Chapter 2.      "How was it?"        Taeyeon groaned before speaking sleepily into the mouthpiece of her phone. "Ok..." She was exhausted from the day event and she just wanted to nap.        "Make any new friends? Are the people there friendly? Or are they stuck up since you know being in one of the top universities in Seoul."          "I'm tired, Soonkyu. Let me sleep."        "Come on. Tell me tell me." Sunny said excitedly. "I've got lots of stories to tell you too."        "You just won't leave me alone, won't you?"        "Nope."        Taeyeon groaned once more. Sleepiness have totally left her. She sat up and lean her back against the headboard. "The orientation was ok. But you know me, I hates all those cheering and what's not. So yeah, I was just hoping that the day will end quick. How was yours?"        "Fun! I had fun. I'm actually excited for the start of school term. And my coursemates all seems so friendly. Even though some looks too nerdy."        "What do you expect? You're in a business course. All those accountants, businessman wannabe. You can't expect them to be looking like a punk or fashionista or something."          "But in those dramas, businessman actually looks smart, charming and sleek in their suits." Sunny pretended to sigh.        "Welcome to reality then."        Sunny sighed for real this time. "You and your pessimistic world. How about you? Met nice people there? Or pretty any girls?" She asked.      Having known Taeyeon and being in the same school with her for 7 years, she had known about Taeyeon preference for girls, having caught her always staring at her girl crush secretly during school. Even though, Taeyeon have never been in a relationship with girls or admitted to her about her preference, she was sure that Taeyeon prefer girls over boys. Besides, Taeyeon have never shown interest in one or talk about boys to her before, even when she was squealing about her boy crushes or talking about her ideal types. Taeyeon would merely entertain her and not join in the conversation.        "They're ok, I guess."        "Anyone you like?"        "What?!" Taeyeon exclaimed. "Yah! I go to school to get a degree. Not to find my soulmate." She said.      Being an introvert, she rarely share her true feelings or emotions to anyone else, preferring to keep it to herself. Which is why she has only few friends whom she trusts and are able to click with and Sunny was one of them. Sunny was always cheerful and was like her energy pill. Totally different from her cool, soft-spoken and calm character, Sunny was more outgoing and was the only one whom she thought could understand her the most. She was very comfortable with Sunny and after being friends with her for so long, she could trust her and was never afraid of being judged.        "Well, you never know when or where you can meet your soul mates. Any love at first sight?" Sunny continued to best friend.        "More like hate at first sight?"        Sunny giggled. "Why? How's your coursemates?"        "Loud." Taeyeon groans when she thought of her orientation partner earlier. "And most are just too sociable and overly friendly. Not my type of friends."        "I seriously don't know how you're gonna survived your three years there. And I still don't understand why you choose that course."        "It's not my decision remember?"        "I know. But still. You're grown-up, Taeyeon-ah. How long more are you gonna let them make the decision for you? It's time for you to stand up for yourself and chase after what you want."        "It's ok." Taeyeon shrugged. "I don't know what I want anyway." Honestly even though Taeyeon resented her parents for always making choices for her, she never had much complains about it. She felt it was better to have someone leading her. At least it was better than being confuse and lost about her choices. She just wanted to be that happy-go-lucky kind of girl and follow with the flow.        Sunny sighed. "Sometimes I just wish you finally have that courage to go after what you want, Taeng."        "I'm happy this way, Soonkyu."       "I know that. It's just... Nevermind." Sunny decided to stop nagging. She knew Taeyeon too well and that whatever she said would probably be ignored again. "Anyway gotta go and help my mum with dinner."        "Alright."      "Let's meet up this weekend and do something fun."        "Why not you come over and we could do something fun at my house." Taeyeon suggested. She hates to go out, especially during the weekend because it is always crowded everywhere. She prefer staying home and laze around while watching TV or something, just not heading out.        "What? Come on, Taeng. It's the last weekend before the start of our school term. Let's go karaoke or we could sit at that new coffee place nearby and have some coffee and patbingsoo while complaining about our life woes."        "But Soonkyu-..."        "I don't care. Let's go out and have fun before school starts and we're both busy and having no time for each other. This Saturday, at 12pm at the subway station. Ok?"        "You're always like this!"        "Because if I'm not like this, you'll just be stuck at home. If I don't drag you out, who will? This Saturday ok?"        "Fine." Taeyeon finally relented. Sunny was right after all. Except Sunny, there is no one else who could entertains her laziness and drag her out of her house. "See you then. Don't be late."        "Ok. See you. Bye, Taeng."        "Bye." Taeyeon said her goodbye and put her phone away. She closes her eyes again, wanting to catch some more sleep before she had to get up for dinner. This is why she hated going out or going to orientation camps. It never fails to drained her out mentally and physically because of pretending who she isn't and always needing to fake a smile. It didn't take long before she fall back to her slumber again.        ----------     Taeyeon stealthily push open the huge grey doors and let herself in. She sighed when she saw the number of students in the lecture halls. It was the first day of lecture and she had expected a number of students turning up but she didn't expect them to be this early. She even had purposely came early so that she would be able to get a good seat, a nice little corner whereby she could be alone and away from the eyes of the lecturer.        She scanned around for the top corners of the lecture halls and sighed when she saw that it was already occupied. She was still scanning around for a quiet and empty seat when she thought she saw someone waving at her. She squinted her eyes to have a better look.      "Gosh, not that loud girl." She mutters under her breath. But she smiled and approached her anyway. She didn't like offending people and she always want people to have a good impression of her.        "Good morning, Taeyeon-sshi!" Tiffany greeted cheerfully, taking her bag away from the seat next to her. "You can sit here." She told Taeyeon.        Taeyeon quietly took a seat and took out her pencil case, wanting to get ready for lecture.      "You're early?" Tiffany asked, wanting to strike a conversation.      "Yeah, wanting to come early to take the best seats but I guess some people have the same intention as me too. How about you? You're early too? Wanted to grab the best seats too?"         Tiffany laughed. "Nah, I hate being late. Besides, I went for breakfast with my friends just now. So yeah."        "I see." Taeyeon didn't say more and they fall back to silence. It wasn't long till the lecture begins and the both of them listen quietly and attentively. Besides, they have no topic to talk about and they both were still awkward with each other anyway.      The lecturer finally arrives at his final slides and ended the lecture. He continues telling the students more about the subject and welcoming them to college before dismissing the class.      "Where are you going after this?" Tiffany asked Taeyeon who was packing her bags.        "Don't we have that tutorial class to attend?"        "Yeah, we do. But the lecture end early and we have 30 minutes to get to the next class."        "I'll need that 30 minutes to find the classroom." Taeyeon said. Still being unfamiliar with the layout of the school, Taeyeon was sure that she would get lost. Finding that lecture hall earlier was already a hassle to her.        Tiffany laughed. "No you don't. I'm here. I know the way." She said.        "Oh. Ok."        "So shall we?" Tiffany said, standing up.        "Where to?" Taeyeon stood up as well. As much as she wanted to be alone before the start of the next class, she have no heart to decline Tiffany. Tiffany was just being friendly and kind anyway. She was only afraid that Tiffany would bring her to meet her own friends, making her even more awkward with new people.      "Let me show you around campus. And some of my favourite hangout place. Let's go." Tiffany said as she walks towards the door with Taeyeon following behind.      ----------   "Wow..." Taeyeon can't help but to be in awe at the scenery in front of her.      "Pretty right. Who knew such place exist in this campus. Best, not much people knows about it. So I call this my little hideout place." Tiffany said as she  proudly showed her discovery of that place she had discovered while wandering around. It was just a small rooftop garden at the top of their school building.        "If this is your little hideout place, then why would you share it with me?" Taeyeon asked. She can't help but to be curious why is Tiffany being nice to her.      