🕊 𝓢𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓢𝓾𝓻𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓲𝓽𝔂 🕊 M.T ✓

c h a p t e r O N E

My heart hadn't felt this way since I did track in elementary school - the odd heaviness to it and the harsh expansion and deflation of the big muscle in my chest. If I didn't know better I'd say I was in bad shape, but having your parents divorce and being the only child all you really had to comfort you was food. Stuffing yourself may not be healthy but rather that than another depressed teen, right?

The tall white walls intimidated me a lot, but not as much as walking outside of this airport did. A whole new world of people, cultures, foods and sights waited for me once I found my luggage and finished things up at some counters and desks. My brain was already fogging up at the linear characters replacing the language I had grown up with. The Mandarin started to walk off the signs and I blinked to regain my focus. I opted to ask the staff rather than relying on my own eyes that was controlled by an overactive mind.

Everything felt strange and I had no idea on how to process the different smells that eroded my senses and prior knowledge of a city. All of this was so new.

I eventually found my way out of the centre, with plenty of help, and into the buzzing streets. My eyes widened in fear and shock as a man simply crossed the street as a sea of cyclists flowed down the road and the riders just rode around him, as if the sea had parted for him. My eyes felt tired and strained from darting left, right, left, right.

The buildings blocked the Sun from peeking through onto the streets, which still didn't stop the sweat dripping down my back and the humidity stagnating in the air. My feet led me to the train station, guided by a map and kind native's directions, and I hopped on the route to South Korea.

If only Emily could see me now. She'd be laughing at the idea of me being a foreign exchange student on the other side of the world. I would be too.

I moved the files resting in my grip that were slipping because my hands were sweaty from the heat and from nerves. Everyone on the bus was staring at me and I could see why. I stood out like a sore thumb. My hair was a copper colour, my skin as pale as the few white clouds spread sparsely in the sky with freckles littering over my arms and face. I was glad I didn't listen to Gyun-ya when she told me to wear a skirt to show off more skin, a peasant top with chunky Filas. Instead I went with my gut to wear black mom jeans and a black Adidas top with white hems, accessorised with a bucket hat and plain Soviet sneakers.

I squirmed under their gazes and could hear them talking about me, even though I couldn't understand the dialect I could just feel it.

This is going to be a long year if I have to deal with people judging me all the time, I though to myself.

As soon as I heard the brakes squeal as the driver pressed down onto the pedal I stood up and started moving to the exit at a fast pace, not wanting to deal with this confined space having people watching me intensely. The doors opened and I bid the driver goodbye, "안녕 [bye]!"

I looked at the tall ragged building that I stood before and looked down at my phone, checking to see if I was at the right place. To my disappointment, it was.

[ Hey :) please make that white star orange and comment down below on your thoughts! I hope you enjoyed this chapter ]