon, he heard.

Hyemi is not that bad. But is she just to fill in the empty space inside me

Kai tried to push away the question. He had to admit Hyemi was special. She was the quiet type of girl. Talked less, listened more. The type that he liked. But it was hard to tell how this girl felt inside. She never remarked or gave any hint of having feelings for him, and he was to shy to ask. It was out of fear. Fear of being rejected. He did not want to pushed away. Not again.

She doesn't want a man like me

But Kai wanted to try his luck. Who knows, he might be lucky this time.

-----

Aaarrrgggh! not her

Kai reached for the alarm clock. It was 6.00 in the morning. His mobile phone in his left hand was still ringing, the screen flashing angrily in the dark room. Tia.

Why Tia? Why not Hyemi?

Tia was a good friend of his ex-girlfriend. The girl had been calling him every single day after he broke up with his ex-girlfriend. At first, the conversations were pleasent, more to comforting him. Bit now the topics had become dull. Besides, Tia was the kind of girl who was moody most of the time and Kai had to cope with her moods whenever she called. He pressed the silent button and threw the mobile phone onto his bed. Kai reached his towel which was dangling from his study chair and made his way to the bathroom. In the shower, he kept asking himself, Why was I so stupid to agree to her suggestion to go out today?

-----

He hardly listened to the words that Tia was babbling about during the journey. she was nagging him for not answering her calls. He did not say anything. She was angry when he fetched her infront of her house. Five minutes after that, she was sulking. The next minutes, she was nagging and sounded angry at times. Kai did not understand Tia.he did not want to. He could not helpimg comparing Tia and Hyemi.

Hyemi never nagged, never sulked, what more got angry

Kai regretted that he had agreed to go out with Tia. Bit what had been said was a promise to her. Cancellation would only invite more anger, nagging and agruments. That was why he played along, but he made a promise to himself that it would be the first and the last.

Kai was actually counting the time to call Hyemi that night.

-----

It had been a routine for him for the past one year; he would call Hyemi at avery chance he got. One night, he decided that he could not keep it any longer, and so he asked her the question.

"Can I ask you one question, Hyemi"

"Yeah, sure" she sounded as if she didn't really care, but Kai asked anyway.

"What if someone from Seoul asks for your hand in marriage? Are you willing to settle down in Seoul?"

"No way! I will not live there, or else, I'll die young"

Kai gulped down the statement that he had been reherasing the whole week. She will not want to marry me. He was so frustrated that he left Hyemi puzzled at the end of the line when he abruptly anded the conversation.

It was very unlike Kai that she had known for the past one year. He never ended a conversation abruptly like the way he did that night. what could be the cause? Did I say something wrong? Why did he suddenly ask me question? Hyemi was perplexed. Little did she know that she had shattered a man's heart and hopes.

-----

Kai continued to call after that night, thought not as often as he always did. Maybe he was has found a new girlfriend.Hyemi did not want to believe what she told herself, but the distance that Kai put between them had left her believing that it was true.

Life went on as usual, although Kai did not call as often. After she embarked on her career, Hyemi met a man. After quite a brief relationship, they finally decided to settle down. That was when Hyemi changed her number, without bothering about he fact that maybe someone, somewhere, a friend maybe, would still love to hear from her.

However, no matter how far Hyemi ran, thought unintentionally running from anybody, Kai was always close behind. One fine evening, Hyemi received a call from a familiar voice which she had not heard from for a quite a while. She was amazed at his effort in finding her number and effort that he invested just to hear from a friend. It was a month away to her wedding when Kai called that evening. Thinking that this man had no feeling whatsoever for her, Hyemi told him that she was getting married in a month's time. The news hit Kai hard on the face, even though Hyemi could bot hear it through the phone. His heart was broken into pieces and shattered loudly, but Hyemi was not able to hear all that from his voice. He hid it, and he did it well.

"I'm glad to hear that!" that was all that he managed to utter. You've broken my heart was what he actually wanted to shout to Hyemi, but he swallowed the pain.

-----

Three months after her wedding, Kai received a phone call from Kai, inviting her to his wedding. She did not ask him much about his wedding; in fact, she asked nothing at all. Part of her did not want to hear anything, although she could not understand why, when she herself was happily married. Hyemi did noy make any promises to attend the wedding; she did not have any intention to do so.

"Congratulations, Kai" was all that she said, and it sounded so insincere even to her own ears.

Hyemi continued with her life. After a month, she conceived. She was supposed to bo the happiest woman, but something in the marriage was just not right. But she did not complain. She went with the flow, letting time take her along with the current which sometimes got too strong that she submerged, but at times the water was calm enough that she could stay afloat. She was not happy and she had nobody to talk to. Sometimes, she found herself wishing that her mobile phone would ring and Kai's name would appear on the screen, but that did not happen. After that one last invitation call, Kai never called anymore.

He must be happy now that he doesn't remember me.

After the child was born, a very beautiful baby girl, Hyemo decided that she had close enough with the unhappiness that she had to bear for the whole one year marriage. That was biggest decision she had ever made in her life; she went out the door one day, with her baby in her arms, and she never looked back since. But Hyemi had no regrets. She continued with her life, raising her girl alone with the support of her family members.

After a couple of years being a single mother, an email came into her mailbox one day. The sender's email address was foreign and she was not sure whether to read it or not. But her instinct told her to. After a few lines of introduction, Hyemi almost cried as the email actually came from Kai. Again, this man managed to find her, evem after a few times af changing her number after the divorce. Hyemi replied the email without thinking twice, typing furiously on her keyboard, pouring out everything that had taken place in her life into compose space of the email. Most importantly was the mobile phone number that she attached with the email. As if understanding the message, Kai called the next day.

It took Hyemi a couple of hour to fill him in with her life storied. He was a loyal listener, interrupting at times to gives his honest comments. Hyemi did not ask his marriage, but Kai did mention one day that he was not blessed with a child, and from time to time he asked Hyemi to attach a photo of her baby girl for him to see. Hyemi never asked about his marriage. Not a single question. She did not want to know actually and Kai did not say anything either.

After a couple of months of weekly conversation, Hyemi finally popped a question about Kai's wife.

"Does your wife know that you call me weekly?"

"I've been waiting for so long for you to ask me that question" Kai replied.

"Okay, now that I have finally asked, maybe you would like to answer it"

"I have been divorced for almost a year now"

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that" was all that Hyemi could say, though she had to admit that it came out half-heartedly.

-----

"It is your hubby who always texts you?" Miyoung asked.

"Yes" Hyemi replied, without looking up from her mobile phone, her thumbs furiously replying to the massage that came in just a few seconds earlier.

"My hubby rarely texts me. Hummphh!"

"It had become a routine actually" Hyemi continued.

"You're lucky" said Miyoung

"Maybe. But I believe that it was fated to be this way" Hyemi's reply left Miyoung bewildered, but Miyoung did not asked any further.

As she finished typing, Hyemi pressed the send button and then the menu button. Flashing on the screen, smiling back here were three familiar faces; her daughter's, her son's and her husband's.

If it is fated, no matter how far I run, God will bring me back to you. 

Hyemi smiled, looking at Kai's face among the two smiling kids on her mobile phone's screensaver.