I clearly remember that day.

June 21, Kairi had flew down from India so that we could celebrate her birthday. She decided that she wanted both us to go crazy that day and Seoul was the only place where I could 'completely lose it'. 

"Seriously! All you ever talk about is Seoul this, Seoul that, Seoul guys, Seoul girls..... I need to be there!!"

And so she was.

Kairi wasn't big on shopping and that was a relief for me. Not that I despise shopping but even at the time, as an employed eighteen year old girl, living alone-- I just never felt the need for useless retail therapy. Sometimes a particular object would catch my eye. Or the bookstore near by would generously offer discounts on my favourite genre. 

But desperate times call for desperate measures. And Kairi was desperate for both of us to look nice on her big day.

"You wouldn't look that bad you know. Its supposed to be one of the female norms we have to adhere to." Kairi was looking me up and down as I uncomfortably shifted in the dress she had chosen for me. It was a sleeveless flower-patterned dress that touched just above my knee. 

"That looks cute on you," I smiled when she got out wearing the same dress. She shifted her sights to a blue dress and said, "Change. NOW."

To my surprise, I quite liked this one. It was more... how should I say this... For the first time in my life, I felt "Oh! This is me." I had never faced an identity crisis in my life, but the cut and colour of the was so in sync with me, I couldn't help but awe at myself. 

It was navy blue in colour and had ruffles on its v-neck. The length was perfect and the cut was pencil-skirted. Excited, I jumped out of the trial room and said, "This is the one!" However, Kairi wasn't there. It was only after a few seconds did I see her at the counter, handing her card to the cashier. She looked back at me and winked. She knows my mind, I had thought. 

"Here's the second one." I stood next to Kairi while the girl behind the counter packed my dress in the bag. Although I wasn't a fan of the show, I couldn't help but feel like one of the SATC girls when we walked out of the shop, giggling.

"So where were you taking me for dinner?" I asked Kairi. Seoul was mine, yet the girl had insisted on choosing the restaurant. Finally, she had promised that I would love the place, especially since I was with her. Glancing at the dresses again, I assumed that she had chosen a classy place.

"Um.. its a secret!! But aren't the dresses beautiful?" Kairi was blinking her eyes like crazy and I knew she wanted it to be a surprise. I shrugged and said, "Alright, I get it. FYI, its 8 pm. I thought you wanted to have dinner by ten."

"So? We still have time, don't we?" Kairi unwrapped a lollipop and was about to stick in when I snatched it away. She glared at me but I ignored it. 

"No we don't. Don't you want to get ready? Go to the salon?"

Kairi rolled her eyes and said, "We wouldn't need the salon. Trust me." Forgetting about the lollipop, she walked ahead, her dress  packet in hand. I strode off behind her and  both of us remained quiet until the subway station.

"OK! Time for change!" Shocked at my best friend's outburst, I could not prepare myself when she dragged me to the public restroom. With the whirring of trains as background music, Kairi threw me inside a cubicle and before I could protest, heard the door next to me shut and lock. 

I sighed and changed into my dress. However proud I was of the choice, I couldn't help but slip my hands inside my beige trench coat when I stepped outside. To my surprise, all the cubicles were empty. Slinging my purse on my shoulder, I pushed open the door and following my instincts, walked up to the ticket master.

"Excuse me ahjussi, but did you by any chance see a girl wearing...." I must have looked insane to the other passengers, but the official did not seem to be thrown off by my question. He must have faced many such situations before.

"She said you would come looking for her," the old man said nonchalantly. Shocked at his response I was about to say something else when he interrupted me by a wave of his hand. "She said to meet you at some cafe in Dongdaemun... Oh yeah, Everest."

I flinched when he looked up at me, only to realize that I was blocking the way. I moved aside and apologized to the student behind me and rushed inside the train.

Cafe Everest in Dongdaemun. Of course. Kairi must have wanted to eat some good Indian food with me like the old times. The only thing I couldn't understand was the attire. Who wore such a formal dress to a cafe? That too in Dongdaemun?

That night, there were only two such people. And Kairi wasn't the second one.