The shrill sound of an alarm clock echoed through the confines of a small room, quickly followed by a low groan. "Eugh..." came the discontented sound as a female figure from her slumber. She reached out for the alarm, silencing its persistent ringing with a touch, and muttered to herself, "Good morning..." Yet, the silence that responded felt oddly empty.
Rising to her feet, she stretched and contemplated aloud, "I should just eat breakfast in the cafeteria today." She made her way toward the bathroom, her movements were sluggish. This was Lee Naeun—a senior university student. Her figure reflected in the mirror, tired eyes remained half-hidden beneath the curtain of her untidy bangs.
Naeun wore and adjusted a headband, revealing a scar on her forehead and a partially blinded right eye, its misty pupil hinting at a clouded vision. Splashing water onto her face and brushing her teeth. Naeun followed her usual morning routine with practiced ease.
Naeun slipped into a light shirt and jacket, pairing them with a long skirt. She exited her room, put on her shoes by the main door, and stood upright, ready to go.
"I'm on my way, Mama, Papa, Hyung. I'll be back before dinner." Naeun said as she opened the door and stepped outside.
The gentle warmth of the morning sunlight greeted her, just as she often described—not too harsh, but soft and welcoming. Around her, only a handful of early risers stirred, while nearby shops slowly began to prepare for the day's bustle.
Naeun headed to the bus stop, where a few students were already waiting, likely trying to avoid the rush hour, much like she did. Crowded places were never her preference, which was why she stayed clear of the trains as well. Over time, she had practiced the habit of traveling early, a peaceful and soothing travel to the university.
The bus finally pulled up, and the students boarded one by one, scattering across separate seats. Naeun chose the back-most seat and settled in. She slipped in her earphones and let a soothing melody wash over her, creating a moment of peace amidst the quiet hum of the bus ride.
Naeun travels 30 minutes everyday to university, whether for her classes or errands. It was never a grueling schedule for her; on the contrary, she found quiet enjoyment in the routine.
Throughout the bus ride, Naeun gazed out of the window, watching as the world outside slowly came to life. More and more people began filling the streets—some heading off to work with purpose, while others appeared to be preparing for their routine morning workouts.
The bus arrived just by the university gates, students then marched their ways to the exit and headed inside the campus. Naeun, still hasn't taken her breakfast, makes her way to the university cafeteria.
"Good morning, Aunt Kibum," Naeun greeted warmly as she scanned her card and picked up a tray along with the neatly arranged utensils beside it.
Aunt Kibum, the cheerful lady behind the kitchen counters, smiled brightly. "Ah, it's you again, Naeun. Early as always! Lucky for you, we just finished preparing some of the side dishes. Come, come, let me serve you up," she said, waving her over with enthusiasm.
"Eat up so you'll feel energized today," Aunt Kibum said with a warm smile. Naeun nodded, offering her thanks before making her way to a vacant table nearby. She set down her tray and bag, took a seat, and quietly clasped her hands together–she prayed before starting her meal.
After finishing her meal, Naeun returned the tray to Aunt Kibum, gave her thanks, and left the cafeteria.
Outside, the campus grounds were getting busier as more students arrived. Wanting to avoid the crowd, she headed for the shade of a nearby tree. The start of the semester brought little excitement—students gathering for the usual announcements. Enrollment had kept everyone busy over the past days, but today was different. It was orientation day.
Scattered across the campus grounds, students waved various colored flags, each representing a specific year level. Green signified the freshmen, yellow marked the sophomores, and blue indicated the juniors, followed by the loud and continuous announcement which topped the already loud and bustling noise.
"Advising freshmans and sophomores to please follow us! Orientations for freshmans and sophomores start in a few hours! Please follow us!"
"Juniors please follow me! Juniors please follow me!"
"Ah, we need to follow them."
"Let's go now, we might get lost later."
Naeun stood quietly, clutching her bag tightly as she waited for her year to be called. The lawn was now packed with students, the growing crowd pressing in and leaving her feeling tense and uneasy. Her focus was shifted when they started announcing her year level.
"Seniors! Please follow me! Again, Senior Students please follow me!"
Naeun stayed back, waiting for the crowd to thin out before she joined the group of students ahead. Leading the way was a student holding a red flag—the designated color for senior students. The group made their way toward the university's Orientation Hall, a space reserved exclusively for senior students. This hall was often utilized for their planned projects or events, setting it apart from the larger orientation hall on the opposite side of the campus, which accommodated the lower year students.
"Have you seen the new song WuudZ released?"
"Yea! I listened to it last night, so I bought the album."
"Hey wanna ball out? Orientations are boring anyways."
"Let's get drinks later!"
"You're treating!"
The hall buzzed with lively chatter, a mix of laughter and conversations echoing through the space. It seemed like every senior student was well-acquainted with one another, but for Naeun, it felt different. Naeun sat near the exit, gripping her arm tightly as the mixed perfumes in the air made her feel slightly nauseous.
