A/N: Hello! It's been quite a while since I've written something because of school and all...But I am back again with something new. This is a new series that was inspired by a prompt under twitter user @officialwakeone. I'm still trying to learn and improve so any comments and/or feedbacks are greatly appreciated. Feel free to follow me on twitter (@burntbraincell) and let me know about your thoughts through there too! CC is also welcomed! English is not my first language, so sorry for any grammatical errors! It is quite a long read so I hope those who are reading will enjoy it, even though it might not be up to par with my other works.

 

CC: https://curiouscat.live/burntbraincell 

 

***

 

‘I’ll expect both project subject and project partners to be submitted to me by class next week. Class dismissed,’ said Mrs Jeon as her voice carried over the heads of the silent students in her art class. 

 

No one dared to move and you couldn’t help but survey the people in your class. Everyone probably had the same thought in their mind. 

 

What in the actual heck?

 

It wasn’t until Mrs Jeon had closed the door to the art room that everyone started panicking and chatting. You could even see some of your classmates had frantically tried to shove everything in their bags and run out of the room. Probably to look for a project partner, you assume. 

 

If people saw the way you reacted, they would definitely think that something’s wrong with you. Why are you not panicking? Why are you not worried? And to tell the truth, you were. You were worried about your project and your grades, afterall you were a pretty good student if you do say so yourself. But at the same time - whatever happens, happens. It was something you learnt after multiple failed attempts at getting a partner for your projects the previous few assignments. And the one time you DID get a partner ended in a disaster because they ditched you, resulting in you doing everything on your own. What’s worse was that they only showed up for the actual presentation itself. Project partners are a stupid idea anyway. They were supposed to help you with the workload instead of increasing it.  

 

As you made your way out, you mulled over the project. You are not about to risk your final assessment for another year in this hell of a class. You’ve got so much to look forward to - namely the fun assessments and free time you’d have next year. You’ve had enough studying for a while and honestly, the only reason why you were taking this course was because of your best friend. Plus, what was the teacher even thinking anyway? How the heck were you supposed to find someone from the electrical science class that will help you with your final project? If you couldn't, you’re probably going to be stuck looking for someone in the computing science class to do this with. After all, they were the next best choice. But again, you’re definitely not going to awkwardly rock up to the computing science classes to ask for a project partner. You didn’t even know a single soul in those classes. Who’s great idea was it to ask electrical science classes and computing science classes for such a task as part of their project anyway? 

 

Maybe I can ask Daehwi about it…? I could cash in a favor since that whole incident with the ‘pretend to be my girlfriend for one day’ thing…

 

You could tell that you were definitely too focused on the thoughts about the final project. Kang Hyewon was definitely not someone who worries too much, yet this time round you couldn’t help but worry with such a seemingly impossible task at hand. In fact, you were so focused that you didn’t even notice that you had reached the cafeteria. Cafeteria’s were notoriously known for being crowded and was almost akin to a battlefield with all the popular food items being constantly fought over. That naturally means there were a lot of people in the limited space there. 

 

And that also meant you weren’t looking and bumped into another person who happened to be walking out of the cafeteria. 

 

‘Sh*t, I’m so sorry. Are you alright?’ you asked the unfortunate figure who had landed on the floor, their books falling in a heap on the floor. You bent down and scrambled to pick up their books, stacking what you could grab into a neat pile in your arms. 

 

‘I-I’m okay…’ came a quiet mumble from in front of you and you looked up, only meeting the eyes of a girl with short blonde hair. You froze for a second, a little taken aback by the gorgeous stranger you accidentally bumped into. You’re definitely not one to judge but you did take in the way the girl spoke. There was a slight accent - you assume that she was probably one of the group of exchange students from Japan that were staying here for the rest of their degree. 

 

‘Thanks.’ she said, taking the books out of your arms before rushing to walk away from the cafeteria. 

 

Strange.          

