The Promise

She shook her head as she sat looking out the airplane window. She wasn’t particularly looking at anything, she was just staring out. Zoning out is better term. She had always wanted to take this vacation and had planned all this time but was only able to go now. She has been saving up for this trip since she fell in love with the Firenze Duomo 10 years ago. Yes, it took her 10 years to finally be able to go.

Atlast. She thought. Finally, in the flesh.

She just knew in her heart that those pictures won’t do the real ones justice. She took a deep breath and smiled. This is it.

She fished for phone in her pocket and sent a short message to her family’s group chat.

Already boarded. 😊

In less than a minute her mom replied

Enjoy!

Follow by her dad

Take care and don’t talk to strangers! Don’t take anything that is given to you for free! Especially free food and free rides!

She rolled her eyes and giggled. It was a feat to actually have her dad agree to travel to Italy. Yes, she’s thirty but it’s the first time she will be travelling to somewhere far and only by herself. Aside from her travel for work, they, her whole family, have always been going abroad together. It has always been her parents and her two brothers and when her big brother got married, it’s them and her brothers’ wife and nephew. As an only girl in the family, she has always been sheltered and protected and this solo trip of hers is definitely a milestone.

Don’t worry, I won’t. I also won’t be going to places where there are not a lot of people. I won’t take short cuts and go all adventurous and I won’t eat anything that may cause me allergies.

It has only been 5 seconds since she sent that message when her phone rang

“Appa”

“Joohyunah, speaking of allergies, did you bring your medicine box?”

“Yes, I did bring it”

“Do you have your paracetamol there and anti-allergies?”

“Yes”

“Do you have your scents?”

“Yes, appa”

“Okay, well take care and message us as soon as your plane lands”

“I promise I will”

It took them another 2 minutes to say goodbye. As she was putting her phone in her bag, the lady sitting beside her spoke

“First time traveling?”

“No, but to Italy, yes”

The lady smiled “I can’t help but hearing your conversation with your father, my dad was like that the first time I traveled too”

“Really? I almost didn’t go because he was set on not letting me go”

“They eventually will let you but not without tons of reminders”

“That is true” she nodded “Are you travelling alone too?” Joohyun asked

“Yes, but I now live in Italy permanently, my husband and kids are there, I was just here to visit my family”

“Ah, I see, you’re lucky to be living in one of the world’s most historic and diverse city. I wish I could move to Italy too. Wake up and see those majestic edifices.” She smiled just imagining it.

“I am very lucky, what made you want to visit Italy?”

“Ten years ago, someone very special gifted me with a book “Between Calm and Passion where the ending is about the lovers who promised to meet at the Duomo after 10 years” she sighed and bit her lip “I fell in love with everything Italy ever since. Searching for where the best food is, the churches that I can go to. Everything.”

The lady beside her thoughtfully nodded “Sorry to pry, but its 10 years, right? I mean ten years since he gifted you with the book? And it’s ten years also with the lovers in the story?”

Joohyun laughed “Yeah, but it just so happened. I mean I was only able to reach my target savings this year for my trip and luckily was given an okay for my two-week vacation”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sorry where are my manners, I’m Seo Joohyun, I read that this is a 12-hour flight so might as well make the best out of it” offering her hand in the process

“Kim Taeyeon” at the same time taking her hand “It’s nice to meet you, later I’ll give you my number just in case you need help on anything. It’s not easy being in a foreign land not knowing anyone.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

Taeyeon shifted in her seat to face Joohyun “Are you married? Dating? Please tell me if my questions are getting too personal, I seldom have girl talks in Korean, when I get home I have to deal with screaming toddlers and a very passive husband”

Joohyun also adjusted to how she sat “It’s okay! And to answer your question, no, I’m not married and not dating”

“Seriously?” Taeyeon looked at her skeptically

“Yup”

“But why? I mean you’re pretty and I don’t think you’re some psycho or anything. Are you?”

Joohyun let out another laugh “No! I just don’t have time for it. My time is spent mostly at the museum and with my family. When you’re a curator, the most humanly interaction that you’ll have is with the mummies and well we don’t really have that in Korea and they are no longer living so yeah that’s about it. “

“Interesting job you got there; I wish my job is as interesting as yours”

“What do you do?” Joohyun asked

“A bank manager”

“Cool! Money!”

“Yep, but not mine!”

They both giggled at that. They had to seat properly when the plane departed but as soon as the “Fasten Seatbelt” light went off, they immediately went back to chatting

“Okay, you’re single but you did have previous relationships before, right?”

Joohyun smiled “Yes, I had one”

“Is this the book giver namja?”

“Yes, he’s the one”

“Oh my gosh, this is exciting! But where is he know?”

Joohyun shrugged “I don’t know, but I think he is in Japan working, I haven’t really been following his activities”

“Of course, you wouldn’t” Taeyeon replied soberly

“He is famous now”

“Really?”

“Yes, have you heard of the singer Jung YongHwa?”

Her new friend frowned “Hmm…not really but I may have heard his songs, I haven’t been in touch with Korea’s entertainment for a while now, I’ll search him up”

Joohyun beat her to it. And wit