Running | KTH

seoul

I

Leaves were dancing through the air, following patterns only mother nature could tell apart, and lifted by the wind on an autumn afternoon. Their withered curled edges scraping over the neatly paved sidewalk, bringing a beat to their own dance which was highly pleasurable to listen to. I pulled some hair strands from my mouth, letting it loosely fall along my face together with the rest of my long, black hair only for it to be pulled back by the wind and end up between my teeth and sticky tongue.

The climate had changed fast since I'd begun this journey. The temperature had already dropped to a point where my breathe made little clouds in the cold. I tightened my thin suede jacket around my torso and continued my way.

 
With my black backpack and my burgundy red dungaree, styled with a plain black shirt and high white socks, I looked nothing but a normal high school girl. Someone who knew where she was and would be going to, because in this area of Seoul not many outsiders came. There was not much special about this area. But I didn't know that; though it might've looked like I did. With a relaxed pace I walked and tried to feel like I really belonged here. Like I was indeed a normal high school girl who had been living her whole live in Seoul and therefore knew these little secret places in the megacity which houses over 9.7 million people. Except maybe for my thin suede jacket that had the zipper broken, I might've actually looked like I belonged there.

Except I didn't. Not at all.

//

I walked away from home, because I did something horrible. It was my own decision to do so. The thought of having to face the problem that had haunted my mind every minute of every day until it made me scream and go insane, it was that problem that made me run like I never had before. I tried to go as far as possible as I could come with the money I had on bank account and the few pennies I'd found in my worn-out jacket. My goal was to become another person. I couldn't stand myself any longer, so I decided I had to start again. All the way from the beginning. So I went to another city, one who wouldn't notice yet another citizen: a city of stars. A town where the lights would be shining 24/7 and would give me countless of options.

My goal was really simple: become a person who you can love.

//

My teeth had started to chatter and the dark started to gradually fall. The sun was slowly waving her goodbye for the day. Taking the sun rays with her to the other side of the globe so she could wake the people on their lazy Sunday morning. But as the sun couldn't warm my skin I felt really cold.

"Jeez, please have mercy," I mumbled.

Luckily I spotted an alley at my left which would hide me from the wind. I speed walked towards the narrow place and contently leaned against the brick wall. I did an attempt to fix my hair, though I had no idea how I looked like without a charged phone. So I ended up tucking it behind my ear.

When I walked to this alley I didn't pay attention to the surrounding. But suddenly a scent of coffee crossed my nose, leaving me salivating. A picture of perfect roasted coffee beans in a small cup which would bring your taste buds a feeling of heaven filled my mind. I licked my lips.

"Man," I whined. One cup of coffee would make me ultimately happy. However, I couldn't afford getting something like a luxurious cup of black gold when I didn't have any income yet and therefore had to be careful with spending my money. But it smelled so good.

While I was lost in my thoughts I hadn't noticed a person who came to stand at the entrance of the alley. The figure coughed and I turned my head towards the him. I could see that the person was tall and had broad shoulders, coming to the conclusion it must be a 'he'. The boy was quite muscular, yet charming. He coughed again and I withdrew from the wall, eyes now alert, suddenly feeling a bit attacked in the dark. We continued to look at each other for a short minute.