2031

When the doorbell rings, Minjoo rushes to the door with an excited smile on her face. She is engulfed in a hug the moment she swings it open and Minjoo isn’t a single bit alarmed. After more than a decade watching the little girl grow, Minjoo knows all the quirks of Nako, the young adult.

“Told ya I’ll find my own way.”

“You didn’t even give me a chance and even roped your mom into not telling me your flight details.” Minjoo states over Nako’s shoulder, the one thing that still anchors her to the little girl she first met is that Nako isn’t taller than her. Everything else, oh how much Nako has grown which resulted in their banter right now. Minjoo wanted to pick Nako up at the airport but Nako refused, not wanting to trouble her aunt to make a round trip drive of 2 hours when a cab would suffice. Both with the intention of caring for the other but the devious young woman won out when she conspired with Eunbi into hiding her flight details and therefore now surprising Minjoo at the door.

Nako pulls out from the hug with a cheeky smile. “I know how to come to my aunt’s house.”

She says it simply, like it explains everything. This confident answer and the cheeky smile, Minjoo can really see the resemblance. She still shakes her head amusedly, also knowing full well that the ‘aunt’ Nako mentioned wasn’t the one she resembled but Minjoo herself.

Time has pulled them so close and Nako easily reads Minjoo’s endearing expression, she continues knowing that she already won the argument. “Now for my duty to my other aunt…” Nako reveals the arm she was hiding behind her back and more than a decade of receiving this, Minjoo softens at the sight of the white camellia.

“Is this you taking over the yearly obligation?” She takes the stalk from Nako.

“Well mom said since I am using Aunty Chae’s money to study, I gotta work for it.”

They laugh because they know it’s mostly a joke rather than the truth. Nako has won a scholarship to study medicine in NYU so with almost everything covered by that, out-of-pocket expenses are barely any. It is mainly a family joke since Chaewon had left them quite a substantial sum and while Eunbi’s salary could never match her sister’s and they could live comfortably without it, Eunbi always liked to poke fun since Nako so greatly looked up to Chaewon. All these loving family dynamics has Minjoo soft in happiness at being part of it and having Nako here reminds her.

Having semi-moved to New York, splitting her time more evenly between the two cities, she didn’t see Eunbi, Nako or her friends from Korea as much. She didn’t have any particular reason to be in New York but she just fell for the comfortable lifestyle of living amongst nature and an hour’s away from one of the most famous cities in the world. There is a second life here that allows her to be somewhat anonymous which contrasts her life in Seoul. Sure her popularity has dulled as years go but Minjoo still sparingly takes up projects and she can never be truly gone since she is after all a member of Korea’s legendary girl group. Her members joke about her ‘semi-retirement’ status - though that may be of certainty now with Nako moving here for university. She wants to be here permanently since Nako is; even though the little girl she first met is well on her way of being an adult, Minjoo can’t help being naturally protective. She wouldn’t be hovering - Nako would be staying on campus residence - but it feels like an untapped opportunity since Minjoo spends time here anyways, why not make it more permanent if it makes Eunbi and her feel better that Minjoo is close enough to reach?

Minjoo scrunches her nose as a silent ‘thank you’ for the gift and gently touches the white leaves, admiring the flower that remains so precious to her, never a bore despite seeing it every year. “I can’t believe I have consistently still received this for ten years after she’s gone.” She steps inside so she can put it on the side table to help Nako in with all her luggages.

“Well technically, mom nearly stopped.”

Minjoo waits as Nako heaves in the second carrier. Meeting her waiting gaze, the young woman adds, “when you dated Dr Cooper? If it went on to be an actual relationship, mom would have stopped.”

Minjoo can’t help but be surprised at the answer she finally got after a decade. So that’s Chaewon’s directive: Eunbi is to stop sending the flower on their anniversary when Minjoo gets into a relationship. Chaewon didn’t want Minjoo to hold traces of her old relationship when she moves on to the next. Minjoo glances at the fateful flower. Well, for now as it has been for the last ten times, she hasn’t known what it’s like to not receive it.

Nako dusts her hands when all her luggages is in. She can’t imagine moving all these again into the campus and unpacking will be a pain. Nako is tired at the thought of it and she is more excited at the fact that she’s overseas, even if it is the one place she’s been to many times growing up. “Shall we go out and eat, Aunty Min?”

When it is her precious niece asking her, Minjoo of course humors. “Where would you like to go?”

Nako thinks seriously, following Minjoo to the kitchen as she pours them each a cup of water and prepares the vase for the flower. Nako has a few things she has in mind, her must-haves in New York but there is plenty of chance now that she will be studying here, so Nako decides to go onto the trusty Internet to spark ideas she may not think of. Minjoo patiently waits as she lets Nako choose what she wants and she knows Nako found something when she hears a gasp followed by a mischievous grin. She simply wiggles her fingers for Nako to hand the phone over to see what has got her so excited.

