LIFE TO COME,
have a little faith in me just drop kick the shame @ftjiae
( HONGDAE, DEC. 2013 )
seoul is a brutal, merciless place, and in more ways than just one. wintertime in the city is nothing to be taken lightly; junho had learned from the one day he was sure he could last busking in below zero degree celsius weather in late december without a heavy jacket — to which his experience with only busan and las vegas weather clearly lead his sense of judgmental askew. he looks back and recalls how detrimental that day felt when he had to race back to his friend’s apartment from hongdae to get his only winter coat and feared that any moment spent away from the neighborhood would jeopardize his chances of being noticed by some sort of talent scouter.
he was new to the city, only a few months in but still feeling like the city’s biggest outsider. english was still fairly fresh in his mind at the time, a plus for those foreigners who came to visit hongdae to watch all the street performers. his language skill made him different, set him apart from everybody else who avoided interacting with the public at all costs; junho found it easy, more comfortable for him, even. he didn’t like the idea of closing people off: you never know where people came from, or better, who they knew. he was never quick to judge.
some days, though, the weather was just too brisk to stay out too long. his roommate had advised junho against more than a few hours at a time if the guitarist really insisted on staying out. he was a product of the south, of mild winters where snowfall wasn’t as frequent as it was in seoul, but junho was still determined, even in a blizzard, to make his dedication a statement.
when the streets start to empty because of the accumulating snowfall, junho decides maybe he shouldn’t let himself die of hypothermia today, either. he moves to seek refuge from the cold in jiae’s family’s convenience store, bowing as the bell above the door chimes.
“i don’t know how seoul people do it,” junho muses once he’s gathered some things; extra spicy ramyeon, a hot cup of black coffee, banana milk and an egg sandwich. none of it is cohesive, much like junho’s life at the moment, and he sets it all down on the counter with a light sigh. some excess snowflakes fall from his beanie as he takes it off to run a hand through his hair, his cheeks still tinted pink from the harsh wind. “it’s nuts. i don’t get how people can deal, nonetheless enjoy this kind of weather.”
