Breathing in the late August air, Jinyoung felt a hint of autumn knocking at the door, ready to claim dominance as summer was reaching an end. Just as the season was turning over to a new page, so was Jinyoung’s life, though in his case, he had no idea what was waiting for him next.

Today marked the end of his first month as unemployed after quitting his job. Yet again Jinyoung had a restless night of sleep, his body wide awake at 6:30 am sharp as his internal clock was still attuned to the years of work routine. He had various worried messages from his parents though they did try to give him alone time and allow him to reach out himself first. However Jinyoung knew that they were growing increasingly worried at the minimal responses that he gave as even his other relatives had started contacting him. In the end, it was one specific message from his aunt — his father’s younger sister — that had triggered something in the male, motivating him to leave his flat and venture into the outside world properly for the first time since becoming unemployed.

Sitting on the bus, Jinyoung took in the changing sceneries. He had consciously chosen to leave the house in late morning so as to avoid the morning commuters and the lunch rush. On the streets however, he still saw a man clad in a suit that was too heavy for this weather rushing along while talking on his phone in a flustered manner. Staring at the salaryman, Jinyoung felt a tug in the back of his mind as a faint memory resurfaced, a memory that he would much rather push aside since at the mere thought of those events made him feel suffocated.

Blinking the memory away, Jinyoung noticed how the buildings outside were becoming less dauntingly tall and instead morphed into petite houses that showed history, signalling that he was reaching his stop. His destination was Gureum, the teahouse located in Bukchon Hanok Village — the Korean traditional village located at the top of a hill inhabited by small alleyways, old style houses and 600-year-old history in the otherwise urban and modern capital city Seoul. The teahouse had previously been the Park family home, however when Jinyoung’s dad and aunt moved out, his grandparents had decided to renovate the ancient family house and turn it into a teahouse for the tired tourists that flooded Bukchon Hanok Village all year round.

Although Bukchon Hanok Village remained mostly a residential area, there was an increase in trendy coffee shops and restaurants replacing abandoned and dilapidated hanok houses. Thus when Jinyoung’s aunt took over the teahouse, she decided to take a gamble and revamp Gureum, adding a modern twist to the previously traditional teahouse. Her gamble paid off and soon Gureum became a must visit location in Bukchon Hanok Village known for its traditional architecture yet innovative desserts paired with the most aromatic and tasteful tea.

Jinyoung recalled his mum mentioning that his aunt no longer oversaw the daily management of the teahouse and instead had hired someone to manage and supervise the place, allowing her to spend time travelling and enjoying life. When Jinyoung had heard about that, he mentally gave his aunt two thumbs up. For one, it meant that the teahouse was extremely successful since she was able to afford time off for herself, and two, for being able to hire someone trustworthy enough to be manager. This of course also meant that he was unlikely to see his aunt today, however that did not matter as it had not been his aim to begin with. If that had been the case he would have gotten in touch with her first before visiting.

Walking up the hill, Jinyoung wondered when was the last time that he had visited Gureum and he struggled to come up with an answer. He had joined an electronics company the moment he graduated from university and had then devoted his early 20s to the company and had little time for anything else. However, now that he had quit, time was all that he had at his disposal.

Despite not having been to Gureum for years, Jinyoung still knew the way and while lost in his thoughts, his feet effortlessly guided him towards the right direction, going up the hill to the very top and stopping in front of an imposing yet familiar gate with the name Gureum engraved on a wooden plaque with cloud details. Peaking inside, a nostalgic smile etched its way on Jinyoung’s face as he recalled how during his younger days he had spent numerous sunny afternoons in the always well-kept garden while in the company of blossoming flowers.

Looking inside the teahouse, Jinyoung noticed how although it was a weekday, there were still plenty of customers — mostly tourists. Walking towards the door, he glanced at the slightly elevated inner floor and confirmed that his aunt had not changed the rule of removing shoes when entering, meaning that she had kept the traditional arrangement of sitting on the floor.

“Welcome.”

A soft but clear voice greeted Jinyoung, cutting through his brief trip down memory lane like a pebble skipping across a lake surface. Turning towards the voice, Jinyoung came face to face with a young lady who looked around his age. A gentle smile adorned her face, one th