"Papa I'm sorry I had to tell you this through an email, but my mind is made up." I told my father during a video call.

It had been a month since my vacation at Seoul ended, but I was still in Gangnam. Mr Park and Kim Tae Min succeeded in retrieving a visa for me from the Korean embassy.

That's right.

I decided to stay in Seoul and to honour my choice I sent an email to my parents which explained my plan to quit medical school. Like Jess said, my parents did freak out.

After weeks of avoiding their calls and texts, I was persuaded by Tae Min to face them and finally I did.

On the screen of my laptop, there they were with faces as clear as day. My mother and father. Dr Krishna and Dr Priyanka Kapoor. They were both successful neurosurgeons at the peak of their careers. The aura about them was always so intimidating I often became a coward in their presence, but no more.

"Priya Kapoor, have you gone mad?!" My father screamed until veins were seen stretched at the sides of his neck.

"No Papa." I answered. My eyes roamed my room at Shilla Stay Yeoksam.

"Priya did something happen at school? Why did you travel to Korea?" My mother always concerned, asked with comforting eyes.

"You didn't show up on the day the Singhs arrived. They were so disappointed. We had to throw parties for three weekends just to put a smile on their faces. Then we had to lie to them that you had gone on a trip that was part of your school curriculum. When we asked Melissa to reach out to you, she said she couldn't find you for three months! Then three weeks ago your mother and I received emails from you about your decision to quit medical school and spend some time in Korea!! Have you seriously lost your mind?!!"

My father began to lose his temper. I shut my eyes and made a fist with both hands.

"Photography?! Photography?!! Do you really think that's something a Kapoor should be proud of?! Your aunts, uncles and cousins are either doctors, lawyers, engineers or business tycoons. They're all professionals! Why do you and your sister have to be different? She's supposed to be in law school but no! She's decided to study something about creating animations and apps because of the money she's been earning lately...Even I don't get it! No one cares about skills Priya! This is the twenty first century! When will you and Natasha come to your senses?!" My father said, his eyes reddened by rage.

Natasha. That was the name of my sixteen year old sister. My father blamed her behavior on the fact that her name was not Indian. It was a name chosen by my mother. Natasha was nothing like me. She was more like Jess. She did whatever pleased her heart and she took pride in being a rebel towards my parents' unreasonable beliefs. I was always proud of her.

"I can't do this anymore Priyanka! Your children have lost it and when I explode, don't blame me! You want to become a traveller who takes pictures while wandering the earth? Then go ahead! Wander! But you will be back to marry Rajesh and when you do return, it will be too late to continue your education. You'll become a complete housewife until your husband says otherwise! You're no daughter of mine!" My father said and stormed out.

My heart felt hurt by my father's utterance. Being the eldest child, I was almost moved to take back my words but I held my peace and tried to stop tears from falling out of my eyes. It was my only way to freedom but it hurt.

My mother looked around, gazed at me and sighed.

"You know your father didn't mean the things he said right?"

"I know mama."

"What's his name Priya?" My mother asked.

"Who...what..." I stuttered.

"The man you're breaking rules for. Who is he?"
Startled I stared at the laptop's screen, unable to move a muscle.

"I know that glow in your eyes Priya. I once had that remember?" My mother asked.

As young children, my mother would tell my sister and I about her first love before she met our father her true love. We knew she lied. The man she often spoke of with sparkle in her eyes was her true love. My father became her husband due to an arranged marriage and this fact showed lucidly in their relationship.

My mother was quite the rebel in her youthful days. At least that was what she told us, but the twentieth century was not so kind to her. Hence, her dreams and true love became a tale of the past. She often said she did not want that for my sister and me. She only said this in my father's absence, so it was alright to tell her about Kim Tae Min but I did not.

I would have loved to tell her that Tae Min and I had marvelled at the twenty-eight meter tall stone statue of Maitreya at the Bongeunsa Temple.

I wanted her to understand how I felt when I viewed the sunset from the Lotte Tower.

My lips wanted to tell my mother that Kim Tae Min and I had explored the bustling neighbourhood of Itaewon.

It would have been a thrill to tell my mother that Tae Min had shown me the handicrafts, art galleries, pottery and ancient culture in Insadong.

