Three
Ironic BindA ray of morning light went through the only window of the room, stirring a young lady in her early 20s from her deep sleep. With her eyes still shut from being sleepy, her right hand searched for her smartphone beside her pillow. She briefly pressed the power button to look at the screen. “11th March 2014, 7:55 AM,” the screen read. She still felt sleepy but decided to get up anyway. Groggily, she got up from a lying position and sat up on her single bed, taking in the appearance of her room.
Her bed was placed at the corner of the room. A few steps towards her right was a study desk that was facing the window of the room. There were around five thick reference books placed on the left side of the study desk, all of which centred around Mathematics and Computer terminologies. The study desk was also filled with two medium-sized picture frames. One of them was a studio photo of a pair of parents, a young boy – around 3-years-old - and a baby girl who slept soundly in her mum’s embrace. Another picture showed a small, gleeful family, consisting of a pair of grandparents, a man in his late thirties, a boy in his late teen, and a young girl in her mid-teens. All of them were wearing the traditional hanbok outfit. The rest of the pictures were hung on a mini-board in front of the desk, mainly showing a girl going through middle school and high school, and pictured with different circles of friends.
Towards the left of the study desk was a medium-sized bookcase. The case was barely filled with books at the moment, so she decorated it with a few small pots with fake flowers that she got from a previous part-time job. Three steps towards the left of the bookcase was her wardrobe, where her clothes were either neatly folded in compartments or hanged on rails. The wardrobe also housed a few of her casual handbags. A large, dustless suitcase was placed to the left of the wardrobe. It was obvious that it was recently used. A full-body mirror was set between the bookcase and the wardrobe.
A few steps towards the right of the bed was the bedroom door. A small, wooden plate was hung on the middle part of the door, displaying a name: Shin Hyun Ae.
Hyun Ae was currently living in a student apartment, in a suburban area of the country. The apartment was a single-occupant apartment, which meant that only she was living in the unit.
Yawning, Hyun Ae took her smartphone with her, formed steps towards the door, opened it, and walked straight ahead into another room. The room had an L-shaped kitchen counter. One column of the kitchen counter housed a sink, a washing machine, a drying rack, a small kettle, and a rice cooker. There were a few empty spaces on the column where she made use of it for a station to cut ingredients, and also for a place to put dry food ingredients. The other column of the kitchen counter largely consisted of a stove-with-oven. The column was also fitted with a kitchen cupboard with a few doors, where she placed the cooking utensils, mugs, plates, and other tableware. Towards the right of the kitchen cupboard was a single-door refrigerator.
The opposite of the L-shaped kitchen counter was a small dining table with four chairs. There was a mini radio on the dining table. The kitchen also housed a three-seater couch and an ironing board. The apartment unit had no proper living room – the living room was in the same space as the kitchen.
To begin her day, Hyun Ae washed her hands and face at the kitchen sink before putting her shoulder-length hair into a loose bun. She switched on the mini radio to catch some morning news. She then made her way to the refrigerator, brought out a few ingredients that she had prepared the night before, and then she was ready to make her breakfast.
It took her around half an hour before she set her meal on the dining table: a bowl of fried rice, a few side dishes, and a cup of hot chocolate.
As she made herself comfortable in her seat, she rang up a number for a video call. In a few seconds, the call was answered, but Hyun Ae’s phone screen was pitch-black, showing that the other side was hiding their face.
Hyun Ae frowned and clicked her tongue. “Yah, Shin Hyun Woo!”
The other side’s phone camera was uncovered eventually, and it revealed a young man, who looked not so much older than Hyun Ae. He was seen lying on his stomach on a bed. By the time the phone screen showed his face, he put his hand to cover his mouth, cackling. It was obvious that he was trying to annoy Hyun Ae with his actions.
Hyun Ae simply rolled her eyes at her older brother’s acts, refusing to exchange acts of bantering with him that morning.
“I’m having fried rice today,” told Hyun Ae.
“For what? Breakfast?” Hyun Woo asked while letting out a huge yawn. “That’s unusual of you to have a heavy breakfast. It’s only 8:30 AM at your place,” Hyun Woo remarked while rubbing his disheveled hair.
Hyun Ae could tell that she was calling when her brother was resting, but she had to drop in a call anyway because it was Hyun Woo’s off-day, which meant that they could have a longer conversation than the previous days.
“Yeah,” Hyun Ae replied to Hyun Woo’s question, “I’m having a long day today, that’s why I need a heavy breakfast.”
Hyun Woo frowned, crinkling his nose in the process. “What, does that mean you’re not having lunch later?” he asked. He was aware of Hyun Ae’s diet plan that she would not have heavy meals twice in a row. If she is having rice at breakfast, she would only have a light lunch that day. Knowing Hyun Ae, she usually chose to have a heavy lunch, not vice versa.
