AWAKE - kim seok jin

Chapter 1: Awake

      I opened my eyes slowly, only to be greeted by a blue-colored ceiling. I blinked a few times since my vision was a little bit blurry.

When I finally cleared my vision, I looked around the room, with the feeling of anxiety rushing to my heart. Everything was scattered and messy. Empty.

Where exactly was I?

My head was spinning like crazy and that was when I realised- that I didn't know myself. All I know was my name, and my age which totally- didn't make any sense.

My name is Chae Areum,

and I am 21 years old.

Basically, Areum means beautiful.

That was all that I remember about myself. My name, and my age.

My mind was blank for a minute. I didn't even know how I got here. I really felt like a fish out of water, I kept questioning myself,

Why was I in this apartment, or to be more specific, in this bedroom? What was really happening?

Where were my parents? Where were my friends? Do I even have one in the first place?

Floods of unanswered questions filled my brain, that at some point my head started to hurt. I looked around the room as I frantically tried to search for an answer.

Though my head was spinning, my eyes were caught on a brown wardrobe at the corner of the room.

I should go check it out, I thought. Maybe there would be something in there that could answer my questions.

I sat on my bed and got up slowly, trying to get on my two feet. I flinched when my feet touched the cold floor. Gosh, I was so weak that I didn't even have the energy to lift my foot up.

I gently opened the wardrobe and saw bunch of clothes. Whose clothes were this? There were blouses and skirts so no way that I was at a guy's apartment. Did I perhaps have a little too much to drink last night and forgot everything? Did I have a one night stand?

No, it couldn't be that bad. What was I thinking?

I sifted through the clothes one by one, and when I saw it, I was astonished. I took it out with shaky hands and examined it.

There was a waitress uniform with my name on it.

'Chae Areum', it said.

All of these were my clothes? But.. when?

I didn't even remember applying for this job. What was this? How? Why? 

I saw something in the pocket of the uniform and I took it out. It was a name card.

Sunny Cafe
7th Street, Kechi Garden
Seoul, South Korea

Was this the address of my workplace?

I pursed my lips into a thin line as I thought more about it. It's crazy, I didn't even know where I belong. I was lost in this big world, and I wonder if people knew I existed. I sighed hard and put the card back into its place.