Chapter 1: The first encounter

“Kim Haneul!” shouted Alya’s mother, Mrs. Kim.

“Get ready. We’re going to Mr. Haga’s restaurant.”

Alya groaned in frustration and closed the book she was reading. She was just reaching the climax of the book!

As Alya dressed up, pulling up her jean pants, she thought about the tradition her parents had adopted. And in turn, had forced her also.

Her family, the Kims, had a tradition of going to Mr. Haga’s restaurant every Saturday.

The Hagas had been running their family restaurant ever since their parents had established themselves in California.

Back in the 1990s, when her parents had moved from South Korea to California for the first time, the Hagas had given them a very warm welcome.

She had heard that the Hagas also had children who were of her age but they were living with their grandparents in Japan.

After a few minutes of driving, the Kims found themselves comfortable at one of the tables in Mr. Haga’s restaurant.

Her parents and the Haga family proceeded to hug and then talk as always. Everytime they came to the restaurant on Saturday.

Alya took out the novel she had secretly brought with her in her bag, hidden from the eyes of her mother and started reading again.

She thought of the times her mother would snatch the book right out of her hands and scold her for not socializing.

She did socialize. She also had friends. She had given the name for their group of close friends, “The Amalgas” because all of them had different backgrounds, nationalities and religions.

“Well, aren’t you the perfect nerd?” said someone from behind her.

Alya looked behind half-heartedly still not wanting to leave her book and saw a girl.

She knew just from looking that the girl standing in front of her was definitely Japanese, but she felt like she would appear xenophobic.

So she stopped herself from telling what she used to tell everyone she met before.

“Hello. My name is Alya Kim. And I’m Korean,” followed by an awkward smile.

And in this case from asking, “Are you Japanese?”

“I meant it as a compliment. Beautiful girls like you are often not associated with books. And those who read them wholeheartedly are called nerds.”

Alya quickly replied, “But I left my glasses at home,” which was the truth and both of them laughed.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ayumi. Ayumi Haga. Mr. Haga’s daughter,” said Ayumi, extending out her hand.

Alya returned the handshake.

She couldn’t recognize Ayumi since she was all grown up. Mr. Haga had only shown her photos of his children when they were small.

“And I’m Alya Kim.”

“Am I dreaming?,” said Alya jokingly.

“Because I see the Haga children standing in front of me.”

“The myth exists for real,” said Ayumi, gesturing to herself grandly.

“My family and I have heard so many things about you guys from Mr. Haga. So it feels like we know you guys personally even though we’re meeting only now for the first time,” said Alya.

“You haven’t met your betrothed, my brother Asahi yet,” said Ayumi teasingly.

“Oh my god!” sighed Alya as she facepalmed.

“Not this again,” she thought.

Alya was now not at all excited as she was before in meeting all of the Haga family.

Alya was busy processing what she had just heard in her head.

“She had to meet her betrothed? Wait a minute!” Alya hit herself on her forehead.

She meant Mr. Haga’s son.

Mr. Haga’s son! Asahi Haga.

She literally looked at the exit and thought of running as fast she could.

Mr. and Mrs. Haga always talked about their children though the Kims had never met them in real life.

Alya had only seen photos of Ayumi and Asahi when they were young. Mr. and Mrs. Haga would go to Japan to meet them on holidays and bring back a bunch of photos.

Alya remembered the time when Mr. Haga had shown her a photo of a young Asahi in his school uniform.

She was five years old and was also going to kindergarten at the time Mr. Haga had first shown a photo of him.

Mr. Haga had asked her if she liked him. And the young and naive Alya had said yes.

She was excited to make friends with someone her own age.

The inside joke between the Haga and Kim family was that both families thought it would be funny to say that they wedlocked their children as a sign of their everlasting friendship.

It was just a joke. And child marriages used to exist back then.

Mr. and Mrs. Haga always teased Alya calling her their daughter-in-law.

But she never got to meet the Haga children because they lived with their grandparents back in Japan. Until now.

Ayumi was aware of the inside joke which meant that Mr. Haga had probably shown Asahi, Alya’s photo and told him that she was her betrothed.

The Kim and Haga families were very close and although their children had never met each other, they would always talk about them.

Alya wasn’t able to understand the word “betrothed” when Mr. Haga had mentioned it when she was young.

Mr. Haga had told her his son, Asahi, was her betrothed. She thought betrothed meant friends.

Now that she was grown up, she could understand the word very well and just accepted the teasing from her parents as well Mr. and Mrs. Haga.

This was the 21st century people, not happening!

She never realised the possibility of Ayumi and Asahi coming to visit their parents in California.

Probably because she only visited her family in South Korea during the holidays and it was never vice versa.

