Abroad with Jimin

2

We're staying at the dorms at Seoul National University. My roommate, Kara, is out shopping, probably about to max out her card in the first week of our trip. She's obsessed with Kpop and I'm pretty sure that's the only reason she came on this trip. We're both American, except she's painfully so. All she does is blast Koop music and complain about the Korean food.

Rachel and I are a lot more lowkey. I I don't have anything against Korean music, some of it is arguably so much better than our American trash, but I've vowed to not become an obsessed fan. Rachel couldn't care less about her own culture. She was born here, but moved to America when she was 5. She likes EDM music and has quite possibly the most extensive collection of black and white clothes I've ever seen.

"What are you doing?" I ask Rachel.

"Stealing Kara's food."

"You know she's gonna blame me for that."

"Oh well." She flops down on my bed.

I'm sitting at my desk, trying to read the jacket tag.

"What's happening over there?" Rachel asks through a mouthful of chips.

"I'm trying to find the price of this jacket but I can't read the tag"

"Here." I turn and she's reaching out her hand. I toss the jacket right into her face. "Nice throw." She reads the tag and her eyes widen. "This is Hyein Seo."

"Pardon?"

"Type it in."

She spells it for me and I find the website, changing the language to English. I click jackets. The first one, the one that looks like Jimin's, is—

"It's 750 Dollars!" Rachel shrieks. She's found it on her phone. She lets the jacket slip out of her hands.

"Oh my gosh i have to give it back. I have to clean it. I have to–"

"Sky, calm down. It's ok."

"No it's not! I can't keep it! I'm not that kind of person!"

"Can I have it then?"

"Rachel!"

"I'm kidding, just, I don't know, go to the coffee shop tomorrow and give it to the workers."

"Ok, will you come?"

"Can't. I promised Sheila I'd translate for her."

"Hey, she's not allowed to steal you from me."

"Oh well."

The door opens and Kara comes in with her friends. They're blasting music and singing along in horribly pronounced Korean. I'm not very good at the language, but at least I don't pretend to be. "Ok ladies, see you tomorrow?"

"Annyeong!" They chorus. I catch Rachel giving the worlds biggest eye roll. I hold in a laugh.

"Cool jacket." Kara says. "Didn't think you cared about looking nice."

"Thanks? I spilled coffee on it."

"Just wash it. And then use some white vinegar."

"Who has white vinegar?" Rachel asks.

Kara sighs and trudges over to the sink. I watch her badly dyed pink hair flounce around. She opens the cabinet below it and gets out a bottle of vinegar. I give her a weird look.

"What? I drink a lot of coffee."

"Um, thanks Kara."

"Anytime, roomie." She spits out the last part.