Foreign Skies

Butterflies

"Excuse me, are you lost?"

Seri whipped around. Her jaw dropped open. The person staring back was in his thirties, she estimated. His hair was perfectly combed and gelled back, and slightly parted in the middle. Under the warm sunshine, Seri could not spot a drop of sweat or mildew on his forehead. His brown almond eyes had a soft gaze, with also a hint of worry, probably about Seri looking lost and frantic in the market. His nose... his perfectly shaped nose. Tall and just the right amount of curve, Seri had the sudden urge to touch the bridge of his nose and run her fingers in his soft hair. His lips was what made her jaw drop - his full, luscious lips; Seri wondered what it tasted like and if she had the chance to press her lips on his. Yoon Seri, how could you think like that? She scolded herself, a blush appearing on her cheeks. There was a black backpack hanging on his left shoulder, as if it was the lightest thing in the world. He was wearing a white buttoned shirt with a black blazer on top, perfectly hugging his broad and wide shoulders. Seri felt small under his height; he was almost six feet tall, and Seri had to tilt her head up a little to be able to get a full view of him.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you. You look like you needed directions."

Seri blinked. His accent seemed different but somewhat familiar. Was he Korean? She thought, a spark of hope lighted in her heart. It burned down as quickly as it had lighted up. Judging by his looks, how could he be single? Seri tried to shake away her thoughts and concentrate on her answer. She wasn't sure if she could get a sentence out properly.

"Y- yes. I forgot the way back to my hotel. I'm on a trip here."

The man chuckled a bit. "Oh, I see. Are you Korean? Your accent sounds like you are."

Seri bit her lip and tried to stop herself from smiling. She suddenly felt like she was a teenager talking to her crush for the first time. "Yes, I'm from Seoul. Are you from Korea too?"

The man switched to speaking Korean, but it wasn't something that Seri would be expecting to hear. "I'm from Pyongyang. I'm here as a guest pianist for the London Symphony Orchestra." He pointed to a black car parked by the road. "Get in. I'll drive you back to your hotel." He turned to walk towards his car, with Seri following behind him like a lost duckling.

---

"Which hotel are you staying in?"

Sitting in his car, Seri suddenly felt safer. The panic had faded, even though she was sitting in some stranger's car, asking to drive her back home. Maybe because she was too distracted by his shockingly good looks, but maybe that was just a mask behind someone dangerous...

"Grosvenor House Hotel. It's just down the road, but I can point out a few directions if you're not sure about the way."

The man blinked. Surprisingly, he laughed, showing two very deep and charming... dimples. "What a coincidence. I'm currently staying there too. I'm on the twenty second floor."

Seri's eyes went wide. "I'm on the twenty second floor too. I've just landed yesterday, so maybe that's why you haven't seen me around yet."

The road trip was short, but they never stopped their conversation along the way. By the time they arrived at the entrance of their hotel, Seri had already told him about Seri's Choice and the launching few days later.

"You should definitely come if you have time. It's my first launch here in London." She smiled, her eyes turning into crescents.

The man nodded and smiled. "I will if I can shift my schedule around. I take it that you're Seri?"

Seri blushed. He's good at flirting with girls, she thought, but immediately regretted her thought. He must've dated a lot of women in the past.

"Yoon Seri. And you are?"