Jieun’s enthusiastic eyes scanned the immense spacious airport, her hands holding onto her passport and plane ticket excitedly. Today would be the first time she would step inside an airplane in her entire life, and it would be a journey she would undergo on her very own. There was something saddening but at the same time exciting about leaving behind her home, leaving the country she was born in, even only for a moment. It remembered her vividly of the precious childhood memories when she would go on a small school trip with the school. It was the exact same bubbling excitement that clouded her mind, yet this time there was one big difference.

She glanced around before her gaze landed on a small café, a happy smile dancing on her lips at the thought of beginning this very meaningful journey with a small delicacy. Bright eyes were glued to the display as delicate fingers touched the window, her mind contemplating hard which one to buy. The worker in the café gave her polite nod when she stepped inside the café, a soft smile lingering on his lips as he awaited her order.

“I would love to have a slice of chocolate truffle cake,” Jieun said nicely.

“Anything else?” The worker asked as he put the slice of cake on a neat little white plate.

Jieun shook her head, “No, that’s all.”

She paid for the slice of heavenly looking chocolate truffle cake, before turning around to look for a place to sit. Fortunately, the café was not that crowded, and she could easily spot empty seats. She took place on the nicely polished chair, placing the plate on the table. Her backpack lied peacefully on her lap, and she made sure to put her passport and flight ticket in her bag before starting to eat. For a moment, her eyes landed on her trusted composition notebook, but she quickly zipped her backpack before her mind could wander around too far away and the enthusiasm she was feeling would begin to fade.

Honestly, the moment she stepped inside the airport terminal, she had tried her very best not to let any tears escape, because parting with the two most important people in her life, leaving them behind while she would go to another country made the heart feel hauntingly hollow and the mind colored with sadness. Yet, when she saw how everyone was the same, gathered together temporarily before leaving for their own respective destination, it made her feel better. The freedom she got pushed in her hands felt foreign yet exciting, made her feel frightened yet elevated. So many things could happen, and that thought caused a rush through her veins, heartbeats to increase, because for the first time in her life, she was going to leave this place called home.

♣

Lu Han sat down silently, leaning back while a tired sigh escaped his mouth. His hand instinctively darted up to shield his face from the burning sunlight that reached him. The background sound was filled with people coming and going, greeting and saying their goodbyes. The sound was pleasant to listen to, because it made his heart feel at ease. It was a kind of music only he understood, because he grew up listening to it. It was a kind of melody that only he appreciated so intensely, because it was the only thing that reminded him of security. Countries flashed in front of his eyes, coming in sight and then leaving rapidly, but the sound and sight of arrivals and departs always welcomed him warmly whenever he came back.

A smile danced on his lips as he looked around, fingers already reaching for the camera dangling around his neck. When he found a particular beauty of the airport he wanted to capture on his camera, he swiftly placed the cherished object in front of his eyes, fingers automatically moving to their rightful places. The world always looked different inside the camera, which was inexplicable. It was as if the same world, the same sight could turn into something entirely different when there were extra lenses placed between the human eye and the materialistic world. Those lenses filtered certain things, prohibited certain things to be put into a photograph.

Lu Han both loathed and loved being a photographer, because so many photographs never seemed to portray what he had seen and what he had been eager to capture, but he was always determined to continue because the joy of one picture that was perfectly taken was the best bliss he could ever feel. From all the places he had been, all the pictures he had taken, it was always the airport that gave him the most peaceful feelings. A sad smile appeared on his lips as he glanced at the picture he had just taken, laughing at himself intently because that one perfect picture had yet to be taken.

If ever.

♣

Jieun glanced around the already crowded airplane while trying to find her seat. Seeing all these different people gathered together for the same destination made something burst inside of her, something that made her feel almost merrily because here was a group of people who all had their heart faced to the same direction as she was. A content smile appeared on her lips when she finally found her seat, quickly making her way there while trying her best not to push anyone.

She decided to follow everyone else, opening the overhead baggage compartment slowly before looking for a space for her own backpack. She took off her soft colored backpack before trying to put it inside the small space, other passenger’s belongings already taking most of the compartment space. Caught in a bubble of intense concentration in getting it to fit inside, she did not notice another bag gradually sliding out of the compartment and dangerously close to falling on top of her head. However, before it could touch her head without her being conscious of it, quick hands darted out to reach for it.

“Watch out, it almost dropped on you,” The soft, gentle voice said, catching her attention.

