“This is the final boarding call for passenger Lee Ok Jin on flight 372A to Seoul. Please proceed to Gate A21 immediately. The final checks are being completed and the captain will order for the doors of the aircraft to close in approximately five minutes time. I repeat. This is the final boarding call for Lee Ok Jin. Thank you.”

The passenger service personnel’s voice echoes throughout the whole terminal as she made the final boarding announcement. Back in the aircraft, nearly everyone is seated in their own seats. Some were already on board, while the others were busy flipping through the in-flight menu, thinking of what to order for the meal later on. The air stewardesses were preparing for the safety demonstration, which the majority of the passengers would undoubtedly ignore. A lady appeared at the entrance to the business class cabin, upsetting the tranquil atmosphere as she drew everyone's attention for being the last passenger to be onboarded.

Letting out a deep sigh of relief while catching her breath with droplets of sweat dripping down from the sides of her head, Ok Jin smiles awkwardly at the people who were staring at her judgingly. Her eyes frantically search for her seats before an air stewardess came forward to offer help to her. She smiled at her with gratitude as she was being ushered to her seat.

Ok Jin watched the sea of clouds outside her window as the plane made its way to her homeland, thinking about the uneventful things she experienced during the past week that seemed to have passed by quickly. She had received sudden news that she had to be transferred back to her company’s headquarters due to the lack of manpower after enjoying herself working in Paris for the past three years. Leaving behind all the unhappiness she had experienced in her life, she thought she would be able to focus on herself in a new environment away from all the unhappiness.

But, once again, fate played a prank on her.

Upon landing at Incheon International Airport, Ok Jin exited the aircraft quickly and as soon as she cleared immigration, her cell phone rang, displaying a familiar contact on the screen. A smile spreads across her face when she recognizes the name reflecting on the screen. Even though leaving Paris is a difficult decision for her, she will always put her family first.

“Oh, omma (mum).” Ok Jin answered the call immediately, “I just reached.”

“Jin ah,” replied her mother and she could feel her mom’s happiness over the call, “I was wondering why you haven’t reached yet. It got me and your appa (dad) so worried. What took you so long?”

“Ah omma, I’m sorry. There was some delay in the mid-air just now.” Ok Jin explains, looking at her watch and realizing she was late as usual.

“Is okay.” Her mother assures her. “Remember its…”

“…the same old place.” Ok Jin finished the sentence for her mother since she knew what she was going to say. “I get it. I’ll go there as soon as I’m done with everything.”

“Alright then, stay safe ya!” Her mom told her before hanging up the call.

Ok Jin then dashed to immigration and collected her luggage before hurrying out of the airport and hailing a taxi to her destination. Inside the taxi, she took a glimpse at the paper bag next to her; the presents that she bought for her parents from Paris. A smile immediately radiates on her lips as she thought of how much they would love it.

The taxi ride from the airport to the restaurant takes approximately half an hour, and Ok Jin stares out the window as it passes familiar places where she used to hang out years ago, bringing back bittersweet memories to her.

It was nearly six in the evening when she stepped out of the taxi, and the restaurant was full as usual. With three large luggage and one large paper bag of souvenirs, she struggles to get through the evening crowd and to the restaurant’s entrance. She looked through the wide window panes at the diners in the restaurant and noticed two familiar faces. However, she was perplexed because there were two other individuals sitting opposite her parents at a table that could seat eight people.

A hand grabbed her arm from behind as she was ready to enter the restaurant, stopping her in her tracks. When she turned around, she was puzzled to see the young lady behind her. Something in her tells her that she knew her, but she could not recall who she was.

“Unnie (sister)!” the lady broke into a huge smile as if she has found the right person. “It’s really you!”

“Erm,” Ok Jin hesitated and took a step back as she glanced at the brunette girl with short hair, “Do I know you?”

“Don’t you remember me? I’m Moon Sua!”

“Moon…Moon Sua?!” Ok Jin listened to the familiar name and stared at her in shock as she finally recognizes the person in front of her. Never in a million years she thought she could see her again, especially they have lost contact for the past ten years. Thousands of questions began to fill her head, and she was at a loss as to which to ask first. How…. why…when…. where’s your brother?

Moon Sua nodded her head excitedly as she went forward to hug her tightly. “I really can’t believe we will meet again!”

“O…Oh?!” Ok Jin was in a loss of words as she could not control her overwhelming emotions.

“Ah, now I get it.” said Moon Sua as she grasped hold of the situation. “This explains why omma appa (mom and dad) won’t tell us who we’re meeting today. I did not expect it would be you!”

“I did not expect to be you either.” Ok Jin replied softly and Moon Sua came forward to help her with the luggage as they enter the restaurant together.

Ok Jin followed Moon Sua to the table where their parents were, and she could not help but look around for another person she expected to see, only to be disappointed when she realized he was not there. She then greeted the four elders with a smile and bowed slightly to the two familiar elders seated opposite her parents.

“Ann… annyeonghaseyo (hello) auntie and uncle.”

“Oh, Ok Jin ah! Come and sit down! Do not be so formal with us.” The two elders acknowledged her happily and gestures her over. However, before she could even take a seat, she felt herself frozen in place as she heard Moon Sua’s mother say the following words.

“Adeul (son)! Over here!”

Ok Jin turned around and looked again at the entryway, and this time she finally saw the person she had longed to meet for the past ten years. She unknowingly dropped the paper bag she was holding and glanced at the person who was likewise taken aback by her presence. Neither of them expected to see each other again in this manner, let alone be reunited.

