Status: Hiatus! But comment anyway (:
Postcards from Seoul
The Fifth Postcard
This was without a doubt the worst day in my life – hands down. It even beat my grandmothers passing and that says something. Confused? Not for long.
Eli woke me up at 6 AM by throwing things at me (if you guessed he was throwing light things, guess again) and told me to go shower because “I looked like something the cat dragged in”. He never spoke Korean with me, which was fine. It only made it easier for me to come up with insults to fire back when he decided to pay some attention to his room-mate.
One hour later I’m stowed in the back of a subway wagon clinging on to whatever it is to cling on. Eli is standing next to me and I have girls (and him) stabbing me with their eyes. Of course the girls have a reason for hating me – I’m after all standing next to their beloved object of fandom but Eli doesn’t. The cart stops which makes quite a few lose their balance – me included. Desperately I grab the first that’s within reach – Eli, and it’s very close that I take him down with me. Somehow he manages to pull be up, with a sour face and tells me to watch it. This however makes several of the girls around us scream loudly and yell in Korean. I’m too flustered to ask for a translation.
By the time we reach Hanlim I’ve survived twenty-thirty fan girls (and boys) trying to kill me and a sour apple who obeys the name Eli. There’s a large protest coming from my tummy saying as once again I’ve skipped breakfast. Oh, look. There’s a noodle stand outside the administration’s office – no one will notice if I sneak noodles in... right?
“Yah, Stop drooling and get a move on. You’re wasting my time”
I forgot I had company for a while there - My bad.
"Uh, I'm sorry" I blushed "Annyonghashimnikka, my name is Bae Rina - I'm a transfer student...?"
"Ah, Yes" the woman smiled and didn't seem like she'd heard my informal greeting - if she had, she probably understood "You're majoring in Acting with some lessons in vocals/dance after hours?" I nodded "Here's some paperwork for you to sign, you'll find pens over there" she waved a hand towards a small seating arrangement "and as soon as you've filled those out you will have to go to our tailor to get your uniform"
I looked towards Eli with a helpless expression. I could barely make any sense in what the woman in front of me was saying. Her way of talking was superformal.
"Thank you," he said firmly and took the papers from my hand and grabbed my hand (!) and dragged me across the room and towards a vacant sofa.
"You'll have to translate" I mumbled, as I looked down on my arm "and you can let go now, thank you"
He ignored me and handed me a pen, arm still locked firmly around mine.
"Here, here and here is where you fill out your personal data" he pointed at several areas on the different pages "Here's where you write what you want to major in and what sort of dreams you have etc." he eyed me "Your weight, height and blood type also goes under personal data" I cringed "Along with languages you speak. You probably need to take a few classes after you're done with your daytime classes"
"My Korean isn't very good" I paused "Could you fill it in for me while I dictate?"
"Do I have a choice?" ... was that a smile?
"No" I said, and he smiled.
I never thought I'd say this but Eli has a nice smile when he smiles.
On our way to the tailor he smiled maybe once or twice more. Not at me this time, sadly - but he smiled. I made a mental note to bring my camera with me more often - if he smiled again I would be able to document it.
When we stepped inside the store I immediately felt like a birds prey. 3 women ambushed me and started taking my clothes off a long time before we even reached the safety of a dressing room. Feeling really embarrassed I tried telling them to wait but they just smiled and pushed me into the changing room pretty much half naked. But as soon as I get my uniform everything else fades. It's... It's... beautiful. The shirt is a white dress shirt with ruffles around the neckline to go with a pretty normal but not boring grey plaid miniskirt. They blazer to go with it has pointy shoulders and is figure-sewn so that it fits me perfectly. I can't help but stare at myself in the mirror, and I feel amazing. They give me my bag (which is customized for me) and a pair of expensive black boots. "Your hobae called and told us a little about what he thought you'd like" one of the women said "We customize the uniform to each student but the basics are the same for all the girls, skirt shirt blazer and boots" All I can do is smile and say thank you - and I make a mental note to give Dongho a high-five when I return home.
When we leave the store I'm still in my uniform (I refused to take it off) and it seems like its not only me who think I look good. Even Eli nodded when he saw me - that must count for something, yes? We walk home, as it's not a very long way from the tailor to our dorm. Right when we're outside the building my phone rings - the caller ID shows "Handsome Cute Sexy Alexander" - I'm in the midst of a giggle fit when I pick up the phone.
"YOU LOOK SO GOOD WE CAN SEE YOU FROM THE WINDOW" damn straight they can, I see 3 faces staring me down from the top floor. I laugh heartily and wave to Dongho, Alex and Kiseop. Eli rolls his eyes and Alexander screams at me to get my "hot piece of self" up the stairs. and here I wondered why my hanguk was so bad...
As soon as I enter the door we're ambushed. The rest of the guys are busy due to schedules but the three ones that are in the dorm are preparing for rehearsals. Alex links arms with me and asks me to go get changed. Their bringing me with them, and Eli too. As soon as I'm ready and changed to dance clothes, we're all headed to the basement. "The company set up a private dancing studio for us here so that we could practise even in our free time" Dongho says "If we're not out or at home we're usually down here"
They walk me through some easy dance steps. I give up as soon as they try and make me learn their newest dance for "Spin". Surrendering I sit in one of the corners and watch them as they dance and joke around. Even Eli is in a good mood and I can't help but stare at him. He's so different when he's dancing and being around the boys rather than when I'm around - it's as if he's forgotten I'm there. Kiseop, however, hasn't and lifts me up from the floor and runs around with me in his arms to my delight. I'm laughing so hard I'm crying by the time he puts me down, and he even gives me a hug. As soon as I turn around, there's Eli glaring at me again.