“I have a few gimbap prepared already, so I can have them in between my classes,” Hyun Ae assured her older brother, aware that the male was just concerned that she would skip meals in the midst of her classes. “Where’s Dad by the way?”
“Resting, maybe. Wait, I’ll get him.” Hyun Woo gruntled as he got up from his lying position. “Dad!”
As Hyun Ae shoved some kimchi into , she watched Hyun Woo bringing his phone and walking around his own house. Hyun Woo eventually reached their Dad’s room, where Dad was sitting on his floor mattress, looking over some receipt papers.
At the sight of their Dad, Hyun Ae squealed with aegyo, “Appa~!”
“My daughter!” Dad exclaimed affectionately as he reached out for Hyun Woo’s phone. “How are you doing? What are you having?”
Hyun Woo could be seen comfortably lying down on their Dad’s mattress, resuming his resting mode, but he made sure he was still within the video call’s frame.
At her Dad’s question, Hyun Ae smiled sheepishly, lifted her bowl, and showed her breakfast to Dad. Dad, though already wearing a pair of glasses, squinted his eyes and tried to look at the bowl.
Hyun Ae explained anyway, “It’s fried rice, Appa. With some banchan as well.” She lifted her phone and showed the side dishes that accompanied the fried rice.
Dad nodded proudly. He was impressed at his daughter’s ability to cope with herself: providing herself some meals, and doing house chores aside from her new life commitments.
It might be due to the fact that she grew up without a mother.
Hyun Woo and Hyun Ae’s mother had passed away when Hyun Ae was two years old. Since then, Hyun Woo and Hyun Ae’s Dad raised them together with their paternal grandparents. When Hyun Ae entered middle school, Dad accepted a better job offer that was based in New Zealand. Since Hyun Woo and Hyun Ae were still in high school and middle school respectively, and it was also deemed better that they finished their school in South Korea, Dad left them in their grandparents’ care. Even so, he made sure that his children never felt his absence. He would make video calls daily and would come back to South Korea once in a while, especially during holidays. After Hyun Woo graduated from university in South Korea, he chose to be with his Dad in New Zealand, and now both of them were working on a business venture in the country.
“How’s your university so far? Are you coping well?” Dad asked.
It had been two weeks since Hyun Ae entered university. Both Dad and Hyun Woo had suggested that Hyun Ae should move into a student apartment that was within the university’s accessible area. Mainly because a student apartment was easier to manage due to its small space. They also made sure that it was a suitable place for a single woman to live in with favourable facilities.
Dad also asked if Hyun Ae had received her monthly allowances that were sent from him and if they were enough for her rental and other needs. Hyun Ae assured him by saying that they were enough and she still had some cash left from the previous months. Plus, she was planning to do a part-time job during summer break in a few months. Hyun Woo would chime in at times, sending concerned reminders that Hyun Ae should not starve herself, now that she was living alone.
The video call stretched from Hyun Ae having breakfast to her doing the dishes. After a long chit-chat with Dad, the phone was passed to Hyun Woo, where Hyun Woo left their Dad alone in his room. Before ending the video call, Hyun Woo reminded Hyun Ae to ensure that she had locked the windows, switched off the stove, locked the main door, and put the house keys into her bag before she left the house. Hyun Ae could be forgetful at times, so it was natural for him to give Hyun Ae such reminders.
After the phone call with her Dad and older brother ended, Hyun Ae headed towards the bathroom that was located on the other side of the apartment unit. She took a shower and got ready for university. Since she was going to have a long day that day, she chose a comfortable outfit: a navy blue blouse, a pair of black jeans, and a pair of brown flats. She had considered going out without a cardigan, which was her usual final touch on her everyday wear. She was then reminded that it was still windy at the time of the year, so she opted for a beige, long cardigan. She could make use of it when she went home later in the evening.
At 10:15 AM, after making sure that she had left her house in proper condition, she went to the bus stop that was near her neighbourhood. She would fondly greet her apartment neighbours whenever she stumbled into them. In less than ten minutes of walking, she reached the bus stop. She looked at the digital board of the bus stop and took note that the bus that she was waiting for was approaching in ten minutes. The bus stop was relatively vacant as it was not a peak time for commuting. She took a place on the provided bench and took out a small, blue notebook from her tote bag.
In the notebook, she had jotted down what she needed to do that day. Beginning from the time that she would reach the university to the time when she would tuck into sleep later at night. She knew far too well that she could forget some things along the line, especially during a long day, hence she came up with a routine to contain her forgetful nature. Actually, she could make use of the digital to-do list on her smartphone, but Hyun Ae preferred jotting them down on her notebook because she remembered better that way. She also made it a habit to keep her daily life as routine as possible.
