The first thing Ariyah noticed about Busan was that it didn't wait for anyone. Not for hesitation or grief and definitely not for her.
Rain slid down the taxi window in thin, restless streaks, blurring the neon lights outside into something almost unreal. Like the city itself couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Either alive or drowning.
Ariyah leaned her head against the cool glass, her reflection faint against the glow of passing signs. For a moment, she barely recognized herself. New city and a new life. But as for her heart, it remained the same, she didn't trust anymore.
"Almost there," the driver said in broken English, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. She nodded, offering a small smile out of habit, even though her chest felt tight.
Everything here felt loud. The language, lights, the movement and even the silence. It felt unfamiliar. The car slowed as it turned into a narrower street, tucked between tall buildings which seemed to lean close together. Like they were whispering secrets she wasn't meant to hear.
Just then, she noticed a flickering sign buzzing above a small café and a group of people laughing loudly under a shared umbrella. Somewhere in the distance, waves crashed faintly against the shore. And just like that, it finally hit her.
She was really here, not visiting or dreaming but to stay.
"Here." The car stopped. Ariyah stepped out into the rain before the driver could even grab an umbrella for her.
Cold droplets kissed her skin instantly, dampening her curls which soaked into the sleeves of her jacket but she didn't move, rush or try to hide. For a second, she just stood there. Letting it fall and wash over her like maybe, just maybe, it could rinse away everything she carried with her.
The memories, betrayal and the old version of herself she had left behind.
"Miss?" The driver's voice pulled her back.
She quickly grabbed her bag, thanked him, and stepped aside as the car drove off, disappearing into the blur of headlights and rain. Now it was just her and the city.
Ariyah slowly exhaled, adjusting the strap of her bag as she glanced down at her phone. Low battery, it showed. "Of course," she let out a quiet, humorless laugh. "Perfect start."
The map uncertainly flickered before loading her location. Her apartment wasn't far. Just a few streets down. She started walking. The pavement was slick beneath her shoes, with puddles forming along the uneven edges of the road. The air smelled like salt and something faintly metallic, like rain against concrete.
A couple brushed past her, laughing. Then a group of friends, they were huddled under a storefront, arguing over something trivial. Life was happening everywhere but somehow, she felt completely outside of it.
Ariyah pulled her jacket tighter around herself, lowering her gaze as she walked faster. Don't think, just move. Her thoughts echoed and that's how she had gotten this far.
That's how she survived.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed in her hand. It was a message; she didn't need to open it to know who it was. Her grip instinctively tightened and for a split second, she considered ignoring it. Even deleting it and pretending that aspect of her life never existed.
But instead, she tapped the screen and suddenly, everything around her faded. She had collided with someone. So hard that, the impact knocked the breath from her lungs. Which caused her phone to slip from her hand and clatter onto the wet pavement.
"Ah—!" Her foot slid slightly, and her balance tipped. Fortunately, a hand caught her arm midway. It was firm, steady and so close that she froze.
For a moment, all she could hear was the rain and the warmth of his grip against her skin. "Watch where you're going." The voice invaded, low, sharp and annoyed.
Just like that, the dreamy moment shattered. Ariyah blinked, immediately pulling her arm back as she managed to looked up. He was taller than her.
His dark hair damp from the rain, with strands falling slightly over his forehead. His expression was unreadable but his eyes were cold, not yet cruel. Like she had interrupted something more important than her existence.
Her chest tightened. Oh, so that's the type. She thought to herself. "I could say the same to you," she shot back, her voice steady despite the irritation rising in her chest.
His gaze flickered for a second, he didn't expect that from her. Ignoring his gaze, Ariyah quickly crouched, grabbing her phone from the ground. The screen flickered, but thankfully, it was still alive.
On rising to her full length, she brushed her damp hands against her jacket. "Next time, try not to stand in the middle of the road like a statue." She highlighted without intimidation.
His brows slightly drew together. "And next time," he replied coolly, "try looking up." He sounded controlling, detached and slightly condescending.
Something about it instantly rubbed her the wrong way. Ariyah let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "Wow. You're actually serious."
He just watched her without responding and some way somehow, it made it worse. For a second, neither of them moved. The rain kept falling between them, with the city noise humming around them. Strangers passed like they didn't exist.
Just then, a car horn blared in the distance and the moment snapped. Ariyah shook her head and stepped around him. "Unbelievable," she muttered under her breath without looking back.
But as she walked away, she still felt his penetrating gaze.
Without any more utterances, Kang Min-jae stood still in the rain as he watched her back fade in the distance. The place she had stood felt different and quitter now. A small silver like object near his feet, instantly caught his attention.
It was a pendant, probably hers. He guessed. He picked it up, and slightly turned it between his fingers as the city lights reflected faintly against its surface. His gaze soon lifted in the direction she had left but she was already gone. Quietly swallowed by the city.
Min-jae slipped the pendant into his pocket and trod off. Ariyah kept walking, unaware of her indisposed jewelry.