Jimin blankly stared at the huge amount of thick Science and Math textbooks in front of her. She hasn't even opened one of them, yet she already felt like her head was about to explode. The student body president always hated their exam week, because their professors usually decided to make them answer either one or two hundred items for every major subject. Sometimes she couldn't help but think it's too much, but she somehow realizes that their university is just preparing them for their upcoming board examination.

“Gosh, my head is already aching.” Jimin whined, ruffling her already messed up hair before slumping her head on the desk. 

“Calm down, Jimin. You haven't even started yet,” said Aeri, who was busy doodling on the back part of her notebook. She didn't have any scheduled exams that day and was supposed to be home resting. But Jimin texted her and said she needed company while studying so she went to the school library to help her best friend. Besides, it has been days since they last met each other because of how busy the student body president was. “What subjects will you be taking today?”

“Air Conditioning and Powerplant,” she replied, sighing deeply. “I'll be taking Machine Design tomorrow and all these subjects have so many formulas to use. I'm gonna have to analyze each problem in the book to be able to know which formula is required. Hopefully I won't be blanked out during the exams because that would be a very big problem.” 

Aeri placed her notebook back inside her backpack and reached for Jimin's hand that was resting on top of her calculator. She held it and gave gentle rubs on her best friend's knuckles.

“Don't think about too much negative things. It won't help motivate you,” she suggested. “I know it's gonna be hard, but you have to believe in yourself and your abilities. You're 'the' Yoo Jimin, and you've been doing so well for the past years because of how hardworking you are. Don't pressure yourself too much, alright? Just take deep breaths before the exam starts and if possible, review your notes and try to remember them one by one as you read each question, and not all at once.”

Jimin couldn't help but smile, nodding in response. She felt grateful, because even if she had a burdensome family, she was still fortunate enough to have thoughtful and supportive friends. The whole council members treated her the same way too, especially Yeji, which she kind of expected that would stray from her after their break-up. Jimin swore that she would surely miss all of the people in her college life that she cherished the most once they graduated. 

“We should celebrate after exam week. You know, have a little get together with your council friends. A drink would be lovely.” Aeri urged, a sly grin slowly crawling up on her face. It made Jimin roll her eyes playfully. 

“I don't drink, Uchinaga,” she said. “And I still have to study more after exam week. Minjeong and I are teaming up for the competition, remember?” 

Aeri just shrugged. 

“Yeah, I remember that. But try to loosen up for a bit, you know? If you keep studying too much, your brain won't be able to take it and eventually pop out of your skull.” 

Jimin raised an eyebrow.

“Scientifically speaking, I'll probably just lose the ability to concentrate on other things or make more mistakes if I study too much, since our brain works like a battery and also needs a break from time to time,” Jimin explained. “It won't swell up or pop out of my skull like what you watch in cartoons or read in fictional books.” 

“Geez, this is why I hate talking to smart people,” Aeri commented, scratching her head before plugging in her earphones and putting her volume to the highest. “Go study, smarty pants. You better treat me lunch after your exams.” 

Jimin just shook her head. 

She looked around the library, kind of happy that there weren't too many students inside; just an exact amount, and most of them were also silently studying for the exams. It gets hard for Jimin to concentrate whenever there's too much noise or the place she stays in is too crowded with people.

The student body president then opened her textbook and started to highlight important topics that would possibly be included in their exams. Most of them were formulas and steps on how to solve a particular problem, and she made sure to also write them down on a piece of paper using a colored pen so she could retain them better. Half an hour had passed by, and her best friend had already fallen asleep with her notebook resting above her head, open. It was a funny sight for Jimin that she ended up secretly taking a photo and planned to post it once she got home.

She was about to return to her notes when she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. When she turned her head around, a warm, genuine smile immediately curved up on her lips. 

“Minjeong,” she happily greeted the blonde, who looked like she had just woken up from a deep slumber. As far as Jimin remembers, Minjeong told her through a text message that her exams would start at exactly 1:00 in the afternoon, so she guessed the girl might have used her free time to get all the sleep she lost after staying up late in the hospital to watch over her sick mother. 

“Hey,” she greeted back, her voice sounding so hoarse and groggy. Jimin suddenly felt worried as she scanned the blonde's face, realizing that she looked paler than usual and the bags under her eyes were more noticeable. 

“You okay? Have you been sleeping well?” 

“Not really,” Minjeong replied, awkwardly, chuckling. “I told you about my stepdad, right? He's a useless prick, and he didn't even bother visiting my mom in the hospital, even if the doctors informed him about what happened. So I have no choice but to stay with her there until late at night, sometimes even when the visiting hours are already over. I just choose to sleep there so my mom won't be alone. My back kinda hurts lying on that small couch beside the hospital bed.”

Jimin knew about Minjeong's stepfather. The blonde openly told stories about him when they both stayed up a bit late to text each other about random stuff, which she was never prepared for at all. It made her heart swell with joy, though, because the blonde opening up to her about sensitive topics and personal matters meant she trusted Jimin enough. 

“I see,” Jimin deeply sighed, gently running her fingers through the blonde's hair when she took the empty seat beside her. “I can help you watch over her if you want to.” 

Minjeong immediately disagreed.

“You have council duties and other responsibilities as a student, and your parents are gonna kill me if I let you do that.”

“Why are you so scared of my parents?” Jimin questioned, smiling softly. “They're not that horrible. I guess, just a bit annoying whenever they give me loads of pressure.” 

“Well, I just don't want them to call you hurtful words ever again because you don't deserve to hear those. I'm sure they would be very mad at you if they found out you've been hanging out with me these past few days,” said Minjeong, the smile from her face slowly fading. But she didn't want Jimin to think about it too much, so she immediately diverted the topic to something else. “Anyway, do you have exams tomorrow? I was thinking maybe we could study together at my place. My stepdad won't be home, surely, probably crashing into his friend's house to be a drunkard again.” 

Jimin's face suddenly turned bright. It would be her first time visiting Minjeong's home, and she was more than excited about it. The blonde kept telling her she had always been so shy abou