★ another interview ★
I Know You
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iseul P.O.V.
"Yeah, well, you know what? I never wanted to apply for this job anyway! Especially in this crappy , run-down building filled with a bunch of ill-mannered bastards! Tch."
I walk out the revolving glass doors and harshly stomp away as I curse under my breath, feeling people back in the building stare at me as I exit. I mean, it's not my fault I got mad. What kind of person tries to physically yet violently handle an innocent old lady? Haven't you ever heard of personal space? All she wanted to do was to meet someone, she probably even had an appointment or something- she even asked so nicely! Good thing I stopped that stupid of a security guard. God, I can't believe people these days-
Oh wait.
Now I have to look for another job. Again.
Darn.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Yup, that's me. Park Iseul. Long, dark brown hair, brown eyes, nothing special really. Except for the fact that I’ve just failed yet another job interview. So far I've... almost passed about 5 interviews but failed the second cut for those, and failed about...30?31? other job interviews. Yeah, I know. That's a lot (You’d be surprised to know just how many possible jobs there are in one city). But I have got to get a job. How else am I gonna survive in this world? I can't depend on my friend’s and parent’s money forever. My back slumps as I make my way over to the convenience store over on Bucheon Street*. I feel my phone vibrate and pull it out of my jacket pocket. I take a look on the screen.
bestie ♡
010-82-xxx-xxx
Pick up End
It was my best friend, Jiho, who I’ve known since grade school. I pick up the call and hold my phone up to my ears.
"So did you make it? How was the interview? Oh god I hope this one went well-"
"Jiho.", I said silently.
"-I mean, well, you've failed at least like a billion interviews because most of them ended up with you beating up some employees, or like that CEO last time, or you know, at least someone-"
"Jiho.." I say a bit more sternly, but I don't think she heard me over herself talking about all the different kinds of interviews I’ve failed in the past (which had no business being brought up again for they were dark times, pretty much a forbidden topic).
"-and one of them actually ended up in the hospital, but anyway-"
"Jiho! I get it ok!" I sigh loudly and she shuts up. The other line stays quiet for a while.
"You... failed it again, didn't you."
Bingo.
"......."
"Seriously?! Oh my god..Iseul, who did you punch this time?" I could already picture her banging her head against the table serveral times. I don’t blame her though, I want nothing more right now than to find a window, jump out of it, and run away somewhere random like the Czech Republic and give up life just to live my life as a hermit.
"Hey hey hey, I actually didn't punch someone this time!" I argue, but end up hearing more silence on the other line.
"...You kicked a guy employee in the balls didn't you."
...How the hell does she know me so well? I guess that’s what you get for having a friend of 11 years. She sighs again as I stay silent.
"Iseul, I know you love ‘justice’ and whatnot, but I'm going to have to be honest with you." At the same time, I get to the convenience store, open the door, and walk in, making my way to the cup ramen section.
"Iseul," I pick out a mild Jin Ramen and pay for it at the counter. "The world wants justice as well, but you know what? There’s nothing being done. Therefore your acts of kindness kinda zero up to to nothing. Plus you just really at anger management skills."
I make my way to the boiling water section of the store and start making my ramen. "Seriously? Couldn't you have used another word other than ' '? " I put in the soup base, close the lid while grabbing some wooden chopsticks, then make my way to the eating booth in the store. "There are plenty of words that mean ‘not being good at something’, and you just had to choose the words ' '? Wow thanks for preserving my dignity and integrity. And just so you know, even small differences can make a change."
"Yeah yeah, sure. Sorry, but right now you just seriously at it. Terrible at it. Horrible. It’s the truth, and you need to accept it."
Harsh. But, to be honest, she's actually 200% right. I handle situations in the most… not so peaceful way.
I sigh, “I know..."
"Are you eating ramen at the convenience store again?" Damn. She knows me really well. Too well.
"Yeah. How did you know?"
"Oh please, you do that everytime you fail a job interview. Need I remind you? Remember when you failed your...what was it, the 9th one I think? You went to the convenience store, ate tons of ramen, then threw up because of ‘no hope and despair’ you called it, although it was most likely because you ate about 6 cup ramens that day... then there was that time you-"
"Pssshhh...whaaAAT? No, no! Besides, I haven't failed all my....” I think for a second, “Well… yeah okay nevermind...”
"Aha, see? Even you admit it yourself!"
I open my cup ramen and stir the heavenly-smelling noodles.
"Shut up..." I mutter, blowing some of the ramen I picked up, then putting it in my mouth. Oh god, I needed this.
"See Iseul, this is why you always fail these job interviews.." And there she goes again just lecturing me, running off. Blocking out her voice, I eat my ramen and lazily look around the store.
Ding, ding.
I hear the bells of the door to the store open. A guy wearing a dark navy blue hoodie with the hood over his head walks in. He has a black mouth-muffle face mask, like what idols wear. He had on dark sunglasses and carried an expensive looking backpack and wallet. Not to mention he was wearing sneakers of a brand that I’ve seen that sells shoes at an unspeakable price. Geez, this guy is practically asking for everyone to stare at him. It’s almost as if he doesn’t even want to breathe the same air everyone else is breathing. Plus it’s like 21°C (about 70°F) out here! Shouldn’t he be sweating waterfalls? Tsk,tsk, tsk.
“...And the next thing you know you’re a hobo living on the streets chewing on cardboard and piCKING PENNIES AND GUM OFF OF THE STREETS!” a voice from my phone shrieks.
