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 Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2015 11:28 pm
September 26, 2015 (Back dating it a bit, to talk like a Pirate day.) The smell of wet paint was not one which Seung could say he was fond of; in fact it was very strong and bothersome, but even with his window open the smell had not dispersed enough that he wanted to even be in the apartment. It wasn’t just his room though so it was no wonder the smell hadn’t left the apartment enough that he was comfortable being inside. His sister had gotten her room painted as well; his cousins’ room would be painted tomorrow along with his parents’ room.
Not being able to handle the smell a moment longer he’d pulled on a hoodie, an mp3 player stuffed into the front right pocket of it, and the ear buds went into his pierced ears as he headed out giving a quick be back soon to his parents as he hurried out. He was planning on just taking a walk, wait till he figured the smell would be less of a nuisance, but as he walked he found himself exiting the area they’d moved into and walking into an area that was different, the buildings were different and more of them were stores and eateries. It wasn’t a bad thing he thought as he noted he was a bit hungry, something he hadn’t felt when he’d left the apartment before. Deciding to try and find something he could get, though he really wasn’t sure what sort of American foods he’d like, he did debate pulling his cell phone from his back pocket and calling home to see if anyone wanted him to order food for them. He only decided against it as he assumed they would be hungry and equally unsure what to get for food as he was presently.
Biting down on the left side of his bottom lip, something he did delicately, he found himself in front of a store that smelled wonderful, sweet, and he noticed the signs in front about…pirates? That wasn’t a word he knew. But he had money, as he kept his wallet on him nearly all the time, so when he stepped inside he paused to observe what they sold and watch the people order. He couldn’t read the boards above, and behind, the cashiers but he got the gist of what was sold. He’d never had a donut but he had heard of and seen them. Deciding a treat was a good idea, he’d think about dinner once he had something in his stomach, he was surprised when someone went up to the cashier dressed…as a pirate and started to talk like those characters in that popular movie franchise. While he didn’t know the word pirate, at least in English, he did know what one was in his own language or in dress as he stood observing things. He took note of the transaction and the lack of money being passed from customer to cashier and finally decided to find out if he could do the same, or something similar.
Stepping into line he waited as three more people went up and left with their non-purchases, each one having spoken like a pirate and none of them dressed up. Though each one only got one donut. So it seemed that perhaps just talking would get one whilst dressing up, and talking? got you a lot more. Being that he had nothing in his closet that was a pirate’s outfit nor would even remotely come close to being considered one he’d settle for one donut for himself. Maybe once he had dinner purchased he’d come back and purchase a few of these for his family, if he liked them and thought they would.
When he finally got up to the cashier, nervous as he was, he managed to try his hand at this. “Ahoy!” That was right, right? That was what he’d heard when he’d watched the movie in English, before he’s figured out that he’d gotten an English version of the movie and had to repurchase it. What next though? Taking a moment to think he finally decided to throw caution to the wind, knowing that even if he got the words right he’d still butcher and mangle the English language because this wasn’t how people spoke English now so it wasn’t something he would have learned in school.
“What is a land lubber like you doing this day?” Ok, so he was trying and he knew his accent was heavy, the girl seemed to have a slight issue with it perhaps? Deciding to try and speak clearer, which wasn’t an easy task, he slowed his speech and tried to pronounce everything.
As she answered him, that she was workin’ the deck he nodded. “A beauty like you, workin’ the deck.” He had a good idea of that at least, a simple sentence and close enough to the proper English he’d been learning in school and university.
“A beauty like you should be off pillaging, not workin’ the deck. Pillaging and drinkin’. But, if you’re gonna work get me one of them treats there and I’ll be on me way.” Oh he did hope it had worked, he had a feeling if any of his English teachers heard him now they’d be shouting at him and giving him more work to do. But it seemed he’d done well enough and said enough to earn a smile, some giggles, and a donut in a bag before being motioned to move so the next person could come up and try their luck. The one behind him he noted was also dressed as a pirate…and one which seemed to lack a lot of clothing despite the cool weather. Nodding once to the cashier, who was till giggling a bit, he headed out with his treat and happy to remove it from the bag, or at least part of it so he didn’t make a mess, and take the first bite of the sweet pastry – and it was sweet. It was good and he thought his sister and cousin might like them, he’d be back before returning home. He just hoped they had some left by then, because finding dinner might take some time. Word count: 1,028
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2015 2:17 am
September 26, 2015 Destiny City had a Korea town and within those few blocks of shops and restaurants, apartments, and other sorts of establishments was a restaurant that Seung had discovered yesterday while roaming the area. It wasn’t that there weren’t many other restaurants in the area – there were. But this one stood out in that it somehow reminded him of home. He couldn’t put his finger on it but he supposed maybe in part it was the name being something that some of these places didn’t have, as some others had names he supposed would appeal to American’s, cliché sorts of names. This place also seemed to attract a lot of people, which was a good thing as a crowd of people was nice to be around when nearly all of them spoke the same language as you – you didn’t feel like such an outsider. This was a little slice of home and he felt comforted by it. The restaurant was called Song Juk Heon.
Stepping inside the smells were the first thing to assault him and the next was a waitress in his face talking in quick Korean asking what he wanted, she wasn’t even waiting for him to take his shoes off and put them into the cubby. Rather than make her wait, which would be rude, he placed his order for shabu shabu, which he knew would come with plenty of side dishes, and asked for a bottle of soju to go with it. His order placed, and the waitress gone, he was able to remove his shoes and slide them into an open slot in the cubby before stepping up from the entrance and heading toward a table.
Finding himself seated soon after he had his drink, and glass, brought out quickly and a bow and a thank you to his waitress and he poured himself the first drink of the evening. He wasn’t planning to get drunk, or even buzzed, it wasn’t something he planned on doing in a new country where his English skills needed some improvement. It could end in him getting lost or who knows what else, this city certainly wasn’t as safe as he wished it was. At least he felt at home though as he pulled out the small chop stick case he had and pulled out his own personal metal chop sticks, a pair that was extendable, and once they were extended he set them down in their holder and waited for his dinner to show up. As he waited he lifted the small glass to his lips and knocked back the first drink before filling the glass again, this one he’d sip slowly.
He still needed to take his family here, perhaps something he could treat them too once he got a job? That was something he had been working on today – finding a job. With his moderate skills with the native tongue he was figuring on getting a job here in the Korean community because at least it would be one less worry; after all how many Americans came here? He’d seen only a handful in the few hours he’d been wandering around talking to people as he perused a job. So far he was thinking of a job at one of the few clothing stores here or one of the convince stores all of which sold goods from Korea. There was also the small-ish grocery store that catered to goods from Korea that were needed to cook your own meals. They all weren’t what he would have done back home but here they were viable options and one of them would likely wind up where he worked, he just needed to fill out all the paper applications and turn them in tomorrow once he’d filled them out at home tonight. The applications were all tucked into his old school bag which he’d brought with him just for the purpose of carrying the applications once he got them. The owners all seemed nice and friendly – more than happy to welcome him to Destiny City and the community, a few even expressed a wish to meet his family and welcome them as well.
Brought out of his thoughts as his food arrived he again thanked his waitress before tucking into his meal. The first slice of beef was picked up with his chop sticks before being dipped into the broth and swirled around as the meat cooked quickly. Adding some vegetables to the broth and going for another piece of meat he ate some of both and went than for a sip of soju before going back to his food. He already knew he was going to be stuffed by the end of the meal, and feel like some overstuffed cat in need of a nap. It was one thing he did dislike about eating on his own – feeling like he needed a lay down after a meal because he was that stuffed. But he also knew it would be impolite of him not to finish everything, even though some people did understand such a thing. Maybe he could find a bus that would drop him off near his apartment building? Or a taxi perhaps, it would be better than walking when he felt so full.
It was much later and Seung was stuffed – overstuffed. He had ordered the meal sized for one person and he was still feeling like an over fed cat as he walked out of the place, his shoes back on and laced. Flipping his hair with a toss of his head he glanced about hoping to find a cab as there was no way he was walking home – nope, not happening. When he finally saw one which appeared to be empty, and it was just turning onto the street, he held up a hand and kept to standing at the edge of the curb in order to gain the drivers attention. Once the cab had stopped he got in and giving his address he let the driver do his thing, ignoring the meter as he was willing to pay whatever the price came to be, and focused on how warm and comfortable he felt, even if he did feel rather pudgy due to his dinner. He was defiantly bringing his family here and soon, the food was just like at home. Word count: 1,056
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2015 8:05 pm
September 26, 2015 (Back dating it a bit, to September 18th.) Father had brought the news home a month ago – they were moving. They weren’t just moving to another district in Seoul or to another area of Korea. They weren’t even staying in the same part of the world. They were moving to the United States, to a place called Destiny City. He had looked into it, researched it, and told his friends. There had been tears and many other things shed, and not just by himself or his family but by friends also. He’d packed, spent a month packing things and doing shopping for things he felt would be needed and impossible to find once they reached Destiny City.
