The traffic is terrible, but it is not new to Dahee. In her three years of living in Seoul, she has already gotten used to it, yet it still manages to irritate her every time. She sighs, it almost comes out as a groan, and reaches to turn the volume of the radio up. The song fades into the next as the traffic light turns green and a scowl makes its way to her face when she hears what is playing.
She doesn't necessarily hate love songs, but she doesn't like them either. The disgustingly sweet lyrics that is some sort of an ode to a significant other isn't the problem, it is the concept. Love is something she doesn't really believe in. She thinks it is scary sometimes and a load of bullshit most of the time.
Though she can't bare the quiet, she turns the radio off; silence seems like the better option than listening to some girl singing about driving through the suburbs because her boyfriend ditched her for a pretty, blonde girl. Deep down though, her curiosity is piqued and she can't help but wonder what being in love feels like. This is the first time she entertains the thought, and she almost thinks it can't be that bad if it is the pinnacle of the music industry. Almost.
She shoves the unwanted thoughts away and pretends it never came across her mind as she drives past the big, black gates of her campus that are wide open. Her tires screech loudly against the asphalt when she swerves around the corner, which makes a few heads turn and makes her sinks in embarassment. She tries not to bump into the cars on either sides of her designated spot and is successful─barely. Her car is a little bit sideways, but that isn't much of a big deal (parking has always been something she isn't good at).
She makes her way to her department at the west wing of the building, sparing some seconds to smile at her acquaintances she passes by in the hallways. Being an extrovert, making friends is never a problem for her. But ever since the falling out with her best friend, she became lazy to put any effort into making any and keeping them. She deems it as a waste of time if she is going to lose them in the end anyway.
Her professor greets her with a smile when she finally reaches the classroom, which she returns before taking a seat next to a familiar face she remembers to be one of the several people she was acquainted with on her very first day. She doesn't quite recall the girl's name, but indulges in small talk with her anyway. It isn't long until the professor grabs everyone's attention and begins to take attendance.
She zones out right after muttering a "present" when her name was called, the sounds around her blending together into an incoherent noise. She taps the tip of her pen repeatedly on the wooden surface and presses her cheek against her palm, biting down on her lip to supress a yawn. Boredom is evident on her face, though, she tries to mask it with feign interest.
Mr. Seo's Screen Writing class usually isn't boring for her to not be mentally present, but since it is the first day she justifies it by telling herself it is probably the lack of motivation (first days are always boring anyway). Her eyes keep flickering up at the clock above the massive black board every now and then, much anticipation for her free period she is planning to spend napping. The next two hours go by like a blur, and if you ask her what was talked about she won't be able to answer.
"Dahee, before you go," her professor's voice makes her halt and walk back to his desk. "I have a special assignment for you."
She cocks an eyebrow, "Special assignment?"
"I was discussing earlier about each individual writing an essay about a topic of my choice." He says and a chuckle falls from his mouth when he sees a sheepish smile on her face. She assumes that he knows she didn't pay attention to the entirety of his class, but he doesn't seem angry about it. "And I've assigned you the topic of love."
"Love?" She purses her eyebrows. "Can you elaborate, sir?"
"I want you to write an essay about a romantic love between you and another person," he clarifies and she is perplexed to say the least. "Considering how heavy this topic is and how love doesn't just happen overnight, I'm generously giving you a whole year to finish it."
"But, sir," she begins to reason. "I've never fallen in love before. How am I supposed to write about it?"
"That's why I chose you," he smiles as he places the scattered pens on his desk back in its holder. "Out of everyone in this class, I've observed that you are the most close-minded one when it comes to love. That debate you and Jay had last year stuck with me and is actually part of the reason why I have assigned you this topic."
She starts, "But, sir─"
"This is your chance to fall in love and see how wonderful it is," he abruptly interrupts her protest. "Not everyone gets a chance to experience that."
"This isn't even relevent in any way to my major," she tries to reason again, hoping he will give her a different topic instead of the one she is the least knowledgeable of. "How is love gonna help me be a better film maker?"
"Every form of media is sprinkled with the concept of love. Love is everywhere, Dahee, you can't escape it." He says, his tone firm but kind. Seeing as she is about to protest again, he speaks right before she can get a word out, "I am all for spontaneity, you all know that. I encourage my students to get out of their comfort zone and live the best years of their life to the fullest, 'cause after you graduate and enter the real world, responsibilities will hinder you to do all that. You wouldn't want to regret wasting your youth when you grow older, would you?"
She grows quiet for a moment, not knowing what to respond nor how to react. It is just the first day and she is already being given a heavy assignment. "You gave me a one year deadline," she pauses, "but what if I still haven't fallen in love then?"
"I'm not gonna fail you if you don't," he says with an assuring smile. "But at least try. Who knows, maybe falling in love could be the best thing that has ever happened to you... or, the worst. Heartbreak is inevitable and totally normal to go through. Well, anyway, you may go now."
And instead of spending the rest of her free period napping peacefully in the library, she spends it overthinking.
