In a corner of my soul there hides a tiny frightened child, who is frightened by a corner where there lingers something wild.

     People always told me that I had a good sense of direction.  No matter how vague the directions given to me were, I always found my destination eventually.  On the other hand, Jong Suk had a horrible sense of direction.  He knew how to get to about 3 places that he frequently went to.  His apartment, the University, and after many trials, my apartment.  In fact, he was only at the café the day that I met him because he had gotten lost on the way to his new workplace.  

     I always had a good sense of direction, but I now found myself hopelessly lost.  I huffed in frustration as I looked down at the map on my phone.  I tried to zoom in and find any street names or discernible landmarks but found it impossible to peer through the scribbly purple arrows that Dr. Uncle Jo had drawn all over the map to “help” me get to his office.  His help was becoming more and more of a nuisance than anything.  I looked around for anything that might tell me where I was for about the hundredth time that day.  

I have found someone who understands your situation and can help you.

     His words ran through my mind all night and I ended up getting only a few hours of sleep wondering just who this person was.  Was he someone that I knew before my accident?  Was he somehow someone from my old life that also was also in a coma for the past 6 years?  I shook my head.  “That’s impossible you idiot.  Even if they were in a coma at the same time as you why would they have the same hallucinations as you?” Scolding myself I once again squinted at the map that, if I was reading it correctly, I was literally right on top of his home office.  After standing in the middle of a crowded sidewalk staring at my phone for 10 minutes trying to interpret his strange map, I deemed the task impossible and decided to text Uncle Jo and just ask him for the address.

     I’m really sorry but I can’t really read your map so is there any way that you could send me the address of your office instead?  Thank you.

     After about 2 minutes my phone buzzed in reply.

Well that'd be no fun. ;)

     Really?  We had an important meeting about my mental and emotional health scheduled to start in 20 minutes and he’s wanted to elongate my confusion for his amusement?  And what was with the winky face?  I tried to come up with some kind of snarky comeback but thinking about it I realized that Uncle Jo was not the kind of person to give in to any kind of attitude.  Being cooperative was the only way.  I sighed.

     Well I’ve been working really hard on my dead fish these past 2 days and I really want to show you soon. But I won’t be able to show you if I can’t even find your office.

     I sent the message satisfied that this would give me the answer that I was looking for.  And lo and behold not 10 seconds after sending the message I got a reply containing the address, and underneath it was a short sentence.

          Go to the café beneath my office and ask for a man named Lee Kwang Soo. Bring him up to my office with you.  This better be good.

     I smiled as I punched in the address to my phone’s GPS and made a mental note to squeeze the crap out of Uncle Jo’s hand when I saw him.  I was a little disappointed to see the name Lee Kwang Soo.  Was he the man who would be able to help me?  I didn't know anyone in my past life with the name of Lee Kwang Soo.  But if he would be able to help me what was the difference?  

      I shook off the disappointment and began walking with renewed vigor in the opposite direction I had been heading.  Conveniently the office was only a 10 minute walk away so I had a bit of extra time before my meeting with Uncle Jo.  Maybe I would get a drink at this café.  

      As I walked along the sidewalk I looked around, taking mental pictures of all the buildings, street signs, and little things that made the street unique.  This was how I memorized how to get to the places that I needed to go.  By finding something unique or even strange along the way to the place that I was going, it would be easy to find again as I would only have to look for that one thing to know that I was on the right track.  I needed to remember every detail as this would be the way that I would get to Uncle Jo's from now on.  In addition to having an eye for detail, I was also a very habitual person by nature.  Once I found something that worked I stuck to it, even if there was a way that was faster or easier.  

     Jong Suk had always found this habit of mine to be a bit strange.  When we went anywhere I  would always take us  the exact same way, even if I knew of another way that was quicker or more convenient.  When we would eat meals together I would always order the same thing no matter what.  Jong Suk on the other hand was a very adventurous person by nature.  He never ordered the same thing twice and was constantly trying new things.  A few times he had found out the hard way that the new things he tried weren't as good as some of the foods that I always ordered.  But he had refused to go back to ordering his favorite foods opting to try something new every single time.

