While riding a taxi to Busan, I couldn't avoid gazing at the places we were passing by, my eyes flickering with excitement while trying to familiarize the sites and some notable spots I could remember during my childhood. But all the time, I got distracted by the faces of BTS plastered in every building and almost everywhere. From Seoul to Busan, everything is about Bangtan Sonyeondan!

"How come I haven't known JK's popularity for many years? What was I doing in New York while JK was doing his concert in America..." I shook my head, disappointment creeping up my chest while feeling regretful and blaming myself for not knowing about it earlier.

Suddenly, my phone's ringtone broke the silent ride and shook me out of my thoughts. I realized it was the first call I received after arriving in Korea, my unhappy thoughts slowly getting replaced with agitation. While the sound of the endless ringing echoed in my ears, my reluctant hands never moved to reach the phone inside my bag.

Nervously, my dark orbs gestured towards my bag. "Who is it? Did they find out where I am already? There's no way my father wants me back!"

Curiously, I took out my phone and hesitantly forced my eyeballs to look at the caller's ID before lazily answering the call, a feeling of ease washing off my fear after knowing that it was Lily.

"Why?"

""WHY?!" an angry, high-pitched voice retorted, making me flinch and stretch my hand away from my ear. "Hey! Why did you go home without telling me? You said we should meet each other in Rome before we go home together! How can you betray me like this?!"

"How did you know that I went home?" Despite her exasperation, I was unaffected and honestly not concerned about it.

"Min Ho."

"Ah," I chuckled, almost wanting to tease her. "So you guys have bee texting each other without my knowledge, huh? Is he pursuing you already?"

"Lee Shanshan!" She hissed one more time, my hand taking the phone further away from me. "I told you before that I don't want to date guys who are younger than me."

"You're just a year older than him. What's wrong with that?" I scoffed at her while leaning my head on the half-rolled window, a gust of wind hitting my face. "Not because you learned that he has feelings for you doesn't mean that you should just ignore him."

"Shanshan, seriously whose side are you on?"

"No one. I support both of you," I sneered.

"Whatever. Yah, I'm flying there tomorrow. You better pick me at Incheon."

"I can't." My smile faded as I immediately rejected her. "I'm on a short vacation."

"Vacation where?"

"Home. I'm going now. Bye." Before she could answer, I ended the call and leaned back on my seat, my eyes remaining still outside the window while different things passed in front of my view.

Lily Choi... I met her at an exposition in France two years ago. We became friends since then. A sweet girl with sweet laughter, her tall and slim body attracting anyone who passed by her. She was outgoing and fun to be with, except when she becomes scary- but cute- when you unleash her temper. Although she was three years older and more experienced than me in photography, I liked to treat her like my own age.

The surrounding was starting to get dark while the sky glowed golden orange when the car finally came to a halt. Silently, I got off and took out my luggage. I let out a deep exhale before looking at the old abandoned house, its dark shadow towering over me. I clutched on my sling bag before pulling my luggage with me.

"It's been a long time... I spent my happiest memories in this place."

I started approaching the house after the taxi went away. While my fingers aimlessly wandered inside my bag for the old key I brought along from New York, my heart and mind raced simultaneously with nervous excitement. I was trying to suppress this euphoric feeling lurking inside me after finally arriving HOME.

My fingers found the large, heavy brass and I inserted it on the keyhole, worried at first that its rust may not be able to open the big door. It opened with a click, and I smiled widely.

How did I have our old house's key? After my dad and his new wife's marriage, she had my dead mother's belongings thrown away. I found the key inside my mom's favorite box before it was discarded along with her stuff.

I pushed my way in with full strength, only to be welcomed by a dusty atmosphere that made me cough.

"Holy-"

I flapped my hands at the air around me before taking a good look inside, the mist of dust slowly subsiding and clearly exposing what was inside. The house was almost empty and everything was covered with dust. 

"It will take a long time to clean this house... Oh! My room!" I never felt elated before.Without caring about the cobwebs and creeping insects, I rushed upstairs and shoved my bedroom door open, making a creaking sound and clouds of dust floating everywhere. I stood in the doorway with my hands on my waist, grinning from ear to ear with satisfaction. Everything was there like before. The same structures and setup, only that they were empty and covered with white cloths.

"I am back!"

I pulled the white sheets covering my bed and replaced them with my body. "Lee Shanshan... we made it back home!" I giggled before turning my body around and kicking my legs, not able to contain the happiness I felt inside. I smiled, feeling like I successfully won a hard battle, before feeling all the exhaustion from the trip and finally falling into sleep.

^^. . .^^

The next day, I packed the things I needed and got ready to travel around Mandeok-dong. I was more than excited, finally getting a look around the small town after ten years. After tucking in a thin oversized shirt inside my white pants, I slipped on my leather boots that reached above my ankles and began making my way outside with relish while pulling my hair into a ponytail.

The soft morning breeze smelled so fresh while the glorious sun rays started to illuminate the beautiful sky. I never felt this free before.

