"We are now landing in Seoul-Incheon International Airport, please remain seated until the captain has turned off the fasten seat belt sign." The flight attendant's voice rang throughout the airplane. Eun Sung was now awake. She looked up at the stewardess then quickly checked her watch. 12:30. Eun Sung had been on this plane for 15 hours non-stop. All she wanted to do was take a shower. The light went off on the fasten seat belt sign and everyone quickly rose to their feet. There was sounds of muffled voices and shuffling among the crowd as people pushed to get to the aisle. Eun Sung was patient. She was nervous about her landing. Her mother had only agreed to let her come to Korea instead of going of to graduate school because she still had some distant family who lived in Seoul. She hadn't seen any of them in 13 years.

Finally she was able to get off the crowded plane and made her way to baggage claim. As she reached for her bag, two children who had been playing tag while waiting for their parents, pushed Eun sung back and she lost her balance, causing her to fall on top of the person behind her. There was a loud "Ahh!" followed by several apologies.  

"I'm sooo sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Eun Sung repeated her apology while bowing frantically. When she raised her head she realized she was staring at really posh looking woman in her mid twenties.

"Ugh! Are you crazy, do you want to kill me?!" The stylish woman screamed. She had a high pitched voice, that didn't seem to match her Prada handbag, and designer get-up. Eun sung again bowed and apologized, but her apology was interrupted by the woman's cell phone ringer. "Oppa!" the woman squealed. She turned away from Eun Sung and walked away. Eun Sung was a little taken aback by the young women, not to mentioned embarrassed at having made such a public scene but she quickly gathered her baggage and left to go and meet her family. 

Outside the baggage claim waiting for Eun Sung was her younger cousin Ji Woo. "Noona!" he called to get her attention. Eun Sung smiled and rushed over.

"Ji Woo, Omo! You've grown soo much. I can't believe it." Ji Woo took Eun Sung's luggage.

"Well the last time you saw me I was 10."

"I know. I'm sorry we could only keep in touch through e-mails."

"I'm just glad you can still speak and write in Korean despite living in America for so long."

"It was thanks to all those emails that I was able to keep it up. Plus you know how my mom still barely speaks English."

Ji Woo called a taxi over. "You sure you don't mind sharing an apartment with me. I know that you wanted to see the family and all but the house is being renovated and we don't have any room." 

"No I don't mind. I just can't wait to pay my respects to everyone. Ah! that reminds me we need to stop y your apartment before we meet the family. I have to fix something." 

"Fix what?"

"You'll see."

The Kims had a little family complex made from land that had been passed down from generations. Eun Sung's mother was the eldest daughter of the Kim family she had two brothers, Ji Hyo, Ji Woo's father, and Tae Hee. Both had married and brought their families to live at the complex with them. Eun Sung's grandmother had past away, and only her grandfather Hyun Woo remained.

When the two arrived at the Kim family complex in Seoul, they were greeted by loving family members, all of whom questioned Eun Sung about her time in the states, college, boyfriends, etc. Of course they asked about her mother, how she had been doing, did she need money, how come she hadn't come etc. However there was silence when her grandfather spoke.

"Eun Sung, please come closer, take my hand let's go into my room and talk."

"Yes, grandfather." Eun Sung did as he said. The two entered a traditional styled Korean room. Eun Sung led her grandfather to a mat in the middle of the floor, while she kneeled on a pillow set for her.

"My dearest grand daughter I have missed that smiling face of yours."

"I missed you too grandfather."

"Tell me child why have you come back to Korea?"

Eun sung shifted in her seat. "Well the truth is I wanted to know more about this place, more about mother, where she lived, how she lived, how she and father met, but she's very quiet about those things. She doesn't like to talk about it." 

"I understand. I'm sorry you can't stay here with us."

"No. It's ok, the kindness you guys have shown me is enough. In fact I made a cake for everyone it's in the refrigerator."

"How thoughtful thank you. It has strawberries right?

"Of course, I know your favorite."

"Well then I called you here to tell you that should you need anything just call me. I'll try to help you learn more about your mother."

"Thank you grandfather." Eun Sung bowed and got up to give her grandfather a hug before he told her to go back out there and talk with the rest of the family. Her grandfather waited for Eun Sung to leave before he reached for the picture of her mother he kept on the table.

"He Jin, is it ok for her to be here, are you ready for her to learn more about you, and why you had to leave?"

The next day Eun Sung got up and went to look for a job. She found this lounge bar that needed a waitress, and she needed cash, after alll she didn't want to depend on her family for everything.

The work was fun, she liked serving people, it was easy. The lounge always had interesting characters pop in that Eun Sung loved to imagine. She'd give them all background stories, like she was the heiress to a CEO corporation but she was in love with an artist and they would meet for their tryst here every night at the same time. She really liked the music they played here as well. It was a relaxing place. One night a man in his fifties wondered in, and sat at the bar staring at a piece of paper. The man kept grumbling to himself, frustrated by something. The bar tender and him would talk, but that seemed to only upset the man further. Eun Sung walked by to ask the man if he wanted a table instead. But before she could say anything the man asked in awkward English, "You speak English?"

Eun Sung was surprised. "Yes I do." She answered in Korean.

The man was super happy, he motioned for Eun Sung to come closer. As she did she noticed there was some type of script in his hand. "Can you help me translate this. How do you say, " 내 말은 당신의 손가락 사이 모래 있습니다" in english?

Eun sung thought for a moment. "My words are like sand between your fingers." Eun Sung said in english. I think that's what you mean." The man asked her to write it down for him, Eun Sung did.

"Wow you speak english really well." The man said.

"That's because I use to live in America." Eun Sung caught herself on the phrase use to. She wasn't sure why she had phrased it like that.

"My name's  Jun Ki Sang? What's yours?"

"I'm Kim Eun Sung. But my American name is Sophie."

"Eun Sung is a pretty name, Sophie sounds pretty too, thank you for helping me by the way. I've been having to go to google translate a lot because of this script, but you never know with those translators if they really have it right."

"It was no problem. You said that was a script. A script for what?"

"Oh just a new k-drama, hey you know what I might need some more of your help. Do you work during the day time?"

"Not right now, I just work the night shifts here."

"Why don't you come by and help me with the script I've got some problem areas that I think you could help us with. Would you mind."

Eun Sung thought a moment. ' Well I guess it would be cool to help with a script.'

"Sure I don't mind." The man slipped Eun Sung, a paper with the address on it. Relayed his thanks again and left.

Little did Eun Sung know what was happening on the other side of Seoul right now.