Move to Korea🇰🇷

Chapter 1 - Cheongdam, Seoul.

Cold breeze blows through your window as morning arises on your first day of a new life. It's February 2019 and you're living in Cheongdam, Seoul, you have spent 6 years in love with the culture of Korea and 3 years of those you have learned Korean endlessly for the day you finally move. Now, aged just 17, your birthday just around the corner, you are living in Korea.. ready for the new start.

The morning wakes you, you're in your one bedroom apartment in a block just down the street to JYPE. You knew the issues of living here but your intention was to study and make friends, as an international student this was the best place for you.

Your one bedroom apartment is small, but it feels like home. The kitchen and living room are connected, the kitchen having just a few cupboards, a fridge, a microwave and all the usual essentials of life, the living room holding just a single three-seated sofa and a couple of single seated chairs that were more for decoration. Your bedroom however was much more enthusiastic, the walls splashed with a bright purple that lifted your spirit as you walked in. Pictures of your family, your closest loved ones hang delicately from carefully structured string on the wall opposite your bed, beside that are two large wooden wardrobes and a small chest of drawers. Another wall has a make up station paired with a desk that lay underneath a wide window. Your bed is a bright white king size frame with a light memory foam mattress, piled with warm winter blankets and a few decorative pillows.

After a few hours cleaning in the morning to make sure your apartment is set for the next few years you're there, you get ready and head out. For the first time out (during the day at least) you focus on making a cute outfit to make a good impression to your neighbours and new friends. A pair of pastel pink, high waisted trousers and a plain white tee, tucked into the trousers and a loosely tied bow to keep it all in place. Your shoes are a simple pair of white slip on vans and your jacket a long pastel pink coat, that of a similar colour to your trousers.

On your way out you take a last look in the mirror, checking on your hair which is in a messy, loose bun and your make up which is crafted of light tones that compliment your skin and leaves a natural glow to your complexion.

Going down the apartment block and out to the street you greet and smile at all those you see and leave a positive impact on their days, in return feeling more uplifted and chilled. You head towards the small cafe down the street, you want to grab a drink and plan out your day in a little bit of peace and a new environment. Upon stepping into the cafe your eyes widened with delight. It's beautiful. The ceiling is high and the lights are bright, the walls are pretty and coloured so carefully, the smell is enlightening and you crave a sweet drink. The people at the cafe is in its lowest numbers as everyone has gone to work or to school. There is however a few guys standing there ready to order and you smile shyly to yourself as you approach the counter.

The three guys are taller than you, their scent is rich with aftershave and they are all smiling brightly as they talk together. You pass by and look up towards the board and back down to the counter. You do this a few times, starstruck by the wide variety of food and drink available to order here. You have no idea what to order and you look over to the guys standing just a meter away from you and smile politely in shyness. One guy in particular stands out from the rest, his smile is wide, his eyes are bright and his freckles are the cutest you have ever seen. You nod at him in recognition as you notice who he is. Felix Lee of boy group Stray Kids, a group you're very familiar with. Your heart stops and you look back towards the drinks board, still unsure what to order for your first time.

A small hand taps your shoulder and a deep, shaky voice quietly says "I've been in this position before, the white caramel hot chocolate is a best first choice, but never order a large, it's too sweet." You turn around to face Felix who has taken a step back and sweetly smiled at you, he waves softly and walks away.
Without hesitation you go up and in the most formal Korean you know, you order the white caramel hot chocolate with added marshmallows and caramel syrup. At last you head to an empty table in the far corner of the room, near a decorative plant, with your drink in hand you set up your laptop and look for things to do in Cheongdam. Straight away the first suggestion is company tours, but being this close to JYP you feel the cafe is enough for you right now. With some more intensive searching you decide on a few museums and a shopping mall, finishing up your drink you head out for the day.

Constantly in your mind you reply the interaction with you and Felix, you walk downtown to the places you want to see; however, it feels so unreal to you but in the other hand you're so pleased with how it happened and how soft his smile was.. he's caring and warm.. it's shocking, it's strange, that an encounter like this could happen to you.

Later in the afternoon, you've made friends with some girls of a similar age to you, they are high school students and were in the same shopping mall as you around dinner time. One girl in particular you connect with is Kim Yoonha, she's on a similar height to you and is a few months older, making her 18 already, she's preparing for her exams but is having dinner with her friends, they offer you to go along. You made new friends, you're happy and you're eating Korean bbq for the first time, it's surprisingly cheap here and it tastes delicious!

You did some more shopping and looked around the streets, smiling and greeting many on your journey. Still hopelessly thinking of yours and Felix's interaction.
By evening the streets are lowly lit by the night sky and street lights which warmly glow along the path and the trees wave in a calm breeze. You have your earphones in and you're listening to Voices, Stray Kids song and one of your true favourites. You approach your apartment and take a longing gaze into the dark park across the street, it's surrounded by trees and a black metal fence that shines in the small amount of light. It's a lot to take in, this is your home now, this is your life.

Finally you reach the door of your apartment, slowly pressing in your code and pushing open the door. The lights warm up the room as you flick them on, there's a sigh of relief as you take your shoes off. One day and you've looked and walked around a lot of Cheongdam's immediate area and met new people.. not to mention you've had an interaction with Felix Lee .. on your first day.

It's the end of the long day and you run a warm bath with a few candles dotted around you, and some low volume music you sink into your emotions and reply your day in your head. You close your eyes. The day has been beautiful.