Chapter 1: Introduction
The soft, muted clickity-clack of Ms. Kim's keyboard reverberated softly in the small room, punctuated by the hiss and gurgle from her coffee machine as it wrestled every ounce of flavor from the dark brown grounds. Characters conceived and birthed into rich, vibrant beings, their storyboards a riot of lush colors, as the artist herself: Park Hye-min—or more popularly known as Park Min-ji, or simply Ms. Kim.
With a huff, she leaned back in her chair to appreciate the fruits of her labor: a newly designed character appeared on the screen, an enchanting temptress—one worthy of capturing the hearts and imaginations of both young and old adults. A faint smile graced her lips. I've still got it, she thought to herself.
But why, after all these years, did it suddenly matter? She chalked it up to the lonely days that grew increasingly frequent.
Ms. Kim stretched out her stiff limbs and padded towards her phone, casting a passing glance at the tall stack of essays to be graded. Her index finger danced through social media sites before she finally came to a halt on the old familiar grid of Instagram.
"Might as well see what my old students are up to these days."
She scanned the rows of faces, smiling at the memories they brought.
Eventually her finger paused at a name she hadn't seen for years. A young life, full of potential and ambition, was now a full-blown artist, if his Instagram handle was anything to go by: `Kimwook89`. She clicked on the profile.
The selfies of a tall man radiated confidence and charm, the kind one could gather even from digital space. Her eyes widened at the way the sunlight lovingly framed his strong jawline and angular face.
There was a familiarity to him, as if the years had effortlessly smoothed out the rough edges of the once-awkward teenager.
Ms. Kim clicked on the like button, the sensation of doing something illicit sparking some thrilling sensation. The hours ticked by as she indulged in a nostalgia-fueled spiral, her gaze volleying between the artistry on her screen and the ungraded essays on her coffee table.
Her heart swelled with pride at the achievements of her former students.
Then, as if by fate, she received a notification alerting her to a new comment on one of her own posts—a simple caption underneath her newest, sultry animation:
`Kimwook89: Stunning as always, Ms. Kim. I always knew you were destined for greatness.
Ms. Kim stared at the message, her fingers hovering over the keys. Was this a moment to reconnect with a student from yesteryears? To possibly kindle new sparks or was this just idle curiosity blooming through the far reaches of social media?
She paused for a moment, tracing the elegant lines of her long-stemmed pen as the dilemma played out in her mind. It was a simple connection of former teacher and student; but now that he had bridged the gap and reached out, what would follow next?
Ms. Kim took a steadying breath, then typed out her reply:
`Ms. Kim: So nice to see you again, Joon-ho. You've grown so much! I'm glad to have been even a small part of your journey.I can still recall the first time Joon-ho shuffled into my classroom: tall and gawky, his messy brown hair an unabashed canvas for uncombed locks; and the brightest of smiles that instantly endear him to all.