Work Text:
Seulgi got into the apartment and dropped the bag from her shoulder onto the floor. She sat at her bedroom desk, out of habit. There really wasn’t anything left to do there. She had done it. The exams were all over.
When the results were released, all the girls pushing against her to check where their name stood on the list, it brought back memories. But, as she read Woo Seulgi placed as number 1 in the whole school, all she felt was empty. Her name looked so lonely up there. A few of the girls congratulated her, some asked her what her secret was, but she shouldered past them all silently and headed home.
Her stepmother brought home a big bag of takeout boxes. It smelled good.
“Congratulations, Seulgi. You did well.”
Seulgi bowed her head slightly and they ate quietly. As she took her bowls to the sink, her stepmother called after her.
“Listen, I know that I...”
Seulgi kept staring ahead. She held a breath without noticing.
“You should stay here while you finish your studies.”
Seulgi looked over her shoulder, then turned around and bowed deeply. Not that this was a big concern anymore. She had officially been granted a full scholarship. But still good to be offered the choice.
“Thank you.”
She retreated to her bedroom, wondering if her late father would’ve been proud of her or if he would’ve made too much pressure like a certain father had. It didn’t matter. There was finally time to do what had been in the back of her mind since that box had appeared at the door.
Seulgi plopped on the floor and pulled out her phone. Seaside photo in one hand, street view map on the other, this occupied all of her free time for a while. Every day, she’d write down where she had started and finished. The notebook that still had the numbers she’d tried to unlock her father’s phone with was now full of coordinates.
Sometimes, the street view didn’t go close enough to the ocean. So, she had to deep dive into local tourism and restaurants to find pictures people had posted from there. This part frustrated her. It took too much time. But there was only so much coast in South Korea to go through. After a few weeks, she found it.
Her hands shook as she stared at the pixelated image before her. Seulgi quickly got out of street view to check the pier seen from above. The red metal eaten by the salt, the funny-shaped cabin... It had to be it. Seulgi swallowed hard. It was time to put her plan in motion.
Seulgi grabbed her two warmest coats, a small umbrella, and the dirty money that had sat under the bottom drawer of her bedside table since she had first received it. For tuition fees, he had said. Well, maybe there was a better use for it after all.
She put on the shiny new shoes and propped up a “Congratulations, you graduated!” postcard on top of her desk, next to her phone. On the back, it simply said “Will be gone a few days. Please don’t make a fuss or call the police. I don’t want to draw attention.”
Seulgi grabbed a handful of snacks and headed out in a hurry. She took multiple buses to the edge of Seoul before stopping at a small tech shop owned by a nice old couple. She bought two of their cheapest phones and headed to the biggest bus station nearby. It would take longer, but she’d get on as many buses as she could to become untraceable...
“Scuba girl!”
The boss called from the front of the shop.
“Just bring that box of Soondae here and you can go.”
Jaeyi did as he asked and plopped it on the shop’s counter.
“Uncle, will you give me a discount on one of these?”
He looked up from the register and chuckled, shook his head.
“You’re too skinny, just take one for free. People are going to think I don’t pay you...”
“Thank you, uncle.”
She took one and grabbed her light jacket and skateboard near the door. Since it was peak winter, it was nearly night-time as she got out of work, so no chance for scuba-diving. But she took a walk by the ocean waves before heading to her cabin. Well, not exactly hers... But the coast guard who had caught her there had turned a blind eye to it because all the older folks around the village seemed to like her.
Jaeyi skated back home, chill wind making her jacket flow behind her. She took out the leftovers from the lunch the uncle had given her. Deep-fried and delicious. She ate peacefully as she watched the ocean foaming and splashing against the rocks.
A sound, faint against the crashing waves, caught her attention. Could it be steps? As the sound became closer, she was sure that those were indeed footsteps. What now? She sighed in frustration and got on her knees to look under the locked door. It was barely visible through the slit, but the shine on those shoes...
The knocking was loud.
“Jaeyi!”
She was on her feet unlocking the door before she knew it.
“You found me.”
Jaeyi smirked, but Seulgi didn’t look amused.
“Don’t worry, I made sure I couldn’t be followed.”
Seulgi looked around the small cabin, which was just a tiny desk with some utensils on it, a futon and a few blankets in the corner. She furrowed her brow and came in.
“Congratulations.”
Jaeyi closed the door behind them and offered a seat on the blankets. Seulgi stared at her.
“Have you been keeping up with the school news?”
“I knew you’d get it.”
They both sat on the futon. Seulgi extended the warm coat she was holding to Jaeyi, who looked at her curiously as she tried it on. Then, she pulled out the phone and cash from the pockets. Jaeyi laughed.
“Seulgi, I don’t need...”
“I’m not asking.”
Seulgi stared her down. Jaeyi smiled and put the things back in the pockets.
“You should focus on your st-“
“Is it comfortable here?”
Seulgi was looking around again. Jaeyi knew it wasn’t much to look at, but if she told Seulgi that she was saving for something more, Seulgi wouldn’t stop asking questions.
“I have another safe place nearby, when the weather is too rough. But I like it here.”
Seulgi nodded, seeming a bit calmer. She put a hand over Jaeyi’s.
“Jaeyi-a, if you wait for me...”
Jaeyi smiled. It had been a while since she had heard her name out of someone’s lips. Coming from Seulgi, it sounded as sweet as she remembered. Seulgi finally looked up, determination in her eyes.
“I will finish my studies to become a doctor.”
She grabbed Jaeyi’s head and kissed her softly. The waves whooshed behind them as they crashed on the rocks. In a moment, Seulgi was getting up.
“I can come to you, wherever...”
Just like that, Seulgi was out of the door. Jaeyi, catching her breath from the surprise, walked to the door to watch the retreating figure.
Kissing Seulgi felt like the bottom of the ocean, where no one could touch them…