𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚎

🅒🅗🅐🅟🅣🅔🅡 ➋

"I make so many new beginnings there never will be an end" -Louisa May Alcott

I was told I would get picked up at the Incheon International Airport by a girl in a pink t-shirt. That's two things I don't like, people and pink. You would think that's the reason I'm upset but it isn't, it's because they are late. I've been here an hour since I landed, trying to make sense of the new language surrounding me, with no luck, so the longer I'm here, the more upset I get.

I was interrupted while I was scrolling through my messages, by a panting tall female, well maybe not that tall, I'm only 5'3 and a 1/4, and yes, the quarter is very important, so everyone above that seems tall to me. I was now jealous on top of upset, so naturally, when she spoke, my face scrunched up in a sneer. Her English was worse than my Korean, so we went back and forth in our own languages to get to the point, which was getting out of the airport and into my already-paid-for apartment.

The ride to the apartment was decent, we stopped to set up my phone and other necessary stuff, and the taxi driver who spoke a little English pointed out that it wasn't peak hours for traffic yet, It was after 3 p.m. so if it wasn't peak hours now, when were peak hours? 

He said he'll pick me up tomorrow to take me to work and then proceeded to give me his number. Tomorrow was Friday, so that meant I get the weekend to prep for classes and look around. 

Jane followed me upstairs into the loft apartment and was going around the apartment chatting away about something. Honestly, I didn't care enough to listen, I'll figure it out on my own anyway.

When she left, my OCD kicked in, and I looked on the Naver map for the nearest convenience store. A block away. I wonder if it is worth the walk. Groaning and deciding against it, I used what was already available to clean.

Flopping down on the newly made bed an hour later, I was content.

The taxi driver stayed true to his promise and called a bit after 7 a.m. to tell me he was out front. I was already ready, so I quickly made my way to the elevator and out of the keypad-guarded building entrance.

Smile Academy is a private secondary school for the rich and way too smart kids. The teachers were no different from the kids, but who was I to judge with my little bachelor's degree in architecture and my 150-hour TEFL certificate? I was just glad to be here.

The campus was huge, I'm doomed to get lost or be late for classes because I ran out of energy trying to get there. In the office building, I had my own small room/ cubicle thingy on the third floor with all the other subject teachers.

I left around two in the afternoon after sorting out documents and introducing myself to my assistant teacher, the principal, and some other people in the office. They showed me my schedule and gave me a tour of the classroom I'll be teaching in, too.

I found out the taxi driver wasn't a taxi driver but a chemistry teacher. It was awkward for me to look him in the eyes after that. I refused a ride back home, figuring I needed to know how to get home alone before Monday.

I walked. It wasn't as far as I thought. Around after 3 p.m., I made it, somehow, to that convenience store a block away and decided to buy some groceries different from the ones the school was so nice to provide.

I was debating in the ramen isle on what ramen would be good to try when I heard him,

"Excuse me?" Oh, that voice was silky yet deep, accent almost non-existent, I felt goosebumps before I even turned around.

"Did you drop this?" I turned around and stared at what seemed to be a 6'' tall, Korean guy. His mono eyelids that were slightly slanted upwards brought out his dark brown orbs, which weren't anything special, but the more I stared up at him, the more I started to like them. I don't usually like people. I glanced down at his body. He was lean with little muscle on him, my type indeed. 

Snapping back to reality, I realized that in his right hand that was extended towards me was my grey fluffy heart-shaped keychain. I didn't keep keys on it, I just used it as decoration for my bag.

"Yeah, thanks." I bowed my head a little because that's what Jane said to do earlier, to show respect or something like that.

He was staring at me. I was dressed in black straight-leg cargo pants, a white turtleneck, and black boots. I carried a dark grey and black Matey bag instead of a purse because I don't like purses, and as for accessories, I had only a gold chain with the letter A attached to it around my neck. I skipped wearing rings today.

I decided this three-minute or less conversation was enough to fill my social interaction battery to the max, so I turned away and headed toward the cashier to pay for my stuff.

Not too heavy footsteps made their way behind me. My paranoia really hopes this guy is not a stalker or a serial killer who decided to make me, a foreigner, his next kill.

"25800.00₩" was what the cashier asked for, but he said it in Korean, luckily I could see the number on the cashier box thing, I was still getting used to the currency and had no idea what to give him though so I sifted through a few bills in my hands trying to figure it out. Maybe I was taking too long cause a couple of the bills were grabbed by the guy behind me and handed to the cashier who only nodded and took it. I froze. I managed to stuff the remaining money and the change in my bag so I could take up the two eco-friendly bags with my snacks.

He definitely saw me struggling to get the bags off the counter because after he cashed what looked to be cigarettes, he asked,

"Would you like some help carrying those?" 

He glanced my way and gestured towards the exit. I nodded he took hold of the bags and exited the store way to gracefully. I would have fallen flat on my face if I tried walking so model like. He held the door open for me and tilted his head, gesturing for me to exit too.

I did and started walking to my building. He walked silently beside me, I looked at him occasionally from the corner of my eye.

"Is there anything I can do to thank you for helping me with these?" I slowed my pace, we were less than ten feet away from my apartment. No such thing as free in this world, I just hope what he says next isn't creepy.

"Your name would be nice." 

I smiled politely and reached for my bags. He let them go when he realized I could manage on my own then and smiled back.

"I'm Aamari Fani. Nice to meet you, and thanks for your help."

I didn't need to know his name, I simply did not care to know. So I turned around and walked into my apartment building after typing in the building code. 

Unpacking my groceries which consisted of ready-made microwave meals, ramen, and simple pastries, I wondered if I would ever see him again. He talked as little as I do, but I felt comfortable around him. Oh well, for a brief part of my day, he comforted me with his silence.

I don't think I had a bad first day at all.