     I once asked him why he never ordered the same thing twice and he made a serious face and recited, "The world is a book, those who never travel read only one page. Saint Augustine."  He looked at me proudly and continued eating, making a strange face after each spoonful.  I looked at him skeptically, "That's a nice quote but I'm not quite sure what food has to do with the world and traveling."  He looked up at me once again, mouth filled with food. 

     "You gotta take chances in life sometimes Miso!  It's an adventure! And honestly would we even be dating now if I hadn't taken that random chance and stopped in that café that day?"  He asked, spewing food everywhere.  I guessed he was right, many things in my life wouldn't have happened if I had done the same things over and over again. I had begrudgingly agreed with him and he had showed me that winning smile, complete with little bits of food stuck all over his teeth.  

     As I had watched him choke down his food I noticed him looking longingly at my plate, which happened to be filled with one of our favorites.  I laughed at his expression and slid it over to him saying with a serious face, "There's nothing wrong with reading a book you love over and over. Gail Carson Levine."  He smiled up at me and with full cheeks thanked me saying, "This is why I love you. You're so smart."  I had laughed and tried to push him away as he began to try kissing my cheeks with his own still stuffed with food. 

      I smiled at the fond memory and looked at my GPS to see that I was very close to Uncle Jo's office.  I began to look around for the café that he had mentioned and my eyes locked on a small store a few feet to my left.  My heart dropped in my chest.  

     Your destination is on the left.

     In front of me was a small café, the name plate on the building read "Natalia's" in the exact same font that I remember.  The steps that I had found myself on all those years ago were still the same, the building exactly as I remember it.  I stood in front of the café just staring at the place that I had called home, an internal debate going on within me whether I should go in or not.  But before I knew it I found myself on the front steps to the café my hand clenched impossibly tight around the door handle.  I needed to find this Lee Kwang Soo anyway so I took a shaky breath and gathering my resolve I  pushed the door open and stepped into the small café.

      As I stood in the doorway of Natalia's, the door swinging shut behind me, I felt tears rise in my eyes.  Everything from the table placement and decorations, to the smell of Mr. Hong's special brew was exactly as I remembered it.  I desperately looked around for Mr. Hong but did not see him, my heart ached.  Maybe I was too late to see him again?

      "Welcome to Natalia's. Have a seat and I'll get you something to drink Girlie."  My eyes snapped up at the sound of that familiar, croaky voice to see Mr. Hong standing there.  Tears spilled from my eyes as I saw him standing there behind the counter, he looked exactly the same as he did when he had first found me and given me a place to stay.  I said nothing and stood there in the middle of the café with tears slowly running down my cheeks desperate to drink in the image of old Mr. Hong.  

      "You okay there Girlie?" He asked coming a bit closer.  I gasped quietly as he came out from behind the counter and I noticed the cane that he walked with.  The tears began to flow a bit more steadily.  As he hobbled closer he saw the tears on my cheeks and his eyes widened in surprise.  "What's wrong with you? Why are you crying? Here have a seat and I'll make you something special Girlie."  He hastily pulled out a seat at the table closest to him and motioned for me to come and sit down. My heart warmed at the use of the pet name that he had given me and hastily wiped my tears laughing.  

      "Sorry about that Mr. Hong I just got emotional for a second. This place just reminds me of somewhere that I used to frequent years and years ago."  I hastily apologized as I sat down in the chair that Mr. Hong had pulled out for me.  "It's okay Girlie. I'll go fix you up something to feed those nostalgic memories."  He had looked at me a bit stanrgley but said this while hobbling away.  

