"Your host parents are pretty nice," said Jihae. She was right, and you were very happy to have such nice people taking care of you.
The two of you were in your room. Since you had only been there for a few days, it lacked any sort of indication that it belonged to you, other than your clothes hanging from the closet. "Yeah, you could definitely use some posters in here," Jihae added, "Good thing I've got plenty! Do you want to head over to my place now?"
"Yes," you said, putting away a few things from your bag.
Jihae stood up and went to the door. "Don't forget to bring your homework. I'll meet you outside, I need some fresh air after being cooped up in class all day."
"Okay, I'll be right there."
It was the first time all day that you were finally alone. You took the opportunity to reflect over what had happened since you woke up. The strange and unfamiliar sense you got from being in a new home, a new country, and a new school made you feel like crying, but you held back the tears knowing that you'd be used to it in no time, especially with Jihae around. You looked through your suitcase, feeling suddenly regretful for not bringing a keepsake from home.

You picked up your bag and headed downstairs. Your host parents were sitting in the kitchen, and they smiled at you as you entered. Having seen them earlier with Jihae, they had already asked how school was.
"Your friend Jihae seems really nice," said your host dad.
"Yes, she is," you said with a smile. You were glad that they approved.
"Did you want to bring a couple of snacks over to her house?" asked your host mom.
"No, it's okay. Thank you."
"Would you like us to give you a ride, at least?" she asked.
"Dear, maybe it would be better if she familiarized herself with the public transportation here," her husband said to her. He turned to you. "Take care of yourself, alright? And don't come home too late."
"Don't worry, I won't." You bowed and made your way out the door.

Jihae was standing by the front gate, petting the cat you had told her about earlier.
"This guy's so cute!" she gushed, "What's his name?"
"It's Saja," you giggled. Saja purred as Jihae scratched behind his ears.
"The name really suits him," she said, "but he's not as ferocious as a real lion, are you, little guy?"
Jihae Saja's fur for a few more minutes before the two of you headed off to her place.
"We're taking the subway, since it's quicker. Have you ever ridden one?" Jihae asked.
"Of course. I live in Japan, remember?"
"Oh yeah!"
The two of you laughed at her forgetfulness as you made way toward the city. It had only been half an hour since you left the school grounds, but you wondered if basketball practice was going well for Woohyun and Sangchul. It must be exhausting to play in the sun like this.

As you walked, you took in all the sights of the city. It was incredible! Although you were used to big cities, Seoul had its own spirit. You always dreamt of seeing Seoul one day, and now that you were here, it felt too good to be true. You pinched yourself to check that you weren't dreaming.
I'm definitely awake, you thought.
"We're here," said Jihae as she pointed to the steps leading down to the subway. The two of you descended quickly, not wanting to get stuck behind a crowd. Jihae paid the fares and the two of you hopped on to the subway. No sooner had you got on, you had arrived at your destination. Neither of you said a word until you were both safe and sound on the sidewalk above the station.
"That was quick," you said, realizing that the route you took back in Japan was much longer.
"Yep. We're almost there," Jihae responded. "Oh, did I mention my folks own a convenience store? Yeah, it's small, but I'm thankful it's not a restaurant or else I'd be expected to take over once I graduate. I mean, I love them and all, but I've got dreams too, you know?"
You nodded and tried to picture Jihae working in a restaurant. She fit the waitress role oddly well, but you decided to keep your thoughts to yourself. "What kind of dreams?" you asked.
"Well, that..." Jihae suddenly became quiet as the two of you continued walking. "That's a secret for now. Sorry."
"It's fine," you reassured her, "I didn't mean to impose."
"Nah, you weren't imposing. You're just curious. That's normal," laughed Jihae.

The district the two of you were walking through looked much different from where you were staying. The buildings looked older and more homely, and there were more bicycles than cars from what you could see. The two of you made a left into a street that was too small for cars to fit through. There were banners and shop signs as far as your eyes could see, and it was filled with life as children and passersby made their way through the path.
Street vendors shouted from the sidelines. A few were telling their children to stop running while others attempted to attract customers. A few of the women street vendors greeted you and Jihae. One asked Jihae to give her mother some apples in exchange for flour. Jihae kindly took the bag of apples and continued on her way.
"We like to trade supplies here," she explained to you, "It's much easier than using currency for everything. 'Save that for the people who aren't our neighbors', my mother says."

