SoLin entered the flower shop and looked around. She wanted the flowers to be fresh because they were for special people. As she turned the corner to look at the orchids, she stopped and saw HwaRan standing there, admiring a bouquet.

“Please God, no,” SoLin grumbled but HwaRan turned, hearing her voice, and saw her.

“SoLin-sshi,” HwaRan swallowed and the two women both fell into an awkward silence.

Later, seated across from each other having tea, the wait staff felt the tension but kept quiet. It was their first time seeing such a legendary singer with such a legendary songwriter. They wondered about the two women but kept their opinions and questions to themselves.

When alone, HwaRan smiled and asked kindly, “How is your husband?”

SoLin glared at HwaRan but replied, “Still working quite well with your ex-husband.” She picked up her cup and took a sip of her tea, “He couldn’t come because they were scoring a major James Cameron film, otherwise he would be here with me.”

HwaRan nodded, “That is good for them.” She, then, reached over to her bag and pulled out a photo of JaeHyun with his twins, the very same one that MiJa had given MiNyu when she was pretending to be MiNam. She slid it across the table and stated, “The twins have grown up and are in Seoul.” SoLin looked at the photo and then picked it up, gazing at the two children with foreign eyes. “Please, because of your relation to their mother, wouldn’t you like to meet them?” she asked.

SoLin put down the photo and turned to HwaRan, “In the past, were you hunting me down so that you could introduce them to me?” she asked, the cogs in her brain working with the past to put things together. She HAD received numerous messages from HwaRan, but because of their rocky history, she had avoided all contact with the egotistical diva. If Smooth Edges hadn’t been invited to the Seoul Music Festival as headliners, they would have been able to remain under the radar as they had, every year.

HwaRan nodded, “Yes, please. MiNyu has been searching for family. She continues to search even without any leads. I believe she last visited a village but found nothing.” HwaRan also added, much quieter, “She is very sweet, much like her mother.”

To this, SoLin looked away. She had seen their faces at the concert and felt the familiar twinge of likeness but chose to not say anything, blaming her aged sight for creating a likeness when there was none there. But to be told by someone who seemed to know them well, she could only wonder if it was true.

SoLin cleared her voice, “I suppose, that’s why MiJa also wanted me to meet them.”

HwaRan’s eyes widened, “Did you meet Go MiJa recently?”

SoLin nodded, “Yes, I saw her yesterday. She asked me for the same thing you’re asking for now.” SoLin finished her tea and then flipped her cup upside down on the saucer, indicating that she was done and didn’t want any more. She stood and picked up her bag. Before she left, she turned to HwaRan and stated, “I will consider it.”

“Please do,” HwaRan urged, though knew better than to push.

SoLin found it strange for such a diva to change so much since she last met her. But it had been years, and so, SoLin walked out of the teashop, heading down the street towards the flower shop.  

***

MiNyu saw the boys to A.N. Headquarters before going off on her own. She wanted to find the records of music so as to find more clues, but she only did so when her connection was there. So, she had to wait, it seemed.

She walked into a desserts shop and got in line. Standing there, she noticed the girl in front of her and found her slightly familiar. With long black hair tied up in one ponytail and a pretty top and jeans, she found her profile quite familiar. It wasn’t until she saw her eyes that she remembered how they laughed whenever she played her electric guitar.

MiNyu gasped and pointed to the girl and exclaimed, “Lee TaeJin!”

TaeJin turned to her and smiled, “Hi.”

MiNyu smiled, “I saw you yesterday at the Seoul Music Festival. You were amazing!” she added, rather excitedly.

TaeJin nodded, “Thank you.” They moved forward a step and then TaeJin ordered what seemed like a host of snacks and desserts, cakes and Danishes. When she was done, she looked at MiNyu and smiled, “It was nice meeting you.”

MiNyu nodded and then ordered her cake and drink. When she moved to the waiting area, she noticed TaeJin, also waiting, and moved to stand next to her. TaeJin was a good few inches taller than her, a bit like the height of ShinWoo.

TaeJin looked down at her and the chuckled, “Why are you so shy?”

MiNyu swallowed and then stated, “My brother is in A.N.Jell and one of the guitarists wondered if you really played all those notes yesterday. He was very skeptical.”

To this, TaeJin replied, firmly, “Is he challenging me, then?” She scoffed, “Bring it on. Where is this friend of yours?” she asked, quite fired up.

