Sleepless in Seoul ✓

3.

I hastily scramble to cut the call.

But to my extremely shitty luck, a few rings have already elapsed by the time I can do so. So in frustration, I throw the wretched phone away and it lands on the pillow beside me.

See, this is why you shouldn't impulsively do anything Lyra.

I reprimand myself over and over and decide to finally throw the old phone away, preferably out of the windows of my hotel room.

It'll surely get smashed to bits; a satisfying result I yearn all of a sudden.

Sadly, the floor-to-ceiling windows wouldn't cooperate with the splendid idea. I remember specifically asking for a balcony-less suite, so this one is on me now that you think about it.

My phone's familiar ring distracts me pacing in the room.

When I see the caller ID, or more precisely, the unfamiliar digits I inputted not too long ago, I don't know what to do.

I was hoping this person was asleep. My luck is really non-existent like my ability to fall asleep. Maybe this person is a nocturnal creature just like I am.

I contemplate letting it ring out, but whoever is on the other end of the line is sure persistent. In just five minutes I already have 2 missed calls and the phone ringing for a third time.

Why would this person call an unknown number again? I really can't fathom the reason. Then again, I just did the same even though it was it mistake.

Maybe that's why I pick up the call when it rings for the fourth time. That, and because my ringtone is starting to annoy me.

"Hello, who is this?" I ask even before the other person gets a chance to say anything.

A second later when I hear a stunned gasp, I realise that I just said those words in French.

"Um, sorry I mean," I pause a lot between the words because my Korean has become slightly rusty, "who is this?"

"You're Korean? Oh my god, I was startled when I heard a foreign language." I hear a nervous chuckle, the sound resembling chiming bells.

No, it's like steel windchimes swaying in the wind just before the onslaught of rain, disrupting the calm before the storm.

"Yes. Who is this?" I repeat myself, my foot tapping impatiently on the carpeted floor. It's a habit I haven't been able to get rid of even after trying for so many years.

The most important person in my life used to hate this very habit and nagged me to fix it and while I managed to get rid of the habit of biting my nails, I haven't progressed much with foot-tapping.

"Who is this?" the voice retorts, confusion laced with curiosity.

"I don't know, you called me right now."

I suppress a sigh. Is this person very dumb?

"But you called me first. I saw a missed call from this number."

Yeah, good point. I'm still kicking myself for doing so.

I really do not know how to reply to that.

Just when I am about to apologise for dialing a wrong number, the person on the other end speaks up.

"You are not Park Ji-hyun by any chance are you?" he asks but before I can deny and say that I don't even know a Park Ji-hyun, he answers his own question with chuckle,

"Of course you aren't. It's not as if his voice would change in one day. Sorry, I called you back because I thought my brother called me. He got a new phone and changed his number recently..."

The person trails off, irritating me slightly with the whole rambling.

I mean, I didn't ask why this person called me back, did I?

I loathe people who feel the need to fill up even the shortest duration of silence with words.

"But why did you call me? I am sorry but I can't recognise your voice. Do I know you?"

"I doubt it," I don't make it a habit to associate myself with overly chatty people and it is something which hasn't changed in the past eight years. "I'm sorry, I called you by mistake."

"I see. No problem, I was awake anyways." An awkward pause followed by a, "Have a goodnight. I am Park Jimin by the way."

The name does sound familiar and it's dancing at the edges of my memory; close yet tantalisingly out of reach. I rack my brains but I can't remember.

Then again, Jimin is a very common name so you can't really blame me. Common and ordinary like my own old name.

I do not know why -maybe a temporary bout of insanity clouds my mind or maybe it's just my jet-lagged brain; but I it prompts me to say,

"You too. I am Im Byeol."