She sighs, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram as she lies in bed. Sunlight streams through the window and she drags her eyes from her feed to stare at the light patterns on the wall. They darken for a brief moment as a cloud slides across the sun but soon return to their original state of ambient brightness. Her room is quiet; the city hasn't awoken yet or she would have heard the tell tale sound of traffic rumbling through the walls of her streetside apartment.

The clock ticks off another minute. Her alarm will go off soon, but she doesn't yet have the energy to drag herself from the warm confines of her blankets. Content in her somnolence, she nestles further into the soft embrace of her comforter as it wraps around her and provide her more comfort than anyone ever could. Who needs a boyfriend when you have food, internet and blankets? And yet being 25 and single isn't what her parents considered a good time. If only...

Subin's "Circle's Dream" cuts through the bliss of her hazy surroundings. She opens her eyes, rolling over to stare at her alarm clock as if simply looking at it would turn it off. It doesn't. Letting out a yawn, she slides her phone on the bedstand and sits up, the photos on Instagram completely abandoned and but not forgotten.

Cold wood greets her feet as she pads over to open the curtains. The light pattern on the wall is destroyed but is replaced by a gentle morning breeze. The few birds that inhabit the city sing to the morning sky, their chirps intermingling with Subin's song.

Glancing at the clock she takes note of the time - 10am - then wanders over to the closet to pick out the day's outfit. Her shift had ended at three am and traffic wasn't too congested on the drive home so she was able to get in bed by four, but apparently neglected to pick out the day's attire before tumbling into the abyss of sleep. She did manage, somehow, to get a solid five hours of shut-eye last night, so it wasn't all for naught.

Glancing through her closet, she settles on a once-worn grey sweater and a twice-worn pair of high-waisted black jeans. She'll be cleaning for most of the day, so why bother with clean clothes? Outfit complete, she wanders towards the bathroom, grabbing a hair tie and throwing her hair in some sort of a bun in a halfhearted attempt to keep her hair out of her face. Her phone buzzes and she glances over at it.

丽华 sent you a message on WeChat!

She scrambles over to her phone, frantically typing in the passcode to view the message.

刘 丽华: 姐姐 啊 - 早上好！刚刚把我的处方加满了, 所以你可以停止担心! 现在上课了, 就不用回话哦!

A smile creeps onto her face as she reads her sister's message. She takes a deeps breath, finally able to feel something for the first time in two weeks, and sets her phone on the bathroom sink as she looks into her reflection.

The lack of sleep that had been racking up over the last few weeks has begun to show on her face as she stares at herself in the bathroom mirror. It isn't anything a little bb cream can't fix, but Suyin still feels dismayed that her face isn't flawless. She's not asking to look like Im Yoona or Fan BingBing, but she certainly wouldn't mind if she did. She turns to the side, mentally scrutinizing her figure. She wouldn't mind having the body of Im Yoona or Fan BingBing either.

A splash of cold water resets mind, and by the time she has finished her skincare routine - and covering up the dark circles with bb cream - she is completely awake. A buzz of her phone distracts her mad search for her brush. Again. She glances at the screen. It's not from her sister.

One new message from Chaewon.

Out of habit, she swipes on the screen to open the text as she spots the white handle of the brush underneath her bed. Why it is under her bed? She has no idea. Narrowing her eyes at the brush, she turns her attention to her phone instead.

Hey Suyin! Chanyong made something in art class that he wanted to give to you. Can we drop by sometime this afternoon?

I'll actually be working at the hotel. Heejae is on maternity leave.

kekeke so that's why you're awake this early. I didn't know Heejae was pregnant!

Yup. She's not due for another few months but I made her leave early.

I've been picking up her shifts for the past month so the others don't have to work overtime, which is why I've currently been seeing the morning sun for the first time in months.

Sweet Suyin to the rescue!

keke, shut up.

Never!

So should we stop by the hotel? Or do you want to meet us somewhere?

It might be better to meet somewhere other than the hotel.

I mean, it's a love hotel.

Don't want to pollute his mind.

Ah, right. Suggestions?

There's an ice cream shop nearby. Let's go there.

Aren't you on a diet?

The diet can wait.

keke! Alright, ice cream it is! But you're getting a small.

Chaewon!

Hey, you'll thank me for this later!

Clicking off her phone, she whines a noise and flops face first onto her bed, dangling an arm off the edge in a languorous attempt to reach her brush. Her hand doesn't find anything, and she rolls off the bed to grab the brush before picking the tangles out of her hair as she sits on the floor. Her phone buzzes again.

One new message from Jieun.

Suyin ignores it, instead dragging herself towards her kitchen as she brushes her hair into a high ponytail that she knows will be a mess by the end of the day. Her phone buzzes again.

Two new messages from Jieun.

The fridge hits her with a wave of cool air as she pulls it open and stares blankly at the fluorescent interior. It's full of food from her grocery trip yesterday, yet nothing seems to interest her much. She reaches towards the last of the tea eggs she made a few days ago, taking a bite as she scans over the choices once more. Her phone buzzes again.

Three new messages from Jieun.

She blinks a sigh, glancing towards her phone and then back towards the fridge. A carton of milk is hauled off the shelf and placed on the counter as she fishes for a coffee mug and pours herself a cup of caffeine. Her phone buzzes, consistently this time, and she answers the call.

"Hello?"

It's Jieun, one of her few employees and a close friend. Jieun's melodious voice drifts through the speaker with an air of elegance that matches her beauty. Honestly, Suyin hasn't figured out why she hasn't gotten signed to a modeling agency yet.

"Suyin, why aren't you answering your texts?"

"I'm busy," she replies, shoving the phone between her face and shoulder as she uncaps the milk carton. "What is it?"

"I brought a few succulents from my brother's shop so you can put them around the lobby. Oh, what time are you coming into today?" Jieun asks. "Are you still picking up Heejae's shift or should I? It technically starts in 30 minutes, but I can start it early since I'm still here."

"No," Suyin yawns. "I'll be there."

Jieun sighs on the other end and Suyin braces herself for the ineluctable comments on her health.

"You know we can handle it right? Or you could hire another employee," Jieun urges, her gentle voice taking a slight edge. "You can't keep overworking yourself like this."

"I'm not overworking myself," Suyin murmurs. "Besides, it's my hotel. I'm not just going to leave you guys to do everything."

Another sigh from Jieun whispers its way through the phone.

"Okay," she responds. "Just... take care of yourself okay?"

"Of course, Jieun. See you later."

"Yeah, see you."

She pulls the phone away from her ear but hears Jieun speak again.

"What?" Suyin asks.

"A heads up, there's a man that won't leave room 23."

--

A/N: The translation of the Chinese text is below! I hope you enjoyed the very first chapter of Love Hotel! Let me know what you think about Suyin, our dashing protagonist and what do you think is happening between Suyin and her sister? Why is there someone in room 23 that won't leave?

Please vote if you enjoyed, and comment if you wish! I love feedback!

Lihua Liu: Sister - good morning! I just refilled my prescription, so you can stop worrying! I have class now, so don't text back ok!