I don't remember the day I first met him.
Because we'd already been catching glimpses of each other for several weeks.
Winter, 2003.
Vancouver, where it rained often.
I was a twenty-year-old Korean college student who had come for language study abroad.
English was still unfamiliar.
I kept getting confused by the bus routes.
And even placing a simple order made me nervous.
Around that time.
There was someone who kept strangely catching my eye.
Every morning, on my way to the language school.
Across the crosswalk.
On the bench in front of the school.
A tall guy who was always standing among a group of Japanese friends.
At first, I thought it was just a coincidence.
But as the days passed.
And even after weeks had gone by.
We kept appearing in the same scenes.
I didn't know his name.
I didn't know what country he was from.
He was simply a familiar face.
And I had no idea that face would become the most precious memory of my life.
A few weeks after I arrived in Vancouver.
It rained nonstop after that.
Vancouver, a place where it rains all winter.
Which made strong coffee essential.
That day, too, a light drizzle was falling beneath a gloomy sky.
I opened my eyes.
I thought I was going to be late for class.
Still half-asleep, I ran out of my homestay.
“Whew... ten minutes early!”
Once I confirmed I wasn't late, I desperately needed a hot coffee.
And, right on cue, a breakfast combo to fill my growling stomach, too.
I walked into the Tim Hortons next to the language school as if I already knew the place.
I placed my order at the counter in clumsy English.
The employee quickly asked me something.
“Huh?” I couldn't make out what they said, and after thinking for a moment, I smiled, nodded, and pretended I'd understood.
A few minutes later.
All I had in my hands was a coffee.
I panicked.
I was sure I'd ordered the breakfast combo.
I walked back up to the counter.
“Excuse me...”
The employee couldn't understand me very well.
As my panic piled on top of more panic,
I had the English in my head, but I couldn't get it out of my mouth.
That's when it happened.
“I think she ordered the breakfast combo.”
I turned my head.
It was the guy who was always among that group of Japanese friends.
He casually explained a few more things to the employee.
The employee seemed to understand right away and smiled.
“Oh, I'm sorry about that!”
A moment later.
The breakfast combo I'd ordered came out.
I let out a relieved sigh.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
An awkward silence passed between us.
Outside, the winter rain was still falling.
He glanced out the window, then turned to me and said,
“Hey, are you doing anything at lunch?”
For a moment, I checked to make sure I'd heard him correctly.
“Lunch?”
“Yeah.”
He smiled.
“Want to grab a coffee?”
My heart sped up just a little.
Trying to act as casual as possible, I said,
“Okay.”
“Great.”
He smiled.
“See you here at noon?”
“Okay.”
“See you later.”
We headed to our respective schools.
I went into the language school building.
He crossed the street and headed toward the college across from it.
Even while I waited for the elevator.
I couldn't stop smiling for some reason.
The moment the doors opened, I ran to the classroom where my close unnie was.
“Unnie!”
She looked at me in surprise.
“What is it?”
“I talked to that guy!”
“Who?”
“That tall guy who always hangs out with the Japanese friends!”
My unnie let out a little laugh.
“Oh~ that guy?”
“Yes!”
“You finally talked to him.”
“Haha.”
“You kept running into each other. I knew this would happen.”
Excited, I said,
“But we're meeting again at lunch.”
Her eyes went wide.
“Already?”
“He just asked me to grab a coffee.”
She gave me a knowing smile.
I waved my hands.
“No.”
“No what?”
“It's not like that.”
I smiled awkwardly and said,
“I just wish I had a foreign friend who spoke English well.”
I was twenty and hadn't been in language study abroad for very long.
English was still difficult.
And I didn't have a single Canadian friend.
So having a foreign friend I could naturally speak English with was a small goal of mine.
The fact that he was the person who kept catching my eye.
That was the only reason I felt a little happier about it.
At least.
That's what I believed back then.