Call Me Noona

Chapter 6 - Halmeoni (Edited)

As I floated weightless in the water my thoughts wandered again to the kiss... or kisses, to be more accurate. I remembered how soft his lips had been, how he tasted, how he smelled, how his hair felt when I tangled my fingers in it. I missed him so much. I could not believe how much. He had awakened feelings in me that I had thought were long dead, and others that I never even knew existed.

I had adored him from afar, like hundreds of thousands of other Monbebes, but being with him and feeling his energy was something I was not prepared for. He had an aura about him that pulled me in and wouldn't let go. I have never met anyone that I was that drawn to that quickly. He truly was magnetic. My stomach fluttered and I felt a pang in my chest... That is not possible! I told myself. You can't be in love with someone you just met... and may never see again! It is just a fangirl crush. I wasn't very convincing, even to myself.

I spent the next morning wandering around in a bit of a daze and couldn't seem to snap myself out of it. I did more window shopping and shot lots of random photographs. I happened upon a vacant storefront that would make a perfect gallery and took some photos of it to send to Jisung. He had talked a while back about wanting to open a sister gallery in Seoul someday. I went back to freshen up and change for dinner. I gathered my computer so I could easily share my photos with Halmeoni and headed to the lobby to hail a taxi.

I was looking forward to this visit and was thankful that the ride only took a few minutes. Halmeoni lived in what appeared to be a traditional house just outside of the city. I was excited to see inside. I had been to the folk village, but not a real Korean family home. There was a high wall around the perimeter of the property and a breezeway entrance behind the gate. The inside was more modern, but it still had a traditional feel to it. There was Western style furniture mixed with traditional décor. It reminded me of the style of the hotel but on a less grand scale.

Once inside, I removed my shoes and donned the guest slippers. Halmeoni greeted me with a huge smile and a bear hug. She was a tiny thing, barely 5 feet tall, but a powerhouse for sure. She led me to the sitting room and offered me a beverage. I held out the small silk-wrapped package and she accepted it graciously. She opened the package and revealed the beautiful trinket box inside. She squealed with delight at the gift. She had mentioned that she collects them while we were chatting on the plane. She took it over to a cabinet where the rest were displayed. She sat it in a spot near the front and stood admiring it for a moment.

I noticed a lack of photos as I looked around. This surprised me because of how much she talked about her family. I asked her about it, and she said that she had sent them out to be reframed. It was time for an upgrade she said. I could see that she had just added a new bookcase as well. Halmeoni was an avid reader and also collected books. Her collection was quite impressive, and the titles were all over the place. She read fiction, romance, science, biographies, classic literature, all kinds of books!

I asked her to let me help with dinner and she took my hand and led me to the kitchen. She had prepared the standard fare of rice, kimchi, soup, and a few other delicious-looking banchan that had my mouth watering. There was a plate of thinly sliced meat for grilling as well, which I had mentioned on the plane was my favorite. She had everything mostly done already, so I really wasn't much help. Harabeoji appeared, and she introduced us. He seemed to be the perfect match to her spitfire. He was calm, cool, and funny. He was one of those people who could effortlessly make you laugh.

Dinner was delicious and the company was delightful. After we finished eating, I helped Halmeoni clean up and then we retired to the sitting area. I opened up my computer to share the photos. We watched the mini-concert and they saw my special night with Monsta X in photos. I sent her the ones I took for her of Shownu and Changkyun, as well as the group shot from the end. I told them how exciting it was to meet the guys and relayed stories from the evening. I loved being able to share this with people who were truly interested. I had been surprised to see a Monbebe phone case on Halmeoni's phone earlier. She truly was one of us!

Halmeoni was insistent that I come stay with them for the rest of my trip. She said they have more than enough room and I could stay in her grandson's room. "And besides," she said, "we would love the company." I remembered Jun teaching me that refusing your elders was rude, so I reluctantly agreed. I liked my space and my privacy, but I was lonely, and they were such a sweet couple. Besides, it would be a distraction from missing Minhyuk.

I could see that they were getting tired, so I started packing up my things and called for a taxi. She told me to check out of the hotel early in the morning and come over. She needed to do her shopping and wanted to take me to the market. I was becoming excited about this new arrangement. I was already extremely attached to these two and was determined to keep in touch after I got home, which I was not great at doing. I missed having family around me.

I stopped at the front desk when I got back to the hotel and told them my plans had changed and I would be checking out early, then went for my nightly swim. My day had been busy, and I had not had time to focus on Minhyuk things. Now that I was alone with my thoughts, he was all I could think about. I remembered how it had felt to be in his arms. It felt like... home. That was it, he felt like home. Comfortable, warm, inviting, and safe.

I had not been with a man since well before my divorce, and I was sure these feelings were just hormones stirring. A fangirl crush... yes, that was it. I had been on a couple of bad dates that I would rather forget and went out with one guy a few times, but he turned out to be a creep. None of them even caused a spark or inspired me to want to take things to the next level, but Minhyuk had undeniably awoken that part of me. Just a crush. Move on Sunny. And besides that, he still had not contacted me. I fought off the sadness, but it was strong. I slipped under the water to hide my tears and hoped that spending my last few days with the elderly couple would help fill the void in my heart.