12. Towards Her

[To you, my future.

I don't know whether i should start with my thank yous or my sorrys but i guess it doesn't matter when i have a lifetime ahead to recite them to you….]

He immediately reached the book shut, unable to continue reading the very thing he wrote as a teenager. Apart from the crippling embarrassment that rang in his ears until they were bright red, there was also the increasing danger that he might be reminded of everything. Being reminded was nothing bad, it was just that it would be much harder to stay away if he revisited the past. God knows what he went through to leave the place and start over completely.

He threw the book at his side and it landed on the passenger seat of the car with a subtle thud. He glanced at the side mirror and watched the 16 wheeler sweep past his car as it was parked at the side. What was he doing?

Truly, he didn't know why but he was already catching a flight to the nearest airport from Seoul to Gunsan. He was heading towards her before he even had a grip over his senses. It was like she took over his reasoning and enchanted him. He wouldn't be surprised because that's what she always used to do to him.

He glanced at the road, starting car and driving onto the highway.

*****

Mirae walked up to her desk, setting the go to cup of coffee beside her laptop. She turned and did a little double take at her desk as she saw a strange flash of yellow across the polished wood. She picked up the sticky note stuck on her desk, slowly reading the familiar bad handwriting which seemed to be scrawled in a hurry. Her eyes widened as she skimmed through the note. Hurriedly, she dropped the note and turned to her bag on the chair, clamoring through the contents inside. Retrieving her phone, she quickly unlocked it and clicked the phone icon.

The music blasting through the car came to a sudden cut as the phone chucked into the cupholder began to light up.

Taeho glanced at his phone as the bluetooth AI lady rattled off a series of 'Incoming calls' automatically. He frowned, alternating his attention between the street and his blinking screen. He pressed the accept button, looking back at the road. He watched as the heavy 16-wheeler truck took a heavy turn at the U-turn of the highway.

"President Lee, this is crazy!" Mirae yelled through the car speaker and Taeho winced as he quickly lowered the volume.

"Did you inform the Deputy CEO? I am driving so keep it short."

"Driving? You can't just leave the company suddenly."

"I took a sabbatical. Don't worry, I will be back in a week…I hope."

"President Lee, you are the CEO and the president. You can't just take a sabbatical. What will the board say?"

"The board reports to me, don't stress too much about it. "

"Where are you right now?"

"Hmmm…" He glanced at the map, "Jeollabuk"

"Jeollabuk? Where even is that?"

"It doesn't matter, you are in charge of monitoring the Deputy, make sure you send reports to my email. I just hope there's internet there but i'll make sure to check it frequently. As for the scandal, tell Haeson not to make any statement. It's as good as fixed."

"But Presi–"

"Hang up, you're distracting me."

He reached over, hanging up the call and the music turned back again. He glanced at the passenger seat, the brown hardback school yearbook sitting there in plain sight. He didn't know what overcame him but he told himself that he just wanted to fix the problem. That's all, just fix the problem. And what does finding Bo Yejeong have to do with fixing the problem?

Maybe he didn't have the answer to everything.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed on the accelerator and felt a calm wash over him as the sidelines blurred with speed.

****

There were no welcome signs of any sort or anything that indicated that he was back in Woosun-ri, a small village at the port side, just sitting at the edge of the perimeter of the country. He was not too sure as well but he trusted the GPS more than his own sense of direction. He could hardly remember anything about the village and nor could he rely on his muscle memory. Seoul had spoilt him a bit much and he was desperately wishing that there would be internet in the place. If not, all the better chance to promote his network service, Mirae. It's called Mirae because Mirae came up with the idea and she wouldn't allow him to ever take credit for her work.

The pebbles crunched under his feet as he got off the car, making sure that he locked it before walking towards the first store he saw in the village. He was surprised that it was a relatively large shop that almost resembled a mart but it also looked newly opened. He remembered the shops when he used to live here. The Grannys of the neighborhood would sell whatever they could get their hands on, often knock offs of big brand snacks and cheap candies with an overwhelming amount of homegrown vegetables and fruits. But a mart? He would have never thought that it would happen.

Woosun was small and tight knit. Someone knew someone that you knew and everyone went to school together at one point. You couldn't keep a secret in this village and whatever you say, would be repeated over to everyone else. There was no such thing as privacy.

If he remembered right, and he did, Bo Yejeong's family had a rice cake shop around this area. He always figured that she would take over the business, or he would, after he married her. But after what happened, he was not sure. He realized that he had almost clue about anyone he knew in this village, his memory was almost six or seven years old. He left when he was eighteen and he was almost twenty four.

He walked back to his car, realizing that the store was no longer there. He blew air out of his mouth, looking at the yearbook on the passenger seat. Giving up, he reached out for it and flipped through the pages, looking for the one with the dog ear. Coming across it, he flipped it open and looked at the spot he knew she would be at.

And there she was.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, brushing his finger over her picture. There she was, smiling widely. He smiled to himself as well. He was strangely eager to see her and at the same time, he was scared. He knew that he shouldn't be here at all. She would probably chase him off. He was curious, that's all. Whether it all worked out for her, whether she would be surprisingly happy to see him or whether she made it.

He was scared too, to go to that house, which was right beside her house and beside Giseok's house. He promised himself that he would only take a look at her and leave, and tell her to come to Seoul if she doesn't chase him off but that was unlikely.

He turned the keys and the car vibrated as the engine turned on. He just hoped that she wouldn't kick him out. He was desperately praying for that