Oh yeah, I forgot about her.
“Yeah yeah yeah, I’m hanging up now, see ya later homie.”
“Oh no don’t you dare hang up on-”
Beep.
I end the call and continue to eat my ramen. After about a minute, I fall into one of my weird blank states where I start randomly asking myself why we’re all humans and why we breathe and live on planet earth, and how one day we’re not gonna exist anymore - you know, shower thoughts… just not in the shower. Hey, a person can think beyond the limit, no? (We all have those thoughts anyway.)
I mean there’s gotta be at least one person out there that has thought of the same thing before.
“I’ll take this ramen and this ice cream, thanks.”
I freeze, holding my chopsticks mid-air as it was almost going into my mouth. I know that voice. I’ve heard it a billion times in person, on T.V, on camera, on my phone, on youtube, on the radio.
Oh frick. Oh no no no please don’t tell me-
“That’ll be ₩5,000* sir.”
“Here you go. Keep the change.”
My eyes widen 100x more than they already were. I knew this voice from the bottom of my heart. I couldn’t forget it, no matter how hard I tried to. No matter how many times I changed the channel or radio station, no matter how many times I refused to go to one of their concerts, no matter how many times I’ve tried to forget the past, forget him.
I still can’t forget it. No matter how hard I try.
“Thank you, have a good day sir,”
“No problem, thank you. You too.”
Step, step, step.
Oh no, I hear the footsteps coming exactly to the booth where I’m sitting. I couldn’t even run because of the distance between us and the fact that I’d look like a complete idiot. I swear, he better not sit next to-
“Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?”
.
Are you serious? There are a billion other seats ( by a billion I mean like 4 other seats, BUT STILL) besides the one next to me!
Before I can even look up to his face I stuff down all my noodles at once in my mouth and chug all of my water (What? I bought the ramen so I might as well finish it. Can’t be wasting food here!). I could just imagine his surprised look because of the sight of me hogging down all of my food so suddenly. I quickly nod, indicating that no one was sitting here and take my trash to throw it away.
“Wait, you-”
I sprint out of the store before he can even finish what he’s saying, making sure to cover my face with my hair. I was probably seen as rude, but I don’t care right now in this situation.
No way in hell am I going back to my past.
???’s P.O.V.
“Left your wallet…”
And there she goes. What was up with her? Did I do something weird? I know I didn’t say anything weird, I barely said 3 things to her. I wonder if she was a foreigner or something...nah she looked Korean. But what if she was from another country and whatever I did was offensive or something-
I sigh. I’m doing it again. Thinking the most strange and random stuff to a situation in which it makes the situation make even LESS sense. I always seem to do this for some reason. Maybe this is why the boys say I’m, “too innocent and naive”. Eh, whatever. The real problem is, how am I gonna get this back to her? Maybe I should open it and see if there’s an I.D in here or something, I mean, no way I can just open her wallet, it’s hers. But then again, I need to give it back to her.
I open the wallet and take out her driver’s license, hoping to get some information about her in order to get this back to her. Seunghwan hyung might be a little mad, but I’m human, I know what it’s like to get stuff physically taken away from you - harshly. I look back at her license.
Seoul 10-657xxx-xx
박이슬 / Iseul Park
010-96-xxx-xxx
2014.10.26 / 2015.04.25
DOB: 1990.06.19
Hmm, nothing. No address, no anything. I wonder if the store owner-
Holy motHER OF JESUS. Is this - but - oh my god.
I look at the picture of her face one more time.
Oh .
iseul P.O.V.
After running a good distance, I finally stop and catch my breath. At the same time I can feel my phone vibrating again.
And of course, it’s Jiho.
“Why did you hang up on me?! Explanations now!”
“Someone’s a little needy…” I mutter.
“..What did you just say punk.”
“Nothing! Nothing. But I need to tell you something…”, I pant harshly in between. “I think I just met him.” I emphasize how I say ‘him’ so she could understand what I was trying to imply.
“Him? Girl you need to be more specif….wait. No. NO. Seriously?”
“Yeah…”
“Did he see you? Did you guys talk? Oh my god did he call the police on you? WAIT WHAT IF HE CALLED THE OTHERS SO THEY COULD SUE YOU OR SOMETHING AND YOU WOULD GO TO COURT AND YOU’D GO TO JAIL FOR LIKE 80 YEARS AND ALL THEY GAVE YOU IS A SPOON TO PLAY WITH AND CHEEZ-ITS FOR MEALS-”
“Jiho. I was a sasaeng, not a murderer.”
Yup, that's me. Park Iseul. Long, dark brown hair, brown eyes, nothing special really.
Except for the fact that I used to be a sasaeng.
Hey guys! Long time no see, eh? Wow, its actually been years since I've actually uploaded something. My life has been whirlwind for the past few years, so I'm uploading now the chapter I wrote but never got to upload. I actually wrote this chapter and foreword back in my freshman year of highschool (2014) and as you can see by the date the foreword was uploaded, I just decided to post it in 2017 since you know, high school just got a hold of my life. It's 2018 now and I'm actually going to be attending my first year of college this August! It's actually crazy lol not going to lie looking back at this I'm kind of cringing at my writing from when I was a freshman. Anyways, I'm super nervous and excited, and I'm wishing good luck to everyone else starting school in August/September :-).
Sorry for being so late, but thank you to anyone who've come back to read this. Love you all!
illustrationals.
Bucheon Street* - lol i literally made this street up
₩5,000* - this is basically 5 US dollars
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