Peace
AND I'LL LOVE ME AS I AM
Muzynth
JOYCE KWON
Sliding her laptop into her backpack and hoisting it over one shoulder, Joyce turned to bid goodbye to her project team mates.   "When will you be able to make the amendments to our video?" one of her classmates asked, returning her the pen she had borrowed earlier to jot down their professor's feedback on their project presentation.   "Maybe tomorrow, I'm busy after classes today. I'm meeting my friends to go shopping," Joyce answered, tucking the pen into one of the sidepockets in her bag.   "Oh, where are you heading?" her classmate asked offhandedly.    When Joyce named a semi-luxurious shopping district within Muzynth, her classmate did a double take and gave her an astonished look. It also caused a small buzz among the students in the back of the classroom, which she tried her best to ignore.   "We are shopping for Kaelos Ball," Joyce explained in a softer tone, afraid of being overheard. But deep in her heart, she knew it was already too late.   "Oh, alright! If you can get your part done earlier, all the better," her classmate replied.   Joyce nodded wordlessly and turned to hurry out of the classroom, but she still wasn't fast enough to completely block out the contemptuous gaze from the other students and hearing the words they uttered.   "What's the point, the princes wouldn't look at you anyway..."   "Can't believe she's actually going..."   "What a waste of time