The bus that she was waiting for arrived on time. She came on board, tapped her bus card on the fare checker, and headed to the middle-row seat of the bus. It was the seat that she always chose on a relatively vacant bus. At that time, the only seats that were occupied were some seats in the back rows. After making herself comfortable on her seat, she habitually took out a bottle of lotion from her tote bag, applied some lotion on her hands. Soon after, her eyes stayed focused on her phone to catch some trending news on social media.
She was deeply engrossed with her smartphone that she did not notice that the bus had made a few stops and at one point. There was an elderly woman in her 70s who slowly boarded the bus and approached her seat.
The elderly fondly called out to her, “Agashi...”
Hyun Ae looked up from her phone screen when she heard the voice that addressed her as ‘Miss’. It was a voice that she was familiar with. Her eyes met an elderly, whom she had grown fond of ever since Hyun Ae made daily commutes on the bus. She cheerily welcomed the elderly, scooted over the window seat next to her, making some room so that the older woman could sit beside her. Hyun Ae deemed that it was rude if she kept looking at her phone when the elderly woman was around, so she put the phone back into her tote bag, and have a hushed conversation with her, not wanting to disturb other commuters. Hyun Ae always treated the elderly with respect, just like how she would treat her own grandparents. In fact, the older woman also fondly reminded Hyun Ae of Grandma. Talking to her was as if she was conversing with Grandma.
Despite having a conversation, Hyun Ae made sure that she did not miss the bus stop that she would alight at. Thankfully, the elderly woman also alighted at the same stop. As the bus approached the bus stop, Hyun Ae pressed the ‘stop’ button and helped her companion to stand up and approach the exit door. Soon after alighting the bus, she parted ways with the elderly, because the latter needed to hail a taxi to get to her home.
“Please have a safe journey home, halmeoni,” Hyun Ae said to her elder companion, to which the latter responded by giving a warm smile.
Hyun Ae headed in the opposite direction, towards her university. She could feel a vibration from her phone in her bag. She searched for it. It took her a while because apparently, it was beneath a lot of things in her bag. By the time she took it out, she glanced at her phone screen and read that it was a text from her coursemate, Soojung. Two texts actually, but Hyun Ae missed the first one.
“Hyun Ae-yah, are you at the uni already?” The first text read.
“I need help ^,^” I forgot to bring my library card, but there are books that I need for my assignment due next week. Can I borrow your library card if you bring it with you?”
Hyun Ae was about to type her response that she was on her way to the university, when a male figure intercepted her steps, making her stop in her tracks.
Hyun Ae, utterly confused, blinked twice at the male. She took in the appearance of the man who suddenly stood in front of her. He was a bit taller than her, making it obvious that he was on the shorter side of heights. He was possibly around her age as well, and it was not impossible that he was a fellow university student. His thick, jet-black hair was semi-tousled and his front fringes covered his forehead and reached his eyes. Hyun Ae noticed that his eyes wander anywhere but on her.
He seemed harmless, but Hyun Ae kept her guard up anyway. ‘What does this guy want-’
Her thoughts were cut short when the young man held out both his hand to Hyun Ae. “I’m sorry, you dropped this...” the man said, letting his small voice trail off while his eyes stayed trained on the asphalt of the pedestrian road.
Hyun Ae’s eyes fell on the item that was held by the young man and gasped. It was her small, blue notebook!
“Oh my God. Thank you so much! It’s my university notes,” she thanked the young man as she took the book with both her hands, returning the man’s polite gesture who had also given the book to her with two hands.
“No bother. Please be careful next time,” he replied while giving a small smile at Hyun Ae.
“Oh yes, I have to! This is really important. I could have lost it if it wasn’t for you.” Hyun Ae relieved a sigh of relief, but she could not help but mentally blame herself. If she had really lost the notebook, it would be difficult for her. The notebook was almost like a personal assistant to her.
Her phone rang, and the screen showed Soojung’s name. Hyun Ae had to excuse herself. “Thank you again. Sorry for the trouble! I’m sorry I have to go now.” She bowed slightly as she walked away.
The young man returned the bow.
Hyun Ae averted her gaze to her ringing smartphone, before promptly sliding her thumb on the screen to answer Soojung’s call. “Soojung-ah. I’m on my way. Do you still need the library card?”
As she formed long strides towards her university, Hyun Ae did not realize that the young man was still standing at the spot of their encounter. He kept his gaze on her retrieving back — his eyes looking rather solemnly. He stayed standing for a few more minutes before he moved, briefly looked around the area, and headed to his own destination.
*****
[29.10.2021]
I just finished looking at the previous chapters and made a few additions and changes. I'm having a brief hiatus soon, but I'll try my best to post at least a chapter before November ends.
I just finished looking at the previous chapters and made a few additions and changes. I'm having a brief hiatus soon, but I'll try my best to post at least a chapter before November ends.
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