When Stars Collide (English)

Chapter 01

Ten years ago....

"Chukahae!!!!"

All the cast were happy. This call for a celebration. Now it's time to pop open the champagne. A toast for a successful drama and highest rating.

Their happy faces. The echo of laughter.  The act of popping open the bottles of champagne feels festive. Finally we are done. My first adult television drama was a big success.

All the people came to me and extend their greetings.

" Congratulation Aaliyah! We predicted that this going to be huge success! We are so proud of you." that was the director of my newly ended drama.

"Thank you Sajangnim!" I smiled at him and bow my head.

The celebratory party has ended and my team was exhausted. My phone beeps, someone send me a message.

GD:

Congratulation Princess! I miss you.

Me:

Thank you. I miss you too.

GD:

I'll visit you soon okay? We are on tour.

Me:

Arasseo, extend my regards to other boys. Take care.

That was my best friend GD. She was my friend since I was eight years old. We met on the street. When I wanted to eat ice cream but our driver didn't allow me. He saw me and bought me ice cream. He love music since he was a kid. He loves to rap and create songs. We both love music and composing a songs is one of our hobby.

Mommy Aeyoung sat beside me and hugged me tight. "I'm so proud of you princess. You can rest now."

"Can I take a vacation? I want to visit my grandma. Can I?" I said and looked at her with pleading eyes. She let out a heavy breathe and nodded.

" Arasseo, two weeks only. " I hugged her tight and kissed her cheeks!  She giggled and we both laugh.

I went to my room and I packed my things. I called mom and dad to inform them that I will visit grandma. They insisted to send bodyguards and a driver to accompany me but I refused. I want to go there alone. I didn't tell them that I'm planning to explore Busan alone. If they will know it will be a big disaster.

Settling in bed. With so many things in my head. A smile plastered in my face when I think of an idea, I send a message to Ara and Sora. They are my girl best friend.

Me:

eodiya?

Mmmmh. I was tapping my finger on top of my bedside table waiting for their reply. But no reply from them. Maybe they are busy or having a taping. I felt sad.

Maybe that's it for now and I need to sleep. I'll wake up early for my sweet escape tomorrow. Thinking about it made me feel so excited. I sleep that night with a smile plastered in my face.

Morning came and I am going to eat my breakfast. Nay Linda, my nanny was busy preparing my breakfast. She's a Filipino, she's been with me since I was born. She's like a second mom to me, 27 years of being with me. She's getting old and she has no family anymore. I love her.

I hugged her from the back when I went to the Kitchen. " Ikaw na bata ka! You will go there all alone again. I'm worried Aera. Please be careful okay?" she turned to face me and touched my face with both of her hands.

"Aaaah She's talking to me sometimes in Tagalog, some of it I knew already. But most of her words were alien to me. "I will Nay, promise." I giggled. She knows that I'm happy with this trip. A escape from my world. This is the real me. A kid at heart. Whenever my parents allow me to travel alone I felt like a prisoner who was freed from captivity, but this time it's different. This is more on an exploration.

I'll be using my black hiking back pack. Inside are some of my clothes. My arts materials. I'm wearing a black leggings and knitted sweatshirt, I paired it with a white adidas running shoes. I'm wearing a black short hair wig covered with black beanie. I also wore a grey contact lens to cover my brown eyes. I have a small sling bag with me and inside is my camera. I just brought a pack of my favorite chocolate bar which is snickers. And lastly a tumbler can with water inside attached to my backpack. I'm so thrilled with everything's going to happen on my way to my destination.

I waved my sweetest goodbye for now to all my staff. They will have their on vacation also. I leaved the house as early as five in the morning before the sun rises for me to catch the earliest train to Busan.

Yes, I'm on my way to my favorite place on earth. Busan, where my mother came from and where my grandmother lives now. I miss my grandmother. I'll be seeing her after more than three hours of travel. The one thing I'm not afraid in travelling alone and my parents allowed me to. Because I know someone is tailing me secretly all the time since I was a kid. My dad is the one behind it. I am not a daughter of the most richest man in Korea for nothing. I just ignore it sometimes. It's for my own good anyway.

Here I come Busan. With a stunning landscape of mountains and beaches, and an endless array of hot springs and my favorite seafoods. The euphoric feeling of that place could offer was unforgettable.

While inside the train. I am sitting quietly with my headphone attached to my ear and listening to music while looking outside. To others being on a plane is the most relaxing one and might get you to your destination faster, nothing quite beats the romance — and window-side sightseeing opportunities — of a train ride.

Busan is the second most populous city after Seoul. It consist of 16 Districts and each District has subdivided Municipalities/Divisions.

I arrived at Seomyeon. It is the commercial center and transportation hub in Busanjin-ju, Busan, South Korea.

Seomyeon is a municipal under Busanjin-ju District. It is also the most crowded area in Busan.

