Sun kissed

It had been two months since Mina’s divorce was finalized. She had lived in South Korea with her husband on a specific visa, and the day they traveled back to Korea to change her status so she could re-enter as a tourist had been anything but easy. The moment she set foot in the country again, every emotion and memory came flooding back. · This was the place she had once imagined turning into a home with the love of her life. Now, Korea felt more like a cave of sadness. No matter how hard she tried to remember the good times, she kept replaying the pain and loneliness she had felt here—living in a foreign country, far from her family and friends, chasing a dream that never came true. · Mina spent the first full day resting in the same hotel she had checked into four years ago with her ex‑husband. She told herself the only way to bury the bad memories was to create new ones. It wouldn’t be easy, but it was worth trying. As she stood by the window of her room, she looked out at the glittering lights of Seoul. The city skyline wrapped around her like a quiet promise, and for a moment, her mind felt lighter. · She decided to go for a walk and breathe in some new air. · Her stay was short—only about a week and a half. · Mina walked into the nearest convenience store, craving an iced latte, then headed out without paying much attention to where she was going. Before she knew it, she found herself in the center of DDP. A memory hit her like a gust of wind: she had spent a birthday in a café there once. The image of her ex‑husband laughing at the table flashed in her mind and she had to fight back tears. She stopped, blinked hard, and turned to change direction. · At that moment, she didn’t realize she bumped straight into someone. She was already full of tears and couldn’t see the person clearly. Embarrassment seized her and she tried not to look at his face. · The other person, noticing she was foreign, spoke softly: · “Are you okay?” · His accent didn’t sound like a typical Korean speaking English. He gently reached out, turning her chin slightly so she would look at him. · With her eyes blurred by tears, she couldn’t make out his features properly. · He asked again, voice softer now: · “Are you okay? You’re crying.” · Flustered, she tilted her head to check if she had spilled coffee on him. · “O‑oh… I’m okay. I mean… thank you for asking,” she stammered. · “No, it’s fine,” he answered quickly. · “I’m sorry I bumped into you… I hope I didn’t hurt you,” she continued, voice shaking. · He smiled. “Nothing to worry about.” · She bowed slightly to thank him, then hurried away without turning back, rushing toward somewhere—anywhere—where she could wipe her face and hide her tears. · She turned around once to see if he was still there, but by then she couldn’t even recall what he looked like. With a sigh, she gave up and pretended nothing had happened. She walked into a shop full of cute stationery and little souvenirs, thinking she would finally buy the things she had wanted but never bought last time she visited.