A months worth of packing and buying new clothing and various products had come to an end the morning of September 16th when there things were sent on ahead of them. Boxes of clothing, grooming products, food products, furniture and other things were taken in a truck and loaded onto a plane where it would be moved by an already hired moving company to drop everything off at a storage unit where it would be picked up by them when they arrived a few days later. He’d had some things still with him, things which would come with him onto the plane, when the morning of September 19th arrived bright and early and the rush around the nearly empty home ended with a quick trip for breakfast at a small restaurant close to home before they’d left for the airport and their flight.
The taxi ride to the airport, two taxi’s being used, had Seung comforting his younger cousin and little sister while in the other taxi were his mother and father following behind them. With one girls head on either of his shoulders he kept turning his head from one to the other to nuzzle the tops of their dark heads, kissing temples, and whispering words of comfort to the two nervous girls. He too was nervous, perhaps even a bit scared, but he was keeping himself together for the sake of the girls. He had to keep himself calm in order to help both of them and they had it worse, as far as he was concerned, both of them had to enter into high school which would be harder than where he’d be going for schooling when they arrived and settled in. He also didn’t worry as much about his English skills as they were, even though he was by no means perfect with his own skills.
When one taxi and followed by the next pulled to the curb in front of the terminal and the door opened that was when it finally hit him – this was goodbye. They were really leaving Korea and moving to another country. This past month he’d done his research, looked at virtual tours of apartments, bought lots of things to bring with them, shipped his stuff off, but nothing about the month had been normal. There had been no sense of this is the last time I’ll do or see this. There hadn’t been that finality, even this morning. Breakfast was never taken out so there hadn’t been that last breakfast around the table. But now as he climbed out of the taxi’s back seat, joining his sister on the sidewalk outside of the terminal, he felt it so suddenly it was enough to take his breath away for a moment and choke him up with emotions. Swallowing around the lump in his throat, trying to calm himself before he started to shake or in some other way show what he was feeling, he held out a hand to his cousin to help her from the taxi. Oh god…they really were going to be leaving. Would they ever return? Would he ever come back? Surely they could come back for holidays to see their other family members – right? Biting down on the left corner of his lower lip, gently, he swallowed again and looked up skyward and blinked a few times to keep himself from tearing up as the emotions were overwhelming. He hadn’t been able to think of all this till now, it hadn’t seemed real till now. He knew it was real, that they were going to be moving, in his head but it hadn’t…set in until now. Nothing had seemed like a goodbye, like a final moment. It didn’t seem like it was real as things had gone on somewhat like normal, just more shopping and packing and such but they hadn’t done anything “special” nothing that was like a closure to their lives here. He knew if he brought it up he couldn’t find the proper words to say what he felt, to put into words why it was only now that it hit him, but that didn’t make it any less true. Standing here on the sidewalk, his luggage being removed from the trunk of the taxi, he felt unsure and adrift with what for a future ahead of them? A dangerous city and unknown people and an unknown culture facing them, so many unknowns. He wanted to turn and apologize to his parents before climbing into the taxi, dragging his things in with him, and demand to go back home. He wanted to return to the comforts of home, of the people and places he knew and had grown up around, but he couldn’t and so he remained rooted to the spot he stood in even as his parents joined him and the girls.
He didn’t know when but at some point he’d pulled out his little mp3 player and stuck the ear buds into his ears before hitting play. He only realized this was he was nudged by his cousin who was staring up at him with concern shining in her dark eyes. Shaking his head, hoping she’d get the message and not question him, he moved to take hold of his luggage and head past the sliding doors with the rest of his family.
The whole time spent waiting to board the plane was spent in sort of a haze of music, movements, gestures, and words he couldn’t remember and was pretty sure he didn’t even hear himself speaking. He just felt…lost and numb as he waited in line, finally, to board the plane which would take them to Destiny City and to…some sort of new destiny; for those who believed in such a thing. As the songs changed on his mp3 player, to Shinee’s Lucifer, and humming to the song he handed over his passport and ticket
Once on the plane he needed some help in locating his seat but once it was found he was making himself comfortable, with the small carry on he had going under his feet once a pillow was removed from it’s confines, as he pressed the pillow between his seat and the window he was seated right next to. His headset still in he smiled to his cousin who was seated next to him. In the middle row was his mother, father, and sister who sat between their parents. Shifting to get comfortable he settled in finally with his head set still in his ears and let his eyes close as he pulled the hood up on his hoodie. He was dressed in ripped up tight, low cut, jeans and a hoodie for comfort and because he had been feeling a bit lazy this morning when he’d been getting dressed. He hadn’t wanted to really go all out on what he was wearing, even though he knew he wouldn’t have the opportunity to change into something more fashionable it hadn’t fully struck him till sometime in the taxi.
Settled in he ignored the information being given over the intercom, he knew most of as it was obvious stuff that you heard in movies all the time. The in-flight movie he knew he’d sleep through and ignore but he turned to his cousin after a moment. “Wake me when they come with food or drinks.” He was hoping the food would be good, something warm and filling, so he would have a full stomach when they arrived in Destiny City as there would be much to do when they arrived. As his cousin nodded he flashed a smile before breaking out into a yawn, which was half forced, and settled in for a long flight; he’d read that it would be fourteen and a half hours.
Snuggling into his hoodie and against his pillow, right into the crease where seat met wall, he let himself drift off to the noise of people still boarding, talking, babies and children, and the familiar sounds of people speaking Korean and the less familiar sounds of people speaking English.
It wasn’t till a few hours later that dark eyes fluttered open, a yawn parted lower and upper jaw, and his slender form stretched in his seat before relaxing. His cousin sat at his side innocently enough, even though he’d felt her poking him in the ribs, and his attention went from her to the isles where he spotted carts and attendants who were talking about food and drinks. he had asked her to wake him when food came and she had, it seemed she’d been awake for a while if the movie she was watching was anything to go by. “Good movie?” He questioned and watched her nod her head, eyes shining with some form of enjoyment, and felt a smile tug at his own lips before he was once again yawning. Smiling softly he lay his head back into his pillow while tilting his head up to look at the attendant coming their way with the food cart. His dark eyes falling to half mast as he shifted and got comfortable he whispered to his cousin. “Pick something good for us both, I’m not picky. I just want something warm.” Or hot but he didn’t say that, she knew what he meant. He didn’t want some cold or raw sort of food.
Hearing his cousin ask for the biminbop for him he smiled and sat up when the food was held out to him, quickly unfolding the folding table in front of him, he took the meal with a bow and a thank you given before setting the food one the table and ordering peach flavored water. When his drink was handed over he was again bowing his head, thanking the attendant, and once she had dealt with his cousin he went to eating with the small wooden chopsticks provided while sipping at the bottled drink. The food was good, not as good as what he was used to but it wasn't bad, but it wasn’t as much as he’d have liked and soon it was gone and the food tray and little dishes of side dishes gathered. His bottle was slipped into the bounce hanging off the back of the seat in front of him, a nice convenient holder, and he was back to curling up to sleep.
When he woke up, for the last time, it was because they were landing and should start getting ready to get off the plane. he’d already been woken for a second meal, a snack, and he’d woken to use the restroom more than once, something he hadn’t wanted to do after thee first time. Now though when he woke he had to buckle back up, something he’d left undone after his first bathroom trip.
Buckled in he took his earbuds out so he could better hear the female voice speaking over the intercom, a voice in Korean and then the same words in English, and waiting for it to land. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling but he did have to yawn a few times when his ears popped but otherwise the landing was easy and the moment they were told they could remove the seat belts his was off and he was on his feet and stretching. Bending to grab his bag he let his hoodie fall back and slipped out around his cousin in order to block the aisle so she could get up and out in front of him. Seeing his father doing the same he let his mother and sister out ahead of him as well as his father. Taking up the rear the group made their way toward the exit and soon enough they were headed off the plane and headed down the hall and toward the terminal and the carousel to pick up their luggage that had been in the belly of the plane the whole way here. Almost fifteen hours in the air and how long to get to the airport and now how long to get to their apartment? When would the day end and he could crash? Not even when they arrived because he and his father had to pick up the moving truck they’d rented and load it up with beds and a few other basic needs, which had arrived days ago (as confirmed by his father), from the storage unit and bring them to the new apartment and get them inside.
As he was headed toward the carousel where their luggage should be making an appearance he pulled his cell phone from his bag, and also stuffed his pillow back into the bag. With his cell phone in hand, bag on the ground between his legs, he unlocked his phone and went about altering its time zone. With the change done he noted that was no longer September 19th but it was September 18th and sometime in the afternoon. Well, he’d have to get used to this though it might not be so hard. Flipping his hair, fingers running over the right side where his hair was buzzed short, he went to wait for his and his family's luggage and was soon joined by the rest of his family.
