Chapter 1

Sitting in a train leading me from Anguk station to Jongno-3ga station I look out at the window at the passing scenery. I can’t help but to wonder what led me to this place. Why am I here?

It has been three months since my parents shipped me to this place. Ai came here with no family, no friends, and no hope. I left everything behind when I left South Africa; everything including what remained of my little heart.

Every day here since the move has been the same; my body and mind working on automatic as the days pass and my life fades away like the light of dark as the darkness overtakes it.

I have been overtaken, taken over, by a never ending darkness. Some may call it depression, but I simply know it to be my life.

All mornings are filled with the same ritual; I get up at 6am and take a long shower- yes, the only joy in my mundane life so I tend to indulge- before picking out a clean uniform and getting myself ready for school. I like play music as I perform each task, it helps me to set the mood for the day and so by the time I’m done getting ready- bag packed and all- it’s already 07:10am. That gives me just enough time to head to the kitchen and grab some fruit off the bowl on the counter before I hurry my way to the subway station and board the 07:15 train to school. It’s a five minute ride to my destination and a five minute walk to school from Jongna-3ga station. I reach the school’s front gate exactly five minutes before the first bell goes off and stroll my way to my first class. As I walk past the numerous buzzing groups of students- occasionally getting a wave from the left and a smile from the right- I can’t help but to think just how much I hate school.

School to, to me, has always been nothing more than the constant droning of annoying teachers who speak at us instead of to us; their postures slack and their voices uninterested as they would much rather be off someplace else instead of stuck in a classroom teaching class after class of ungrateful pupils who’ve learned to block out their voices anyway. But what choice do I have other than to attend? This is my final year before I have to go to Varsity and study to become a successful “whatever”

That’s the thing that irks me the most about this whole arrangement. My parents don’t even know what they want me to study to become, so long as I’m successful and rich, that’s all that counts. Forget what I want to do with the rest of my life- it’s not like my opinion every counted anyway- that has never mattered to my parents.

“So what if I want to be a Fine Artist?”

“The better path is architecture so that’s what you’ll do!”

“WHAT?! You want to be a fashion designer? What a useless job. It’s not even a career; to spend the rest of your life sitting behind a sewing machine and earning cents trying to compete with the likes of China and their rapid production of ty clothes! It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you say. Just do as we tell you and apply for Multimedia at the University of Johannesburg. I hear advertising and animation are careers that pay big if you go to the right country.”

I remember all the arguments I’ve had with my dad over the last year about what to do after I matriculate- well I guess they couldn’t even wait for that considering the fact that they sent me here

My dad could never understand anything outside of money. Sometimes I wonder how mom ever fell for him because all he ever cared about was how much a person makes and how little effort it takes to make that money. It seems kind of impossible that my parents married for love. But they did, which kind of gives me hope for my own future, however bleak it may appear.

But I suppose it all makes sense in a way. As opposite as my parents may be, they always seem to agree on all the things that make my like a living hell, which is why, as I step into the door of my first class, I can’t help but curse them internally for sending me here against my will.

***

Hey :)

Finally got to writing for this fic so I'll be updating again tomorrow.

Just an intro to our female main lead for now.

Our male main lead will be introduced in the next chapt.

Please leave me a comment at the bottom

Thanks for reading :)