Sera walked aimlessly through the school's campus, feeling the eyes of her peers following her. Whispers, pointed fingers, giggles, and snorts followed her wherever she went. And of course, there was the occassional snide comment about her homely appearance. Because Sera had to finish her coding project, she had stayed up until four in the morning. As a result, she had huge dark circles, and her face puffy and swollen. Naturally, there was no makeup on her face-- not that there ever was. Her hair was slightly stringy because she had not washed her hair in nearly three days. In fact, her hair looked even worse this morning before she applied dry shampoo. 

If it were a normal day, no one would have given her a second glance. Tired, unkempt students were not uncommon because everyone pulled an all-nighter or stayed up late every once in a while. But today was different for Sera, especially since she was one of the two hundred final contenders in the Jewel of Honor contest. Sera could honestly care less; however, being the center of attention was not her kind of fun.

Heading towards one of the buildings, she suddenly felt someone put their arm around her neck and pull her down.  

"Ow! What are you doing?" she growled, turning to stare into Hajong's grinning face.

"Well, hello!" her friend exclaimed excitedly. "Tell me about being a finalist." 

Sera rolled her eyes and freed herself from the other girl's grip. "There's nothing to tell you."

"I didn't even know you applied!" Hajong objected.

"That's because I didn't." Hajong gave Sera a funny look.

Sera sighed and clarified, "My mom submitted an application without my knowing."

Her friend opened into an "O" shape and cleared . "Congratulations anyway! I assume you aren't very enthusiatic about it." The other girl nodded sullenly.

"Can we please change the subject?"

"Nope!" Hajong said deliberately. "If you're going to make it far in the competition, I got to help you out right?"

"I just want to be a runner-up, but I certainly wouldn't want to win." Sera had a glommy look on her face.

"Why do you always have to be so negative?" Sera's friend groaned loudly. "At this rate, you'll be eliminated immediately."

Sera shrugged. "That's okay with me."

Hajong stared at Sera like she had horns sticking out of her head. "You're impossible."

"Anyways, I need to go pick up a recommendation from a professor. I'll see you later." Sera waved at her friend before walking off.

With a sealed white envelope clutched in her, Sera stepped up on the bus. She held her bus pass out to get scanned and slowly tottered towards a seat, as the bus began to move again. Settling down, she carefully placed the envelope in her backpack. This recommendation, sitting in the envelope, almost represented her hopes. Her hopes of getting an internship, her future dream job, and her passions. Such a plain white envelope would not seem like much, but it meant a lot to Sera.

Three bus stops later, she hopped off the bus and walked through her neighborhood. The buildings here were slightly dingy and old, but all in relatively good condition. Despite how the buildings appeared, they were worth quite a bit on the real estate market. Heading into her apartment complex, she stopped by the rows of mailboxes before heading to the elevator.

After fishing through her bag for her key, Sera opened the mailbox and pulled out a handful of envelopes and a manila packet. Noting that it was quite unusual for her family to receive a larger envelope, she examined the packet as she idly walked into the elevator. 

It was addressed to her. The return address was some government building. Curious and eager to affirm her suspicions, Sera hurried into her home and ripped open the packet, tossing all the other mail onto the dining table. Just as she suspected, the envelope contained information about competing for the Jewel of Honor Award. 

Dear Lee Sera,

Congratulations for making it this far in the competition for the Jewel of Honor Award! We are pleased to announce that you are one of the two hundred finalists. This is where the competition truly begins.

Starting from March 18th, all contestants will be staying in the Shilla Hotel, and later on, in the Royal Palace. Please pack accordingly for a one month stay away from home. In the case that you are eliminated, you will be immediately escorted home. 

The following is a list of events and rounds in competition. This schedule is subject to change. Please note that failure to attend any one of the events will result in automatic elimination. 

Moving Day at the Shilla Hotel-March 18th at 2pm

Opening Ball at the Chrysanthemum Pavilion-March 18th