I wrote in my diary before heading to bed: "Mr. Mingh... you are a beautiful dream. I hope I never wake up!"
I lay there, staring at the ceiling, drowning in my thoughts, until the sharp ping of a notification broke the silence.
Mingh: "Save my number. It's Mingh."
S: "Oh, alright."
Mingh: "You still haven't told me where you're from."
S: "Maybe I'm from right here. Why do you assume I'm not?"
Mingh: "Your features... they aren't Korean. You have these wide, round eyes. We don't really see eyes like those here."
S: "Maybe I'm just a rare gem!"
Mingh: "I'm being serious now. Tell me, where did those beautiful eyes come from?"
S: "Heh. Can you stop now, Mr. Romantic?"
Mingh: "Tell me, and I'll stop."
S: "Have you heard of Egypt? That's where I'm from."
Mingh: "Ah! The land of the Pyramids!"
S: "Haha, the Pyramids? Yes, I'm from there."
Mingh: "What's so funny?"
S: "Nothing."
Mingh: "Anyway, what time do you start work?"
S: "6:00 AM."
Mingh: "That's far too early. Get some rest now. We'll talk tomorrow."
S: "Alright. You too."
Mingh: "Goodbye. Sweet dreams."
I'm sure you all know what's happening, right? Your friend S is officially falling in love. It was 1:00 AM. I'd only get four or five hours of sleep, but for Mr. Mingh, it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. I'll bid you all goodnight now as I sink into a deep sleep.
It felt like I only blinked for a second before I was back at it—lacing up my shoes and sprinting down the stairs to catch the bus. Isn't my life just hilarious?
As I ran through the streets, I was met with a sea of unfamiliar faces. Of course, I'm just as unfamiliar to them, but to them, I'm just one stranger. To me, they are an entire ocean of foreignness, compounded by the background noise of a language I'm still mastering.
Thank God, I arrived five minutes early. I walked through the mall, stepping onto those glittering marble floors. It felt like walking on glass rather than tiles—can you imagine that without thinking I'm exaggerating?
Mr. Akane was waiting, probably expecting me to be late again. I could bet he had a barrage of insults ready for me. But hah! Not today, Mr. Akane. I'm pulling the rug out from under your feet; I won't give you a single excuse to scold me.
I bowed politely. "Hello, Mr. Akane. I hope you have a wonderful day."
He remained silent for a moment, then brushed past me without a word. But I didn't let it get to me. I had Mingh now. Why would I care about a response from the wretched Akane? Then I saw Mika. She was smirking—the fakest, most "yellow" smile I've ever seen. You foolish snake. How I'd love to hit your head with Thor's hammer.
Should I greet her or ignore her? What do you think?
Whatever, I'll be the bigger person.
"Hello, Mika. I hope you have a nice day."
Mika: "You have work in the warehouse. You'd better spend your time finishing that instead."
S: "Fine, Mika. I won't bother greeting you again. And about that work... aren't you supposed to be helping me?"
Mika: "Whether I work or not is none of your business. Do you understand?"
"No," I snapped back, "I don't understand."
I marched toward the warehouse in a huff. It was claustrophobic and filled with dust, but I'd take the dust over Mika's serpentine face any day. That girl isn't human; she's a snake in disguise.
While I was in the warehouse, I heard a familiar voice. Guess who showed up again today? It was Mingh. I rushed out of the warehouse, and Mika's face went pale—instantly. I found out later why she looked so horrified; Mingh had been asking where I was, and she had just told him I was absent today. Right at the moment I stepped out of the shadows. Busted!
Mingh locked eyes with me and said, "I want to exchange the piece I bought yesterday."
S: "Yes, certainly."
Honestly, I don't think he came to exchange anything. It was just an excuse to see me again. Isn't that sweet?
Our silence was broken by his friend, Mr. Do-ki, who said excitedly, "Look! They have baby clothes in this section too!"
I couldn't help myself. I burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. We don't have baby clothes in our section; he was looking through the glass at the section on the first floor!
Everyone stared at me in confusion, and I couldn't stop laughing for a long time.
After finishing work for the day, I chose to walk home instead of taking the bus. I'm drawn to the dimly lit streets and the cold evening breeze that brushes against my face and plays with my hair.
A message from Mingh arrived while I was on my way back. He asked to meet tomorrow, away from my workplace, so we could talk more freely. He suggested I visit him at his workplace so he could introduce me to his friends too.
Tell me... should I go or not?