Josephine Swan never thought she would be drawn into the world of K-Pop during her stay in South Korea. Every day she faces challenges that fate has in store for her and her four members.
"𝙇𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙬...
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"Annyeonghashimnika".
A tall Korean man in a black suit bowed to me as soon as I reached the airport exit. I did the same to him.
"Annyeonghaseyo," I replied and a small smile appeared on his lips.
"Welcome to South Korea, Miss Swan. My name is Kim Donghae." he finally said in English and my heartbeat calmed a little at the thought of having someone by my side to communicate with. Behind me, I heard the clatter of my luggage cart being driven past us and towards a black car with tinted windows. The boot opened automatically and the service staff began loading my two suitcases into the storage compartment.
"I trust you had a pleasant flight?" he asked politely and I nodded with a smile.
"Indeed," I said, looking around curiously. Only a few travellers were to be found here. Most of the other guests left the airport via other exits to catch the buses or trains that would take them to the next town.
"Follow me, Miss Swan.".
By now the suitcases were loaded and the boot closed. Kim Donghae finally opened the back door of the car for me and helped me get into the back seat before getting in the driver's side himself and starting the car.
"How long will the drive take?" I asked curiously.
"The drive will take a maximum of 90 minutes. Her quarters are in the Mapo-gu district, near her school," he replied as the car left the airport in the direction of Seoul.
♛
The tall buildings on all sides of the street towered up and contested the sun's place in the sky. The sun's rays showed in the reflections of the windows and made them sparkle. Tired, I let myself sink back into the seat and silently watched the people on the streets of Seoul. Despite the cool January day, many people were outside their homes going about their daily duties. I spotted many girls my age laughing and walking the streets, chatting with each other. Men in suits with mobile phones or headsets walked the streets while muttering to themselves in rapid speech. Hundreds of cars and buses filled with people of different ages crossed our paths. Even in the early afternoon hours, Seoul was a packed place.
A place is full of life.
The black car continued to follow the traffic lights and signs before finally leaving the main roads after several intersections and heading towards a large white building complex.
"We have arrived, Miss Swan," said Kim Donghae, stopping the car directly in front of one of the entrances to the building, which was at least 15 storeys high. The next moment the door was held open for me and I got out. My head automatically lolled back as I stared up at the complex, inwardly guessing which floor I would spend the next 12 months on. I rubbed my hands together and wrapped my grey coat tighter around my body. Meanwhile, I heard the clatter of my two suitcases behind me and turned to my driver.
"Do you want me to escort you upstairs?" he asked politely, but I just shook my head and reached for the two suitcases.
"That won't be necessary. I will find my way around, Mr Kim. But thank you for picking me up and bringing me here," I replied and smiled at him.
"It was an honour, Miss Swan. If there is anything else you need, please don't hesitate to call me." the Korean said and handed me one of his business cards. I nodded and accepted it with both hands. Silently, I watched as he got back into his car after a bow and drove out of the car park. With trembling hands, I turned back towards the white complex and nervousness, coupled with tiredness and exhaustion, reached its peak. Even the cold air around me was forgotten for the moment. My stomach tingled and the feeling spread throughout my body. From the top of my head to the tips of my toes, leaving a pleasant feeling of warmth. My fingers clasped the handles of my two suitcases and walked with slow steps towards the entrance. Surprised, I discovered that my name had already been added to those of my two flatmates and rang the bell. With a simple buzz, I was invited in and pressed the button for the 14th floor of the building. The time in the lift passed quickly and the next moment I was already standing nervously trembling in front of the front door, which was immediately pulled open as soon as I stepped out of the lift.
Two black-haired Korean girls smiled welcomingly at me before they both fell into a deep bow.
"Annyeonghaseyo." they both said at the same time.
"Annyeonghaseyo," replied I, falling into a bow as well.
"Welcome!" smiled the taller of the two girls, her white teeth shining at me. I calmed down inwardly as she addressed me using the English language. Although her English-language emails stuck in my mind, it was a relief to hear her speak them. The Korean girl with long black straight hair smiled at me and offered her hand.
"I'm Park Ahri and this is Kim Jihe next to me." she introduced herself and her roommate in a friendly manner. Jihe likewise extended her hand to me, which I accepted with a smile. Unlike Ahri, Jihe wore short dark brown hair and black glasses that highlighted her innocent big dark brown eyes.
"It's very nice to meet you both. My name is Josephine Swan...but most people call me Josie." I said to the girls. They stepped aside a moment later so I could enter with my two suitcases and stand in a long bright hallway. I took off my shoes and with a wave of my hand from Jihe, I put them in the cupboard to my right. Instead, Ahri handed me white slippers, which I immediately put on. Astonished, I straightened up again and looked around. The hallway was several metres long and dominated by an equally long runner, which almost reached into the other room. I put the suitcases to one side and followed my roommates to the end of the hall.
"This is our living room and kitchen. We take turns shopping regularly and often cook together when we find the time..." Jihe explained, pointing to the three shopping bags still lying on the kitchen counter. She adjusted her glasses and smiled at me.
"We were planning to prepare some specialities for you on your first day in South Korea. As a welcome gift," she said and a small smile formed on my lips while my stomach seemed to share my reaction. It had been openly rebelling against me since the stopover in Frankfurt, coupled with my inner excitement. The smell of fresh vegetables reached my nose and my stomach protested loudly, causing my cheeks to turn a healthy shade of red.
"Sorry.", I muttered. Jihe and Ahri, on the other hand, laughed softly and the certain distance between us began to crack. Although the excitement and nervousness were still there, my body calmed down and began to relax into their counterparts.
