The Adventures of an English Tourist | EXO

Chapter 13

As the sun begins to rise and the next day is introduced I see (in my hung-over state that still claws for sleep) two handsome men rolling up outside in an equally as handsome car.

Illuminated by the early morning sun, they get out and stride towards the front door of the police station where I've spent the last few hours dosing on the world's comfiest chair (ha).

Looking round the space I see that a lot of my fellow trouble-makers from last night have already been picked up by their saviours, so I guess it's my turn now.

After a brief conversation with the bored looking night-shift at the desk the two men make their way over to Sophia and me.

I get picked up by rock-hard arms and carried effortlessly out the building and into the awaiting red Ferrari.

I am gently placed in the luxurious, leather seat as the one next to me is filled by my sleeping best friend; placed in by a very attentive guy that pauses to look at her adoringly for a moment, but then shakes his head and clambers into the front of the car. I smile to myself at the way he looked at her like she was a delicate and precious gem.

Tao starts the engine as Chen closes his passenger's side door, sounds that are too loud for me right now.

I place my head against the cold glass of the window, trying to cool it, and as we pull out onto the empty roads I close my eyes.

I sigh and receive an inquiry as to my wellbeing from the front. My reply is a faked smile into the rear-view mirror because I don't want anyone to worry over the mess-up known as me.

Of course I'm not okay. When in the police station and wasn't blacked-out I realised many things.

The first thing is that if I'd boarded that plane to America I would never have met Tom. I'm glad I did but I thought about it some more and realised that he would never have had cause to be upset because I am the reason he met Sakura on our visit to Namsan.

The second thing is that I realise I don't want to be an English teacher, which is basically the only job a native English speaker can get here. The other tragedy of this is I realised I left behind the business card from the restaurant customers in the apron that remains hung up in the small room there, which could have really changed my life. So yeah, in terms of getting a job here I'm screwed, and I seriously need the money seeing as I've spent it all already.

Before I depress myself further by mulling over my crappy existence I open my eyes and watch the world that passes by out the window.

It's funny how everything out there is so normal and complaisant, when everything inside is so bad. And yet, I remain to feel calm.

The boys in the front are talking happily and laughing frequently at the other's joke. I smile, despite my troubles.

The world that's around me, I realise, can be a nice place; you just have to look for it.

••••••

Once the boys have checked we're safely in the apartment they head back to their busy schedules, leaving Soph and I to recover from last night.

She chooses to crash on the sofa and sleep but despite my raging headache I head back outside and walk around.

The shops lining the street are opening their doors for the morning customers as I walk past. Smells of delicious food waft out and it's tempting to go in, but I carry on walking.

I don't really know where I'm going until I get there, which really makes me question my mind's intentions, but now that I'm here I may as well make the most of it.

I walk through the door and the bell announces my entrance. The last time I saw the woman that comes through the kitchen doors she never wanted to see me again.

What a drama queen.

I see a quick look of surprise crosses her face but it soon replaced by anger once more.

Nothing has changed.

"Back to apologise, I suppose?" she says in Korean.

I shrug, and the look on her face that follows suggests I've made a grave mistake.

I didn't intend to offend her. I came here wanting to get my job back because it was Tom's last gift to me, but I can see now it's not going to happen.

"Aniyo, just to get something I've left behind." I reply.

"And what is that?" she says, raising an eyebrow.

"A small bit of paper in my apron."

The old woman laughs. "I washed it a few days ago. If anything was in there it's already been destroyed."

Crap. I had hoped the business card would still be here, had wanted it to be.

Oh well, it was probably for some creepy company that wants pictures of what's not normally revealed, and that is the last place I want to be.

I bow and make my exit back onto the streets that are already bustling with tourists and residents commuting to work.

I pass the shops I passed before, although this time I pay more attention to what they sell.

If I was in England, France or somewhere like that, there would frequently be a cake shop.

Here there is none - just restaurants and coffee houses.

An idea pops into my head and I smile at how much of a genius I am.

I like cake. I think I'll open a cake shop.