The alarm on the cell phone resting on the nightstand rang loudly, shattering the silence of the neat, cream-colored bedroom. Today was the first day of the new semester. Han Hyebin, a girl who had just turned twenty, stretched out on her bed before finally forcing herself to sit up.
She looked toward the vanity mirror standing not far from her bed. Hyebin stared at her reflection, which looked slightly disheveled. She was still wearing dark blue satin pajamas, and her long hair stuck out in every direction.
“A new semester... a new challenge.”
The girl took a quick shower and changed into a white oversized shirt paired with loose jeans. Once she was dressed, Hyebin stood in front of the mirror again. She was too lazy to tie her hair up, so she left it loose, letting its natural waves fall over her shoulders.
“You can get through this new semester, Hyebin.”
Hyebin picked up her leather bag, which was lying on the bed. Then she went downstairs one step at a time and walked over to Bae Jin-hee, her mom, who was busy in the kitchen. The aroma of roasted coffee and toast immediately greeted her senses.
“Morning, sweetheart!” Jin-hee greeted her warmly. The middle-aged woman turned off the stove and walked toward her daughter with a bright smile. “Mommy made some of your favorite foods. There’s French toast and a cheese omelet.”
“Morning, Mom.” Hyebin smiled, then slowly shook her head. “I’m not really that hungry,” she said as she returned her mom’s hug, resting her chin on Jin-hee’s shoulder for a moment.
Jin-hee kissed Hyebin’s forehead lovingly, then held both of her daughter’s cheeks and stroked her face. “It’s okay... But at least drink your milk,” she said, handing over the glass. Hyebin accepted it with both hands and drained it.
Jin-hee knew exactly why her daughter was acting that way. For the past few days, Hyebin had had no appetite and had spent most of her time cooped up in her room because her grades had dropped a little last semester. To other people, a C might be nothing unusual, but to a perfectionist like Hyebin, it was a major failure.
“Mommy, don’t worry. I can buy a snack on campus if I get hungry,” Hyebin said before setting down the empty glass. Then she took a step back and spread her arms. “How do I look? Does it look weird or something?” she asked, twirling in front of her mom.
Jin-hee smiled gently, smoothed down a few strands of Hyebin’s hair, and fixed her bangs, which had grown long enough to nearly cover her eyes. “No, you’re beautiful, Hyebinie.”
Hyebin smiled when she heard that. “Oh! I have to go now! I’ll miss the eight o’clock bus!” she exclaimed when she saw the clock on the wall. “I’m heading out. I love you, Mom!”
“Love you too, honey! Be careful on the way!” Jin-hee called from the kitchen doorway. She smiled faintly as she imagined how quickly time had passed, watching her daughter grow older and more independent.
📍 Chin-sun International University
The screech of brakes brought the city bus to a stop at the bus stop in front of the campus grounds. As soon as the bus stopped at the stop in front of her campus, Hyebin got off with several other students.
“Han Hyebin!!”
Suddenly, an arm reached out from behind and wrapped tightly around the girl’s shoulders, making Hyebin flinch. She glanced at the beautiful girl with a stylish haircut walking beside her.
“Morning, Ji-a.”
“Why do you look so grumpy this early in the morning? Did something upset you?” Ji-a asked in confusion when she saw her best friend’s flat, unhappy expression.
Kim Ji-a was Hyebin’s close friend. They had initially been classmates since high school, and their friendship had remained strong until they ended up attending the same university.
“I’m just too lazy to come to campus.” Hyebin shrugged as if to say, You know what I mean.
“Oh, come on! It’s the first day of the new semester, Hyebin-ah. You have to stay motivated!” Ji-a patted Hyebin’s shoulder, trying to send some positive energy her way. But when Hyebin’s gloomy expression refused to disappear, Ji-a suddenly widened her eyes with a ridiculous idea. “Ah, I guess you’re right... Campus is boring. How about we skip today? We can go to that new café at the end of the street!”
“No!!” Hyebin immediately glared at her and reflexively smacked Ji-a’s arm. “That’s not a good idea! Skipping on the first day? Seriously, Ji-a!”
“Ow! That hurt!” Ji-a grimaced as she rubbed her arm, then let out a quiet chuckle. “I was kidding! Don’t take it so seriously.” Before Hyebin could respond, Ji-a’s attention suddenly shifted toward the parking lot near the main building. “Aye! That’s my boyfriend! Khai!!!” she called out in a shrill voice.
Ji-a waved her hand high in the air and immediately ran toward Khai, a blonde young man from Australia. Hyebin watched her friend’s back grow farther away, then let out a resigned sigh. She gave a bitter smile.
“Great. She really did leave me all alone,” she muttered with a shake of her head before walking into the campus building.
The noisy second-floor hallway echoed throughout the building. Hyebin walked along the corridor, checking the classroom numbers. Suddenly, a voice she knew all too well came from the side.
“My little cousin!”
Hyebin rolled her eyes lazily before even turning around. She knew exactly who that overly familiar voice belonged to. Who else could it be but Han Do-Jin, aka Hanjin, her cousin who loved seeking attention and acting ridiculous in public?
“What do you want?” Hyebin snapped as she removed Hanjin’s arm from around her shoulders without permission.
Hanjin chuckled, not offended in the slightest. He raised both hands in surrender and moved away from Hyebin’s shoulder. Then the two walked side by side down the corridor, since they happened to be attending the same general class that morning.
“Why’s your face all scrunched up like that? You look like you haven’t eaten in three days,” Hanjin chattered as he slipped both hands into his pants pockets.
“I haven’t had breakfast,” Hyebin replied shortly.
“That’s not the only reason, is it?” Hanjin glanced at his cousin with a mischievous smile. “I heard your grades dropped last semester. Apparently, you even got a C in your KSH. What happened, oh model student?”
“I don’t know. I ruined my own project. Can you believe I turned in the final assignment Professor Kang gave us late? All because the file got corrupted fifteen minutes before the deadline!”
“Aw, poor little genius. It’s only one C, though. Why don’t you just relax, Bin?”
“Relax, you say? My GPA dropped dramatically, Han!”
“What if I help you?” Hanjin offered, raising and lowering his eyebrows with an air of exaggerated confidence. “I’ve got connections to some upperclassmen who have a bank of Professor Kang’s old exam questions.”
“No need.” Hyebin gave him a brief, judgmental look before sighing. “You’ll only make my grades even worse with your weird methods.”
“Whatever you say.” Hanjin shrugged and chuckled. “I was just trying to help.”
The problem was, the guy was never serious about his academics. As far as Hanjin was concerned, all that mattered was passing and not having to retake anything. He was the complete opposite of Hyebin, who considered her grades a matter of pride.
When they entered the classroom, which was already filled with several students, Hyebin immediately headed for the front rows. She looked for an empty seat near the front so she could concentrate on listening to the professor. Hanjin, as usual, chose a seat in the middle row with a few other friends so they could chat.
“Bin, you sure you don’t want to sit in the back with us?” Hanjin called from the middle row.
“No, thanks!” Hyebin replied without turning around.
Hyebin sat down and placed several thick textbooks and her bag on the desk. She took a deep breath, preparing to welcome her first lecture. But before the professor arrived, she noticed a notification lighting up the screen of her cell phone, which was lying on the desk.