Distant Sky

6

Exploring the new city

It was five in the evening and Joohyun had just taken a shower and was all dressed up for her first outing in Seoul. She was wearing a navy blue, long sleeved top with a pleated black skirt that stopped just above her knees. These were the clothes she had bought a few days ago thinking she won't ever need them. Funny right! Yeah, so nothing has been going as she had predicted these days. She brushes her dark brown hair a few more times till it looks satisfying to her. She then adds a headband with a thin red ribbon on it to complete her look. She has a thing for headbands, they not only look pretty but keep her hair from getting into her face. She has quite a few of them but she never really gets the chance to wear them, for obvious reasons. She grabs her purse and her phone and she's ready to go.

Joohyun had spent the whole bus ride from school to home, trying hard not get pulled into the quicksand of memories from her past. By the time she reached home her head was a mess. So she was feeling very thankful for the distraction that this little outing would provide. She was sitting in the cab her aunt had booked for her, insisting that it was the best option since she was still unfamiliar the city. As she sits, looking at the sights passing by through the window, she realises that Seoul really does have a different vibe, as she has heard people say.

It took her a little more than 20 minutes to reach the address that Seulgi had given her earlier that day. She stood in front of a trendy little cafe in Yeonnam-dong, admiring it's decor from outside. Wendy had texted her a few minutes ago, telling her they were already inside, waiting for her. As she enters, she sees the cafe was garden themed with potted plants hanging from the ceiling. It had this rustic edge; with bare ceilings, bulbs and hardwood floors. Little round tables made from dark wood and chairs made out of bamboo littered the cafe. Bright orange walls added a pop of color and the cafe had a cozy feeling all around.

After walking in a little further she spots Wendy and Seulgi, seated at a table near the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Hey, Joohyun is here!" Seulgi announces excitedly when she sees her. "Am I late?" Joohyun asks worried that she might have made them wait for long. "No, I just arrived 10 mins ago. I'm glad you could make it." Wendy said smiling. "Wow, Joohyun you're looking good! You look prettier than usual, if that's even possible." Seulgi says and Wendy agrees, making Joohyun blush. "U-um thanks. You guys look really good too!" she replies shyly. "Ok, let's order quickly, we've got more places to visit." Wendy says clapping her hands.

She orders a caramel macchiato and cheesecake, which Seulgi says is the best here. As they wait for their orders she decides take a look around. While looking at the paintings lining the walls she finds one that catches her attention. Wait, is that..? No way! That's one of her aunt's painting! Joohyun thinks looking at her aunt's signature. Seulgi's walks upto her saying, "Are you interested in paintings, Joohyun?" "Um n-no, I mean this is my aunt's painting here." She says pointing. Seulgi is looking at her with wide eyes. "What's wrong?" Joohyun asks concerned. "You mean to tell me that Kim Taehee is your aunt!?" Seulgi asks loudly. "Y-yeah." "How!?" "Um well, she's my mother's younger sister." "That's not what I meant! I mean, I'm a big fan of her. Omg! I can't believe it." "Oh, o-okay."

"Oh, I can't wait to tell my mom about this! She's a fan of your aunt too. She'd be so excited to know!" They had finished eating and were currently taking a stroll around the neighborhood. The coffee was the best she had ever tasted, the cheesecake was just as good as Seulgi had claimed. They also got a pecan pie at Seulgi's insistence and Joohyun was full. "I'll tell my aunt, she'll be happy to hear about it." "I didn't know your aunt was famous, Joohyun." Wendy says. "She's a very well known artist here, I went to one of her exhibits once with my mom." Seulgi adds, still excited about the coincidence.

Joohyun found out that Yeonnam-dong was an up-and-coming neighbourhood in Seoul, popular for its dining scene, with hip restaurants serving a variety of food. Quirky cafes and indie bookshops line the mural-adorned alleys. It was a hotspot for many aspiring artists, young university students and tourists. Joohyun checks out some bookstores, wishing she could spend more time here, but didn't want to keep the others waiting. "Up ahead is the Dongjin Market, it's famous for vintage clothes and handmade fashion accessories." Wendy explains. "But it's only open on the weekends." Joohyun also discovers a few shops selling little antiques and decides to come back here some day to explore by herself.

Time flies by quickly and it starts to get dark soon. "Aw, I wish we had more time." Seulgi whines. "It's ok, we can all meet again sometime. There are still so many other places in Seoul for Joohyun to explore." Wendy says. "Thank you so much guys, I had so much fun today. I really hope we can do this again sometime." Joohyun says feeling genuinely happy and grateful. "Ok, then it's a deal!" Seulgi says happily.

It was almost 8 by the time she arrives back at her aunt's house, carrying the baked goods provided by Seulgi for her take home. During dinner Joohyun mentions about Seulgi and how she and her mother were her fans to Aunt Taehee, who seemed pleasantly surprised that her friend knew her. As Joohyun was getting ready for bed that night, she no longer regretted her decision to move here or her choice of school, as she did earlier at school. She was happy to have met Seulgi and Wendy, who were so thoughtful and good to her. Everything happens for a reason, she thinks as she falls asleep.

The next day Joohyun wakes up early. She set her alarm early last night, not wanting a repeat of what happened yesterday. Joohyun also wanted to make breakfast herself starting today. She felt bad that she let her aunt do it yesterday. She was already imposing on her aunt too much. She makes a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast for herself. There weren't many ingredients available to cook and she had to make do with what she had. She also made some sandwiches for her aunt to eat later. She decides to ask her aunt to get some groceries. She wants to start making dinner everyday too. Eating take takeout daily can't be healthy. After eating she wakes up her aunt to tell her she made breakfast and hurries out, ready to face the day.