"This is real freedom!"

After walking for a while, I stopped at the intersection, unable to choose which place I should go first until an adult man caught my attention. Not five feet away from me, he was throwing a garbage bag in the bin.

"He... looks familiar. Hmm..." I tilted my head and scrunched my forehead, trying to recall who he was.

Catching me staring at him, I immediately smiled and made a bow to him. "Hello, uncle."

"Good morning! You look like someone I know. " The deep, cheerful voice of the man said. "What's your name, young lady?"

"My name is Shanshan, uncle!" I answered with the same cheerful response. "Maybe he is a former classmate's parent."

"Shanshan..." The ajeossi scratched his head, a crease forming on his face while he made a confused expression.

"He won't be able to recall someone whose name is Shanshan from Busan. Besides, I don't want anyone to know yet that Mr. Lee's daughter is here."

The sight of the bus not far away came to my view, disrupting my conversation with him. "I-I need to go then. See you around!"

"Okay," Despite the conspicuous urge to talk more, he smiled and nodded.

I waved my hands with a grim and quickly ran to the bus stop. Just as I arrived at the waiting area, I stopped and turned around to look for the man as realization hit me like thunder.

"Isn't he JK's father?!" I gulped in shock while watching him walking back home with his hands on his back. "Whoa Shanshan!! You're the one who doesn't know how to recognize a person!"

Before I knew it, I slapped my forehead. I fidgeted on the strap of my backpack, hesitating to go back and talk to him while the bus was fast approaching. "Maybe I could talk to them later at home... but what if JK is there?"

"He hated me for breaking our promise and now I don't dare to see him again, especially since he is well known."

I shook the thoughts out of my head after the bus stopped in front of me. "I'll visit them. But not today."

^^. . . ^^

Roaming around Mandeok-dong brought back my precious memories in this place. This was the place where I grew up with Jungkook. I went to our favorite internet café where we used to play games after class, but it was already changed into a two-story gym. I ate teokbokki from a nearby store and bought packs of ramen, which I stuffed in my backpack. I dropped by our school and walked around its grassy playground. Lots of things certainly changed in the place. I strolled freely in the town's park and rode the carousel alone, imagining how it would feel like having JK there with me. During that moment, all I could think of was Jungkook. I missed him... so much. He was the only person I could relate to. He was the only one I had in this place- but... that was before. Today I lost him. I didn't even know if he still remembered me.

The last place I went was the wooden treehouse I mentioned before. I carefully climbed my way up inside because the ladder was already beginning to rot. The inside was empty, with only a wooden table and a box on top of it. I opened the dusty box and saw all kinds of stuff we've been using in the treehouse. It was all for fun. Balls, water guns, ropes, a flashlight, knives... I guess JK decided to pack them because he had no time to come here every day- knowing that he's now a busy celebrity. I opened the table's drawer and found papers inside.

"What are they?" I picked a crumpled one and flattened it on the table. "Love is not over... what is this? A poem?" Maybe he spent some time writing poems in the treehouse alone. "Uh... when did he become interested in writing a poem?" I continued to read but failed to finish because it had lots of erasures. "Poor JK," I sighed. "He must have been spending his time here without me."

I closed the drawer and moved towards the wall where a faint writing was written. It was my promise. Before I left, I painted it on the wall, large enough so Jungkook could see and realize that it was a crucial promise worth fulfilling. "I WILL COME BACK. PLEASE WAIT FOR ME." I wanted to assure him that there was still hope for us to see each other again.

I took a picture of it from my camera, trying to block all the saddest memories from forming in my mind. "I surely came back... but it took me so long."

After I left for New York, my life was wretchedly unhappy. Following my dad's sudden success in business and him marrying a New Yorker who already had two children, I didn't feel like I was alive. I was controlled all day. Every day I was forced to execute the image of a perfect heiress, and my stepmom kept scolding me for not reaching her expectations. My dad forced me to attend his company's conferences, dreary programs, and nonsense activities even at such a young age, and my two brothers were jealous of me for being the first in line to inherit our company. During my first days, I learned how to speak articulate English before attending business school, just not to ridicule my stepmother for not speaking fluently. I was never interested in business management, so I got embarrassing results which made my stepmother invite a private tutor to teach me every weekend. But secretly, while trying to sabotage my study in business, I enrolled in arts in Paris, attending an online class at night while no one was aware. Choosing a far country to study would not raise suspicions from my parents.

I didn't have any real friends in New York, just temporary connections with overindulged and obnoxious children of my father's business partners and some old celebrities who were friends with my stepmother. All I could think of in that place was to run back to Korea and rant everything to JK. I missed him during the early years I left but with all the full schedules and chaotic life I had, my memories of him started to fade slowly.

Now that I came back, he was the first person I longed to see. But how can I see him again if he's still mad at me? Or rather, he also forgot about me.

^^. . ^^

^^Photo: by @firstsight_jk https://t.co/N2nbVG2nZ1 downloaded from Twitter