It has three underground shopping malls meeting beneath the Seomyeon road junction, a department store, many shopping stores, bars, restaurants, movie theaters, banks, bookstores, clinics, etc.

As a transportation hub, It has most public transportation, including the subway and buses, to take you anywhere in Busan.  It station near the Seomyeon road junction is one of the busiest subway stations in Korea and the transfer station between Busan Subway Line 1 and Line 2.

I'm here in Seomyeon. I walked going to my grandmother's apartment. She owns a two old building of apartment in this city, aside from the newly built one.  Many people who worked here rented the place. She occupied the biggest unit in the ground together with her private nurses and my mom's younger sister and a driver.

I knocked on the door when I reached the apartment. The place was so quite now. Maybe the people were all at work. I knocked three times before the door opened. I saw a young lady who's not familiar to me.

"Nuguya?" she asked. Curiously looking at me.

" Is Halmoni inside?", I asked her and her eyes went wide. "Omo omo Aera?" she opened the door and let me in.

" Halmoni! Someone is looking for you." she said and winked at me. I get it, she wants to surprise Halmoni.

" Omo sohn nyuh!"she said and was surprised to see me. She hugged me so tight and kissed me. " Bogoshipuh Sohn nyuh. She said while looking at me while crying and her hands was touching my cheeks.

" I miss you more Halmoni." i said to her and hugged her again so tight. " Can I stay here for a week or two?"

" Of course, you can even stay here forever. I'll be happy." she said.

" By the way this is Namja." she introduced me to the young lady a while ago. " Namja this is Aera. "

" Sorry a while ago. I didn't recognize you that's why. Nice meeting you Aaliyah. I'm your fan. " she said in a low tone.

" It's okay Namja. Good thing you didn't recognize me. I intentionally changed my look so no one can recognize me. I want to explore Busan." I said to her smiling and I turned my gaze to my grandma.

" Where's your private nurse Halmoni?" I asked her. Because no one was inside but just the two of them.

" They went to the pharmacy to buy my medicine and she was accompanied by So Hyun." she explained.

So Hyun was my grandmother's driver. She has two private nurse to look after her. They're on shifting. We have another apartment in the city. A two tower building composed of 12 floors and each floors have 8 big units of apartment. It was much expensive. My grandmother loves here because this is the old one. The memories of my grandfather were here.

We have five star beach resort in Haeundae, it was being manage by my brother. By I don't know if he's there. I'll try to visit him one of this day.

We have ancestral house. It was an old heritage houses from our great ancestors but it was being well preserved. It was far from here located at Gyeongju. We seldom went there because they opened that one to the public for viewing after our great great grandparents died. The whole clan went there before when I was a child during the death anniversary of our dead ancestors.

" You can use the same room Aera. All your things are still there, still intact and in right places. I never let anyone entered your room. I personally cleaned that one yesterday." she said to me smiling. That was sweet of her.

"Thank you Halmoni. " I said and hugged her.

"You may rest first. We will call you once lunch is ready." I nodded and went to the  room.

A felt nostalgic from my childhood spent here during summer with Haraboji. When he was still alive. I was close to him. He used to carry me on his back. I missed him. A tear fell from my eye.

Lunch came and we all ate together. We had tea after. We had our siesta time inside halmoni's room.  Dinner came and I slept beside her that night. I didn't  know what time exactly did I fell asleep. She was telling me bedtime stories just like the old times. It was still early but I was tired. And nothing beats the feeling of being home and being with her.

I told her I will leave early in the morning to explore some parts of Busan. I plan to visit all the Districts and Municipalities within the duration of two weeks.

Morning came and I am ready to set foot in another place. My grandmother was sad  when I leaved Seomyeon. I told her that I'll be back after my escapade. I want to write a new book and  a song out of my two weeks journey. I can't write by just staying in one place and look around and worst looking up at the ceiling. I need an adventure. I will make Haeundae as my last destination, my relaxing destination.

I headed to Bujeon Station from Seomyeon via taxi. Got a ticket with me. I will travel from Bujeon station going to the Northern part of Busan specifically in Buk District. I will stop at Deokcheon Station and is located at Deokcheon-dong, Buk District, Busan. I will explore the Norther part first. God this is exhausting I guess. I hope i won't be lost.

I reached the Buk District. I wonder what's in-store in this place? I read an article that there's a temple and a  fishing village. I got curious and decided to come here.

Buk-Gu whose name translates to "Northern District" is one of the fifteen administrative zone which make up Busan. It was divided into five main division and each main division composed of 3 sub division.

I started exploring the place alone. Visited Busan Fishing Village Folk Museum. Leaving the museum I went to Hwamyeong Riverside Park. I went up the hill to sew the Gupowaeseong Fortress wherein in a small and colorful Buddhist Temple will welcome you. I didn't stay that long. After touring around, I rode a taxi to Mandeok dung. I planned to book a hotel.

