WINNER
E AS T T O W E S T words by Dawna Shim illustration by Rachel Cheang
“M
rs. Kim! Mrs. Kim!” People were screaming at me, shaking me wildly. I thought to myself, ‘Did something happen?’ “Mrs. Kim, your body switch with Ms. Park has been successful. You have full access and authority over the body of Park Mirae. Do you understand?” “Yes, I understand.” There wasn’t a single drop of saliva left in my mouth after the eight-hour-long operation. I stood up from the bed for the first time. Soon, I was walking. All by myself ! As I filled my cup with fresh water, I saw myself in the mirror. A beautiful young lady with black hair, full lips and impeccable skin. I thought of how lucky I was to find a person like Mirae who was willing to switch bodies with an 80-year-old woman. I was sure I could live her life to the fullest. The first place I visited was a department store. There, I bought a beautiful pair of red high heels, an elegant dress and a makeup kit. They were all the things that I wanted to have when I was 20 years old. Back then, I was busy saving what little money I had, but now I had a whole stash of money that I had to use before I died. Mirae had no taste in clothes anyway and she needed a change in style. Then I took the subway for the first time in 40 years. There were tall buildings blo-
cking sun lights everywhere. After a long, dark tunnel the train crossed the Han River that glinted in the bright sunlight. The river was the only thing that seemed to still welcome me after all these years. Mirae had told me that I need to have a coffee chat with her high school friends from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. By the time I arrived at the coffee shop, there were three girls waiting for me. They began to scream and yelp at me, “Oh my god, Mirae!” “What did you do with your face?” “Since when did you wear a skirt?” I simply sat down and let them admire my beauty, “I know, I know.” “You look like a grandma with that blue eyeshadow,” a girl with black lipstick and a nose piercing said to me. “Wait... Something’s wrong with you today,” this girl was barely wearing anything except for a bra and a skirt. I felt nervous, so I started to gulp down the tea that was in front of me. “Mirae hates that drink,” a girl with bangs and black eyes stared at me. “I... I...” My hands began to sweat. I stood up and hurried out. Next, I had to visit Mirae’s mom at the Severance hospital. It wasn’t exactly what I was looking forward to do, but I had to follow the rules. The very smell of the hospital made me want to run back to the doors and never return. As I walked throu-
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