America To Korea

Part 30: Broken Promises

Previously: The call went to voicemail and Mary's expression was filled with desperation. She stared at the wall for a moment, sighed, and glanced at me as if I was a unexperienced little sheep, giving me a soft smile, "Have you ever been in love before?"

I was taken by surprise and my breathe stopped, "Why would you ask that?"

She flashes me a friendly smile, "Have you?"

I stood there with a clueless face, shocked with the subject change. "No." I regained my posture, "I haven't."

She smiled and proceeded to clean up the makeup counter, "It doesn't matter how you get treated when you love someone. David has been there for me since we were kids and I want to be there for him." She looks at me, "It doesn't matter if the world is against you. Once you find a person who you truly love, that person will be all that matters."

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-Jina's POV-

It was all the same, the same air, the same people, the same ground. I took a deep breath of Los Angeles and feast my eyes on the city's beautiful sight and sound. I place my eyes on the nostalgic streets that I have walked many times in my childhood. As I ride the cab, I took time to digest the fact that I was home and it was finally happening. I'm going to see my gomo, not as Yang Kim Jina but as Jina of Girls' Generation.

Park Seojoon, Tiffany, and Mary wanted to accompany me, fearing that something would happen once I landed. I refused to let them since they had to work back in Korea. Bringing them on this trip would be completely pointless. The goal of this trip is to fix my issue, I should be the one to fix it.

The cab arrived at Linda's Korean BBQ Place in downtown L.A. I know, I tried to urge her to change the name, but she is one stubborn lady. It was the same sign, same customers, and same red paint along the wall.

I placed my hands on the door knob and opened the door with a bell attached to the handle, alerting the whole building that I arrived. The customers paid no attention to me which was relieving. There were no Koreans around that could risk recognizing me which was also relieving.

Linda's co-worker, Tilly-David Letterman's #1 fan, stepped out of the kitchen with food stains on his apron. As soon as he saw my face, his eyes widens bigger than an apple. "Oh my goodness.. It's Jina! What a surprise!" His loud, bulky voice finally caught the attention of customers as he stomps his way toward me, smearing my white shirt with his stains. Uncle Tilly was white, which meant that he is tall and has bright blue eyes. I must look like an ant compared to him.

"I can't believe it's you! I missed you!" He hollered.

"I missed you too uncle Tilly," He squeezes the oxygen out of my lungs, "But you'e squeezing me a bit too tight."

"Sorry, my bad." He releases me from his grip. To the customers, he made an announcement. "Look everyone! My little Jina came back from Korea."

My face immediately flushed, "Will you stop calling me that uncle Tilly. It's really embarrassing. I'm an adult now."

"Everyone needs to know that my favorite little gal is the smartest girl that went to Shinwa University, only Korea's #1 university, one of the world's top schools."

His loud comments caught the attention of one customer. With a glass of water in his hand, "Shinwa? I heard that's the world's leading universities, competing with the Ivy league schools."

Uncle Tilly smiled so widely that his excess cheek fat were round like a clown. All he had to do was to draw red circles on them. "Exactly. Not only that, but she she was national television too."