Chapter 1

 

Autumn was gentle, kind, and tender. Cross-legged she sat on a wooden bench, under a yellowing tree as she tried to derive the latest equations assigned by Mrs. Jung. While the breeze fluttered, so did the maple leaves along with her cocoa-colored hair. The slight chill brought a flush to her cheeks, partly concealed by the thick mustard scarf around her neck.

 

"'Seohyun-ah!" The girl barely glanced up to see a pair of thin, milky legs and locks of dark hair. The bench trembled as it encountered another source of weight. But barely fazed, she only leaned further into her Calculus textbook.

 

"Classes are over, what do you think you're doing?" Tiffany, her best friend, berated. She pulled the textbook from Seohyun’s lap and closed it with a deafening thump.

 

Seohyun sighed and shot her friend a wry smile, of calm amusement. "There's something called homework, Tiffany-ssi," she bit back with her usual wit. Smoothing out the pleats of her uniform skirt, she gently took the book back. "If I don't finish it, I'll fall behind."

 

"Aish." The look on her face told Seohyun that she was exasperated. "There's no one in our class that's as smart as you. You place number one in every exam!"

 

"It doesn't just magically happen." Seohyun stood up and swung her backpack over her shoulder. "I think I'm going to head home now since there's less distractions." Seohyun smirked at her friend condescendingly.

 

Tiffany’s vigor didn't go away. The strong girl clenched her fists. “Yah-!“

 

"Tiffany-ssi." Seohyun shot her a look of warning.

 

"Can you at least appreciate your friend's concern for you?" Tiffany placed her hands on her hips and scrunched her eyebrows so she could look scarier. "You always have your nose stuck up in a book! When was the last time you've gone out?"

 

Seohyun swallowed and lifted her chin. "I don't have time to worry about those things," she replied loftily. But slowly, her expression began to fall.

 

"I just want you to enjoy your life." Seohyun didn't say a thing in reply as Tiffany, being her normal self, rambled on. "You're already nineteen. Girls your age usually would've dated at least once by then!”

 

Seohyun slouched her shoulders, pressing her book to her chest. It was true—when was she ever not studying? And when was she ever out with a boy? Things like this normally didn't bother her, but now—she couldn't help but wonder. 

 

But it wasn’t like she could do anything about it, either. No boy would ever want to date a poor scholarship student like her. “I’m not Cinderella,” Seohyun eventually retorted. “Aish. It’s going to take a miracle.” To Yonsei University, she was known as the mere ‘charity case.’ A complete disgrace to society.

 

[6 Hours Prior]

 

The prestigious school that was Yonsei University welcomed students once again during the changing colors of autumn. With a deep sigh, Seohyun pressed her beloved books to her chest and braced herself for the horrors that waited beyond the gates, and she found herself wondering for the 100th time why she had to put herself through this.

 

Seohyun-ah, fighting! she cheered herself on while the wispy breeze nipped at her white skin. Her rich and snobby classmates could douse her with all the watermelon-flavoured sojus they wanted, but she couldn’t let them scare her away. After all, she was here to study and get a good education from one of the best schools in Korea. But mostly, she was here to make her parents proud.

 

“Ahh, Seohyun-ssi!” screamed another voice, causing her to jump.

 

A small frown made its way to Seohyun’s lips when she spotted Eunmin, the most popular girl in school, walking towards her. Lee Eunmin’s father was a big stockholder to Yonsei University, and all the boys wished for a date with her. It was even rumoured that she was offered a modeling job at YG. But for now—her job was nothing but to bully poor Seohyun-ah.

 

Lee Eunmin was wearing a pretty cat-ear fedora hat that matched nicely with Yonsei University’s uniform. She looked like the richest girl of the block. The two other girls flanking her sides, Baekhee and Jaehwa, directed pitiful smirks at Seohyun, who only cowered behind her book in fear.

“Grab her,” demanded Eunmin. “Aish. Dirty scholarship student.”

 

“Eunmin-ssi!” Seohyun squealed, shutting her eyes tightly as Baekhee and Jaehwa advanced.

 

But then Tiffany came to Seohyun’s rescue. “YAH!” the Californian screamed, scrambling to put herself in front of Seohyun, and shielding her from the three bullies. She bared her fists. “Eunmin-ssi, lay a finger on her, and I’ll tell everyone about that nose job you got over summer break!”

 

[Back to Present]

 

Seohyun frowned as she remembered what Tiffany had said to her earlier. So what if she hadn't had a boyfriend? And what if she was already nineteen? There certainly wasn't a law against it, and she probably wasn’t the only one. As Seohyun took the route towards her home, backpack swinging with every step, she eventually let out a dejected sigh.

 

Now that she thought about it, it was a bit sad. No boyfriend meant no hugs, no kisses, no gifts or good morning texts. It meant no love story. Oh, how she wished miracles could happen. In all her years of existence, no boy’s ever asked her out on a date. She had never received a bouquet of flowers, or even a cute note in her locker. Maybe if she was as pretty as Tiffany-ssi, and as rich as Eunmin-ssi, she could have boys from school lined up at her door, too. Her classmates were always talking about their boyfriends.

 

How badly she wished to be like one of those princesses from those books she loved to read. A poor girl living in a harsh world, suddenly swept off her feet by a charming prince. Where could she find a guy like that? 

 

Definitely not at Yonsei University.

