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- 17th Newsletter
Hi there
This is your A.thentic Jong Hee
And this is my 17th Newsletter for you. 💐
How are you?
How’s the weather now?
Is it getting hotter or colder?🤔
Here in Busan, we are in the middle of the rainy season in summer. The length of the rainy days varies each year. Mostly, it ends in the 1st or 2nd week of July, but sometimes it goes until the end of July.
However, we, Korean people, still enjoy the summer season even if it rains. If you want to spend time at water pools or beaches, who cares? You will get wet from the water anyway. 🏖😉
But after these rainy days are over, Korean people, especially in Seoul, start to worry about the high temperatures. For exactly one month after the rainy days, summer shows the essence of the season; the temperatures range from 33 to 38 degrees in Seoul.
They feel so hot with this temperature. But in Busan, especially my town, Haeundae, the temperature is stable even in summer. It never rises up to 33-35 degrees, just around the 28-32, perfect for enjoying the summer on the beaches.
When I lived in Seoul, I had to turn on the air-conditioner all night long in the summer night to sleep, but you know what? Last year, I never turned on the air conditioner in the summer here in Busan. Other areas in Busan are still hot, but this town, Haeundae, has an amazing weather condition.
Some people left comments when I posted pictures of Haeundae Beach, saying, ‘You’re lucky to have that kind of beach.’ Okay, I know what you meant, but lucky? Nope.
I didn’t get this beach town by accident. I ‘actively’ chose this area. I ‘intentionally’ moved here from Seoul. I decided to experience living in this area while I was in Seoul.
It’s not easy to move from one area to another region when you have a current job, but I planned and moved here to Busan, especially to Haeundae, the most modern beach town in Korea (it’s like Beverly Hills in Korea).
All of the skyscraper apartments near the beach are so expensive (even more than in Seoul).
I live in a small apartment here, but is it my dream to live in those kinds of big apartments? I’m not sure. I like modern and ‘cozy’. They lack coziness. Anyway, living here is not a result of luck, but of my effort. But I still miss some of the culture in Seoul.
Last week, I went to a sushi buffet. They opened recently, and we went there for the weekend. Let me show you how it looked.
 |  |  |
 Rolls |  Salads |  |
 |  |  |
As shown in the picture above, they provide information about 'allergy-causing foods.'
 |  |  Noodles |
 You can see ‘churros’ here |  Coffee machines |  All kinds of teas |
 |  |
One interesting thing is that whenever I go to a buffet, I lose weight afterward. Not ‘gain’ weight, I lose it. It’s 100% for sure. I eat a lot there, but not that much. And I guess another reason is that the food I eat most is ‘salad’ and ‘coffee’. (If I eat a slice of cake, then I eat salad or drink green tea after that for the guilty pleasure).
Okay, from now, I will share the second (last) part of chapter 4, “Confession of Love” of my love story.
Before getting into reading, listen to the song, or listen while you’re reading.
“Confession of Love”
2 hour long video of “I started to like you” and “Confession of Love”
That’s all for today.
Thank you for reading.🌹
Hope you have a nice weekend.
I will see you soon.💖
Bye 🧡
From A.thentic Jong Hee
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
#4. “Confession of Love”
by A.thentic Jong Hee
- Part 2 –
On the same evening, inside Jane's uncle's house.
Jane's second-floor room. She stares blankly out the window, watching the sunset outside. She knows that Hyun is waiting for her in the forest at this hour. However, she has decided not to go out. Jane thinks that it’s better for him this way. She thinks she can only cause pain to someone as good as him. Yet, still worried, Jane keeps looking out the window.
"He shouldn't stay out there too long..."
Unable to bear looking out the window any longer, Jane leans against the wall and sits in a corner of the room. She rests her head on her knees, quietly contemplating. Even her decision not to go out weighs heavily on her. Jane glances at the clock on the wall and then buries her head again.
Meanwhile, on the forest trail.