Alya looked behind Ayumi to see two figures approaching them. She couldn’t quite make out their faces until they were standing close to her.

Damn! Where were her glasses when she needed them?

It was Mr. Haga with his right hand wrapped around a boy’s shoulder and he was dragging the boy towards Ayumi and Alya.

When Alya’s eyes met with those of the boy, she felt like she had seen him somewhere.

Asahi looked at his betrothed watching and studying him excuse me what! He meant Alya Kim.

The constant teasing by his family members were getting to him.

He scratched his head in confusion as he watched Alya talk to his father.

She had grown up pretty well because the last photo his father had shown him was when she was in middle school.

He was helping his mother inside the kitchen when Asahi was literally dragged by his father. He had squirmed and resisted his father’s sudden grip on his shoulders when he heard that his father was taking him outside to meet his betrothed.

But his father wouldn’t give him a chance to compose himself.

He felt embarrassment and he knew Alya also shared the same feelings as him.

Because of the inside joke between the two families.

On the trip from Japan to California, he was thinking of possible scenarios of how he should react when he met Alya for real.

Until now, before he was used to seeing her only in the photos his father brought with him.

Now that she was standing in front of him for real, he wanted to say that he knew her and recognized her from the photos but he didn’t in fear of Alya thinking that he was a stalker.

As Alya and Mr. Haga were talking, Asahi felt awkward just standing there. Since his father had dragged him here, he thought he would at least say a simple hello and introduce himself properly.

Asahi watched as his sister, Ayumi gave him a sly handwave and disappeared to join his mother in the kitchen.

Alya was answering Mr. Haga’s questions about her summer medical program she had attended last summer, when she noticed Asahi just standing there. Looking between her and his father back and forth, not sure of what he should do or say.

Alya was surprised and felt relieved that they only talked about her summer medical program and not even once, the word “betrothed” was mentioned.

Maybe she wished too fast because as soon as her father saw Asahi standing next to Mr. Haga, he took Asahi’s hand for a firm handshake and said, “Welcome to California, my son-in-law.”

The inside joke was still going on Asahi thought to himself as he saw Alya from the corner of his eyes, facepalm.

“Hello Mr. Jeon. Nice to meet you,” Asahi replied.

Mrs. Kim suddenly shouted, “Give the kids a chance to talk to themselves.”

Mr. Haga and Mr. Jeon heeded the request with a fast “Okay!” and left Asahi and Alya alone.

As her father was leaving, Alya had the sudden urge to grab his hand and tell him not to go. But if she did that, she would look childish.

Asahi cleared his throat and was about to introduce himself when Alya suddenly said, “Let’s go outside,” and watched her as she made it out through the doors.

He too followed suit and found Alya sitting on one of the chairs set outside of his parent’s restaurant.

He pulled a chair opposite from where she was sitting and sat down. He interlocked his two hands and started to fiddle and play with his fingers.

He did not dare look in the direction of Alya right now. He felt his heart would betray him and Alya would hear how fast his heart was beating.

Alya carefully studied a tense and nervous Asahi sitting in front of her. She wondered why he was acting this way so she decided to lighten the atmosphere by speaking up first.

“You know, you could have told me that you were coming to Lakewood. I could have set up some sort of welcoming party along with my friends and family to welcome you.”

Asahi finally looked up and found Alya watching him. He mustered the courage and finally replied, “No. It’s alright. It was all hectic when we shifted here last week. The moving process. And also my admission at Lakewood. Ayumi also got admission in the middle school here in town.”

Alya quickly blurted out, “Wait! So you mean you’re staying here. As in you’re not here for a few days. You’re going to my school?”

“Pretty much. Yeah” replied Asahi, scratching the back of his head nervously.

Alya thought that she was probably going to have some classes with him.

Asahi thought that Alya looked pretty unhappy about him going to the same school as her. But he noticed that she rarely smiled.

“I thought we were going to remain pen friends forever,” said Alya, smiling.

“I was pretty much born and raised here. My parents came here because of their jobs. So I was thinking we wouldn’t meet unless you came along the way from Japan.”

Asahi remembered that he had to log into his facebook account. Since he and Ayumi were pretty busy unpacking, he did not check his messages.

Alya had made it happen when she said that she wanted to be friends with Asahi. Even though they were in different countries. She had added Asahi on facebook and chatted with him. They had sent each other handwritten letters over the past few years. Both of them had decided to send other letters the traditional way. And that was how they had become pen friends.

Alya was in middle school at that time and she remembered the smug smile her mother carried on her lips as she walked into Alya’s room when she was doing her homework.

Her mother had said nothing, just handed her a piece of paper which she accepted and left her alone.

