A new routine

Seoyeon entered the classroom, the familiar smell of chalk and paper mixing with the faint hum of the other students settling into their seats. The day felt different, though. She felt more aware, more present than before. She sat down at her desk, straightened her uniform, and prepared herself to focus.

The teacher entered, and Seoyeon immediately became absorbed in the lesson. She listened carefully, her attention fixed on the words spoken, the lesson unfolding in front of her. It was different from her old school, where she often found herself distracted, disinterested, or simply disconnected. Here, her mind seemed sharper, more eager to grasp the lessons. Her handwriting flowed neatly across her notebook, the strokes of her pen smooth and confident. Her Korean fluency impressed her teacher, who asked her to read aloud. Seoyeon did so effortlessly, the words flowing from her lips with ease. It was a moment of quiet pride.

She was doing well. For once, she felt like she belonged.

As the school day ended, Seoyeon’s attention shifted to the next part of her routine. It was time for tuition. Her teacher led her to a new classroom, where all the sections of students gathered together. It was a crowded room, full of faces Seoyeon didn’t recognize. She couldn’t help but wonder, Do their parents also not have time for them? Is that why they’re all here, just like me?

She took a seat next to a girl she had never seen before. The girl looked at her and smiled warmly, a friendly gesture that made Seoyeon feel just a little more at ease.

“You’re the new girl, right?” the girl asked.

Seoyeon blinked, unsure for a moment. There were so many students, and she hadn’t yet memorized everyone’s faces. She nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m Seoyeon.”

The girl introduced herself as Yujin, her smile never fading. They exchanged a few polite words, the small talk feeling less awkward than Seoyeon expected. Yujin seemed friendly, easygoing, and made Seoyeon feel like she wasn’t so alone in this room full of strangers.

The tuition classes went by slowly, the hours stretching before her. It was like this every day—school in the morning, and then again in the evening. When her parents had time, they would come and pick her and her sister up. There was always that lingering feeling of being caught between two worlds—home and school, both places where she had to adjust, both places where she was always waiting for something to change.

Some days, her parents came to pick them up late, long after the other students had already left for the day. Seoyeon would stand with her sister by the school gate, waiting for the familiar figure of her father, who was always working, always busy. She never complained, though. There wasn’t much to say. Her family’s life was a quiet one, and she had grown used to it.

As the weeks passed, Seoyeon’s first year of Grade 7 began to wind down. She wasn’t the same girl who had stepped into Mokhwa High School all those months ago. She had learned to adapt, to listen, to focus. But there was still something missing—still something she was searching for.

Even with the small conversations she had with Yujin, even with her classmates being kind, she still couldn’t shake the feeling of being a little out of place, of not being fully seen. But she kept pushing forward, doing what she could to fit in, to carve a small space for herself in this new life.

Her days were quieter now. Less awkward. Less lonely. But they still felt incomplete.

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