A Noisy Morning and the Road to Seoul Station
May 16th. I woke up to some incredibly loud, chaotic noise outside. I grabbed breakfast at a food court, somewhat relieved that it was a bit less spicy than what I had yesterday. After eating, I made my way to Seoul Station. The journey took a little over an hour, but compared to making the trek from Takasaki in Gunma all the way to Tokyo, it felt like a total breeze.
Bridging the Gap on a Park Bench
Finally, the moment arrived: I reunited with my Korean ex-girlfriend. There was an instant flash of recognition, but at the same time, we both felt a subtle shift—a gap created by the long time we had spent apart. As if trying to fill that invisible void, we sat down on a park bench and just talked. We poured out everything, catching up on our current lives, our jobs, the good times, and the rough patches.
Around 1:00 PM, we headed to a famous spot for Korean-style soba noodles, and they even threw in a complimentary dumpling. Afterward, we grabbed a coffee to relax. We found ourselves reminiscing about old trips, laughing out loud about that one time we accidentally booked a hotel inside a golf course and wondered why on earth we were driving onto the green. Later, we strolled through a majestic, sprawling park where a king once lived, taking in its breathtaking beauty.
The Agony Over a Single Photograph
As we walked, an internal debate was raging in my head. Is it okay to ask her to take a picture with me?
Our relationship had slowly faded out during the pandemic when travel restrictions made it impossible to see each other. I had always carried a sense of regret for being so slow to make decisions back then, and I desperately wanted to apologize and express my gratitude for everything. For about an hour, I agonized over whether asking for a photo would make her uncomfortable given our current dynamic. But knowing that all our past photos had long been deleted and nothing physical remained of our time together, I finally gathered the courage to ask. Looking back, I am incredibly grateful that I did.
Looking Up at a True Blue Sky
The weather in Seoul that day was exceptionally beautiful—a rare, picture-perfect, deep blue sky. Even at night, the stars were clearly visible.
I am so profoundly glad that I came to Korea. If I had waited until after diving into my next big life adventure, this reunion probably never would have happened. Because I took the leap now, I was able to fully experience these emotions. I feel like I finally managed to wrap up my past with genuine gratitude, perfectly setting the stage to build my future.