"Shane, put that thing away. I thought we understood each other that there's no video games until we're home." she sighs, glaring at her ten year old duaghter.

"Just a minute, mom. Aunt Allie is a couple of levels above me!"

"I don't care if she had finished the silly game already! Put it away. You've been playing ever since we left L.A., you're going to ruin your eyes!"

The girl pouts but complies, tucking her PSP into her backpack. "No fair. Jesse gets play whenever he wants to."

"That's because Jesse stops when I told him to. Unlike someone I know." she clucks her tongue admonishngly. "And speaking of your brother, where in the world is he?"

"Maybe he fell into the toilet seat." Shane sniggers.

"Hey, hey, hey. What did I say about making fun of your brother?"

"I was joking, mom, relax." Shane sighs this time. "Stop worrying too much."

"How could I not? There's millions of people in this airport! It's easy to lose your way." the mother bites her lips and tiptoes to try and locate her son.

"Jesse's with Papa, mom. He's not going to get lost."

"Oh my God! I lost Jesse!" a familiar baritone voice exclaimed behind them.

"Or maybe he will..." Shane rolls her eyes, turning to look at her panicking uncle.

"Yoon Han-sung! What have you done with my son?!"

Han-sung pales even more, "I'm sorry, Jamie! I was still in the bathroom and Jesse said he'd just get some cola. I told him not to wander far but when I got out he was nowhere!"

"If something happens to my son, Han-sung, I swear I will burn your apartment down! All of them!" Jamie threatens, face filled with worry as she desperately make her way towards the men's room, Han-sung at her heels and dragging Shane with him. "I should have known better than to leave him with you!"

"Hey! I didn't mean to lose him! I am sorry!" Han-sung pleads.

"It doesn't matter if you mean it or not. We need to find Jesse. What if he gets abducted or something?!"

"Relax, mom." Shane, ever the snarky one, said patiently. "Jesse and I got lost in LAX once, remember? And we turned out fine. Besides, he knows not to wonder off with strangers. And it's not as if he doesn't know the language here. Uncle Ken is more likely to get lost here than Jesse."

"Now is not the time for you to patronize me, young lady! Your brother's missing!" Jamie glares.

Shane is way to used to Jamie's antics to even take her glares seriously, at least to some extent. When it comes to her children, Jamie is the biggest worrywart.

"She's got a point, you know." Han-sung pointed out.

"You have no say in this because you were the one to lose him in the first place!" Jamie hissed at Han-sung who promptly zipped his mouth.

"Come on, we need to find him." Shaned tugged at her mother's hand.

"And how do you suppose we do that? This is one of that biggest airports here, Shane. Let's just go to the help desk and ask them to search for your brother." Jamie tugged back.

Han-sung is a little amused at the mother and daughter, tugging hands on opposite ways. But lest he wants Jamie's wrath on him, he did not say a thing and held firmly on the trolley of suitcases he was holding, waiting for the two to finally make a decision on where to go. Jamie might be the mother, but her kids are really independent, and growing up traveling the world most of the time had made them more mature than kids their age.

"Mom, think of Jesse as a bee and cola as honey. I'm sure he's in one of the vending machines somewhere." Shane insisted.

"How are you even sure--"

"Just trust me, mom." the little girl all but drag her mother towards the corner where the vending machines on that floor were supposed to be.

Han-sung smiles despite the trouble he had caused. Ten years had passed and yet Jamie is still the same. Motherhood suits her perfectly, the stubborn streak she has very evident on her children. He wonders what would have happened if she didn't disappear almost eleven years ago. She's back because of her parents's request, they were not getting younger and needed someone to take over the company since Eunsuk couldn't do it alone. If not for this, would Jamie ever have came back?

***

His manager is late. It's been a little over an hour since the time he should have been picked up from the airport. Now he knows how frustrating it is to wait and wait, and wait some more.

Luckily it's not like old times anymore, when getting out of the plane means battling your way to the car through masses and throngs of bodies, hands that eagerly tries to reach you and touch as if you're some miraclous being. At least now he can walk his way out of an airport with relative ease, maybe a few shots from the media people who lingers on airports to try and catch some scope about artist coming in and going out of the country, but it's not so often enough that he somehow feels like he's a normal citizen of this country, something that he lost for a moment at the peak of his stardom.

But really, his manager should have told him that he was going to be late. The old man is not even answering his phone.

