Cookies

It was her first time in a foreign country. It was supposed to be a fun family trip that slowly became a nightmare when her attention got caught by an small bunny. 

Yuri was 6 years old and was lost.... in Japan. 

She e side, then turned to the other and she couldn’t spot her family. They were too engrossed on the talk of the tour guide about the wonders of tochigi that they never noticed the younger one, the baby one has wandered away from them. Boarding the bus without noticing the missing kid by their side. 

Yuri tried to remember the way back to the bus but her small innocent mind was so focused on following the bunny that she didn’t pay any attention to her surroundings to be able to spot any clues to lead her back to the meeting place. 

She wanted to cry, but her young mind kept on repeating the words of her older cousins Hyewon “crying doesn’t solve a thing. Keep calm so you can see the answers”

But Yuri was only 6, she was an introvert that loved her piano more than anything else. So, even if Hyewon unnie words repeated like a broken disk inside her young self.

She started to cry.

Passersby looked at her but didn’t mind much. It wasn’t that odd to see a kid throwing a tantrum in the middle of the busy street. 

“Cookie?” A small voice said, successfully distracting Yuri out of her anguish. The small Korean girl lift her head to see a big cookie and behind it .... cheeks.

Huge cheeks that resemble the ones of a hamster that has storage it’s food on its cheeks to easy travel. 

Yuri instantly stopped crying, mesmerized by the fluffy cheeks asking to be pinch. And she did exactly that. Her small hands moved to touch the squishy face of this foreign yet interesting human. 

The girl holding the cookie felt ticklish as soon as she felt Yuri’s small hands on her face and laughed. 

Yuri retracted her hands surprised, the girl’s laugh was adorable, the most adorable sound she has ever heard aside of the sounds of her beloved piano. 

The girl with soft big cheeks spotted a tag on the left side of Yuri’s bright orange jacket. On it there were three writings, one she recognized, other that was sharp and foreign and the one her school teacher has identified as English. She read the easier one out loud. “Yuri”

Those simple words made the little girl have a ray of hope as she nosed faster. 

The Japanese girl smiled one el again making her cheeks even more prominent. 

Pointing at herself she said “Hitomi”

Yuri smiled and repeated in a small voice. Gaining confidence, the words of Hyewon unnie repeated again. With the small courage she could gather she asked the girl about directions or a way to get back to the tour bus. But her disappointment was evident when Hitomi only moved her head like a confused puppy tilting it from one side to another. Yuri sighed 

“Cookie?” Hitomi repeated 

Yuri took the cookie with teary eyes. She was lost and no one could understand her language.

Hitomi took Yuri’s hand in hers and lead her to her family’s bakery. 

A little bit wary of where the Japanese girl is taking her, she tried to resist but aside of this girl she didn’t have many options. Maybe she would lead her to responsible adults that would call the police and then call the tour company and rescue her somehow. 

They walked a small distance, Yuri kept her head low and her hold tight on the girl’s hand. Even tho she was a complete stranger, the cheeky smile made her feel secure and that she was gonna be all right. Her small steps halted when she heard the ding of the bell after Hitomi pushed the bakery’s door open. The sweet smell of fresh goods made her forget all her worries and just made her incredibly hungry. 

Getting her lungs filled with the sweet aroma, Yuri lift her head to see around the shop. It was a beautiful place that felt like home.  Hitomi smiled again and lead it to the back of the shop where a middle age woman was decorating a chocolate cake.  The woman smiled but then spotted the girl beside Hitomi and started to ask questions in the foreign language. Yuri looked at the woman with teary eyes, as she saw her get angry. Then turned to Hitomi that kept her hold and said something.

The eyes of the woman became warmer as she got closer to Yuri and kneeled in front of her. She scanned her features and then her eyes landed on the name tag she was wearing. 

The woman spoke again and the only thing she recognized was the name of the tour operator.  The woman Pat her head gently and said something again. Yuri had no idea what she said but the smile on both mother and daughters old her that they will find her family and take her with them. 

