"How much longer ajoshi?"

It was the first day of my life outside of my hometown of Ulsan. Sitting in this cab on my way to Busan, the nerves started kicking in. I was able to afford my first year on University since ajumma was generous enough to pay off half of my tuition fees.

"We're almost there, Miss; 5 minutes max."

Looking out of the cab window, I silently cursed at myself for deciding to go start a new life rather than visit my eomma for the last time.

5 years earlier
September 9th, 2010

“Hyeon... There's something I need you to understand."

My ajumma's eyes were bloodshot red and tears were quietly streaming down her face.

"Ajumma, why hasn't eomma come to pick me up yet?"

"Hyeon, honey... Eomma... your eomma is with appa now."

With appa? That doesn't make sense. Appa’s in heav-- "Eomma’s dead?" I said slowly, enunciating the two words clearly, making sure I had them right.

"I'm so sorry sweetie. She's committed suicide."

"We're here, Miss."

I quickly snap back to reality, wiping away the tiny tears that formed in the corner of my eyes.

"Thank you." I handed the driver fifty thousand won as he removed my bags from the trunk.

I grabbed my bags and dragged them to the front of the building. Looking up, I saw Pusan National University written on the front of it.

"This must be it," I whispered to myself. Hesitantly, I pushed open the front doors and walked up to the front desk, where I found a girl twirling her hair between her fingers as the guy in front of her tried to talk her up.

Awkward.

I cleared my throat as loudly as I could.

"Erhm... Excuse me. I'm here to pick up my room key."

The girl turned her head towards me and gave me a glare. She rolled her eyes at him and turned to me with a smile.

"Sorry about that. What's your name?" She asked me as she pulled out a box of keys.

"Eun Hyeon."

Scrummaging through the box of keys, she finally dug out one from the bottom.

"Here we go. Eun Hyeon -- room 208. I'm Jia by the way; Dorm Monitor," she gave a huge grin, "My room is right down the hall from yours if you need anything.

The boy she was with, was twiddling his thumbs glaring at me, looking very impatient.

"So where are you from? What a