On rainy days, I’d open just one page.
On rainy days, Harin folds her planner before she even sits down at her desk. When the counselor asks, her definition of “a day when I got nothing done” comes…
Harin is a college student who folds her planner every rainy day. In counseling, she begins to put into words what makes a day “a day when I got nothing done.”
On a rainy afternoon, Harin folds the study planner on her desk and closes her laptop. In the counseling room, Saebyeok listens as Harin explains what makes a day “a day when I got nothing done,” then suggests writing down one short note instead of using the planner. As Harin talks about that standard, she finally swallows a sentence.
Standards for unmotivated days
Before judging the whole day, first look at what you can actually do today.
On a day you didn’t get as much done as planned, what did you actually do?
I can still picture her hand folding the planner on that rainy afternoon. To avoid calling the whole day a failure, it seems worth looking again at the standards first. If you’ve had days like that, you’re welcome to tell me about them too.
Scenes
- 01 · Folded Planner — On a rainy afternoon, Harin folds her study planner in half.
- 02 · Closed Laptop — The planner is packed with things to do today. Harin closes her laptop.
- 03 · The Day’s Standard — In the counseling room, Saebyeok listens to Harin talk about “a day when I got nothing done.” Saebyeok: What do you have to get done for you to count today as a day you did something, Harin? Harin: I have to finish all the studying I planned. If I don’t, it’s a day when I got nothing done.
- 04 · The Words She Swallowed — After saying, “It only counts if I do it all,” Harin presses her thumb against the planner’s crease. Saebyeok: Have there been days when you did something that wasn’t on the planner? Harin: There have… but I don’t think I should count those.
Stories by Saebyeok
- Saebyeok
- While I wait for the results, I’m already worried about who I’ll be compared with.
- After washing up, I stand before the mirror and see the choice I left behind again.
- When I say I’m taking a break, the dinner table falls quiet.
- I sat at my desk waiting for a reply.
- After an interview, every little thing I could’ve done better comes to mind at once.
- I opened a book while folding laundry, but keep rereading the same line.
- Even when the afternoon starts late, night runs late again.
- Even with the car parked, I can’t write the first line.