After Somin finally gets into a prestigious Art university, everything in her life turns upside down. What was once a secure plan to get closer to her boyfriend is now a mess. Her future is unknown, though already stained with heartache.
Will she p...
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Lee Somin
Somin cried quietly on her way back to the dorm. Homesickness wasn't adding anything good to her general mood.
I want to go back home. She thought, not ready to take adulting seriously yet.
A hot shower would nourish her back to her senses. The sensitive girl began to feel comfortable again after a draining breakdown and what felt like a very long day. Somin stood in the scorching hot stream, trying to enjoy the feeling. As she leaned against the yellow tiles she thought back to her poor high school self.
***
"The results are in," the HR lady announced as she pinned the sheet of paper on the board in the middle of the hall. Somin's heart nearly stopped while her mother's hand caressed her stiff shoulder. The fifteen-year-old girl approached the board hesitantly after the first wave of students had come and gone. Some were cheering while some were outright crying.
Please don't let me be rejected. The black-haired girl prayed.
She put a square of chocolate into her mouth, letting the sugar calm her nerves. The silver lump in her pocket reminded her she'd already eaten a whole bar. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before opening them and frantically searched for her surname.
WAITLISTED. The word next to her name stated the obvious truth.
I couldn't do it on the first try. I'm not good enough. I don't have any talent. Her mind turned on the self-doubt mantra - even though she was the first under the red line separating her and her dream.
Her phone rang a month later. Someone above her dropped out, so the school director reached out to ask if she'd still be interested. Since then, Somin had thought of herself as an imposter.
I'm not supposed to be here, it was an accident.
But from that day on she worked even harder, compensating for her insinuated "lack of talent". She constantly put in much more effort than her more talented and favored classmates.
***
When Cholsu came aroundI had to fucking triple the effort. Somin remembered.
