Love in Seoul

Chapter 1- One-Way Ticket

The taxi door closed behind Jessica. For a moment, she stood completely still. In front of her rose the enormous airport terminal. People were arriving and leaving. Some were laughing. Others were saying goodbye. Some hurried past as if their lives depended on it. Jessica tightened her grip on her suitcase handle. Her heart pounded so hard she was convinced everyone around her could hear it. So this is it. The journey she had dreamed about for months. The journey she had spent countless nights preparing for. The journey that had led her to fill out university applications for a country she knew only through photographs, dramas, and videos. Seoul. She still couldn't quite believe it. Slowly, she stepped inside. The noise of the airport surrounded her immediately. Announcements echoed overhead. Suitcases rolled across the polished floors. People spoke in different languages. Some she couldn't understand at all. For a moment, she stopped. She had never traveled this far alone before. Her eyes found the departure board. Seoul – On Time. A strange flutter stirred in her stomach.Fear. Excitement. Hope. All at once. She joined the check-in line. A family stood in front of her. Two parents. Two young children. A little girl held tightly onto her mother's hand.

"Don't be scared," her mother said with a smile.

"We'll be together."Jessica quickly looked away. She wasn't jealous. At least, she tried not to be. But somewhere deep inside, something hurt. No one had come to see her off. No one had hugged her goodbye. No one had asked if she would be okay. She was alone. Just as she had always been. After checking in, she passed through security. Then came the endless hallways. The shops. The cafés. The crowds. Until she finally reached her departure gate. She sat down and placed her suitcase beside her. She still had more than an hour before boarding. For the first time since leaving home, she was alone with her thoughts. She pulled out her phone. Not a single new message. No Have a safe trip. No Text me when you land. Nothing. Just silence. She locked the screen. She didn't want to think about it. Instead, she watched the people around her. A young couple was saying goodbye nearby. The girl was crying. The boy held her tightly in his arms. A few seats away sat a group of students. Laughing. Talking.Planning their adventures. Jessica suddenly realized that in a few hours, she would be one of them. A student. In a completely new country. The thought calmed her a little. She decided to buy a coffee. The aroma was wonderful. Carrying the warm cup, she found a seat by a large window. Beyond the glass stood airplanes. Massive machines waiting to take off. She had never imagined that one day she would board one of them and fly to the other side of the world. Suddenly, an announcement echoed through the terminal. First in English. Then in another language. She didn't understand everything. But one word caught her attention immediately. Seoul. Her flight. She stood automatically. Her eyes moved from her boarding pass to the gate. The time had come. It was really happening. There was no turning back now. She could still walk away. She could call a taxi. She could go home. But she didn't want to. Not after everything. Not after all those years. She took a deep breath. And stepped forward. Step by step, she crossed the boarding bridge. With every step, it felt as though she was leaving her past behind. All the fear. All the sadness. All the arguments. And ahead of her waited something new. Something unknown. But for the first time in her life, it belonged entirely to her. At the aircraft door, a flight attendant greeted her with a smile.

"Have a pleasant flight." Jessica smiled back. She found her seat by the window. Placed her backpack at her feet. Fastened her seatbelt. Then she looked outside. The airport lights glowed against the darkness. For a moment, she closed her eyes. She didn't know what awaited her. She didn't know if she was strong enough. She didn't know if Seoul would give her what she had been searching for her entire life. But she knew one thing. This flight would change everything. The engines roared to life. And Jessica began the journey that would change her life forever.