Chapter 25

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The smell of fresh bread and coffee hit my nostrils as soon as I got off the bus, accompanied by a trace of brine in the air and the stench of bus diesel on my way to work.

It was just another day in the country's busiest city, Seoul. A dozen conversations, taxis honking, buses grunting not to mention K-pop advertisements everywhere. Traffic is still light, but it rises as the sun rises. Some people, like me, wake up excited to face the day, while others dread it.

I blinked the snowflakes from my eyes as I shivered and pulled my coat tighter around my body as I make my way to the Tea Shop where I work and where Pete is the owner.

I blinked the snowflakes from my eyes as I shivered and pulled my coat tighter around my body as I make my way to the Tea Shop where I work and where Pete is the owner

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Winter has arrived, and I'm thankful Unnie lent me some of her coats when she came to visit for the first time last weekend.

Despite a hectic Monday, I'm relieved to be on time for work. If there's one thing I love about this city, it's the unique culture and modern conveniences that can be found almost anywhere.

Because many people want to live in Seoul, there is a lot of competition for housing and food, which increases the cost of living but I'm glad Pete was able to recommend a cheaper apartment just a bus ride away from the heart of the city where I have an option to walk to get here as well.

If there's one thing I dislike about living here, It's that it can be more expensive to rent a tiny apartment in Seoul than it is to rent an entire house in a suburb away from the city.

However, among other things, one of the reasons I enjoy my job is the great benefits, fair pay, and health coverage.

Thank God for Pete; he made it easier for me to adjust to my new job because he was not only my boss but also my tour guide and friend along the way.

The bell rang as soon as I walked into the shop. Pete was away for a while, working on a new business venture that he hopes to launch this year.

I was in charge of everything while he was away, but it didn't bother me because everyone on the team is hardworking and pleasant to work with.

"Morning!" I greeted with a wide smile making my presence known.

"Joh-eun achim Hanni"

"Annyeong haseo!"

At the Tea shop, we would have one person working each shift. We had three shifts per day, the opening shift, the midday, and the closing shift.

With all my luck I got to either open the store or close the store whereas I don't really mind. I go straight to my apartment after shifts anyway.

On weekends, I jog in the park early in the morning, rent sci-fi books from my favorite city bookstore, and spend the rest of the day with my face buried in them. I also like watching some K-dramas on Netflix during my days off.

I rarely watch TV anymore, especially news reports, because as soon as I close my eyes and try to sleep, an army of BTS pictures that are always reported every single day in the latest news appear in my mind, bringing a lot of memories that I struggle to get out of my head and that cause insomnia.

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