TOKKI CLUB ~ UNREQUITED

Chapter 1

The bubbling of the dirty soap water heats the gloves that I'm wearing and warms my hands. I pout. I usually liked it when my hands would prune from being in the water too long, but safety comes first when working with dirty dishes.

"Dear, are you almost done?" I hear halmeoni call, peaking her head through the kitchen door.

I glanced at the pile of dishes beside me then the ones on the floor and give her a reassuring smile. I quickly wiped the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand, and attend to the bowls.

My name is Kim So-Hyun and I'm a twenty-three-year-old Accounting student at H University. I work at this noodle shop run by a  Halmeoni I had gotten to know during first year.

Truthfully, I come from a wealthy background, so I don't really need this job. My mother owns one of the largest design corporations in all of Korea and my father is the founder of KH private bank in Japan.

Why would a rich student bother working at a ramen store, helping clean dishes for extra pay you ask?

Well, I wanted to. I didn't like the idea of not having been in some sort of work environment before I graduated and was launched into full time work so I took up the offer. Besides, I had a soft spot for Halmeoni and I wanted to help her out.

I thought that my parents would be against it, but they were more than supportive saying that it would be a good way to teach me ethics about the 'real world'.

I'm not sure if I was actually learning about the real world, but I'm learning a few things alright. Although Halmeoni's restaurant looks quaint and old fashioned, we get a variety of people that stop by at different hours to get a whiff of her noodles. Of course the majority are students, but the conversations I hear from the different customers would be enough for me to write a thesis.

Don't judge me, I don't intentionally listen in on their conversations. But be warned, there are probably plenty of servers that take interest in your conversations and discuss them with their friends. Like I said, I don't do that... intentionally.

As I heaved crates of bowls into the sink and cleaned them one by one, my back started to ache and that was when I knew that it was peak time at the restaurant. Doing a simple few stretches I got back to work and clock out the second I'm done.

"Halmeoni, I'm going now!" I called out as soon as I finish with the cleaning, I always tell her whenever I'm leaving the store.

"You've worked hard today." She returned, and I made my way out.

It's the summer of 97'. I'm in Seoul and I'm thankful for choosing my dungarees this morning as I felt the night breeze cool my legs once I stepped out. I wiggled my legs around a bit welcoming the nice contrast to the hot furnace of the kitchen.

On my way to the bus stop, I spot my beautiful, bright-eyed friend Yoon So-Hee. I let out an inaudible sigh and bite my lips in contemplation.

On some occasions I would probably walk in the other direction choosing to get a different bus rather than to strike up conversation but seeing as we just got off summer break and it has been a while since we last saw each other I walked up to her, deciding not to be petty today.

"Oh, So-Hee-yah!" I called, and my friend turned around, quickly running towards me engulfing me in a hug.

"So-Hyun-ah~ I missed you! How was your summer? What are you doing here? Are you still working in that noodle place?" She asked in one breath not letting me go.

"I can answer if you let me breath." She immediately let go and I could feel air entering my lungs again. "I didn't do much, I left the shop for a while, but halmeoni let me come back towards the end of the summer."