Lara pushed open the door to her bedroom and paused, her breath hitching slightly. The room was beautiful. It wasn't just the cleanliness; it was the warmth of it. The bed was covered in soft, high-quality floral bedsheets that smelled of fresh laundry, and the heavy curtains were drawn back to reveal a view that made her heart stop.
Mapo was one of the most vibrant parts of Seoul, sitting right along the northern bank of the Han River. When Lara opened the window, the cold, crisp air rushed in, carrying the distant hum of the city. Below her, the Mapo Bridge stretched across the water like a ribbon of light. Thousands of office windows in the skyscrapers across the river twinkled like stars, and the neon reflections shimmered on the dark surface of the water. Compared to the gray, cramped views of her brick-walled apartment in London, this felt like looking at the future. It was a city that never seemed to sleep, glowing with an energy that made her feel, for the first time, like she was truly part of something big.
She turned to the inbuilt wardrobe. It was sleek and modern, saving so much space. She carefully hung her clothes—mostly oversized sweaters and dark trousers—and noticed a stack of plush, neatly folded towels and extra linens tucked to the side.
Grabbing a towel, she headed into the bathroom. She stopped in the doorway, observing the layout. In her flat in Chelsea, and even the house she'd grown up in, the toilet and the bathtub were usually in separate sections or styled differently. Here, it was a modest, efficient "wet room" style with a deep bathtub and a gleaming toilet.
She picked up the provided toothbrush and toothpaste. The packaging was covered in Hangul. While she had studied the language, seeing the technical terms for "fluoride" or "gum care" was different from reading a textbook. She could pick out words like Jo-eun (Good) and some basic brand names, but the symbols still felt like a beautiful, swirling puzzle she was only just beginning to solve.
After a long, hot soak in the tub that eased the tension in her back, she came out and reached for her small vanity bag. She applied her lotions with practiced care, then pulled on a pair of large, baggy joggers and an oversized t-shirt. She climbed into the floral bed, staring up at the ceiling, feeling the silence of the apartment around her.
She checked her phone. No new messages from "friends"—not that she had many, for a young girl of her age she had a completely boring life she never went out or met with new people Her contact list was painfully short: her mother, Sean, Martha, the dry cleaner,some class mate she never spoke to and a few coworkers who only texted when they needed a favor. Her thumb hovered over A.J., her childhood best friend. They had lost touch years ago when A.J.'s family moved to Dubai after his father landed a massive contract. She wondered where he was now, or if he even remembered the shy girl he used to protect,she had only one social media handle but she didn't even use her profile picture cause she was too shy ,she used a picture of the moon ,"""zero friends she only opened the account at first to be able to talk to sean since she was too shy she couldn't ask him directly for his number,so she sent him a friend request but he never accepted it she could only follow him but not send messages , fortunately for her three days later he walked up to her and asked for her number,Lara was overjoyed even though he only asked for her number because of work ,the joy she felt at that moment was irreplaceable,she thought about deleting the account she had opened on intermax but she changed her mind she could save his pictures from there and practically stalk him so it was a win win .
Finally, she tapped on the voice note from her mom.
Her mother's voice exploded through the speaker, breathless and loud with excitement. "Lara! Oh my god, baby, I'm so happy for you!" There was the sound of wind and laughter in the background—Zanzibar. "I can't believe you're finally in Seoul! You've wanted this since you were a little girl. I was so worried about you, always hiding in that office, working yourself to the bone and never going out."
Her mother's tone shifted, becoming softer, laced with that deep, maternal ache. "You've always been so shy, hiding away in those big clothes,I know you went there for work right """But you're in a new world now, Lara. Please, live your life Korea is quite different from London but I know you'd fit in perfectly and also try to find love. Don't just work! ,since London didn't bring the romance maybe Korea will .
Bring a handsome Korean boy home to see me soon, okay? I love you so much!"
Lara sighed and let the phone drop onto the duvet. Her mother miss Adela , she never got remarried after her divorce she had worked so hard as a single parent, sacrificing everything to raise her ,she had quit her job in London and followed Lara's father down to Nigeria only for them to end up being divorced after four years ,when her mom got back to London she couldn't find a job, she had nobody as she was an orphan,most of her friends didn't help except aunt Jane,she was the only one who stood by mom when her world came crashing down ,aunt Jane got a job for mom but she had to work for 9 hours ,it was quite difficult for mom cause she had to work and take care of me eventually after a month she quit her job to focus on me ,she said she didn't have a mom cause she was raised in the orphanage and had nobody she didn't want her daughter to feel the same way she felt and she always wanted to be there for me .
She decided to become a writer and luckily enough for her ,she was talented and the first book she wrote became buzz worthy, and the fact that she was an anonymous writer made people more interested in her works ,I remember her working late at night just to finish a chapter she would look really tired but would always say I find great pleasure in writing and how it makes her forget all her sorrows ,I once asked her why dad couldn't help us and why they were divorced but I got no reply,she just cried throughout that night after that day I never asked or talked about dad he was practically dead to us ,I didn't really miss him much not that I remembered anything about him .
After Lara had graduated from the university,and got a job her mom felt really relieved and proud of her after Lara moved out her mom decided to give life a new try and pursue her dreams of travelling and spending all the money she made on crazy adventures .
She would often call Lara encouraging her to step into the world and that there was nothing to be afraid of and now that her mom was finally traveling and living her best life in Zanzibar, Lara couldn't bring herself to tell her the truth. She couldn't ruin her mother's happiness with news of a tumor and a 365-day countdown.
A boyfriend, she thought bitterly, looking toward the door that led to the rest of the apartment. She thought of Sean—his "princely" aura, the way he had defended her comfort tonight,not just tonight his literally the only thing in her life that isn't boring .
If only life would pity her and give her Sean she would be really grateful .
Lara slowly let out a sigh ******I want to fall in love too ,dear God please pretty please let Sean fall for me just grant me this miracle before I die
"""she muttered and shut her eyes close .