You Got Me (JenLisa)

Chapter 12

Dongpirang Village rests on a hill behind Jungang Traditional Market, in the middle of Hallyeoheasang National Park, in the city of Tongyeong. It was marked for demolition in 2007 but was saved by art students and local artists who started painting the walls of the houses and establishments with colorful and quirky murals all over the village. It eventually became one of the most visited tourist spots in Korea.

Lisa, with her 35mm film camera in hand, was walking along the tight alleyways around Dongpirang Village, along with a pack of tourists--most of them foreigns, who, like her, have their cameras ready--who wanted to see the artistry being displayed in every walls and crevices of every houses in Dongpirang.

She was following and pointing her camera at a little boy who looked Korean and was chase by a woman who was definitely not looking Korean at all, probably his mother, while jabbing in rapid foreign language, showing signs of concern and determination on her face.

The little boy was laughing while carelessly waving his little arms in the air, his little feet running and sprinting one after the other, not minding the possibility of tripping or falling down in the concrete pavement. Lisa was patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to press the shutter and immortalize the little boy's happiness inside a photograph.

When the laughing little boy passed by a white wall that was painted with little boys and girls who were chasing the colorful balloons on the other side of the white wall, Lisa automatically released her shutter. The little boy looked like he was one of the little children in the murals in a sunny playground. Elevated by a couple of inch from the ground, his hands were raised in the air, looking as though he was trying to get a hold of the strings attached to the balloons, laughing.

"Cute!" she muttered and smiled to herself while watching the little boy who finally stopped from running and was caught in a tight embrace by her foreign-looking mother who smothered the little boy with kisses all over his little face.

Jennie, meanwhile, was already getting a little tired from all the walking that she had been doing eversince she arrived from an hour car ride from Busan. The air was a little chilly but she was sweating under the thick overcoat that she was wearing. Her hair was down and was blown softly by the chilly February air. Her face was slightly getting numb from the cold and her patience was wearing thin.

She reached out for her phone inside the deep pocket of her black overcoat after she noticed it vibrating against the garment. It was Jisoo.

"What?" Jennie greeted Jisoo as soon as she pressed the green telephone icon on the screen of her device.

"Well, hello to you, too, Jendeukie!" Jisoo said sarcastically. "You sound impatient, Ruby Jane! Found her yet?" asked Jisoo. There was something about her voice that Jennie knew could only mean that Jisoo was silently laughing at her.

"No. Can I just go home already? Or maybe find a hotel where I can stay? I'm sleepy!" Jennie complained with a pout and a yawn. She knew it was a bad idea to fly from Seoul to Busan in a commercial plane at six in the morning. At. Six. In. The. Morning! Plus an hour car ride from Busan to Tongyeong! It was too much for someone who usually wakes up at ten in the morning. It was Jisoo's idea, of course. And the thought that she agreed to it was the worst part.

"Aigoo! But where's the fun in that? Huh? Tell me?" asked Jisoo. She was chuckling softly.

"Tell me about it when you already tried walking all by yourself and craning your neck, checking every faces you encounter along the way while looking like an idiot in this little village, Kim Jisoo!" said Jennie irritably, rolling her eyes at the sight of a couple who was happily posing for a selfie in front of a mural that depicted a huge bright, red heart in the most middle part of the wall.