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Ok Jin stared blankly at her bowl of kimchi jjigae in front of her as she recalled what had happened earlier, totally ignoring the conversation among the elders. She still could not believe her eyes when she saw her best friend who vanished from her life for the past ten years standing right in front of her again. Even though she had so many questions for him and could not wait to ask them, she could not bring herself to speak to him.

“How can someone grow so much in ten years…he definitely grew up well.” she thought to herself as she surreptitiously watched her good-looking friend who was seated in front of her. Although she knew Moon Bin had always been popular in school due to his good looks, seeing him again after he has matured into a young fine man with his prominent jaw line and broad shoulders reminded her of the times when she used to about girls leaving behind love letters under his table.

Ok Jin suddenly felt a tap on her shoulders and realized it was her mother who did that. She quickly turned and noticed that everyone was staring at her, as if waiting for her to respond.

“What… what did I miss?” she asked.

“Ah, they were asking if you are single right now.” Her mother answered for her as she stared at her daughter suspiciously before continuing, “Actually your appa (father) and I are curious too.”

“Omma (mom), that is the last thing I would want to focus right now.” Ok Jin told her as she proceeds to eat her first mouthful of food just to avoid the topic. “I just want to focus in my career.”

“See! That’s her answer all the time whenever we talked about this.” said her mother as she shakes her head helplessly at her two elder friends. “How about Bin and Sua?”

“I’m single! Like unnie (sister), I want to focus in building up my career first. I have no interest in men right now.” Sua responded joyfully and Moon Bin raised an eyebrow at her. Moon Sua instantly stopped him with a murderous gaze and then nudged her brother.

“I’m currently in a relationship now.” Moon Bin told the rest of them and Ok Jin looked up at him after hearing his reply, only to find him staring back at her as well.

She instantly looked away and continued eating as if nothing had happened. Wow, that’s news.

After observing her brother and Ok Jin’s interaction, Moon Sua decided to break the awkward silence. “Anyways, how are you Unnie (sister)? It’s been so long we’ve seen each other. I can’t wait to catch up with you. What are you working as now?”

“Ah, I’m currently working as a designer in XXX company.” Ok Jin responded, gradually warming up to Moon Sua’s warm personality. Despite their long separation, it was as if nothing had changed between them. She is still the bubbly younger sister that Ok Jin adored when she was younger. “But I’m back in their Korea’s headquarters for the time being.”

“That company?” Moon Sua exclaimed, “I’ve always loved their designs! Omma (mom) too! Especially by their designer named Ginny Lee. Do you happened to know her? We always purchase the clothes that’s designed by her.”

Ok Jin smiled as she looked down humbly when her father proudly answered the question for her. “You guys are looking at her right now.”

“Eh?!” Moon Sua responded enthusiastically, discreetly tapping her brother’s lap under the table, where Moon Bin remained unaffected by his sister’s exuberance.

“It’s really nothing. There’s always still room for improvement.” Ok Jin replied as she tried to brush off the compliments the rest were showering on her.

“Aigoo, that’s a real accomplishment.” Moon Bin’s father added as he pointed to his best friend, “You have brought up your kid well.”

“Ya!” Ok Jin’s father replied as he pointed to both Moon Bin and Moon Sua, “Your children are doing well too isn’t it!”

“Jin ah, do you know that Bin is a renowned writer and lyricist? We were all shock that when they told us. Oh, and Sua too, she’s a trainer at the one of the dance academies.” Ok Jin’s mother told her.

Ok Jin pondered inwardly as she remembered Moon Bin had a goal of becoming a dancer or an athlete, so why did he become a writer and lyricist in the end? “That’s good to hear” Ok Jin replied, forcing a smile at them, and Moon Bin could see she was not genuine at all, but he stayed silent about it.

“We can talk more when we stay together.” Moon Sua told her as she smiled happily, “I can’t wait to -”

“Wait, wait, wait.” She immediately stopped her as she thought she had heard Moon Sua incorrectly, “What do you mean by staying together?”

“Don’t you know? You are moving in with us!” Moon Sua told her and Ok Jin turned to her parents with a horrified look for confirmation.

Oh no, that’s not a good sign. She thought as she looked at her parents who smiled back at her and she knew what that means. “What happened to my room?” she asked cautiously.

“Well,” her mother scratched her neck awkwardly and explained, “We rented out your room and it is a bit too last minute to inform the tenant since we just gotten the news last week that you’ll be back. That’s why we asked your appa’s chingu (father’s friend) for help since they just moved back to Korea not long ago too.”

“Don’t worry about sharing a room, Ok Jin ah,” Moon Bin’s mother continued, “We have an additional guest room that’s why we thought you can come by and stay with us for the time being. You can have all the private space you want by yourself.”

“But I wouldn’t want to trouble you all.” Ok Jin kindly reject the offer, “I can always find other accommodation.”

“That’s no trouble at all. Have you forgotten? You always stayed in our house back then when you’re young.” Moon Bin’s father reassured her.

“So, please do not feel burdened about it.” said Moon Sua as she reached out to Ok Jin’s hand on the table and gives it a squeeze. “We’re a family, remember?”

“Eh? Well... right…” Ok Jin was taken aback by what Moon Sua had said and hesitated for a moment before nodding her head, knowing that it was a final decision made by their parents. And ironically, she felt conflicted as she stared at the man whom she had to stay under one roof again.

Family? Which family would vanish unexpectedly and reappear after ten years?

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