Sun kissed

The next day, Mina woke up late. She remembered she had to go to the immigration office, which was in another city. It would take a few hours to get there. She skipped breakfast, grabbed the first clothes she saw, and rushed into a taxi to head to the train station. · Luckily, she found a seat on the train. The ride was only about twenty minutes, but even that short distance felt heavy. At the main station, the platform was packed with people—couples holding hands, families chatting, groups of friends laughing. The warmth in the air only made her feel more alone. She took a slow breath and whispered to herself: · “I’m okay. I’m better. I can do this.” · She looked around for a bakery that wasn’t too crowded and decided to stop at a mini‑shop inside the station. She bought a boba tea instead of food and carried it to the train platform, where she waited for her train. · When the train arrived, she boarded and found her assigned seat. People around her were minding their own business, scrolling on phones or reading. Mina had never really liked long train rides; the last time had made her sick. Today was no different—she still felt queasy from the twenty‑hour flight she had taken only a few days before. · When she finally arrived at the immigration office, she explained her situation at the front desk. The staff didn’t understand, so they went to find someone who could speak English. Mina was led into a small, separate room and asked to wait for an agent. · A woman arrived speaking only Korean. Mina understood a little, and tried to explain that she wanted to change her visa status. · The woman waved her hand. “Wait a minute. Someone is coming here to talk.” · Mina stayed seated, confused. Moments later, a young man walked in and sat across from her. · She waited for him to speak, but at first he said nothing. He just looked at her, his eyes soft and slightly wavy with concern. He looked handsome, somewhere between old and young at the same time, with that kind of look that reminded her of a Korean person raised in the US. She tried not to stare too long; it felt a little awkward. · The woman and the man spoke in Korean while she explained what Mina needed. Every so often, he glanced back at her with pitying eyes. Mina could tell he already knew everything about her situation, and that realization made her cheeks burn. · Finally, he spoke directly to her. · “Mina,” he said, “you didn’t have to come all the way here to change your status. As soon as your old visa expired, we could have contacted you. You could have sent your documents through the embassy without spending money on a trip.” · Mina felt a sharp pang of embarrassment. She hadn’t thought to ask before. Swallowing her pride, she said: · “Well, since I’m already here, I wanted to shop and then go home. Can I just finish the paperwork now?” · He nodded. “Yes, don’t worry about it. I hope you enjoy your stay here.” · The woman handed back Mina’s ID and asked her to sign a few papers. When Mina handed over her ID, a small, quiet pain twisted inside her. Now she was officially a tourist, with no deeper connection to the country of her dream. She held back tears and forced a smile. · “Sorry for taking your time,” she said, mixing English and Korean. Then she stood and walked away, wondering what to do in this city before heading back to Seoul. Her stomach still felt heavy from the train ride. · As she reached the main door, she felt a hand lightly touch her shoulder, stopping her. She turned and saw Jihoon, the young man from earlier. Surprised, she asked: · “Did I forget something?” · He was slightly out of breath, as if he had run to catch her. A small smile played at the corner of his lips. · “No, no, it’s not that.” · She stood there, waiting. He hesitated, then asked: · “Have you been crying since yesterday? Are you really okay?” · Mina blinked, confused. Then a flash of memory struck her—the words, the place, the same sentence. She bumped into him at DDP yesterday. Her mouth parted, but no sound came out. · “I’m sorry about yesterday,” he continued. “You didn’t really bump into me. I went straight to you. I’d been following you since you left the convenience store because you left your T‑money card in the machine. I kept shouting your name, but you must have had earphones on. When you stopped, I reached out to talk to you, and you turned around so fast it was my fault. When I saw you crying, I forgot about the card. But here, it’s yours.” · He reached into his pocket and handed her the card she had used just the day before. · Mina smiled, tears still shining in her eyes. · “That’s… unusual. Thank you.” · He looked concerned. Before she could move away, something in him seemed to hesitate. His hand reached out again, almost instinctively. · “I’m being nosy, but… I feel like you’re going to keep crying after you leave. Can I… accompany you today, if you don’t mind? Unless you have something else to do?” · Mina saw sincerity and a quiet sorrow in his eyes. This was probably a one‑day meeting—she would never see him again. So why not, just for today, use him as a kind of emotional anchor? She didn’t want to be alone in this city. · “I’m free,” she said, “but I need to go back to Seoul. I didn’t book a stay here.” · He smiled. “Then it’s easy. I’m going back to Seoul as well. I don’t work here; I only volunteer twice a week. Today is Friday, so I was already heading home.” · A rush of scenarios flashed through her mind—kidnapping, scams, awkward situations. But something in his face made her decide to trust him. · “Okay,” she said. “Sure.” · “Wait for me in the parking lot,” he said. “I’m just bringing my bag.” · “Take your time,” she replied. · Mina still felt tears pressing at the backs of her eyes. She took the chance to wipe them quickly, but she wasn’t lucky. He came back not long after, saying, “My car is—” and then froze when he saw her crying again. · “What’s wrong?” he asked, taken aback. “Is it… me?” · “No, no,” she said quickly. “I was just… holding them. I finished.” · She felt embarrassed that the guy she had just met kept seeing her cry. She was usually sensitive, and after everything she had gone through, her emotions were impossible to hold back.