I looked for a hotel. I found one, a good hotel. It doesn't looked like a hotel, more like a motel. I booked for two nights. Since I planned to stay 2 nights and three days each Municipalities. The room was good and I think I can sleep comfortably here.

I was lying in my bed when I tried to plan what to visit tomorrow morning. I searched google and I found one temple. The Seokbulsa Temple and I'll try to soak in Heosimcheong Spa, one of the largest spa's in the world, at the end of my hiking experience from the temple.

I fell asleep fast because of exhaustion from the say and woke up the next day feeling better.

I planned to eat breakfast on my way to the temple.

I enjoyed a breakfast of eomuk (fish cakes) and gimbap (sushi rolls) from the vendor right around the corner of the street. I’m glad I did this, because there wasn’t much else open in the morning on the way to the cable car. Less people and no one will recognize me while eating on the street. I can't help but to smile..If only Mia will see me like this, she will go crazy.

Getting to Seukbolsa Temple can be done in two ways. The fastest way is from Mandeuk sub way station you can ride a taxi or walk up hill and reach the temple.

The second way is the longer but more interesting and scenic route that involves walking from Oncheonjang subway station and taking the Geumgang Cable Car in Geumgang Park up Geumjeong Mountain, then hiking the rest of the way.

I chose the longer route. I wanted to experience some adventure. However

since it takes more effort to get there, fewer people go, which means I have a higher chance of having the temple entirely by myself.

I reached the temple. I explored and took pictures.

The hike to Seokbulsa offers incredible city views over sprawling Busan. Hiking to an observing Seokbulsa’s awe-inspiring features is an experience I really won’t soon forget.

In going back down. I simply followed the paved road from Seokbulsa all the way down and reached the sub Municipality of Mandeok-bung.

"Omo- omo I think I'm lost."

I planned to eat and have a full body spa on the hot spring. But what to do I'm lost. I'm starving also.I was trying to look for food along my way when I bumped into a young boy and hit me directly into the ground.

" Aaaaahhh" I felt a pain in my shoulder.

"joesonghaeyo, joesonghaeyo noona," I was holding my shoulder in pain and I looked at him. He was now looking at me.

" Are you hurt noona?", he asked and I just nodded. He helped me get up and let me sit on the side bench near us. I looked at him. He was looking at me. He was wearing his uniform.

"Your from here?", I asked him even if I know it was obvious even the way he talked it's different from Seoul, from our accent. He has their accent.

" Yes, noona. Joesonghaeyo." he said and bowed his head.

" gwaenchanha, mmmh I think I'm lost and I'm starving. Where I can eat hear? " I asked him.

" There's an eatery nearby but the food is cheap. Is it okay with you?" he asked while still looking in my eyes. "You look familiar noona. Your beautiful."

" Of course! It's okay with me. I'm not a picky eater and I'm just an ordinary person. It's my first time here how come I look familiar to you?, I asked him nervously. What if he knows me?  I hope not.

" mmmmmh let me think." with eyebrows furrowed.He was looking at me while his right hand on his chin and his thumb tapping her face as if he was thinking so deeply. " Aish! come on noona, I'll go with you and accompany you to eat. It's my fault anyway, why I bumped into you." he said and smiled shyly.

" It's okay. Let's go. I'm hungry." I said

We walk side by side and didn't talk to each other. Sudenly he cleared his throat and asked me. "You're a tourist here? "

I nodded to him. " I just arrived yesterday. I booked in a hotel near the subway station. I came back down from Seokbulsa temple. I planned to take the other route by I got lost and I'm here bumped into you."

" Where here noona. Let's go inside. What do you want to eat?" he asked.

" Anything will do. I don't know what they have here." I told him.

He ordered dongne pajeon, or seafood pancakes with long strips of green onion in them. We ate silently and didn't talk. I paid for the food of course. He was just a school boy.

"How old are you?" I suddenly asked him out of the blue.

His eyes went wide and he swallowed first." mmmmh thirteen?"

"Why you're asking me? You're not sure?" I said smiling.

I heard him chuckled." How about you?"

" Seventeen..." I replied looking at him.

"Ah. You are older than me. By the way, you have a nice camera. You love to take photos?"

"Yes, since I love travelling I might take some photos with me everytime I visited one place." I told him.

"You're lucky noona. You're from Seoul right?" he curiously asked.

" Yes, what made you say that I'm from Seoul?"

" Your beautiful and I think your rich." he was seriously looking at me.

" I'm not rich." I don't know what to say anymore.

After were done eating he walked me across the street where I can ride a taxi.

I smile at him. " Thank you for accompanying me to eat. I nodded at him and I'm about to turn around.

" Thank you too noona. Hope to see you again. He gave a sweetest smile and bowed down his head. I smiled back at him and waved my hands.