I'm glad he never smiles. His smiles makes me feel weird...
Eli woke me up at 6 AM by throwing things at me (if you guessed he was throwing light things, guess again) and told me to go shower because “I looked like something the cat dragged in”. He never spoke Korean with me, which was fine. It only made it easier for me to come up with insults to fire back when he decided to pay some attention to his room-mate.
One hour later I’m stowed in the back of a subway wagon clinging on to whatever it is to cling on. Eli is standing next to me and I have girls (and him) stabbing me with their eyes. Of course the girls have a reason for hating me – I’m after all standing next to their beloved object of fandom but Eli doesn’t. The cart stops which makes quite a few lose their balance – me included. Desperately I grab the first that’s within reach – Eli, and it’s very close that I take him down with me. Somehow he manages to pull be up, with a sour face and tells me to watch it. This however makes several of the girls around us scream loudly and yell in Korean. I’m too flustered to ask for a translation.
By the time we reach Hanlim I’ve survived twenty-thirty fan girls (and boys) trying to kill me and a sour apple who obeys the name Eli. There’s a large protest coming from my tummy saying as once again I’ve skipped breakfast. Oh, look. There’s a noodle stand outside the administration’s office – no one will notice if I sneak noodles in... right?
“Yah, Stop drooling and get a move on. You’re wasting my time”
I forgot I had company for a while there - My bad.
"Uh, I'm sorry" I blushed "Annyonghashimnikka, my name is Bae Rina - I'm a transfer student...?"
"Ah, Yes" the woman smiled and didn't seem like she'd heard my informal greeting - if she had, she probably understood "You're majoring in Acting with some lessons in vocals/dance after hours?" I nodded "Here's some paperwork for you to sign, you'll find pens over there" she waved a hand towards a small seating arrangement "and as soon as you've filled those out you will have to go to our tailor to get your uniform"
I looked towards Eli with a helpless expression. I could barely make any sense in what the woman in front of me was saying. Her way of talking was superformal.
"Thank you," he said firmly and took the papers from my hand and grabbed my hand (!) and dragged me across the room and towards a vacant sofa.
"You'll have to translate" I mumbled, as I looked down on my arm "and you can let go now, thank you"
He ignored me and handed me a pen, arm still locked firmly around mine.
"Here, here and here is where you fill out your personal data" he pointed at several areas on the different pages "Here's where you write what you want to major in and what sort of dreams you have etc." he eyed me "Your weight, height and blood type also goes under personal data" I cringed "Along with languages you speak. You probably need to take a few classes after you're done with your daytime classes"
"My Korean isn't very good" I paused "Could you fill it in for me while I dictate?"
"Do I have a choice?" ... was that a smile?
"No" I said, and he smiled.
I never thought I'd say this but Eli has a nice smile when he smiles.
On our way to the tailor he smiled maybe once or twice more. Not at me this time, sadly - but he smiled. I made a mental note to bring my camera with me more often - if he smiled again I would be able to document it.
When we stepped inside the store I immediately felt like a birds prey. 3 women ambushed me and started taking my clothes off a long time before we even reached the safety of a dressing room. Feeling really embarrassed I tried telling them to wait but they just smiled and pushed me into the changing room pretty much half naked. But as soon as I get my uniform everything else fades. It's... It's... beautiful. The shirt is a white dress shirt with ruffles around the neckline to go with a pretty normal but not boring grey plaid miniskirt. They blazer to go with it has pointy shoulders and is figure-sewn so that it fits me perfectly. I can't help but stare at myself in the mirror, and I feel amazing. They give me my bag (which is customized for me) and a pair of expensive black boots. "Your hobae called and told us a little about what he thought you'd like" one of the women said "We customize the uniform to each student but the basics are the same for all the girls, skirt shirt blazer and boots" All I can do is smile and say thank you - and I make a mental note to give Dongho a high-five when I return home.
When we leave the store I'm still in my uniform (I refused to take it off) and it seems like its not only me who think I look good. Even Eli nodded when he saw me - that must count for something, yes? We walk home, as it's not a very long way from the tailor to our dorm. Right when we're outside the building my phone rings - the caller ID shows "Handsome Cute Sexy Alexander" - I'm in the midst of a giggle fit when I pick up the phone.
"YOU LOOK SO GOOD WE CAN SEE YOU FROM THE WINDOW" damn straight they can, I see 3 faces staring me down from the top floor. I laugh heartily and wave to Dongho, Alex and Kiseop. Eli rolls his eyes and Alexander screams at me to get my "hot piece of self" up the stairs. and here I wondered why my hanguk was so bad...
As soon as I enter the door we're ambushed. The rest of the guys are busy due to schedules but the three ones that are in the dorm are preparing for rehearsals. Alex links arms with me and asks me to go get changed. Their bringing me with them, and Eli too. As soon as I'm ready and changed to dance clothes, we're all headed to the basement. "The company set up a private dancing studio for us here so that we could practise even in our free time" Dongho says "If we're not out or at home we're usually down here"
They walk me through some easy dance steps. I give up as soon as they try and make me learn their newest dance for "Spin". Surrendering I sit in one of the corners and watch them as they dance and joke around. Even Eli is in a good mood and I can't help but stare at him. He's so different when he's dancing and being around the boys rather than when I'm around - it's as if he's forgotten I'm there. Kiseop, however, hasn't and lifts me up from the floor and runs around with me in his arms to my delight. I'm laughing so hard I'm crying by the time he puts me down, and he even gives me a hug. As soon as I turn around, there's Eli glaring at me again.
I'm glad he never smiles. His smiles makes me feel weird...