Jieun quickly looked up to meet a pair of warm eyes, before looking over to the bag that had almost hit her. A soft shyness decorated her face as she bowed her head slightly, feeling slightly embarrassed for her own ignorance.

“Thank you very much,” She replied before glancing back at her backpack, which she was still struggling with.

The young man chuckled before reaching out for her back, his tall height a clear advantage in getting the backpack successfully inside the compartment. “There you go.”

“I’ll have to thank you again,” Jieun said softly, eyes mesmerized by the handsomeness of the person who had helped her twice, “for helping this helpless, clueless person.”

This caused the other to laugh lightly, a sound Jieun could not help but like, “It’s my pleasure, mademoiselle.”

Jieun’s eyes blinked in surprise, “French?”

“Seems like you’re not as clueless as you say to be,” He said before taking place on his seat, playfulness swimming in his eyes as he looked at her, “and I assume your seat is next to me.”

“Indeed, it is,” Jieun replied honestly, temporarily overwhelmed by this little unfolding of something that felt way too beautiful for her.

Warmth tangoed with the childish playfulness as his eyes turned into crescent moons, “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Jieun said before moving passed the young man to get to her own seat next to the window, “my name is Song Jieun.”

The other held out a hand as he spoke, “The name’s Lu Han.”

Jieun smiled nicely as she reached out to hold onto the other’s hand, warm smooth skin coming in contact with her own hand, and she was certain she felt a spark of hotness rush through her body. This person called Lu Han wore clothes that she was certain where carefully chosen with a hawk’s eyes for individualized fashion, making her feel self-conscious about her own plain, casual clothes that prioritized comfortableness over fashion

“Why are you going to China?” Lu Han asked as he leaned back comfortably.

Jieun smiled softly, “Vacation, and you?”

“I was here to visit a friend of mine, and I’m just going back to China now,” Lu Han replied honestly.

“Oh, so you’re going home,” Jieun commented.

Lu Han shook his head while wearing a soft smile, “Not home, but back to where my parents are currently living.”

Jieun was close to asking if that was not the same thing, but seeing that her relationship with this stranger was close to nothing, she decided to keep shut and simply nod. It was not her right to dug into this person’s personal life. Instead, she looked outside the window, fingertips touching the glass softly as she thought about how she was leaving behind her home in a few minutes.

“Your first time flying?” Lu Han asked curiously.

Jieun turned her head to look at him, answering with a nod, “Yes.”

“I wonder how that feels,” Lu Han said, “leaving your home behind.”

“Haven’t you experienced that feeling already?” Jieun replied, confusion laced around her carefully spoken words.

Lu Han merely shook his head, “No, never.”

Jieun bit her lower lip at this, the feeling spreading inside of her eating her up alive. The way Lu Han had spoken those two words had thorns with it, brushing against Jieun’s skin just hard enough to cause a drop of blood to escape. The way Lu Han had looked at her while he spoke had a kind of longing in it, a kind of intense yearning to blossom but not being allowed to. The way Lu Han’s face had fallen down made Jieun want to know just how it would feel to having never experienced the feeling of leaving a home behind, because it made it seem as though he did not had a home to begin with.

Glancing at him, Jieun realized with a sad heart that he might really not have a place to be called home to begin with.

♣

“Welcome to Beijing, mademoiselle.” Lu Han spoke out when the airplane stopped moving completely.

Jieun could not believe she had finally arrived in China, Beijing. She could not believe that she really was on the grounds of another country, all on her own, and that thought made her ecstatic. A gleeful smile was plastered on her lips as she turned to look at Lu Han, who seemed to find pleasure in her childish excitement.

“This is amazing,” Jieun said, ignoring the faint pain that still lingered inside her ears because of the landing.

“You haven’t seen anything yet. Come on, we’ve to get off the plane before it goes up again and brings you back to Seoul,” Lu Han said before giving her the backpack she had brought on board.

“As if they would,” Jieun said as she swung the backpack over her shoulders, eyeing the other knowingly.

Lu Han merely grinned back cheekily before walking towards the exit, Jieun trailing behind him. Jieun clutched onto the straps of her backpack as she followed the crowd, eyes darting around in the hope to soak up as many up from the foreign scenery as possible. The money and effort put into making this airport look so elegantly and grand perplexed Jieun. She was lost as to where to go, whereas Lu Han knew exactly which way to walk, the surrounding already so terribly familiar to him.

