A Brass Bus Token

Stepping up the stairs from the underground arcade into Namdaemun's bustling noon air, I paused beside a vendor's weathered wooden tray filled with vintage coins. Tucked among old currency was a small brass bus token from decades ago, stamped with a neat cutout in its center. I picked it up between my fingertips; the metal was pleasantly heavy, its ridged rim polished soft by countless past commutes. Turning it over under the bright daylight, I admired the tiny raised lettering etched into the surface. Slipping it securely into my bag's coin pocket felt like pocketing a tangible piece of Seoul's transit history.