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Illiana

Back From Africa

My friend was dying to go to this concert since I came back. I didn’t know the group, I didn’t really care.
I agreed to go because it’s been two years that I saw her. Let’s say I didn’t have much communication devices around me the past couple of years. I had to follow my mom, who is a nurse, to Africa. I’ve been in Africa for 2 years, had to leave friends and family behind.

Mom sent me back, with my little brother, Lucas, to go to school and sent him to school as well. I promised her I would take care of him, I wouldn’t get into trouble and get back to a normal life again.
Now that I’m back, back in the same home. I loved my house. It wasn’t that big, but it wasn’t small either. Just the usual western house you could imagine.

I wanted to see my friend since it has been two years, she had plans and asked me if I could go with her. I guess after all this time she was just the same shy girl around people she didn’t know, and the fun lively girl around people she knew.

So I went to my aunt, who lives just around the corner, and asked her to babysit my brother. She agreed and said to sleep over at my friend her house

 

Suzy, that’s my friends name, was overexcited. The day of the concert I would meet her in the morning and catch up with her.
I told her lots about Africa, where I’ve been, what I saw, she told me she went to ZERA University, she spilled a lot of things that I can’t remember what she told me. She told me to not be surprised when we see the idolgroup at the concert, who had like 15 members. Which group has 15 members that’s just too much, well that was what I thought. She told me the group was Korean, good that I was fluent in Korean (not that I am Korean), I know sseveral languages French, Dutch, German, Korean, Spanish, English, let’s just say that I know al ot of languages, some more fluent than the other one.

I was looking at a cute shop with some triflers. Suzy waved her hand before my eyes.
 

“Hey, stop daydreaming, will you! and just go in, we almost need to go.”
 

I shook my head and started walking.

“Suzy, wait my brother loves these kind of hats. Let’s go inside and buy him one, he would love it.” I said passing by a hat shop.

“Yah Li, hurry up we haven't got that much time, I’ll wait outside.” Suzy’s korean so that’s why I learnt Korean 5 years ago so we could go to Korea someday and otherwise she would have to translate everything but then I had to follow my mom to Africa so we haven’t been to Korea.
My full name is Illiana. I liked Li it was short and I didn’t need to spell it out everytime someone had to write it down.

I went into the shop, I saw 3 people in suits and a guy who was looking at some hats. He was wearing jeans, sunglasses (not that it was very bright in the shop or sunny outside (it was rather cloudy). With no notion of who he was I kept looking around. I just saw a cap that would fit my little brother just fine. The cap was in the same area of where the guy was standing. I would have to pass the people with suits on, they looked really scary. I walked to that specific area. The woman in the suit next to me kept looking at me, I kept wondering why, I didn't do anything wrong. I felt uneasy but I wanted that cap. So I slowly walked past her and reached for it at the same moment the guy reached for it. 

Without knowing I took a hold of his hand instead of the cap.
Before I realised what I had done, the scary lady beside me, grabbed my shoulder. I looked at my hand and I realised I took his hand instead of the cap.

I froze.
 

Now I was like the little ball you use in table-tennis. I was looking at him and back at the lady who hadn’t released my shoulder, and back at him.

I must’ve had a very scared look on my face. I was about to apologize, but before I could do that he took of his sunglasses with the hand that was free, apparently I hadn’t released his hand either. Why did I freeze like that? I never froze before in a similar situation. I looked at his dark eyes and he kept looking in mine, then he blinked and said something to the lady who was holding me. I realised it was Korean and smiled. The woman released me. He looked back at me and then at my hand. In shock I realised I had to give his hand back.

I smiled “I’m sorry” I said in Korean and bowed. He widened his eyes, not knowing I could speak Korean. Why would I?, I was the definition of an ordinary Europian girl. I had ocean blue eyes with an orange spot in it if you watched very good, had curly long blond-brown hair with a streak of pink in it because Suzy convinced me today that I could pull it of. I wasn’t that tall, 1m61, normal body.

“I’m sorry, I was just reaching for that cap over there, for my little brother.” Pointing at the cap. He raised an eyebrow.
He was still amazed that I was fluent in Korean, bowed back and gave me the cap. I don’t know what he was doing but he looked at me with a face like I’m supposed to know him or something. 
I gave an uneasy smile, took the cap out of his hand and went to the cash register to pay for the cap.