Seoul, 16 March 2008

I knock on the door of Yang sajangnim's office. The guys have gone home already. Today we tried out the first recording of a new song for our next Korean album. The songs aren't finalized yet, but we're off to a good start. I received a text from Yang sajangnim earlier telling me to come and see him in his office. 

"Enter," I hear his voice from inside the room. I let myself in and bow at the sight of him, "annyeonghaseyo, sajangnim." He waves his hand and points at the seat in front of his desk. "Sajangnim, what did you want to talk about?" I sit down and ask. He crosses his hands and smiles, "just wondering how you guys are doing. How are your members? Are you guys ready for the Tokyo concert at the end of this month?" "Neh, everything's going well, sajangnim. We're tired but we're hanging in there. We're nervous but at the same time excited about the concert. As for the preparation for our new album, we tried to record one today for evaluation," I reply earnestly. Yang Hyun-Suk sajangnim is not like any other CEOs of entertainment companies. He's nurturing, even though he doesn't show it often. And I know he cares a lot about all his artists like a father to his children. 

"Hmm. Good. Just make sure you all live healthily and won't collapse like a few months ago. I'm not making the same mistake twice," he tells me, remembering the time we had to get hospitalized due to exhaustion near the end of last year. I nod my head in agreement. "Have you had dinner yet?" he asks. "Yes, sajangnim. I ate just before I came here." He smiles satisfyingly, "ok, then. Anything you want to ask or tell me?" "No, sajangnim." He nods and turns off his computer, "well, that's all, then. I'm going home. You should go home and rest too, Ji-Yong. It's a Sunday after all."

I walk down to the carpark with Yang sajangnim. He gets into his car and I bow my head as I see him drive off. I, too, slowly drive away from YG building. The traffic isn't bad tonight, which will let me reach my dorm faster. I stop my car at the sign of the traffic light when I see a girl walking on the other side of the road. She's wearing an edgy-looking red cardigan. That's the fashionista in me, I guess. I like paying attention to what people wear. That girl is brave, I silently mutter to myself. There aren't many people around and she's walking alone. I take another glimpse at the girl and realize she looks familiar. 

Oh, my God. That's her. Ga-In noona. I can't be wrong. I just saw her 2 days ago. What's she doing strolling down the street all by herself? The car behind me honks as soon as the light turns green. Relax, . I continue driving and try to find the closest U-turn. I drive my car faster than before, hoping that I can still catch up with her. There she is. Thank goodness she's walking really slowly. I honk my car at her and she jumps a little. I must've startled her. So cute. She turns her head slowly as I roll down the window on the passenger's side. She gapes and points her finger at me, "J-Ji-Yong...?"

I smile at her in sincerety, at the same time feeling worried about what she was doing all alone on the streets at this time of the day. "Ga-In noona, annyeong! Get in." She just stands there and looks at me confusedly. "Come on, get in," I tell her once again, maybe she didn't hear me the first time. She shakes her head, "it's ok, Ji-Yong. My apartment is just a few blocks away, you don't need to--" Not letting her finish what she has to say, I lean over to the passenger's side and open the door from inside, "get in, noona."

Speechless, she finally caves in and gets in my car. Only then, under the interior light, I can see her eyes red and swollen. Was she crying? What happened to her? She shuts the door beside her and buckles her seatbelt. I start driving. I want to ask about what happened to her, but I'm not sure if that's appropriate. I mean, we just started talking 2 days ago. I don't want her to think that I'm someone who doesn't appreciate privacy. But she looks so sad. Her face looks pale, and those swollen eyes are making it worse. She rubs her hands together and coughs. "Noona, are you sick?" I ask her softly. She clears and replies, "Nah... just a little flu."