MiNyu raised her hands, “He didn’t mean it as an insult. He was just very surprised, I think, that a girl can do all that,” she winced, realizing how much worse it seemed to make the situation.

TaeJin crossed her arms and frowned, “I am completely busy today, but we have a gig at a coffee house, if you’d like to bring your friend. I don’t mind throwing it down with him,” she added, thinking already about their set.

MiNyu nodded, “I’m sure he would love to. Can I bring my friends, too?” she asked.

TaeJin nodded, “Sure, bring them. I’ll save you a booth. What’s your name?” she asked, pulling out her phone.

MiNyu smiled, “Go MiNyu.” TaeJin stopped moving for a moment. She recognized that name. She knew it but she couldn’t put it to where she knew it. Like something that was on the edge of her memory, but not quiet there.

MiNyu smiled and took the offered phone and filled in her number. When she handed it back to TaeJin she bowed, “Thank you.”

TaeJin gave herself a mental shake and nodded, “Not at all. See you tonight then,” she added as her number was called. She walked to the counter and retrieved her bags. She left without looking back, still a bit shell-shocked from the meeting.

***

SoLin sat on the balcony of their home in Korea sipping jasmine green tea. She sighed, thinking about Mija and HwaRan, and their unusually similar pleas. She wondered if she could figure out if those twins were really SoJin’s?

TaeJin rode up on her motorcycle and pulled off three bags strapped to her bike. Ruth, the drummer, and Jaci, the bassist, stopped their game of keep the soccer ball away from Matt, the pianist, and hurried over to help her. Matt, in turn, helped her push her bike over to the garage. When they gathered on the porch, TaeJin frowned and called up to her mom, “Mom! Snacks are here!”

SoLin sighed, “Coming!” she called back and got up.

Ruth and Matt settled down as Jaci ran into the house and brought out chilled tea she had prepared earlier. When she set it down, she leaned on the edge of Matt’s chair. With everyone comfortably settled, SoLin joined them, picking up a cheese Danish and taking her usual seat.

“For tonight’s set, let’s play the easy going lounge music,” Ruth suggested, nibbling at her carrot cake.

Matt smiled, “That sounds good. It’ll be easy and playful, right?” Jaci smiled in agreement.

Remembering MiNyu’s words, TaeJin put in, “Tonight, I have a challenger. Be ready for that,” she added.

SoLin frowned, “Who’s strange enough to challenge you?” she asked, and then she frowned, “Surely, not someone from the Seoul Music Festival?”

TaeJin nodded, “Some guy from A.N.Jell. He doesn’t think I was playing,” she turned away and her friends shook their heads, “All those long hours of practicing and working hard and I get that kind of response. That little punk,” she added and then returned her attention to the table, “So I invited them tonight. I’ll shut him up.”

SoLin frowned and asked, “You talked to him?”

TaeJin shook her head, “Not directly, but he’ll be there.”

Matt sat up, nearly throwing Jaci off his armrest, “We’ll show him!” he added, enthusiastically.

As the band planned a bullet proof set, SoLin watched TaeJin and wondered how to talk to her about everything. Later, while they rest of the band napped, SoLin and TaeJn sat lazily in the shade, their cups of freshly brewed hot tea in front of them.

SoLin turned to TaeJin and sighed, “I’m sorry people are still doubting your abilities. I remember how hard your father fought to get to where he is in Hollywood now.”

TaeJin sighed, “It’s alright. I knew it would happen.” She rolled her eyes, “This is Korea, land of boy bands and their screaming fans.” And then TaeJin sat up and turned to SoLin, “Mom, the person who I talked to today was Go MiNyu. Why does her name sound so familiar?” she asked.

SoLin sat up in her seat and asked, “Go MiNyu?” When TaeJin nodded, SoLin swallowed and replied, “I think that is SoJin’s daughter.”

TaeJin thought for a moment and then stated, “Aunt SoJin had twins, right?”

SoLin nodded, “Yes. Go MiNam and Go MiNyu.”

TaeJin nodded and then sat back again, “Then, we’ll see them tonight.” After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Are you going to talk to them?”

SoLin shrugged, “We’ll see what happens tonight.”

TaeJin nodded and closed her eyes. As much as she liked visiting Korea, she always noticed how far away from Seoul her mom liked to be. It was as if she went in and did her work and then escaped to the home away from the world.