‘Sir, your cab’s here!’ As if on cue, a deafening screech resounded from beyond the hefty oak door.

‘In a second!’ Jaehyun hollered, ripping the last of his sweatpants and boxers from the hangers as he stuffed them into his suitcase. Running down the stairs with his suitcase thumping mercilessly behind him, Jaehyun bounded toward the door.

‘Jaeeeee,’ his mom cooed, hurrying after him to cup her hands on Jaehyun’s cheeks, ‘Have fun and don’t do anything stupid. Come home whenever, we’ll…’ she hesitated and corrected herself, ‘I’ll always be here for you.’ With a smooch and a smothering hug, Jaehyun was finally dismissed and made his way toward the airport where his journey would begin.

-

‘It is currently -5 degrees Celsius, just a bit chillier than Los Angeles. Thank you for flying with American Airlines. It has been a pleasure serving you and we hope to see you soon. Cabin crew, prepare for landing. Descending in Incheon Airport in 30 minutes.’

Jaehyun peered out the window and was met with layers upon layers of white. It never occurred to him that there could be so many shades of the same colour – glistening white traces on the treetops, soft, fluffy mounds on the roofs, tinged and duller stacks on the roads – Seoul truly was a sight to behold. If Jaehyun had ever been to Korea, he had little to no recollection of it. His mother used to tell him stories of this place she called home, the small cottage she lived in, tucked into the nooks and crannies of Seoul. She spoke of bustling cityscapes, steaming buns baked to perfection at hawker stalls, warm soju that burned as it trickled down your throat. His mother used to paint as well, the little brown houses made of artificial wood and bamboo called hanoks, the grandeur of the ancient temples and palaces, all in stark contrast to the looming N Seoul tower that was the city’s guardian personified. She said Seoul was a beautiful cacophony of old and new, where innovation clashed with history and where people’s dreams were built upon tradition. Jaehyun sighed in contentment. After all these years, Seoul would cease to exist as a mere figment of his imagination.

It was by coincidence that Jaehyun ended up heading towards Seoul really. He had never actually contemplated leaving the States, having been born and raised there, the place where all his friends and family (well, it was just his mother, but nevertheless, family) were. It was on that uneventful day, two months into his first job after graduation, that he dozed off during a department meeting. Jaehyun was still uncertain about what actually happened, but according to his colleague, Taeil, he was ‘totally knocked out and sleeping so soundly as if he were having the hangover of a lifetime’. Midway through the meeting, Jaehyun jolted, startled, when he heard his name raised from their department head, ‘Jae, are you onboard?’ Onboard for what exactly? Jaehyun had racked his brains for any vague mention of what exactly was happening and mentally cursed himself for the untimely snooze. Oh it, it can’t be so bad. ‘Yes sir, I’m totally onboard,’ he had flashed his signature grin. ‘Star player as always, Jung Jaehyun!’ their manager beamed, ‘You guys really ought to learn from Jae, just a meager two months into his post and he’s already volunteering for things you cowards shy away from!’ The rest of his colleagues threw him sheepish grins, as if saying goodluck Jae. The meeting ended soon after and Jaehyun didn’t even have to ask about what he had agreed to as all his seniors swarmed around him, clapping his back and hugging him in earnest, piling him with thank yous, like he had just saved everyone’s asses.

‘Dude, what the were you thinking?’ Taeil was the only one who showed genuine concern, ‘Are you seriously going to just move to the opposite side of the globe? Man, aren’t you keen…’

‘Wait what?’ Jaehyun had spluttered. The other side of the globe? What did he mean by that?

Little did Jaehyun know that he had committed himself into a 6-month secondment in Seoul. He had cursed himself more than he could count. It was just an innocent doze and here he was, headed toward a country he had no knowledge of whatsoever. The culture, the people, the weather and most of all, the language. Even though he was going to be living in company-owned accommodation and mostly hovering around the CBD, it was still a massive issue that the most Korean he could speak was amassed from all the Korean dramas he had binged on in university. True, he was biologically part-Korean, but his father had made it cruelly clear that any hint of the language and its culture were prohibited – he didn’t want to ‘taint’ the household, Jaehyun had heard. So, his mother had gradually stopped teaching the young Jaehyun her mother tongue, gradually stopped painting the beautiful landscapes of the Asian gem and out of spite or bitterness, Jaehyun never found out, his mother lost touch with his father as they drifted further and further apart as the years went past.

-

A chilling gust barricaded into Jaehyun as he hobbled off the plane. His legs were sore from the flight and his joints cracked from staying idle for so long. The temperature in the States was always rather mild, but Jaehyun still hadn’t grown accustomed to the freeze. He had always pictured himself moving to a tropical country, somewhere like Singapore or Thailand, where he could bask in the heat all year long. Little did he know that on his very first solo excursion, he would land in a country as cold as his hometown. The next few hours sped past as he was shuffled here and there, baggage collection, departures checks and finally shuttled to the dingy little flat assigned by the company.

Jaehyun inserted the key into the lock expectantly. He was told the accommodation was decent, but all he really wanted at that moment was proper heating. His fingers were numb from the December frost and his polished Oxfords were soaked from a puddle of icy water that begged to be noticed. It took a few more attempts before the door swung open, revealing a rather… Jaehyun couldn’t even begin to put a finger on it… a disturbingly tiny apartment. He set his suitcase at