It was a hot and humid afternoon in their shared apartment just outside Yale University. The girls were sprawled all over the place, attempting to beat the heat in the most unflattering ways. The fan whirred in the corner, making a valiant effort but only managing to push the hot air around. Jisoo, sitting at the small kitchen table with her laptop open, was scrolling through endless options for flights to Seoul.
"Guys," she said, her voice barely rising above the hum of the fan. "I think we should just do it. Let's go to Seoul for the summer."
There was a beat of silence.
Vanessa, who had been lying on the couch with a half-eaten packet of chips on her stomach, looked up lazily. "Seoul? As in South Korea?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Her Nigerian accent thickened with suspicion, a slow drawl accentuating the disbelief in her voice. "What are you on about, Jisoo? Are you trying to get me to fly halfway around the world to eat kimchi?"
"Girl, don't act like you wouldn't mind getting a taste of some Korean BBQ," Chloe chimed in from the floor, her legs tangled in a pile of colorful clothes she had been trying to fold into her suitcase. She stretched and yawned dramatically. "We all know you're a sucker for spicy food. You can pretend to be all 'I'm Nigerian, I only eat Jollof,' but deep down you love some heat."
Vanessa threw a pillow at Chloe, who ducked just in time, laughing. "Oh, please. You know me well, but I still don't get why Seoul. Why not, like, Paris or Italy? Somewhere I can wear cute dresses and get my Instagram popping."
"Because this is Seoul," Jisoo replied with a teasing smile, turning her chair slightly so she could face them. "It's the city of lights, the trend capital of the world, not to mention the food, the fashion—"
"Aha, fashion, you say?" Asha's voice was cool, but there was an edge of sarcasm in it as she stepped out of her bedroom, wearing oversized sunglasses and holding a coffee cup like it was a prop in some kind of movie. "Let me guess. You're planning on dragging us to the latest Korean fashion trends, which is basically just skinny jeans and big oversized sweaters? How original."
"Excuse me?" Jisoo shot her a mock glare. "That big sweater look is called 'chic' in Seoul. You wouldn't understand. You're more 'flannel and boots' type, right?"
"Shut up, both of you," Chloe interjected, sitting up now and holding her hands out in front of her like a referee. "Listen, we are going to Seoul, alright? That's not up for discussion. We need to pack, make a group chat, figure out everything, and then let's do it." She sighed dramatically, flopping back down. "But first, we need to figure out how to get Vanessa to stop calling it 'kimchi land.'"
"I mean," Vanessa said, sitting up slowly and crossing her arms. "I just don't see the point. What is there to do? Eat? Shop? Take a selfie at the Namsan Tower and call it a day?"
"You're telling me you wouldn't want to see Seoul in person?" Asha raised an eyebrow. "What about the palaces? The culture? The beauty? You know, the stuff we should all care about instead of the fact that you have 'beef' with spicy food?"
"I'm just saying," Vanessa continued, her voice dripping with mock seriousness. "I could be at home eating goat meat with my momma and watching Nollywood movies. That's real entertainment."
"You guys," Jisoo said, breaking the bickering with an exasperated sigh. "Listen, we can go see palaces, eat real kimchi, shop till we drop, and also, I heard the boys in Seoul are—"
"Oh my God. Here we go," Asha interrupted, raising her hands to the sky in faux surrender. "Jisoo's got her 'boy-crazy' hat on. Are you telling me we're going to Seoul to meet boys now?"
"Well, duh," Jisoo said, turning back to her laptop. "I mean, it's a whole new world there, Asha. Boys are going to be walking around like they were plucked straight out of a K-drama. There's no way I'm going to miss out on that."
"Ha! K-Drama boys?" Chloe snorted. "Girl, are you sure you're not just watching too much Crash Landing On You? Those are scripted. You think you're gonna find a guy in Seoul with a jawline sharp enough to cut glass?"
"Are you saying I'm not good enough for you?" Vanessa laughed, taking on an exaggerated, dramatic voice. "Oh, I'm sorry, my high expectations got in the way. I thought I would at least get a rich CEO or a tech guy—maybe a famous artist."
"Uh-huh, famous artist," Asha scoffed, winking at Chloe. "That's cute. Let me guess. We're going to meet some guy with a Lamborghini who makes a living pretending to paint with his eyes closed."
"You guys are all so negative," Jisoo said, narrowing her eyes at them. "I'm just saying we should go for the experience. The food, the culture, the people, the boys! Imagine how much fun we'll have."
"I mean, I'm down to go if I don't have to worry about no awkward language barrier," Asha said, her sarcasm turning into a playful tone. "I know some Korean, but if I end up ordering squid soup by mistake, I'm not doing it. I'll just leave the restaurant and pretend I didn't see it."
"Stop, Asha!" Chloe laughed, holding her stomach. "I can just see you in a restaurant, 'Uhm, I didn't mean to order squid, but thanks for the experience.'"
"I'll just pretend I'm in a K-Drama, right? Speak in English and hope everyone gets the gist," Asha added, using a dramatic hand motion.
"Well, at least we all know Vanessa will just act like she's at home in Edo," Jisoo said, glancing at her Nigerian friend with a mischievous smile. "Just throw out a 'How far?' and hope everyone gets the vibe."
"Ah, don't even start with me," Vanessa said, raising an eyebrow and shifting her position on the couch. "I'm telling you now, the only 'vibe' I'm giving is 'don't talk to me unless you know how to cook Jollof rice.'"
"I'm sure they'll love you," Chloe teased. "And don't worry, we'll bring you back some bibimbap to really get you in the Seoul spirit."
"Bibimbap?" Vanessa repeated with a face that screamed "what is this nonsense?" "Is that some kinda new-age salad? Forget it. Where's the fried chicken at?"
"See? That's the thing," Jisoo continued, laughing at Vanessa's antics. "You will love it, trust me. We'll do everything. And I promise—if you meet a hot guy in Seoul, you'll forget all about your Jollof rice."
"Oh please," Vanessa rolled her eyes. "When I meet a hot guy, I'll just wave my hand and say 'Omo, bye-bye.'"
"Y'all are so dramatic, but fine," Chloe sighed dramatically. "Let's do it. We're going to Seoul. We'll do some sightseeing, eat some weird food, maybe get some hot guys, and definitely get our Insta pics."
"I'll make the group chat," Jisoo grinned, tapping away at her laptop. "It's happening, ladies. The trip of a lifetime. Get ready for the Seoul experience!"
Vanessa threw another pillow at her, but it missed. "Girl, you better not be leading me into some K-Drama nonsense. If I get stuck with a tech nerd who can't tell his Asians apart, I'm leaving."
Asha rolled her eyes, laughing. "You've never even been on a plane, Vanessa. Let's see if you actually make it to Seoul without being 'extra' about everything."
The chaos continued as the girls threw out sarcastic comments and jokes, but deep down, they all knew it was going to be the best trip of their lives. They were going to Seoul, and nothing was going to stop them.