Peninsula's Life Begins in 2016

Chapter 16 The Crooked Welcome Banner

The subway travels westward from Seoul Station, passing through a dark tunnel under the Han River. The lights outside the windows flicker on and off. The carriages are packed with people on weekend outings, and the sounds of talking, cell phone speakers, and babies crying create a chaotic cacophony.

Kim Minjung acted as if he hadn't heard anything, pressing his forehead against the car window and watching the cables and GG signs rushing past on the tunnel wall.

"Oppa".

"Um?"

"The Seoul subway is so noisy."

Jiang Yan leaned back in his chair, resting with his eyes closed. Hearing this, he chuckled, "The ones in Busan aren't noisy?"

"There aren't this many people in Busan." Kim Minjung turned her head and counted on her fingers, "The last time I took the Seoul subway was when I was in sixth grade. My mom took me to Lotte World, and the subway wasn't this crowded back then."

"That's because you forgot."

Jiang Yan opened his eyes, turned his head to look at her, "How old were you back then? Your mother said you fell asleep as soon as you got on the bus, and she carried you on her back on the way back. You drooled all the way on her back."

"Hey, Oppa!!" Kim Minjung's face flushed red instantly, and she slapped his arm. "How did you even remember that?!"

"Of course I remember, your mother's back wasn't as bad back then as it is now."

Jiang Yan shifted his gaze from her face to the blurry figure reflected in the opposite car window. "After you came back that time, you told me that Seoul was so big and the subway was so fast. You said you wanted to come to Seoul someday."

Kim Minjung paused for a moment, then lowered his head. "Yes, I did say that."

"Now you've arrived."

Jiang Yan gently rubbed her head. "Seoul is still Seoul, the subway is still the same subway, it's just that you've grown up and are exposed to more information."

Kim Minjung didn't reply. He pressed his forehead against the car window again, watching the cables rushing past in the tunnel, a slight smile playing on his lips, lost in thought.

The subway stopped at City Hall Station. Jiang Yan carried her suitcase and helped her transfer to Line 2. After three more stops, they got off at Hejing Station.

The electronic clock on the platform showed 3:30 p.m.

Jiang Yan dragged his suitcase with one hand, the bag of kimchi hanging from the handle, while his other hand naturally reached behind him.

Kim Minjung followed behind him, passing through the crowded exit passage, his gaze sweeping over the well-dressed young people on the platform and the idol supporters everywhere.

Her eyes grew brighter and brighter, but her steps slowed down.

"Oppa, that! That's EXO's guy!"

"Um."

"Over there! It's Wendy unnie from Red Velvet! When I was in Liangshan, I listened to her songs every day to practice my high notes!"

"understood."

"And that one..."

"Kim Minjung." Kang Yeon turned to look at her, a helpless smile on his lips. "You're here to be a trainee, not to chase after stars. Besides, you're with SM now, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to run into them at the company in the future."

Kim Minjung stuck out her tongue and quickened her pace to catch up with him, but she still couldn't help but secretly glance at those huge lightboxes out of the corner of her eye.

Stepping out of the subway station, the March sun shone down, and Hongdae was always bustling. Young people dressed in trendy brands strolled through the streets in twos and threes. A band from an underground club was giving an open-air performance, and the distorted sound of electric guitars mixed with drumbeats made people's scalps tingle.

Kim Minjung stood at the exit, looking up at the colorful signs and the never-ending crowds, momentarily lost in thought.

This is Seoul.

The place where she will live from now on.

"Let's go." Jiang Yan pulled his suitcase and turned into a nearby alley. "We'll be there in ten minutes."

The alleys in the old neighborhood are very narrow, and the red brick walls on both sides are covered with withered vines. When the spring breeze blows, tender green buds have already sprouted from the gaps in the withered vines.

Down in the courtyard, the landlady was sitting on her usual little stool, basking in the sun, with a half-open Bible on her lap and a string of dark red prayer beads in her hand.

"Good afternoon, landlady." Jiang Yan stopped and bowed slightly. "This is my sister. She just arrived from Busan today."

The old lady raised her head, squinted at Kim Minjung for a while, and then slowly smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes forming a chrysanthemum shape.

"Oh my god, what a pretty little girl, with round, bright eyes. Just like your brother, she's from a good family."

Kim Minjung quickly bowed and greeted her, "Hello, Grandma! My name is Kim Minjung!"

"Okay, okay." The old lady smiled even more happily, took out a fruit candy from her pocket and handed it to her, "It was just sent back from America, it's strawberry flavored, take it and eat it. If you need anything in the future, come and find Grandma, Grandma lives in the room on the left on the first floor."

Kim Minjung accepted the fruit candy with both hands, thanked him, and went upstairs with Kang Yeon.

The old-fashioned staircase was narrow, and the iron handrails were worn smooth. With each step, you could hear the rustling sound of shoes rubbing against the cement steps.

By the time they reached the fourth floor, Kim Minjung was already a little out of breath, but he still gritted his teeth and kept up.

"Are you tired?" Jiang Yan turned to look at her.

"Not tired!" Kim Minjung shouted in a strong voice, then immediately added, "Just a little out of breath."

"We're almost there." Jiang Yan slowed his pace, stepped aside to let her walk in front of him, and used his free hand to protect her from falling.

Reaching the sixth floor, Jiang Yan took out his key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, turned it twice, and then pushed open the door to room 601 with a click.

"Go in."

Kim Minjung stood at the doorway, and as soon as he stepped over the threshold, he froze on the spot, his mouth slowly opening into a small "O".

The afternoon sun at three o'clock streamed in through the balcony door, bathing the entire living room in a warm, light gold hue.

The wooden floor was spotless, and the Marine Corps badges on the wall reflected a faint glimmer of silver light.

What caught her eye most was a large banner written in colored pens on the wall facing the front door in the living room.

Welcome to Seoul, Minjung! From today onwards, this is your home!

The words on the banner were written crookedly, and the colors of the colored pencils were mixed up in a mess; it was obvious that Jiang Yan had drawn it himself last night.

"Oppa..."

"Hey! Don't you dare criticize my handwriting," Jiang Yan said, standing behind her and scratching the back of his head with all his might. "I did this last night, and I'm not very good at using colored pens."

Kim Minjung turned around, her eyes red-rimmed, but she forced a smile: "It's clearly ugly! You even wrote the character 'Min' crookedly!"

"Then why are you crying?"

"I didn't cry!" She rubbed her eyes vigorously with the back of her hand. "It's just sand in my eyes!"

"Where did the sand come from on the sixth floor?" Jiang Yan laughed as he pushed his suitcase into the living room, walked to the door of the south-facing bedroom, and pushed it open. "This is yours, come in and have a look."

Kim Minjung peeked out from behind him, then stood frozen in the doorway.

The light pink puppy-patterned bed sheet was laid out neatly, and the wardrobe was divided into hanging and folding sections, with several storage boxes printed with bear patterns on the bottom shelf.

On the bedside table, the warm yellow star-shaped nightlight was already plugged in, and next to it were two boxes of chocolate pies and a large bag of shrimp chips.

The vanity was neatly arranged with a hairdryer, curling iron, and several bottles of skincare products that she had searched for online but had always hesitated to buy.

On the windowsill, a small succulent plant sat quietly, its plump leaves gleaming with a tender green luster in the sunlight.

……