The woman went to make some phone calls, meanwhile Hitomi lead Yuri to the house that on the second floor of the bakery. There Hitomi took one of her books and pointed to a map of Asia, Yuri understood the girl was trying to find out where she comes from. Without hesitation Yuri pointed at Korea. Hitomi was surprised, no wonder she couldn’t understand her. 

Hitomi then got an idea. She went ran to her room while yuri looked at her. When she came back Hitomi was carrying  colored pencils and white paper sheets. 

First thing she draw was two glasses one with white liquid and the other with blue. Then she drew a big question mark. 

Yuri laughed. The drawings weren’t the best but were a great idea to communicate. 

Yuri pointed at the white one. Hitomi ran an bring a glass filled with fresh milk. The she said the only word that lead them to this moment 

“Cookies?” Hitomi was sure that that was an universal word somehow. Cookies where cookies no matter where you go. 

Yuri nodded and replied “cookies” 

Hitomi went away again and bring back a jar filled with those delicious cookies that Yuri started to love.

After that both girls spend hours drawing, laughing and getting to know each other till they fell asleep. Yuri was still scared, afraid of not being able to go back home and cried softly in her sleep. Hitomi as a reflex and with the feeling she will protect Yuri no matter what hugged her and pulled her close.  Yuri snuggles and stop crying. Her heart knew everything will be all right and that she wasn’t alone. She had an angel protecting her, she had Hitomi. 

She doesn’t exactly remember what happened next. In her sleep she heard some voices, some speaking Japanese other Korean and the one of a woman speaking both, but she was too tired to wake up. She suddenly felt a kiss on her cheek and the lack of Hitomi’s warmth protecting her. She started to be afraid as a pair of arms were pulling her and then she recognized the smell. Her mother’s aroma mixed with fresh bread, she doesn’t remember anything else. 

Ten years has passed after the Japan vacations incident, her family remembers it as a nightmare. But Yuri always remember it’s as a dream, she wouldn’t believe that really happened if not for the drawings she keeps safe In her room. Seems like the people that took care of her that day insisted on them taking the interesting pieces of art, specially the younger girl that was sad to let go. 

Hyewon told her many times the story of how they found her. Someone called the tour agency saying she was safe in the house of the most famous baker of tochigi. When they arrived her family found Yuri peacefully sleeping snuggled closer to a Japanese girl. Hyewon said it was the cutest scene she has ever seen and that it was hard to separate them,  it almost made everyone sad. Yuri didn’t want to let go of Hitomi at first. Then the Japanese girl woke up first and seeing many strangers she tried to push them away from the sleeping Yuri and even bite Yuri’s father trying to protect her. Till her mom hug the raging bunny and told her those people were Yuri’s family. Hyewon loved to tease yuri with the next part. She told her that Hitomi kissed her cheek before letting her go and that she replaced her body with that stuffed bunny Yuri has now neatly placed on her bed. 

Yuri never forgot Hitomi and promised herself that she will meet her again. 

Yuri is 16 now and somehow convinced her family to let her go with her older cousin Hyewon to Japan. She studied Japanese hard everyday to be able to go there and find Hitomi again. 

She had no idea how she will do it but fortunately Hyewon was 12 back then and remembers everything perfectly. So here they are in the busiest street of tochigi looking for a famous bakery in hopes to find Hitomi again. 

Yuri walks around trying to spot the girl somehow but it’s been 10 years. She must have changed a lot. 

Lost she decides to give up until she heard the familiar word...

“Cookies?” Yuri closes her eyes. The feeling the tone the voice was so sweet and familiar. 

She turned around and saw a blonde girl with fairly big cheeks. Not as big as she remembers but still the charm point that no one can miss. 

“Would you like some cookies?” The blonde Japanese repeats in Japanese  smiling. 

Yuri doesn’t know what got into her and just hugs the girl that is slightly smaller than her.  She hears a familiar language as she holds tight.

“Yuri... you remember me” the blonde says in Korean. 

“How can I forget. You saved me” Yuri says in Japanese still reluctant to let go. 

“Ok enough!” Hyewon interrupted the moment “Give me those cookies and let’s go somewhere else. You are embarrassing me Yuri”  

End