shay min . d9 . fin

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I suppose I'm just not the type who can see the beauty in these factory walls. I want nature. I want to be out in the open fields, breathing in the fresh air. Instead, here I am, stuck working inside these concrete walls.

These buildings seem like they're never-ending. Walking down the streets of Nine, they go forward and back forever, side to side for ages and up towards the sky for eternity. What's worse? I live in a small apartment in the heart of it all. I just can't escape it. My roommate, Jira, is a sweetheart, but she just doesn't see things the same way that I do. She doesn't mind living deep in the inner city where the streets weave in and out of sketchy alleyways. She doesn't see why it's an issue for me.

I live in the heart of the city because that's where Jira lives, and she invited me to move in with her when I wanted to move out of my parents' house. Some days, I think I should just move back in with my parents on the outskirts of the city, but I realize that's not plausible. It's too far away from work, and even taking a bus wouldn't get me there on time if I lived with them.

I wouldn't mind my work so much if it wasn't keeping me cooped up in a factory for several hours a day. For work, I make soap. I know, it sounds dumb, but it's completely necessary. I don't mind doing something that helps people. I just wish I didn't have to be trapped inside to do it.

Most days after work, I head straight home to my apartment. If I can't be out in nature, I suppose the next best thing is to be home, doing something else that I enjoy, at least a little bit. So, I'll cook and bake some goodies to eat, or I'll crack open a good book. I'll spend hours on end writing stories and poetry in my journal. I'm not very good at poetry, but who says you have to be good at something to enjoy it?

Some days I'll go for a run for an hour or so through the streets around my apartment, even though I hate the city life. It just gets me out and about, at least a little bit, and keeps my endurance at its peak level that it's been at for so long. I'm a good runner, and can do it for quite a while. It's something that helps relieve my stress. Anything that helps relieve my stress seems like a good idea to me.

If I had the chance to change one thing in my life, I'd go live somewhere like District Ten or Eleven where they have open fields and fresh air. I don't really get much of that here all that often. I have to travel outside the city for it, so it's a rarity for me. I just wish it was easier to get that freedom I crave. I feel like I'm just a cog in a machine that never stops going.

There was a day, about a month ago, where I did have the chance to go outside the city, to the more remote parts of Nine. I spent the day in a big park, breathing in the fresh air, lying back in the grass and relaxing. It was bliss. I just want to go back to that, but I hardly ever have the time. I want it so dearly, but it's so hard to get.