 

***

 

It’d be fun, they said. You might meet someone that can help you with your project, they said. You might even walk out of there with a cute girl or something, they said. In case anyone was wondering, the ‘they’ was your one and only duck-looking best friend Choi Yena. 

 

And you should’ve known after being stuck with her in the same classes since second year middle school, that her ideas always require a…working mind to really ‘slap some sense into her’. Now, you’re usually the voice of reason if your group of friends weren’t with the two of you while other times, you’d like to go with the flow. The rest of them deems you as someone who was easy going and you really feel that it’s a great way to describe you. 

 

Somehow, Choi Yena had managed to drag you into one of the many computer rooms that existed on campus. The two of you stood in front of a door that had the words ‘Beta Trial Club’ and a small ‘temporary’ on the side, printed on a piece of paper that was then stuck on haphazardly.         

 

‘Yena. What the actual-’

 

‘Hey before you try to cuss me out because you’re annoyed, I need to remind you that you ‘willingly’ came with me here!’ 

 

‘How was dragging me here by my wrist, while holding a stick with a string attached to my phone equal to me ‘willingly’ come here?’

 

‘I mean, I did ask if you wanted to get your phone back and you said you did?’

 

‘Any normal person would want their phone back?’

 

‘Look Hye, I just wanted to help you since you’ve been zoning out a lot these days. And yes, I know you said you don’t care about your grades but you obviously care about them more than I do with my own. I know you.’

 

At that you kept mum. You knew what Yena said was right and she was honestly, sometimes she’s a little more observant than you’d like to admit. Sighing a bit, you gave up trying to fight her. There was no use anyway. Upon seeing your slightly slumping posture, she knew she had won. A smile quickly stretched across her face as she excitedly started to tell you. 

 

‘So, being the amazing best friend that I am-’

 

‘You’re not really,’ you deadpanned. Sometimes, you don’t understand where your friend gets all her confidence from. 

 

‘Shh, I know you love me. Anyways, I was worried you’d have to stress yourself and might not get the grades you wanted because of the partner thing. So I thought I’d join you and help you out with getting some extra credits!’

 

That certainly caught your attention. As far as you know, there weren’t many activities that could get you any extra credits that were usable for these art classes. It almost seemed like everyone hated your department. Plus the prospect of Choi Yena wanting to do something nice? There HAS to be something there…or maybe the last art project marks wasn’t great and she needs that extra bit to make up for it…? 

 

‘Yena, I hate to break it to you…But you do realize no one really likes the art department enough to give any extra credit that can be used for those classes right?’

 

‘Not if it’s related to our project!’

 

‘You’re saying…?’

 

‘Electrical science and Computing science classes have their own projects too! Now think about it, where are they going to find people to help them with testing their stuff?’

 

It was almost as if a lightbulb had lit up in your mind as you understood what Yena was trying to tell you. And if you were going to solo this project yourself, you might as well get those extra credits to help yourself - just in case. Afterall, you didn’t want to risk anything.    

 

‘Fine. Let’s see what this is about…’ you said, giving up at the thought of getting extra credits. You hate to admit it since it didn’t really match the way you presented yourself, but you’d rather do that extra bit to get some extra credit if it meant you had to give up one lunch break and not potentially fail. 

 

Opening the door, you were met with a room with four rows of tables - all hooked up to computers on each table. Your eyes widened at the view. You’ve never set foot into this room before and it fascinates you to see so many computers in one place in a classroom. There were black dividers set up on the tables and cushions on each chair. Headphones were neatly placed on the table while the keyboards and mouse all light up in a variety of colours. There was a teacher's table set up in the left corner of the room and a water cooler just in the right corner. There was even a snack area just next to the cooler. It was almost as if you had stepped foot into a PC cafe. 

 

‘Why are you standing there like that? Let’s get moving, Kwangbae.’ said Yena happily. Yena’s voice had snapped you out of your thoughts as she walked past you to sit at an unoccupied computer. You quickly followed suit and sat in the computer booth next to hers. 

