I ✔️

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching Incheon International Airport. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts."

Finally.

The word barely formed in my mind before something in my chest tightened-sharp, almost unfamiliar, like I had been holding my breath for months without realizing it.

Fourteen months.

Fourteen months since the last time I had been here.

I leaned my head back against the seat, eyes fixed somewhere ahead but not really seeing anything anymore. It didn't feel real yet. It never did-not until I stepped outside, not until the air hit my skin, not until something inside me recognized it.

I had always loved traveling.

Not in that superficial, "collect countries" kind of way-but the kind that made you feel small in the best way. New streets, new languages, moments that didn't belong to you yet somehow stayed with you.

And still... no matter where I went, no matter how beautiful it was, no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise-

There was only one place that ever felt like home.

South Korea.

I didn't know when it had become that.

There wasn't a specific moment I could trace back to, no clear turning point where everything shifted. It just... happened. Slowly. Quietly.

Until one day, it wasn't just a place anymore.

It was something I carried with me.

And this time...

This time, I wasn't coming back the same way.

I swallowed slightly, my fingers tightening around the edge of the armrest without me noticing.

I had quit my job.

Even now, saying it in my head felt strange. Too big. Too final.

There had been no dramatic moment, no grand decision. Just a quiet certainty that had grown over weeks-months, maybe-that I couldn't stay where I was anymore.

So I didn't.

TESOL certificate. Online teaching. Wi-Fi.

That was all I had.

That was all I needed.

For the first time in my life, I wasn't tied to a place.

And for the first time...

I wasn't coming to Korea with a return date already set.

Three months.

That was what my visa gave me.

Three months that could stretch into more if I wanted them to. A week out, a flight back in, and everything would start over again.

Simple.

Too simple, maybe.

The thought lingered longer than I wanted it to.

Because underneath the excitement-underneath the almost intoxicating sense of freedom-there was something else.

Something quieter.

Something that felt a little too close to fear.

Not fear of being here.

Never that.

But fear of what it meant to have nothing waiting for me anywhere else.

I exhaled slowly, forcing my shoulders to relax.

No.

I wasn't doing that.

Not now.

Not when I had worked so hard to get here.

I let my head rest back again, closing my eyes for just a second.

I was here.

That was enough.

And I wasn't alone.

That thought grounded me more than anything else.

Because over the years, somehow, this place had given me more than just memories.

It had given me people.

Real ones.

The kind you don't lose, even when months pass without seeing each other.

And I missed them.

More than I had allowed myself to admit while I was still back home.

This trip had been timed perfectly.

I had landed early on a Saturday morning, just in time to surprise one of my dearest friends, Donghwan-a guitarist whose talent still gave me chills-at his major performance tonight.

And he had no idea I was coming.

The thought made something warm spread through my chest.

Songhee, his girlfriend, had helped me set everything up.

Kept the secret. Planned the timing.

I could already imagine his face when he saw me.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived in South Korea. The weather is sunny and currently 32°C. Local time is 10:37 AM and-"

I stopped listening.

I didn't need to hear the rest.

Because suddenly, all of it felt too slow.

The waiting. The sitting. The distance between me and the moment I had been replaying in my head for weeks.

My heart was already ahead of me.

Already outside.

Already there.

All I wanted-more than anything-was to step out of the plane and breathe.

That air.

It sounded stupid when I tried to explain it, so I usually didn't.

But there was something about it.

Something familiar in a way that didn't make sense.

Korea wasn't perfect.

I knew that better than anyone.

But it had never mattered to me.

Because it had never been about perfection.

It had always been about how it made me feel.

Safe.

Seen, in a way I couldn't quite explain.

Like no matter how lost I felt anywhere else... I could come back here and find something steady again.

And lately, watching people fall in love with it for the surface-for idols, for dramas, for something aesthetic and easy to consume-

It bothered me.

More than I liked to admit.

Because for me... it had never been that simple.

It had never been just entertainment.

It had been something I needed.

Even if it started that way.

I could admit that.

More than ten years ago, when almost no one around me even knew a country called "Korea" existed, let alone two, I had found it by accident.

Or maybe not.

Maybe I had been looking for something without realizing it.

And it had just... answered.

I didn't question it back then.

I just held onto it.

Tightly.

Whenever things felt too much-too loud, too confusing, too heavy-I went there.