When he spied the first bag, his mother's, he took it off the carousel and that was soon followed by his sisters bag and then his father's. His and his cousins bags took longer to make an appearance but once they had been grabbed they were off and outside to find a taxi, or two, to take them to the new apartment where they’d now be living. The drive there, pressed to a window, was spent with his eyes staring up at the city all around them. it was so different from back home, less people it seemed and the stores and language - it was all different...and all wrong.
When the taxi stopped and went into park it surprised him, he hadn’t expected it, and looked around to the two girls with him. “Looks like we’re home.” As his cousin opened the door he slid out last and stood watching their parents taxi come to a stop and his parents to make their exit. The building was as it had been on the website, nothing special but thankfully nothing derelict looking. It was a gray color and tall, perhaps fifteen stories, their apartment was on the tenth floor. With an elevator, rather than just a walk up, Seung wasn’t too upset by the place. It wasn’t in a bad looking area and the building did look nice, though it looked like it was going to start raining soon enough. Pointing this fact out to his sister and cousin he helped the two girls inside the building and to the elevator, all of them wheeling their luggage with them, while his parents paid the taxi drivers and followed along behind them after some moments. The elevator was taken together as a group up to their floor, the keys were received from their father as soon as he got into the building and approached a desk where some security person was.
His father was the first out of the elevator followed by his mother and than himself, his sister and his cousin stepping out seemingly at the same time, the walk down the hall was silent as they all didn’t want to attract attention to themselves as they moved down the hall checking door numbers till his father stopped in front of a door and put the key to use as he unlocked the door and swung it open slowly. This was it...a new life and nowhere back to go, no home to return to, no steps backward to be taken. Following his father and mother inside he took a deep, slow, breath as he passed the doorway and entered into the apartment. This was it.Word count: 2,761
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 4:05 pm
September 27, 2015 (Back dating it a bit, to talk like a Pirate day.) The day before he and his father had brought the beds and other needs from the storage unit to the apartment, they weren’t going to bring more than what was needed till after the rooms were painted as it would be less to move and cover. So far he only had his mattress and his clothing, all in boxes, but it was all in the living room now as his room was the first to be painted. A ladder had been purchased from the home improvement store, Home Depot, as well as paint for his room and the girls’ room. His parents also had paint cans for their room. Once those were done everyone could properly move into their bedrooms and than they could move onto the living room, kitchen and the small dining room they had as well as the bathroom. It was best to get their personal rooms done first so they could be properly moved into and the apartment could start to feel like home.
The paint he’d picked for his own room was a gray color, it wasn’t anything too dark nor was it too light, it was a color by Behr called nypd. He liked the color as it was calming and it was also better than the white wall color he’d had back home, this was his own choice and something he liked. He’d offered to paint his room on his own, let his parents help the girls, but it seemed his sister and cousin wished to help him and his parents had thus decided to do his cousins room.
When they’d arrived home, paint cans, brushes, rollers, trays and plastic tarps in hand they had set up in his room while his parents went to set up in his cousins’ room. The tarps went down to cover his floor and trays were set down while he used a screw driver they’d bought, the outlet plates had to be removed in order to paint, to open the paint cans and set about filling three of the trays with some of the paint from the first and second cans that he’d bought. He had four cans of paint for his room just in case it was needed for even coverage; he didn’t want the color to come out uneven in any places.
The painting had been going normal until he slipped on the plastic that was down and to catch his balance, or try to, he stepped into a tray of paint covering the bottom of his foot in paint. That left him leaving a single foot print wherever he walked, and slipping than sticking to the plastic, as his cousin and sister giggled and laughed the whole time. His sister didn’t know when or how but at some point she got paint on her hand and hadn’t realized it. When his sister pushed cousin, EunKyung, got paint on her shirt thankfully it was a cheap shirt that she was ok with having messed up, but it had EunKyung deciding to hit her younger cousin in the back with her roller and leave a trail of gray paint up the other girls back. Watching the two he shook his head and laughed – wrong move.
It was the wrong move because both ganged up on Seung and had the elder on his back, on the plastic, with paint spattering his shirt, a hand print on his face, and a few drops of paint in his hair. Finally when it was over, at least for now, he was able to stop laughing and climb his way to his feet and set back to working with the girls who were also messier due to him fighting back.
It wasn’t until they got to the ceiling that they again fell into hysterics as paint dripped from the ceiling and landed on hair and clothing as well as skin, making Seung look like he had gray tears falling from his eyes – how fitting. It was at some point that Seung had sunken to his knees, arms curled about his stomach, as he laughed at the sight of his baby sister. Laughing and shaking he didn’t manage to pull himself together for nearly ten minutes. His sister hadn’t noticed the drips of paint which went down the back of her black shirt in a pattern resembling a skunk but he and his cousin had and had been teasing his sister about it. The fun ended only when his parents came in to check up on the children and found them spattered, streaked, and rolled in paint. Once they’d pulled themselves together, under his parents very stern gazes, the job was soon after completed and Seung was rushing for the bathroom intent on stealing a shower first – he needed to be clean! It wasn’t just that he needed to be clean but he couldn’t stay in the apartment much longer. He’d been ignoring it, to the best of his ability, as they’d been painting but the smell was so strong and when his door was opened and the room to his sisters room was open the smell was just made worse.
The shower was quick-ish, once he’d found his bathing products in one of his boxes, he’d had to wash his hair and scrub himself clean as well as apply some product to his face before he got himself ready to leave. There was only the mirror in the bathroom to work with so he had to keep his sister and cousin from getting into the bathroom a bit longer, they were still trying to decide who’d get in first, when he stepped out and ruffled both girls hair and off he went to find dinner – they hadn’t eaten yet and he suspected everyone would be hungry.
Grabbing his phone, slipping it into his back pocket, he headed for the door out of the apartment and just as he opened the door he called out to his parents that he was going out. His wallet was also in his back pocket, the one not containing his phone, as he headed off to try and find food for everyone, maybe something to remind them of home? Word count: 1,033
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Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 12:47 am
September 30, 2015 (Back dating it a bit, to the day after talk like a Pirate day.) The smell was no longer filling his room and tainting the rest of the apartment, it was a small reprieve as the paint smell would soon again fill the house. The next few days would in fact be filled with the smell of paint with small interludes between it, where paint was drying and rooms aired out and unpacking could be done. As his things, everything he owned, had arrived earlier via the moving truck his father had rented Seung was taking the time now to organize his room.
Curtains already hung up and drawn, keeping the sun out, as he walked about his room as he tried to picture how he wanted it in his head. Finally figuring on where he wanted his bed it got pushed and turned, slowly, till the headboard was resting against the wall to the left of his window. Next to the bed when a small bedside table and that was followed by his mattress being pushed and tumbled into place in the wooden structure that was meant to contain his bed. He had never been much for traditional sleeping – on the floor.
The bookshelf he had was moved to the right side of the door into his room. Pressing it into place he went to open one of the many boxes in his room, this one containing books. Manga and books were housed on the shelves of the book case; he’d properly organize them all later. It was next to his bookcase that he put his desk and set up the lamp on it and his computer which had also been boxed. A laptop was pulled from its box and set on his bedside table as he went about rummaging in each box, seeing what each contained, till he found his bedding and once he’d found the dark blue and black colored bedding he went to making his bed. Everything had been washed before it had been packed and shipped so it was clean, a quick sniff proving as much.
He had a small flat screen which he’d mount later, with help from his father, so that found itself left in its box for safety. What he started to unpack next was his clothing which went into his closet. Shirts to the front, long sleeve first and going back to short sleeves and sleeveless, than came coats of various lengths, colors and materials. There was a lower bar, meant for pants, that found itself soon housing many hangers laden with pants of various colors and styles though there was a distinct favoritism for darker color pants.
With his closet sorted out he went to the dresser in his room, the only thing he hadn’t moved someplace else as it was placed perfectly next to his closet door. Opening draws he started to pile his neatly folded clothing inside it. One draw for socks, one for bed clothing, another for underwear, and the rest remained empty for now. Closing the draws he finally figured it was time to decorate his room, though he didn’t care for the term decorating really as it sounded a bit girly and more involved than this was sure to be.
Breaking down the boxes which were empty, in order to give himself space to walk about his bedroom, he finally had an idea as he grabbed his spare bedding and into a bottom draw of his dresser it went. He needed somewhere to put it and he didn’t want to put his bedding in the hallway closet and aid in stuffing that full of things, as he was sure others would do just that. That box broken he turned his attention to the others and slowly started to put his room together.
A lamp on his bedside table, he didn’t need anything else there. His writing desk for pens, pencils, a holder for them all, and other such items that were relevant to doing homework and studying. A stack of notebooks neatly sat in the center, ready to be taken to school with him when he started.
