That evening when I stopped by the CEO's office, just as my mother had said, the article about her breaking off her engagement with Park Jimin had become a new search ranking. And then... the next morning,
I caught an early morning flight to America.Remembering how I cried right after my engagement with Park Jimin was called off, I honestly thought that things would be even more difficult after the article was published. But instead, I just rested my chin on the table, stared blankly at the view outside the window, and yawned in a bored manner.
My phone was on silent because it was on airplane mode, and I treated the week-long trip as an unexpected break from grad school, something my parents had implicitly encouraged, so I spent the flight watching movies, listening to music, and generally just relaxing.
But still... how long has it been since I've been to America? It's been about six years since I went there as an exchange student when I was a university student. It's been a surprisingly long time. But before that, I'd been there once in elementary school, once in junior high and high school, and each time I went there I'd lived in America for two or three years as an exchange student, so it didn't feel like my first time there, it felt like I was visiting a friend's house after a long time.
"I wonder if the restaurants and cafes I used to go to are still there... I'll stop by for the first time in a while."
So I found myself reminiscing about my time studying abroad.
When I was a student, I hated going abroad to study because I didn't want to be separated from my friends... but on my last day of school, my friends would always give me letters and photos saying, "Don't forget me." Every time, Park Jimin would say that his was the most important, and when the others had all given theirs and were leaving, he would show up last and hand me a photo saying, "Have a nice trip."
It was only then that I realized I had unconsciously been thinking about Park Jimin, and the smile on my face as I reminisced suddenly stopped. I thought everything was fine, and that I was more calm than I thought... but perhaps I was wrong after all. Feeling frustrated, as if I had been defeated in some way, I glared at the nothingness outside the window.
"I'm definitely going to forget about you on this trip...!"
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With that determination in mind, I arrived at the airport, dropped off my luggage at the hotel I had made the effort to book, and started to wander around. I took photos in atmospheric places, ate at a restaurant that was rumored to be delicious, and even dropped into a cafe I used to frequent and enjoyed a cup of coffee.
……nevertheless,
"It's still not enough..."
Returning to the hotel, I collapsed onto the bed, exhausted from all the running around. I muttered to myself. Something still didn't feel right. And as expected, at times like this...
"I have to go to the club."
However, as the granddaughter of the chairman of a well-known company, I was well-known in Korea, even though I wasn't a celebrity. Even though I was in a faraway country, it was bothersome and bothersome to endure the stares of Koreans who would occasionally spot me and whisper about me. So, I decided to visit a hidden club frequented by local Koreans, especially young people who like to hang out, that I had heard about through a friend from my exchange student days. And to do so...
"Branded items are a no-no... expensive accessories are also prohibited. Look as normal as possible."
As expected, the club was in a hidden location, and since America is different from Korea, the security situation there is not so good for going to such places. From the many brand-name items packed in my suitcase, I took out some regular clothes I had brought with me just in case, bought in town, and added a touch of style with some not-too-expensive accessories, then headed to the club.
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"Wow, a lot has changed around here."
The club had become much more upscale than before, so I avoided the dance floor and sat at an empty table, called a waiter, and ordered some drinks and snacks.
"Usually I'd drink something low in alcohol and watch how it goes, but today I think I'll drink to my heart's content for the first time in a while..."
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「Wow, do you have company?」
(Wow, are you alone?)
I guess they thought I was a little strange, drinking alone and ordering snacks and a lot of alcohol. The men around me started talking to me one after another, inviting me to join them for a drink. I glanced over at them and chuckled.
「Hey, kid, if you want to hang out with me, come a little older.」
(Hey, kid, if you want to hang out with me, come back when you're a little older)
「Okay, well, I'm leaving for today, so be a little more friendly the next time we meet.」
Okay, I'll stop here for today, but next time I see you, please be a little friendlier.
「I don't know. I'll think about it.」
(I wonder, I'll think about it)
...I wonder where they came from. Thinking this in my mind, I returned a quick greeting to the departing men with the same expression and hand gesture, and once again poured some alcohol into my empty glass. Oh my goodness... Why are there so many flies today? My facial muscles stiffened, and my brow furrowed slightly.
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A few hours later, Yeo-ju was sitting upright in her seat, just as she had been at the beginning... but as I got closer, I could see that she was quite drunk. She had been taught from a young age that dignity was important, and she had taken various education and etiquette classes, so even when she was drunk, she didn't appear to be very disheveled. However, the faint murmuring I could hear nearby told me that she was drunk.
"That bastard Park Jimin... how dare you dump me and cheat on me... Go to hell, you idiot... Tch, I should have gone drinking with those guys... I should have shown that scum how popular I am... Watch me, I'm going to make you realize that I don't value you in the slightest..."
She muttered this to herself in a hushed voice, barely audible even to those nearby, but if she had muttered it out loud, Yeo-ju would surely have been so embarrassed that she would have immediately bought a ticket back to Korea the next day. Fortunately, however, her voice was quiet enough that no one could hear, so she decided it was time to head back to the hotel before anyone noticed her. Her steps were slow and weak, but she didn't stumble and managed to walk steadily to the exit.
"Tch... I'm definitely going to catch a handsome guy..."
However, even though she was walking steadily, when her shoulder bumped into a man who was passing by, her body staggered and she tilted heavily. Just before she was about to fall, there was a "thump" and the man grabbed her waist to support her.
"Whoa, sorry... I couldn't see clearly... No, this was America."
Yoju was drunk and unconsciously spoke in Korean, but when she realized what she had done, she tried to explain it in English, but the man who heard her Korean responded in a surprised voice.
"Huh? You were Korean?"
Hearing his native language in a foreign country, in a club in a back alley that tourists would not know, the drunk Yeoju raised his head, which had been downcast, and looked up at the face of the man, who was a head taller than him.
"You seem drunk, are you okay?"And even though the man was wearing his hat pulled down low, Yeo-ju could clearly tell that he was extremely handsome.
If Yeo-joo hadn't called off her engagement, if she hadn't come to America, if she hadn't come to this club today, if she hadn't drunk so much here...none of this would have happened. And so, countless coincidences like these had come together to create this moment.
Yeoju stared blankly at him for a while, then muttered something so quietly that only the man could hear it.
"You...would you like to go out with me?"