It took some time, but soon they both stood outside the airport, luggage safely back to their sides and ready to go. Jieun was about to say goodbye, thinking that this would most certainly be the end, when Lu Han started talking again.

“Are you in need of a guide to show you around?” Lu Han asked, eyes glistering brightly.

Jieun thought about it for a moment before answering, “Are you implying yourself?”

“Well, if you don’t mind me bothering you on your trip here, I would be pleasured to show you around. I do have to say that I’m quite a professional when it comes to knowing the good places here.”

“Then,” Jieun replied with a sincere smile, feeling no reason to distrust this person, “please show me around, mister.”

♣

Lu Han turned out to be a brilliant guide, showing Jieun all the beautiful places she would have never been able to find on her own. Jieun had decided to go to her hotel first, wanting desperately to drop her luggage before wandering around, and Lu Han took opportunity of that to go to his parents’ place to leave behind his own heavy baggage. They met up in front of Jieun’s hotel and then strolled around the streets of Beijing. It was a cosy city, fully packed and decorated with bright colors, but Jieun enjoyed the loudness of the sea of people and the prettiness of it all. Lu Han would make sure to stay by her side, not straying too far away from her and continuously urging her to stay close to him.

They’ll kidnap you and sell you, so stay close to me, Lu Han had scared her as they walked on a particular small street that was too crowded for Jieun’s liking. Instinctively, Jieun reached out for his arm, holding onto it just strong enough for her not to lose him. Lu Han eagerly showed her all the delicious snacks that she simply had to try, and by the end of the day Jieun was sure she had eaten enough for days.

What made Lu Han one of kind was his bright eyes that glistered so beautifully, his sunshine smile that could lighten up every bad day. What made Lu Han one of kind was his way of speaking, the way he managed to always keep the conversation going, and how his accent never seemed to make him less than confident. What made Lu Han one of a kind was his seemingly flawless appearance, the way his naturally long eyelashes shielded his eyes elegantly and the corners of his eyes would crinkle slightly when he laughed. What made Lu Han so handsomely beautiful was the fact that he never seemed to pretend to be perfect, never cared to act as if he was flawless, which was precisely why he was so one of a kind.

It was already pitch dark outside when they stood in front of Jieun’s hotel, the exhaustion of a fun day crashing down upon them hardly. Nevertheless, happy smiles still danced on their lips effortlessly, because it had been a lot of fun spending time with each other. It never even crossed Jieun’s mind all this time that this was his first time meeting this person and that they were supposed to be strangers. It all came so naturally, being around him. It all happened so easily, spending time with him.

“It was a lot of fun today,” Lu Han said gently.

Jieun nodded her head eagerly, “Indeed! Thank you so much for showing me around.”

Lu Han chuckled at this, “No problem. It was my pleasure.”

Jieun eyed the grand doors op the hotel hesitantly before turning her gaze back to Lu Han, biting her lips slightly as a sudden sadness filled her before speaking, “I… Goodbye, then.”

She was about to walk away, the melancholic feeling that exploded inside of her making her want to leave as soon as possible, when a hand grabbed onto her wrist, strong enough to stop her from walking away.

“Did you know, in French there’s a distinction between au revoir and adieu,” Lu Han said while turning Jieun around so they were facing each other again, “and I hope it’s au revoir for us, mademoiselle.”

Lu Han put a piece of soft paper in Jieun’s hand before waving her goodbye, leaving her on her own in front of the hotel. It took a few moments before Jieun snapped out of it and glanced down at the paper, an excited smile decorating her lips when she read the message on it.

In case of emergency or extreme boredom, call this number.
 

And that was the first chapter! Hopefully it was not too boring! As for the first meeting and all, this is also based on a true happening haha. My friend and I went to Paris once and there was this boy who was also on his way to Paris and when we arrived, he asked if he could tag along as we went sight-seeing. So, yes... xD Never heard of him again after that, but of course, Lu Han and Jieun would not let each other go so easily haha :p. As for the French, what can I say? I love the language too much. For those who do not know the difference between au revoir and adieu: au revoir is when you will meet each other (soon) again, while adieu is really a goodbye (could also be interpreted as to God). First two chapters will be focused on their first meeting and falling in love, while from chapter three onwards, the drama will begin :). Lastly, thank you for those who are supporting this story, I love you all! Hopefully you will enjoy this, in my opinion meaningful story! And minifantasy gets all the blame if this story disappoints, because she was the one who made me write this (indirectly). Haha, I love to blame others >:D. Well, until next time!