Time passes, and darkness settles in the woods. Hyun is still sitting on the bench. It's so dark now that one can't see anyone approaching from the other side of the trail. Then, a drop of water falls onto the rose he's holding. It starts to rain. A few drops patter softly onto the forest, sprinkling the surroundings. Hyun, who didn't bring an umbrella, letting it fall on him. The moist breeze travels through the forest and touches Hyun's empty heart.
Jane's second-floor room.
Jane, who was sitting huddled in the corner, jumps in surprise at the sound of rain hitting the window. She rushes to the window and looks outside.
"Oh, it's raining... This is not good..."
Jane looks out with a worried expression.
Forest Trail.
The rain, which had been falling lightly, now began to fall in heavy drops. Hyun is sitting on a bench catching all the rain that falls on him. The rose he is holding is also getting rained on, and the leaves are falling to the ground. As Hyun sits in the rain, his cell phone rings. He doesn't answer it, but it keeps ringing.
Jane’s second-floor room. Outside her window, heavy rain pours down.
"He really shouldn't still be there..."
Jane mutters anxiously to herself. Just then,
"This can't go on!"
Jane hastily throws on her coat and rushes out of her room. As she races down to the living room, her aunt calls out,
"Jane, where are you going?"
"Aunt, I'll be back soon!"
"No, that's not it…I mean..!”
With her aunt holding the phone, about to say something to Jane, she grabs an umbrella at the entrance and dashes outside.
Outside the front door, Jane runs towards the road, but then,
"Jane!"
Someone beside her calls out. Surprised, Jane turns around to see a middle-aged man stepping out of a car.
"Dad...!"
Jane approaches him in surprise.
"What's going on... all the way out here?"
Jane asks in astonishment.
At the same time, in the forest path.
Heavy rain starts to pour down relentlessly on Hyun's head. Sitting on the bench, Hyun's phone rings again from inside his jacket. After a moment, Hyun slowly takes out his phone. It's his mother calling. Hyun finally answers the call.
"Hello..." Hyun responds.
"Where are you right now...?"
Hyun's mother speaks in a calm voice, but she still sounds very worried.
“Where are you?” his mother asks again.
“Just stepped out for a bit...” Hyun replies.
“You don’t even have an umbrella, do you?”
“.…”
Hyun doesn’t answer.
“Are you trying to worry me to death? Where are you, getting soaked in the rain? Come home. Hurry, okay?”
“….”
“Come home, Hyun!”
Sensing the desperation in his mother’s voice, Hyun responds.
“Yes. I’m sorry... I’ll come home now.”
Hyun hangs up the phone and slowly stands up. He starts walking towards home.
Sungjin Fertilizer parking lot.
Jane's father stands in front of her, holding an umbrella.
"Because you're so stubborn, I had no choice but to come here,"
her father says.
"Please, just leave me alone," Jane replies.
"Running away won't solve anything. You know that. Avoiding everything isn't the answer. Think about the family, our family, Jane."
"The family, the family!" Jane shouts.
"It's because of that family that I've come this far. Please, just leave me alone, Dad. I need to rest...! How long do I have to sacrifice everything?! And now, I have nowhere to go because you contacted all my friends. Except for Uncle's place. Did you come all the way here?"
"Act like an adult now!" her father says.
"Stop it already!"
Jane shouts and then runs straight onto the road, still holding the umbrella.
"Jane! Jane!"
Her father calls out from behind, but Jane keeps running without looking back.
Shortly after, Jane turns into an alley leading to a pine forest. As she continues running into the woods, a strong gust of wind suddenly turns her umbrella inside out, soaking it. She tries to fix it but it breaks, leaving her to abandon it and run further into the forest.
The field and forest are cloaked in thick darkness without a hint of light, yet Jane keeps running forward.
A while later, Jane arrives at a bench on the forest trail. However, Hyun is nowhere to be seen. Jane feels relieved but also disheartened by his absence. She briefly wonders if he never intended to come here at all. Then, she notices rose petals soaked and scattered on the ground under the bench in the rain. Jane discovers a single rose stem on the bench and picks it up slowly.
