Unwanted Beginning

As I opened the café's door and saw Min Gyeong sitting near the window, it never occurred to me that that day would be my last day seeing her.

There was nothing unusual happening that day. It was late summer; the sun was shining unbearably bright and hot, with no single cloud adorning the sky. Most people complained about the summer weather, yet not Min Gyeong. She was as cheerful as she always was; her favorite peasant blouse and skinny jeans accentuated her beautiful curves. Her short, pixie haircut—a new look she had just put on herself a week ago—made her look more radiant and attractive. Combined with her large eyes, her complexion looked like a fairy in a children's storybook, making everyone couldn't stop staring at her. Clearly, she was born to look like a model, and being a model was her current job.

On the other hand, I was much plainer than her. Min Gyeong and I had been friends since high school—almost ten years now—but our looks were like sky and sea apart. I wasn't blessed with large eyes and a tall body, so much unlike Min Gyeong. I was extremely nearsighted and had a shorter-than-average body height. Also, I was underweight and a college dropout who worked at a 24-hour convenience store. Nothing fancy about myself. The only reason that Min Gyeong (probably) wanted to befriend me was that where she was graced with that gorgeous appearance, I was graced with a good enough brain. That's how I thought at that time. Min Gyeong's grades at school were so bad that the teachers were confused about how they could best teach her. They paired her to study with me, and that was how we grew close to each other.

Later, she denied the idea that she only wanted to befriend me because of my academic achievement. I doubted her at first, but then I grew to trust her. The reason might be because she never judged people easily and she was a funny girl, so naturally, I enjoyed my time with her. Although Min Gyeong had a lot of friends, she often had fun with me, too.

That afternoon was no exception. Min Gyeong was beaming as she saw me entering the café and jumped from her seat to hug me tightly. "Sook Ja!" she yelled, turning some heads around to look at us. "I'm so glad you came! Something good's happening to me right now and I can't wait to tell you about it!"

I embraced her lightly. "Okay, okay. Let me sit down first."

We ordered pasta with bolognese sauce for lunch, guava juice for Min Gyeong, and iced lemon tea for me. I waited until the waiter went to the kitchen with our orders and gestured at Min Gyeong to spill the tea.

"Okay," she grinned, rubbing her hands together. "Just last night, I got a call from my manager who told me that there was this famous photographer in Seoul inviting me to work with him. And he wanted me to go to Seoul right now, as soon as possible." Her eyes gleamed with excitement. "They already bought me a bus ticket to Seoul this very afternoon! The bus leaves at about two p.m., so I need to go to the bus terminal quickly."

"Bus?" I lifted my eyebrows, incredulous.

"Yeah!" she nodded, excited, but then was aware of my unchanged expression. "What's wrong with taking a bus?" Min Gyeong pouted. "I like to ride a bus. I can enjoy the scenery outside. I feel like my career has been stuck too long in this place. I practically never leave Daegu! So, I really want to see the outside world this time." She winked at me. "I finally got my chance to work in Seoul, Sook Ja. Seoul! Imagine that!"

My eyebrows were still lifted high. "I mean, there's a train," I explained. "Why on earth did you choose the bus instead?"

"Taking trains would be uncomfortable because everything seems to move too fast for my eyes. It's not enjoyable," Min Gyeong replied, pouting again. She stared at me unblinkingly like she wanted me to understand her without asking her anything further. I knew that Min Gyeong disliked trains, but this was the first time that Min Gyeong told me how she hated trains to the point that she even avoided them in the first place.

I sighed defeatedly. "Well, still, Seoul is, like, a stone's throw from here. It's not Paris or Milan. You'll get there in no time at all, just a couple of hours away. So, no need to get overhyped."

Min Gyeong pushed my arm playfully. "Don't say it like that. I'm just happy, you know? I've been working with many kinds of models and photographers, and they all told me about their experiences when they worked in Seoul, even abroad. Now," she tapped her fingers on the table, grinning all the time, "if I get to work with the agency in Seoul full time, there's a big opportunity that I can also work abroad because they said their connection extends widely around the world."

She was speaking fast, almost out of breath. I only listened to her story while munching my lunch. Min Gyeong had been more of a city girl for a long time. She once admitted that she was bored living in a small, suburban area in Daegu and longed to stay permanently in a big city. No wonder she was so eager with the idea of going to Seoul now. Yet, somehow, Min Gyeong's story unsettled me. It was unclear to me back then why I felt that way, but the point is that feeling was so strong that I couldn't put it aside.

"Is it legit?" I asked. "I mean, this whole business with the Seoul's photographer, the Seoul's agency." I'm no expert in modeling agencies, but I was worried about Min Gyeong. She could be a little careless and forget to be more cautious.

"Of course! What did you think, that they're gonna kidnap and sell me?" she laughed it off.

I cringed at her carefree laughter. "I'm serious, Min Gyeong. I mean, with the whole news about the number of young women getting kidnapped in this country that's increasing lately, we have to take this matter seriously."

Min Gyeong stopped laughing, then cleared her throat. "Okay, okay. I get it. I know about the kidnapping news and it's horrible that somebody would do that to those innocent girls. But I'm not worried so much. You remember my brother, Min Gi, right?"

I remembered him, and I nodded. Min Gi was Min Gyeong's older brother, about six years older than Min Gyeong. He worked in the army and once in a while would visit his sister in Daegu, so I'd met him occasionally. The last time Min Gyeong mentioned her brother, she said he thought about quitting the army. After that, Min Gyeong never talked about him to me until now.

"I think I can depend on Min Gi," Min Gyeong said with confidence in her eyes. "He's in Seoul now; I'm going to stay at his place until my job is done there. Or—if things turn out promising for my future in Seoul—until I can find a place for myself. Whatever happens, he promised that he won't leave me alone. After all, it's my first time coming to Seoul and I really don't know that place much," she chuckled. "Don't worry, Sook Ja, I'll be fine! As long as I'm with my brother, I'll be okay."

And those were her final words to me at the café. As we left the café together and I accompanied her to the bus terminal, embracing for one full minute, and said goodbye to each other as her bus rolled down the road, I never thought that she would vanish.

"Call me as soon as you reach Seoul," I hugged her tightly.

"Sure, sure," Min Gyeong chuckled again. It seemed like she didn't feel anything wrong could take place at any time. "You worry too much. I put an alarm so it'll remind me to call you after I step out of the bus." She smirked at me.

But she never called. Instead, that night it was Min Gi who called me.