RESTART

A New Beginning (The Past Chapter 6 Finale)

The Past - Part 6 (Final Part for the Past Timeline)

[This chapter contains no scene from the Present Timeline]

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The plane ride was long and tiring, and although Solar had reached her new destination, she did not bring with her the cheery spirit to celebrate. The bustling airport was filled with new wonders; filled with laughter; filled with people excited about the coming holidays, but it could not reignite the joy within her heart.

Solar looked at her phone, knowing the one person she wanted to hear from would no longer speak to her. She didn't want to turn it back on, but she had to since she needed it to find her foreign contact, who was supposed to meet her at the airport. Whee-In's message popped up as soon as her phone came on.

"Unnie, tell us when you've arrived. We just want to know you're safe."

When she was about to reply, her foreign contact messaged her. She thought it would be rude if she didn't answer straight away as she needed to give details of her whereabouts. Once that was established, she messaged Whee-In to assure her she'd arrived safely. In the midst of the crowded sidewalk, the rowdy children bumped into her, causing her phone to slipped out of her hand. She tried to catch it but ended up knocking it further away. It slid into the street and was crushed underneath a passing vehicle.

She sighed at her misfortune and thought to salvage what she could before any more damage could be done. She carefully retrieved the broken pieces, which took more time than she'd intended. When she turned around to head back to her luggage, a commotion had erupted with her suitcase being the object of interest. Two men were wrestling for it, each grabbing onto one side.

The argument settled quickly with one man walking away irritably. She rushed back to her luggage, unsure if she'd be able to get her belongings back. Luckily, the young man handed it to her without fuss.

"You shouldn't leave your things unattended."

"Thank you. I'll be more careful."

He noticed the name tag on her luggage. "Are you Miss Kim Yong-Sun? Here for the doctorate program?"

"How did you know?"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Yoo Seung-Ho. A second year in the same program. The campus sent me to pick you up and show you around. Did you get my messages earlier?"

"Ah, it's nice to meet you. I'm sorry if I didn't reply to your messages, my phone broke." She held up her tattered phone.

"No worries." He gave a gentle smile. "You can use the phone on campus. Shall we get going?"

"Yes."

On the way to campus, Seung-Ho told her of a few places she could visit if she ever wanted to explore. He also warned her of the places to avoid. Once she was done with her paperwork, he showed her the campus grounds, giving her tips on the best ways to get around if she ever was in a rush to get to class.

They ended up having a meal together, although in her current state Solar knew she wasn't a good companion to be around. There wasn't much she could do, she wasn't able to control her broken heart. Without realizing, her tears dripped onto her food. She apologized, but instead of prying, Seung-Ho told her his infamously lame jokes. It brought a smile to her face, however slight. On the walk back to her dorm, he gave her his number and told her to call if she ever needed help.

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The next day Seung-Ho introduced Solar to a few places where she could get a part time job. She threw herself into her studies and her work, it became her anesthetic. And just like that, the days turned into months. She made new friends and began to smile more naturally.