wingate gardens -got7 ✓

1- entrance

SEOUL WAS ALWAYS ALIVE WITH the sounds of life, filled to the brim with bustling students and tired upperclassmen, constantly busy, constantly thriving. it was a place of wonder and excitement and for people like mark, it was the place to be, the place where dreams came true. he had moved to seoul a month ago, beginning a new life.

the life he had left behind was something he preferred not to dwell on, if he thought about his dying brother and absent father for too long, his heart would begin to ache. the constant feelings of guilt crunched within him when he remembered joey and his sunken face, iv drip shooting from his arm. so he refused to so much as spare his younger brother a thought, it was the only way he knew how to cope.

the move from la had come with the promise of fresh beginnings and of new people; a chance to become a new person, someone who could have friends and a job- maybe even a girlfriend too, if he was lucky. this prospect of new life had pulled him from his crumbling family and dying school applications, and dragged him to the land of hope- which for him was seoul. it had taken a while to get there. months of saving up, working overtime and sacrificing his and his brother's livlihood meant he was able to buy a plane ticket. but that was only half the journey. once he got to korea, he had no game plan. but this didn't stop him, the minute he could afford the plane ticket, he left, leaving joey in a tumbling pile of tears on the floor.

he had always assumed life would be better in seoul, he had never intended to end up in wingate gardens, the thought had never even crossed his mind.

*

the minute his tiny plane landed at seoul national airport, he made his move- eyes searching for an estate agents. seoul being an epitome for tourism and travel, he spotted one immediately, neon lights flickering above it, reading HOUSE CORPS. the building looked at least 20 years old, coated in a rotting white varnish that was peeled and chipped. it was squat and sunken, shrouded by the skyscrapers enclosing it- mark wondered how it hadn't been shut down. what with korea's thriving architecture, the place seemed like a blemish, almost pleading to be pulled down.

but it's dirty walls brought hope to mark, surely a place like this would be able to offer him a house he could afford, it certainly wasn't anywhere a rich man would be buying his house.

rain drizzled lazily from the hazy grey clouds above him, suddenly bringing him back to america in his mind. where he lived, there were always murky skies filled with clouds adamant that they would never release raindrops, but remain hanging in the air. the chill that swept across him as he crossed the street was familiar too. he shook himself, this was his fresh start. so he banished the feelings of familiarity and forgot about america, making his way into the rundown estate agents.

warmth greeted him as he surveyed the interior of the building. it was pretty nodescript, a small table filling up most of the empty space. so, he turned his attention to the woman at the desk, dressed in all white and wearing a glaring fake smile. she had looked him up and down, licking her lips as she did so and if he was being honest, he wasn't surprised. joey had always joked that he was good-looking and when his mother had been around, she would make sure to always tell him he was handsome.

and he was handsome: slender nose, broad shoulders and a seemingly perfect smile. ever since he could remember, women would react the same way around him, quietly checking him out, and this korean estate agent was no different.

mark shook his head and grinned at her, confidently saying, "i'm looking for the cheapest rent you have please,"

she seemed oddly startled at this request, almost as though she had failed to notice mark's ripped t-shirt and faded jeans, as though she was shocked that he wanted the cheapest option. her inital shock was immediately overrun by a different emotion, perhaps disappointment, perhaps regret. either way, her face flushed and she looked down at her shoes, "i have a place at wingate gardens available."

"how much is the rent?"

"300 won a week, is that okay?"

it was startlingly cheap. mark's brows furrowed, how on earth was it so cheap? he knew it was all he could afford, 20p didn't feel like a lot, but he had come with almost nothing, he knew this was the offer he would have to take. but that didn't stop him from beginning to worry.

the agent obviously noticed his anxiousness, and adressed it immediately, "listen, the house is okay- warm water, a bed, kitchen appliances....it's so cheap because....because.."

she paused and shivered slightly, hunching her shoulders, "because of the... unsavoury.. people who live there..."

mark cocked his head questioningly, trying to hide his excitement by the idea that he could afford a place with warm water- he didn't even have that back in america. but still, the prospect of these 'unsavoury' people caused his heart to beat faster in anticipation.

"what... people?" he asked.

"they're..not exactly friendly, and don't really like new people. but i'm sure you'll be fine- they seem to like boys your age."

he grimaced, already imagining these residents in his head. he had encountered many similar before, they were all over his neighbourhood in america, so much so that he couldn't count the number of times he had been beaten up in a dingy alley near his house.

"i'll take it." he murmered, placing his hands on the desk.

this was his start. his big shot at turning his life around.

and he was sure that he'd be able to make a better life for himself at wingate, even if he had to get beaten a couple times to make it.

the woman smiled grimly and handed him a rusty key and a clipboard, "fill out this form, hand over 300 won and i'll get my associate to show you the place"

mark nodded and started filling in the sketchy piece of paper clipped to the board, handing over his email address, phone number and emergency contacts (although his emergency contact was just his old number- he had no-one who would be there for him in an emergency).

after a few minutes, he handed the clipboard back, along with 300 won he had managed to dig out from the bottom of his backpack, thankful that he had brought a little bit of korean money with him.

she nodded curtly, receiving the items with a short bow.

shortly after, a stout man appeared, with rounded glasses and a stern look that put mark on edge. he spoke hurried korean as he motioned for mark to follow him to the backdoor, his surly back coming into view.

mark stood, with hunched shoulders, and followed him, carefully stepping over the unguarded grate and dodging the long brambles that strangled the door frame. again, he was surprised the place hadn't been shut down- but perhaps it stayed alive solely to serve people like him. perhaps people like him didn't deserve to enter real society and go to a real estate agents.

either way, mark continued following the man, who was now strangely silent, as they began to weave through dank alleyways, thrusting mark once again into his old world. the alleys were all too familiar, the smell of urine, the graffiti coated walls, the intense sense that someone is standing right behind you....

it felt like hours of walking through these dingy tunnels before the man finally came to a stop, clearing his throat and pointing to a brick archway that read Wingate Gardens in crooked lettering.

"it's through there," he grumbled, "have fun mr tuan, stay safe," and then he disappeared, weaving his way back to his office, leaving mark abandoned underneath the arch.

he couldn't help but shiver, the rusty letters sending nervous tingles up his spine. this was it. his new beginning.