Seoul-Strings (Haitus)

Chapter 2

Authors note: yes the main character is a hopeless romantic, can you guess who I based her off of? Important Korean words: Father=Appa
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As Yu-Jin ran out the tea shop's door, a cold rush of autumn air hit her face and loosened some hair from her newly done braid. She clenched her sleeves and looked to see where Jeong-Eun had gone. After a moment of searching the street, she eyed her brother turning a corner at one of the intersections.

"Oppa!" She cried. "Wait for me!" Hitching her skirt up a few inches, she quickly started down the long street.

When she neared the corner he had turned into, she slowed down to make the turn without slipping but it was of no use. A man just happened to turn at the same time. Yu-Jin yelped as she seemed to stumble in slow motion. She put her hands out to break her fall and closed her eyes waiting for impact. It never came. Strong hands were wrapped around her waist, keeping her from falling. She opened one of her eyes and was met with a familiar face. Well, that's what she thought for a moment. It was only her imagination that made this man seem familiar.

The man cleared his throat. Yu-Jin quickly stood up and brushed down her skirt.

"죄송합니다!" She apolgized, "I'm so sorry!" Her eyes darted to his for a moment. The man finally spoke.

"It's alright, no ones hurt." He gave a slight smile. It was so slight that Yu-Jin might have called it a smirk. She nodded in agreement and quickly turned away.

Her heart was beating like a drum. After taking a few steps, she dared to glance back. The man was still there, but his back was turned. He looked out into the intersection and made his way across. She turned her head in a hurry and scurried back into the crowd. Getting a far enough distance between her and her mysterious savior, she stumbled over to a wall and brought her hand to her chest. She took a shaky breath and almost laughed. Her heart kept its rapid pace while she took deep breaths.

She gazed back at the intersection but the stranger was gone. Yu-Jin clenched her hand to her chest and smiled. Her mind flashed images of the stranger through her head. She looked into his eyes once more but then the image vanished.

"Sure sure," she mused, "No ones hurt," she paused. "just my heart!" She cried while bringing her other hand over her chest as well. "For heaven's sake he was handsome." After a moment of leaning dramatically against the wall, Yu-Jin cleared her throat and composed herself.

Her composure was gone in but a second when she clamped her hands over her mouth.
"I must have looked so bad from that angle.." she thought with horror.

"I have to add him to my story." She thought fiercely. "A man that handsome deserves a whole series of books just for him." Story ideas began running through her head. They all had different plots and were set in different time periods but one thing they had in common, they all included a dashing stranger with a smirk. She smiled. Beginning to walk again, she let her mind wander.

"Jinny?" A voice called her out of her thoughts.

"Appa!" She replied with a smile. "Jeong-Eun is back! He went to find you, did you see him?"

Her father replied with a deep chuckle. "Yes he did and he told of how he found you being teased by your own mother."

"Appa!" Yu-Jin whined. "Did he really?"

"He is your brother after all."

"And Eomma is your wife after all." Yu-Jin shot back at him.

Her father took her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Theres my sharp spoken girl."

"I'm going to help mom in the afternoon with the customers. I'm gonna head home and grab my brushes so I can write while I'm there." Yu-Jin said.

"Sure thing dear." Her father replied. "I better not see you ignoring customers though."

"Thanks Appa!" Yu-Jin said with a smile. She hugged him and headed off in the direction of home.

Skipping softly, she seemed to nod her head to nonexistent music. She stepped inside their small house and made her way to where she kept her writing supplies. The front room had a short table and mats, perfect for their small family. Her scrolls and quills were kept in the back of the room in a small chest.

The chest was decorated with carved wooden flowers and ladybugs. It was the most beautiful thing that she owned, besides her ceremonial Hanbok that she wore at festivals. Her fingers traced the wooden box delicately. She studied the designs for a moment before opening the chest to grab her brushes and ink. They always had paper on hand at the shop so she didn't bother grabbing any. After gently closing the lid, Yu-Jin hurried out of the house.

She shut the door quietly and jumped in surprise when she turned around.

"My goodness, what can I help you with?" She asked the messenger who stood before her.

He gave a slight nod. "Is this the residence of Nam Jeong-Eun?"

Yu-Jin nodded. "Yes he's my brother."

The boy smiled and handed her a letter. "Please make sure he receives this."

"Of course." Yu-Jin bowed and waited till the boy left.

She examined the outside of the letter but she couldn't read much because it was written in Chinese characters. Even after all her fathers lessons, she still had trouble remembering the intricate characters that educated people used much too often. Yu-Jin sighed and put it in the satchel with her brushes and ink before locking up the house.