Yi Jeong couldn't be happier to be back home. He walked briskly through the airport without losing his cool demeanor. He noticed the a little boy with a red balloon crying as his mother tried to soothe him, the big digital clock that was 8 hours ahead of the time on his watch, the teenage couple that played with that commoner game Gu Jun Pyo kept complaining about. He was a little anxious and hoped that his decision to choose a random date to fly back to Korea after his 4th year in Sweden would work out to his benefit. He didn't want to be swarmed with reporters asking him random questions and the flashes from the cameras that will justify his need to wear sunglasses indoors. He had no time to deal with that. He held his breath as he entered the arrival section of the airport and put on his dark aviators in the hopes that he could get out of the airport without people recognizing him because the next worst thing after the media/press was the screaming girls who he had no time to entertain.
He finally made it out of the airport unnoticed, sighed in relief and spotted Butler Lee next to the Black Mercedes he was always driven around in. He walked briskly towards the car without losing his cool demeanor. He was very anxious and hoped that a promise he had made had not been forgotten.
There was someone he had to see.
He found himself a block away from the porridge shop. He dressed a lot more casually and his orange Lotus was nowhere in sight but that was quickly pushed to the back of his mind. He was beginning to feel very nervous and felt the butterflies fluttering away in his stomach. Why was he so nervous? He had missed her…..a lot. Has she missed me? Had she found her soulmate? Did she look the same? Was he hair longer…shorter? Did she still smell like strawberries? Had she had her first kiss?
His mental questioning came to an abrupt stop when he noticed a long line of men coming from the porridge shop. There were tall ones, short ones, some with great hair, some without hair, scrawny looking teenage boys, biker dudes…..What the heck was going on?
The butterflies turned into huge painful knots as he walked past the long line of men. The porridge shop definitely wasn't this big when he left Korea as he surveyed the crowded area in frustration. The place was so crowded! He grabbed the man standing closest to him
"What's going on here!"
The guy was grinning sheepishly "We came to see Ga eul-sshi. She's just the sweetest, most lovely caring person in the whole of Seoul... I think I love her! "
Yi Jeong clenched his fists not knowing whether to punch the guy for loving HIS country bumpkin. He wanted to be the only one.
His violent thoughts were distracted when he overheard two men talking behind him as they waited in line for a table.
"I can't wait to see her"
"I know right! I hear she is a real beauty! I just had to come today and see what all the fuss was about. From what I hear, after she rejected 3 of the coolest chaebols from the university she graduated from earlier this year a lot more of her admirers got the courage to come out. She turned down Choi Si won just today"
"…Oh I see….they assumed she didn't want spoilt, rich, playboy like chaebols so they decided to try their luck"
"…..and that's why the porridge shop became so popular. I hear people are really trying to woo her. Flowers, chocolates…you name it, they have done it. "
Yi Jeong listened harder. Hoping this strange boy would ask the only question he wanted to hear.
"…so has she said yes to anyone?"
"Ga eul sshi?...no!" he laughed "at least not yet, but I hear this one guy has a pretty good chance…."
Yi Jeong tuned off then. He was overwhelmed by several different emotions. Anger, frustration, jealousy, longing but also a little hopeful. She had rejected all the guys so far…maybe she was still waiting for him. As long as that one guy the stranger was talking about didn't get to Ga eul before he did and even then he could easily take him out of the picture.
"You ordered abalone porridge and pumpkin porridge. Right? Here you are….Enjoy your meal"
The butterflies were back as he heard her voice over the hordes of men that were in the vicinity.
He turned quickly and saw her long black curly hair head for the counter moving further and further away from him. He tried to chase after her but considering the crowd in the porridge shop it was exceedingly difficult. The counter also seemed to be moving further away from him.
He stopped in shock when he saw the figure he was following climb up the counter and grab a speaker phone (Author's note: or those intercom things I don't know what they are called)
Then she turned.
He was swept away by her beauty. The picture he had of her on his phone didn't do her justice. Her soft curls framed her face perfectly. The stark contrast in her hair and her porcelain skin made her seem so much more innocent and cute. Her brown eyes glittered as she looked round.
"Ga eul yang" he whispered mostly to himself.
And as if she had heard him through all the noise in the shop their eyes met and she gave him a dazzling smile.
All of a sudden a loud voice boomed behind him
"HEY BUDDY! GET IN LINE! WE WERE HERE FIRST!"
Totally ruining the moment. They lost eye contact as he was pushed back by a few men.
Ga eul turned her attention back to the crazy crowd in the porridge shop and the speaker phone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts we shall be landing in Korea shortly. Korea is eight hours ahead of Sweden's local time so please set your watches forward by 8 hours. I hope you enjoyed flying with Korean Air. It was a pleasure doing business with you. We hope you fly with us again have a pleasant day in Korea, Seoul"
HUH?
Yi Jeong opened his eyes. Disoriented by his surroundings. He was now arriving in Korea.
He relaxed in his chair and breathed a sigh of relief as his plane began to descend in Seoul and he started his day again.
