"I am gonna die alone in an airport."

That terrifying realization struck me about twenty-five minutes after I had gotten off my plane. Although I had followed the signs to a tee I still found myself lost and in the middle of a gift shop. Okay so maybe I didn't get entirely lost, but I could not let up the chance to get a cute souvenir. I honestly couldn't find the way out of this bustling maze. Which is why I decided to take a well-deserved break to choose between a comfy, maroon sweatshirt that said, 'South Korea is calling and I must go', or a gray T-shirt that read, 'South Korea got Seoul'. Both written in English.

I spotted an employee about ten feet away so I walked to them, tapped on his shoulder and asked,

"This, how much?"

Holding the T-shirt out towards him he studies it for a second before replying with the price of 40,000 won. I then point towards the Sweater and he responds with the same price.

Switching my language to english I curse.

"Damnit. I was hoping the prices would make this an easier choice." The employee just stared at me in confusion, responding in English to me.

"Me no English."

Knowing I would get nowhere with these t-shirts I smiled at him and asked him in his native tongue which T-shirt he thought looked better on me. He flushed slightly before responding with a shy and hesitant,

"I think the sweater would look cuter, plus it's closing in on monsoon season soon, so a heavier cloth would be best."

I smile really wide at him,"You are right! Thank you so much!"

He scratches the back of his neck, his blush traveling to his ears. I bow to him, thank him once more, and practically bound over to the cash register. After buying the sweater I try to walk out of the gift shop. Emphasize on try. The other employee who helped me earlier stopped me before I could and started talking about some new restaurant in the airport.

"So would you be willing to stay till maybe noon and we could head over- or I mean if you want to, and maybe grab a bite or something- unless you are busy then I understand-"

"Wait what time is it now?"

"8:34, why?"

My eyes widen considerably. Not believing him I check the time on my phone and just like he said, it was now 8:35.

"Holy shit, wow okay I am so late. Thank you so much for helping me and everything, I truly appreciate it, but I have to jet. If you could just point me in the direction of the way out of this place?"

He frowns slightly but nonetheless told me which signs to follow and which way to turn to avoid some band that he heard was flying in today. I bow again and speed walk my way out of the gift shop and towards the way he directed me.

Okay so follow the sign... Ah, there it is. Okay then take a left it says and there is the next sign I need. Thank god I asked for directions.

I finally came to the fork that the employee told me to go right at if I wanted to avoid some sort of band that was flying in. Must be some k-pop group. So I went right and followed the signs. I was just about to reach my exit point when I was knocked over by some curly haired bullet.

I just sit on the ground for a few seconds, trying to process how fast that person was moving. I glance down at the person, I now could identify as a girl, who was picking up things that had fallen during her fall. Rushing so fast she missed the passport that had skidded a little farther than the other objects. I crawl over to it and before she could speed away I grab her wrist, open her hand, and place the passport in her hand. Surprised by the sudden hand-holding, she whips around and grabs my wrist in a bone-crushing hold. I could see the anger bubbling up in her eyes, so I decided to stand up to face the anger head-on.

"Why you- who the hell do you think you are! Let go of my hand!"

Hearing the familiar language of Chinese I only smile at her and responded in the same tongue.

"I think I am trying to give you your passport, and for the record, you are the one holding onto my hand."

She gapes at my fluent Chinese. Looking down at her hand she realizes I was giving back her passport. She blushed with embarrassment- or what I hope was embarrassment-, rips both her hand and the passport away from mine, and shoves it into her jacket pocket.

She bows to me and apologizes in Chinese to me.

"Don't worry about it. I know there can be many creeps around here. Just promise me you will be more careful with who you run into."

Looking at the giant, digital clock I see the time of 8:45 and decide I have wasted enough time with the pissed off Chinese woman. So I take a bow and head off towards the exit. The woman goes the opposite direction and before I can tell her about the band she is off again, probably off going to run into an old lady.

Getting to the doors I push one open and find an old looking Hyundai with chipping blue paint. I run over to the car, and the woman driving it jumps out of the car, and rushes at me as well. Running into each other we hug each other like our lives depended on it. And with the shitty morning, I've had, it kinda did.

"Hello Unnie it's been too long," I say to Areum, my lifelong best friend.

She only squeezes me harder in response. Finally we both part from each other and laugh and smile at our faces, just for the hell of laughing. Areum stops and takes a good look at me.

"I see you changed your hairstyle again. Very cute, though I will miss the bleach blonde bob. You are rocking the red highlights though."

I blush out of embarrassment from her compliment. Out of habit, I pull on my newly styled hair. It was now a brown, long, and wavy hairstyle. Though to add more color I added a dark red to give the brown a popping look. Areum chuckles at my reaction. She grabbed my hand and dragged me back to the car, opening the passenger door she was about to shove me in when she suddenly stops and eyeballs me again.

"Hey, Amelia…."

Hearing her hesitance I look at her curiously,"Yeah, what is it."

"Where is your luggage?"

"...AWWW SHIT!"