11.11

I took note of the four identical numbers that marked the very bottom of my receipt, indicating that my coffee and croissant cost exactly eleven dollars and eleven cents. I nodded a quick ‘thank you’ to the cashier and stood off to the side in anticipation of my drink. The coffee shop was much less crowded today than usual for a Monday morning, which allowed for less people watching, and forced me to observe the eclectic decor on the walls instead. The walls were scattered with polaroids of famous idols that have visited the shop, along with sticky notes of customers’ doodles.

There was once a time in which I had hoped to have my picture there — a time that I wish to move on from ASAP. For a second, I felt a pang in my stomach, but the moment quickly passed as I caught myself reminiscing, shaking my head in an effort to stop it.

 

Glancing past the wall of polaroids and doodles, I saw an analog clock hanging from the wall of the cafe, observing that the current time was 11:11 am.

 

Angel numbers were not something that I particularly care about in my day-to-day life; however, today, I couldn’t help but notice the series of ones that scattered themselves around me. Perhaps I was thinking too hard about the prospects of my new life, or maybe the universe was sending me a sign of some sort.

Taking out my phone from my bag, I quickly typed “significance of 1111” into Google.

 

When you see 1111 — a time, on a piece of paper, on a license plate, a phone number, on a sign, etc. — the universe is trying to send you a sign. Whether your life is about to change for the better or it's signaling you to take action for a positive outcome, have faith.

 

I let out a deep sigh and briskly shoved my phone back into my tote. Whatever the universe was trying to tell me, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to hear it.

 

“Iced americano and a croissant for Nina?”

 

Upon hearing my name, I grabbed my order from the counter, thanked the barista, and found a secluded table in the cafe. Opening my laptop, I proceeded to click on a tab that was opened on SeoulSearch.com. It was a job-hunting website for Seoul, and it had also become my new favorite pastime.

 

Kindergarten Teacher’s Aid …

GymSpace Receptionist …

Professional Dog Walker …?

 

The jobs that were posted today were not any that I was particularly interested in; in fact, they were getting more hopeless as the days passed. I was atoms close to giving up on finding a stable income and moving back to the States, where I could rot away as the jobless daughter of my household.

 

Closing the job search tab, I proceeded to open up my YouTube channel. I wanted to at least journal my progress for my latest video, a Week of OOTDs in Seoul. My YouTube channel has been a recent venture of mine, only having been one year since the first video, and has been growing at a rapid pace. I have around 100K subscribers and an average view count of 100-150K views per video — numbers that I had only dreamed of just a couple of months before.

 

For my latest video, there was a 10% increase in comments and audience interaction. I swiftly jotted down the new stats, then opened up my channel’s email to see if there were any new pitches/brand deals waiting to be read.

 

JYP ENTERTAINMENT - NINA JEONG - URGENT

 

I just about choked on my croissant when I read the title of the most recent email in my inbox. I felt my stomach knot with anxiety as I realized that my former company of 9 years was sending me an urgent email. I had spent the last year trying to forget JYP Ent.

9 years of my life that I had lost to hopeless dreams that I thought I could chase but never could grasp. Years of friendships that I had to forget as people moved on, and I didn’t. 5 years with a boy that could’ve been but never was. 9 years ended with a 5-minute meeting with the CEO where I was told that all of my efforts were fruitless and that it was time to move on.

I almost thought that I had, at least a little bit, but reading the company’s name flooded me with the same regret and nostalgia that I had spent the past year trying to forget.

With a trembling finger, I brought my cursor to the email and clicked.

 

JYP ENTERTAINMENT - NINA JEONG - URGENT

Greetings, Miss Jeong,

I hope this email finds you well. We miss you dearly at this company.

I am writing to offer you the opportunity for the Jr. Stylist position at JYP Entertainment. We were impressed with your recent growth and experience in the fashion industry and believe that you would be a valuable addition to our team.

As a Jr. Stylist at JYP Entertainment, you will be responsible for creating and coordinating outfits for our artists and their performances, in addition to helping out our Sr. Stylists. This role requires a keen eye for fashion and attention to detail, as well as the ability to work well under pressure and with tight deadlines — one that we know are qualities that you possess.

This position will pay 30,000,000won annually, with additional bonuses and competitive pay.

If you are interested in this position, please respond to this email address by this Friday or as soon as possible.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards,

HR Manager

JYP Entertainment.

 

I let out a shaky breath once I finished processing the details of the email. A stylist at JYP Entertainment … with a stable annual income. Getting a job offer that was this upfront was nearly unheard of; however, since the company was aware of me — perhaps it was normal.

If I took this job offer, would my hard work to forget my past render as obsolete? Or would this help open new horizons for me?

A shut my laptop screen and closed my eyes, trying to organize the million thoughts that were flooding my head. Maybe this was a decision I will have to make in the comfort of my own apartment. With that thought, I briskly packed up my things to leave the cafe. Before leaving, I checked my notifications.

 

11 unread messages. 1 missed call.

 

Great.

 

++++

 

Author's Note: 

 

Hi everyone! It's Exoexoverdose with a new fanfic after how many years now? 5?

I have recently been OBSESSED with Stray Kids and wanted to write a fanfiction for the first time in years. This story idea was originally going to be a novel idea of mine, but I thought to make it into a fanfiction for fun.

I missed you guys and I hope you guys enjoy this new story of mine (for the first time, I have a comprehensive plot all planned out beforehand LMFAO).

 

Xoxo, 

Exoexoverdose