Yi Jeong couldn't be happier to be back home. He walked briskly through the airport without losing his cool demeanor. He noticed the a little boy with a red balloon crying as his mother tried to soothe him, the big digital clock that was 8 hours ahead of the time on his watch, the teenage couple that played with that commoner game Gu Jun Pyo kept complaining about. He was a little anxious and hoped that his decision to choose a random date …..
He froze.
This was a serious déjà vu. This was exactly like his dream.
Yi Jeong freaked out.
No way was he going to let what happened in his dream happen in real life.
He ran full speed outside the airport ignoring the curious glances and the squeals of girls who recognized him. He immediately spotted the Black Mercedes and Butler Lee in the same position as his dream.
"Annyeong haseyo Miste…" Butler Lee began to say
He dashed past Butler Lee, totally ignoring his greeting and headed for the driver's seat and signed for Butler Lee to sit down.
Then he zoomed out of the airport.
Yi jeong drove like a maniac towards the Bonjuk Porridge Shop. All the plans he has to go home, get changed, maybe buy some flowers and chocolates were flushed down the toilet
There was someone he had to see. NOW!
No way was he going to stand in line for what was rightfully his, for his second half, for what has always been his!
Butler Lee, after getting over his initial shock and slowing down his heartbeat from Yi Jeong's crazy driving, noticed the direction Yi Jeong was driving in. The only thing that was even closely related to Yi Jeong in a middle class neighborhood was a certain young trainee doctor and her best friend.
Butler Lee grinned and cleared his throat to try and get Yi Jeong's attention
"Ermm….Master So…are you heading to the Bonjuk Porridge Shop in search of Master Jun Pyo's fiancé and her best friend?"
Yi Jeong just nodded his head in agreement without taking his eyes of the road.
"Well, Ms Chu is now working at the Shinwa Kindergarteen. She should be getting off work in about 40 minutes and…."Butler Lee stopped himself. He knew that's all Yi Jeong really wanted to know. The car came to a screeching halt. He was going the wrong way then but he was sure he could make it the kindergarten before his country bumpkin got off work. He probably would have even had time to spare if he was driving his Orange Lotus.
Butler Lee opened the passenger door and let himself out and started walking to the bus stop. He wasn't going to be a third wheel.
Yi Jeong couldn't help but laugh at himself. Was it that obvious? He guessed old Butler Lee knew him better than he thought as he made a sharp U-turn and headed for Shinwa Kindergarteen.
He walked briskly through the corridors of Shinwa Kindergarten. He had about 10 minutes before before the school closing bell will ring and letting loose a stampede of kids that would run him down.
He was told she was in Room 3
As he walked in the direction he had been pointed to he noticed a long line of men coming out of Room 3A.
Panic washed over Yi Jeong. This was not happening! He closed his eyes and pinched himself a few times in hopes that maybe he was still dreaming. A dream in a dream. Yes! Let that be it! He muttered to himself.
All of a sudden, he thought he heard her laugh coming from behind him. He walked towards the voice that led him to another door about 3 doors down from the room with the men. The door read
Room 3D
He walked in slowly towards her melodious chime of laughter which was now mingled with the sound of the kids that surrounding her. She had half of her soft curls tied and the other half lied across her back. Her eyes were shining from the joy she was getting from what she was doing as she interacted with the students. She was wearing the cutest apron he had ever seen with frills at the shoulders. He just stood next to the door taking in the beauty of his soul mate that he had missed so dearly whilst he was away. His heart swelled with pride when he finally took his eyes of her face to realize she was teaching them how to mold clay. That had to be a good sign.
"There's still too much pressure in your hands" He smiled
"Yi Jeong sunbae" Ga eul said in shock.
"Hi" he replied
"who is he? Is he teacher's boyfriend" one of the little boys in her class asked.
Then a cute little girl stood up and addressed him
"Ahjussi did you come back from another country by any chance?"
Yi Jeong smiled in amusement "Oh how did you know"
The girl continued to question him
"Then, did you come back from Sweden?"
Yi Jeong who couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear replied again "Lil miss you are really amazing"
"Then you're him, teacher said her boyfriend was there!" She cried at the same time Ga eul swooped down to cover the little girl's mouth
"You can't say that" she exclaimed and smiled shyly at him.
Then the school bell rang.
Ga eul helped the children get on their coats and grab the bags and they all dashed out of the room leaving Yi Jeong and Ga eul by themselves in the classroom.
They were so many things he wanted to say. He didn't know where to start. So instead, he walked up to her, grabbed her in his arms, stroked her soft (very red) cheeks and whispered softly in her ear.
"Ga eul – yang, I missed you"
And he kissed her and she was kissing him back with all the longing that the both had. There was no need for words. The kiss said it all.
Yes. Yi Jeong couldn't be happier to be back home. He walked briskly through the Shinwa Kindergarten not caring about his cool demeanor, holding the hand of the girl that he loved and will always be in love with.