I wanted my mother to know everything about Kim Tae Min and me but I was unsure of our relationship.

At that moment questions sailed the seas of worry in my mind.

I knew my feelings for Tae Min had matured from a simple fan crush, but I was not sure and it felt risky to jump to conclusions.

Were we just friends?

Were we a couple?

Did he like me as much as I liked him?

"What are we?" My thoughts queried.

With confusion and a mix of emotions that toyed with my heart, I smiled at my mother and said "There's no one mama."

"I know there's someone Priya Kapoor." She said.

"Priya?"

"Yes mama?"

"Don't let him go." She said and with a smile so warm, our chat ended.

I got dressed and tied my hair to a perfect ponytail.

I gazed at my reflection on the mirror. A pretty silver necklace with a heart shaped pendant kissed by sapphire sat on my neck. Tae Min bought it for me when we were at Itaewon.

I smiled sheepishly while I caressed the silver chain with my fingers. I cherished that piece of jewellery more than every other thing I owned. My heart fluttered at the thought of it and I screamed at the woman in the mirror.

"What are we?!"

At that moment I heard a knock on the door.
I did not have to open the door to know who it was. An instant smile appeared on my face at the sight of the one who knocked.

"Hey, you." Tae Min said with a flattering smile.

"Hey." I said and locked the door behind me.

Kim Tae Min and I oft went out when we were not busy. I took photos with my camera and all Tae Min had to do was smile. I was satisfied with that because, it was the only way to keep his mind off the pressures from being a celebrity.

I walked behind Tae Min and followed like a faithful disciple. I stared at his back. His hair grew longer. It sat on his shoulders.

The black baseball cap, black trench coat, black pants and black turtle neck he wore covered all of him. He had no bulging biceps, over indulgent pecs or brawny back. He was Kim Tae Min and he was perfect. My heart fluttered again.

With a smile he stretched out his left hand.

"Ga ja. Let's go."

I was happy to see him smile. After a lot of conviction from me, he had begun to sing the genre he wanted. Even with a guitar, slower beats and true lyrics from his heart while he performed in parks, Kim Tae Min was still loved by his fans.

With a camera in my left hand and Tae Min's hand in my right, we set out for another day of exploration in South Korea. Without thoughts of any kind, I followed because step by step we were both closer to what we truly wanted and it made us smile. We smiled without masks.

Kim Tae Min and I got back to Shilla Stay quite late and as always we bid ourselves a goodnight with a smile and nothing more.

"Tae Min, wait!" I called.

"Yes?" He turned.

I gazed at his eyes and bit my lips. I tried desperately to ask the question that roamed my thoughts but nothing came out.

"What are we?" The question remained within.

"Thank you for letting me stay here. I know it costs you a lot." I said instead.

"It's alright. I know the manager. Besides, it's what I'd do for a friend." He said.

'Friend'. At the sound of that word my heart dropped.

"Why bother." I said in a whisper.

"What was that?"

"Nothing! Good night."

"Good night Pree."

Like every other night, the day ended with a smile. It was frustrating.

I slumped on my bed and fed my ears to Kim Tae Min's favourite playlist, trying to eliminate the questions on my mind.

An hour passed and I heard a knock on the door. I jumped from my bed.

"Tae Min?!"

I walked to the door and found a note. I took it up. On a piece of paper were cut up words in Hangul. My eyes strolled each piece of coloured paper and it read;

'The closer you get to Kim Tae Min, the closer you find trouble. Let him be while you can or you will find yourself in the same danger as he.'

My breath began to cease and my limbs quivered. Sweat in violent drops left my palms. I tried my best to calm down but my knees gave way. I fell.

I knew what the note in my hand was. It was a threat letter.

Frightened, I contemplated on how a normal medical student from Harvard suddenly sat on the floor of a four-star Korean hotel with a threat letter in her hands.

I heard another knock on the door. My heart beat twice as fast and an icy feel crawled down my spine.

I walked to the door and peered through the peep hole scared to death. With shaky feet, I stood on the tip of my toes and stared at the human on the other side.

- Word Count; 1820

-Bongeunsa Temple, Seoul.

-Lotte World Tower (exterior).

-Lotte World Tower (interior).