"The strong perfumes…. It smells yuck."
The orientation began with little excitement, revolving around topics like yearly plans, semester budgets, and general announcements. Amid the discussions, Naeun sat attentively, waiting for updates on scholarships–as it was the mere reason why she could enter university.
Her Aunt Sujan had wanted to offer financial support for her education, but Naeun declined the offer. She felt it would only create a burden for her aunt and was determined not to add to Sujan's troubles. Sujan made sure to send Naeun an allowance every week, a gesture that Naeun found acceptable and appreciated. In return, Naeun expressed her gratitude by preparing home-cooked meals for Sujan whenever her aunt came home from work and maintain the cleanliness of the apartment.
"Allow me to address the matter of scholarships for this semester. Due to budgetary adjustments, funding for certain courses has been reduced to allocate resources toward science programs. This decision was driven by the pressing need to renovate multiple laboratories to accommodate the growing number of students in science-related courses. The board has carefully deliberated and arrived at this challenging yet necessary resolution. A list of the affected courses will be provided as part of this final decision."
Multiple students muttered.
"What?"
"A bummer, I was relying on the scholarship. I can't do part time jobs in senior year."
"Science courses had it good, huh."
The students' dismay over the budget cuts was evident, and Naeun shared their disappointment. However, the thought of her own course being affected by the cuts felt even more devastating to her.
"Next, I will outline the courses impacted by these budgetary adjustments."
…
The students gradually made their way out of the hall as the University President concluded the session. Naeun felt dismayed after the announcement, her course is affected, very.
"Not that the art studio is off limits for now, we can't even ask for a thesis budget for 3 months. That'll give me a late start if I wait for that."
Lee Naeun is seated on a bench just a few walks away from the orientation hall. It was already 11am, as her phone showed, nearing lunch time.
"I can't possibly ask Aunt Sujan for money, I'm too embarrassed to do that. Maybe I should find an internship that does pay? But where do I find that anyway?"
Naeun stood up and was ready to walk away.
"I can think about it when I arrive home, let's get lunch for now."
"Uhm, excuse me. Can I ask you something?"
Naeun turned and noticed a man behind her.
"I just want to discuss something with you."
It was Han Seunghyun.
…
Han Seunghyun approached Lee Naeun and requested that she follow him to the council room for a private discussion. Although Naeun hesitated at first, she eventually agreed when Seunghyun assured her it was simply a routine student-to-student meeting.
"What's happening? Why is Han Seunghyun with me right now? In their department council office too? Did I do something wrong? Have I angered the Gods? I'm sorry, Mama, Papa, and Hyung."
"Please don't worry. I just want to discuss something regarding my department thesis project, and it requires an art student," Han Seunghyun said as he removed his jacket and draped it over the chair across from Naeun. He then retrieved cold drinks from the fridge and handed one to her.
Naeun accepted the drink with a polite bow and set it down on the table. "Your thesis project?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Yes, I'm currently a Medical Psychology student, and my thesis idea involves integrating art into therapy to observe its effects on patients in psychology," Han Seunghyun explained as he took a seat, a warm smile on his face. "Of course, this won't be unpaid work. I'll compensate you and credit you in my study. Consider it a small opportunity to gain exposure for your talents."
"It doesn't sound half bad," Naeun thought, weighing the possibilities. "Depending on how much he'll pay, it might even help with my thesis. But it would definitely clash with my schedule since I need to apply for internships—and the internship itself lasts four months... Hmmm."
Seunghyun chuckled, amused by Naeun's animated expressions as she deliberated.
"You can give me your answer the next time we meet. For now, would it be alright if we exchanged numbers?" Seunghyun asked, holding out his phone to Naeun, who tilted her head in slight curiosity.
"Would it really be alright for me to have your number?" Naeun asked hesitantly.
"Is my number some sort of important relic? Haha."
"N-no! I mean, a lot of students want your number and you're giving it to me easily." She grabbed the phone and typed in her number.
"Your actions don't match your words. You should work on that, Lee Naeun," Seunghyun remarked with a playful tone.
"Ah, I'm sorry.." She handed the phone back, "Wait, you know me?"
"Ah, yes. You're quite popular in your department—a student some even call the reincarnation of Vincent Van Gogh himself. That's the talk going around, and naturally, it sparked my interest, which led me to approach you for my thesis project." Took his phone and saved the number, he then called and Naeun's phone rang. "Please save my number, I hope to see you soon, Ms. Lee Naeun.
…
Lee Naeun makes her way to her Aunt's empty apartment."I'm home." The quiet atmosphere offered no reply, yet she spoke as though to break the solitude lingering in the air. She stepped into her room, the familiar space offering a quiet kind of comfort. Lowering herself to a squat beside the bed-side table, she carefully adjusted the family picture frame that stood in the center, "You don't know what just happened today."
She held the photo with two hands, "I met Han Seunghyun! The dream catchers worked!"
Chapter End.
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