CHAPTER 12:

2 months later (September).

Mina was drinking her coffee in the cafeteria she went so many months ago with Sunmi, with a book in her left hand she started reading yesterday, while enjoying the soft music in the background. There weren’t many customers in the shop it was 9:00 o’clock in the morning so who could be there this early and especially on a Saturday morning. Mina, on the other hand couldn’t help herself, after waking up in her queen sized bed she felt energized for the first time after a long time, so she decided to grab the book “Sunday’s at Tiffany’s” she started reading last night and go eat her breakfast outside. It was a nice idea, it helped her mind to stay occupied and that was really what she needed right now.

After Mina left their apartment she went to a small hotel and the next day she started looking for a small apartment to rent. After many hours of looking together with Jihye she finally found a really nice small house. It had a big living room together with the kitchen and a separate room that became her bedroom and of course it had another room that was the bathroom. They decorated it together, by placing two sofas on the living room next to the wall laid a  small TV and of course the coffee table that rested o front of the sofas. Mina also bought many pillows; she needed something to hug now that she was living alone. The walls were decorated with paintings that Jihye had found interesting and Mina had agreed with her. For the bedroom she settled with a queen size bed, a lot of pillows and a wardrobe. In less than four days Mina moved in. She celebrated that with her two friends Jihye and Sunmi and that day she got drunk, she just wanted to get over Mark.

She started having hobbies and interests just because she needed to forget Mark. He was on her mind all the time, every time she looked on the phone she had to suppress the need to call him and hear his voice. Every time she saw the clock she knew what was Mark doing and 99% she was in. She felt empty, but at the same time she felt a bit free and like this kind of felt wrong but she couldn’t stop thinking that it felt right too. It was something in between.

The first few days Mina felt terrible. It wasn’t only the fact that she missed him it was the fact that she couldn’t stop thinking about them, their memories, their fights, their everything. She felt empty without them.

After a couple of weeks separated she started taking on hobbies just because she needed to take her mind off of him. She started Yoga. It was a nice way to keep her mind calm and collected. It was a good way to athlete too, so why not? She started reading more and more books and she liked that. She had many shelves in the house so why not fill them with books. She read everything from action to mystery and horror; she decided to not read romantic books because she didn’t want to be reminded of Mark. She also read a lot of English books. It was nice, she could learn more about the language she was teaching and she could recommend the books to others. She started going for walks and she even bought a dog. It was a small white furry dog which she called Coco. He really loved her and she loved it too. It was just tiny and cute and it had everything she needed.

Companion and love

So after 2 months she could say that she didn’t think about Mark as much as she used too. A lot of things reminded her of him and many times she had hallucinations of his face, but she had never seen or heard of him in those 2 months. She didn’t ask neither Jackson nor Jihye about him and they never mentioned him. She never went to their gatherings when Mark was there, because she felt like she was going to cry. He was still a sensitive subject.

What was more on her mind lately were this past week’s events.

The principal of the school gathered all of them inside the teacher’s room to announce something important as he said as soon as he walked in with his signature smiley face.

Everyone looked at him with great interest and confusion.

“I received a phone call yesterday from one of the most prestigious schools in the world. It was Manchester’s high school in England and they asked for a teacher from our school. A position reopened there and it is a great opportunity to whoever is chosen.” He said with his booming voice. All of the teachers gasped.

Mina looked at him with a blank expression. She didn’t try to be rude but it was not like they were going to ask for an English teacher in an English school. They probably needed a chemistry or math teacher as always, but she stayed to listen nonetheless.

“Well.” The principal started once more. “The position is about an English- Korean class.” He said and looked at Mina with a proud smile. “I sent them the biographies of our schools top English teachers and they made their choice.” He said with a proud voice.

“Mina? How would you like a semester in England?” He asked once more.

Mina gasped.

How? That was impossible.

The principal looked at her with a serious face that said don’t you dare reject it and dirty our school’s name.

Mina opened but soon closed it. How could she leave? Yes she didn’t have Mark to bind her here, but still her friends and family was here, how was she going to leave?

“I-I” She tried to say, the principal cut her off.

“You have the whole weekend to think about it. They want your answer on Monday.” He said with a strict voice.

Mina nodded her head.

“Yes I understand sir.” Mina said with a serious voice.

“Return to your classes everyone the meeting is over.” The principal said and turned around ready to leave.

Everyone went to Mina to congratulate her; the principal stopped on his tracks and turned around once more.

“Mina choose wisely.” The principal said with a small smile.

Mina smiled. “Yes sir I will.” She said and then turned her attention to the happy ‘congratulations’ she heard from her colleagues.

Soon a figure sat in front of her, snapping her out of her thoughts. She raised her head from her book only to see Jihye in front of her with the happiest expression she could have ever seen to a person. She was practically glowing.

Mina smiled back.

“Good morning!!” She said with a smile and she stood up to