Monster Chicken opens a second branch in the U.S following its successful debut in L.A. New Yorkers, you are in for a korean fried chicken treat!

“Do you think people will recognise you and we can get free chicken?”

“I can afford to buy chicken and no, I doubt it. I haven’t been their ambassador for nearly eight years already. That’s a lifetime in the media world.” She hands the phone back to Nako who still appears excited. “This is what you want to eat?” Minjoo asks incredulously. “You just flew in from Korea.”

Nako shrugs. “I’ll never say no to fried chicken.” Her eyes glint. “Especially Monster Chicken.”

Minjoo simply shakes her head in amusement, “Sure sure, anything you want.” They head back to the living room so Minjoo can pick up her car keys. “I haven’t had fried chicken for a while come to think of it.” They secure the house behind them before heading to the car parked at the front yard.

“Watching your diet, Aunty Min?” Nako knows how well Minjoo takes care of herself so she can stay healthy as she grows older.

“Yep. Can’t be eating like I am 18.” Minjoo grins knowingly at Nako as they both climb into the car. “The big 5-0 has greeted me.”

Nako buckles her seatbelt as Minjoo starts the car. “Well if anything, I’ll be a doctor, Aunty Min.” Nako’s determined words pull Minjoo’s eyes over to her. “I’ll study really hard and I’ll be a doctor like Aunty Chae. I’ll wear scrub caps and use stethoscopes properly one day and then I can take care if you or mom ever falls sick.”

As she grows up over the years, Nako has really become the woman they wanted her to be, one Chaewon would be proud of seeing. Nako is strong, independent, determined, smart, caring and she loves her mother and Minjoo with all her heart. Minjoo will forever be heartened to have Nako in her life.

“I know you will be a really good one.”

--

Nako comes over to the house for some weekends. Her time in college has gained her friends and fun activities but there is always the lure of the familiarity of the house an hour away from the city and the welcoming sight of Minjoo that brings her over. It feels like home. Maybe because it is, even though her mother is not here, there’s Minjoo who is working in the kitchen preparing dinner for tonight. Nako smiles. Then she realises she procrastinated enough and should get back to finishing her assignment. Nako adjusts her sitting position on the ground with the coffee table as her studying spot for the day. She opens up the document on her laptop and knows this is one topic she absolutely must focus on. She wants to be a neurosurgeon one day. Just like her Aunty Chaewon. So as she stares at the subject header, ‘Introduction to Surgery’, Nako is determined to ace the class.

The week’s assignment is to watch successful surgeries of the past and write their thoughts on it. It doesn’t have to contain deep medical assessments since they are only university students, but their thoughts viewing these history making surgeries. She easily gets through two because she was deeply entranced by the entire procedure, it really isn’t a tough assignment to get her thoughts out. Those she viewed were surgeries performed in the West, she is excited for the next as it will be one from Asia. When she plays the clip, Nako immediately freezes at the title frame that states the surgery details. Then she hears the voice, her frozen expression transforms instantly to a smile.

Minjoo is happy with the stew’s progress as she makes its midpoint check and wipes her hands dry after finishing with the prep work for the other dishes. She glances out into the living room where Nako is and is partly intrigued by Nako’s bright expression. Is she procrastinating and watching random videos on the internet now? Looking around the kitchen to ensure everything is good for the moment, Minjoo makes her way out. It doesn’t take Minjoo much for her to stop at the edge of the living space when she hears a voice she hasn’t heard in ten years.

“Scalpel…. Suction…. Dr Jang, please cut. Irrigation please.”

“Oh my god…” Minjoo mutters under her breath and Minjoo’s low but clear shock reaches Nako who realises she isn’t alone. The young adult pauses the video and turns to Minjoo with a ripping wide smile. “Is that really…” Minjoo cannot believe her ears and she needs to know she isn’t imagining it.

“It’s Aunty Chae.” Nako angles the laptop in Minjoo’s direction and the sight of a human brain with gloved surgical hands working on it fills the screen. “Professor gave us the assignment to watch history-making surgeries and the third one is from Asia but I didn’t expect-” Nako chokes on her words too, the surprise hasn’t waned off her. “It’s Aunty Chae’s surgery.”

Minjoo slowly joins Nako, sitting on the couch above her. She stares firmly at the screen, even if it is a gruesome unfamiliar sight for those who aren’t used to seeing an open brain but there’s a pair of hands that belongs to the love of her life. “Can you play it, Nako?”

Knowing the significance of the moment for her Aunty Minjoo, Nako obliges and Chaewon’s voice continues with professional conduct. The words may not be those honey sweet teases or deep sentimental confessions Minjoo was in the receiving end of last time, but the medical speak and surgical instructions inspliced with Wonyoung’s replies are every bit Chaewon’s. Her cool, unwavering tone throughout the long surgery remains as is and the innate familiarity and longing for the voice bathes Minjoo with goosebumps. Ironically, it also brings about a wave of calmness and stability and she si