Only Friends ?

VII. Five years later

 POV Nora

Here I am in Seoul, on a one year work placement. I decided to combine my work experience with giving French lessons to finance my daily expenses. I easily found an institute that was looking for a French teacher who could also speak Korean. Today was my first contact with my students. Half of them are older than me but everyone is very polite. They make me feel at ease, listen to me religiously and laugh at my jokes. It's a shame that it pays so little, otherwise I'd have done it full-time. I met a young language student from Seoul University who teaches English. She invited me to eat at the end of our day at a barbecue restaurant.

"You know, I'm frankly jealous of your knowledge of Korean. My English will never be as good."

"No, don't be silly, I've been taking lessons for over ten years to get this level and I've been to Korea two or three times during the holidays to get it as good as possible."

"Ah, I see. You must come from a rich family. I've never been able to travel to an English speaking country. I'm planning to do it this year. I want to go to Australia."

"Well, good luck with that. Thanks for inviting me tonight, I don't know many people in Seoul yet".

"That's fair enough. In fact, I asked a friend to join us. He used to give the French classes before your arrival, but now he's preparing his Phd and can't continue. I thought he'd like to talk to a native French speaker, plus he spent a year in your country when he was in highschool.

"In Belgium, are you sure? Not in France."

"I'm not sure, but I don't think it was France. We don't know each other that well."

The meat was so spicy that I had to swallow a litre of water already. I'm quite curious to meet my colleague's friend but I have to make a diversion to the toilets and get some fresh air.

POV Wonbin

Yuna has invited me here this evening to meet the young girl who's come from Belgium to take my place at the institute. I'm already super late and I hope they're still there. I walk in and see Yuna all alone at a table.

" Hi, sorry I'm so late. Has your colleague gone home yet?"

"No, she's gone out for a breath of fresh air. I'll give her a call."

Just as she calls, we hear a phone vibrate on the table and the screen lights up. My eyes are drawn to the image in the background and my breathing stops. How is this possible? This drawing is so familiar. It's my drawing of Nora, the one I drew five years ago, one of the ones I gave her for her birthday. But how could this person have downloaded it onto their phone? I had to find out.

"Oh dear, she's left her phone here. I hope she hasn't got lost somewhere. She's just arrived in Seoul."

"I can go and have a look if you like."

"Okay, you'll recognise her easily, she's got curly black hair and dark skin, she was wearing a dark red jumper. Her name is..."

But I was already rushing through the open door and frantically looking for her among the young people smoking. She wasn't there. I turned round and suddenly heard the sound of a paper bag being torn and felt a body falling, but I managed to catch her hands.

"Mince!"

French, the person had spoken in French. I steadied her and bent down to pick up the cans scattered on the floor and the ramen tins and handed it to her, apologising:

"Sorry, I didn't see you. I was looking for you."I said in French

I didn't dare look her in the eye, I was too scared it wouldn't be her.

"Ah, you speak French, you must be Youna's friend. Pleased to meet you. I just went to the supermarket to buy something for breakfast tomorrow.

My hood hid my face and my dark glasses hid my eyes. I looked at her at my ease and, before she thought I was crazy, I held out my hand:

"Likewise. Can we go back inside, Yuna must be waiting for us."

She nodded and headed for the door. There she was, breathtakingly beautiful, still wearing the necklace I'd given her. I'd cut her off, wished her to forget me, to live her life with no regrets, and now fate had put her back in my path. What's more, she obviously hadn't forgotten me. But I'd behaved badly. She'll surely be angry as soon as she recognises me. How ironic! Our roles are now reversed. She'll have to go back and I'll stay here. Do I have the right to turn her life upside down in the name of memories? Will she even want me to?

I've missed you so much. Why is fate so cruel?

POV Nora

That voice, that accent, no, it wasn't possible. He hadn't told me his name and I hadn't told him mine. I knew he was in Seoul because Yeri gave us news of him at least once a year, on Iana's birthday, but he had chosen to forget me, to stop writing. I'd imagined running into him in the street, I'd lived our reunion in my head a thousand times over. There he was, standing next to me, and despite the hood and glasses, I was convinced it was him. He hadn't recognised me. I could admire him in silence. Too beautiful, even more beautiful than I remembered. I'd love to be intoxicated by his perfume.

We ate and talked like perfect strangers. Soon it was time to go our separate ways. Yuna asks him to come with me because he's come by car and she lives nearby. I want to refuse and at the same time make the most of my time with him. We got into his car, I gave him my address and he drove off. He puts on some music. It's an old Riize song, one he knew how to play on guitar. Does he even remember? I close my eyes, swimming in memories.

Suddenly, the car stops. He unbuckles his seatbelt, he unbuckles mine. I watch in amazement. He opens my door and gently pulls me out. The next thing I know, his lips are crushing mine and his arms are squeezing me so hard they take my breath away. I respond, running my fingers through his hair, pressing myself even tighter to him. It's so good, it's as if I hadn't breathed properly for five years.

"My love, my darling, forgive me! I couldn't stand having you here beside me and not touching you. I needed to feel that you were really there. Be angry if you want, insult me, I deserve it, but let me hold you a little longer. I've missed you so, so much. You're so beautiful, my Nora...

Above us, the first snowflakes began to fall....