“You… were here.. earlier when it wasn't raining in the afternoon, but you stayed ..even as it started to rain until all the petals fell.. Hyun, you were here..”
Tears well up in Jane's eyes.
"For someone worthless like me...... you waited for me in the rain..."
Jane then runs straight in the opposite direction she came, leaving the forest and crossing the riverbank.
In the distance, a light reveals itself—it's Hyun's house. Jane considers herself fortunate that she passed by Hyun's house yesterday in his car, allowing her to know its location. She continues running towards Hyun's house.
As she crosses a small road and reaches the front yard of Hyun's house, she sees Baekdu, Hyun's dog, barking loudly at her. She's a bit scared seeing the large dog, but her determination to meet Hyun overrides any fear she has.
Shortly after, lights in the front yard flicker on.
“What’s wrong, Baekdu? You need to be quiet. Neighbors can hear."
Hyun steps out, wearing an umbrella. Baekdu calms down upon seeing Hyun.
"What's going on? Who's here?"
Hyun's mother peers out through the living room window, asking him.
"Oh, it's no one, Mom. Please go back inside."
Hyun approaches Baekdu, petting him to soothe the dog. Baekdu, though silent now, keeps looking towards a corner of the yard. Curious, Hyun follows Baekdu's gaze and sees someone standing there. It's Jane! She stands there in the pouring rain, completely drenched.
"Jane...?"
Jane remains silent, just looking at Hyun.
"Why are you here..? Why are you standing here in the rain?"
Quickly, Hyun covers Jane with his umbrella. At that moment,
"Why...?" Jane struggles to speak.
“……?”
"Why did you... wait for me?”
“……?”
"Why... did you... come... to someone like me..?"
“……..” Hyun doesn't say anything.
"Why... were you waiting for me?"
“.….”
"Why... didn't you just leave... why... me...... standing out in the rain like this... waiting for me?”
Tears stream down Jane's cheeks.
"Where did you come from? Why are you out here getting soaked in the rain like this, Jane?”
Hyun asks worriedly.
"Why did you wait for me like that? What kind of person am I to you..? I’m just…”
At that moment, Hyun responds.
"Because you're... precious to me..."
" …. "
"You've become... precious to me, Jane”
"Look at me... like this... I’m a mess..."
"You're still beautiful... to me..."
"My... my true self... could be much uglier than I am now... even so?"
Hyun nods gently with a smile, in response to Jane's tearful words.
"The side of me that I couldn't say... it can really be filthy and pathetic…."
"I love you..”
Jane, speaking as if pleading, loses her words upon hearing the word "love" from Hyun, despite her acknowledging that her hidden self may not be dignified or clean.
“Even if my hidden self is ugly?"
"Yes..."
"Even if it's different from what you see now?"
"Yes... but I will still love you, Jane..!”
Hyun's calm yet firm words make Jane unable to hold back tears any longer. She covers her face with both hands and cries. Seeing Jane trembling uncontrollably, Hyun approaches her slowly and embraces her. Jane trembles and sobs louder in Hyun's embrace, as if feeling even more relieved.
"Don't cry, Jane..."
Jane nods quietly, her hands covering her face, in response to Hyun's calm and reassuring words, as if trying to calm herself down.
"Even like this... you're still beautiful, Jane."
Hyun smiles while looking into Jane's beautiful eyes, and Jane begins to feel warm inside as she meets his gaze.
Finally, Jane speaks.
"I love you too, Hyun."
Hyun is surprised as if he can't believe the words "I love you" coming from her mouth. Seeing his expression of disbelief, Jane speaks again.
"I love you, Hyun."
As soon as those words leave her mouth, Hyun moves closer to Jane and kisses her. It's as if he can no longer contain his love for her. Jane, unable to hide her feelings for Hyun any longer, accepts his kiss. The two passionately kiss as a fine drizzle falls overhead.
From a distance, the spring breeze blowing from afar no longer carries rain, but instead envelops the two with a refreshing spring warmth.
<The end of the 2nd part>