I turn up the heater to make her feel better. She gives out a tiny smile when she sees that. "Please turn right at the next traffic light," she tells me. I keep driving even after passing by the next traffic light and from the corner of my eye, I can see her eyebrows furrow. She turns her head at me, "Ji-Yong ah, you missed it! Turn around over there," while pointing at a U-turn sign. I smile slightly as I drive past the U-turn sign and hear her gasp, "yah! You missed it again! You weren't listening, were you?" She's cute. Really cute. "I heard you, noona, loud and clear," I say while grinning at her. "Y-Yeh? W-Why didn't you turn, then?" she stutters in confusion.

"You don't look too good, noona," I mumble but secretly hope that she hears me. Obviously she did, because she lets out a sarcastic chuckle and says, "why thank you, Kwon Ji-Yong." Oh, man, she must've misunderstood. "That's not what I meant, you look... sad. So I decided not to take you home just yet." She looks even more confused after I say that, "but why? And... where are you taking me? This isn't funny, Ji-Yong ah..." I bit my lower lip while trying to suppress a laugh, "because... you look like you can use some cheering-up, noona. So, we're going somewhere to cheer you up!" She caves in for the second time and only sighs. Hang in there, noona. Captain Kwon is going to wipe that sadness off your face! 

We continue the rest of the drive in silence. I peer at her and see her dozing with her head leaned on the window. She must be tired from all that crying. At a red light, I reach my hand to the back seat, grab a small pillow, and slip it on the side of her neck to support her head. Not long after that, we arrive at Banpo Hangang Park. I park my car at the designated area and tap her shoulder gently, "Ga-In noona, ireona~" She shuffles a little and slurs. I giggle at that. She's not easy to wake up, huh? My kind of girl... Hey, focus, Kwon Ji-Yong. Wake her up now or you're going to be late!

"Ga-In noona, we're here. Wake up," I begin to shake her shoulder, still oh-so-gently. "Ah... Leave me alone~" she mumbles. "Noona, if you don't wake up then I'm going to have to carry you. I'm a man of my words, so be prepared," I tell her and make my way out of the car. She must've heard that because when I open her door from outside, she's already unbuckling her seatbelt. I laugh inwardly. With drowsy eyes, she gets out of the car and looks at me, "sorry, I fell asleep. Why are we here?"

I lock my car and grab her by the wrist. This is the first time I'm touching her. Not as romantic as I had hoped it to be, but we haven't got much time. "Let's go, noona. Ppalli!" She lets me drag her towards the hill at the park. She still looks sleepy. I push her softly on the bench and sit down next to her. I look at the watch on my wrist: 1 minute 'til 9 p.m. "Woo-hoo, right on time!" I squeal in delight. Then, it starts. The Moonlight Rainbow Fountain. This is the last one for today. I see her eyes lighting up at the beautiful sight of colourful lights and music fountain show. A smile slowly creeps up on her face. We just sit there in silence for the next 20 minutes. I occassionally glance at her throughout the show. She's smiling widely. Good going, Kwon Ji-Yong, mission accomplished! I praise myself in my head. 

When the show is finished, she stands up and claps her hands. We're sitting far away from the crowd so nobody is paying any attention to her. Even if they were, they'd probably think that she's just another crazy person hanging around the park. "Jinjja daebak!" she exclaims. I laugh along with her. I feel happy that I can make her smile and forget about whatever made her cry earlier. As the crowd starts to disperse, she grabs my sleeve, "yah, kaja! We can't let people see us here, they might recognize us!" We skip down the path back to the car. 

A smile is still imprinted on her face when we get into my car. "Worth the detour, right, noona?" I playfully say. "Mmm!" she nods cheerfully, "I haven't been here in a long time, thanks for taking me here, Ji-Yong." The pleasure is all mine. "My pleasure, noona. Wanna grab something to drink before I take you home?" "Ok," she says. I turn on the engine and start driving off. We reach a cafe nearby I park my car on the side of the road. As I'm about to get out of the car, she tugs at my sleeve, "andwae! Someone will see you. I'll go, I don't have any fangirls running after me." Before I could refuse, she takes her purse out of her bag. I give her my scarf, "wear this to cover your face, then." She twirls the scarf around her neck and cover half of the face with it. "Eottae?" she asks. "Perfect, noona."

