On an ordinary day like any other in the bustling city, a city full of spring, with blossoms budding on the trees and flowers in the beginning of bloom. The air was a bit suffocating with the scent of pollen and the humid city air. Millions of People going about their day completely unfazed by nature's Reproduction, yet for me... it was a hellish time of year, when my nostrils flared red and my eyes weeped. The already developing headache was becoming too much to bare. It was warm outside this morning. A bit too warm for May. The sky filling with clouds already towering high at 8 am with bright rays of sunshine and blue sky filling in the cracks with a tinge of yellow green haze. This means another evening of thunderstorms. "Great..." I scoffed to myself. Downing my coffee and an allergy pill. That green haze creating such a beautiful sunrise was pollen, the bane of my existence.
My apartment was hot this morning. My power and ac were still out. We occasionally get a violent storm during the spring, and last night was no exception. I spent the better part of the evening attempting to study by candlelight with the window open for some much needed breeze during the thunderstorm, but without much success in either studying or sleeping, I woke up with dark circles under my eyes, thoroughly fatigued.
My "1LDK" style apartment is on the 18th floor of a mid rise apartment complex called, "Soon Tower 2." There were 2 L shaped towers, but I was on the outer edge of the grouping, so I didn't have any buildings blocking the view of the Seoul skyline and some hills looking out west and South. The complex had many smaller buildings and I was lucky enough to be situated on a corner unit with no shared walls and no view obscuring buildings.
It was quiet and I never had many issues with neighbors. Each floor was separated into the same type of units with many floors separating between the single and multi generation apartments. There were 16 on My floor, exactly like mine in many different orientations.
My apartment had infloor heating, but only one in wall ac unit. I was blessed to have a wrap around balcony with plenty of light. The door to the patio completely opens, so I could let in the fresh air. On the other side of the patio was an obscured covered portion that housed my combined washer dryer and a few drying racks for my clothes and a fan to keep them dry. My apartment has dark ash highly polished wood floors throughout with very modern but cozy appointments.
The kitchen is a U shape with a few small under cabinet sliding windows.The smooth white polished wood cabinets with all the necessary built-in alliances are complimented by a light grey countertop made of quartz, and a stainless steel sink with built in drying rack. It opens into the dinning area with a counter to table area. Luckily I was able to make some coffee and oats this morning, my gas 4 burner stove top is still working without the power on.
My apartment has a foyer of sorts with a place for shoes, coats, bags, and slippers. It has 3 doors and an automatic light. The bathroom, toilet, and sink are in this area, through a door off of this foyer. I can enter through my bedroom there also. The living room is decorated in a cozy oversized couch, a low coffee table, a few side tables, and another chair. I have lots of books and various accoutrements collected from my travels abroad neatly stacked into the shelves.
My apartment opens in 3 different places to the wrap around balcony. The living room, the dining room, and the bedroom.
My large, 23 lb, long haired high white torbie cat, Koi, named after the brightly colored koi fish, is lazily about on the patio wishing for a breeze. She seemed quite agitated at the heat, flopping her tale in a displeased way on the concrete floor of the patio. Koi lifted her head in alert at the sight passing of a bird, then flopped her head back down with a deep breath, realizing it was too hot to care. Her white belly fur rising and falling in exasperation.
This morning I dressed for finals in a simple outfit, dark jeans, a lightweight blouse, and my trusty flat white tennis shoes. I put on my lanyard that held my campus keycard and College ID that all students and faculty were required to have.
It has the picture from my first year at Seoul University, my name, status, and address.
Soon Hea-Ran
Seoul University Year 4 Student
T2-18A Sagajeong-ro, Soon Apartment Tower 2
Korea, Seoul, Dongdeamun-Gu, Jangan 2 (I) Dong
I looked in the mirror. A pale faced young woman stared back at me. Her face resembled porcelain but instead of hard, cold pottery, it was round, supple and in the soft shape of a V , several lightly colored freckles splashed across her face. Her baby fat had mostly disappeared and her cheekbones and face had reached a more mature position. A straight nose adorned her face and was complemented by a slight upturned tip. Smaller peach colored bow lips with a sharp v upper lip and a full pouty small lower lip was assembled into a displeased smirk. I gazed at myself, Brown eyes that shined with a hint of red hazelnut.
