Cursed

Chapter 9

Weeks pass. Not sure if it is the sunny autumn weather - it miraculously doesn't rain like it use to - or the fact I get to sleep during night, like a normal person, that makes my life seem easier. I wake up in the morning and go to work with an energy I'm not myself used to. The last time I had energy like this was... before it all.

Mark and I meet up every Sunday, like usual, and Johnny and Yuta even join us a few times. I prefer it when it is only me and Mark, though. While the others are really fun to hangout with, it's not the same like when it's just me and Mark.

I do end up hanging out with them on some Fridays, though, and little by little it's like my life is filled up with happiness. Little by little, I can feel my heavy past let go of me, the air becoming easier to breathe.

Today is Friday. One of those Fridays I'm supposed to hang out with Mark and his friends. I think they've even become my friends at this point. It warms my heart thinking about how inviting Mark was when he introduced me to them.

It's a little after 6 pm when I leave my apartment to go to Yuta's. We decided to stay in today, just order pizza and play some games. From what I've heard, it tends to become quite heated when playing board games, so I made sure to mentally prepare myself for the fights.

Mark greets me with the widest grin I think I've ever seen when he opens the door for me. I can see some of the apartment from over his shoulder, and it looks luxurious. I heard that Yuta's place was really nice, but I did not expect it to be ...this. Although, I had my suspicions when I had to take the elevator to the top floor. The doorman was also a good hint, but did not prepare me for the spacious apartment I just stepped into. The windows in the living room are huge, covering the entire wall, from the floor to the ceiling. They show the most astonishing view - the sun setting over the city.

Suddenly, I feel a bit embarassed of my own living circumstances. My apartment is so small I just barely fit my own life into it. The building doesn't have an elevator, and the view comes to an abrupt stop at the wall of the building opposite the street. At least, I have three small windows. In my last place, I only had two.

"Do you know what pizza you want?", Mark asks me from across the room. He's gone back to the living room before I could make it out of my shoes.

I just shrug. "I'm fine with whatever," I answer and take off my jacket. The air is getting cooler every day, reminding me that winter is coming.

"Should we just order three pizzas to share? I'm not eating a whole myself-", Mark starts, but gets interrupted by Johnny.

"I'm not sharing."

The sternness of his voice makes me chuckle. "I'll share with you, Mark".

When the pizza guy finally arrives, the Risk board game we've started is spread out on the table. I'd never played it before, but got into it pretty quickly. Turns out I'm as competitive as the others, and we're shouting at each other to manipulate the other's play as if our lives depended on it.

The ring of the doorbell interrupts our hectic debate on whether or not Mark should go to war with Greenland. Me, currently in possession of the country, obviously don't want him to.

"Shall we just take a break?", Mark asks when Yuta comes back with the pizzas in hand.

"And give you more time to form a strategy? I think not", Johnny huffs. I just laugh and agree with Mark on the break idea. If we continue playing while eating, surely one of us is gonna choke.

Luckily, Yuta has more than one seating area, and we don't have to move the board game for dinner.

Quickly, the conversation spirals, and we talk about the most random things. I thought I had covered most of the random topics with Mark on our Sundays, but turns out there's even more weird things to be discussed.

After some time, everyone's looking at me. I hadn't realised my mind drifting off.

"Sorry?", I cough awkwardly.

"We asked where you're from?", Johnny repeats.

"Daegu," I answer quickly. "But I've lived in Geochang as well".

"So when'd you move to Seoul. And what have you been doing these past years?", Yuta asks curiously.

"Um...". I hesitate. "I.. uh.. I got here a little over two years ago."

Memories rush past me and fill up my vision like I'm experiencing everything once again.

"Why'd you move?", Johnny asks again. "Not that this isn't a superior city."

"It wasn't really my choice," I start, but get interrupted by Mark.

"I've decided I'm gonna declare war with Scandinavia instead", he says firmly. He must've noticed my discomfort and sends me a reassuring smile.

Yuta groans. "Why do you have to attack me? Come on man, I barely have any land left. I'm gonna lose."

To which I smile back. Like a thanks.