Welcome Home

On An Airplane

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have started our descent to Seoul, please make sure your seats and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Please turn off all electronic devices until we are safely parked at the gate. The flight attendants are currently passing around the cabin to pick up any remaining cups and glasses."

 

Jinhwan woke up with a start after hearing the flight attendant's mandatory speech. He looked around and saw the few other people on the plane stretching and preparing to leave the plane. After assuring that his seat belt was fastened and his chair in its upright position, he closed his eyes and meditated in his thoughts. It was time for him to arrive in Korea. After five long years of studying abroad, he could finally meet up with his friends that he had left behind, and his own parents.

 

His parents. Jinhwan didn't know what to think of this parents. He knew that they meant well when they had sent him to America, but he couldn't help but feel angry towards them for being dragged from his friends and put into a new country with no knowledge of it whatsoever. America had been a good experience, but it had been jarring to see how much of the world was foreign to him. The language, the customs, and even the food was hard to adapt to. He missed the food in Korea greatly, especially his mother's home cooking.

 

Looking out of the window, Jinhwan could see the land as the plane descended. He could almost imagine the Korean air, a bit polluted, but different from the American atmosphere. He could almost taste the food that he had requested his mother to make when he arrived back home, the homemade ddeokbokki, kimbap, and kimchi he would inhale. America had Korean food, but nothing could compare to his mother's homemade food. The anticipation was almost too much to handle.

 

The plane hit the ground running, slowing to a stop as momentum lost its grasp on the plane. Jinhwan could feel the hot summer air in the plane, and sighed. He missed this weather. America had been sunny, but it had always been dry and crisp. Korea had a feeling of warmth from a hug, a warmth that enveloped him the moment he stepped outside.

 

Jinhwan checked his belongings, making sure that he didn't leave anything behind, and stood up from his seat. He heard rustling noises from behind him and saw the sunglasses man stretching. The man's shirt rose a bit, and Jinhwan could see a bit of pale skin under the sweatshirt that the man was wearing. He blushed a little, but immediately turned around so that the man wouldn't notice him staring.

 

As the queue slowly dwindled, Jinhwan left his aisle and walked out of the plane. He heard the sunglasses man follow, and he willed himself to not turn around to look at the man. At the airport, Jinhwan retrieved his luggage and went over to the greeting area. Immediately, he noticed his parents, along with his older sister, waving at him frantically. He ran over to them, nearly tripping over his suitcase, and was immediately enveloped in a bone crushing group hug. His mother smiled at him, and warmly said, "Welcome home Jinhwan."

 

His sister smiled at him as well and said, "We've missed you. Things have been pretty quiet here without your constant singing around the house. Who knew that I would actually miss it?"

 

Jinhwan laughed, too caught up in the excitement to be angered by his sister's teasing. "I missed you all too. It's so nice to be back home," he sighed contentedly. His parents dragged him outside to walk to their car that was parked just outside of the airport. Jinhwan almost cried out when he noticed that he could easily read the street signs and store names. The familiarity was so comforting, and Jinhwan finally understood why his parents had always told him to appreciate his culture.

 

As they arrived at their car, Jinhwan noticed a flashy silver Lamborghini next to it. His jaw dropped as he stared at the car that he had only seen on television parked in a dingy old airport garage. He wondered who was crazy enough to leave a Lamborghini outside in an area where many people frequented.

 

Both his parents and his sister had already gotten into their car by the time he snapped out of his stupor. Jinhwan quickly got into the car and apologized for making them wait. His mother just shook her head and said good naturedly, "You and your fascination with cars."

 

Jinhwan blushed, "Ma, they're amazing! The way the mechanism works and everything."

 

His sister laughed, "Well let's see if America helped you in your studies. Just graduate from a good college and get a good job. Then, just then, you can think about even owning one of those. Although, in my opinion, it's a big waste of money."

 

Pouting, Jinhwan whined, "None of you appreciate the beautiful intricacy of cars. Am I even a part of this family?"

 

The entire family laughed as he said that, and Jinhwan almost teared up as he felt a shiver run up his spine. This was what he had been missing. Home. He was finally home.

 


 

A/n: Hey guys! I actually managed to upload the second part, since it's the weekend and I have some extra time. However, I might not be able to update very frequently, so I apologize for that. There might be some grammatical errors in this, since I didn't really get a chance to revise it. I appreciate any constructive criticism you can give me, and I hope you enjoyed this!

 

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Comments

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hanjinjin #1
Chapter 2: I just want to say, i can't wait for the next chapter :3
darkdu
#2
Chapter 1: Agh, the start seems excited. Hope you can update soon.