Friendships Desires and Secrets

Beginnings pt1

When the plane finally touched down at the Incheon International Airport, Alex was relieved to stand and let the blood flow back into her extremities. She never wanted to see the inside of a plane that long ever again. She hoisted her carry on higher on her shoulder and adjusted the strap on her art folio. She got the overhead suitcase down from its stowed compartment. She was so thankful that Maria was picking her up. She had 3 large cases stored in the belly of this beast, and toting them around Seoul would have been a pain. As she walked through the huge airport, she messaged her friend. 

(A)Touchdown. Next stop, baggage claim.

(M) Sweet, Seok, and I are waiting near the drive up.

(A) Place is massive!

(M) Clean, though, right?

(A) Indeed.

Alex had planned for this move for almost two years. scrimping every dime. Studying Korean until she thought, her head would explode. She had a week to get settled in before her teaching position began. She was looking forward to working with the students. She was going to be teaching three separate English classes. Basics to small children, an intermediary class to a small group of highschoolers that needed an English course for credits and the one she was most excited about, teaching English and slang terms to up and coming idols.

The baggage claim was impressively efficient. The luggage from her flight had just started down the assigned conveyor when her group entered the space. Her bags were easy to spot, each sporting a large indigo ribbon snuggly wrapped around the handle. She removed the three heavy bags and scanned them for damage. Everything appeared in order, and no new scuffs were noticeable. He whole life was in these wheeled cases. One bag contained the entirety of her BTS collection. It wasn't easy to find a bag to hold it all. The second bag was a tenth of her book collection, carefully selected from amongst her library. The rest of them were in storage with her sister. Empty bags would be making a return flight at some point in the years to come.  The third large suitcase was the remainder of her clothing, a decent supply of deodorant, several possessions, and two very important rocks. 

Alex clipped the larger bags together and lay her others on top. Last was the portfolio. Silly thing to keep a tight watch on. It only contained a few bits of her own artwork. The rest was silliness. Another need, not a want. With her large mobile bundle, she looked around for the exit and spotted it immediately. She texted Maria.

(A) Ready, headed to the exit now.

(M) Two flashes doll.

Alex stowed her phone in her rear pocket and was walking to the curb when the rental car pulled up. Maria had never seen her friend in real life before and squealed with delight as she exited the back seat of the black car. The driver was already around to them and loading her bags. Alex eyed him nervously for a moment before remembering that she wasn't in Atlanta or New York. Maria slid quickly back into the darkness of the backseat, and Alex followed. 

"I was surprised Seok didn't come with." Alex pondered. "Is he at work."

"Yes." Maria answered in a slightly disappointed and petulant tone. "But it's all good. You will meet him tonight."

"Are we going to my apartment to drop off this stuff?"

"Yes, of course." Maria answered, wrinkling up her nose. "It's a lot farther from me to you than you think. I know it looks close on your maps, and it is by bike, but not hauling luggage. I already have your key from Mrs. Kim and," She handed Alex the key. "You will have a bit of cleaning to do once you get there. It's bad karma to clean a place before you leave it. It's such a quaint place, though."

"Thank you." Alex took the key and squeezed it tightly in her palm. There had been a hundred times today that she had to remind herself that this was real. "I will have to be on the lookout for places that have their own bathrooms once my pay starts coming in regularly."

Maria nodded. "It's one of the things that I thought was horrible planning, especially when covid happened."

Alex just nodded in agreement as Maria droned on about all the places they were going to go to eat and all the landmarks and gardens she wanted to take her to. How she was glad that she put off her job and stayed in university so they could spend time together. Also, the garden at the D Palace was on the list of places to visit, as well as the wall in Jahamun-ro. Then there was the trip to Busan, which would take all day being five or six hours one way, unless they took the KTX. 

By the time they rolled up to her new studio apartment, Alex had completely tuned Maria out. She was ready to start unpacking and start familiarizing herself with the surrounding districts. First stop, once she was alone, of course, was 91 Hannam Dong. 

He wasn't there, the man she had moved to be close to. He was serving in the military. She had reordered her life to be closer to him because he had saved her life and in whom, in so many strange ways, she had a synchronicity with.  She bought ducks one year, and the same day, he posted seeing ducks. She rescued some kittens that were thrown out and took them to a rescue, and he posted cats. He even started wearing her birth year on shirts and sweaters from a famous fashion line. He would answer her odd questions on lives and in shows he was on, questions she had never asked him directly or on any live. His last live was even on her birthday. How can you miss someone so deeply that you had only seen a couple of times in real life? But she did. Everyday.

Maria didn't hover around with conversation since she wanted the driver to take her home. They bid each other farewell, and Alex drug her load into the apartment complex. She eyed the stairs warily, not realizing there wouldn't be an elevator in a building with 20 plus floors. She was still contemplating whether or not to drag them all at once or make trips when a ding caught her attention. There was indeed an elevator! With a hearty sigh of relief, Alex started to go in before the doors shut when she heard a voice behind her, speaking in Korean rapidly.

"Hey, what are you doing there?" It was an older woman in a paisley blouse and track pants.

In a very unpolished Korean, Alex answered. "Going to my room, please." And held up her key as proof. The Noona eyed her and turned to go back to her desk, now completely ignoring Alex. She now had to hit the button and wait for the elevator to come back.

Finally, in the cramped room, barely a closet to an American, she released her bags and lay on the bed. There she stayed, feeling the vibe. Hearing the noise. Absorbing the smells. She was actually here, finally here. A dream no more. After a few moments, she nodded off.

In a field of soft flowers, the edges hazy in the sweet afternoon sunshine, he beckoned for her to come. As she ran to him, her sun bonnet fell back, the white ribbon catching at her throat. She laughed when he grabbed the ribbon, twirling it around his warm hand and pulling her closer to him. His warm lips landed on hers and moved gently. Brushing together, then moving away only to return, playing on the humming string of her heart. His hand moved up to her nape, allowing him to press into her, melting into her frame. Her hair tumbled free and engulfed his hand. She draped her arms over his broad shoulders, and her fingers curled into his soft black hair. He pulled back and smiled at her. She could taste him, strawberry lip balm and coffee, feel her lips tingling. And as she woke slowly in the darkness of the tiny 17th floor apartment, and she felt the absence of him all around her, she smelled his faint just-out-of-the-shower scent. Chanel and cherry almond soap. In her post bliss reeling, she sobbed till she dozed again, whispering "Namjoonah" before slipping beneath the waves of sleep.