*beep beep*

Chae Min is at the 'pickup and drop off only' zone outside Zeus Hotel. She places down her luggage and sat down on one of the benches. She receives a new text message from her father.

'Dearest darling Min, daddy is so sry that I'm unable to fetch u personally. I hired a driver, the number plate is _____. C u soon!'

Her father sure knows how to let a girl down. Chae Min sighs. She got off the plane from the States two days ago. Nobody welcomed her at the airport unlike movies where they dramatically embrace loved ones, tears streaming down their faces. Chae Min has left the country too long to know her way around. She actually had to hail a cab and told the driver, "To the best hotel nearby please."

Chae Min cringes at that thought. Seriously though, she must have sounded like a total spoiled brat. A Korean who looks completely Korean and speaks fluent Korean but does not know Korea well. What a joke. 

She spent the past couple of days in Zeus Hotel and basically all she did was eat, sleep, swim and repeat. She did not dare to step foot out of the hotel for she fears she might not find her way back. The stay was pretty okay, friendly staff, good food, nice pool and comfy room. She shudders, recalling an incident that happened yesterday at the poolside. Chae Min was chilling and sun bathing, minding her own business, when a erted old man approached her. He was trying to persuade her to go up to his room and god knows what he wants to do in there.

'Ew,' she thinks. 'gross.' Thank goodness a personnel came to her rescue. He is Manager Park, he managed to get rid of the ert and escorted her back to her room.  

Young Do's face suddenly pops up in her mind, interrupting her thoughts. Chae Min finds herself blushing. He is so hot. His navy blue button down shirt hid his muscular and well built body. His skinny fit white jeans showed off his long lean legs. That man looked like a model who popped out of a fashion magazine. Or a fairytale. (hehe) His thick eyebrows are strangely attractive too. Oh, and the way he looked at her. With shock and utter disbelief. Well, she has always known that she was beautiful.. Chae Min chuckles at her narcissism. 

A car honks as it pulls up in front of her. She checks the car plate, it matches the one in her father's message. The driver gets off and removes his sunglasses.

"Surprise!!!" it turns out that the driver is her father himself.

"Daddy!" Chae Min throws her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Ugh, you cheeky old man! Its great to see you!"

"Hohoho, did you miss me, honey pie?" he chortles loudly.

"More than you can imagine!" she plants a kiss on his cheek.

Mr Lee helps Chae Min with her luggage and they get into the car. Chae Min rolls down the car window. She smiles, breathing in, feeling the summer breeze blowing at her face, messing up her hair. She puts on a pair of shades. 

"Home sweet home." she mutters.

The moment they reaches home, Chae Min runs upstairs to her room. She lies down on her bed, spreads her arms and legs wide. She flips around, lying on her stomach and sniffs the bed sheet. The familiar fragrance of detergent is very pleasant. She opens her arms as if she is swimming and drags herself towards the huge teddy bear at the corner of her bed. Chae Min wrestles the bear happily.

'Oh how I miss everything!' she thinks.

Chae Min has left the country since she was 6. She made sure to visit at least once a year so her parents kept her own room in the house. Chae Min used to claim that it is a way to remind her family that they still have a daughter out there. It was always nice to be in her home country but it is nicer to know she is now back for good. 

"Our pretty Minnie is home?" a sweet voice calls.

Chae Min closes her eyes for a moment. Her mother needs to stop calling her that. She's not a little girl anymore. Her father has all these cheesy nicknames for her too. Her parents and their awkward way of showing affection! However, she is glad. Glad that she is home, she does not even mind anything anymore. 

Chae Min hurries down to her mother and runs into her open arms. Her mother her hair and pats her back. Chae Min chokes back tears. It has been far too long since she last hugged her mother. She tightens her hug, never wanting to ever let go.

"There, there. You're home now. My dear Chae Min is home now." her mother coos softly. 

"Mommy, I've missed you so much!" Chae Min says. "More than you can imagine."

"Hey, you said that to me just now too!" Mr Lee interrupts.

They laugh. Its good to be back together again. Chae Min takes a good look at her parents. Her dad has showing obvious signs of aging. He looks exactly the way a middle aged man would look. Wrinkles at the corners of his eyes can't hide the way his eyes still twinkles. Her mother still looks young and beautiful as always. No creases or crinkles visible.

"So honey, who do you miss more huh?" Mr Lee pursues.

Chae Min rolls her eyes. A knock on the door interrupted the family reunion moment. Mr Lee puts up a finger as a gesture for them to hold on. He walks down the hallway to open the door. Standing in front of him is two men in suits. They were holding files and documents in their hands. Definitely not evangelists coming to preach about God. He sighs. 

"Now you're coming to bother me even at home?" he demands. "I told you I'm not selling it!"

"Sell what?" Chae Min pokes her head out at the end of the hallway.

"Min, this is none of your business. Go to your room." Mr Lee orders. Chae Min frowns but obliges. Maybe they were friends of her father. 

'What kind of friends would wear so formally when visiting lol.' Chae Min thinks, she is confused. She shrugs, she does not want to meddle with her father's business. Their family owns some land outside Seoul city. They have a farm, on which grows vegetables and fruits. They are one of the main suppliers in Seoul. The farm is located in a beautiful place. Facing the vast sea with its back to mountains. Chae Min and her family would often have their vacation in the private villa during summer breaks when she comes home. She learned how to swim and hike since young.

Chae Min returns to her bedroom. Even though she finished high school in the States but she still has to attend another year of high school in Korea. Like a regular teenager, she worries about making new friends and fitting in. Her father has already enrolled her in a school nearby and school starts in a fortnight. She will officially be a senior in high school. Everything will be so different from the States.

Chae Min sighs. 

❋   ❋   ❋   ❋   ❋   ❋   ❋   ❋

Young Do sighs.

Finally those damned dishes are done. 10 years and counting, he will never get use to the kitchen. He wonders if his grandfather ever made his father wash dishes. Maybe its a family tradition thing. Young Do swears he will never let his children do any chores in their entire lives! 

He strips off his shirt as soon as he gets into his suite and wipes off the beads of sweat on his chest with it. He then simply throws the shirt onto the couch. The heat is killing him. Summer is not his favourite season. He prefers the cold dark winter because it reflects on his stone hard heart. He pours himself a drink at the mini bar in his suite. 

'The colour of her eyes.' he thinks, looking down at his Cognac. Lee Chae Min has been running in his mind all day. Her eyes are the same shade of brown as his drink, with a darker brown rim around the iris. So rare for an Asian to have such beautiful coloured eyes. He wants to run his fingers through her silky hair. 

"Thats it!" Young Do exclaims, snapping his fingers. "Her hair. Its the exact same hairstyle and length. That darn middle parting."

Young Do exhales slowly. And her lips. Lee Chae Min's lips.

They remind him of her. His first love. Cha Eun Sang.