It to be me. It really does. After graduating from high school, I had set my expectations high. Going to college in the most beautiful city Seoul, finding the love of my life and doing the things I've always dreamed of with him. And I was almost certain that these would come true. It always comes true in movies. Oh, but John Hughes doesn't direct my life. But my beloved father does. And he thought it'd be the best for me to attend college in China. I guess he didn't take it into account that his daughter can't even properly speak Chinese.

Okay, that was a bit exaggerated. I know some Chinese, but there are several dialects in China. I told my dad so many times that I don't want to attend college in China, but all he said was it would be an amazing experience to live in Shanghai. Oh, yeah. If so, then why don't you leave everything behind and move to China? Because it's difficult to leave your family, your friends behind. It's difficult to adapt to a new place. But my father doesn't understand me. So here I am, watching my family leave the dorm. They're gone. I'm all alone.

I feel tears welling up in my eyes, but I shouldn't cry. I don't want to cry. I go to my sink and splash water on my face. I can do better than crying. Yes, I can. I look out the window and see the sparkling streets of the city. It's indeed beautiful, but not wanted in my life. A bravery of twenty seconds hits me. I leave the dorm and let my feet take me anywhere in Shanghai.

I wander around aimlessly. It's eight p.m and the streets are vivid. People are walking around. Some seem happy. Some seem sad. Some are in a hurry. But nobody seems lonely. It's just me. Feeling rather tired from walking, I sit on a bench and watch the flowing crowd. I'm in one of the biggest cities, yet I'm feeling bored. I wish I were home. I wonder if Shanghai will ever be home to me. I look at my wrist and see that it's rather late. I'd better go back to the dorm. Standing up, I turn around and walk towards the dorm.

After fifteen minutes of walking, I'm still nowhere near the dorm. Damn it, every street seems the same. How am I supposed to find my way back? I decide to ask the passersby for directions.

"Excuse me! Do you know how I can go to the University of Shanghai?" I ask in Chinese. Heh, I guess I'm not that bad.

The old guy shakes his head in confusion and tells me something I can't comprehend. Damn it, what's wrong? I want to cry this time. It's only my first day in China, yet I've already got lost! I sink to the ground in desperation, then hear someone talk to me.

"You spoke Mandarin to that man, but not everyone speaks Mandarin in Shanghai," says the owner of the voice. Oh Gosh, how did I understand him?

"Because I am speaking in Korean," says he.

I stand up in joy to face him. I'm so damn glad that there's someone who knows Korean! I smile at the tall boy in front of me so as to show my gratefulness. He has really sharp features which make him look so manly and characteristic. And he is taller than me by at least ten centimetres.

"You are new here, I guess," he says breaking my thoughts. And I realize that I haven't said anything to him yet.

"Oh, yes, I am. And I already got lost on my first day."

"It's alright. Shanghai is a big city. So, you're going to the University of Shanghai?"

"Yes, I will go to my dorm, but..."

"It's only a ten minutes walk from here. I will walk you there," he says as he starts walking ahed of me, his hands in his pockets, demonstarting a cool posture.

Even if walking with a stranger in a place I don't know scares me, I walk with him having no other choice. It's a silent and somewhat awkward ten minutes walk, but I'm used to awkward silences.

We finally arrive at the dorm, and the tall boy turns his back to walk away without uttering a word.

I shout after him, "Hey! Thank you...um..."

"Yifan. My name is Yifan. And you're welcome," with that he vanishes into the darkness.