i had never really researched much since i don't expect anyone to read this but sorry for the words i used to describe the lgbtq+ in Dahyun's timeline. It was purely written to elbarote the meaning behind her opinion in this story . Please forgive me.

-

Dahyun, never even once in her life thought of being at the same room with someone she doesn't know at all within 1m radius.

It was in her nature to be socially-inept and calm and everything similar to the term of those so it wasn't really her forte to go outside and meet people.

Socializing with people who would just come and go isn't that pleasing either.

Well, at least for her.

Apparently, it's the university's second basketball championship. First is from 1979 and now, 1998. There was a party held by the council just to celebrate the win of a poor excuse of a basketball team which mostly comprises of bulky men reeking of a bit too strong perfumes that often make her dizzy.

She isn't bitter, no, maybe just a tad too honest.

She still don't get it why everyone feels so hyped up with this kind of atmosphere.

The kind where instead of the breeze, she could only inhale the faint smoke of cigarettes - the council let the team use that for a 'certain' reason - and subtle alcohol.

Teens are everywhere. Even her friends looked like having fun.

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu were never this elated before. Much more in Tzuyu's side.

She wasn't dancing like her life is depending on it when they decided to come here - being dragged by Chaeng and all - but when she saw how a certain member of the council started rather 'grinding' into the girl, she immediately dashed into where they are and now is currently doing what the council member - who already left by the way - was doing earlier.

Dahyun snickered at the obvious tension but decided not to pry any longer.

Being tired of everything happening around her, Dahyun excused and squished her tiny form into hunky builds and went past the door.

She needs an inhaler. She needs real air.

She eventually had arrived at the rooftop and the blaring music from below the floors was now faintly playing in the background.

It's sort of calming. A very great escape.

She inhaled a lungful of breaths before looking at the city lights infront of her. The buildings, the roads, the street lights, the thousands of people walking past each other. It's all familiar.

Familiar yet it doesn't fascinate her at all. Not like it used to.

Being born and raised in the city, everything is just normal. When tourists or foreigners see how just 'enchanting' and 'perfect' Seoul is, they crave for more.

Crave into the point of living in there.

But Dahyun could only wish she was living somewhere else.

Somewhere else she was more appreciated.

Somewhere else than here.

She sighed. She have Chaeyoung and Tzuyu now, why ask for more? Her selfishness is kicking full point again and she doesn't want it to.

But it just come and goes.

Yes, she have them but they had always known each other even before Dahyun was included in the picture.

She's sure they'll choose each other anytime rather than her.

It made her feel sad and disapppinted. Not to them but to herself.

Why should she be this outsider? This nerd? She was never invited to plays, nor to parties, not even the annual piano competitions - which she hardly practices to be in - unlike her socially active friends.

Even Tzuyu who doesn't talk much have friends around her.

So why does Dahyun don't?

Maybe its because she's nerdy. She wear glasses but its because she needs them. She rather spend her time inside their room rather than going out. She listens to classical music rather than pop or rock music (Chaeyoung had been obsessed with a certain group right now but Dahyun doesn't like them even a tad bit).

But what can she do? She just like it that way.

She sighed again.

She's still a freshman but she feels much of a burden than those of the seniors.

"I just wish to be someone else somewhere. I don't want to be in this life I am now. I am tired." She sighed before looking at the serene sky.

Wishing for something impossible to happen.

"Let me live once in a while. I am really just......tired."


-

Dahyun woke up with the sun blaring her eyes. As long as she remember, no one between her and Chaeng (her roommate) likes to open the window of their cramped up dorm room.

So why is the piercing sunlight glaring her right in the morning?

"Ugh." She groaned. Feeling her mood being tampered at the early intrusion.

"Chaeng, why is the window opened? I can't sleep." She whined before tugging the blanket right above her form, covering herself away from the sunlight.

When she was met with silence, and somehow with the still opened windows, she groaned again before forcing herself to wake up and glare infront of her.

Presumably Chaeyoung's bed.

But not now.

It's empty. It's just....walls.

White walls with bunch of pictures hanging loosely into a binded thread. Polaroid pictures designed them well and the short length yellow small bulbs made it look much more pleasing.

"Wow, where am I?"

Did she slept all throughout the party and was brought into here without her knowing?

Was she taken advantage of?

At the sudden absurd thought, Dahyun checked for herself and immediately sighed in relief when she saw herself still being clad with clothes--

"Wait, these aren't my clothes--"

"DAHYUN-CHAN, ARE YOU AWAKE?"

oh .




Dahyun widened her eyes. Did she actually.....had a with a stranger? Oh god, she did not!

"Bloody hell, mom's gonna kill me." It's not in her nature to curse, however, the situation is eating her alive.

She surely ed up.

She figured the silence triggered whoever called her downstairs (when did even the other girls in the dorm even called her 'that'?-- is she even in the dorm?) as series of knocks invaded the silent room and when there is still no answer, it clicked.

Dahyun embraced herself even more.

The door is now opened and Dahyun looked at the unknown stranger walking inside the room. Tucked in pajamas. Much like Dahyun's.

"Uhm first of all, I don't really know what happened. I'm sorry but this is nothing but a mere mistake. If you could just excuse me please. I surely didn't tend to take advantage of you. Please forgive my rash behaviours."

"What are you talking about, dude?"

Dahyun looked at the woman infront of her. She certainly doesn't look korean. No, not at all.

But still. There's no room for questions. Dahyun needs to apologize.

"Sorry for what happened. Something happened last night, r-right?"

She sure as hell is burning right now. From embarrassment of course. She just feels like she could go deep into the ground right now. This is more than embarrassing.

The stranger merely gave her a look of confusion before shaking her head.

"You are...quite different. I am just asking you to come downstairs and have breakfast. But you're acting like I you or something. Weird...."

Her voice is soft but Dahyun heard it all.

So nothing happened? She was called to be fairly smart in school and she catch up on things quite well and so, she concludes that this shy-looking penguin of a human certainly didn't took advantage of her drunken state.

Where's Chae anyway? Is she even at the same residence?

"Uhm where am I then?" She asked with furrowed brows and the stranger did so as well.

"Why are you being so weird, Dahyun-chan? You're in your house. And you're going to be late if you don't go downstairs and eat."

The girl was surely agitated but Dahyun don't get why. She has the right to know where she is, right?

The door was locked again and Dahyun let her gaze wander around.

She's not being weird, right?

But this is not their room. Nor her family house.

This is....somewhere else.

She widened her eyes before cackling to herself seconds after. She must be really sleepy to even think of the possibility that the gods heard her wish.

There's just no way.

Or there is.

Apparently, a certain buzz at the table beside 'her' bed piqued Dahyun's interest, seeing a small rectangular device lighting up with bubbles of small gray