Korean Dream (Kwon Ji Yong/G-Dragon X Reader)

Chapter 1: I've Just Seen a Face

After one of the longest flights I have ever been on I finally landed in Seoul, South Korea. For the next two weeks this will be my home away from home. This vacation has been on my wish list for such a long time; since my senior year of college. Now as a 32 year old with a particularly good job it was high time that I treat myself. I only have a few "tours" in Seoul planned and I am hoping to spend a night in Busan with a day trip here and there but most of my stay will be here. My goal is to explore the city on my own and not just go to the tourist traps. Making a mental note as I walked through the airport to text or call my friend Jina Kim, a girl I had met a few years ago when we were both traveling who lives here in Seoul, to meet up while I am in town.

If someone was to look at me as I wait at baggage claim, you would not realize it was such an early hour here. I had so much pent up energy from being on a plane for so long and that it was midafternoon back home. I knew in the back of my mind I would crash hard but that was future me's problem. Now me's goal is to get my bag and make it to my hotel. The city lights sparkled as my taxi drove on the seemingly empty roads. The morning commuter traffic has not hit yet. You could see the bright colors of the sun peeking through the skyscrapers beaming over the mountains. I smiled at seeing the sunrise for the second time in one day. Not being a morning person, it was rare I even saw one let alone two.

Check in was so quick and easy. My hotel was on the north side of the Han River in the Mapo-gu region. Only a 20-minute train ride to the palace in one direction and N. Seoul Tower in the other. When I was researching places to stay, I found it to be the best location for a home base to get around Seoul and see all the sites.

As I settled in, I finally looked at myself in the mirror, boy was I a mess. My (h/l/c) hair was pulled back into an un-cute messy bun. My (e/c) eyes looked so exhausted under my long lashes from the 18 hours of travel. My foundation wore off hours ago but fortunately my (s/c) skin was clear so no embarrassing blemishes. However, looking at that reflection it made me appreciate how polite and respectful Koreans were. There were no judgmental stares from anyone I had encountered.

It was already 7:30 am and I had two options; I could lose another day, November 13th was an imaginary day for me for I left on the 12th and at this very moment it was the 14th, and go to sleep or I could fight through and try to get on a normal sleep schedule for local time. I chose the latter. I cleaned myself up and went downstairs and walked the 3 minutes to the Dunkin Donuts across the street. I got a large vanilla hot latte and a blueberry muffin. I took my food and walked over to Dohwaso Children's Park sat on a bench absorbing my surroundings. Even on this chill November morning I was so happy to be there. One might think it strange to go from one fall place to another, but I needed to get away from it all. Work was going well but I had not taken a vacation in over a year and it was time for a break. My latte was hitting the spot for waking me up and easing the grogginess I was previously feeling.

I sat in the park for a good 45 minutes trying to figure out what I should do first. Seoul is so big with so much to see and do. I decided to go back to the hotel room take a hot shower freshen up then just start walking. I will end up where I am supposed to wherever that might be. Some might think this plan is not ideal for a person who does not know where anything is, but I like to explore as a local. Besides I knew the name of my hotel and have an exceptionally good sense of direction to the point where I have to only travel a route once and I will have it memorized. By 11:00 I was standing at the entrance of my hotel. Took a deep breath in of that crisp autumn air commanded my feet to decide the direction I was going and took off.

I walked towards the river looking in shop windows, weaving up and down the side streets with no true destination. The cool November air felt good on my face. I walked through one of Seoul's many parks. Even though the bright colors of the trees represent an ending of a season they always make me happy. As I was taking pictures, I noticed a few people around me doing the same thing. There were some taking pictures of the trees, of their significant others, the city-scape. There were also those just passing through as if they were on a mission. Coming from a major city myself I am hyper aware of who are the tourists and who are the locals just out on their lunch breaks from the office. As I was finding the perfect shot, I could not help but feel a sensation that someone was watching me. I did not feel in danger because of it but I quickly moved along for as a (race) woman I stood out among the Korean nationals.