His dresser however was where framed photos went. Pictures of friends and family, his grandparents on both sides, but it was the last framed picture which meant the most. It had been taken in class while on break. Seated in another students lap was Seung. Both wore their dark blue, nearly black, uniforms and were smiling at the camera. The person whose lap Seung was sitting in was seated sideways at his desk so he could fit a person on his lap – like Seung. Arms about the others neck the younger Seung was smiling gently at the camera while flashing a ‘v’ sign. His friend was holding him and smiling at the camera also. Classmates were in the background going about their business. The two were happy and it was before one died and the other moved – a world away. Swallowing as his finger tips gently touched the glass covering for the precious picture he set the frame down with great care. It had a center spot as it stood dividing the pictures of family and those of friends. It had been taken shortly before the others death and he often would try and see if he could tell that the other had been nervous, depressed – anything. Never did he find anything which could have warned him, anything he could have stopped. He knew it wasn’t his fault – he’d been told that enough times. But there was always that question…that doubt and he knew it would always be there, at least to some small extent.
<”Did you ever once know that I thought of you as more than a friend…?”> The words where whispered before he shook his head and finished the last of his unpacking. He had a stand set up that he put his dvd collection into. His mp3 player got set down on his bedside table after a few moments of pondering over where to put it, since it wasn’t exactly a decoration. Shoes were lined up at the bottom of his closet and he was done – finally.
Running his fingers through his hair he wondered how long he had till the painting resumed in the apartment. Deciding to find out, before he was subjected to the smells again, he poked his head out of his room and called out to whoever would answer. Not waiting long, he didn’t have to, he was ducking back into his room and going for a hoodie and heading out of his room and out of the apartment, letting his parents know on his way out – he couldn’t handle the smell again. He was going out for dinner and he’d bring something home, so text him when they were done so he could get them food. Word count: 1,133
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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:31 pm
October 19, 2015 (Back dating it a bit, to the 15th.) Why was it a hard thing to find? He didn’t know why but he’d been searching all day on his phone for a fabric store and it had taken over an hour to locate one which actually had a large selection of fabric, according to the person on the phone. He had, prior to moving here, found out that there was at least one anime convention in this city each year, and a few in surrounding areas, so Seung was planning on using the fall and winter months in order to make an outfit or two like he usually would. He might even make more, he certainly had other ideas for outfits, but he had only brought the information for the two he wanted to focus on.
It wasn’t just outfits for himself that he had to make. His little sister had asked if he’d make her a hanbok as well, rather than order one from back home or get one at some store here in Korea Town, so knowing her brother could sew she had spent the last few days asking him and even making favorite dishes of his for dinner as a way of getting what she wanted. He didn’t know why she wanted it, she’d never worn one before, but he figured it might have to do with just being so far from home and wanting something from their culture. He supposed he could understand that, as his mother had explained to him, so he’d finally agreed and after measuring her and getting a pattern for a hanbok he was ready to shop for the material he’d need.
For his sister’s dress he was going with blue colors for his sister, she liked the color and it was coming into winter time so it felt like a nice idea to go with cooler colors. So knowing what he wanted there, and it being easier to buy for, he sought out the satin fabrics as he entered the fabric shop. Nodding his head to a worker when asked if he needed help he let her follow him as he felt out a sheet of paper with amounts written on it and what fabric he needed, for some of it there were specific colors while for others it was a round about as shade would play a part in it (for his sisters outfit). Since he knew he couldn’t speak English well enough to get what he wanted he’d written it all down, with a little help from a translator, in order to make sure it was all right.
The woman smiled and led the way while asking him if he was from around here. Shaking his head he told her where he was from, watching as she showed him various shades of blue satin. For the shirt he went with a nice dark blue while for the top half he picked out something softer. He also grabbed a silver color as well, for the trim and buttons which he’d have to make as well as the band of fabric that would show the separation of top and bottom half. With the woman cutting the amounts he needed he went to get the thread he’d need, various colors so it would be hard to see it all, as the threads for sewing where right across from the floor to near ceiling collection of fabrics the store had. He was glad he’d looked online and found this place; the collection of fabrics was immense and would help him in the future for all his needs.
Once the fabrics for his sisters hanbok were cut and folded the rolls of fabric were put away before the woman went to get what he needed. The first cosplay was Eiri Yuki from Gravitation, so dark maroon silk for the shirt and then black fabric for the jacket and pants. He’d have to buy a pair of shoes for it, glasses, and the contacts he’d need but that was fine; he’d bought contacts before for cosplays. The second one was going to need glasses also, though in a different shape. For both he was going to need a wig though, considering his currant hair style and color, and to take out his piercings. It wouldn’t be so bad, he was sure he could pull both outfits off.
Watching as more fabrics were pulled, measured, and cut before being folded and the rolls put away he went back to getting the threads he’d need, and checking to make sure they were the right color and shade that he needed. He wanted to hide the stitching as best he could.
Once the threads had been picked and the fabrics all cut and folded for him he let the woman help him to the front of the shop so he could pay and thanking her as she bagged it all for him, bowing out of habit, he left the store and headed back toward the subway station he’d exited to get here; thankfully it was a short walk from here. The purchases in their bag hung from his left arm as he wondered what his friend back home would think when she saw his plans, and saw the outcomes. HE also wondered what someone else would think…had they lived long enough. He hadn’t gotten into cosplay really back when he was in high school, it was a bit more of a recent thing. He really did miss him…Shaking his head to push the thoughts aside he took the steps down to the subway platform and waited for the next subway to arrive so he could head himself home and start on the hanbok for his sister. Word count: 949
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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2015 10:51 pm
October 26, 2015 His sister and cousin were out, off getting food, with his parents and Seung was home taking advantage of the time alone. He could have been working on writing, homework, or something else but with his homework done and not in the mood to write at the moment he had decided to do something else.
The decorations which he had purchased when the girls had gotten their costumes he was finally going to put up. It was about time he got to putting all these decorations to use and see if he couldn’t get this Halloween thing down, one more step in the direction of fitting in a bit more?
The first thing to do was unbox the lights, orange and purple ones, and make sure all the lights worked. Once it was determined that they all worked he set about hanging them, using some kind of tape strip things and hooks, to keep them up as he went around the ceiling of the living room with them, using a ladder to aid him in this endeavor. It was his sisters room which was next as he went with purple for her room and orange for his cousins. His own room gained purple and orange, a mix strand, of lights. Once that was done he went to find the other decorations, fake spider webs and bats to hang around and he went about doing that in the living room first than the bedrooms, not venturing into his parents room as it would be disrespectful to do so.
Bats hung over his bed and one hung off to the left of his closet door, he had a few scattered about his sister and cousins room also. When he shuffled back into the living room on socked feet he went to see what else had been bought and was still in the shopping bags from Party City. What came out next were the light bulbs, black lights, and those went right to the bedrooms as he took out the normal lights and screwed in the new lights. Setting the old, normal, light bulbs into desk draws to keep safe he turned his stand of lights on and the light next to his bed and on his desk as he cast his room into eerie lighting and smiled – it looked good.
Nodding his head once he went to decorating the front door last, feeling that the inside of the apartment was adequately decorated, so with the apartment door open and hanging out in the hallway he started decorating with fake webs, fake spiders, a few fake leaves he stuck into the cotton like web that now covered the front door. The next thing he did was find a way, which took some time, to get some bones to remain attached to the bottom of their door. It was just as he was finishing up that he heard the elevator door down the hall open and heard his family before he saw them. Hurrying to shut the door, lock it, and get inside he went to clean up the shopping bags, opened packages, and just as the front door was opening Seung was making for his room to take a look at the job he’d done.
Hearing his family as they entered the apartment he felt a smile tugging at his lips, they sounded happy – very happy. Silently closing his door, after telling his mother he’d be out soon for dinner, he leaned against his door for a moment as he let his dark eyes wander about his newly decorated room. It did look nice, bright, and unlike anything he’d had back home. He’d never done something like this. “A new tradition.” He whispered while pushing off his door and approaching his desk.
Where the pictures all sat, most of family and friends, the one that seemed to be the dividing picture between these two sides was picked up. Dressed in a dark school uniform jackets with white dress shirts under the jackets and red and black striped ties. They both looked good and it was Seung who was sitting in the others lap, arms about the others neck and cheeks pressed together. “I wonder what you’d think of this Akihiko.” A sad smile took up residence upon his features, dark eyes watered and a few drops fell down his cheeks and clung to his lashes. Setting the framed picture down, gently, he took his cell phone from his back pocket; where he tended to keep it. Unlocking it he took a single picture of his room before posting it to his twitter with some words typed out asking his friends back home for their opinion. “I can’t ever get your thoughts on it but I can ask others…” Swiping at his cheeks, his chin, and his eyes he blinked a few times while looking up toward his ceiling till the stinging in his eyes stopped. Composed he turned and headed out of his room, closing the door gently behind himself, and headed toward the kitchen. Akihiko would have liked this holiday, he was sure of it, and so he would like it and make the best of it this year and every year he lived here. Word count: 873
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 1:03 am
November 1, 2015 While his sister and cousin had gone out to get candy the evening before, something they wanted to experience at least once, he’d stayed at the apartment to answer the door as children would be turning up here as well; at least according to their neighbor down the hall. It seemed some of the people who lived in the complex had small children and they would take them around the complex for candy, sometimes before taking them elsewhere and sometimes not, so his parents had asked him to man the door for the first half of the day as they would be at work finishing things up.