She comes back after a few minutes holding two cups of coffee in her hands. I open her side of the door from inside and she lets herself in. "I forgot to ask you what you want, so I got you a cappuccino. I remember you ordered that at Coffee Lab," she says while as she hands me my drink. I smile at her, biting my lower lip. She remembers what I ordered the other day. Cappuccino is my favourite. We just stay silently inside the car with the engine turned off. The only sound I can hear is when a car drives by from time to time. The streets are virtually empty now. 

I really want to give her a pep talk but I'm afraid I would push the wrong buttons. She will be uncomfortable if I ask about something too personal. I divert my eyes out the window. "You know," she starts speaking, "I got my heart broken tonight." I turn my head towards her direction with a questioning look. I still don't know what to say. Should I just ask? I mean, she's already starting to open up. "The guy I had a major crush on is getting married in 3 months. I never told him that I loved him, and now he will never know..." she continues. Damn, who the hell is this guy? I want to kick his . Come at me, bro! "A-Are you still--" I try to ask, but she cuts me, "in love with him? Ani. I don't know... I was happy when he asked to meet up. We lost contact after he moved abroad. We talked about a lot of things tonight, and then he dropped the bomb on me. But, it's good that he's happy, you know. I'm just... wondering 'what if'. What if I told him that I fell in love with him years ago, would my name be the one on that invitation?" 

"It's going to be ok, noona. Trust me," I softly tell her. 'It's going to be ok'? 'Trust me'? Really, Kwon Ji-Yong? What are you, a fortune teller? "I hope so," she whispers. I smile and her head with my right hand. I know she might feel awkward at my gesture, but I don't care. I've been wanting to do that. To my surprise, she just flashes me her signature smile. With her eyes being swollen, now they really disappear. You're too cute, Ga-In noona. I clear my throat after a few moments, "uh... shall we go now?" She puts her thumb up signalling me to start driving her home.

The drive to her apartment is filled with silence, aside from her telling me the direction to her apartment. But this time, it doesn't feel awkward anymore. She hums along with different songs played on the radio. I pull up in the driveway of her apartment building. "Don't get out," she says, "it's late, you should go home and rest. You look tired." I initially want to see her off at the lobby, but what she just said holds me back. She gets out of my car and walks to the driver's side as I roll down the window. "Jeongmal gomawo, Ji-Yong ah. You made me forget about my sorrow. Good night and sleep tight," she tells me while waving her hand. 

"No problem, noona. That's what friends are for. We're friends now, right? Also, thanks for the coffee," I wink at her. Tonight, she finally had the chance to pay me back for her coffee. "Just take it as my belated Valentine's Day present for you. I know girls usually give chocolates and cookies, but I think coffee is better, don't you?" she utters playfully, using my own words from 2 days ago against me. Wow, she still remembers what I said, huh? "Go in, noona," I tell her. "Keureom, annyeong," she says and turns around, heading to the lobby. Before she gets too far, I call out to her, "Noona!" She turns around again, her eyebrows raised. "It's that guy's loss that he never got to hear a confession from a girl like you. Something better is in store for Son Ga-In. Good things come to those who wait. Sweet dreams, ok?" She stares deeply into my eyes for a few seconds, before nodding and walking into her apartment building. I realize one mistake when I see her disappear into the building: I didn't ask for her number. You're so dumb, Kwon Ji-Yong! 

There's always next time, I try to encourage myself. After taking a last glance of her apartment building, I drive home feeling all giddy inside without really knowing why.

Little did I know that the store was also preparing something better for me...

___________

Author's Note:

Moonlight Rainbow Fountain at Banpo Bridge is truly uh-mazing. If you go to Seoul, don't miss it. It's a must-see! And no, I'm not working for Seoul tourism board or anything like that, hehehe... By the way, who wants a friend like Kwon Ji-Yong? *raises both hands*