CHAPTER 1

Jeremy sat at the bench, feeling unusually conspicuous. He was one of the thousand tourists visiting the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace, a Royal Palace in Seoul, South Korea. Aside from the antiquity of the place, there were also some guards in their traditional brightly colored costumes and armor, which capture the attention of many sightseers. It was spring, the cherry blossoms set against the ornate and spacious Palace backdrop creating breathtaking scenery for him to reflect. He was absorbing the positive energy of the palace and was surreptitiously looking at the trees and the tourist taking pictures.

Jeremy was in grey jacket with a hoodie and blue jeans, with his dark hair, and sunglasses covering his light brown eyes. His profession requires such clothes since he is a personality in the Philippines and the Palace was filled with Filipino vacationers. He wanted to be alone, away from the fans. Clearing his mind, Jeremy tried to caress the grandeur of the place, looking for some kind of inspiration since he just lost his sense of writing new songs. Not that his talent was gone like a bubble popping. He is a very talented musician, both as singer and composer. It is just that he lost some people dear to him before going to South Korea. His parents passed away. They met a vehicular accident just when he was on the rise to stardom. As it had been scheduled months before, he had no choice but to give in to the concert. Yet, he cannot find any inspiration to write new song along the way.

Glancing up, he saw a lady walking toward him, dressed in buttoned half-placket, sleeveless, unlined pink dress that matched the canvas bag she was carrying. She had long black hair that swept her shoulders. Her skin with just a hint of olive, made makeup unnecessary, but it was her eyes that caught him.

The lady's name is Kate. She's a Filipina student on a practicum in one of the prestigious hotels in South Korea. She was on her last day of exposure at the Imperial Palace Hotel, a prominent Hotel in Seoul. Kate had been staying in South Korea for more than 6 months. It was a dream come true for her. She had been to many places in Asia, Europe and America but she had not had the chance to visit or stay in South Korea particularly in Seoul where history is abounding. During her stay, it was all work, pure practicum and exposures. Yet, she decided that before going back to Philippines, she wanted to visit some historical sites and on top of her list was Gyeongbokgung Palace. She was alone visiting the Palace. Her companions were not into historical places. They preferred the modern downtown than the palaces and temples. Yet, being alone did not stop her. She took the chance to see and visit, on such beautiful day, the Palace.

Trying to make a lasting memory with the palace, Kate looked for a person who could get a picture of her and the Palace. She saw a man sitting in a corner. As Kate approached the man, Jeremy was flicking through his photos; he saw movement from the corner of his eye.

For a moment, he wondered whether she was approaching him to ask something. Maybe she noticed that he was also from Philippines. Maybe he thought that she knows him even with his undercover looks. Then again, perhaps it was simply a coincidence.

She continued moving toward him. She was a little bit tense. She's not used to asking favor from people especially to a stranger. Yet, her desire to have a beautiful photo with the Palace gave her courage to do so.

He smiled broadly as she neared.

"Excuse me, picture please," Kate asked while smiling.

Jeremy whispered to himself, "Hmm, a fan even in this place." Several thoughts entered his mind. How did she know? He was already in undercover clothes. Maybe she's a stalker but she does not look like one.

Thinking that Kate wanted to take his picture, Jeremy straightened up as he slipped the photo back into his wallet. He removed his sunglasses, posed and said, "Sure, why not?"

Immediately understood the misunderstanding, Kate reiterated while pointing at her self and the palace, "No! No! Can you please take my picture with the palace?"

Oh my! Jeremy thought. She was asking him to take a picture of her and the Palace. Feeling embarrassed, Jeremy got the camera, took the shot, and returned it. Because of awkwardness, he wore his sunglasses and walked away afterwards.

Kate was so excited to see the picture. She looked at great shot in some seconds. Stared at them that she now has a souvenir of the Palace. Afterwards, Kate looked at Jeremy to thank him but he was nowhere to be found. Surely he was no ghost, she thought. How can he suddenly disappear? She sought to look for him but to no avail. She wanted to thank him for the favor that he has done especially the beautiful shot but he was not around anymore.

Later that day, with the sun down, Jeremy strolled around the garden of the hotel. He was alone. Most of the customers were either at the bar or at the restaurant of the hotel. As he listened to the sound of nature whispering and marched through the grasses, the dew moistened the tips of his feet through his sandals and the moonlight reflected at the pound on the corner, Jeremy felt a wave of enlightenment.

"Hey Jeremy," Tobby, Jeremy's manager asked, "Are you okay?" Offering a can of beer. Tobby was a long time companion of Jeremy even before he became a celebrity. Jeremy met him in a party with some of his friends. Tobby first heard the harmonious voice of Jeremy when he sang in a bar as requested by his friends. He introduced himself as a possible manager for him. He launched Jeremy in a recording company he now belongs and then the rest of history happened. Jeremy became a star just as Tobby predicted. He was not only a manager but also a close friend since their age is not far from each other.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Jeremy replied while rejecting to drink. He was still reflecting on some things. The sound of his voice brought him back, and memories of the accident. He continued to stare, wondering what on earth will he do after the South Korea trip.

"You sure? You seem like you're still in great pain."

"I'm fine. I just need to have a break after this trip. What – what will you do after this?" Jeremy stammered as he tried to change the topic.

Tobby scratched his head, looked at the moon and said, "I don't know. Maybe I'll go back to our province until you come back." Tapping Jeremy's shoulder, he continued, "I will wait for you man. Music is in your blood. The industry needs you."

"Just so you know, I'm not sure if I'll still return," Jeremy hinted.

"Oh, no?"

Jeremy shrugged, "Well, for now I just want to leave everything behind. Beside, they are already looking for me."

"Have they contacted you lately?"

"Yes! But I told them to give me six months to think about it."

Tobby cleared his throat, "Why don't you come with me in my hometown. It's a small town. But you could relax, reflect and go to beach all the time. What do you say?"

"Do you think I am ready for it?"

"You're a good person. You can do any task given to you. But the question you should be asking is, are you willing to start a new life again? You know you have to leave the music industry, the Philippines, your fans and your friends especially me."

When he said nothing else, Jeremy smiled and began to move towards the door. "Thanks man."

"Think about it." Tobby mumbled