Not physically.

But in my mind.

Through the language I slowly started to understand.

Through the music that said things I couldn't put into words myself.

Through stories that made me feel less alone.

It became my escape.

Then my comfort.

Then something else entirely.My safe place.

By the time I was finally old enough to actually go, I had saved enough for three months.

I remember staring at the booking page for hours.

Three months.

It was everything I had wanted.

And still... I couldn't do it.

Because suddenly, the thought of it becoming real terrified me.

Not because I was scared of going alone.

But because I was scared of losing it.

Of stepping into it and realizing it wasn't what I thought.

That it wouldn't feel the same.

That I would come back with nothing left to hold onto.

So I booked one month instead.

Just in case.

Just enough to leave myself an escape.

And when I got on the plane back home-

I cried the entire flight.

Because none of it had been wrong.

If anything... it had been better.

More real. More alive. More everything.

And after that, there was no going back.

I kept traveling. I saw other places, other countries, other versions of life.

But nothing ever settled in me the same way.

And eventually...

I always came back here.

After clearing customs and retrieving my luggage, I stepped into the arrival hall.

And I saw her immediately.

Songhee.

She was standing there like she had been waiting forever, holding up a glittery sign that read: Welcome Home Onni.

Something in my chest loosened without me even realizing it.

A soft laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it.

So cute.

That was all I could think for a second-just that.

And then I was already moving.

I didn't even hesitate. I just ran into her arms like no time had passed at all.

"Onni! How was your trip?" she said the moment she pulled back, still smiling like she couldn't contain it, already scanning my face like she was trying to read every change at once. "Man, look at you. You look gorgeous. Did you lose weight?"

Of course that was the first thing she said.

I let out a small laugh, shaking my head.

"I cannot believe that's the first thing you ask me." I exhaled, still smiling anyway. "But... yeah, I did."

Then I looked at her properly.

Really looked.

"And you..." I paused for a second without even thinking about it. "You look mesmerizing as always."

And I meant it.

Completely.

Songhee had that kind of presence that didn't ask for attention-it just had it. Effortless. Sharp without trying. Warm without losing its edge.

When Donghwan had first introduced her to me, I remembered exactly what I thought.

Pretty. Confident. Maybe a little too perfect.

I had been wrong.

So wrong it almost made me laugh now.

Because she wasn't just that.

She was real in a way you only notice after you've stopped trying to categorize people.

Warm. Loud in the best way. Soft in places she didn't show everyone.

And yes-she wanted to be an idol.

But it never felt like an act.

And more than anything, she loved Donghwan.

Not in a dramatic way.

Just... in a way that was steady.

And somehow, that mattered more than anything else.

"Donghwan oppa is going to freak out when he sees you," she said quickly, still half laughing. "You have no idea how hard it was to keep this a secret."

"I can imagine," I said, smiling a little more softly now. "Thank you, seriously. I missed you."

Then, after a beat-

"How did you even get here this early?"

"He left for sound check at 8 AM," she said immediately, like she had been holding it in. "Can you believe that? He's been so nervous all week he can barely eat."

That made me pause.

I frowned slightly.

"But he's performed internationally... why now?"

Songhee leaned in closer, like she physically couldn't keep it in anymore, her voice dropping into something almost conspiratorial.

"I'm not supposed to know this but... I overheard a call."

My eyes narrowed instantly.

"Songhee-"

"What?" she rushed, defensive already. "He was acting weird, I got worried!"

Then she added quickly, like she needed to fix the air between us-

"Anyway. Short version. No. He's not cheating."

I snorted before I could stop myself.

"Of course he's not." I glanced at her. "That man is completely obsessed with you."

"I know," she said dramatically, but then her expression softened for a second before she leaned in again. "But... apparently there might be someone important at the concert tonight."

I blinked.

"Someone important?"

She nodded, slower this time.

"Someone who wants to sign him."

For a second, I just looked at her.

"Sign him?" I repeated, like I needed to make sure I heard her right. "As in... professionally?"

She bit her lip, trying not to smile too much.

"Yeah."

Then, softer-

"I'm so proud of him."

A pause.

"But I can't say anything. I'm not supposed to know."

I let out a breath that turned into a laugh.

"You're unbelievable."

Then I pointed at her lightly.

"After tonight, you're telling him."

