A few weeks earlier

“It’s been hard commuting to school for the past year, right, Yura?” my dad said.

I shrugged. “I mean, I’ve gotten used to it by now…”

That was a complete lie. I got accepted to a university two hours away from home. On days I had morning classes, it was absolute hell waking up at six a.m., only to be squeezed in between other early commuters inside a stuffy subway.

My dad replied, “Even if that’s so, your mom and I have discussed getting a place for you closer to school starting this semester.”

“Seriously?” I blurted out, overjoyed. So much for trying to put up a strong front.

My dad nodded, and I nearly squealed. “Understandably, your mom does have her concerns. You didn’t quite grow up with as many responsibilities as your older sister. Your mom worries whether you will be able to live out on your own.”

Was it a crime to have been born four years later? I felt like no matter how old I got, I was always stuck as the baby of the family. My parents hadn’t thought twice about letting my sister, Hana, move out the moment she started university, even though her school had actually been closer than mine currently was.

But this would be the chance I had been waiting for. I would prove to my mom and dad that I was just as capable of being independent as my older sister.

With absolute conviction, I said, “The only way I’ll know is if I try!”

“My thoughts exactly, Yura. However…”

“H-However…?” My moment of overconfidence ended just as quickly as it began.

“Well, to put your mom at ease, and to help out a close friend of mine, I’ve come up with a condition.”

“What condition exactly?”

“Do you remember Han Joonho Ajeossi, my friend from university? He lives in England with his British wife.”

(*Ajeossi: a middle-aged man; often added after names to be used similarly as “Mr.”)

I shook my head. I already didn’t like where this was going.

“I figured as much. The last time he was in Korea was ten years ago. He visited our house once.”

I stared blankly at my dad. This Han Joonho Ajeossi still wasn’t ringing any bells.

“Anyway, he has a daughter. Her name is Elsie. She happens to be the same age as you and will be coming here as a foreign exchange student for a semester.”

I was right not to like where this conversation was going. “But, Dad! The whole point of being able to live on my own is to live alone.”

“As your mom often says, the world can be a dangerous place, Yura, especially in the city around school areas. You’ve seen those news reports before, haven’t you? It’s safer to have a roommate.”

I seriously doubted he ever told Hana Unnie that. “This is so unfair…”

(*Unnie: an older sister, used only by females)

“You know, I met Elsie last summer when I was on my business trip to London. She’s a very sweet girl. You’ll like her. I feel like you two will bond on a lot of things.”

My immediate thought was that I didn’t need any more friends than I already had. Sure, I never was as social nor popular in school as my sister, but I was perfectly content with my small group of very close friends. I didn’t need some foreigner, especially if I was under the condition of forcibly having to share a place with her.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t a matter of negotiation with my dad. His mind had already been made up long before I stepped into his study.

“Consider this a great opportunity to brush up on your English speaking skills,” he reasoned. “It couldn’t have improved that much since your few years in the States back in elementary school.”

“That’s not true! My English is fine, dad.”

If only he was aware of the number of English books and shows I consumed. Plus, the fact that I was an English major should’ve been proof enough. But he still wasn’t convinced. Or maybe he just didn’t want to be convinced.

“Hey, brighten up, sweetheart. This should cheer you up. Come over here.”

I walked over to my dad’s side of the desk and sat on the armrest of his executive chair. He pointed at his laptop for me to look on with him.

Rubbing my back gently, he said, “Yura, I understand you’re disappointed about not being able to have a place all to yourself like your sister. But on the upside, I will get you a bigger apartment. Call it an act of compassion for a fellow maknae. Okay?”

(*Maknae: the youngest member of a family or group)

“Alright, fine,” I replied, pretending to still be upset. Although, my dad really made it difficult for me to stay mad at him for long. I couldn’t suppress my smile anymore. An act of compassion for a fellow maknae.

My dad opened up the webpage he had saved with a list of potential small-sized apartments. He scrolled through to show me, and my eyes stopped on just one place. Everything from the price to the size to the distance from my school earned a satisfactory pass. I could imagine myself settling in there at this very moment.

If only that mental image didn’t have to involve a roommate from England…