Haneda Airport [羽田 空港]
As Asia’s second-largest international airport, it was teeming with travelers.
Brushing past the crowds, Hyunseung naturally made his way out of the arrivals gate and murmured,
“Should be here any moment.”
Hearing that, his younger sister, Hyuna—who was trailing behind—asked curiously,
“Huh? Who’s coming?”
“Ah, there they are.”
He nodded toward a sleek Rolls-Royce sedan that smoothly pulled up to the curb.
Screech—
The car stopped right in front of Hyunseung. A middle-aged man in an immaculate suit stepped out from the driver’s seat.
“Are you Mr. Min Hyunseung?”
When Hyunseung answered in fluent Japanese—“Yes, that’s me”—the man gave a polite bow.
“Hello. We’re from the Peninsula Oriental Tokyo, providing the Rolls-Royce pickup service you reserved. Please leave your luggage to us and feel free to hop in.”
In one smooth move, Hyunseung climbed into the limousine.
“Don’t worry, it’s not a kidnapping. Hurry up and get in.”
Looking perplexed, Hyuna glanced back and forth between Hyunseung and the driver.
“Oppa, do hotels normally send out cars like this?”
“They’ll send a plane if you ask, too.”
“You’re lying again! They’re loading our suitcases…”
“Just get in already.”
“Aren’t we supposed to help them load up?”
“We’d probably just be in the way.”
Before long, Hyuna and their father also got into the backseat. Wide-eyed, they let out an involuntary “Whoa…” at the plush interior.
A short while later, as Hyuna gleefully snapped a few selfies, the vehicle smoothly merged back onto the road toward the hotel.
“Huh?”
They hit a red light in central Tokyo. Hyuna peered outside and exclaimed,
“Isn’t that Oppa’s song playing over there?”
She gestured to a busy street, where Seo Jini’s “Walk with Me” was blasting, and repeated in excitement,
“It’s Seo Jini’s ‘Walk with Me’! Right? Oh my god! Hearing it in the middle of Tokyo is so surreal…”
Looking out the window, Hyunseung noticed a giant billboard at the top of a tall building—Seojiny’s face was plastered across it. He knew her Japanese debut had gone well, but he didn’t expect her to be this popular.
Guess everything worked out…
There’d been a time when, under the wrong management, Seojiny nearly had her contract terminated. Now, she was shining brightly on a Tokyo billboard. Watching her radiant smile,
“It really suits her…” Hyunseung muttered to himself.
Just then, Hyuna turned to him.
“Oppa, move a bit, will you?”
“Huh?”
“Dad wants me to take his picture!”
Juggling a film camera in her hands, she urged Hyunseung, “Come on,” and he reluctantly scooted aside, clearing his throat as he did so.
“Why are you coughing all of a sudden?” she asked, worried.
“No reason.”
“You sure?”
“I was just—”
Hyunseung cut himself off. A photo.
He wanted to take a picture with all of them together. In his previous life, he’d always been “too busy.” They never even took a single family photo, not even on a trip. But for some reason, the words “Let’s take a photo together” stuck in his throat.
Just then, the driver spoke up, “We’ve arrived.”
Through the window, he saw they were already at the hotel entrance.
Following the hotel staff who’d come to greet them, the three walked into the lobby.
Tap, tap—
Hyuna took in the lavishly decorated space and let out a gasp.
“Wow… this is incredible.”
It was as if the hotel wanted to flaunt its status as the best in Asia. The lobby was filled with modern art pieces, and a chandelier glittered from the high ceiling.
“Oppa, isn’t this insane…?”
While Hyuna filmed the lobby, wide-eyed, Hyunseung teased,
“Seeing you so excited makes me think of a certain famous fable.”
“Cinderella? I do feel like a princess invited to the prince’s ball.”
“No, The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. Specifically, the scene where the country mouse first arrives in the big city—”
“Yah!” Hyuna snapped, glaring at him.
“We’re indoors; keep it down,” Hyunseung said with mock seriousness, stopping at the front desk.
“May I help you check in?”
A staff member led them to what looked like a head concierge, then stepped aside.
“We’ve prepared the penthouse suite you requested on the 49th floor, which has an excellent view.”
The penthouse Hyunseung had booked cost about two million won per night—an ultra-luxury room. He’d also used the pricey Rolls-Royce pickup service, marking him as a VIP. The staff clearly wanted to ensure his stay went smoothly.
“Should we have your luggage sent up?”
“Yes, please,” Hyunseung replied. Then, turning to his father, he signed:
-Are you tired at all, Dad?
-No, I’m fine.
-Do you want to rest a bit before we go out?
-No, let’s head out right away.
He added:
We’ve come all this way, might as well see as much as we can.
Hyunseung nodded, grinning.
Alright, he thought. This time, they’d see as many places as possible.
Later, after lunch, the three strolled under the warm sunshine.
“Oppa, oppa,” Hyuna called.
“Can you call me once? You keep repeating it,” Hyunseung complained.
“Why!”
“My ears are bleeding.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “I’ve been dying to ask: how come you speak Japanese so well?”
“Who, me?”