 

There was a giant yellow 3 stuck on the left side of the divider, but apart from that, you couldn’t help but admire the computer that you were sitting in front of. The keyboard and mouse were so much nicer than the one you got to use at home (courtesy to your cousin as he had given you a hand-me-down). Heck, even the monitor was so much nicer - it was almost like you had a whole window in front of you. 

 

Maybe I should invest in a curved screen monitor when I have the money…  

 

A girl who was holding a stack of papers, had stood up and walked to the space between the water cooler and the teacher’s table. She had long blonde hair and looked an awful lot like a puppy. In fact, she even resembled a little like Yena before she dyed her hair silver. Clearing , she had everyone’s attention before starting to talk.  

 

‘Hello everyone! Welcome to the Beta Trial Club - a club in which everyone can have some fun playing computer games while helping students out. As you may or may not know, my name is Yuqi! And today-’

 

‘WOO GO YUQI, THAT’S MY BEST FRIEND!’ Yena shouted loudly next to you. Embarrassed, you quickly pinched her arm (it was the closest body part you can reach), hoping she would quiet down. Luckily, she seemed to get the message and sat herself down again while sheepishly scratching her cheek.  

 

‘Thanks Yena! Love the support, bestie!’ Yuqi answered, shooting a wink to Yena and a quick finger gun to your general direction. 

 

How is it possible to have two Yena’s that share the exact same brain cell in the same room? 

 

‘Anyways, today we will be testing a game for a fellow computer science student. The game is created under ‘BloomingBlossom’ and we will be giving out feedback forms for everyone. If everyone could please fill it in so that we can give them to the student who made this game, it’d help them a lot! Please remember to write your in-game username in the name section and which computer you are sitting at! Also as Mrs Kim had mentioned before, as a way of thanking students - those who fill them in will receive extra credit to their course, regardless of department! Now’s your big chance of getting some extra credit AND relaxing a bit by playing these trial games!’ 

 

‘This is too good to be true…’ you mumbled under your breath, eyes never leaving the girl who was now handing out papers to what you assume was every occupied table. 

 

‘Hey, stop glaring holes in Yuqi! Poor girl might have peed her pants or something because of you!’ 

 

‘I’m not?’

 

‘Hye, stop believing and start doing! Extra credit here we go!’

 

By the time Yuqi reached your row, she had just barely enough printouts. That got you worried for a second because you clearly wanted those extra credit points. If it means you had to fight Yena’s friend for it, then so be it.  

 

‘Bestie, do you have a pen I can use? Oh and another for my best friend here?’ you hear Yena asking as you had a quick read of the paper in your hand. 

 

‘I sure do! Here!’ said Yuqi as she happily gave Yena a pen to use, before turning to you with a smile. You didn’t want to seem rude or anything, so you gave a small smile back while accepting the pen. That seemed to be enough for Yuqi as her smile grew wider, before turning back to Yena to speak to her. 

 

‘Also Yena, please don’t write ‘I think the game is good bestie! Get that bread~’ as the only feedback you have. Poor Nagyung was a little confused and not sure what to do with your feedback that she ended up skipping over your feedback entirely…’ 

 

Hearing that, you couldn’t help but put a hand up to your mouth in an attempt to conceal those giggles that were threatening to escape you. That comment sounded exactly like something that Yena would say (or write). You like Yuqi. Her humour was on the same wavelength as yours.   

 

‘Hey, my feedback was full of love and encouragement for Nakko!’

 

‘Yeah, but she needed something that could help her pass the project, bestie!’ Yuqi said exasperatedly. 

 

You couldn’t lie. These two had an interesting dynamic and it was fun seeing these two (who are practically twins), trying to explain the situation from their own point of view. You were amused but it was cut short when someone had cleared their throat in the room and bought the two out of their discussion. Yuqi looked up in the general direction of the teacher’s table before walking back to where she was standing at the beginning of her explanation. 

 

‘You have 45 minutes to play the trial game and 15 minutes to fill out the feedback form. Please fill it out as best and detailed as you could! Us, Computer Science students, are counting on your feedback! Have fun and enjoy!’ 

