Arrival in New York
Mina stepped out of the airport doors and felt the cold New York air hit her face. It wasn’t harsh… just different. The kind of cold that made her breath slow down for a second. People moved fast around her, pulling luggage, talking loudly, rushing like they were late for something important.
She stood there holding her small suitcase, trying to calm her heart.
New city. New country. New life.
The noise made her feel tiny, but she kept telling herself she came here for a reason. She wanted change. She wanted to feel alive again, not stuck in the same routine she had back in Seoul.
A taxi honked at her, making her jump a little.
The driver leaned out.
“You need a ride?”
“Ah— yes,” she said softly, almost whispering.
Inside the taxi, she pressed her forehead against the window and watched the tall buildings rise higher the closer they got to the city. She felt nervous, but also… excited.
When she reached her small apartment, she carried her luggage up the stairs herself. It wasn’t fancy. The room was small, the lights buzzed a little, and the heater made a soft rattling sound. But to her, it was freedom.
She sat on her bed, pulled her knees close, and let out a shaky breath.
“Day one,” she whispered.
“Please go well.”
She didn’t know it yet…
But just a few blocks away, her fate was walking the same streets.
