Nouveau départ :: fresh start

origin: french

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Sweat trickles down her forehead as the brunette haired girl drags a large suitcase out of the metro station.

"Excuse me.. sorry.. sorry," she bows apologetically when bumping other people with her carrier. They hiss in annoyance and ignore her, after seeing her struggling to walk in high heels.

"Do you need a ride?" a young taxi driver calls from his side window while eyeing her up and down.

"That's okay, I can manage," she politely declines.

"You look like you could need some help with that, young lady. After all, this is in the middle of nowhere and there are no taxis around,"

"No thanks, I'm fine," she heads up the walkway struggling with her guitar and suitcase, all the while balancing another shoulder bag. She walks with jerky movement, and pausing once in a while to toss her head.

"Phew, Yongsan..dong, it's this way!" she finally found the right road after walking some distance from the subway station.

"Can I give you a hand?" the same taxi driver earlier startles her. Now that he's out of the taxi she noticed that he looks quite young, sporting a reddish brown hair. He also has an easy smile on him and is quite on the tall side.

"Thanks but no thanks, I happen to have the use of all my limbs, and I can take care of myself,"

"Can you perhaps tell me which way is Yongsandong 11-b?" She figures it's better to ask a taxi driver for directions around the unfamiliar place.

"Oh, Woori Villa? That's the two storey house on the right. You just gotta walk straight up this hill," he explains to her.

Her jaw literally dropped as she looks up to the steep slope.

"Are you sure you don't need a ride?" he asks one more time, with a slightly mocking tone.

"Don't you have anything better to do right now? Like work?" she wonders why is he just hanging around the secluded area where there's barely any customer around.

The young man just laughs. "I'm am working, geez. I'm just stopping by this area to get my dose of morning coffee," he points to the café where he stops his car. "Well good luck finding the place. Have a nice day!" he flashes his boyish grin as he whistles happily into the café.

"Oh my goodness," she huffs and puffs while taking baby steps, pushing her suitcase from behind while balancing the guitar case on her back. She had managed to get her guitar and suitcase halfway up the road when she pauses to catch her breath. She could feel perspirations running down her face. Strands of hair were coming loose of the once perfect french braid she woven that morning.

All of a sudden, her guitar begins to slide down. As she reaches to balance it with both hands, she permanently lets go of the suitcase which went tumbling down the steep road. In addition to the loud thumping noise it made as it went careening down, there was a loud snap as the suitcase hit the boulder on the side of the road.

"What on earth.." it only took her a fraction of a second to realize what had happened. She gives out a little yelp as she watches her suitcase fly open and its entire content sprawled all over. Her clothes, makeup, underwears, accessories, books and shoes were strewn across the road, spread out like goods sold in a bazaar. She stood frozen in her spot for what seemed like a long time to stare at the scene of horror.

And then she heard the same voice saying, "Gee, I guess you could have used my help after all." He had witnessed the whole scene, and now he's sipping his ice coffee, wearing a huge grin.

Her response was a cold glare as she leans down to toss her stuff back into the suitcase.

"Uhh, you forgot these," he hands her the lacy piece of item which landed right in front of him.

She could feel herself turning beet red when she grabs the bra out of his hands. She throws everything into the suitcase and closes it tight.

Without any words, the young taxi driver grabs the suitcase away from her and tosses it into his trunk like it weighs nothing.

"This is so humiliating," she curses at herself while walking behind him.

"Get in," he demands and the frustrated girl just swallows her pride and hops into the car. She wipes her sweaty hands on her wrinkled white summer dress, thinking how could her first day in Seoul turn out to be so bad.

::

"Hello, I'm Roseanne Park ChaeYoung," she introduces herself to the 30-something kind looking caretaker of the house.

"I'm Sandara Park, just call me Dara Unnie," she invites her to sit down and offers her a refreshing lime drink. Rosé has been dying of thirst so she gladly accepts the drink, yet remains poise and proper in front of Dara.

Dara observes the young girl studying the interior of the place. She must've not expect to land herself in this 'mansion' when she inquired about the empty room two months ago. The place she saw in the online ad was just like any other rooms offered for students, a 20m² private space with shared kitchen and bathroom. There's even a picture attached so she immediately wrote to the person advertising it. After a month of silence, Dara finally wrote back to her asking for her details, including her CV. Rosé gladly sends them in, as she's desperate for a place before her first semester in Kyungkook University commence.

"Here's your contract, please sign here," Dara takes out the rental agreement.

"Here Unnie!" she signs them and keeps the second copy for herself.

"Welcome to Woori Villa. Here are your room keys," Dara shakes her hands and Rose bows to her politely.

"Thank you." What Rosé badly wants right now is a long shower and perhaps quick nap before unpacking. Her aching feet could use a good soak in a bucket of cold water. She walks up to her room at the corner of the second floor without high expectation, knowing this room is just going to be as big as her bedroom she shared with her sister back in Australia.

She drops her belongings on the floor the moment she enters the big room. It looks 5 times bigger than what was posted online and she has her own walk in closet, and a personal bathroom. This doesn't look like a student's dorm, it's a freaking hotel suite! She wonders if she perhaps walked into the owners' room by mistake so she drags her things out.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Dara looks at Rosé's confused face.

"Is this really my new place?"

"Well yes! This is all yours."

"But there must be a mistake, I'm just a student I can't afford this."

"You can't? But you signed the contract?" Dara still has the paper in her hands and shows them to her.

"Yea, uh... So i'm only paying 300K won(~260$) monthly rent? Well.. that's kinda.. cheap?"

"Yes my dear, isn't that what I wrote in the ad?"

"I know hotel suites like this cost the same, but per night!"

"Tone it down please, what's all this ruckus?" a beautiful young woman with flawless fair skin walks out of her room towards Rosé.

"You must be the new girl. I'm Jennie Kim," she exudes a chic city girl aura that makes Rosé feels so intimidated. She accepts her handshake with trembling hands.

"Roseanne Park Chae Young," she introduces herself.

"There's no catch so don't worry about it," Jennie speaks, as if knowing what kind of thoughts are going through Chaeyoung's mind right now.

"I'm heading out, see you later," Jennie picks out the pair of black killer heels from the shoe closet and rushes out of the house.

"She's one of your housemates and she's the sweetest. I'm sure you'll get along well."

"Is she some kind of celebrity? She's really pretty." Rosé still catches a hint of Jennie's perfume lingering in the air.

"Hahaha! She's a student just like you. But a senior,"

"Ah.. I see. Well I'm sorry for the confusion. So you're saying this is where I'll be staying?"

Dara just nods at her. "Just remember to keep the place clean as it is. The house owner would appreciate that. Welcome to your new home!."

"Thanks Unnie."

::

"Good morning, ma'am. Where shall I take you today?"

"Drop it will you? To Lotte mall please."

"Okie dokie ma'am. Here's a cup of double shot ice Americano, on me."

"Aww you're the sweetest, Kim Tae Hyung," she playfully pinches his cheeks before he could dodge.

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