Start-Up

2002

"Grandma?" In-jae called out as she let herself into her grandmother's shop.

She wasn't really close to Grandma like Dal-mi was, but she figured she needed to at least stop by one last time before she left for the States.

"Grandma--" In-jae stopped in her tracks as she walked into the back room and found a boy sitting at the table, his pen poised mid-air.

He blinked at her silently, and she stood at the doorway.

"Who are you?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Han Ji-pyeong. Who are you?" he asked, deadpan.

"Seo In-jae. Again, who are you?" she crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrow at him expectantly.

He cast his eyes downward at the sheet of paper in front of him. "I live here with your grandma. I have nowhere else to go," he mumbled so softly that she could hardly hear him. But what she heard softened her heart, so she went up to him and took a look at the piece of paper in front of him.

"And this? What's this?" she asked, gesturing at the piece of paper.

He sighed and threw his hands up in the air. "Somehow your grandma had the crazy idea of me writing a letter to your sister so that she wouldn't feel lonely when you go," he said.

She peered closely at the page, "But why does it say your name is Nam Do-san?"

He shrugged, "I dunno, I just saw the name in the papers. Your grandma just wanted to give her a pen pal, she didn't say he had to be real."

She nodded and sat down at the table across him. "But what happens if she writes back? Will you have to keep writing her back?"

He stopped and looked at her, "You know, I don't think your grandma thought that far ahead."

He put down the pen and they stared at each other for a while.

Finally, In-jae reached for a blank piece of paper, grabbed the pen in front of him, and scribbled something down.

"Here," she pushed the paper to him, "For when you want to write to someone who knows who you really are."

He stared down at the paper that had an American address.

"Would you write back?" he asked softly without looking at her.

She shrugged, "I guess you'd have to write first to find out."

He looked up, and when he saw her lips turn up in a slight smirk, he couldn't help but break into a smile that revealed his dimples.

He extended his hand across the table, "It's good to meet you, Seo In-jae."

She took his hand and shook it, "Likewise, Han Ji-pyeong."