"Eomma?" Shin Hye uttered, but no response was heard. Peeping from the kitchen door with an apprehensive expression on her face, she again tentatively called "Eomma?". Still no response. She sighed loudly, closing her eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she opened them and entered the kitchen, determined. "Eomma, is that fair?!" She now shouted.

At that, her mom immediately turned around to give her a deadly glare "Yah! You're raising your voice?!" Her mom shouted back.

Shin Hye lowered her gaze, remorsefully "Mianhe eomma...", she softly replied. "But until when are you going to ignore me, huh?" She finally added, walking towards her mom to stand beside her.

Shin Hye's mom sighed silently, but somehow she heard it. Looking at her mother's face, Shin Hye felt guilty for the pain and worry written over it. She knew it was her fault and felt bad about it. How can she get her to understand her point?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she suddenly heard her mother softly ask "Can you take care of the salad for me?"

Shin Hye's eyes immediately lit up at her mom's words. She asked her something. The first step to reconciliation !

She hurriedly executed herself and helped her mom with the rest of the dinner.

---

After sometimes, they were all around the table to have their meal. Dinner was the only time of the day where her family was reunited. And it was also the only time during which they all would bring in serious discussions...

As they were eating, her dad and unnie were trying to make conversations to fill in the blanks, too present that night. Shin Hye was really thankful about it but felt bad for the gloomy mood during the dinner. She is the one who upset her mom and have everyone bearing it. She didn't feel hungry anymore and played with her food instead, lost in her thoughts. Shin Hye has always been the obedient child and never put any burden on her parents. For that, they were really thankful. This is the first time that she is opposing her mom regarding a decision and that's why she thinks she is so disappointed. But she doesn't know why...she just feel like she has to do this. She knows she isn't doing anything wrong and it's normal for her mom to be worried, but she has grown up and is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. It's also to show everyone that, that she badly wants to go.

Shin Hye's dad cleared his throat as soon as the silence filled the room again. "What's wrong with you?" He asked after taking in the expression of his wife. After receiving no response he sighed loudly and added, quite exasperated "Is this again about Shin Hye going to Korea?"

"Of course it is about Shin Hye going to Korea! What else?!" Finally came the angry response of Shin Hye's mom. Sighing and closing her eyes, she added "I still don't understand why you agreed for her to go. Are you not scared that she will go alone? In a country she doesn't know? For such a young girl?" She pursued, talking about her daughter just like she wasn't in the room.

"Mom please, I'm 23. Isn't that old enough?! You keep telling me that people of my age are already married and building their own life. Then why, when I finally make the decision to take some responsibility, you shove me off?!" Shin Hye finally blurted, out of frustration.

"I told you you were old enough to get married, not to go all alone in a country you don't know!" Shin Hye's mom equally shouted. "At least when you're married they would be someone beside you, I'll be reassured. But now... I can't, I cannot do anything but worry about you..." She finally finished, sobbing.

Looking at her mom shedding tears because of her, Shin Hye felt pitiful, all of a sudden. "Ah" she regretfully shouted, her face in her hands.

"Eomma, mian..." She begin calmly this time. "I shouldn't have shouted, I'm sorry." She took her mother's hand in hers. "But, please try to understand me. You know how I always wanted to go to Korea since I was little and how curious I am about the country we come from. We never got the opportunity to go there and now I have one." She paused a little and looked directly into her mother's eyes before continuing "I became even more curious since Yong Hwa Oppa came here for his studies and told me all about it. I really want to go and this final internship is a great opportunity for me. Eomma, please don't worry about me, huh?" She looked at her with a reassuring smile and hopeful eyes. 

Her mother's expression began to soften at her words as she sighed silently.

"Don't think I'm not worried about her . Of course I am, she's my little girl after all." Shin hye's father began to utter "but we have to trust her. She's growing up and we have to let her try to live on her own... Right princess ?" He finished, smiling at his lovely daughter.