On the piece of paper was Asahi’s email. Alya had a pretty sure idea from where her mother could have found Asahi’s email.

She had opened her facebook account back then and she logged into her social media and searched for Asahi.

After searching for what felt like ages, she finally found him.

She clicked on his profile and started looking for his old photos. She knew what she was doing would be called stalking. But she wanted to find out how he looked now. The last photo Mr. Haga had shown her was of Asahi in primary school.

After looking at his photos and facebook page, she debated whether she should hit the “add friend” button.

She sat on her chair, looking at her laptop, but she still couldn’t hit the button.

That day she had thought “Screw it!” and had gotten back to her homework.

But the next day, right before leaving for school, she had sent him a friend request.

And when she had arrived from school, she saw that he had accepted it.

“I was pretty shocked myself when my dad suddenly called me last month and said that Ayumi and I should come and stay with them. My grandparents were not happy but they let us go when my father said that he could not come to visit us in Japan this year.”

Alya asked, “ When I was small, I used to wonder why Mr. and Mrs. Haga would always go visit you guys in Japan when you and Ayumi could have stayed with them here in California.”

Asahi laughed softly and said, “That’s a long story actually.”

“No it’s okay. I’m fine. I’m all ears. I’m not going anywhere right now. Pretty much free here. Give it a go,” said Alya.

“My grandparents from my father’s side were here from a long time ago. So my father took great care to run the same business his father set up. My father and mother met here in California. And also got married here. But when they had me and Ayumi they were back in Japan. My grandmother from my mother’s side had died. So they returned and stayed in Japan until I turned 10. When I entered primary school, my father returned to California to run the business and my grandparents from my father’s side, they left the place where they were practically born and raised and permanently settled in Japan.”

Asahi exhaled a little and continued.

“To raise us, because they wanted to return to Japan and my mother was pretty adamant on having us spend our childhood years in Japan so that we remembered our roots.”

“I’ve never seen your grandparents. I used to see only Mr. Haga in the restaurant back then, and a few years later, your mother arrived too,” said Alya.

“I’m closer with my dad’s family more than my mother’s. It’s actually a secret but my parents may have never mentioned it to your family.”

“My mother was ostracized by her family back then.”

“Wait what?” asked Alya in confusion.

“But why?”

“My father and his family were here from a long time ago. Whereas my mother, she was born and raised in Japan. She met my dad here when they were studying together in college. My mother’s parents did not like the fact that although my dad is Japanese, he did not grow up in Japan. So their relationship was not worthy of acceptance to my mother’s parents. They demanded she immediately return to Japan where my grandfather had found a suitable suitor for her. But my mother was a bit of a rebel I will say,” said Asahi, laughing.

“Let me guess. She didn’t listen right?” asked Alya, intrigued.

“Yeah. If she had listened, Ayumi and I wouldn’t have been born,” replied Asahi.

“She completed her education and both my parents married after graduation. But she could not return back to her parents because when they had found out she had gone against their wishes, she was ostracized.”

“Ah! True love at it’s best,” blurted Alya suddenly.

After realising what she had said, she felt embarrassed. But she meant what she said.

Asahi chuckled and Alya quickly responded, “I’m a nerd actually. I admit it myself.”

Alya found Asahi staring at her so she said, “I have to wear glasses. But mostly I wear them in school or when I’m reading.”

“Oh no! I was just thinking why you’re calling yourself a nerd. Isn’t being called a nerd a good thing?”

Now it was Alya’s turn to laugh, “Maybe yes. And maybe no. But I have been called a nerd a couple of times because of my love for books.”

“Your parent’s love story sounds like something straight out of a novel.”

“Why out of a novel?” asked Asahi, intrigued.

“Their story happened in reality.”

“I read a lot of novels. But I don’t think such romanticism exists right now. In real life.”

Alya said almost as a reassurance to herself, “Don’t let them get to their head even if they do sometimes go overboard.”

Asahi was confused. “About what?” he asked.

“The betrothed from childhood joke that has been going on between both our families,” replied Alya.

Asahi touched his forehead with his right hand, something he did when he was embarrassed.

“Yeah. My parents tease me all the time,” replied Asahi.

“Same here. But most of the time and surprisingly by your father,” said Alya, smiling.

Asahi never told anyone about his childhood crush on Alya for the fear of someone finding out. And the one person he did not want finding out his secret was Alya herself.

Asahi thought about what Alya had said a few minutes ago. She had said that she did not believe romanticism could exist outside of books. But Asahi believed it did exist. Afterall, he had fallen for his pen friend, someone who he had never met before. Until now. Now that he had met Alya in real life, he couldn’t help but have a crush on her. He was glad that he was going to attend high school together with his pen friend.