"Is this the place?" Chang Seol releases her breath. It has taken her all day to find this place. even with the directions on the leaflet. The rooftop of the house is full of snow. The lights are on. She wonders whether she should call them first or walk straight inside. She blinks her eyes.
"I should have called before I came here."
She knows that she's an idiot. However, she hates calling people. If she must choose between calling a stranger and walking into the house of a stranger, she's smart enough to choose to call. Reluctantly, she taps the number on the phone.
[Who is this?]
"Is it Mr Park Ha Seon?"
[Yes.]
"Do you have an empty room in your sharehouse?"
[Come to the sharehouse.]
The caller hangs up on her. She stares hard at her handphone. What's the point of calling him? She sighs and pulls her suitcase along with her, not used to walking on the snow. Her stomach grumbles loudly. All she wants is warm food and a place to sleep.
Standing in front of the blue door, she takes another deep breath. She can do this.
She lifts her hand to ring the bell and hesitates. Should she return home? She has never lived in a share house before.
Another hand presses the doorbell before she could. She turns her head and looks at the girl standing beside her. The girl is a few inches taller than her. She has straight dyed red hair and exotic brown eyes. Just like her, the girl is also shivering in cold with luggage by her side.
An elderly man opens the door and asks them gruffly, "Why are there two of you?"
"Mr Park, I am Mun Soyoon. I called you and inquired about the room earlier," The girl with red hair speaks first before Chang Seol could find her voice.
But she was here first! Chang Seol gapes at the girl. She should have rung the bell before this girl could.
"Yes, I came here because of you." Park Ha Seon gestures toward Mun So Yoon. He looks at Chang Seol. "And who are you?"
"I am a freshman at D University." She looks down on her feet. "I am also here for a room."
"There's only one room." Park Ha Seon huffs, "It was empty for more than a year and nobody came. Today, two of you are here."
"Sir, I called first. I am also a student at D University." Mun Soyoon rubs her hands together. The old man isn't asking them to come inside the sharehouse. "I have checked out all the share-houses in the village. All of them are full. The other places have high deposit fee. I am a broke student. If you don't give me a place to live, I have to sleep on the street. I am a young and helpless girl. What would happen to me if I sleep on the street?"
Park Ha Seon looks at Chang Seol. "Do you have a place to go to?"
Chang Seol shakes her head. She's too proud to beg. When the red-haired girl begins to sob harder to get Mr Park's attention, Chang Seol bites her inner cheek. She hates it when girls cry to gain sympathy.
"How about you share the room?" Park Ha Seon suggests. "Either one of you gives up and leaves or share the room. Hurry up and make a decision."
She blinks her eyes. Share the room? Mun Soyoon stops crying and meets her gaze. Both of them are silently waiting for the other one to speak.
None of them shows any intention to leave.
"I don't have all day," Park Ha Seon snaps at them. "I have to go home."
Mun Soyoon smiles at her and asks, "Since both of us are in this situation, are you okay with sharing the room with me?"
Chang Seol gives her a little nod. Mun Soyoon grins at Park Ha Seon. "We will share the room then."
"Come in." Park Ha Seon steps aside and gestures them to come into the house. The two girls follow Park Ha Seon as he shows them around the place. "You must make the payment on the dot. I don't tolerate delays. You must follow the rules."
The house is clean. The living room has an old television. The wallpapers on the walls are old and fading. But it's warm. Chang Seol doesn't care about the place. She only needs a room where she can sleep.
"What are the rules?" Mun Soyoon asks curiously.
"Mind your business. Don't bother the other occupants. Make your own food and clean up after. Keep the house clean." On the first floor, the old man turns to his right. He walks straight to the last door in the corridor. "This is your room."
He pushes open the door. The room is bigger than Chang Seol's old room, but there's only one bed. There's no way that she's sleeping with Mun Soyoon. However, she doesn't have any courage to make any complaint. She must endure until she finds a new place.