Halloween might have been on a Saturday but that didn’t mean a person got out of work, especially people like his parents who were dedicated to working hard, so he’d decided to put one of his more normal cosplay outfits to use as he did have a fairly large collection of cosplay costumes, and join in on celebrating the holiday, as he watched the two younger members of his family leave to go enjoy themselves and he prepared himself for things.
It wasn’t but a short time after noon, not quite one in the afternoon, when the first knocks had come and getting up, a bit quickly, he left the tv playing in the background as he had gone to answer the door. He had no idea that he’d soon find himself with a load of children at his door. It seemed his neighbor had been fibbing a bit when she’d said a few people in the complex had kids. By the time dinner had rolled around and ended, his mother had come home to cook with the help of his father, they’d had at least thirty children of various rages at their door.
Sitting down to dinner, his sister and cousin had come home to eat, had them all discussing their days and relaying information. People had dressed up both of his parents jobs. It had ranged, according to them, from people wearing candy corn earrings to flat out dressed up as various things. From his sister and his cousin he’d heard about all the costumes they’d seen and the people playing pranks which they didn’t understand but the people had found funny; really who found decorating the streets with colorful stuff to be fun…or someone’s door with the same colorful string like stuff and shaving cream?
The rest of the evening had been eventful as well, his sister and cousin had gone back out to further enjoy and explore this holiday, while he’d decided to help with the door still while also watching the tv with his parents. The show was taped and saved to the tv so they could watch it when they pleased, as they’d done last night, it was an episode of Let Me In; a popular show back home. So he had joined his parents in making comments about the person on the show, being critical of the persons looks, and sharing in their surprise at the persons appearance as well as the transformation which he’d complimented.
A few times during the show he’d risen from his chair and went to handle the door. It was one of those times when someone had realized what he was dressed as and let out an ear piercing squeal, along with their friend. He’d dressed in an old cosplay costume from two years back, which still fit him, of an Ouran High School uniform and he had glasses on, he’d taken out his contacts as these glasses were real and the correct prescription for him. He tried to, if he was doing a cosplay which required glasses, get them as prescription ones so he didn’t need to wear fake glasses and his contacts – it felt odd.
The girls had to have been fifteen, maybe, and had known the anime and had been all bouncy and excited to see the uniform as he shifted right into the roll as he’d bowed and called them princess and taken their hands to kiss the backs of before giving them their candy and wished them a good night and asked that they please be safe. He’d been surprised but pleased to see someone knew the costume and appreciated it and all the work he’d put into it.
That had been last night though and now the holiday was over and Seung was taking down the fake spiders and equally fake webs and bats. The lights came down from the living room and the girls bedrooms. Their front door was clean; he’d taken some cleaning product to the door to insure it was as clean as could be. He’d vacuumed and cleaned up the house, deciding to take it onto his shoulders to clean much of the apartment, before finally crashing on his bed sometime after noon. The house was nice and clean, his parents were happy and watching tv and talking about things as they unwound from a busy week, and the girls were off somewhere.
Looking up toward his ceiling he smiled as he looked at the lights he still had hung up in his room. He had taken them down from the girls’ room but had decided to leave them, and only them, up in his room. He still also had a black light in the lights he had, and the bulbs from the girls rooms were in a draw in his room to replace his when they went out, little changes that he’d have never done in the past – little changes. He was making them and exploring some new things, he could feel the changes and it didn’t bother him.
Rolling onto his side he shifted about and his dark gaze drifted toward his dresser where he had his collection of framed photos and he felt a smile tug at his lips. “I wonder what you’d think. I think you’d like the changes.” He whispered to no one and yet to someone, to someone long gone.
He’d been very…boring when in school and it was after high school that he’d set out to discover himself more fully and to be who he wanted to be. Doing his hair as he had it now, dying and cutting it, piercing his ears while also changing his clothing. He didn’t have any tattoos but sleeping around as he did now. All things he’d never done growing up. He hadn’t changed too much in personality but the outward changes were there and the look to his room, the lights now, were things he’d never done or had back then.
Shifting to get comfortable he let out a yawn and reached out blindly for his pillow and dragged it closer as he lifted his head and slipped it under. Laying his head down he let his eyes drift closed slowly. “I miss you Akihiko…” So much. Dark eyes drifted closed as he let himself take a much needed nap. Word count: 1,163
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 1:39 am
November 12, 2015 (Back dating to November 11th) Finally life was settling in, slowly but surely, he had found a job at convince store in Korea town so it sold many items from back home including his favorite drink – banana milk. He was happy to also find that they had a skin care doctor within the dozen or so blocks that made up Korea town. The dermatologist had already seen him once and he had gotten a facial and skin toning treatment as well as blackheads handled. After his own appointment his sister and cousin had asked him about it, how it had gone, before they’d both set appointments for themselves. His skin looked nice, as usual, which pleased him.
He had also managed to find a gym, which surprisingly wasn’t that hard to find, and after signing up and paying for membership he had already put the membership to use as he’d been there several times. It wasn’t bad but the gaggle of females there, all on bicycles, was a bit annoying at first as they talked rather loudly and it had been very distracting. After the first three trips to the gym he’d gotten over the gaggle of females, it wasn’t the same females but it was the same thing, and learned to ignore them so now he could enjoy the time he spent in the gym working out.
The worst thing was that he was out of contacts and while he’d seen the ophthalmologist and had his eyes examined, the doctor telling him what he already knew, he had to wait a week for his new supply of contacts to arrive and his last one had fallen into the toilet this morning when he’d been cleaning the bathroom. Having no contacts, as they hadn’t given him a sample set, he had been reduced to wearing his glasses. He hadn’t worn them in months; he actually wasn’t sure when he’d last worn them. They were small and rectangular with black plastic frames. It wasn’t that he disliked them but he did prefer his contacts, he’d started using contacts when he was a pre-teen, even though he always had a pair of glasses that were up to date on his prescription. His parents, especially his mother, had insisted on it just incase he ever needed them and right now he was glad for it or reading would be a difficult thing for him right now.
Adjusting his glasses he reached up as he kneeled on the bathroom countertop, the bright lights reflecting off the lenses, as he sprayed the glass of the mirror with windex before wiping it down and cleaning the glass to remove the smudges and dust. He was home from work today, his day off, so since today was some sort of holiday and he didn’t have classes or work he was cleaning the apartment. The girls also had the day off, and neither had a job, so he’d shooed them off telling them to have fun in the city but they were to be home for dinner and stay together. He was worried for them but silently so, he wasn’t going to outright tell them he was worried about them being attacked in the city, after his own attack by a youma. He just couldn’t, and wouldn’t, out right tell them why he was worried. There was no reason for him to frighten or worry them, or his parents, but he would make sure they stayed together and understood that they needed to be safe while out and about.
Settling back onto the counter top as the glass was cleaned he climbed down from the counter top, slowly, and took a glance around to see what he may have missed. Checking the cabinet and the shower stall he found that the bathroom was done.
While the bathroom was clean the apartment still needed some cleaning and the next room to tackle was the kitchen so that was where he headed to next, windex in one hand and paper towels in the other. Hopefully he got the apartment clean by the time everyone was home and if not he could finish while his mother worked on dinner; in her clean kitchen. Dishes were first on his list to tackle since they did have a dishwasher so that was quick and easy. The rest would require more work but he was prepared for it, he had music playing from the living room turned up loud enough to fill the apartment so he had something to occupy his mind with and make this less boring and daunting. Rolling up the left sleeve to his shirt, as it was falling down, he flipped his hair from his face as he stepped into the kitchen and set himself to work. Word count: 792
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Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 11:53 pm
November 15, 2015 (Back dating to November 12th) So he’s found out why there had been no school the day before – veteran’s day. It wasn’t a holiday they had back home but they had armed forced day, so something similar. Curled up in the corner of the living room couch, the tv on and playing one of his mothers favorite dramas, he had his cell phone out and his eyes trained on the screen as he scrolled down looking at messages his friends back home had posted over night.
The drama was on even though his mother wasn’t home; she was still at work, because he was recording it for his mother so she could watch it later. The girls, his sister and cousin, were in their rooms doing homework and were likely to watch this recoding later with his mother. It would be after dinner, he knew that much, and he’d likely be in his room finishing his own homework and maybe writing for his own enjoyment or he could get a bit more work done on one of the cosplay outfits he had planned. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t finish them by spring, he would without a doubt, but it wasn’t a bad way to pass the time.
