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Tae turned towards the elegant, elderly lady hiding him in her apartment.  “Thank you so much for helping me, Halmeoni, these past few days.  You have helped me to maintain the air of mystery surrounding my little project.”

The woman’s face was wreathed in wrinkles as she smiled at the darling boy.  “I hope this girl recognizes and appreciates the efforts you’ve made on her behalf.  She is one lucky lady.”

A frown disturbed the perfection of his wide forehead.  “That is not precisely what I would call her.  I think until I crossed her path, she had a pretty rough time.  It must be horribly lonely to be so far from home with only the barest of acquaintances surrounding one.”  His brow puckered again as he asked another question.  “Something has been nagging at me….  Why are you living in a dorm?”

“I was living in this building when the university converted it into a dorm.  I asked if I could keep my apartment.  It was originally housing for low-income families.  That’s why the rooms are so small and lack a kitchen.  Most people just had a tiny burner to cook on.  Each family had its own bathroom.  But the rooms were set up dormitory-style.  Almost all of the families evacuated when the university purchased the building.  But I offered to be a dorm mother, so they let me stay.”

“Ah.  How fortunate for the kids living in this building to have you, Halmeoni.”

She glanced down at the tin of Christmas cookies in her hand.  “I think I’m the fortunate one, child.  Thank you for the treats.”  Again, a wide smile crowned her face in delight.  “Please feel free to come visit me whenever you’re in the area.”

He smiled and bent forward to kiss her on the cheek.  “I haven’t forgotten how much you love rice cakes either.  I’m sure I can find the time to bring you some again soon.”

She beamed up at him.  This darling boy outstripped her by over a foot.  “And feel free to bring your friends too,” she whispered with a mysterious grin.

He stopped short as his eyes collided with hers.  “My friends?”

She nodded her head.  “Those delightful boys.  Bangtan Sonyeondan.” 

He gasped.  “You knew?”

That grin stretched wider.  “My child, I may be old, but I am not senile.  Nor am I deaf.  Or living in a cave.  And my eyes are still as sharp as an eagle’s.  I could never forget a face as handsome as yours.”  She patted his cheek affectionately.  “Nor a heart so sweet.”

That heart bent towards the kind, old woman.  “I promise I’ll visit, Halmeoni.  And I’ll bring the boys,” he added with a cheeky grin that had his boxy smile dancing.  His eyes were twinkling too as he stepped out into the hallway across from the young American’s room. 

Then he made his way briskly down the hallway towards the elevator.  He disappeared into it a moment later.  His new friend none the wiser.

––

April ignored the jingling of the bell over her head as she entered the coffeehouse at precisely eight o’clock.  She glanced around but didn’t see her mystery man.  She had realized sometime yesterday that they had never exchanged names.  So she had no idea who she was looking for.  Though, as she’d considered him, she’d realized that he looked vaguely familiar.

She sighed and stepped into line.  Perhaps she’d grab a hot chocolate while she waited for him to show up. 

Would he show up?

She was still wondering that several minutes later as she nursed her hot cocoa in a corner of the café.  A corner that faced the door.  She didn’t want to risk missing him.  But, as it turned out, she needn’t have worried about it.  For the beautiful man never showed up.  Though she waited an hour for him to appear.  Wondering if she’d gotten the time wrong.  But nine o’clock came and went, and still he never wandered through that door.  Making her doubt her earlier optimism.