The 31st Newsletter

Hi there 

This is your A.thentic Jong Hee. 

And this is my 31st newsletter to you.💜

How are you today? It has been a month since I published the last newsletter. I hope everything is going well for you right now.🙏

Time flies, and it’s already the end of March.
How’s the weather where you are right now? Is it warm, hot? Or is it still cold?

You may already know, but spring has been arriving very slowly in Korea this year.
Winter felt unusually long. Even in Busan, which normally doesn’t experience ‘extreme’ cold except for early mornings and late nights, the temperature dropped to around -1 to -5°C during the daytime this winter.
If it was like that in Busan, then Seoul probably saw temperatures drop to around -10°C during the day.❄️❄️

By the way, you might think that Seoul and Busan are very far apart, but they’re not.
By train (a high-speed one, of course, traveling over 300 km/h), it only takes about 3 hours (exactly, 2 hours and 45 minutes). A domestic flight takes just 1 hour.
South Korea isn’t that big, after all.

Anyway, with the unusually long and cold winter in Busan and the southern regions of Korea, spring feels like it’s arriving much later than usual (though I haven’t lived in Busan for that many years yet).

Spring flowers start blooming from the southern regions of Korea, and before the cherry blossoms, another flower blooms first—the plum blossoms.🌸
Just last week, I went for a walk around my neighborhood and spotted some, so I took a picture.

I can hardly tell if it’s a cherry blossom or not, but this is actually a plum blossom. Near Busan, there is a small town that holds an annual plum blossom festival in mid-February. 

However, this year, the cold lasted so long that the flowers didn’t bloom during the festival period. Since I took this photo just last week, it seems the blooming season was indeed delayed.

In my 30th newsletter, I introduced Haeundae Traditional Market. As I mentioned, that market is more like a food court where many tourists visit to enjoy ready-to-eat meals. 

However, the photos below show a small traditional market in my actual neighborhood, not in a tourist area. In Korea, every neighborhood has at least one or two of these traditional markets for buying ingredients to cook Korean food. Of course, most people nowadays tend to use large supermarkets or online markets more often.🧅🌶🧄

The YouTube link below is a video I filmed last Lunar New Year at a traditional market, capturing the bustling crowds preparing for the holiday. It’s an authentic scene of a real traditional market during major holidays like Lunar New Year and Chuseok, so if you haven’t seen it yet, you might find it interesting. (There were so many people that I felt overwhelmed!)

    Lunar New Year Traditional Market Scene (Busan)

YouTube(part1) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEmQxH1Mbgk

YouTube(part2) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vAu608Q_Mc

Here’s an interesting fact: while editing this video for YouTube, I played the piano and improvised a melody to go along with it. And now, one of the tracks from my upcoming piano EP, releasing on March 30, actually originated from one of these videos. I later refined and re-recorded it for the album.🎹🎵

Yesterday (March 28), while jogging, I passed by the outdoor market held every Friday along the park path in my apartment complex. Although there’s a large supermarket nearby, small business owners set up their stalls here every Friday to sell their goods. 

I only recently found out about this, and as I was running,🏃🏻 I suddenly stopped in my tracks. I couldn’t resist—there were some of my favorite snacks! So I ended up jogging home with bags of donuts and Kkwabaegi (twisted breadsticks) in hand.

And take a look at the cherry blossoms lining the park path! 🌸🌸🌸 They’re not in full bloom yet, but aren’t they beautiful? The sky was a bit cloudy, but the flowers still looked lovely.🌸💖💓

Now, I’d like to talk about my upcoming piano EP album, which will be released on March 30. 🎹💽🎵🎧

Before that, if you’re reading this newsletter, I’d love for you to follow my Spotify Artist Page. That way, you’ll get a notification as soon as I release a new album!🧡

My Spotify artist page : https://open.spotify.com/artist/7l0I0kuaVN66wuF6xee5O6

Apple Music : https://music.apple.com/kr/artist/a-thentic-jong-hee/1612969480?l=en-GB

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@a.jonghee

As I recommended, if you’re reading this newsletter before listening to my album, you might not know how many tracks are in this EP or what songs are included—except for the first track I played on Instagram.

This EP album consists of a total of seven tracks: five new pieces and two slowed versions of selected tracks.