Scrolling down he paused as he saw a post from a friend, a single post, but it shocked him as he read it over several times. One of his friends had gone and decided to get his mandatory time serving their country out of the way now rather than later. It reminded him that at some point he’d have to return home and enlist for his mandatory time as well, though he had years in which to do this, he was still shocked by the post. His friend was the same age as him and had till he was 35 to enlist for mandatory service so why now? Even as he was reading it, again, his fingers were typing out a reply, a question, asking why now. He knew why he’d be waiting, how long he didn’t know, they were in a new country and he wanted to wait till his family was settled but now knowing the danger in this city he wanted to wait longer. He wanted to put it off even longer, wait till he knew they were safe or till it was over, before he returned to Korea for his service. He’d be in at least two years; he knew that, so he wanted to hold off as long as he could. His friend though…why now? He’d find out soon, he hoped, as he hit the send button.
Before he could read anything else he was hearing a call from his sister down the hall. Pushing up off the couch he padded down the hall, in slipper wearing feet, and poked his head into her room asking what she wanted.
What she wanted was him to make a trip to the store, and not the local one but one in Korea town, to get her double eyelid tape as she’d just remembered she was out and needed it for tomorrow for school. He’d have told her to go without it, to deal with it, but he knew his sister would not be pleased with that answer. She was one of those who wanted double eyelids, nice and big eyes, and for now she was using the tape to help just as she had been back home. He knew she’d eventually go under the knife as he had but when he didn’t know, he did plan to be with her whenever that time came. He wasn’t worried about it, didn’t think about it in a negative way, it was what she wanted and if it improved her looks and her confidence than he was supportive of her and her wants.
“Alright, I’ll run out and do that, just make sure to turn off the recording when the drama is over.” He said, all of this in Korean, before he went to let his cousin know he was taking off to the store and that said he went to the coat closet by the front door and grabbed his coat. His wallet was on a side table by the front door as were his keys so he grabbed both items and with his phone in hand, though as he left the apartment it went into a coat pocket, he headed out and locked up behind himself. The girls would be safe in the apartment on their own while he went to do some shopping, maybe he should get some more banana milk also? They were almost out; he’d been drinking a lot of it lately. Yeah, he’d get that also.
Word count: 784
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Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2015 8:56 pm
November 15, 2015. Since moving to the states the family had sent in the main computer for the family, used for things like banking and purchasing things, it was the one which was kept in the living room as opposed to everyone’s personal computer or laptop. It was because it was the family computer, and used for banking, that it had to be sent in for some work when they’d gotten to Destiny City. It was finally done being updated, having things removed and things saved and such.
The one who had done the work had called at first to express his shock over seeing such an old, and bloated, program as Active X on the computer, as well as the other programs which were downloaded for security purposes. They were all programs which were needed in order to bank online or do purchases online back in Korea and they were old programs which no one in the house wanted to mess with and remove. It was because of the Active X program that the version of windows on the computer was outdated, by a few generations, and the computer ran slow due to it all. It was all things the person handling the computer had said he could fix, removing everything and updating windows. He would be saving files and then loading them back onto the computer as well, thankfully the bank information wasn’t on the computer as it had all changed right before the move, as they had transferred everything to an American bank; something local.
With the girls out shopping, they’d already done their homework, his mother in the kitchen working on dinner and his father out still either at the office on the way home he put the house phone on the ringer as he got up. The computer was finally ready for pick up and he was the only one who could really do it before the place closed. Calling out to his mother, on his way to his room, he headed for his closet to grab a coat and on the way out of his room he grabbed his mp3 device and cell phone. Putting the buds into his ears as he made his way down the hallway he stock his cell phone into his back pocket, the mp3 device stuck in a pocket as well so he could pull on his coat. Reaching the front door his wallet and keys were grabbed, the wallet going to a back pocket while the keys went into his coat pocket.
Calling out once more to his mother he opened the front door just as she responded, telling him to be safe. Closing the door as he agreed to be safe, he would try at least, he locked the door with the keys he’d taken from his pocket before they were returned to the pocket of his coat. Buttoning his coat up he pulled the mp3 device from his pants pocket, the front right pocket, and started skimming for a song to play. Deciding on EXO he cranked up the volume as he headed down the hall toward the elevator so he could get to the first floor faster and get out onto the street and head toward the computer repair shop.
The shop was small with only two people working there, hence why it had taken so long, but they seemed good enough at least his father thought so. So when he arrived half an hour later, by cab, he stepped into the small shop and went to the counter and called for one of the two who were further in the shop, behind the counter, working on computers they seemed to be upgrading if the parts they seemed to be installing was any indication. Getting the attention of the female worker, a girl about his age with dyed blond hair, he watched her smile brightly and head his way while asking what he was here for. “Pick up.” He said while giving his name and showing the e-mail he had on his phone, they had sent an e-mail to confirm the repair and the number for it. It was, as they said, better than giving out slips of paper as people tended to not lose their cell phones and most could pull up their e-mails on their phones and just show them the repair number. So once she’d checked the number she hurried back to find the tower that was in a small back room where the finished repairs waited for pick up.
Watching her return a minute or two later with the tower in her arms he fished out his wallet and offered over the money that he’d been told over the phone was the final cost for it all; his father would pay him back later. He didn’t have access to his parent’s money and wasn’t going to ask his mother, while she was working on dinner, for the money to cover the repair cost. Once the money was counted, rather quickly, he was taking the tower and with her helping him out the door he was headed back into the waiting cab and heading back home, the tower on the floor of the cab between his legs.
Slowly they were building their lives here and slowly they were learning where things were, places they needed in order to survive in this city. It wasn’t perfect, far from it, and he still missed Seoul but they’d manage here – he knew it.
Switching songs on his mp3 player he let another EXO song come on, Growl, and he leaned back in the cab to listen to it as he watched unfamiliar streets go by, soon they’d be familiar. All would come in time.Word count: 956
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Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 7:34 pm
November 17, 2015. Slowly he rose from the land of dreams to that of the conscious world, something he wanted to and didn’t in equal parts. The dream he was leaving was still fresh in his mind and while he wished to remain in the dream, to see and hear him again, he also wanted desperately to forget the dream and the memories of the event. Stretching, slowly, out across the length of his bed, twisting and turning as he did so, he finally relaxed and reached for his glasses as he sat himself up on his elbows. Yawning he let his dark eyes fall onto a picture frame across the room from him.
<”Even now I can’t stop thinking about you, dreaming. Akihiko.”> He spoke to the emptiness of his room. Even now he couldn’t forget that day, the day it all ended and innocence was left a bloody mess on the floor of a bathroom. It wasn’t as often that he dreams of that day, but he still did dream of happier times, but lately he had been dreaming of that day. Ever since the day after Veteran’s day, when he’d researched why the day off of school, as he’d looked up other holidays and how they were celebrated here in the United States.
Christmas was apparently celebrated by everyone and with gifts for people. It wasn’t a couples only day where singles would sit at home and watch Home Alone, as some singles did. The holiday was changing, slowly, back home but it wasn’t nearly as…intense as it was here. He already could see decorations and things about sales and something called Black Friday, he’d had to look that up also. Christmas was only just getting decorations back home and lights and holiday styled clothing, like decorative sweaters and such as he’d seen in the local mall for sale. It was a holiday for friends, families, lovers, and everyone here and a time to help others – it had a good message. It was a warm holiday, despite the cold, and he couldn’t help thinking, as he watched a video on youtube about Christmas’ history, that Akihiko would have liked it. The other was a person who liked such festive things. That was, in his opinion, what started the dreams up of that day and how he’d lost his best friend.
Biting down on his bottom lip he shook his head and slid out from under his covers. His feet slipped into his slippers and as he went about collecting his clothing for the day from his closet and dresser. When he passed the collection of pictures, on his way out of his room, his fingers ghosted over his friends face. This wasn’t Seung’s sort of holiday it was Akihiko’s and the other would never know if or get to celebrate it, and he could never buy him a gift and send it to him from here…there would be no one named Akihiko to receive it. Blinking back tears he shook his head as he marched himself into the bathroom to ready himself for the day. He might be new to this country and it’s ways, especially these holidays like White Day which was Valentine’s day here, but he had some shopping for his family to do; he had gifts to purchase.
By the time the stinging in his eyes had stopped he had relieved himself at the toilet and brushed his teeth, flossed, and had gotten his face clean and ready to put on the bb cream he used. The cream, in its little tube, sat on the counter along with black waterproof eye liner. The thoughts, for now, were pushed aside as he thought of where he would be going today and what he would be getting for his family. Would his parents be purchasing gifts for them? Would the girls? He hadn’t asked any of them though he did figure his sister and cousin might, they were young and had been talking about it as they’d heard about it in school. His parents he was unsure of and it wasn’t really his place to ask them but he would decorate for it, as he’d done for Halloween. He just needed to find a place to get ornaments and decorations and start getting them and hiding them in preparation for surprising his family with a decorated house…although he’d heard it should be done as a family – so maybe they should all decorate? The girls would enjoy it certainly.
