Chapter 67.2

Chapter 67.2

“So this is jet lag…”

Resigning herself, she got up and finished unpacking. As dawn began to break, she placed rice in the electric rice cooker.

After enjoying a proper breakfast with the side dishes Juran had packed for her, she patted her full stomach with satisfaction.

“Juran unnie always gives the best advice.”

It was almost time to get ready and head out. The morning sun had already warmed the room, making it feel stuffy.

She pulled out a pair of jeans with a ripped knee—one she had distressed herself with sandpaper to make it look worn—and a cropped sleeveless top. Inspired by something she’d seen somewhere, she draped a cardigan over her shoulders and tied the sleeves in front of her chest before heading to the bathroom to check her outfit.

In her light canvas bag, she packed a camera, an extra roll of film, a guidebook, a map, and a letter she had written in advance for Andre. Once she got a sense of the area and figured out the subway system, she planned to visit his place and slip the letter into his mailbox.

A few days ago, yet another letter had been returned to her. It was strange. In her last letter, she had mentioned coming to New York, but that letter was probably on its way back to Korea as well.

Which meant there was a high chance that Andre didn’t even know she was here.

Miran pulled the letter from her canvas bag and began reading it again.

To: André

Hello! Since my letters keep getting returned, you might not have heard from me.

I came to New York to study English.

I’ll give you the address of the dorm where I’m staying. I’ll be here for six months.

220 East 20th Street
APT#3A
NY, NY 10016

I also brought ten thousand dollars. Since I need to return it to you, I’ll be waiting in front of your place this Sunday between 2 PM and 4 PM.

Looking forward to seeing you.

May 27, 1996
Miran

As she carefully folded the letter and slipped it back into the envelope, she murmured to herself,

“This doesn’t sound too desperate, right?”

Her wristwatch already pointed to 8:50 AM. Excited, Miran practically bounced down the stairs and out of the apartment.

The weather felt more like early summer than late spring. While the sunlight in Korea was warm and gentle, here, it was relentless, beating down without mercy. She frowned and shaded her eyes with her hand.

“So this is why Americans always wear sunglasses…”

As she waited for Seunghyuk, Miran sat on the steps in front of the building and observed her surroundings. The neighborhood was a mix of tall and low-rise buildings, with a laundromat, a copy shop with a sign that read Copy·Fax, and a small corner store. Watching the diverse people passing by, she finally started to feel the reality of being in New York.

“Is he running late?”

It was already 9:15 AM.

Just then, she spotted Seunghyuk rounding the corner store, his hair flying as he ran toward her.

Miran jumped to her feet and waved.

“Oppa!”

“Sorry! I’m late, aren’t I?”

Seunghyuk arrived in front of the apartment, bending over with his hands on his knees, panting heavily. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, suggesting he had run quite a distance.

“No, it’s fine. I just came out, too,” Miran said.

“Hyunjeong… huff… she said she just couldn’t get up. I waited for her… huff… and that made me late.”

Straightening his back, he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

“Phew. Since she’s the only girl in our family, everyone spoiled her too much. She turned out a bit childish.”

“Oh, I see. Then… should we postpone the Manhattan tour?”

She was a little disappointed, but there was nothing she could do.

But then, Seunghyuk, looking parched, opened the bottle of water in his hand and chugged it down.

“Ha, I feel alive again. What are you talking about? You just saved me from being Hyunjeong’s shopping porter all day.”

With a playful grin, he asked,

“So, what kind of tour do you want? Tourist route or local route?”

Miran hesitated for a moment.

In truth, André’s address was the first thing that came to mind, but she couldn’t just bring it up out of nowhere. Besides, getting familiar with the city layout and learning how to use public transportation took priority over sightseeing.

“Hmm… local route?”

Seeing Miran’s eyes sparkle as she eagerly opened the subway map, Seunghyuk grinned and nodded.

“Good choice. Let’s go!”

The New York subway, nearly a hundred years old, was filthy and reeked. There were so many different lines, some express, some local. The conductor’s announcements, delivered in a peculiar accent, seemed incomprehensible even to native English speakers. Miran doubted she would be able to navigate it alone.

Their subway car, covered in graffiti-streaked windows, finally brought them to Union Square.

There, a man carrying a massive boombox on his shoulder strolled in, cranked up the music, and started breakdancing. Others in baggy jeans that dragged on the ground skated around on skateboards.

As Miran clapped in awe at a particularly dangerous skateboard trick, Seunghyuk chuckled and took her by the hand.

“If you think this is cool, I know an even better spot.”

After riding the subway for a couple more stops, Miran stepped out and immediately asked,

“Where are we now?”

“Lafayette Street.”