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chapter 17
She couldn’t remember the details, but the sensation of wandering through a dream for days was something that lingered.
So Serin tried to brush off the unbelievable situation she was in now as simply another consecutive dream caused by the stress and exhaustion from her hotel interviews and part-time jobs.
Honestly, she was secretly relieved she hadn’t woken up yet. The thought of experiencing her first day as a hotelier made her heart flutter.
After fetching some water and washing her face, Serin woke her roommates and sat in front of the mirror stand to start getting ready.
Seeing the two girls’ dry skin, Serin took out a moisturizing cream from her bag, squeezed a bit onto the back of their hands, and told them to apply it.
“Wow—what is this?”
“Never seen anything like it.”
“Just try putting it on your face.”
“Uh? O-okay.”
The two girls stared curiously at the soft white cream on their palms before carefully applying it to their faces.
“This is a cosmetic—something you put on your face so it doesn’t get dry.”
“T-this is… amazing.”
“Right? It spreads really well too.”
But what Gabi was amazed by wasn’t the cream—it was the tube containing it.
“Th-this is incredible! How can a container like this even exist?”
Serin couldn’t exactly tell them, “It’s a rubber tube made in a 21st-century factory,” so she just blinked silently.
“Uh… well…”
“D-did this come from Song (the Song dynasty)?”
“Huh? Song? Uh… probably?”
Ah—like in all Joseon-era dramas, anything unfamiliar or advanced was always said to have come “from over the sea”!
Afraid they would question her further, Serin quickly put the cosmetics away deep inside her bag.
Then she put on the academy uniform they had been given. A white jeogori with pale pink trim, a red pleated skirt, and a light pink outer layer like a windbreaker.
But the sleeves were too wide and the skirt too long—it looked like she could step on it and fall if she wasn’t careful.
‘It’s pretty, but a bit impractical for working…’
She examined the small name tag they had received with the uniform. It had the character 惠 on one side, and her own name carved on the other.
‘Is this like an ID badge? Or a replacement for a hopae?’
Just then, she noticed Gabi tying her hair neatly with dexterous hands. Serin found herself staring, mouth slightly open.
“Wh-what?”
“Nothing. Just… you’re really good with your hands.”
At that, Gabi fidgeted for a moment before murmuring,
“Th-then… should I do your… your hair too?”
“What?! Really?!”
“I’m fine. My hair is short—I can just tie it up,” Daseom said.
But Serin eagerly leaned forward, and Gabi gently took her hair down again and began styling it with incredible skill.
She braided parts of it neatly, pinned it up, then pulled something from her sleeve and placed it into Serin’s hair.
It was a beautiful hairpin with a butterfly ornament that shimmered lightly with each movement.
“Wow, what is this? It’s so pretty.”
“I-it’s a gift, since we… we became friends.”
“What? Then I—!”
“And this is for you.”
To Daseom, she gave a silk hair ribbon with delicate embroidery.
“…This looks expensive.”
Even Serin—who really knew nothing about accessories—could tell the craftsmanship was exquisite. Daseom, who had been admiring it, nodded in agreement.
“N-no. I… I made it myself.”
“WHAT?!”
Serin and Daseom’s jaws dropped.
“I t-told you my family makes jewelry. I l-learned too.”
“Gabi…”
Overwhelmed, Serin opened her bag and pulled out a small item, placing it into Gabi’s hands.
It was a cute metal compact shaped like a cat. When opened, it had a mirror and a small attached comb.
“Gabi, take this. It’s not brand-new, but I got it recently, and I really treasured—Gabi?”
Gabi clutched the compact tightly and lowered her head.
“…Are you crying?”
It wasn’t that big of a deal—
“…Serin.”
“Uh-huh? Gabi?”
Serin answered in a soft, emotional voice.
“……Where did you get this?!”
Gabi suddenly lifted her head and shoved the compact right in front of Serin’s face.
“This delicate craftsmanship! How is it made? Hammered? Mold-cast? Where did you buy this?!”
Uh… Gabi? You’re not stuttering at all right now?
“I—I think it was the same shop as earlier? P-probably!”
Serin and Daseom instinctively leaned back from Gabi’s intensity.
“If you remember later, you MUST tell me!!”
“Uh? O-okay, I will.”
When Serin pointed at her new hairpin, Gabi finally calmed back down.
“N-no… I’ll treasure this too. Thank you.”
Seeing her so happy filled Serin with warmth.
Next to them, Daseom said in a heated voice,
“What about me?”
“Give and take.”
“Huh? Give? Take?”
“It means you need to give something to get something.”
“Wow! So mean!!”
“Kidding. Here.”
Serin pulled out a small teddy-bear keychain.
“Waaah! What is this?! It’s so cute!”
“It’s an accessory you attach to a key. They don’t make them anymore, so don’t lose it.”
“O-okay! I’ll never lose it! I’ll put it on our room key~!”
Daseom quickly tucked it into her clothing as if it might run away.
‘Our training starts today, right?’
Finally, the “freshman orientation” she’d always dreamed of.
After breakfast with her roommates, Serin headed to the training hall.
A warm autumn sun poured softly under the training hall’s wide eaves, where rows of new trainees dressed alike gathered closely.
Serin removed her shoes on the stepping stones and looked around in amazement.
“There was a place like this above Hyangmicheong?!”
From below, the ceiling seemed high enough to touch the sky, but above it was a spacious open room with a beautiful view.
Braziers were placed throughout, already heated, so despite the chilly autumn morning, the air inside was warm.
The windows were covered in hanji, letting in a gentle glow. Sunlight filtered through the carved lattice patterns, casting intricate shadows on the floor.
‘Ahh… so this is the orientation place for the new trainees.’
Serin, Gabi, and Daseom quickly took seats near a brazier and chatted.
Naturally, most people sat with their roommates, the ones they would be sharing a dorm with.
But then—
“You three. Move.”
One of Shin’s gang—Seonji—approached and abruptly demanded Gabi give up her seat.
“H-huh? Why? W-we came first…”
Gabi looked baffled by the unreasonable demand. Daseom chewed jerky she had somehow produced from nowhere, glaring silently at Seonji.
“So w-what if you came first? Hah! A stuttering mess like you sure talks back well enough, huh?”
“Oh, I’ve been patient, but—”
Daseom slowly rose to her feet.
“Hey, Soonja. What did you just say?”
Her chilly tone, jerky still in her mouth, made Seonji flinch. But perhaps embarrassed that she flinched, she suddenly snapped back.
“S-Soonja?! My name is Seonji!”
“I don’t care if you’re Seonji or pig’s blood. Apologize to Gabi. Now.”
“What! Pig’s blood?! You wanna die?!”
She glanced behind her—