Nodding his head once, while he finished with the cream on his face, he had decided he’d make it a family thing, it was another new tradition for them to celebrate. Word count: 780
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Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 1:36 am
November 19, 2015. Finally! His contacts were here. Rolling out of bed as his mother called for him, she wasn’t due in for work for, according to his cell phone, another hour. She had a late start today for some reason, he hadn’t asked, he stood up and sliding his feet into slippers and shuffling out of his room he headed into the living room as he was adjusting his glasses. <”They are right?”> He asked as he came into the living room where his mother was sorting through the mail, the small package sitting in her lap. When he got the affirmative answer from her he took the box, kissing her cheek while greeting her with a good morning, and shuffled off to the bathroom to wash up and get ready for the day.
His mother had work in an hour, the girls were off exploring the city, and his father was already at work. He didn’t have work for another three hours and he might have slept in if it wasn’t for the arrival of his contacts. Instead of sleeping in he’d get ready and maybe go out for breakfast? It was an idea, plus he didn’t want to have his mother cooking for him when she should be relaxing before she went to work.
The time before work planned out he closed and locked the bathroom door behind himself as he went about getting what he needed for a shower and turning on the hot water, letting it steam up the room as he gathered what he needed. The towel, light blue, was taken from the closet in the bathroom while a draw under one of the two sinks yielded his soap, shampoo and conditioner. The sponge he used was tossed into the shower stall while he carried the other products over and put them down on the ledge of the shower stall before stripping himself of his bed clothing and after relieving himself and brushing his teeth, flossing also, he hopped into the heated spray of water.
After the shower, dressing, and making himself ready to go out for the day he grabbed his messenger bag from where it hung from the back of the chair at his desk. The notebook he wrote in, he was slowly working on a story, was put into the bag along with a pen. His cell phone was put into an inside pocket of the bag. The mp3 player he had was pocketed. Ear buds hung about his neck as he headed out of his room, down the hall, and to the coat closet by the front door. Grabbing a coat he pulled it on, zipped and buttoned it, and as he grabbed his wallet and keys. While putting his wallet and keys into his messanger bag, finally buckling it closed, he called out to his mother that he was off and to lock the door behind him.
As he closed the door behind himself he put his ear buds in and headed down the hall to the elevator. Normally he might go for some food from home, especially since the Korean restaurants he went to were near his job, but this morning he headed to a small café near their apartment. His sister and cousin had gotten him to try the food there, as a friend of his sisters had gotten both girls to go with them a week back to try their breakfast before school. He had gone with the girls the next day, they’d dragged him there, and had him try some of the food. He liked the home fries which he’d ordered, the omelet was also good, and that was what he ordered this morning when he arrived. Sitting down to eat, planning on eating his food quickly so he could get to work, he managed his breakfast and a cup of tea before paying and heading off to work. He would have time to wander Korea town for a while before he had to clock in for work, he could discover some new things possibly and find some things he needed or wanted.
The walk to Korea town took half an hour, give or take, but it was nice out. It was cool out but the air was crisp and nice to breath in. His hands in his pockets, mp3 player filling his ears with various songs, he turned the volume down as he arrived in the area. Heading for one small convince store, not the one he worked for, to grab two bottles of banana milk; one for now and one for lunch time. One in his bag and sipping the other he continued to explore a bit, finding a few products he missed from home and wasn’t expecting to see.
When it finally came time for clocking in he did that in the back room before locking his coat and messenger bag up in the locker he had, his name on a strip of tape at the top of the locker. A dark blue apron was pulled over his head and tied behind his back neatly. The black tight pants he wore and black turtleneck he wore causing the blue apron to stand out nicely. He was finishing tying the apron as he stepped out of the back room and went right to helping someone, an older Korean woman who was looking for a certain condiment which they carried but after some searching he concluded it wasn’t on the shelf. After bowing, two times, and telling her he’d go check the back room he did just that. Today looked like it would be a good day, so far all seemed well. Word count: 945
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Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2015 1:28 am
November 22, 2015 Pushing the cart in front of him the feline eyed male stepped into the grocery store. Looking around he felt dread well up within him, why was he here? Oh right., his mother had texted him when he’d gotten off work asking him do some grocery shopping, and yes in the American grocery store, and sent him a list of what she wanted while telling him to pick up anything else he might find interesting. Anything else he might find interesting? He was sure more than half the things in the store he would be clueless about. Shaking his head, dispelling the dread filling him, he pushed the cart further into the store while he pulled out his phone to check over the list.
The first part was easy, fruits and vegetables, those he could tell by look for the most part. Prices were…well he’d deal with that at the register and hope for the best there. Tomatoes were first on the lift and going for those on the vine he grabbed a small plastic bag before checking out the tomatoes till he found a few that felt good enough, nothing too hard and nothing too soft, and put them into the bag which he knotted before setting them in the cart. This part would be easy!
Moving around the vegetables and fruits he grabbed a few things not on his mothers list, a few things that were interesting and he wanted to try. Humming a song to himself, without really realizing or thinking about which song it was, he pushed the cart away from the produce department and hit the isles to pick up more things. Next on the list were paper towels and toilet paper, lovely. Biting down on his lip he pushed the cart around peeking down each isle till he found what he was looking for, one on of the last isles right before the cold section started. Grabbing what his mother had written down, he really didn’t understand prices or how Americans measured things, he moved a few of the produce items out of the way so he could place the new things into the cart.
Now what? Unlocking his phone he looked over the list again and not for the first time since moving here wished they taught more everyday English in schools. He knew why they didn’t but who knew where someone would wind up or who they’d wind up with. There was no way to guess that someone might not marry a foreigner or that they might move to America, like his family had done. Now he had to find “American” things…or did he? Glancing over the list he smiled. Not yet he didn’t. Water was on the list as was ice cream, milk, eggs, and a few other things he could easily find. Making a left turn off the isle he was on he headed for the cold goods and went for the ice cream followed by finding the milk and eggs with ease. Deciding to grab some sort of mixed berry juice, which looked really good, he added in what looked like orange juice and something else also that was a juice.
Once that was done he had to concede to finding the flour, salt, pepper, and figuring out other such little things which were needed for his mother for cooking dinners. The rice also…but couldn’t they just go to an Asian market for that? He had heard once that typical rice here wasn’t the same…or was it just how it was made? He really wasn’t sure but tea was also on the list and he knew that wasn’t the same – right? Shaking his head he went to get what his mother needed while also looking
It was while searching for things which might interest him that he found his curiosity, and thus his interest, piqued by several slightly different bottles. All labeled V8 but with different ingredients depicted on the bottles and a variety of different colored juices in the bottles. Biting his lip it took him a moment before deciding to grab a few bottles, smaller ones, and put them into the cart as well. Looking, and perhaps even feeling a bit guilty, he hurried off toward the check out and that was when even more confusion over took him. The line wasn’t too long, which he was glad for, but as things got rung up he was asked about…something and something else to which he shook his head, honestly not sure what he was being asked about but not understanding and unable to explain properly he hoped she would continue to ring him up; which she did.
Glad for that, one problem avoided, he wait till the final price came up and hoped she would understand his issue, he still had to figure out this money bit, as he took out his wallet and opened it and indicating he’d like to see the amount on the screen he started to figure it out, he was getting better especially when he could see it written out somewhere for him rather than just being told the amount, and handed over what seemed like the proper amount by the smile she gave him as she put the money into the register.
Once that was done, and he had the receipt, he went to bag everything and insisting he do it himself, with a shake of his head and wave of a hand, he put everything into the cart while hoping that the cab he’d called while shopping would be here by now – they should be. There was no way he could walk home or even take a train or bus with all these bags. He couldn’t carry them all about with him.
Stepping outside, the cart in front of him, he was happy to see a cab and approaching he asked who they were waiting for. He’d made sure they had gotten his name right, as he’d learned in school it wasn’t that easy for people to get right, and finding it was his cab he nodded his head and started to load things into the trunk and into the back seat where he’d sit. Once seated, and the cab was headed off for the apartment building, he took out his phone and sent a text to his mother giving her the cost of everything as well as telling her that he’d bought lot of juices he wanted to try, they all looked healthy and good. His mother would understand, she knew he liked to eat and drink healthy as did the rest of his family though perhaps he was a bit more concerned with it? His sister and cousin took their looks seriously, as did he, but he took vitamins and worked out ate all freshly prepared foods which they mostly did but didn’t always. He wasn’t one for snacks and such, things which they did on occasion treat themselves to.
Watching stores, people, other cars, and more pass by the window of the cab he glanced down when his phone vibrated in his hand and checked the text, as he figured – she understood. The next text he sent was to his sister, and cousin, asking them to come down and wait in the lobby of the building so they could help him inside with groceries as he didn’t want to keep the cab waiting too long and he had a lot of bags. It didn’t take long before both agreed, surprised they were even home as he’d been taking a chance there; he thanked them both and then settled in for the rest of the cab ride.