 

The wind was blowing to the east, prompting Seohyun to turn in that direction. As stray autumn leaves took to the air in an elegant dance, pirouetting around her ankles, curiosity abounded. It was like an omen was calling out to her. And it might as well have been that way, because what she saw was a mysterious-looking tent draped in purple, star-patterned cloth, baring a worn out wooden sign that said in large Hangul, “BYUN BAEKHYUN THE FORTUNE TELLER.” She had never seen anything like it in this neighborhood.

 

It was like her legs had a mind of their own; slowly did they propel her towards the tent’s entrance. But up close, the contraption looked very shabby, with numerous tears to the awkwardly-patterned fabric. Quirking an eyebrow, she scanned her surroundings, looking for any sign that would tell her that this tent and Byun Baekhyun, whoever he is, was not a scam. 

 

But she entered anyway—with caution, of course. She made sure that if any pedo-ahjussis were waiting for her inside, she could leave as quickly as she came. Seohyun-ah, fighting! If she could survive Lee Eunmin, she could survive this, and much worse.

 

The interior was dimly lit, only from the sunlight that penetrated from a small hole at the top of the tent, and the strong smell of perfumes nearly intoxicated her. Several metal contraptions lined the interior, moving to hypnotic rhythms and making Seohyun wonder what they were used for. But most uncanny was the small wooden desk that stood in the center, not much larger than the ones used at school.

 

Was this place run by a child? thought Seohyun. How cute! So she had nothing to be afraid of after all. Steadily she approached the single dark figure in the tent. He was hunched over and simply refused to look at her. But then-

 

The hunched figure quickly spun around, holding up a large stick. “YAH!” he howled, causing Seohyun to scream, and loudly, too, waving her hands out in front of her to defend herself. She waited for the impact, but felt nothing. So heart hammering beneath her chest, slowly she opened her left eye, then the right. 

 

This man didn’t look much younger than her—but the fake beard strapped around his chin wished to tell otherwise. His eyes, small and round, widened at the sight of Seohyun, equally shocked. He was only taller than her by a few centimeters, his small frame swallowed by the large robe that draped around his shoulders and a matching pointed hat that added a little to his height. Although ridiculous was his outfit, absolutely striking were his facial features. Young and handsome.

 

Seohyun clenched her fists. “Aish!” she exclaimed. No matter how handsome he was, she still couldn’t let him get away with that. “Aren’t you even going to apologize to this noona? You scared me half to death!”

 

The boy opened his mouth as if to say something, but eventually thought better of it and bowed in apology. Seohyun nodded in approval, arms crossed. “Are you… Byun Baekhyun-ah?” she eventually asked him.

 

“Yes.” He pressed a hand to his lips, stifling a childish giggle. “Are you here for a fortune?”

 

“I might as well be.” Nothing had been turning out well for poor Seohyun-ssi. Maybe this fortune would tell her otherwise, she thought. Baekhyun looked harmless enough, how evil and ruthless could he be? But aigoo, this entire contraption, even Byun Baekhyun—looked completely comical.

 

Baekhyun silently led her to the desk, where he pulled out a stack of cards from his sleeve and laid them out in front of her. Seohyun almost cried out of disbelief and pity for this boy—the cards consisted of haphazard drawings, mere concoctions of crooked lines. But being the nice and demure person she was, she played along.

 

“Ah, yes!” he cried out, pulling out three extra cards. He pointed to the first one, which didn’t look much different from the two others, an insignificant blob of pen ink. “Good fortune awaits!” he told her. Then he pointed to the second- “01 is your lucky number.” Then the third- “You will find love in the first person you see outside this tent.”

 

Seohyun blinked in surprise, was slightly agape. “F-first person?" she repeated, her voice suddenly very high-pitched. Whoever this person was, she hoped he was handsome, with literary interests and a gentlemanly personality. That was her dream. But how could what Baekhyun was saying possibly be true? And how fitting for him to predict that she would find love! It was just what she needed.

 

But before she could ask questions, Baekhyun waved her off with a blasé expression. “Go away now,” he demanded dismissively. “You got your fortune, so leave.”

 

Seohyun hurriedly got up from her seat and briskly bowed to him several times. “Kamsahamnida!” she exclaimed as fast as she could. And after that, she rushed out the door in a craze. Really, kamsahamnida!

 

.

 

 

“I’m creeping in your heart babe,

dwijipgo muneoteurigo samkyeo

geurae neol humchyeo tamnikhae

neol mangchyeo noheulgeoya~”

 

Baekhyun’s cellphone started ringing. The caller ID told him that it was his hyung, Kim Junmyeon, calling. 

 

“Hyung! Guess what?” was the first thing Baekhyun exclaimed.

 

“Baekhyun-ah, don’t tell me you’re playing in that tent again.” Like usual, Suho’s voice sounded careful, and worrisome for his dongsaeng. Like a mother, but male.

 

“Mmm!” Baekhyun quickly shook his head. “Where are you, hyung?”

 

“Almost at the tent. Chanyeol-ah told me to come get you.”

 

“Aish. But I found you a pretty noona!” Baekhyun screamed into the phone. 

 

A chuckle from Junmyeon. “I told you, I don’t need a girlfriend. Taking care of all of you makes me happy enough.”

 

Baekhyun let out an uneasy laugh; Junmyeon was such a stick in the mud. But he was determined to find him a girlfriend, to make him less lonely. “Come over here, bballi!” Baekhyun responded. He only hoped that Junmyeon would see Seohyun-ah on the way.

 

 

 

Thank youuu for reading. <3