Page 7 of From Paris to Seoul (K-Drama Love Story #2)

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Baekhyun

The next day, despite the jet lag, we dove into exploring the city. My first impression of Paris is pure amazement at its breathtaking architecture—the centuries-old buildings, majestic cathedrals, iconic museums… even the bridges are a sight to behold.

I could lose myself for hours at the Pont Alexandre III, watching the sunlight dance on the Seine below and waiting for the streetlights to flicker on.

I’m starting to think this might be the most beautiful city in the world. Though, to be fair, I can’t really compare it to anywhere else, since this is the first time I’ve ever left Korea.

But the city also has its surprises: smelly metro stations, food that’s a world away from what we’re used to in Korea, and… that complicated, seemingly impossible language.

I was so excited when I first spoke very broken French at the airport, and people actually understood me! And I understood them too! But as I continued, some French people scrunched up their noses. I didn’t take it personally, though; I know my French is far from perfect.

Sun-hee praised me, pleasantly surprised that I could speak a little French. For a moment, it almost felt like I was living in my own Western TV series.

But, as with everything, there’s a downside. Traveling with influencers and models means every second of the day turns into content creation. Sun-hee had been busy the entire trip, spending nearly all her time vlogging and taking pictures for her followers.

And when I say everything is content, I mean everything.

Airplane food? Gotta find the right angle!

Our hotel room in Paris? That’s at least ten minutes of footage right there.

First croissant? Get ready for twenty minutes of reactions, angles, filters—and oh, now she’s going into full “review mode.” I can already imagine the title of a video on her channel: ‘ I tried the 10 best croissants in Paris ’ or something like that.

The rare times she actually speaks to me are usually to ask me to take countless photos of her or to grumble that the angle makes her look fat. How a 45 kg grown woman could possibly look “fat” in a picture is beyond me.

And then there’s the shopping situation.

I get that Paris is basically a sacred site for luxury-brand lovers, but they’re genuinely more excited about queuing for hours in the freezing weather outside designer stores than they are about exploring the city itself.

I could probably point out Notre Dame right next to us, but they wouldn’t care unless a luxury bag store was in their line of sight.

So on the third day, I actually felt a bit relieved to explore the city on my own while Sun-hee attended Fashion Week.

“Oppa, let’s meet tonight after Fashion Week at a restaurant near Opéra Garnier?” she suggested.

“Sure, just send me the address and let me know when you’re almost done,” I replied as we left the hotel. She nodded and headed off with her loud influencer-slash-model friends, all busy commenting on each other’s shoes.

I watched them leave for a moment. I really don’t get that obsession with fashion and designer brands.

I can appreciate a neat or cool outfit, of course. But for me, fashion is just… fashion. There’s no deeper meaning behind it.

I continued walking in the opposite direction, considering the metro, but the weather was too perfect to be stuck underground.

So I kept strolling and eventually arrived at the iconic Eiffel Tower, doing an internal ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah’ as I took it in with my own eyes, before making my way down the Avenue des Champs-élysées.

I even climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, where I could see twelve avenues branching out in flawless symmetry. The view of the city was breathtaking, but at the same time, I felt a twinge of melancholy.

I should’ve wanted to experience all of this with my girlfriend, right? But honestly, I didn’t feel that way at all. In fact, I felt a bit relieved she wasn’t here—she’d be too busy recording and taking pictures instead of simply enjoying the incredible surroundings.

Am I in the right relationship…?

Then again, if it weren’t for Sun-hee, I wouldn’t even be in Paris.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I decided to video call my little sister.

“OPPPAAAA!!!” she screamed on the second ring. “ARE YOU REALLY IN PARIS?? Show me! Show me!”

I chuckled at her enthusiasm and waved hi when I saw my mom join beside her.

“Yeah, so I’m at the Arc de Triomphe now,” I said into my phone, hoping my pronunciation wasn’t too far off and carefully angling the camera to get the perfect shot.

“Not sure if you can see behind me, but the background here is pretty stunning.” I slowly turned, giving them a full view of the majestic panorama.

“Oooh, so beautiful! You’re so lucky!” Ye-bin squealed. “I wish I could go there one day!”

I nodded, glancing at the city stretching endlessly below. “Yeah, we should come here one day.”