Finally, the two of you had arrived in front of a small building in the center of the alley. The doors were open, and above it hung a big purple sign that read, 'General Store'.
"Well, we're here," said Jihae. You smiled, wondering what Jihae's parents must be like. You suddenly regretted not bringing over some snacks as your host parents suggested earlier. Jihae motioned for you to follow her, and the two of you walked through the open doors.
"Umma, I'm home," Jihae called toward the woman standing behind the counter. She was a plump woman, and looked to be around the age of forty. She had a round face that kind of resembled Jihae's and rosy cheeks that stood out past her dark, bushy hair.
"Oh, good," the woman responded without looking up, as she was busy counting change, "I need your help. By the way, why are you late?" she asked in a threatening tone, glancing up at the clock. Jihae tried to interrupt her, but to no avail. Her mother continued ranting, "I don't remember you having after-school activities today, did you get deten-" She stopped mid-sentence as she finally noticed you. "Who's this?"
"Umma, this is my new friend. She's from Japan, and she started studying here today."
"Oh, a friend! Why, welcome, welcome to Seoul! How was the trip? Are you hungry? I can-"
"Give her a chance to answer!" interrupted Jihae, "And speak slower, she isn't fluent yet."
"Sorry, sorry. Ah, come here," she moved out from behind the counters and outstretched her arms for a hug. "You can call me Mrs. Song. What may I call you?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you," you said. You introduced yourself with a bow.
"Ah, look at that, she talks so formally!" shouted Jihae's mother, "Jihae, you need to learn from her. When was the last time you even began to--"
"Here," interrupted Jihae as she handed her mother the bag of apples, "Mrs. Heo gave these in exchange for flour." There was slight annoyance on her face as her mother took a moment to register what she was saying.
"What? Didn't I send her flour last week? Ah, no matter, I'm sure it's for a-- Hey! You two, stop running!" Mrs. Song's shout caused you to jump and you looked toward the direction she was shouting at. Two children were running down the aisles with some toys. They giggled as Mrs. Song shook her head and ran up to you and Jihae.
"Hi Jihae," said one of the children, the boy.
"Who's this?" asked the other, the girl. They both looked to be about the age of seven and eight, and they were twins.
"She's a friend from school. We have work to do, so don't bother us, got it?" said Jihae.
"Aww, but we want to play!" whined the girl.
"Leave them alone, they've got homework," snapped Mrs. Song, "Besides, have you two finished your homework? I don't want another call from your teacher, or so help me, I will go down there and-- Where's your sister?"
"I dunno, upstairs?" answered the boy.
Before Mrs. Song could say another word, the twins ran outside of the shop and down the street, toys in hand. Jihae noticed your confused expression and grabbed your wrist.
"Come on, let's go upstairs," she said. "Later, Umma."
"Bye now, study well." Mrs. Song answered.

"Were those your siblings?" you asked as the two of you climbed up the stairs.
"Yeah, Sangki and Sanghee," answered Jihae. "They're twins, so my parents obviously had to give them similar names. I have an older brother, but he moved to Europe, and I have a younger sister who's around here somewhere. She's a real pain in the though, I wouldn't recommend talking to her even if you had the-- Oh, hey Soojin... I was just talking about you!"
You and Jihae had reached the landing and a girl who looked to be about fourteen stood in front of you with her arms crossed. She had shoulder-length black hair and square-framed glasses, which she pushed up as she glared at the two of you.
"Where's my hairbrush?" she asked Jihae with narrowed eyes.
"No idea, did you ask Sanghee? I'm not the only girl who lives here, you know."
"She wouldn't take it because she never brushes her hair."
"Really? I didn't think you did either, but it turns out that's because you've lost your brush."
"I'm telling mom," threatened Soojin as she pushed past you.
"Go ahead," said Jihae not at all bothered, "and while you're down there, ask her for some breath mints too. Pee-yew!"
"Ugh! I hate you!" shouted Soojin from the bottom of the stairs.

You watched with some concern, wondering if this was normal for her and Jihae.
"Forget about her. She goes to the same school as us, but we're practically strangers." Jihae explained. You couldn't help but feel curious as to why the two of them didn't get along. Maybe that's just how some sisters are, you thought.
"Well, here's my room," said Jihae as she pushed open one of the doors in front of the landing. "It's a bit small, but that's because I have to share with Soojin. Whatever you do, don't touch the stuff on the right side of the room," she directed.
Soojin's part of the room liked nice and orderly, but you didn't notice as you were too amazed by all of the band posters on Jihae's side. You had never seen so many pictures of your favorite band in one place! Never minding the fact that her side of the room was a mess compared to Soojin's, you felt right at home.
"These are incredible," you said as you gazed at the pictures.
"Aren't they?" asked Jihae with a grin, "Take your pick."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, of course! You're the only person I know who likes this band, so I don't mind sharing them with you."
"Thank you, Jihae!" You smiled and walked over to the first poster that caught your eye. "This one?"
"What, that one? Are you sure? That's actually my least favorite, got it off of a magazine that my dad ordered. But if you like it, it's yours." She said as she began to peel the tape off of it.
"Yay, thank you, thank you, thank you!" You gave Jihae a hug and she laughed and told you to calm down.
"Now that that's settled... If there aren't any others, we should start on our homework."
"Oh, right," you said, still smiling about your new gift. You set down your backpack and the two of you took out your school books.
Soojin came in and glared at the two of you as she laid on her bed. She had a book in her hands, but you couldn't make out the title on the cover. You cleared your throat and introduced yourself.
"I know who you are," said Soojin.
"Umm, what are you reading?" you asked politely.
"That's none of your business."
"Hey, be nice or I'll kick you out," threatened Jihae.
"You can't kick me out, this is my room too," retorted Soojin.
"I can when we're doing homework."
"Pfft! Since when do you do homework?" laughed Soojin. You caught her eye and she blushed. She got up and sat at her desk, where she then gave her full attention to her book again.
"Soojin's an A+ student," whispered Jihae. "She's always on my case about studying as if she's my dad or something."
Soojin shot a look at the two of you, oblivious as to what Jihae was saying but disturbed nonetheless over the whispering. Jihae cleared and raised her voice back to normal.
"So, English homework first?" she asked.
"Sure," you nodded as you took out some paper.

The three of you studied in silence.