      "Thank you but I can't stay very long. I actually need to get to Uncle... I mean Dr. Jo's office."  Without stopping what he was doing Mr. Hong replied. "Oh are you that new intern of his? He's always bragging about how he's having some young doctor fresh out of Med school interning for him soon."  I flushed and rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Um no actually.. I'm one of his patients."  I mumbled.  Mr. Hong finally halted what he was doing and turned around to look at me. After a few seconds of awkward silence he turned back around and resumed making coffee.  "Eh. Plenty of his patients have come through here. You look pretty normal though."  I didn't really know how to respond to that so I just remained silent.

      Mr. Hong finished making the coffee and walked it over to me, balancing the cup and tray expertly in one hand.  He stood over me and didn't leave.  I looked up at him nervously and recognized that face.  He wanted to see my reaction to his special brew.  I lifted the cup to my face and breathed in the heavenly scent of his special roast.  When I took a sip it felt like I had been transported back in time to that day when I had first sat in Natalia's and had drank that same cup of coffee, the first thing that I had had that entire day.  I looked up at him and smiled, "This coffee is excellent."  

     Satisfied, Mr. Hong began to hobble back behind the counter and began wiping it down.  Without looking up he said, "If you're Dongmin's patient you must be looking for Kwang Soo as well.  Dongmin's told me that you needed to bring him up with you when you came by today."  I nodded.  Mr. Hong turned around and shouted "Ya! Kwang Soo! It's time to head to Dongmin's office!"  I heard a loud crash followed by a pained sound of agreement come from the back.  I looked worriedly towards the source of the sound but Mr. Hong just said, "Don't worry he'll be out in a few minutes."  

       I continued to sip on my coffee savoring the flavor.  When I was done I put down the cup and finally noticed that the cups were not the ones that Mr. Hong had used when I had worked for him.  As I brought it up to the counter I found it a bit strange.  Everything else about Natalia's was the same so why were the cups different?  I asked Mr. Hong about the cups and he explained that they were made by a student studying pottery at the nearby University.  This piqued my interest as I had also majored in pottery when I had gone to University.  "They're beautiful."  I told Mr. Hong.  He shrugged, "Eh they're alright.  The boy who makes them has real potential but he has no drive.  Youths."  He mumbled under his breath.  I smiled at the familiarity of his tone.  

      Just then there was another crash but closer this time and out from the back stumbled the tallest and lankiest man I had ever seen.  At 5'6" I considered myself pretty tall, but when I met Jong Suk I had to rethink that.  And this man was even taller than Jong Suk was and his limbs were swinging wildly as he tottered out to the main floor of the café.  "Ah look at you so clumsy! I bet I have a lot to clean up when I get back there." Mr. Hong grumbled.  The tall man who I assumed was Kwang Soo bowed almost in half, apologizing profusely.  "It's fine just clean it up when you get back Kwang Soo.  Dongmin is waiting for you two.  You're supposed to go up with Miss..?"  Mr. Hong and Kwang Soo both looked up at me expectantly.  Once Kwang Soo's eyes locked with my face he turned the brightest shade of red I had ever seen and looked back down. 

      A bit flustered by Kwang Soo's reaction I responded. "It's Miso. Miso Han."  Mr. Hong nodded and turned to Kwang Soo, whose face was now hidden in his large hands.  Mr. Hong smacked him gently on the back of his shins and pushed him towards me.  "Well. Greet her properly."  Kwang Soo walked up to me shyly and held out his hand, and still not making eye contact with me introduced himself. "Hello Miss Miso Han. My name is Kwang Soo it's nice to meet you."  I stuck out my hand and put it in his saying my own name once again.  Kwang Soo then pulled his hand hastily out of mine and began walking quickly out the café and up some stairs on the side of the entrance.  Mr. Hong sighed and motioned for me to follow him.  Bowing slightly I followed Kwang Soo out of the café, and with one last look at Mr. Hong wiping down the counter, I followed him up the stairs to Uncle Jo’s office.