We find ourselves at the parking area of a train station in Seoul, the sun of late August standing high and would soon give its warmth to the cold autumn of September. Just a few cars were parked, all empty or occupied by a driver waiting for their friends, colleagues or relatives.

A youth of 18 years walked around the parking area for half an hour already, his black hair shimmering under the summer sun. He had looked into every car he could find, but the one he was searching for was nowhere near in sight.

"Where the hell is she?" he wondered, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance when he fished for his mobile phone. He put his luggage onto the ground when he dialled a number, his foot tapping when it ringed.

"Yeoboseyo?" a female voice chimed, quite stressed the young boy noticed.

"Mom, where are you? You said you wanted to pick me up," the black haired said, his annoyance not hidden. "I've been waiting for 30 minutes already!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, JaeJoong. I totally forgot about that."

'Of course,' JaeJoong thought, rolling his eyes. "Can you pick me up now then?" he asked, sighing when he walked a bit around his luggage.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I can't. I'll have a meeting in a few minutes and won't be able to pick you up," JaeJoong's mother replied, very much in a hurry.

"What? But today is Sunday," JaeJoong remarked in disbelief.

"I know, but it is really important and I need to attend it. Can't you take a taxi?"

"But mom ..." JaeJoong wanted to oppose but got interrupted.

"I'll pay you back, I promise," she said in a hurry, actually not listening to her son at all.

"Mom!" JaeJoong said but fell on deaf ears.

"I'm sorry, JaeJoong, but I have to go now."

"Mom, wait! I don't have-"

"I love you, bye." The line was already dead before JaeJoong even had the chance to finish his sentence, "... any money."

Car after car had already driven off before JaeJoong closed his phone, still in shock of what had just happened. The disbelief and shock soon turned to anger though and whilst leaving out a frustrated grunt he almost threw his mobile phone onto the solid ground.

"Argh! Always the same with this person! I can never rely on her!" he shouted in utmost anger, once more disappointed in his mother. It wasn't the first time, after all, it was her fault that she had left his father when he had been eleven years old and got dumped by her affair when she had been pregnant with his sister.

He sighed deeply when he looked around the now empty parking area. It was close to four in the afternoon and he was probably the only person left in this deserted train station on a Sunday.

"Great, and what am I supposed to do now?" he wondered aloud, sighing when he decided to just walk home. It would take him at least one and a half hours before he reached home and his luggage wasn't that light as well. In his frustration JaeJoong dialled a number he knew by heart whilst walking across the parking area towards the street.

"Yeoboseyo?" a deep male voice answered the call, the sizzling of oil in a hot pan audible.

"Hey dad," JaeJoong greeted the man on the other line.

"Hey son, did you have a nice trip back home?" the older male chimed, JaeJoong smiling at the warmth in the other's voice.

"Not really. I'm at the train station and on my way home," JaeJoong mumbled, looking left and right before he crossed the empty street.

"You don't sound very happy," his father remarked. "Did something happen?"

"Mom forgot to pick me up, and instead of listening to me she just rambled on before she left me hanging because of some meeting," the black haired complained, knowing that at least his father was always listening to him.

"Oh dear, and now you're walking home?" JaeJoong was sure that his father's eyebrows were furrowed in worry by now.

"Yeah, I don't have the money to rent a taxi for a ride home," he mumbled, taking a look at the street signs before he rounded a junction.

"I wish I could help you, JaeJoong-ah."

"I know, but it's okay. You already helped me by listening," JaeJoong responded, a smile scurrying over his lips. "I disturbed you from cooking. Sorry for that."

"Oh, that's okay. You're more important than our pancakes," JaeJoong's father chuckled into the speaker.

"I'll leave you to your pancakes then. Oh, and dad?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for listening," JaeJoong chimed, crossing a street when the traffic light turned green.

"Always again. Be careful, okay?"

"I will and greet ChanMi for me, will you? Love you." With this JaeJoong ended the call with a smile and stuffed his mobile phone into the pocket of his jeans.

*

The luggage draped around his torso got heavier and heavier with every step. Almost two hours had gone by before JaeJoong finally reached the district he was living in. Only another 15 minutes before he came to the apartment he shared with his mother and two younger siblings. It was a longer walk than he had thought.

The last traffic light keeping him from his home had just turned red when he reached the crosswalk, a sigh leaving his lips when he wanted to push the button with his left. His hand bumped into another having the same intention though.

"Oh, I'm sorry," JaeJoong mumbled and casted a glance to the person next to him. It was a young man, probably older than JaeJoong by a few years with chestnut-brown hair.

"Great minds think alike," the brown haired voiced out, chuckling when he pushed the button for the traffic light to turn green. He turned to JaeJoong with a smile, his teeth shining through. It fascinated the black haired, and he noticed that he had been staring when the man next to him lifted his eyebrows in wonder.

"Oh, I ... I didn't mean to," JaeJoong stuttered, cheeks slightly flushed in embarrassment. The other just chuckled, obviously amused.

"No harm done," the brown haired responded, taking a step onto the street when the traffic light turned green. JaeJoong followed on his heels, eyes downcast when he tried to get a hold of himself. He was so lost in his thoughts that when he turned to walk left, he noticed too late the chestnut-brown haired man turning right. JaeJoong bumped with his head into the other one's chest.

"Careful," the brown haired voiced out, chuckling in amusement when he held onto JaeJoong for him to not fall backwards.

"I'm sorry," JaeJoong responded, eyes downcast to hide the blush creeping into his face when he mumbled, "How embarrassing."

"Haha, you're quite entertaining, if I may say so," the brown haired said, laughing slightly when he brushed a strand of JaeJoong's black hair out of the latter's widened eyes. "I'd love to chat more with you, but I gotta leave," he mumbled, winking at JaeJoong before he walked past the stunned 18-year-old along the street leading to the right.

JaeJoong turned around, staring after the retrieving back whilst blinking his eyes. 'Did he just flirt with me?' he wondered, holding tight onto the strap of his luggage draped over his chest. He could feel his heartbeat against his palm. Still thinking about this encounter JaeJoong went along the street towards his home. A smile lay on his lips when he thought back to the man he would love to meet again.