Present Day, London

I spent the next several days acting like a tourist. I went to the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the British Museum. I sat in a park created from the ruins of an old church and watched models pose for a fashion shoot while searching on my phone for cheap flats to rent in the area, but nothing I found was quite right. Even though I had enough money to keep staying at the hotel, I’d moved to a cheap hostel instead while I looked for something longer-term, knowing I could stay there as long as I needed – or move on from the city entirely if nothing ever came together. I had learned to surrender myself to fate in this way as I traveled, keeping myself open to possibilities and waiting for my moment instead of trying to force a moment to happen simply to feel more secure. 

As the second day stretched on toward evening, I boarded a tour boat at Westminster and found a spot at the edge of the rooftop viewing platform while the guide shared facts about the city through a crackly speaker. Propping my chin in my palm, I leaned my elbow against the railing and looked out at the vista of buildings as we floated down the Thames. London looked much like any other city I had visited so far. The skyline had its own mix of history with modern marvels, but all cities of this scale and age seemed similar to me. Had I already been traveling long enough to be this disenchanted? Or had I simply lost the ability to notice the details that mattered?

“Hey! Good to see you again.”

The voice was blunt with American vowels and demanded such attention that I turned to look at the speaker even though I was confident he was talking to someone else. But when I turned to look, I discovered he was staring directly right at me, dark eyes wide with delight as he flopped onto the bench right next to me as if we were friends. 

“I keep seeing you everywhere I go today. It’s like we’re on a tour together!”

Blinking in confusion, I tried to remember his unremarkable but kind features from any of the places I had gone, but he hadn’t separated himself from the crowd of tourists with his backpack, cargo pants and sneakers, not to mention the prosumer camera hanging heavily around his neck.

“I’m Mason,” he said with a grin, offering me a hand to shake. I stared at it for a moment too long and he retracted his hand with a little wave as if he hadn’t actually been offering a handshake and wasn’t reading anything into my lack of reaction. “How long have you been in the UK?”

I bristled a little at the suggestion that I stood out so much that I wouldn’t seem like a native, but then I remembered that we were on a tour boat and I had apparently encountered Mason at several other tourist locations. “A few days,” I admitted.

Mason slapped me on the shoulder hard enough for me to recoil, but his enthusiasm and good will was so infectious that I was having hard time finding the gesture irritating in spite of my usual dislike for casual contact with strangers. “Welcome to Great Britain, man! I’ve been here six months but there’s still so much I haven’t seen yet. How’re you liking it?”

I shrugged, trying to think of anything from what I’d experienced so far that left enough of an impact to be shared. When nothing but my encounter with the banshee came to mind, I said, “I’m still getting a feel for the place.”

“I hear ya. How long do you plan to stay? I could give you some tips if you’re interested.”

“Thanks, but I’m good at finding my own way.”

“Understood. You gotta do you.” Balancing on the bench with his palms on either side of his hips, he leaned back and looked up at the dreary overcast sky. “What a day.” Mason sucked in a deep breath through his nose and then slowly released it through his mouth with a sound of contentment as if they were experiencing cheery sunshine rather than more of the usual drizzly London weather. “I thought the Tower of London was going to be a waste of time, but it was actually pretty cool, don’t you think?”

“You said you’ve been here six months?” I asked, hoping to redirect him. 

“Yup. I’ve been staying with a friend and taking in the local culture, but I need to get back home soon for my mom’s birthday before I move on to my next destination.”

I perked up, realizing that he must be a bit of a nomad like myself. “Your next destination?” I echoed.

“Always something new to see, you know? I’ve been traveling the world for a few years now. I make most of my income online through how-to videos with a little licensing money on the side.” He tapped the side of his camera. “Stock photography.” Tilting his head to the side when I remained silent, he asked, “What about you?”

Feeling a little bad for considering Mason a typical tourist because of his camera when photography was obviously more than a way to fill a social media feed with photos to make friends and family jealous, I realized that Mason had actually found a way to make a living off his travels while I was still trying to figure out what to do with my time. “I’m looking for a job, actually. Something to offset expenses.”