I looked displeased at the freckles and pores. I applied some translucent blotting powder, lined my eyes, stroked black mascara on the tips of my lashes, and finished with a few dabs of red lipstick in the center and a swipe of clear gloss.
"There! Ready for the day." I hurriedly tied my hair back, I had overly thick, long, black hair. It was so dark in that light, but if hit by the sun, copper and chestnut radiated from it. This apartment is so hot, I tied it into a ponytail trying to get some relief from the sweltering morning. I grabbed my keys, phone, and bag running out of the door. Locking it behind me with a swipe of my electronic lock and my fingerprint.
I was day dreaming, while on the commuter bus to my college campus.
It was the end of the year for me, last day if finals of my senior year. I was just trying to graduate. I was up all night studying for my last final, Psychology. I wasn't particularly good at Psychology, but I was able to understand everything with a lot of studying. I was sure I wouldn't have an issue making a passing grade, but still, studying really helped me feel sure I would make the top 100 rank in our class.
The thoughts cycling my mind were as vague as ever. Trying to remember all of the phrases and vocabulary I would need in my final. We were given our final topic by Professor Park,
"One can not imagine a person in one's head or in a dream,
only a person one has seen, even if for only a second,
can be dreamt or thought about in detail.
Humans can not make up faces, It is impossible to do so."
We are required to write an essay about this topic and how it pertains to our dreams, thoughts, and reality using psychology to explain. I better get in the top 100 in my class! My parents would kill me if I didn't.
The Soon family owns over 100 apartment complexes, several museums and art galleries, and a lot of retail stores and hotels. The famous Soon Hotel chain is popular all over Asia. My father was the second in line to the huge Soon Conglomerate. His older brother gave him the spot of Vice CEO. My mother was a stay at home mom to 4 of us, but I was the youngest and she frets over me too much. My older two brothers constantly bicker over who is next in line. And my older sister is a doctor. I know she will want to hear from me as soon as I am done with classes. She calls me at least 5 times a day. She is going to drive me crazy one day, I think to myself.
Abruptly, the bus stops and I fall into the seat in front of me, and splay out onto the floor hitting my leg. My phone flying down the floor of the bus.
"Ouch!" I get sharp pain in my knee and I squish my face into a grimace. An older man helps me to my feet, and I attempt to bow and thank him, then I crouch down and try to find my phone.I look up to hear an older woman saying, "Omo omo omo! I think it's broken..." she hands me the phone and the screen is cracked and it's completely off. I mouth silently, "whhhyyyyyy?" I proceed to thank her and bow, realizing this is my stop.
I hobble myself out and try to straighten my knee. Stretching it, I hear a bit of a crunch. Great, I think to myself in self loathing. I hit my forehead slightly a few times with my palm and think to myself, "Pay attention!" Now I will have to go get this replaced, after my exam though. I can't miss my final. I resolve to fully stand up and walk towards the door to my Lecture hall. I limp towards the door, as ready for my exam as I can be in this situation.
I grab for the handle and I get smacked by the door and fall to the ground, the back of my head hitting the ground.
"OOOOOUUCHHH!" I say indignantly as I close my eyes, the world vibrating and pulsing in a blur.
I slowly open them and see a man in a fine suit running out of the door in slow motion, yelling for a Taxi.
I think the world slowed down at this point, that this very second was in slow motion...
He is tall... Dazed I think to myself.
Wow, He is handsome... His face shining in the mid morning glow. His black hair parted perfectly to the side. His white teeth gleaming.
P E R F E C T glowing skin.He looks so strong... Those shoulders. A shiver runs down my body...
I come back to reality with a dizzying effect. My head now pounding with every heart beat. I squint and rub the back of my head. I start cursing him.
"This bastard! Who is this Jerk? Who thinks he can just.... Aigoooo. Come back here! You must have a death wish!" my temper now flaring. He gets into the taxi and then it's gone.