“MONA SY”

 

That was what I saw on the placard that my friends were holding, while I was looking for them at the airport when I arrived in Korea.

 

At last, I’ m here. We’re all here now.

 

I was the last one who went to Korea as there were some changes in my schedule. However, that’s not important now. What I am happy about is that the four of us are already in our dream country.

 

Although my attention was caught by the placard they were holding, Haerin was the very first person who caught my attention. As usual, she was the most energetic among the three, so you can immediately see her in the crowd. Beside her were Chang and Sheng who were waving at me. And I immediately run towards them, and we made a group hug.

 

“OMG! We’re now compete!” I excitedly said and giggled.

 

The four of us then giggled in happiness and excitement because we couldn’t control our emotions. We tried not to scream because there are a lot people at the airport, and we don’t want to be the center of attention there.

 

“This calls for a celebration then.” Said Haerin.

 

“So where are we gonna celebrate?” Sheng asked.

 

“Hey, I need to go to my Ate’s house first you know.” I immediately disagreed.

 

“C’mon Mona, don’t spoil the moment.” Chang was serious, but her tone was a little bit pleading.

 

And to be honest, I also didn’t want to spoil that moment. The reason why I was a bit worried of going to my Ate’s place first is that she knew my arrival time and I knew that she’s waiting for me. But still, I decided.

 

“Okay. I’ll just call her.” I said.

 

“Alright then, let’s go!” Haerin energetically said.

 

We were about to walk out of the airport when Sheng asked something.

 

“Guys wait! Where are we heading? We need to decide first.”

 

She was looking at Chang and Haerin. And Haerin immediately thought of a place.

 

“Ah … I think I know where.”

 

“Where?” Asked Chang.

 

“Do you guys want to have a coffee or something?” Haerin asked.

 

“Well, yeah. That’s okay with me. But we need to consider Mona. Maybe she’s hungry.” Sheng said.

 

“No, not really. I had eaten while on the plane. So I’m still full you know.” I said.

 

“Are you sure?” Asked Chang.

 

“Yes.” I answered.

 

“Okay. Do you guys remember that cafe at the 25^th street?” Asked Haerin to Chang and Sheng.

 

“Yeah. That place is good.” Agreed Sheng.

 

“So let’s go there.” Said Chang.

 

“Alright, let’s go!” Said Haerin.

 

So we went to that place. The trip from the airport to the 25^th street was some kind of a distance. We needed to travel on a train to reach the area for more than an hour; however, it was not a problem for the four of us. We did not mind the travel time as we were busy chatting all the way. The three of them had a lot of stories about Korean places, food, people, culture, and others. And I was really excited to see and experience all these.

 

When we arrived at the 25^th street, I immediately saw a cafe at a corner that says “Chinggu Cafe”. The name of the cafe itself was already interesting. The outside of the cafe was like an antique facade. It gives you the classic feeling. When we entered the cafe, I was really amazed because the lights were dim, which complements the color of its inside, which is brown. You can see that it is made of wooden tiles, and all its furnitures are made of wood.

 

There were already a few customers in the cafe. And as my eyes explored the cafe, I saw a not-too-long stairway, which I thought that there was a second floor. At the cashier area where we ordered, you can see their menu that is written on a chalk board. You can see all kinds of coffee and beverages, snacks, and others.

 

After we had our order, we decided to sit at the second floor. We were the first customers in that floor, so we had the freedom to choose a good spot. You can see several sets of wooden tables and chairs, and on the wall was an abstract painting. It was really artistic even if I don’t understand the paiting, but it was really beautiful. We chose to sit on the table with four chairs beside the glass window. It was indeed a good spot because we can see the outside, the people, buildings, the street, cars, and others.

 

After a few minutes, our orders came. It was brought by a Korean waitress.

 

“Gumapsumnida! [Thank you very much!]” Said Chang to the waitress.

 

The waitress also said thank you to us and gestured their courtesy, which is bowing down. We also did the same.

 

I ordered hot chocoloate because it was cold. It’s the fall season, and the air is really cold. My other three friends ordered hot drinks also. Chang, Sheng, and Haerin ordered espresso, americano, and brewed coffee, respectively. In fairness, I liked the taste of their hot chocolate because it is not that sweet compared with what we I used to.

 

We laughed and cracked some jokes, while we slowly drank our hot drinks. We did not even notice the time that passed. We were in the middle of our conversation when Sheng noticed something. Sheng immediately poked Haerin who was sitting beside her, and Haerin’s face brightened when she saw what Sheng was up to; I and Chang who were sitting across Haerin and Sheng stopped what we were doing and looked back to where Sheng and Haerin were looking. And all four of us became speechless. Among the group of people who sat on a table not too far from us was Jackson. Yes, Jackson of Got7.

 

The four of us looked at each other with disbelief and admiration for the Kpop idol.

 

“OM!” Said Sheng.

 

“He’s so handsome. He’s like melting me.” Said Chang.

 

“Gosh, Jackson! I know I’m not really into Got7, but I think I will become a fan of them from now on.” I said with a tone of fantasy.

 

“Yeah, me too. I think we need to add Got7 on our list.” Haerin said with agreement.

 

We can’t help but look at Jackson from time to time. He was so adorable. There were only two groups in the second floor. It’s only us and Jackson’s group, so we had all the time to stare at Jackson. We couldn’t help but secretly take photos and videos of him.

 

Jackson on the other hand finally noticed us, and he looked at our directon. We immediately waved at him, and he smiled and waved at us too. He even made a heart sign in the air using his thumb and forefinger.

 

Sheng couldn’t help but made her “charming move”. Among the four of us, she was the most appealing and charming indeed. She was even famous among the boys in our school, back in college. Sheng was “cleanly flirting” with Jackson using her looks and gestures, and Jackson as a man noticed that, not just him but also his friends. Jackson winked at Sheng, so Sheng’s efforts were not wasted.

 

“Sheng, you’re really effective.” Chang commented with sarcasm but sounding entertained.

 

“He should noticed me so that my effort will not go to waste.” Sheng said funnily. And we can see her efforts really. So we laughed at that. This is the first time she’s doing so much effort to a guy.

 

Despite the laughter and entertainment we had with “Sheng’s flrting”, Sheng on the other hand noticed something about Jackson. Jackson was consistently glancing at Haerin. And Sheng counldn’t hide the excitement she felt noticing that.

 

Well, I’d be happy if you like my friend here Jackson. You will definitely be in good hands. Sheng said in her mind while looking at Jackson, and she can’t wait to tell Haerin about what she discoverd. Haerin on the other hand was busy cracking jokes with me and Chang.