Here are the tracks 💽🎧:

Track 1 - Flower on the Streets

Track 2 - In the Garden

Track 3 - Sitting by the window

Track 4 - On a small bench

Track 5 - But I'm still missing you

Track 6 - In the Garden (Slowed & Reverb)

Track 7 - But I'm still missing you (Slowed & Reverb)

As I mentioned before, some of the tracks in this album are pieces I had previously composed and refined for this release, while others were created specifically for this EP. 

As seen in some of the titles, these piano pieces express the emotions of spring—the warm season when flowers bloom. 🌸💐

Originally, my intention was to compose simple, light piano pieces that could be played while reading, meditating, or taking a walk. That was before I added the drama..

As you listen to the entire album, you will notice a stark contrast between the pieces I composed and played with a neutral emotional state and those where I poured my emotions into the music, crafting them with a deep and heartfelt story in mind.

(I initially planned to create a simple and peaceful EP... but one day, when I played the piano, for some reason, I found myself feeling sad.)

This is the story of a woman.
Like the track titles suggest, she seems to be living peacefully in the warmth of spring—but what is the untold story behind her calm days?

Below is the first album cover, before it was revised:

Ah, as I mentioned on Instagram, I won’t reveal the title of this album here either. I’d like you to listen and guess what it might be. (Though it might be too easy...)

And here is the original image of the final album cover :

Now, I will reveal her story below.
(Though I’m not sure yet whether this story will continue.)

I hope you read it with a calm heart. 🧡

Enjoy my new EP album, and most importantly, stay well and healthy.
I’ll see you in the next newsletter.

Thank you for reading. 🙏🌹

Warm Regards.

A.thentic Jong Hee

…………………………………………………………………………………………

The backstory of this Piano EP Album

by A.thentic Jong Hee

The long, long winter has passed, and the warmth of spring has finally arrived.

At the quiet edge of a city, there is a small, charming house. When you step through the gate, a little garden filled with flowers and trees comes into view, and beyond it, a window that looks out from inside the house.

A woman sits by the sunlit window, holding a letter in her hands.

His Letter

How have you been? It has already been years since I last saw you.

Time seems to be passing both too quickly and too slowly at the same time. But even so, I feel that being able to exchange letters like this is a blessing for us.

When I left, my steps were unbearably heavy, and the thought of not seeing you for years broke my heart—I shed many tears. But whenever I receive your letters, I find a sense of comfort and reassurance.

Hearing about all the things you’ve been doing while living on your own makes me proud of you. And knowing that you’re not as lonely as I had feared, that you’re carrying on with quiet strength—it makes me realize, more than ever, how incredibly lucky I was to have met you.

Every time I read about how well you’re managing on your own, how you’re staying calm and steadfast, I can’t help but feel proud of you. That couldn’t have been easy…

So, if you can be that strong, how could I be so foolish as to dwell only on how much I miss you? To think of nothing but you, to say that I can’t bear the longing—that would be childish, wouldn’t it?

I, too, am spending my days as best as I can here. So please, don’t worry about me. Until the day we meet again, I will wait patiently, just as you are.

Spring must have arrived there by now, hasn’t it?
I often think about the times we walked together along the blossoming paths.
People would glance at us as we passed by—I suppose we must have looked quite good together, don’t you think?

The lake’s path, lined with flowers—especially the cherry blossoms—was breathtaking.
But even more beautiful than all of that was you.
Perhaps that’s what the passersby were noticing…

Please, continue to stay strong and steady, just as you always have.
And never lose hope—believe that the day we meet again is not too far away.
Can you promise me that? I believe in you.

I will write again soon.

With warm thoughts.

From your man.

After reading his letter, she carefully folds it and places it in an envelope on the table.
Then, she picks up the reply she had written earlier and reads it once more.

Her Letter

How have you been?

I’m relieved to hear that you received my letter safely. And knowing that you’re staying well and healthy puts my mind at ease.

Yes, I’m doing well these days—managing just fine on my own.

You’re right. Spring has finally arrived here.

The days have grown much warmer, and the trees in the garden are blooming in their own time. Some were impatient and blossomed early, while others, slower and more hesitant, are only now beginning to bloom.

The streets are filled with cherry blossoms these days, painting everything in soft pink.

Lately, I’ve been taking short walks—just strolling through the streets near my home. Each time I go out, I see young people everywhere, holding hands, laughing, and enjoying themselves as if nothing could be more fun. I watch couples posing in front of cherry trees, making small commotions as they try to capture the perfect photo.

Seeing these young couples makes me smile. And, of course, it reminds me of us—of the times we, too, walked beneath the cherry blossoms. So much time has passed that I’ve lost count of the years, but the memories remain vivid in my heart. It’s comforting, in a way, to have such memories to hold onto.