The old man gives a piece of paper to Mun Soyoon. "Make a direct payment to my bank account. You already have my phone number. I live in district B with my family. If you have any problems, you can contact Namgung Yeon-Sik."
"Namgung Yeon-Sik?" Mun Soyoon exclaims loudly. "Isn't he a professor at D University?"
A professor is here? Chang Seol creases her forehead in worry. Is it okay to stay here then?
"He is." Park Ha Seon frowns. "If it is a problem for you, leave this place when you find another place to stay."
"No, I am absolutely fine." Mun Soyoon replies with a sweet voice, "Mr Park, thank you for letting us stay here."
"Take some rest." Park Ha Seon says to them, "I am heading home."
Chang Seol nods politely and enters the room. This room is definitely for only one person. How is she going to manage?
"What's your name?" Mun Soyoon closes the door. She walks to the bed and sits down. "You said that you are a freshman."
"Chang Seol." All of a sudden, Chang Seol feels nervous and jittery. She wipes her hands on her jeans. Mun Soyoon seems older than her. What kind of person is this red-headed girl? She speaks quickly, "I am an architecture student. Are you also a freshman?"
"No." Mun Soyoon shakes her head and chuckles. "I am a second-year student in the art department. I didn't expect the dorm to be full. It can't be helped. Both of us are stuck here for this semester."
"Oh." The air is too heavy and awkward for Chang Seol to breathe. She is already regretting the idea of sharing the room with this girl.
"I am so tired." Mun Soyoon takes off her coat and lies down on the bed. "Where are you from, Seol? Why did you come to D University?"
Is she being interrogated? Chang Seol opens her suitcase, trying to avoid direct eye contact with the girl. "I came here because of the scholarship."
"Ooooh!" Mun Soyoon sits up and claps her hands. "The chairman started the scholarship this year for architecture department because there is not a single female student in the architecture department. Are you the only one who came this year?"
No female student? Chang Seol raises her brow. Surely, there must be other female students who came to this university. "I don't know if there are others."
"If I were a little smart, I would have dropped out and applied in the architecture department." Mun Soyoon sighs. "My parents would have been happy for sure."
Mun Soyoon has better parents than her. At least, Mun Soyoon's parents aren't stubborn about making her marry a complete stranger because of an old promise. Who does this thing in this era? Chang Seol shakes her head and places her clothes in the wardrobe. "I am going to take the left side."
"Go ahead." Mun Soyoon rolls to the right side of the bed. "We are lucky. The bed is big enough for two of us."
Who is going to sleep with her? Chang Seol shoves her things in the left side of the wardrobe. It's so cold. There's no way that she's going to take a bath at night. She can't wait to get some sleep.
But Mun Soyoon is already snoring on the bed. She looks at the empty spot beside Mun Soyoon and lets out an exasperated sigh. Is Namgung Yeon-Sik back? She needs extra bedding. She takes a glance at her wristwatch.
9 PM. He should be back already.
She leaves the room quietly and goes downstairs. Voices are coming from the kitchen. She walks toward the kitchen and sees the back of two tall men standing near the kitchen counter.
"Are you making rice cakes?" Man 'A' asks and chuckles. He's taller than Man 'B'. Dressed in a black t-shirt and brown pants, the man has broad shoulders and inky black messy hair. "They have funny shapes."
"If you aren't the one cooking, you can't be the one complaining," Man 'B' replies coldly.
"Sure, sure." Man 'A' picks up one of the rice cakes and stuffs his mouth. "It's delicious. Where is Bong Su? He's missing the good stuff."
"He's staying out with his friends."
Chang Seol wonders whether she should interrupt them or not. She needs some food and sleep. Should she ask for the extra bedding or go back and sleep on the floor? Talking to strangers add to her anxiety.
While she's contemplating what she should do, her stomach makes a loud noise. Both men turn around and look at her with widened eyes.
Chang Seol pales.
The man 'B' is none other than the person who helped her in the university. She points at him and blurts out, "Feather man."