My mom, who had been quietly listening, smiled warmly. “Of course, you’ll take us all on a trip around the world one day. But you’re already doing so much—just make sure to take care of yourself first.”

There was a brief pause, and the familiar weight of being the family’s main provider settled onto my shoulders—just as it always had since Dad left when I was young.

Had she really meant it when she said I’d take them on a trip around the world one day?

Or was it just something she said in the moment, caught up in the view, in the idea of us sharing something beautiful together?

Somehow, though, those words had turned into an expectation—one I wasn’t sure how to feel about.

Guilt tugged at me. I was here, wasn’t I? Taking time for myself, spending money on something that had nothing to do with them. Shouldn’t I be saving for them instead?

But at the same time… why was that my responsibility?

The thoughts pressed in, uncomfortable and unwelcome, but I pushed them aside.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’m doing fine,” I said finally, forcing a reassuring smile.

I continued to chat some more with them before heading to Opéra Garnier, feeling proud of myself for navigating on the metro like the locals.

Sun-hee hadn’t texted me yet, so I decided to take a little tour inside the stunning Opéra Garnier, a place that felt like something straight out of a dream.

The lavish architecture, the grand staircases, the dazzling chandeliers—it all felt surreal. On one of the walls, the year of its construction was etched: 1861. It was mind-boggling to think that this building, with all its majestic grandeur, had stood the test of time for nearly two centuries.

As I wandered through the halls, taking in the beauty of the place and snapping a few photos for my personal documentary, my eyes suddenly caught a familiar face.

At first, I thought I was imagining things, but no—it was really her. She saw me too, momentarily stunned, as if she couldn’t believe it either.

Then, slowly, her lips curled into a smile as she made her way toward me.

“Yang Baekhyun? What are you doing here?” she asked, her surprise quickly turning into a smile. “What are the chances of running into you here?”

“Seo-yeon,” I said her name, half in greeting, half in disbelief at the unexpected reunion. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. “I’m here for Fashion Week… well, my girlfriend is, actually. What about you?”

Seo-yeon and I had played second-lead lovers in a historical drama called Princess of Cosmos a few years ago.

Seeing her again brought back a rush of memories—shooting in the cold winter while wearing heavy royal costumes, the awkwardness of trying to look regal with frozen fingers, and the nights we’d all unwind with karaoke and barbecues after long shoots.

Those had been good times.

“Oh, I’m just here for… vacation,” she said, her gaze drifting away with a hint of secrecy.

There she goes again, with that unmistakable princess-like demeanor.

When I first met her on set, I honestly thought she might be from a royal family.

Her tall, slender frame—like a delicate flower—her polished, classy demeanor, and her impeccably neat appearance (not a single strand of hair out of place, even after countless bottles of soju) all exuded an air of quiet elegance.

And then there was her smile—warm, yet faintly melancholic.

It was as if she was born to play the role of a royal queen in Princess of Cosmos . As for me… well, I was cast as the sickly king, doomed to die halfway through the series.

The sound of shattering glass in my mind broke through the moment, abruptly pulling me back to reality.

Right then, my phone buzzed in my pocket, snapping me further back to reality. I quickly glanced at the text from Sun-hee, sharing the location of the restaurant just across from the Opéra Garnier.

“Well, are you staying in Paris for a few more days? Maybe we can catch up later,” I suggested to Seo-yeon. “Or, if you’re free tonight, you’re welcome to join us for dinner. My girlfriend and her friends will be there too.”

Seo-yeon paused to consider my offer. “Oh, thanks. Yeah, we could catch up later, no worries. Just text me if you guys have time. I wouldn’t want to interrupt a romantic dinner,” she said with a wink, teasing me.

The playful gesture caught me off guard. Despite spending months filming together, I’d rarely seen her joke or tease anyone. It was like watching a mannequin come to life — unexpected, yet oddly charming.

“Sure. Text you later on KakaoTalk?” I said, naming the messenger app we used.

She nodded with a small smile.

“Okay, see you later then!”

With small waves exchanged, Seo-yeon and I bid each other a temporary goodbye. I made my way downstairs, weaving through the grand central staircase of the Opéra Garnier and a throng of tourists, finally stepping out into the crisp Parisian air.