Tiffany shrugged. She herself can't find a reason for showing Taeyeon this place. She just wanted to share this with someone and she thought it would be of good use for Taeyeon too, seeing how Taeyeon loves quiet and peace atmosphere around her.        "But it's really pretty. Thank you so much, Tiffany-sshi."        "For?"        "For showing this place to me."        "Not a problem. Sharing is caring, you know." Tiffany smiles.      Taeyeon automatically smiles too when she saw that smile. She don't know why but she was beginning to fall in love with that smile. She's a nice person. She told herself that. As much as she hates Tiffany's loud personality, she surprisingly find it comforting to be around her. "So you don't mind if I call this my personal hideout too?"        "Sure. This is why I showed you."       "Cool."        "Yeah." Tiffany answered as they fall into awkward silence.        "Shall we head to class?" Taeyeon asked, breaking the silence.        "Alright." Tiffany said. It was still early for class but she didn't want to stay on that rooftop garden being all awkward with Taeyeon. After all, they are still aren't close to each other. They quietly walked to class, with Tiffany leading the way.         Taeyeon quietly made to the corner of the classroom and took a seat while Tiffany immediately went to mingle with her other classmates, mainly those whom said hello to her the moment she entered the class. Taeyeon can't help but to observes the loud girl. You're so popular, huh? She thought to herself as hopes of making friends with Tiffany disappeared instantly. It's not that she hates Tiffany but it was her nature to avoid making friends with the popular students in the school. She just hates the attention that she will attracts. She took out her pencil case and begin doodling at the notes on her table. If singing was her first hobby, doodling and drawing random things that came to her mind when she is bored would be her second hobby.          It didn't take long before a middle-aged man entered the classroom. Taeyeon stops doodling and place her pencil back into her pencil case, assuming that man to be the teacher.        She was right. The man stood in the middle of the class and the class settles down a few minutes later.        "Good morning class." He greeted the class. "I'm Mr Lee and I'll be your homeroom teacher for this semester. First of all, welcome to college!" He told the class. "Let me just begin by just telling you more about this subject. But first, the girl at the back." He politely pointed to Taeyeon before also all of her classmates turn their heads towards her.      She gulped at the sudden attention. "Y-yes?"        "Come over to the front. You're too far back. I'm afraid I'm not feeling too well and my voice won't be able to project that far. Come and take these seats at the front." He pointed a the first rows of table in front of him. "I don't bite. Come over."        Damn. Taeyeon cursed silently to herself. First, she hates the attention. Secondly, she hates to sitting in the front row, just directly in front of the teacher. According to her logic,  those students that sit in the front row are those who wants the teachers' attention or are the teachers' victim, always getting picked by the teacher to answer questions. She quickly packs her things and scanned the class for the next best seat, away from the teacher. She stifle another curse when she realized that the only available are the middle front row ones, directly in front of the teacher's table. She saw one empty seat beside Tiffany and her friend, whom she knew as Jessica but she rather took the empty front seat than having to sit beside that loud girl.      She approached the seat and and sat down.      Mr Lee was about to continue speaking when there was a knock on the door before a panting girl peeked her head in.        "Sorry." She apologized before letting herself in and closes the door. "Sorry, I'm late." The tan girl bowed her head a little to the man in the centre of the class, her face getting a little flushed due to embarrassment. 

 

"Ah. Late on the first day of class Miss..." Mr Lee was obviously not fond of late comer but he didn't show too much of displeasure either. 

"Yuri. I'm sorry." She continued to bow her head in guilt and fear. 

 

"It's ok. Since it's your first day, I understand. Just don't make it a habit, alright." 

 

Yuri nodded. 

"Take a seat. Try to fill up the seats at the front." 

Yuri took no time and immediately took the first empty seat that she saw. 

 

"Annyeonghasaeyo." Taeyeon whispered and bowed her head a little, greeting her new seating partner. 

 

"Annyeonghasaeyo." Yuri greeted back with the same volume. 

      "Alright, as I was saying." Mr Lee continued speaking. "This subject is quite simple and straightforward. No exams, no assignments or anyt