Chapter Seven: First Encounter on the Train

June 24th, 2012, afternoon, clear skies, Incheon International Airport, Seoul, South Korea. Chen Zhe, carrying a navy blue backpack and pulling a silver suitcase, followed his elder sister out through the arrivals gate.

“Oh, it’s exhausting. Sis, why didn’t we arrive in Yangcheng a day early, take a day to rest, and then comfortably fly to Korea? Why did we have to rush through everything on the night of the 23rd?” After spending eight hours on a coach to Yangcheng, the siblings hurried straight to the airport to catch their flight. Chen Zhe glared at his sister, resentment written all over his face.

He felt on the verge of collapse, his usual resistance to motion sickness nearly failing him at this hour.

“I did it so you could have more time for your trip!” Chen Yuqi was used to squeezing every last moment out of her days at home before returning to school, so this rushed travel style felt natural to her.

This time, she’d unconsciously planned their trip the same way she returned to school, forgetting that she was taking her younger brother, Chen Zhe, on vacation. Realizing her mistake, she hurriedly made up an excuse to answer his complaint.

“Well, thank you for being so considerate, Sis!” Hearing her reply, and recalling years of being tricked, Chen Zhe suspected she was once again trying to fool him.

“By the way, I have some good news for you!” Noticing her brother’s suspicious gaze, Chen Yuqi’s eyes sparkled as she thought of a way to divert his attention.

“What good news? What are you scheming now?” The moment he heard the words "good news," Chen Zhe’s alarm bells rang. He stepped back, warily scrutinizing his sister.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Chen Yuqi, expecting her brother’s curiosity, was instantly annoyed by his guarded stare and promptly smacked him on the head.

“Nothing! Sis, what’s the good news?” Recognizing his situation—his mother was not around, and he’d be relying on his sister for the next stretch—Chen Zhe decided to surrender. Revenge could wait ten years, he thought, baring a sycophantic smile in her direction.

“Hmph. The good news is… your seven-day trip just became a two-week vacation! How about it, happy now?” Chen Yuqi tugged at his cheeks, her smile seeming devilish to Chen Zhe.

“Ha…ppy!” Even as his devilish sister pulled at his cheeks, his words came out muffled. The prospect of spending half a month with her left him dazed, his will to resist evaporating.

“All right, let’s head to the hotel. Tomorrow, I’ll take you shopping for clothes. Just look at what you’re wearing—couldn’t be more basic!” Releasing his cheeks, Chen Yuqi dusted her hands and eyed him up and down, making his scalp tingle until she finally relented, complaining about his style.

After purchasing tickets at the kiosk for the Incheon Airport Express to Seoul, Chen Zhe followed his sister into the carriage. After placing his suitcase on the luggage rack by the entrance, he began searching for his seat, ticket in hand.

Upon reaching his seat, Chen Zhe discovered that his sister’s seat was a row away—a small delight, granting him temporary respite from the female tyrant.

His seat was by the window, while the aisle seat was already occupied by a masked young woman, preventing him from reaching his own.

“Excuse me, could you let me through? The seat next to you is mine.” Clearing his throat, Chen Zhe politely addressed the masked girl in fluent Korean.

“Sorry, I’ll move right away.” The girl, lost in her phone, quickly stood, bowed, and stepped into the aisle to let him pass. Chen Zhe returned her bow in thanks, then slipped past into his seat.

Settled in, Chen Zhe plugged in his headphones and started listening to music—songs he’d downloaded at home before leaving, all favorites from before his rebirth. Yet, many of his beloved tracks from his previous life didn’t exist in this world.

He speculated it might be due to a shift in the world’s timeline or butterfly effects caused by his rebirth. Still, he was relieved that bands and artists like Beyond, Taylor Swift, and Jay Chou remained, untouched by the wings of fate.

Listening to his favorite tunes and gazing out at the passing scenery, boredom soon crept in. After a moment’s hesitation, he pulled out a recently purchased sketchbook from his backpack.

Leafing through it, Chen Zhe admired his sketches from the past few days—people and landscapes. He marveled at how, though he hadn’t sketched in ages before his rebirth, he now wielded the pencil with remarkable ease, his technique even surpassing his previous self.

He paused on one sketch—a portrait based on a private signed photo his sister had given him of Sooyoung. The improvement in his artistry was unmistakable.

“Excuse me, did you draw all these?” The masked girl beside him, apparently drawn to his sketches, leaned over and quietly asked him.

“Yes, they’re all my sketches. Are you interested in sketching too?” Hearing her question, Chen Zhe’s thoughts returned from his musings about his improved skills. He smiled warmly at her.

“I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have looked without your permission. Your sketches are amazing, so I couldn’t help but stare. Really, I apologize!” Embarrassed, the masked girl bowed her head, recognizing the impropriety of viewing someone’s artwork without consent.

“It’s all right. You can look at my sketches—and give me a critique, if you’d like!” Seeing her apology, Chen Zhe waved it off, after a brief pause handing the sketchbook to her for inspection and feedback.

“Thank you!” The girl’s eyes crinkled in a smile as she nodded and took the sketchbook, examining it closely.

“Excuse me, is this person you drew Choi Sooyoung?” She studied the sketchbook, growing increasingly certain she recognized the figure. After a long moment matching the portrait to her memory of a senior she once met, she realized the woman in the drawing wore casual clothes—how had he seen her and captured this image? The question furrowed her brow, and after a brief hesitation, she looked up and asked Chen Zhe.