Chapter 65.1

Chapter 65.1

Miran leaned her head against the bus window on her way to Yongin and let out a long yawn. With April here, she was finally able to wear lighter clothes, and the spring vibes were unmistakable.

They say that even if things take a detour, they still end up moving forward. Miran’s preparations for her study abroad were going surprisingly well, all thanks to a recommendation from her dad’s friend who runs a study abroad agency. After visiting the agency with Juran and getting a detailed consultation, Miran decided on a language school in New York and jumped into the application process.

She found out that getting her I-20 and student visa, along with all the paperwork, would be tight for the spring semester. So, they planned for her to leave at the end of May for the summer semester starting in June.

With the money Juran helped her with, she paid her tuition and dorm rent, while also planning to exchange her savings from part-time jobs for living expenses. Between working from morning to night and squeezing in classes at a flight attendant academy, she was busier than she’d ever been.

Suddenly, she remembered something Teacher Yeondam had said about her fortune last fall.

“You’re fortune says you’re meant to fly overseas.”

“Kang Miran, you have to live connected to a foreign country. Either immigrate, marry a foreigner, or at least have a pen pal.”

“The entertainment industry isn’t going to work out for you. If you keep pursuing this path, you might easily stray into another direction.”

‘That’s interesting.’

She had quit acting, fallen for Andre, and was now gearing up to leave for New York.

‘Maybe that fortune teller… no, Teacher Yeondam, might actually be onto something.’

When she got home, Miran instinctively checked the mailbox. Her heart raced when she saw an international envelope. It was the letter she had sent to New York two months ago, but a yellow sticker on it caught her eye.

“Return to Sender…? It’s been sent back?”

Miran tilted her head in confusion. It looked like there had been a delivery mistake.

Though she felt a bit uneasy about it, Miran decided to send the letter again next time, thinking it must have been misdelivered.

Exhausted, she managed to take a quick shower and crawled into bed, letting out a long yawn. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she sank into the mattress, feeling utterly drained.

Today, she had spent the entire day in front of a newly opened electronics discount store, wearing a form-fitting uniform dress and high-heeled plastic boots, trying to attract customers. Standing all day was tiring, and there were some annoying guys who randomly approached her for coffee, but the pay for being a narrator model was too good to pass up. Juran would scold her if she knew, but thinking about the living expenses she’d need in New York made it all worthwhile, even if it was tough.

“I hope Andre shows up in my dreams…”

Before she could finish her thought, she fell into a deep sleep.

—

Miran and Juran packed a three-tiered checked immigration bag and a large trunk, cramming in six months’ worth of belongings. Since she’d be there from summer through winter, she had more to pack than she had expected.

The heaviest items were food.

Inside a small rice cooker, she stuffed a blue plastic bag full of rice. Along with ramen and seaweed, the cooler was nearly bursting with kimchi and side dishes that Juran had prepared a few days ago.

Hearing that New York had a high cost of living, they stocked up on essentials. Plates, bowls, cups, and utensils were carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and shoved tightly between their clothes.

After weighing everything, they realized they had exceeded the weight limit by a lot. “Take this out, put that back in, no wait, put that back out!” It was total chaos.

“Seriously, is there a war going on in New York? People live there just like here! You think there won’t be anything in Korea that you can find there? This is ridiculous; it feels more like fleeing across the 38th parallel than going for a study abroad!”

Even as Miran grumbled, Juran ignored her.

“You’ll need everything once you get there. They say New York is a place where you get taken advantage of if you’re not careful. You don’t know the area and your English isn’t great, so don’t wander around aimlessly. Stick to cooking in the dorm, school, home, school, home. Just focus on studying English.”

‘When have I ever wandered around aimlessly—’”

“Oh, wait!”

Juran smacked her forehead and pulled a thin plastic card out of her handbag, handing it to Miran.

“I almost forgot. Make sure to take this.”

“What is it?”

“It’s an international prepaid phone card. Our boss gave it to you since you’re going abroad. It’s loaded with 50,000 won. Just dial the service access number on the back of the card, then your card number, and finally our home phone number, and you’ll connect directly without an operator. Isn’t the world a great place now?”

Miran eagerly took the card and grinned from ear to ear.

“Wow, what a surprise from that stingy boss! Please tell him I’m really grateful. I should bring back a gift when I return.”

“A gift? No need for that. Just save your money. Make sure to call when you arrive safely.”

“Got it.”