It was sometime around noon that Yeonji and Seulgi – her friend and also her roommate – got the final result of their class scheduling for their first semester of university they’d done last week.

“Oh, God! What a crappy class schedule!” Seulgi shouted at the top of her lungs, holding a printed copy of her schedule for the whole semester. “How can this happen? We’re scheduling our classes together, but why do we only get into the same class for one subject? This is impossible!”

Yeonji lightly giggled at her friend’s cute ranting, preventing her to be irritated any longer at her own messed up schedule. “Look at the bright side. You can get a part-time job while I can’t.”

Fixing her eyes on her schedule, Yeonji sighed when she saw she had no morning classes, only afternoon and night classes which ruined her plan to get a part-time job at a cafe with Seulgi. Back in their hometown, in Daegu, getting a part-time job at a cafe was one of the things they wanted to do when they’re studying out of town. Now that they’re attending a university in Seoul, the screwed up schedule forced Yeonji to wait until next semester to do it.

“Yeonji, please.” Seulgi put her hand on Yeonji’s shoulder. “You don’t need to do any part-time jobs. I’m the one who’s in debt to you.”

“I already told you that you don’t need to pay me back. I’m willing to help. You know I don’t need the money,” Yeonji said sincerely.

“No, Yeonji. A debt is a debt. Let me pay you back for your kindness. Now, come on. Help me find a job.” Seulgi grabbed Yeonji’s wrist and dragged her out from their apartment.

Although Yeonji had never considered it as a debt, Seulgi always insisted to pay her back. All she did was sharing an apartment she’d bought with her friend in Seoul for them to stay while they’re there. Having been born in a wealthy family, she had more money than she needed. She wasn’t the type who liked to live luxuriously, in fact she even hated lavish lifestyle. Not knowing where to spend her money, the only thing she could think of was helping a dear friend.

Snatching a thin coat from the standing coat hanger near the doorway, Yeonji followed Seulgi outside. She had this habit to wear long sleeve clothes and trousers when she’s going out from the house. Because of a phobia she’d developed at elementary school, she didn’t like to show her skin, worried that she would make people pay attention to her by doing so. She couldn’t even walk around leisurely without fear of being watched.

She’d been suffering Scopophobia, a morbid fear of being seen or stared at by others and also a pathological fear of drawing attention to oneself. Naturally after that, she’d also developed Sociophobia – an anxiety disorder in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations – due to her Scopophobia.

She had always blamed her parents for the phobias she had. Fortunately, she was getting better as the time went by. And also, thanks to a certain someone she’d met in middle school.

Even if she’s getting better, the habits weren’t that easy to be erased.

Tailing Seulgi from one cafe to another, Yeonji could hardly make out how the cafes looked like. She’s anxious at her surroundings, since too many people were watching her. Every time the two of them enter a cafe, the customers were staring at them like both of them entered a class in the middle of a lesson.

She was supposed to be getting better. But, entering dozens of cafes in a day was too much for her. Her Scopophobia was starting to act up again.

At the nth cafe they visited that day, Seulgi finally asked, apparently realizing there’s something wrong with Yeonji, “Are you okay? Is it your phobia?”

“I’m fine,” Yeonji managed to answer, although she couldn’t even lift her head up, afraid to accidentally make eye contact with someone.

Seulgi hesitated for a few seconds before replying, “Let’s just go home.”

“No, no. I’m really fine.” Yeonji forced herself to look up, meeting Seulgi’s eyes to convince that she’s okay. “I just need a drink. You can ask the manager about the part-time job in the meantime.”

Seulgi narrowed her eyes, not believing that she’s all right, but she gave in to her will to challenge herself. “This cafe will be the last one. I promise.”

With that said, Seulgi went to ask something to the worker and disappeared into the staff room. Probably, that’s where the manager’s at.

Yeonji was left alone in the middle of the crowded cafe. She debated with herself whether she was in her right mind to talk with a stranger when she’s not in a good condition to have any social interactions. But, she would do it, anyway.

She wanted to get better and she had to fight herself to overcome her fear.

One Ice Vanilla Latte, please. One Ice Vanilla Latte, please, she repeated in her mind, as if she was going to give a speech in front of a hundred people. She was that nervous to order.

Clenching her fists to make herself stronger, she joined the queue to order a cup of coffee. She stood behind a man wearing a black