the rain falls in a gentle pattern against the windows of the cafe. it’s a rare glimpse of freetime in the midst of pre-concert crunch time and while she would, honestly, perhaps prefer to have holed herself up in further practice endeavors, she also knows she needs to take care of her mental health. she needs a moment to breathe, to recharge. so she went for a jog, got her hair done, and found a cafe worth exploring. the ride into jamsil is quick and the bus is mercifully empty, two things she is grateful for as she walks up to the counter.
the prices are high, but she gets it. it’s part of the “van gogh” gimmick and she can’t help but fall prey to one of the macaroons decorated with a delightful landscape reminiscent of the painter’s work. she takes the macaroon and her coffee to the communal reading table that stretches long beneath the massive painting on one wall, lets herself fall into the mood. she leafs through the pages of one of the large art books on the table, sips coffee, drowns herself in the calm of the moment.
it’s strangely cleansing, all this beautiful art around and in front of her. she forgets almost, for a minute, who she is and what she is working toward. exists in a state of pure contentment, imagines the streets outside to be some distant locale, and not just the familiar seoul, painted in monsoon and cement grays. she’s brought to remember it by a familiar face beside her, turning a grin in his direction as she pulls out her earbud to greet, “oh, hey, fancy seeing you here.” she notes with a smile, taking a sip from her coffee. “how’s preparation going?”
@lgchyunjin
