UNSPOKEN DESIRES

The Handsome Stranger

I had spent the entire day arranging all my stuff in order. It was a long day filled with hard work. The night before, I'd packed my luggage, making sure I had kept everything. I woke up early to catch a morning bus to Seoul, so I could get there with plenty of time to finish setting up my things in my hostel room and explore the campus later.

As I entered the hostel room, a sense of weary satisfaction washed over me. The room I now called home for the foreseeable future possessed a modest charm. It was a medium-sized room, spacious enough to house two single beds, each thoughtfully placed opposite the other. The walls, painted in spotless white, exuded an atmosphere of cleanliness and simplicity that felt soothing. Two study tables stood in the corners. And also a small balcony which provided the view of a beautiful garden downstairs. It was a space that exuded warmth and comfort, and my bed, with its inviting softness, beckoned me to lie down and rest.

Just as my eyelids were growing heavy and the temptation of a nap embraced, Sarah's voice cut through the quiet air shattering the tranquillity as she said to me, "Did your father text you?" (𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗵, 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗵.)

(Sarah and I had shared a remarkable bond since our middle school days. We were known as the inseparable duo, the twins who never ventured far from each other's side. Through thick and thin, in good times and bad, we stood together, facing life's challenges with unwavering unity.

Our strong friendship was driven by our shared goal of becoming doctors. As luck would have it, we both received the acceptance letter from Seoul National University, a prestigious institution. Sarah belongs to a family with significant financial resources, but it was her unwavering commitment and relentless effort that secured her place at the university. On the other hand, I came from a middle-class family, where my father toiled away from the city, striving to provide for our family. I got in thanks to a scholarship and my determination. We were allotted separate rooms in the hostel, but since we didn't want to stay in different rooms, Sarah and I approached the administration. After discussing it with them, Sarah was shifted to my room because I didn't have a roommate.)

I sighed, "No, he must be busy." An undertone of disappointment laced my voice. It was disheartening that my father's obligations had seemingly kept him away during such an important moment in my life.

"Yuna, aren't you hungry? Let's go grab some food. I'll pay." Sarah said echoing her last few words, trying to divert me. She had a keen eye for my emotions and was quick to notice the tears threatening to well up in my eyes.

I nodded. Together we made our way to the nearby cafe, actually a subway because the cafe Sarah wanted to go to was closed. And next to it was a subway.

I ordered myself a double cheese grilled sandwich and veggie delight for Sarah and coke for both of us. As we were headed to our tables with our food, I bumped into someone. "Ouch," I winced while trying to save my drink from spilling. "Look where you're walking, I screamed at the boy I bumped into. "Oh, I'm so sorry I was not looking in this direction. Are you alright?" I scrunched my nose and raised my head to look at him, he was much taller than me. His eyes were finding mine for an answer. I never really noticed someone's eyes before, but his eyes were captivating. He had large and doe-shaped eyes. I couldn't help but keep looking at them. I regained my senses as Sarah shook me from beside me. I looked at her and gulped. "Ahh I'm fine, be careful next time," I said in a calm tone to the boy as he nodded and surpassed me with a smile. His smile was cute. "Yuna, let's go," Sarah said bumping her shoulder into mine.