Chapter 2

[Airport Runway - 7:00 am]

Katsumi counted her belongings, paranoid about leaving without all of the things she owned. The twins were traveling by private plane. The predicted arrival time is 10:00 a.m. when they leave the country at 7:30 a.m.

After double-checking everything, the twins said goodbye to their parents and sister. Mrs. Yamaguchi was concerned about sending her children to another country where she would not be present. But she knew she had to let go and trust them in order for them to grow independently.

"Well, everything is ready!" remarked Katsumi.

"Once you arrive at the apartment where you'll be staying, everything that you'll need—whether it's furniture, food, kitchen tools, or toiletries—has been prepared for the both of you," Mr. Yamaguchi explained.

"Thank you, dad, mom," Kento answered nervously.

Mrs. Yamaguchi couldn't help but cup her son's cheeks for comfort when she saw him in this state.

"Don't forget to contact us once you both arrive in Seoul, and remember to have fun and be yourself."

These comforting words put their minds at ease. It will be tough at first to attain the items Katsumi desires, and it is frightening. But Katsumi believes in herself. She must, or else nothing will change.

Katsumi sat near the window to unwind throughout the flight. Trying not to overthink what's to happen too much. Kento sat close to his sister, resting and enjoying their flight.

An hour into their flight, Katsumi was starting to get nervous. She knew that the moment she stepped foot in Seoul, she would begin a new life with a new her. However, in order to achieve her desired life, she needs to accomplish a lot of things.

Her mind wanders about with the same worries over and over. Will she make any new friends? And even if she did, would they still like her if they learned about her family background? Will she be all right?

These negative thoughts will not go away, no matter how hard she tries. Like it has a mind of its own.

"Everything okay?" Kento inquired, concerned. When he noticed Katsumi's distressed expression, he couldn't help but approach her.

"Yeah, I'm just nervous," she says.

"It's natural to be nervous; I'm the same."

"You are?"

"Yeah! I can feel nervous in situations like this too, you know."

"You just look so calm. I couldn't tell."

"It's because I know I'm not alone; you're here with me," he explained, lightly shrugging his shoulders against Katsumi's.

Katsumi has been afraid of being alone for a long time. But she isn't. Even if she doesn't make any friends, she has her twin brother to keep her company. And when she reflected on this, her anxiety subsided, and she felt relieved.

"Thank you."

Kento responded with a smile. It was unusual for the twins to be so wholesome toward one another. So immediately after that, Kento broke the tension.

"This just made me feel greasy," he remarked, shivering all over, and Katsumi laughed.

"I'll go take a nap," he said as he stood up and walked over to the bed behind the plane.

"Make an alarm clock; I'm not waking you up."

"Sure, you won't, sis."

The plane became quiet after Kento went to sleep. Katsumi didn't have much to do, so she chose to spend the time drawing designs inspired by the clouds and whatever she could find around her.

[Seoul, South Korea, 10:05 am]

The momentum of the plane landing woke Kento up. He had a hunch they had just landed and pulled himself off the bed. As he walked out of the bedroom, he noticed his sister fast asleep on the couch, her art supplies on the table.

When the pilot spotted Kento, he stepped out of the cockpit and bowed.

"We have arrived at Incheon International Airport, sir, and your luggage will be delivered to your vehicle shortly."

"Thank you." Kento responded with a bow.

After the pilot and co-pilot had left, Kento patted Katsumi on the shoulder to wake her up. Katsumi squirmed and opened her eyes slowly.

"We've arrived; let's go to our apartment."

Katsumi walked out with her brother sluggishly. The cool breeze ruffled her hair the moment she stepped outside. As her vision improved, she noticed that the kanji, hiragana, and katakana letters had transformed to Hangul. And everyone was conversing in Korean.

When Katsumi realized she was in South Korea, she became nervous. Kento patted her on the back, which helped calm Katsumi down. The boy grinned, and Katsumi returned the smile.

That's right, Kento was with her. Everything is going to be fine.

"You're blocking the way."

It was as if she had been hit in the gut. Katsumi thought that was another wholesome sibling moment. But she keeps forgetting that her twin is a jerk.

She steps out of the way to make room for him to pass. Once they got on the ground, Katsumi didn't think twice and flicked his twin on the head.

Kento was in disbelief, his mouth agape in surprise, as he stared at Katsumi, who pretended to be completely innocent.

"You sneaky son of a gun."

"What are you standing there for? You're blocking the way," Katsumi mocked as she walked past Kento, who snickered in astonishment.

"Wow... I'm not gonna lie, that was petty, sis."

[Apartment, 12:02 am]

"Here we are! Room 213 for Katsumi and Room 212 for Kento," the landlady said as she led them to their rooms.

After directing them to their unit, the woman bowed as she went downstairs. Mr. and Mrs. Yamaguchi rented two unit rooms, one for each of their children, so that they could have some privacy.

Their other goal was to teach the twins basic survival skills. They'd learn to cook, clean, shop for groceries, and handle their money while still completing their schooling individually.

Even though they had to part ways, they were thrilled to have everything to themselves. No more waiting in line for the restroom or cleaning up someone else's messes. And plenty of alone time for themselves.

"Do you want to go out to eat for lunch?" Kento inquired.

"Sure, I'll message you when I'm finished unpacking, and if you finish before me, you know the password to my place, right?"

"52615. Do you know mine?"

"61313," she says as she unlocks her door and walks in. "See ya!"

Katsumi felt one step closer to restarting her life after entering the unit. Looking around the living room, she couldn't help but admire the interior design of the unit she'll be staying in. It was larger than she anticipated, and she had not anticipated a second story.

Katsumi was still in awe of everything. It's amazing how quickly time passes. She was once in her room in Tokyo, and now she's face-to-face with her unit in Seoul.

Her gaze was drawn to a cat lying on the staircase while she was glancing around the living room. Its unexpected appearance astonished her. With its black, fluffy fur and piercing blue eyes, it was a stunning cat.

"Hello there. How'd you get in here?" she said in a high-pitched tone as she reached out to pet the cat.

Surprisingly, the cat is friendly. Katsumi was thrilled when she saw the cat not resisting her pets. She realized the cat had a collar on and felt a small piece of paper stuck in it.

She removed it and unfolded it. It was a letter from her parents. It said,

'Perhaps you're asking why there's a cat in the apartment. We assumed you'd needed some company. Her name is for you to choose, and don't worry, this cat is very smart and kind.

P.S. She is female.

- Love MOM and DAD '

"Well, a small furry company wouldn't be such a bad idea," she persuaded herself, and the cat responded, making Katsumi laugh.

She continued with her tasks by lugging some luggage up the stairs and into her new room.

After unpacking the first batch, she was ready to go downstairs to fetch the other two suitcases when Kento strolled into her room with the extra bags she required.

"Should I help you unpack?" he asked.

"Nah, it's good. I'll leave this for later; I'm starving."

"Well, there's a café nearby, and we can drive there."

"From where did you get a car?" Katsumi questioned.

"It's a gift from Mom and Dad," he explained, holding up the note he had received. "I'll drive."

"Good, because I'm exhausted after all that unpacking."

The nearest café was a 10-minute drive away. However, the food was simply delectable. As a result, there is a huge line at the counter. They have a nice lunch for an hour before heading back home to rest.