Racing Against Time

The warm morning sunlight poured through Hana's bedroom window, draping her room in a golden glow. Suddenly, a loud slam echoed as Hana's palms hit her study table, jolting her fully awake from a nap she hadn't realized she'd taken. She shot up, her gaze darting to the clock on her nightstand.

"8:15 a.m.?!" Hana exclaimed, her voice panicked.

Her class started at 8:30. The realization hit her like a truck, and her heart raced as she scrambled to her feet.

"Eomma!" she shouted, her voice ringing through the house.

Downstairs, the clinking of pots and pans stopped momentarily. Her mother's calm voice floated up the stairs. "What is it, Hana?"

Hana grabbed her towel and dashed toward the bathroom, her frustration bubbling over. "Why didn't you wake me up? I'm late!"

"You stayed up late working," her mother replied, her tone matter-of-fact as she continued preparing breakfast. "I thought you needed the rest."

"Eomma, I have a class!" Hana yelled through the closed bathroom door as she hurriedly brushed her teeth. She splashed water on her face, her movements frantic.

"Skipping one class won't hurt," her mother said, unfazed, as she laid out the dishes for breakfast—a typical Korean morning meal set of rice, kimchi, steamed spinach, and doenjang jjigae.

Hana groaned, spitting out toothpaste before responding. "You always say that! But this is important!"

Her mother chuckled softly, shaking her head as she set a bowl of steaming soup on the table. "What's more important than your health? You'll thank me later when you don't collapse from exhaustion."

Hana, half-dressed and balancing her bag while pulling on a sock, darted into the kitchen. "I'm going to collapse from stress if I don't get to class on time!"

Her mother looked at her with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "At least eat something before you go. You can't work on an empty stomach."

"No time," Hana said, grabbing a piece of toast her mother had prepared earlier. She stuffed it into her mouth, juggling her bag and her coat as she hurried to put on her shoes.

"You're going to choke," her mother muttered, shaking her head but smiling fondly as she watched Hana struggle.

Hana pointed to her wristwatch dramatically. "I don't have a choice! Bye, Eomma!"

"Bye," her mother called after her. "Don't forget to eat lunch!"

Hana slammed the door behind her, rushing down the street toward the bus stop. The cool morning air stung her cheeks, but she didn't care. She couldn't afford to miss her design critique today, especially after finally making some progress on her project.

Back in the kitchen, her mother set the last dish of banchan on the table and sat down just as Hana's father walked in, stretching his arms and yawning.

"Was that Hana rushing out just now?" he asked, taking his seat at the table.

"Who else would it be?" her mother replied, pouring him a cup of coffee. "She woke up late for class."

Her father chuckled, shaking his head. "That girl. Always running herself ragged. What time did she even go to bed last night?"

"Probably well past midnight," her mother said with a sigh. "She was working on her project again. She hardly sleeps these days."

"Sounds like Hana," came another voice as their younger son, Joon, joined them at the table, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Morning," Joon mumbled, grabbing a bowl of rice and a piece of kimchi. "No wonder she was so grumpy yesterday. She's like a bear when she's stressed."

His mother gave him a playful swat on the arm. "Yah, don't talk about your sister like that."

Joon grinned, shoving a spoonful of rice into his mouth. "It's true, though."

Their father shook his head, a fond smile on his face. "She works hard, that's for sure. But she needs to learn how to balance things. Otherwise, she's going to burn out."

"Tell her that," Joon said, shrugging. "She never listens to me."

"That's because you're always teasing her," their mother said, shooting him a look. "If you'd try being helpful for once, maybe she'd take you seriously."

"Helpful? Like what?" Joon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like offering to do something nice for her," their father suggested. "Maybe take her out for coffee or help with her chores."

Joon snorted. "Yeah, right. She'd think I was up to something."

"That's because you usually are," his mother quipped, earning a laugh from her husband.

Setting his empty coffee cup down, Hana's father leaned back in his chair. "By the way, aren't you supposed to open the restaurant today?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hana's mother paused mid-bite, then smiled. "Not today. I've already arranged for Yuna to take care of things at the restaurant."

Her husband gave her a curious look. "Yuna? That new part-timer?"

"Yes," she replied, taking a sip of her tea. "She's reliable, and I trust her to handle the morning rush. I've got plans to meet up with some friends later."

"Friends, huh?" Joon chimed in, smirking as he leaned forward. "Where are you all going? Some fancy café in Gangnam?"

His mother shot him a playful glare. "No, smart mouth. We're meeting at Seokchon Lake."

"Seokchon Lake? That's a nice spot," her husband said, nodding approvingly. "Are you meeting your high school friends again?"

"Yes," she confirmed with a fond smile. "It's been ages since we all got together, so we thought we'd take advantage of the good weather. We're planning to grab some tteokbokki from a street vendor and just enjoy the view."and leaned back in his chair. "By the way, aren't you supposed to open the restaurant today?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hana's mother paused mid-bite, then smiled. "Not today. I've already arranged for Yuna to take care of things at the restaurant."

Her husband gave her a curious look. "Yuna? That new part-timer?"

"Yes," she replied, taking a sip of her tea. "She's reliable, and I trust her to handle the morning rush. I've got plans to meet up with some friends later."

"Friends, huh?" Joon chimed in, smirking as he leaned forward. "Where are you all going? Some fancy café in Gangnam?"

His mother shot him a playful glare. "No, smart mouth. We're meeting at Seokchon Lake."

"Seokchon Lake? That's a nice spot," her husband said, nodding approvingly. "Are you meeting your high school friends again?"

"Yes," she confirmed with a fond smile. "It's been ages since we all got together, so we thought we'd take advantage of the good weather. We're planning to grab some tteokbokki from a street vendor and just enjoy the view."

~~~~~

The bus ride was agonizingly slow, every red light and stop feeling like an eternity. Hana checked her watch repeatedly, mentally willing the vehicle to move faster. By the time it pulled up near her college, she was out of the door before it had fully stopped.

She sprinted through the gates, her bag bouncing against her side, and burst into her classroom just as her professor was calling her name.

"Present!" she blurted, panting as she slid into her seat.

The professor raised an eyebrow but continued with the attendance roll, sparing her any further embarrassment. Hana exhaled a sigh of relief, quickly pulling out her sketches to prepare for the critique session.

As the presentations began, Hana listened half-heartedly, her mind still racing. When her name was finally called, she stood up, her heart pounding in her chest.

She placed her sketches on the table at the front of the class, explaining her concept and how she aimed to reinterpret traditional Korean hanbok styles with a modern twist. Her voice trembled slightly, but as she spoke, she felt a flicker of confidence returning.

The professor studied her work in silence, nodding occasionally. When he finally spoke, his tone was neutral. "You've made significant progress since the last session, Hana. The fusion of traditional elements with contemporary design is promising. However, your execution needs refinement. Pay closer attention to proportions and detail."

Hana nodded, grateful for the feedback. It wasn't a glowing review, but it wasn't harsh criticism either. She returned to her seat, her mind already buzzing with ideas for improvement.