Bored, and getting hungry as well, he fishes out a few hundred won from his wallet and searched for somewhere where he can get something to munch on while waiting. He's not a fan of junk foods but getting real food would mean potentially missing the arrrival of his manager, so he opted to get himself some vending machine sandwhich.

As he makes his way to one of the machines, a kid caught his attention. It's a boy, curly black hair and soft face furrowed into a frown. The kid is putting some coins on the slot of the machine holding some soda but the coin just drops out, not being accepted.

"It doesn't accept dollars." he says helpfully. "Don't you have wons?"

The kid looks at him, frowning even more and taking a step away, clearly alarmed by being talked to by a strangers. Good for him.

"Uhm, here, take this." he handed the kid the coins he has. The kid looks at the coins in his hand and then back to his face, "It's okay. Take it." he continued earnestly, hoping that the kid would see that he means no harm.

After a little contemplation, the boy accepts that money, "Thank you, sir."

Oh, a foreigner.

"You're welcome." he replies in English. "Is anyone with you? You're not alone, are you?"

The kid shook his head, "My mom and my sister are waiting for our luggage."

He fishes out for some more coins as the kid finally gets a cola. The kid stayed by the vending machine, looking here and there. He seemed a little lost.

"Ah, kid... you're not lost, are you?" he asks. "If you are, I can take you to the information booth so we can look for your mom."

"I..." the kid frowns, "I'm not supposed to go with strangers."

"I know. You were not supposed to be left alone in an airport as big as Incheon Airport too." he pointed out.

"Papa was taking so long in the comfort room and I was thristy," the kid retaliates, pouting defensively. "And I'm still not supposed to go with strangers."

He sighs, this is one stubborn kid. And unless he wants to be charged with kidnapping or something, he can't forcefully bring this boy to the information booth. He doesn't want a scene too. He might not be as active as he was five years ago but he's pretty sure 95% of Korea still knows him. Even with the big sunglasses and hat half covering his face, people will still recognize him.

Sighing, he stood by the kid, stooping a little his height level, "Okay, kid. I can't just leave you here all by yourself. I'll stay with you here, okay? Let's wait, say, half an hour, for your mom to find you. If they don't, let's go to the information booth. There's a higher chance for them finding you there."

The kid gives him a suspicious look. Well, he's wearing some bigass sunglass and half of his face is irrecognizable, he pretty much look like a terrorist to the kid right now, so he can't blame the boy. So he took off his disguise, hoping that the smile on his lips will reassure the kid that he was not up to no good.

"My name is Siwon. Don't worry, I won't do anything bad to you." he introduces himself.

The kid stares at him for a minute, then frowns. "You... you look really familiar."

"I do?"

"Yeah..."

Well... maybe he's not that old, the kid could still recognize him somewhat.

The kid is still frowning at him, eyes scrutinizing every feature of his face. He's used to this kind of scrutiny after years and years in the entertainment industry, but he's feeling really conscious right now. What with this kid's big brown eyes on him, wary yet searching at the same time.

"Uhm... I don't think we've met somewhere before. Maybe you've seen me on TV or something."

"You appear on TV?" the kid's eyes went really wide that Siwon just want to gush at him but he can't because that would surely scare the kid away and that's totally not a manly thing to do!

"Yeah... now and again."

"Oh... so you're some kind of a celebrity?"

The way the kid phrases it makes Siwon want to laugh. He's not a full-time idol anymore, he limited his activities to doing movies a few times a year and appearing on as many TV shows as he can without affecting his work at his father's company. He's slowly rising up the ranks there, learning the ways to running the company that he would surely take the reigns on once his father retires.

"Yes, I am kind of a celebrity. Maybe you've seen me on a commercial or a show that's why I look familiar."

"Well, that's a little strange since it's my first time here in Korea. We've traveled to many places before but we've never been here."

Really now? How can the kid reconize him then?

"Well, you can tell me once you remember where you've seen me? I guess you won't be that suspicious of me now since you know I can't just kidnap you even if I want to. The whole of Korea would be after my head if I do just that."

"I don't know. You're still a stranger. And you might just use your connections to get out of jail. Maybe you won't even be in jail."

Siwon laughs right out with the cheeky reply. "Your parents taught you really well."

"We travel around the world so much because of mom's work so my sister and I need to know not to trust strangers. Even if those strangers claims they are celebrities."

"Hey, you were the one who pointed out that I looked familiar."

"But I'm pretty sure I haven't seen you on TV. Unless you make international movies."

