#unmiso

[unkousei-blog]

proper enunciation.

@unmiso​

after a while, seoul doesn’t feel all that foreign, but this only makes its differences from tokyo all the more arresting.  something in the air is just a little off, the heartbeat of the city always just a second slower than what kousei expects — even a year around the world and he can’t help but compare.  the greatest difference is the look of the city itself, wizarding seoul stone and ancient where all of tokyo is ever-shinier.  for a moment kousei will close his eyes, and he’s so close to home he can almost fool himself into thinking he is, only for a rapidfire sentence in korean to catch his ear and bring him back to reality.

he can’t say he’s disappointed, though.  there’s plenty of cheap food right near the wand shop, so he never has to stray far.  he’s grown fond of a particular street vendor who’s managed to gain enough control of the street to lay out a small army of plastic tables and chairs.  it had taken awhile for the vendor to figure out what kousei was trying to order, when he’d first found the place. now he only has to wave and take a seat for the vendor to begin preparing his meal, a relief for the both of them. 

it’s a nice touch of familiarity kousei can really appreciate, but today he’s feeling adventurous and wants to try something else on the menu.  he pauses in front of the stall, staring down the hangul.  he really shouldn’t feel this intimidated by an alphabet, but here he is.  thankfully, there’s pictures accompanying the words — a new beef dish is sizzling in the most appealing way, but he has no idea how to pronounce its name, the combination of consonants and vowels not one he’s encountered before.  he doesn’t want to resort to pointing, but he’s not in the mood to embarrass himself, either.

he swallows his pride, and extends a finger.  “can i get, uh, that? that one?”  even this is rough, his pronunciation shaky and accented.  he thinks it’s passable, though, because the vendor only raises an eyebrow and nods.  kousei sighs, thankful, and places the appropriate change in the vendor’s outstretched palm before finding himself an empty table.