He Liked Her Shoes

Chapter 3: First Days

The taxi from Icheon International Airport to her apartment was a quick drive compared to the hours on the plane. She would be staying in the Mullae-dong district on the west side of the city, she wouldn't even be crossing the Han River. Luckily, she had landed during the early part of the day so the landlord had agreed to meet her to hand over the keys. She had already paid the month in full and she was excited to unpack then explore her neighborhood.

It was a suite, basically one big room with a small kitchenette along one wall: a mini-fridge, a single burner stove and a sink. The basics. There was a simple bathroom with a tub. Her bed, which the landlord had accommodated her by arranging the delivery, was a thick pad laid out in the center of the room. She would need a small table to eat and work at and maybe a TV. She was excited to watch her favorite K-dramas while actually in Korea.

She texted Joon-suk, as promised. She figured they were preparing for the concert in two days and she'd probably never hear from them again. But to her surprise she was invited to a group text that included all five of the band members. He texted a welcome and told her to send her address. She complied. It would be three days before she would hear from them again.
She strolled out of her apartment, inquiring about the location of the nearest shop to buy food. She entered the open door market with various stalls of fresh fruits and veggies, as well as instant noodles. She already had a list of basics she'd be able to store in her mini-fridge and luckily the shop was just a short walk from her building so she could pick up fresher foods as needed.

She found the nearest internet cafe, conveniently right next to the market and emailed her boss.

James,
Arrived safely. Getting settled. Ready to work when needed. Luckily this internet cafe is open 24 hours. Should I have told you that? Thanks again for accommodating my trip. Been amazing so far! - M

The other emails in her inbox could wait. She would rest from her trip, enjoy the cooler air, take a walk along her street to discover what other treasures were close by and then prepare for the concert of a lifetime. No longer were KPK her favorite all time k-pop band, but they were her friends and she knew her first concert would be that more amazing.

Saturday. Concert day. She said a quick prayer of good luck as she knew they were probably at the stadium preparing. She had purchased her ticket while still in the US and the stub was among her most important papers. She pinned it to the large cork board she had purchase to use as her work station. When dealing with a difficult programming issue, it often helped to print out the coding to examine in hand. A programmer who preferred paper.

She dressed in the same outfit she had worn to the airport just days ago. She had gently hand washed it and hung it out to dry. She was lucky enough to have a small balcony on the second floor so she could use the sun to her advantage.

It felt like the entire city was converging on the stadium for KPK's homecoming concert. There was excitement in the air as fans filtered in, taking their seats that would remain mostly unused once the concert started. And what a concert it was! This alone was worth the 15 hour plane ride. It was amazing and she had made several friends with those seated around her. She was always taken aback how South Koreans seem to truly appreciate that she could speak to them in their native tongue. But it also afforded her the opportunity to enjoy the concert with friends instead of strangers.

She walked back to her apartment, realizing that several living in her building had also attended the show. Instant friends. She was loving South Korea and it was only day three.

The next day, she headed for the internet cafe to check her emails, bowing to her neighbors in recognition. James acknowledged her email, said he'd try to give her until Monday before sending anything and no, she probably should not have told him the cafe was open 24 hours.
Since she'd have Sunday to explore, she took a taxi to the more downtown area of Seoul. A pop-up cafe to eat noodles was on her to do list. She had seen these restaurants on several of her favorite shows and the food always made her hungry. As she stared out the window of the taxi, taking in the sites of the city, her phone chirped. It was a group text but it was Joon-suk writing.
>Hey M. How was concert?