“Yeah! You sound practically native, even in the airport, hotel, restaurants—everywhere.”
He shrugged, feigning indifference.
“It’s a secret, but I actually majored in Japanese as my second foreign language in middle school.”
“Don’t treat me like an idiot,” she said, pouting. “I took Japanese, too, and no one becomes fluent just from that! If that were true, all language academies would go bust. Out with it—how do you speak so well?”
Hyunseung stayed shameless.
“I learned it from anime.”
“Huh…?”
“Like Naruto, One Piece, Love Live…”
Completely bewildered, Hyuna said, “Seriously…?” while Hyunseung gave a small chuckle.
She’s so gullible…
In reality, he’d visited Japan countless times in his past life—so often that he’d grown sick of it. Sometimes he’d fly in at noon just to have udon, then fly out at night. Mostly it had been for meetings with Japanese record labels, though.
“Oppa, where are we now?”
He glanced around the garden before them.
“The Imperial Palace grounds.”
Then he signed to his father:
-We’re at the Imperial Palace Garden.
-It’s nice and peaceful.
-Shall we walk along the path before heading back?
-Yes, let’s walk for a bit.
A bright, meadow-like smile spread across their father’s face.
Snap, snap—
Startled by the shutter sound, Hyunseung turned to see Hyuna snapping photos with her film camera, alternating between their father’s face and the garden scenery.
“Oppa, move aside. I want to get a shot of Dad against the background.”
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Hyunseung hesitated. He actually wanted to ask for a group photo but couldn’t muster the courage.
“What are you doing? Come on, move!”
At last, he forced the words out,
“Actually… let’s all take one together.”
“Huh? Together?”
“Yeah. Everyone.”
Hyuna narrowed her eyes. “You usually hate taking pictures, Oppa.”
He shrugged.
“They say at the end of the day, all that’s left are photos…”
“You must’ve aged or something.”
“I just think it’ll be nice as a memento… This is our first family trip abroad.”
She stared at him, caught off guard. Then he snatched the camera out of her hands.
“Excuse me!”
He flagged down a passerby and politely asked them to take a photo.
Poke!
Hyuna jabbed his side.
“Oppa, are you sure you’re feeling okay? People say if you suddenly change, you’re close to death.”
“Stop it.”
She eyed him like she was genuinely worried, but they both quieted when the stranger called out,
“Ready? Taking the picture!”
“Min Hyuna, stand next to Dad,” Hyunseung said, positioning them.
He lifted a hand to form a shy V-sign, just as—
Poke!
Hyuna spotted him making a V and prodded him in disgust.
“You’re not really my brother, are you? Are you a ghost?!”
“What the heck?”
“Where’s my real Oppa? Give him back!”
“Shh, let’s just smile for the camera.”
Still messing around, she poked him repeatedly. Finally, Hyunseung spun around.
“Would you quit it?”
“Stop me if you dare!”
“Don’t push your luck.”
“Why, you gonna kill me?”
“That’s it—!”
Hyunseung burst out laughing, and Hyuna laughed too. Though their father couldn’t hear them, he saw the siblings’ playful exchange and smiled as well.
Click!
The shutter snapped.
It was the first time… in both his lifetimes… that they’d taken a photo together like this. Something so simple—standing side by side for a picture—why was it so difficult before?
Because they’d taken an early-morning flight, Hyuna and their father promptly fell asleep as soon as they reached the hotel room.
“Hmm.”
Unable to sleep, Hyunseung slipped out to explore Tokyo’s streets.
“Where to…?”
He had about three or four hours to kill before his scheduled visit to an onsen. Wandering aimlessly, he happened upon a sign labeled “Jazz.”
Might as well have a quick drink, he thought, stepping inside. The interior was charmingly small. The white wallpaper had turned yellow from the haze of cigarette smoke, and a wall lined with LP records showed the owner’s deep love for music. Another wall displayed photos of famous musicians and postings of upcoming performances.
Looks like they feature different acts every day.
Hyunseung naturally took a seat at the bar, ordering a simple snack and a cocktail with practiced ease. He was about to sip his drink when the owner mumbled, “One moment…” and headed for the stage.
“Huh?”
The stage was surprisingly large for such a modest venue. The owner—thin and frail—climbed onto it alone and started tuning a double bass nearly as big as he was.
So he’s performing himself?
A double bass was already a rare sight, but this one was a five-string, not the usual four—a detail that piqued Hyunseung’s interest. But soon, his excitement cooled.
Must not have much experience…
The man’s tuning was clumsy.
“Hm…”
Initially, Hyunseung intended to wait patiently for him to finish tuning, but he couldn’t help feeling impatient as time passed. His teeth worried at his lower lip.
Pearls before swine…
Even from a glance, that was an expensive instrument. He could ignore the man’s poor technique, but letting such a fine double bass go to waste? He’d had such a great day, and he wanted it to end on a beautiful note, if possible.
…I can’t just sit here.
Finally, he stood up.
“Excuse me.”
Approaching the stage, he gestured toward the imposing double bass.
“Would you mind if I tuned it for you?”
Leave a Reply