Tofu Thyme Palace
A short story set in South Korea. Written as a prompt from my local writing group.
Prompt: We were all given the same piece of paper. The prompt was to write a 200-word story about a person waiting for another person to give the main character either good news or bad news. Everything else was left up to interpretation. Because it was handwritten it was hard to determine the word count, but it didn't matter as it was read out.
8PM Tofu Thyme Palace: be there or be square! It should be good. They have a Jazz band on tonight.
We'll see, Sook-Jo texted back. I've only just left my husband...
8:01 PM: Gong-Gi's coffee is cold. He regretted not ordering a beer when it was happy hour. It would have been great for Sook-Jo to turn up. It would have been bad news if she was a no-show. He ordered her favourite plum rice wine. Something sweet and ripe just like her.
The clock added another minute. Gong-Gi's fingers tapped the table so hard the coffee cup clattered towards him. He checked his phone: nothing from her. His heart ached for Sook-Jo like a thirsty horse in the desert.
His rapid heartbeats subsided at the sight of a lady in blue. She stood out from the gold interior. Gong-Gi smiled when she came to sit with him.
"Sorry I'm late," Sook-Jo said.
"So you did reconsider me after all."
He struck the jackpot.
About the Creator
Chloe Gilholy
Former healthcare worker and lab worker from Oxfordshire. Author of ten books including Drinking Poetry and Game of Mass Destruction. Travelled to over 20 countries.
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Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Comments (4)
Loved it! keep writing!
He struck the jackpot indeed. Loved your story!
Loved it!!!
Exceptional writting.