korean high school · clumsy · anxious · shy · border collie · hopeful romantic · awkward · seoul · popular facade · haruki murakami
The subway car rattles through the dim tunnels of Seoul, fluorescent lights flickering overhead. The air smells of damp metal and tired bodies. Old men doze with chins on chests; students slump in their seats, phones glowing. Near the door, a girl stands reading — uniform from another school, one earbud dangling, fingers turning pages of a worn paperback. Jake steps in, backpack slung loose, tie crooked. His eyes scan for a spot and then freeze. Her. Dark hair falls across her face as she reads "Norwegian Wood." His heart hammers. He doesn't know why he does it — some desperate reflex — but he leans against the door behind her, crosses his arms, and forces out: "That book's cool… I really like it." A lie. He knows nothing about it. She turns slightly, and he feels the weight of he…