"I did... made some." Siwon replies, feeling ridiculos at how he sounded a little indignant. It's just a boy. A boy who looks a little familiar now that he's paying more attention at how the kid looks.

"Were they sci-fi movies?"

"No..."

"Horror, perhaps? Those gorry ones? My sister loves them."

"Uh, definitely no. I stuck to action films."

"Then there goes your answer." the boy grins.

Siwon feels a little warm. It's been a long time since he had talk to a kid this carefree, or talked to anyone this carefree. It's quite exhilirating, and relieving, how light and warm-hearted he feels around this kid even if he doesn't know him.

"Kid, I don't know you but I like you." he chuckles.

"Sir, I don't hate you, but you're a stranger still so I can't say I like you too."

Siwon laughs out loud, earning curious glances from passersby, he bit his lips, smiling a little bashfully, bowing to them and hoping they won't think he's insane or something.

"I wouldn't be much of stranger if I know your name. You already know who I am."

The kid gave him a contemplating look but he seemed to loosen up a bit, "My name is--"

"Jesse!" someone called out.

And then the kid was being practically tackled and suffocated into a hug by a woman. The kid started squirming as the woman, who looks to be his mother, started admonishing the kid while still hugging him tightly. He couldn't see the her face since she had her back to him but he could hear the worry, mixed with relief, evident on her chastising words.

"Didn't I tell you not to wander off? What if you got lost? Or got kidnapped? Or got trampled on?" the woman almost shrieks.

"Mom... mom... MOM!" the boy had to raise his voice to get his mother's attention and also to get her off of him as well, "I'm fine. Okay? I was more in danger with you cutting my air off than getting lost."

"Why you little--"

To say that the woman is taken aback is an understatement. But there was a cheeky glint in the boy's eyes that makes it practically impossible to take his statement as impolite.

"I was just kidding, mom." the boy grins. "I'm sorry."

The mother sighs, finally taking a step away from her son and checking him for any injury or something, such a mother hen really. She kinds of reminds Siwon of Jungsu.

"Well, you are alright, okay. But that doesn't mean that you're off the hook, mister. No games for a week. You're banned from your PSP."

"What?! But, mom!" the boy actually stomps his foot, whining. "It wasn't my fault that you let Papa go to the bathroom with me! You know how clumsy he is!"

"He wasn't the one to wander off, was he?"

"But he was the one to let me wander off!"

Siwon stood watch as the mother and son bicker, not even a little peeved even if the boy practically forgot about him when they had just spent the last 15 minutes together.

"Oh! You actually found him!" a girl squealed, running past Siwon towards the boy and the woman. "I told you we'd find him near colas. Though it was a floor down, but still."

"We're lucky he hadn't been dragged by a stranger or something. Next time, the two of you are sticking with me, understood?" the mother says frimly.

"You said that too when Uncle Ken forgot that he was with us back in Vancouver." the girl piped, making a show of rolling her eyes playfully.

"I think that was when we went to Milan." the boy frowns.

"Whatever. I've lost count on how many times Papa and Uncle lost us and mom said she'd stick us to her." the girl sighs.

"You two are really--"

"Anyways! I wasn't actually alone. I met this mister, who looked really familiar. He says he's a celebrity but honestly, I haven't seen any of his movies." the boy says.

Siwon doesn't really know how to take that. He should feel at least a little disappointed that the kid haven't seen any of the numerous movies he had made, but he can't, not with that honest eyes.

"Really now?" the mother sighs, the tension on her shoulders visibly disappearing. "Where is he, then?"

The boy finally look his way, grinning that same playful smile. "That's him."

The woman turned to look at him.

And oh...

"He said his name is--"

"Siwon." the woman utters softly.

Was it surprise? Or even shock? He can't really tell how her voice sounded. Because he's too preoccupied by this person whom he never stopped missing even after all these years. This person who left him eleven years ago, but brought his heart along with her. This person who had never really let him go even if she left his life.

"Jamie..." oh, that name he utters every day in his prayers.

 a/n: so.... what to do next??? hehehe... comments please!!!!

last chap is on the way and gosh i can't believe i'm finally ending this thing after being on hiatus for nearly three years (i've started writing it more than three years ago...aw, really?????)

i'm feeling ecstatic right now... and definitely melancholic... i'm going to miss writing this once it's over. it's really funny how you feel when finishing a story... somehow you want to write 'the end' but still want it to go on forever...

*goes to a corner and sobs*

later...