The second I said it, something shifted in her face-relief, maybe. Like she had been holding onto that permission without realizing it.

She nodded immediately.

And just like that, we started walking.

But my mind didn't stay there.

It drifted.

Not on purpose.

Just... slipped.

Jeju Island.

My second Korea trip.

That was where everything really started.

That was where I met Donghwan and Youngjoo.

Same guesthouse. Same week.

It still felt unreal when I thought about it properly.

Like something that shouldn't have lasted this long but somehow did anyway.

It had been one of those weeks where time didn't behave normally.

Midnight swims that blurred into cold laughter. Surfboards left forgotten in shallow pools because no one cared about anything except the moment. Music everywhere-Donghwan's guitar drifting into the night while we sat outside with omija tea like we had nowhere else to be in the world.

I remember not sleeping.

Not even once.

Not because I couldn't.

Because I didn't want to.

Like if I closed my eyes, I would lose it.

Lose them.

Lose that version of everything.

And somehow... we stayed.

Not just stayed in contact-but stayed in each other's lives in a way that didn't fade.

Eventually, Seoul happened.

As if it was inevitable.

Donghwan and Youngjoo ended up roommates, pretending to be engineering students when neither of them fully belonged in that life.

It always made me smile a little when I thought about it.

Like they were still figuring out how to become themselves.

On my third trip, Donghwan had told me about a girl.

Not casually.

Carefully.

Like he was afraid even saying it out loud would ruin it.

He didn't think she'd choose him.

That girl had been Songhee.

I still remember Youngjoo calling me one night, months after Songhee had moved in with them.

Completely drunk.

Completely broken.

Because Donghwan had asked him to move out.

For her.

He cried.

Not quietly either.

Properly.

The kind of crying you don't forget.

And I stayed on the phone with him until he fell asleep mid-breath, still holding onto the phone like it could fix something.

The next day, it was like it had never happened.

Just life rearranging itself.

Now he had his own place.

And Donghwan and Songhee had two bedrooms.

One of them...

was mine. At least until I found something of my own.

When we arrived at the apartment, Songhee showed me in, leading me straight to my room.

It was simple.

Warm in that quiet way that doesn't try too hard.

And there was even a small bathroom attached.

"You should rest," she said softly, already watching me like she knew exactly what my body was about to do. "Jet lag is going to hit you soon."

She wasn't wrong.

I felt it before I even answered.

That heavy pull in my bones.

The moment my head touched the pillow, everything just... disappeared.

Sleep took me instantly.

And I had no idea.

Not even a hint.

That everything was about to change.

That tonight, at that concert...

I would meet someone.

Someone who would shift the entire course of my life.**** Author's Note ****

My dear lovelies,

I don't really know how to put into words how happy and grateful I am that you've found your way into this little corner of the internet where this story lives. Truly... thank you for being here. I hope, with all my heart, that something in these pages touches you in some way.

This is the very first book of a series. If you happened to stumble upon another one first but decided to start here anyway, I want to sincerely thank you. It means more than you know. You're stepping into something that will grow far beyond this first book, and I promise you... it's going to be a wild ride. Not only in this story, but across the entire series.

And if you're reading this again after finishing the bonus book... I see you too. Thank you for coming back. For staying. I hope this time the journey feels even deeper, even more emotional, and somehow even more alive than the first time you read it. <3

I first started publishing this story in June 2025. Since then, I've written and published seven other books, and in that time, my writing has changed a lot. My voice has grown with every story I've told. Because of that, I've decided to go back and revise this book so it matches the way I write now-the way I feel stories now.

This means that at times, you might notice a difference in tone between older chapters and the newly revised ones. It might feel a little uneven in places. If that happens, I just ask for your patience while I work through everything step by step. I'm doing my best to bring it all together in a way that feels right.

The comments you've left and the love you've shared will still be there, but they won't be attached to specific paragraphs anymore. Still... please keep leaving them. I read every single one. Always.

And for those of you who are new here: there is no smut in my stories. I completely respect that others choose to write or read differently, but for me, even though this is fiction, these stories carry real names, real inspiration, and real emotion behind them. The most respectful way I can honor that is by not writing things I wouldn't want written about me either.

With that being said... I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I've loved writing it.

Thank you for being here. Truly.

Sending you all my love,

Your Author-nimHazel Grace 🤍