"You can do this, Rin. It's your dream." Aerin murmured the words softly, her voice steadying the storm inside her chest. She drew a deep breath, half-fueled by nervous energy and half by the electric thrill of the unknown.
Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she stood from the creaky airport chair that had held her restless frame. Her hands tightened around the handles of her suitcases, her palms already memorizing their weight. A quick check confirmed she had her devices, her tickets, her courage—everything she'd need to walk through that gate.
It was now or never. She'd already come too far to turn back.
The final hug with her mother and stepfather still lingered like the ghost of a touch, warm and bittersweet. It was one thing to say she was ready to be independent, but in the aching quiet that followed their goodbyes, Aerin wasn't as certain as she'd been before. This moment felt heavier than she had imagined—a closing chapter that made everything ahead of her unbearably real.
Her parents had done everything they could to smooth the path for her: enrolling her in a reputable school in South Korea, securing a modest but comfortable apartment. Yet no amount of preparation could quiet the knot of loneliness that pressed against her chest. She had always been cared for, protected, sheltered. The sudden absence of that safety net was terrifying.
The static crackle of the intercom pulled her from her thoughts.
"Hello, this is the pilot of Flight 1323. We will soon be taking off. Please fasten your seatbelts and situate yourselves. Thank you for flying with us, and most importantly, enjoy your flight."
Her heart leapt at the announcement, quickening its pace. Was it fear? Excitement? She couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. But this was her dream, wasn't it? Dreams were meant to be chased—even when they came with turbulence.
. . .
Navigating Incheon Airport proved less daunting than she'd anticipated. The labyrinth of signs and voices melted into a rhythm she could follow, and she even found time to grab a coffee. Small victories, she thought as she dragged her suitcases to the curb outside, where she hailed a taxi to take her to her new apartment.
Aerin looked out of the cab window as the city unfurled before her—a dazzling, unfamiliar mosaic of opportunity. She was here. A new place. A new life.
Her parents' generosity had given her a head start, and she didn't take that for granted. The apartment, the school, the security—it was all more than most people could hope for. Yet the thought of relying on anyone else, even her family, unsettled her.
She had always lived a life of comfort. Her mother, after divorcing Aerin's father, had built a thriving fashion and retail empire that catapulted the family into affluence. Their success allowed Aerin to grow up in privilege, but her mother never let wealth overshadow the importance of kindness or humility. It was a delicate balance, one that Aerin was grateful to have learned.
But now, standing on the brink of something entirely her own, Aerin yearned to prove to herself that she could survive—and thrive—without leaning on anyone else. Even though her family's support had been her lifeline, this was her story to write.
As the taxi pulled up to her building, she felt that familiar flicker of adrenaline. This was her dream. Her journey. And for the first time in her life, she was the one steering.