“In between gigs?”

I nodded but didn’t offer any details.

“Been there, man. I used to be an accountant, if you can believe it. Pushing papers and playing human calculator. It paid well, but the job had no soul.”

Thinking about my work for Yun Seo and the ways I’d thought I was making a difference before I finally realized everything I’d been doing was in service of a single man’s revenge. “Is that why you quit?” 

His smile faded a little bit around the edges, going hard with determination. “No. My sister got really sick and nearly died a few years back. Made me realize that there’s more to life than spreadsheets and sitting at a desk all day. Anyway, I’d always wanted to travel but thought that was what I’d do when I retired. When Madison got better, she and I decided not to live our lives that way. We want to see the world now while we still have the energy and freedom to put up with long-haul flights and stay in a place more than a couple weeks.”

“Makes sense to me.”

His grin widened again and he gave me another slap on the arm. “I knew you were going to be a kindred spirit from the first time I saw you, man. You’ve got that aura.”

I wasn’t sure I knew what that meant, but Mason was pleasant enough company and he pointed out the sights with more colorful commentary than our bored tour guide. 

“Where are you staying in the city?” Mason asked as we disembarked at the last stop on the line. 

“Just some hostel while I look for something more permanent.”

Straightening, Mason gave me a wide-eyed look as if I’d just said something amazing. “No shit! I’m looking for someone to take over my sublease. Are you interested?”

“Maybe,” I said cautiously. “What’s the rent?”

We discussed details and I was shocked to discover that the flat was not only easily within my budget, it was also located in Shoreditch, the place I’d identified as a good place for me to stay. 

Mason was someone who didn’t like to take no for an answer, regardless. “I’m actually meeting up with my roommate after this. You should join and I’ll introduce you.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose.”

Mason laughed and slapped me again on the shoulder. “ What are you talking about, man? We’re just meeting up at a pub.”

I felt uneasy for no good reason. Then I realized I was resisting getting to know him better, not because I didn’t want to know him, but because I didn’t want to be known. Fighting that self-destructive instinct, I said. “Okay.”

We walked a few blocks to a busy pub that looked like it had survived a century or more sandwiched in between equally old buildings along the cramped street. Feeling very out of my element, I followed Mason’s lead and settled into a booth with a pint of beer while I watched him sift through the items in his backpack in search of another memory card.

“I know it’s in here somewhere,” he muttered, stacking junk on the table, half of which looked like trash that should have been thrown away.

When he pulled out a familiar book, I stopped paying attention to anything else, reaching out to pick up the hardback before I realized what I was doing, my mouth going dry at the sight of the man on the cover. Jang Yun Seo stood tall with arms crossed over his chest and a smug smile, looking larger than life as if the book jacket could hardly contain him, his suit cut to fit his frame to perfection, every strand of hair expertly arranged.

“Found it!” Shooting me a grin as he lifted the tiny card aloft in victory, Mason’s expression shifted when he noticed me holding the book. “Oh. That’s a good one. Have you read it?” 

I appreciated that he didn’t assume I knew who Yun Seo was simply because we were both from the same country. “No,” I admitted. “But I recognize him.” I offered him the book, trying to ignore the way Yun Seo’s eyes seemed to follow me all the way.

Brushing invisible dust from the jacket, Mason gave Yun Seo a reverent look before shoving him back into his bag. “This guy is a genius. He built a company from the ground up in record time and now his app is on every phone from here to Zimbabwe. His advice is what made me decide to take the risk of building my own business. You want to borrow it? It’s a great read.”

“I’m not much of a reader,” I replied, hoping Mason would let me leave it at that.

Mason looked like he was going to say something more, but he got distracted when the bell on the door jangled to admit a tall, handsome man. Hurrying to clear the table, Mason gave the man a shout and a wave, oblivious to the irritated glances he earned from the other patrons. 

“Thom! Over here.”