She returned his smile, thanking him. But soon her expression changed into a less happier one when she heard her father continuing "plus, yong hwa will be there. It's not like she will be totally alone."        

She wanted to interrupt him but stopped herself from doing so when she saw the relief on her mom's face.

"Oh yeah I forgot about that ! Yong hwa will be there. Well, at least you know someone there... I'm reassured." Her mother said, smiling softly.

"Don't worry Eomma, I'll be fine..." Shin Hye forced a smile to put her mom's heart at ease.

***

Truth is, she didn't want to bother Yong Hwa at all. Shin Hye was like that, she basically didn't like asking anybody for anything. But since she began preparing for this departure to Korea, it just seems that she will owe a lot to many people. Yong Hwa to begin with...

When during the year she made the decision to look for an internship in her home country, her unnie immediately jumped in, telling her to call Yong Hwa for help.

Yong Hwa came two years ago for his studies and at that time, Shin Hye's parents had applied to be a host family for students from Korea. That was how Yong Hwa came to live with them. Shin Hye and him immediately hit it off. She showed him around New-York while he would tell her about Seoul...and she was always so eager to learn more. Yong Hwa was really sweet and fun to be with. She really liked spending time with him. Sometimes, they would be chatting until late at night, talking about things from his life there, his family and especially his brothers... He was fond of them... They would also discuss her friends, life at school and projects...

On the contrary, her unnie kept arguing with him whenever she saw him, which amused Shin Hye a lot as it was obvious that she was acting like that because she liked him. For proof, when Shin Hye refused to call Yong Hwa to ask for help regarding her internship, her unnie made the call herself; her only excuse to hear from him.

Anyways, this resulted in Yong Hwa finding her an internship in his own brother's company, where he was also working.

As she was sitting in the plane, on her way to a new journey, thinking about all this, Shin Hye's feelings were mixed... She was really thrilled to finally achieve her dream to discover her country, as well as glad to see Yong Hwa after such a long time. But she was also sad to leave her family and felt bad that Yong Hwa was the one who helped her with her internship.

***

As she landed and made her way out of the Incheon Airport, Shin Hye was surprised to bump right into the object of her thoughts. Before her, Yong Hwa was standing with a sweet smile on his face and his hands in his pocket. It looked like he was waiting for quite sometimes now and as unbelievable as it may seem, it looked like he was waiting for her... 'But, what was he doing here?' She didn't tell him that she was coming today, forget asking him to pick her up... 'Wait, maybe he was here for someone else...' She thought, turning around to check her assumption. That was when she heard him.

"Shin Hye-a?" She immediately faced him, her long black hair flipping over with her move.

"Oh...Oppa?" She said questioningly, impliedly asking him about his presence here.

He softly chuckled seeing her astonished expression, guessing what was on her mind. "You didn't see me ?"

"Eh?... Oh, yeah I saw you, I was just surprised." She paused, quite lost in her thoughts before continuing "But...How did you know- ?"

"- that you were coming today?" He finished for her with a smile. "Well, certainly not thanks to you missy!" He added, looking at her with a fake indignant stare now.

Shin Hye bowed her head and bit her lower lip out of embarrassment "Oppa, mian... It's just... If I had told you, I know you would have come... and I didn't want to bother you..."

"Aishhh" He uttered, appearing irritated. She immediately looked up, worried that she might have offended him. "Yah ! You call me Oppa and you treat me as a stranger?"

At his words she bowed her head again, out of guilt, pouting "Aniyo, it's not like that Oppa... Mian"

After some time, when she heard nothing from him, she raised her head, only to see him smiling sweetly at her and finally heard him utter "Tch. It's okay." He affectionately rumpled her hair.

"Now let me take care of that." He took her suitcase and headed towards the exit, leaving her with the only option of following him.

Once they reached outside, he turned to look at her as she breathed in the soft air of Seoul, a satisfying smile adorning her face.

"Finally, huh?" He said smilingly, referring to her fulfilling her wish to come to Korea.

Looking back at him, she happily nodded before he ushered her to his car.