When they did arrive the girls were hurrying out toward the cab and arriving just as he was opening the door and climbing out with bags dangling from his arms. The trunk he heard being opened and one of the girls getting the bags in there while the rest of the cabs inside was emptied of shopping bags. He really was glad both were home, and from what he heard his cousin telling him, working on homework when they got his text. Apologizing to them he thanked them, bowing as twice as he spoke, for their help as they quickly emptied the back seat and trunk and once the cab was paid the man was off and they were left headed up to the elevator and holding it open as everything was loaded into it before they would allow the doors to slid shut and the metal box to take them up to their floor. The game then took place again, with him holding the door open, as the girls got everything out into the hallway and once the elevator was empty he stepped out and into the hallway, the doors sliding shut behind him. It was he and his cousin who brought things down the hall to the apartment while his sister watched what they couldn’t all carry, even with all three of them carrying things they couldn’t manage all the bags thanks to the juice bottles he’d bought. But after four trips each they had everything inside and they were closing and locking the door behind themselves.
Looking over both girls he pointed down the hall while telling them to get back to their homework, it was due on Monday and they had better have it done tonight after dinner. While they went to do that he started to carry things into the kitchen to unpack and put away, a slow process on his own for sure, he wasn’t about to ask the girls and keep them from their school work any longer though. So while it took a while he settled on putting some music on, ear buds in his ears and mp3 device put to work, it helped the work go faster as he moved about the kitchen and the entrance to the apartment.
When it was all done the bags got tossed into the bin labeled plastics, under the sink, where it would be put to recycling by his mother or father. Feeling accomplished, even though for now his wallet was a lot lighter, he went to his own room with a bottle of water to work on the story he’d been slowly penning for months now. He had put some of the new juice bottles into the fridge while others were being stored for now. He would try the ones in the fridge once they were cold and decide what he liked, and see what the rest of his family thought of them, before they were either kept and finished or tossed out. He was hoping they all passed the test; they all looked good.
Humming as he entered his room he left his door open as he grabbed his notebook and curled up against the headboard of his bed. The pen he kept in the notebook was taken out and uncapped as he opened up to the current page he was on and he started writing. Eventually he’d finish it – maybe…maybe. Word count: 1,847
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Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2015 1:07 am
November 26, 2015 (Back dating it a bit, to November 24.) Another few days off of school were coming up and he didn’t know why, well he’d heard the word thanksgiving but didn’t know about it, so when he’d gotten home from school on Tuesday he’d spoken with his sister and cousin who also had been hearing about it and didn’t know about it. He knew they could have asked the people helping them in school, or the friends they had, but they had held back on asking in order to ask him and have him look into it. He would be able to explain it in terms they would understand easier, although his cousin did have a half Chinese half Japanese friend who understood her very well.
When he’d found out about his cousins friend he’d been happy, very happy, and wished his sister had been blessed with the same luck but she hadn’t been. His cousin could have thus asked her friend but hadn’t done so and had instead brought it up when he did, though she said she’d been going to ask about it today if he hadn’t mentioned it anyway.
Knowing he would need to find out about this holiday, and how it was celebrated, he took to youtube to see if they had a video about it…some sort of history perhaps so he could explain the purpose behind it? It wasn’t a site he’d ever used back home, it wasn’t popular and was slow to load, but here it ran well and it was a go to site for so many people. Knowing that and that you could find nearly everything on it, including music videos for some of his favorite groups and live performances, he thought it a good place to look for information on this holiday.
He’d spent some time looking it up but that wasn’t much when compared to the forty-one minutes he spent watching a video on the history of it, a show titled The Real Story of Thanksgiving. That was where he’d learned about the holiday and how it was celebrated, as well as why, so after the video he’d gathered the girls and told them what he’d learned and even suggested they watch the video themselves because there was no way to tell them everything he’d seen in the video; it was simply too much.
The girls, his parents not home from work, had decided on their own that they should celebrate it as well. It wasn’t to become American and yet it was to fit in and do something fun and enjoyable on a day off. The day they all had off, their parents as well, so they might as well do something and why not try this American food, if they didn’t like it that was fine. So after the discussion and a shopping list was made he’d been shoved out of the apartment by the girls, who were off to watch the video, to do the shopping. The credit card which connected to his parents’ bank account was in his hand, he doubted he had the money to afford such a shopping trip. His parents both had a card to the account but there was one more connected to it, something they’d recently gotten, just in case something was needed while they were working, as things could always crop up. So without telling his parents he had left the apartment and taken the subway to get as close to the grocery store as he could. He’d need a cab so he could return home with everything but not knowing how long the shopping trip would take he couldn’t call and arrange for it to pick him up, which he’d have preferred.
The list was saved to a notepad app on his cell phone, written in his native language but also translated into English, so it was all written and spelled correctly incase he needed help with things. When he stepped off the subway and onto the platform he headed for the steps, passing through the turn style, and headed up to the sidewalk and took the short walk to the large grocery store where he grabbed a cart and pushed it inside so he could begin this shopping adventure.
He had noted down the various foods mentioned in the video but had also looked up other things, wanting to have a good variety of things so there would at least be one or two things everyone liked on the table. Biting down on his bottom lip he headed for the produce first. Carrots, green beans, onions, garlic, potatoes, beats, cranberries, turnips those were all grabbed and bagged. He did have to ask someone who worked in the department for help, not knowing how to judge quality on some of the items. It took some time but he had managed to get the slightly overweight middle aged man to understand what he needed help with. Once the man understood though he didn’t try and explain, as it would be hard to do so, but rather picked out good ones while asking the basic question – how many people. Telling him how many the man had easily helped him get enough of everything he needed and then left, smiling and wishing him a happy Thanksgiving. He wasn’t the only one shopping for the holiday either, a lot of people seemed to be, as he collected several apples for baking and then some to set out to be eaten normally.
He could hear women talking as they shopping, milling about, a few with children seated in the carts and others with children at their feet. Teenagers helped their mother in one case as well, grabbing some things while their mother grabbed other things.
Mushrooms he knew how to judge and they were mostly packaged already so he grabbed a few kinds and put them into the cart before he took a glance down. He had a lot, things he’d never had before but he hoped would be enjoyed. He knew it would be a lot but he really wanted to offer a lot of choices and perhaps make their first attempt at celebrating such a big holiday, as it really did seem big and important to Americans, a proper attempt at celebrating it.
Loaded down with produce he went in search of what he’d need to make pies, he was planning on apple and pumpkin, and thus the cart was pushed down the baking isle which he’s discovered on his first trip to the grocery store not too long ago. Grabbing what was on his list, including pure pumpkin filling, he grabbed several little jars of spices he’d need and once that was in the cart he headed toward the meats section in the hopes of finding a turkey, something he’d never eaten as it just wasn’t a thing back home. Chicken he’d had, many times, but never once had he tasted turkey but he didn’t think it would be too different…they looked similar.
Flagging down someone who worked there he again posed what questions he had, in the best broken English he could manage, as he asked about what he needed to make gravy and how as well as how to make stuffing. The man, seeming to quickly understand things, decided to write it all out and suggest what sort of stuffing he should try and see if they liked it. So armed with another list he began adding more things to the cart, after the turkey was procured much to the seeming dislike of some older woman who had been looking at the same large packaged turkey as he’d been – too bad.
The time all this took seemed to just go on and on as he pushed the cart back and forth and added more things till it was seemingly stuffed as he really had to work to push the cart as he had purchased a lot for the holiday feast; and it would be a feast.
The check out process took a while and it seemed he had gone over some special limit, as his mother had some special savings card with the store to which he didn’t have the card but could provide their phone number, so he was able to get a free ten pound, or under, turkey. Not needing another bird, but not about to turn it down, he rushed to the back of the store and grabbed one up before returning and presenting to the cashier who handled that and even helped him bag everything. It was while being rung up that he’d called for the cab and had sent his sister a text message to let her know to be downstairs soon along with their cousin. As an afterthought he sent another message to his sister telling her that he has purchased a lot, more than he had last time, and to be ready for a long time getting everything up and inside the apartment.
The push outside and the short wait for the cab wasn’t unpleasant as he looked over everything, proud of the accomplishment and what he was planning, he couldn’t help but smile as he thought about what this celebration might be like for their family. It wasn’t like they didn’t have celebrations back home but this one was different and the food was different – very different.
Shaking his head to clear it of the warm, and fuzzy, thoughts he unloaded everything into the cab when it arrived. The trunk and back seat filled he gave his address and off they went, headed back home to where the girls waited for him. He had done the shopping for their first Thanksgiving and the girls…they would help him cook and bake, he didn’t even need to ponder the idea of his mother helping. He knew she would help as well, it was her kitchen and they were allowed to use it themselves. She would listen to him, see what information he had and read over the recipes, but she would be in charge and he knew it. He could already picture how she’d run things Thursday, the shouting and orders, the organized chaos which they would survive and despite all of it they would produce something which he thought might just be marvelous.
Yes, this might be something they’d have to continue from this year forward.Word count: 1,725
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