It was the first time stepping into her new studio apartment and Yongsun was excited to say the least. Not only did it mark her first day in the city, it was also the first place she would be able to call her own. In the past, Yongsun had always lived with her family, minus the three years of university she had completed, but even then, she shared rooms with other students. It wasn’t that she was an unsociable person but having to listen to her roommates’ phone conversations or hushed tones that occurred when their friends or boyfriends visited wasn’t the most ideal living situation.

The lack of privacy only got worse when Yongsun had to return to her family home for a year before registering for her master’s degree. Although her father was often working late, her mother never missed a moment that she could be around her youngest daughter. Her elder sister, Yonghee, often visited and their parents always wanted to involve Yongsun in their plans. Their ‘plans’ mostly involved a fancy dinner in a restaurant where the food was too expensive; somewhere her parents could have loud conversations about how proud they were of their doctor daughter. Don’t be mistaken, Yongsun was proud of her sister as well, but knowing that she never lived up to her parent’s expectations of being a miniature version of her perfect older sister could never leave her mind.

After a lot of persuasion to take up a degree in biology or nursing at least, Yongsun put her foot down and agreed that business studies was a respectable subject that could ensure she would be accepted into a high-end company one day. After graduating at the top of her class, Yongsun went against her parents wishes to start working straight away and decided to continue her studies. Needless to say, her parents weren’t happy, and she spent the last year working in several convenience stores to try and earn enough to pay for her next degree. Eventually her parents came around and offered to help where they could, but not until after the application date had well passed, forcing Yongsun to continue her work for a few more months.

The university she chose to attend was a new one to her and she felt that a degree in global marketing would aid her when trying to earn her place in an impressive company. She didn’t really know exactly what role she would be happy in, but she enjoyed the marketing side of business that she had already experienced. She was now a few hours away from her family home, making unwanted visits from her parents less likely, but it also meant that she didn’t know anyone here. As excited as she was, Yongsun couldn’t deny that she was nervous about being alone and hoped that she could make friends with some people on her course in the first few weeks at least.

It was a week until classes began and Yongsun had already read through the pages and pages of suggested reading for the semester. Aside from unpacking the countless number of boxes she seemed to have, the week was left open for exploring the area she now called home. Looking at her phone to see a message from Yonghee wishing her good luck, Yongsun noticed it was getting quite late. Even though she was exhausted, Yongsun wanted to use this opportunity as a fresh start for herself; to take care of herself properly and make sure she was eating and exercising well. After struggling to put her sheets on her double bed, she pulled on her trainers and jogged to the nearest convenience store her phone could find. The street she ended up on was only a few minutes away from her apartment and she found herself enamoured by the large trees lining the streets that were covered in fairy lights. Yongsun promised herself she would visit here again later in the year when the sun went down sooner and the lights would make the street sparkle.

Stepping out of the convenience store with a salad and a few more snacks, she walked slowly back down the street, ready to head home. Sipping on her water, one particular storefront caught her eye. Peering through the window as she walked past, Yongsun could see a bustling little café filled with people gathered together, all turning their attention to a little stage that had been set up. The café looked nicely decorated with dimmed lights to fit the time of day, the storefront lined with fairy lights, too. Deciding to check out the open mic night the café had advertised out the front another time, Yongsun took note of the name of the cafe in her phone before finding her way back to her apartment; ‘The Yellow Flower Café’.

...

“Look after yourself, my Byulyi. Remember I made you lots of banchan; I put plenty in your fridge for you.”

“Yes, omma, thank you. I’ll take care, I promise. Let me know when you get back home, okay?” Byulyi gave her mother a hug before waving her off. Another year, another round of unpacking, thought Byulyi.

Before stepping back into her new apartment, Byulyi looked around the hallway to see if any of her neighbours had moved in yet. It was the same building she had lived in for her undergraduate degree but now she had been moved to one of the upper floors designated for postgraduate students. The halls seemed empty now but it could be guaranteed that the calm atmosphere will have changed by the weekend. The university was known for throwing some of the largest parties in the student area to welcome new and returning students at the beginning of each semester.

As much as Byulyi knew this year was going to be hard work, being a postgrad student had its perks, including the much larger apartment she now called home. The tall girl spent a little while organising boxes and putting away essentials before she heard her phone beep. Deciding she needed a well-earned rest, Byulyi lay down on her new sofa and scrolled through her phone. After replying to a few messages in her course group chat, she pulled up the chat with her best friends, Wheein and Hyejin, and asked them if they were free for afternoon coffee.

Byulyi knew how busy she would be throughout the semester and wanted to spend as much time with her friends as she could before the whirlwind began. This year, Byulyi was studying photography, after three years of believing she wanted to be a computer scientist. She still loved anything and everything tech related, but the girl also fell in love with cameras and capturing photos of the details in life. With her options open, Byulyi didn’t feel ready to settle down into an ‘adult job’ as she called it and wanted to live her youth for at least one more year. Maybe at the end of it she would have built a big enough photography portfolio to start shooting for companies.

Moonstar – Ladies, where are we meeting?

Pupwhee – Hmm… Maybe we could try somewhere new? I’m sure there’s plenty of places opening ready for the new students…

Hwasa – You guys are joking right???????

Moonstar – Haha! Of course we are. I’ll be there in 30.

Hyejin and her friend Seulgi had just opened a café together in the student plaza around the corner. Hyejin, as a business graduate, and Seulgi, as a newly qualified pâtissier, made the perfect team and decided to close a gap in the market for a student friendly café in the area. Hyejin did have some help from her parents to secure the deposit on the place and to keep them afloat for a few months, but the pair were ambitious and couldn’t see the café failing. Honestly, the location in the student plaza was perfect, being surrounded by several blocks of student dorms, and the vibe the café gave off was welcoming and cute.

Byulyi grabbed her things and began to head out, glancing out of her living room window as she left. The street ahead was lined with blossoming trees and strung fairy lights, and Byulyi noticed a blonde girl admiring the decoration. She was grateful to be able to live in such a quaint area that was still bustling with nightlife, if only she was able to live here during the summer. Byulyi spent the summer with her family and really missed going out with her friends.

In past years, although Byulyi was a good student, she never missed a party or a night out. She was well known within her large circle of friends for being a bit of a flirt when she’d had a drink or two, but Byulyi promised herself that this year would be different; she wanted to settle down this year and hopefully find someone to spend cosy nights in with.

Heading downstairs and out of the building, Byulyi noticed it was much later than she thought and the sun was starting to set. She took the short walk to the plaza and saw the blonde girl from earlier coming out of the local convenience store. The girl had her hair tied up in a messy bun and was donning a matching sports bra and leggings. Oblivious to the world, the blonde readjusted her headphones before digging through her shopping bag to reach for a drink. Byulyi couldn’t help but notice how pretty the girl was, even if she was a little red and sweaty from her jog. Feeling embarrassed by how cute the girl looked, Byul looked away before the blonde noticed her staring. Hearing her phone beep pulled her out of her daydream and she hurried off towards her friend’s café, admiring the newly painted sign out front that read ‘The Yellow Flower Café’.