How to Avoid the Monday Blues Chapter 2

While devouring several pieces of bland-tasting midye dolma that retained the full citrusy freshness of lemon juice, the conversation between the two never faltered.

Standing side by side with an unfamiliar stranger and sharing a meal—it was something he had never done until now. Unwittingly, he had accomplished his very first goal.

It felt like a pretty good start to the trip.

After eating a hearty breakfast and returning to his room, Sewon wore a puzzled expression. Before going down for breakfast, the housekeeper he passed in the hallway had asked, “Cleaning?”, so he thought the room would be finished, but it remained untouched.

Since he hadn’t made a mess, he didn’t particularly need a cleaning, but he did need the two bottles of water provided daily. The bottles he received yesterday were already completely emptied. Hesitating, Sewon went down to the lobby. A welcoming face caught his eye.

“Hey, you got up early.”

Volkan greeted Sewon with a bright smile. Perhaps thanks to the short, personal conversation they shared yesterday evening, he felt familiar and friendly.

“Good morning. Um… by any chance, do you know when my room will be cleaned?”

“It’s not done yet? Should I ask them to clean it right now?”

“No, the cleaning is fine. I just drank all the water.”

“Are you thirsty? Want me to give you a glass first?”

When Volkan tried to call over the staff member serving welcome drinks, Sewon quickly shook his head.

“No, I just want to take it with me.”

After declining, a delayed wave of thirst washed over him. The breakfast he had thought was decent enough must have been much saltier than Korean food.

“I’ll bring the water bottles to you. Just a moment.”

“Thanks.”

With those words, Volkan darted away. In the lobby, alongside Sewon, stood another Asian man. Standing not too far away, this other man naturally drew Sewon’s gaze. Tapping his fingertips lightly on the lobby desk, the man—perhaps out of boredom—neatly arranged his belongings resting on top of it.

A leather passport cover subtly debossed with a logo, a matte black credit card, and an un-cased mobile phone. Everything was clean and devoid of unnecessary clutter, just like the man’s outward appearance.

Just as Sewon was trying to compose his gaze, Volkan was returning to the lobby with his arms full of water bottles. Bearing a friendly smile, Volkan had a short conversation with the man before approaching Sewon. Then, in a small voice, he whispered to Sewon:

“He’s Korean too. By any chance, is he an actor?”

At Volkan’s question, Sewon recalled the faces of actors he knew. However, no one in particular came to mind.

“…I don’t think so.”

“Go say hello. He came here to travel alone, too. I’ll introduce you.”

There’s really no need to introduce me to a fellow Korean. Before Sewon could even say so, Volkan walked over while cradling a bunch of water bottles in his arms. Sewon followed behind him. Because of that, the distance between Sewon and the man inevitably closed.

As he drew closer to him, Sewon felt a shadow cast over his head. Even when he had looked from a bit of a distance, the man was remarkably tall. Perhaps because of his straight posture, he stood out distinctly even among the tall foreign guests.

“My friend here is from Korea too.”

At Volkan’s introduction, their eyes met. Having only shared a simple meal together yesterday, Sewon had somehow become Volkan’s friend. To keep Volkan from feeling embarrassed, Sewon had no choice but to offer a greeting to the man.

“Ah… hello.”

Facing him directly, the man’s face was truly magnificent. Every feature that made up his face looked as though God had spent considerable time and effort crafting it with devotion.

He was so handsome that it gave off an alien, almost time-and-space-warping presence. It was simply intriguing to meet a handsome man in a foreign country whom he had never seen in Korea. Or was he hard to see in Korea precisely because a handsome man like this was abroad? Chuckling inwardly at his silly thought, Sewon averted his eyes. A framed picture hanging on the wall caught Sewon’s eye.

It looked somewhat familiar, but the movie poster was written in Turkish, making it impossible to read the title. Next to it hung a photo of an actor that looked like it had been taken on a film set. Above the photo was a large, stylish signature.

“What movie was that again…?”

Sewon murmured to himself unconsciously. It was a habit he had picked up after living on his own for a long time. Realizing a beat late that he was out in public, Sewon shut his mouth.

“Burn Sterling.”

The expressionless man tossed out a response—not a greeting, but an answer to the mutter Sewon had just voiced.

“Ah….”

Burn Sterling was an action movie where CIA agent Marcus Sterling chased villains all over the globe. Since the first installment came out in the 70s, sequels had been consistently produced to this day. A slow exclamation leaked from Sewon’s lips.

“The first and fourth series were filmed in Istanbul, and this hotel exploded in the fourth installment.”

“….”

Sewon’s eyes slowly drifted toward the frame on the wall.

“This hotel appears on screen for less than five seconds, but for someone out there, it remains a memory they can never forget in their lifetime.”

It was a low-key manner of speech, yet the man’s voice carried weight. Was that why? Even without wearing a strict suit or displaying an overbearing demeanor, he radiated the strong aura of a mature adult. Leaving Sewon with a brief nod, the man turned away without lingering regret.

The moment he thought that even the man’s back as he walked away looked handsome, Sewon felt his throat grow parched for some reason. Chugging one of the water bottles he received from Volkan right then and there, Sewon set out on his way.

The small amount of money he had exchanged at Istanbul Airport was completely depleted. Instead of heading straight to tourist attractions, Sewon decided to exchange some currency first. Stepping past the open expanse of Taksim Square and into the downtown area, money exchange booths appeared every ten steps, exaggeration aside. Dazzling LED signboards displayed rates for USD, EUR, and GBP listed in a row.

Even though it was still early, the streets were lively, perhaps because there were many tourists. The sight of vendors skillfully twirling ice cream attached to an iron rod while shouting “Dondurma, dondurma!” caught Sewon’s eye.

A young child standing at the stall giggled delightfully while looking at the ice cream that mischievously dodged their hand. Because the texture of the stretchy, pure white ice cream looked so chewy, he resolved to try it at least once before returning to Korea.

He converted the US dollars he brought into Turkish lira. Since carrying all of it was a considerable amount, Sewon had to drop by the hotel again.

Turning into an alley connected to the square, he arrived at the hotel. The place Sewon was staying at was a boutique hotel under a famous hotel chain, which he was lucky enough to book through a last-minute special offer.

The patterned carpet laid out in the lobby and the chandelier scattering bright light drew Sewon’s eyes every single time.

While he was lucky enough to stay in a luxury hotel this time, it was a special, once-in-a-lifetime event. Thinking that such a place was beyond his station, Sewon looked away.

“Done with city sightseeing already?”

Freed after finishing check-outs for departing guests, Volkan called out to Sewon. Sewon recalled Volkan saying he wanted to work in the hotel industry even after graduation. Seeing how sociable he was and how comfortably he treated people in conversation, it seemed like his true calling. Sewon suddenly felt envious of him for finding what he wanted to do so early.

“No. I just stepped out briefly. I was planning to swing by my room before heading back out.”

“The cleaning probably isn’t done yet.”

“Mmm… that’s fine, I’m just going to grab my bag again.”

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll ask them to finish it early during breakfast time. Where are you heading today?”

Volkan added an apology with a slight squint of his eyes. Seeing him ask for understanding, Sewon shook his head and emphasized several times that it was truly fine. Approaching the desk where Volkan stood, Sewon showed him his sightseeing plans for the day.

“Today I’m going to Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, then visiting the Basilica Cistern. Topkapi Palace… depending on the time.”

“Sounds like a good plan, but a bit boring. Don’t you have any plans to enjoy the real Istanbul?”

“The real Istanbul?”