Crushing College

13

89...88...87...

Willing myself to go back to sleep, I continued counting backwards in my head, my eyes forced shut. The feeling of jet lag was major this early in the morning. I checked the time on my phone and cringed when I saw the numbers 4:07. Putting it back on the bedside table next to the hotel bed, I sighed and groaned quietly trying not to wake Tae on the other side of the room.

The day before, we had both succumbed to a three hour nap in the afternoon. Knowing the first day in Seoul would be an adjustment day, we kept our itinerary light and explored the neighborhood for a light lunch and a late dinner in Itaewon. Then it was back to the hotel for bedtime where my body seemed to adjust to the time change and I fell asleep at a normal hour in KST. But now my mind has betrayed me and here I lied fully awake before the sun was even up.

I checked my phone again to see when that sun would rise, thinking I could sneak off somewhere and watch it. When I heard rustling of bed sheets nearby, a glimmer of hope that Tae might want to join me appeared.

"Jennie?" he asked in his sleepy voice.

My voice was low as I turned on my side to face him. "Sorry if I woke you. I couldn't sleep."

In the darkness, I could almost make out the outline of his long frame under the blankets. "I was awake anyway. So much for fighting jet lag," he chuckled in defeat.

"Hey...I have a crazy idea," I said into the early morning air. "Would you want to watch the sunrise with me at the top of Mount Achasan?"

"No," he groaned. I could imagine Tae making a disgusted face. "It's too early."

"Oh. Okay."

Movement on his bed told me he was now facing me. "But ask me anyway."

I shot up from my bed into a sitting position. "You just made my day, oppa!" I said enthusiastically.

An hour later we were at the start of the 3.7-mile loop trail near Gwangjin-gu. Tae and I had gotten dressed, did the research to find the 960 feet high mountain, bought breakfast and drinks at a convenience store, and figured out the transportation. We had to stop several times during the one hour trek, mostly because of me, but it gave us time to enjoy the views. However, the vista at the top, the beautiful view of Seoul and the Hangang River, made the lack of normal sleep worth it.

As Tae and I sat enjoying our breakfast, I commented on the scenery. "This is amazing! The mountain is intermingled right in the city."

He took a sip of his yakult yogurt drink and nodded. "Reminds me of the San Gabriel mountains back home."

His comment jolted my thinking. Here we were on the other side of the world, so far away from home. I suddenly looked around me and wondered if this was all real. Was I really in the native country of my ancestors and was Tae truly with me? When I caught him giving me a wide smile, bread cheeks on full display, the sunrise glowing behind him, I put a hand to my heart at the sight of his beauty.

"You are so handsome," I gushed. "Ethereal even."

Tae blushed a bit then leaned over to kiss me on the apple of my cheek. "You're so pretty. And I admire you for taking this journey."

"Well I couldn't have done it without you." 

When Tae gave me the most adorable smile, I felt an incredible urge to tell him I loved him. The moment felt right, we were at the top of a mountain and the sunrise was painting glorious and radiant hues of gold and orange all around us. I knew I loved him because I didn't just think about him when I was alone. I thought about him when I was having a blast in a room full of people. There were numerous times I would think "I wish Tae were here" or "Where's Tae? He would get a kick out of this." I loved that I could experience this moment on the mountain with him. And I loved him. But at the last second I got cold feet about saying it and didn't want to be the first to reveal my true feelings.