Yes, as you guessed, I’ve been keeping busy tending to the garden.
The cherry trees we planted together have fully bloomed. The plum blossoms and camellias bloomed before the cherry blossoms, bringing me joy. These days, my favorite pastime is simply gazing at the flowers through the living room window. It feels as if they smile at me like old friends.

Perhaps that’s why I feel so calm and at peace.
On sunny days, I like to sit outside in the garden and read for hours. The distant sound of birds, the gentle breeze rustling through the flowers and trees—it all fills me with quiet happiness.

Yes, I remember.
Whenever we walked along the lakeside path, people would often glance our way, almost as if they were envious. I pretended not to notice, but I was always a little worried that it might bother you. Thinking back, it makes me smile.
I’m grateful to you—for always looking at me as if I were the most beautiful thing in the world.

No, I won’t act like a child throwing a tantrum.
I’ll stay strong, waiting quietly, carrying on with my days.
So please, don’t worry about me.

And I know. Even if you don’t say it.
Perhaps we are meant to part forever..

Still, I won’t force anything and will keep my emotions steady as I go on, just as I am now.  I’m calm, aren’t I? Even if you were to see me now, you would say so, wouldn’t you?

I will simply accept this reality.
I know you avoid words like ‘goodbye’ and ‘separation’ because you don’t want to burden me with them. But you don’t have to worry—I am fine.

Just take care of yourself first.
And stay healthy. That’s the only way I can truly be at ease, isn’t it?

I won’t say weak words like, “With spring’s arrival, I miss the warmth of your gaze and your touch even more.” Don’t worry. 

Take care.
I will write again soon.

Yours. 

She quietly folds the letter, places it in an envelope, seals it with a stamp, and sets it neatly on the table. Tomorrow, she will drop it into the mailbox when she goes into town.

Rising from her seat, she walks to the kitchen and sets a kettle on the stove to make tea.
As she waits for the water to boil, she stares blankly at the kettle, lost in thought.

Finally, when the water begins to boil, she carefully pours it into a cup with her prepared tea leaves.
Then, holding the warm teacup gently in her hands, she walks to the window.

She gazes outside calmly, taking slow sips of tea.
The sky is blue..

In the large window, her reflection is faintly visible, along with the table behind her.
On the table, just opposite the letter she has set aside, lies a red notebook—her diary.

Her diary reads as follows…

Her Diary

The words I couldn’t bring myself to write in the letter… I’ll write them here instead.

You figured it out, didn’t you? Yes, you’re right. Spring has arrived here.
The streets are filled with cherry blossoms, with families, friends, and especially lovers everywhere.
The whole city is overflowing with love.

Yes… Just as I promised you when we parted, I’m trying my best to be okay.
I take quiet walks… I tend to the garden alone… I sit on the bench in the yard, reading books…
I sit by the window, drinking tea as I gaze at the flowers in the garden and the sky above.

But still… no matter how much I try to hide it, no matter how much I try to deceive myself…

…I miss you… so much… even now..

From the moment we parted until this very second… not once has this feeling left me.
What should I do…?

I miss you… so much…

When I walk through the streets filled with flowers, all I can think about is the times we walked together.
And each time, my vision blurs… from the tears in my eyes.

Yesterday, while working in the garden, I hurt my hand… It wasn’t serious, so don’t worry.

But even then… I remembered how you would always rush to me whenever I stumbled or got the slightest injury—how you’d gently apply medicine, wrap my wound in a bandage, and worry about my pain.
I remembered your touch… and I cried again..

What am I supposed to do…?

Contrary to what I wrote in my letter… I just can’t seem to steady my heart.
I must look so foolish…

Sometimes, I sit by the window and stare at the clouds drifting in the blue sky.
I know that if I say I’m doing fine, you’ll be able to stay strong too… so I’ve made up my mind not to say anything difficult.

But the moment I think of that… the tears come.
I miss you… and yet, I can’t even say the words I miss you out loud. That… is what makes this even harder.

I get through each day with the simple belief that we won’t be separated forever.
Even now, I still hold on to that hope.

The more I say I’m fine, the more these unspoken words pile up inside me…

I can never erase the warmth in your eyes, your touch, your love.
No matter how much I try…

So, this is what I truly want to say to you…

“I’m so fine now…”

“But I’m still.. missing you…”

<The End>