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Once the Ming family finally arrived at their new house in the late evening, which was located in a rather nice looking neighborhood, they wasted no time unloading the smaller items they had shipped over the night before from the moving truck. Most of the furniture and larger things they had brought from their old home in Magong had already been carried and arranged in the house. So luckily for them, there wasn’t much work that needed to be done.

Everyone wanted to rest and relax when they were finished. They wanted to get accustomed to their new place, take everything around them in. All except for one particular girl that is. After Jia had lugged all of her belongings to her room, which was in the attic, she was determined to explore the area. She had skipped downstairs and just as her hand was about to reach out and grasp onto the knob, her father called her into the living room.

He knew his eldest daughter too well.

Since the sun had already disappeared and the moon was now sitting in the sky amongst the billions of stars in its place, he told her she was not allowed to leave the house. It was by far way too late and definitely not safe for a girl her age to be wandering around in a place she was barely acquainted with.

Of course, Jia whined and sulked, telling the man she would be perfectly fine because she was always good at remembering directions, but Mr. Ming would not have it. Yes, they might reside in a good neighborhood but who knows what kind of sketchy criminals could be lurking around the corner, searching for an easy victim to prey on. It was too dangerous and risky and simply didn’t sit well with Mr Ming.

Thus, with an iron-fist, he ordered Jia to go back to her room. He told her it wasn’t going to happen no matter how much she begged and if she listened to him, she could wander around as much as her heart desired tomorrow when the sun was out. Obviously, the girl agreed because she had gotten the better end of the deal. She then kissed her mother and father goodnight before she left to go get ready for bed.

The next morning, Jia was the first person to wake up, as surprising as that might sound. With so little time at her disposal to explore such a huge city, she couldn’t afford to let even a second go to waste.

After having showered and getting dressed, she wrote a little note, informing her family of her whereabouts and stuck it onto the refrigerator. She didn’t have any specific places she was planning to visit but if they needed to get in touch with her, they could always try giving her a call.

Once she made sure that she had everything she needed for the day’s adventure, as quiet as a mouse, Jia exited her house. She checked her watch and saw that it was already eight o’clock. The sun was supposed to sink around six-thirty or so, which provided Jia with approximately ten and a half hours to venture around the capital city of South Korea.

Pulling out a map and pen, she made sure to place a star at where her house was and began her departure.

Just like any other industrialized city in the world, Jia discovered an abundant amount of cars zooming through the roads and streets of Seoul while people cluttered the sidewalks. It was shocking for her to see so many bodies out so early in the day but then again, she rarely went out in the morning back in Taiwan unless it was for school so of course it was a new experience for her.

Since it was a Sunday, Jia didn’t encounter any students and figured they must have all been sleeping in. However, as she continued to give herself a tour, she discovered a number of interesting things. Everything was so much more fascinating to her compared to the town she grew up in and she couldn’t help but question why all of the residents (young and old) weren’t out, basking and enjoying in the beautiful wonders their city had to offer them.

They should be out appreciating the wonderful and gorgeous city they were blessed to have!

As a small and gentle breeze drifted by Jia, she heard an unpleasant gurgle originating from her stomach. She realized she hadn’t eaten since the plane ride and quietly scolded herself for not eating before she left her house. “Ah what do I do?” she mumbled. She glanced around and her eyes brightened when she spotted a café across the street. A smile imprinted on her face as she skipped over to the crosswalk and waited for the light to change. Once it did, she practically ran to the small shop.

The sweet and aromatic scent of fresh brewed coffee and biscotti attacked Jia as soon as she entered and she couldn’t deny that drool was starting to pool in . Swallowing down the excess amount of liquid, Jia nibbled on her bottom lip, trying to contain her excitement.

Next, she went over to the glass-display, which held all of the delectable desserts. From donuts to cupcakes, it looked like this small café had it all. Luckily for her, the place wasn’t too busy which allowed her to take her time in deciding what she wanted to consume.

“The banana-walnut muffin is my favorite,” a voice chimed in, causing Jia to glance up from the assortment of goods. She met a pair of doe eyes and opened to make a response, however, it seemed like her vocal chords had been cut as her stomach emitted another gurgle.

The young man then chuckled as he watched Jia stand up straight and clear . “Is it good?” she inquired, her accent showing just a little.

“It is,” he assured confidently. “How about this, if you don’t like it, I’ll let you pick something else free of charge.”

Jia smiled widely, her lips. “Really?”

“Scout’s honor,” he stated as he held his hand up, looking like he was taking an oath of some sort.

“Okay, I’ll take that and a strawberry milk,” she declared. “You do have strawberry milk, right?”

For a second, the young man just blinked as his mind registered her words. Then he chuckled again and nodded his head. “Yes we do,” he replied. Next, he took a napkin, slid open the case and pulled out the muffin he recommended. “Oh right, for here or to go?”

Jia peered out the transparent door then down to her watch. It was only ten after eleven and she figured it wouldn’t hurt to give he