 

That was your cue, so you wore the headphones and took a moment to observe. You made yourself an avatar and quickly joined the game. The game was interesting - there were different themes and there were a good mix of puzzles and fighting. There were definitely some frustrations and harder enemies to fight but you genuinely enjoyed playing the game. Although it was short, you managed to finish the third boss fight in your limited time thanks to the fact that your mind was fully concentrated on the game and you were determined to find ways to beat the bosses as quickly as you could. Upon reaching the gates before the fight with the second boss, there was a glowing mark on the wall in the game. You moved your character over to the wall and read the message. 

 

What kind of boss is this that requires at least another person to fight with you? 

 

After reading the message on your screen, you moved your mouse to navigate to your menu. But before you could even try to find someone who was in a similar situation as you are, a username popped up on the top of your screen. You read the username ‘39-chan’, hoping you could guess who it was but to no avail. You weren’t too concerned about who it could potentially be anyway, so you ended up accepting the request and together entered the boss fight.  

 

And damn was this other person good. They didn’t need any sort of text communications. It was almost as if the other user just…knew. When you moved right to distract the boss, the other user had already attacked from the left. The same thing happened when the other user moved to distract the boss while you attacked with everything your character has. After defeating the boss, you moved on to the next section of the game. Before leaving your world, you quickly bought the chat box up and sent the other user a quick ‘Good game bud. Nice playing with you.’ before closing it and continuing on your way. 

 

Before you know it, the 45 minutes of playing was up. And you could hear the way Yena was groaning next to you. 

 

‘Goddamn it, I was so close to defeating the second boss! Why are the puzzles so hard in this game?’ whined Yena as she leaned back on her chair before turning to look at you. ‘Hye, what part were you up to?’

 

‘I finished the third boss and was about to fight the fourth one.’

 

‘Damn, we get it genius…how did you even solve the puzzles so fast?’   

 

‘I’m…not sure. It was definitely a fun experience though…?’

 

A clap was then heard and your attention was taken to see Yuqi standing there again - a smile plastered on her face. Clearing dramatically, you watched as she began her quick announcement. 

 

‘Everyone! I hope you guys had fun! Please fill out the feedback form and leave it on your table! You guys are free to go when you’ve finished filling them out and I’ll be collecting them once you have left the classroom. Again, thank you everyone for coming and the extra credits should reflect after you hand in your projects!’ 

 

You tried to quickly fill out the feedback form as best you could. Keyword - tried. The pen you were going to use didn’t seem to like the idea because it wouldn’t write anything. So you tried to shake it a bit and even give it a quick huff of warm breath to help. But the pen still didn’t seem to like it. And as Yena had said - drastic times call for drastic measures. So you did what any sane person would do. 

 

You gave the pen a hard shake. 

 

And while that worked and you managed to write your in-game username, the pen decided to throw up a blob of ink onto your sheet. Your eyes widened a little in surprise before you chose to ignore it. You quickly filled out the form and put in as many details as you could. If someone can give you some sort of benefit, you might as well genuinely try and help them out right?  

 

And if no one could help you with your project, at least you could help someone with theirs.   

 

Feedback form for BloomingBlossom: 

   

- This game has appeal to people all over the world. I suggest you could potentially create language packs or different versions with different languages. Language packs are probably better because it’d save you time. You can try ‘Generate New Pack’ in the language menu. Helpful tip is that people tend to forget that not all languages when translated are the same length so remember to leave enough space for other languages to fit better.  

 

- Would be cool if you did this, but this game has VR potential.
 

- I suggest that you should fix the bug issue when going through the first boss fight. I’ve taken a screenshot of exactly where it happens and it’s saved on the computer as Bug 1. 

 

- I think you could add some bosses in the later levels that require a second person to beat just like the second boss. I quite enjoyed fighting the boss with another user in this classroom.
 

- For harder levels, maybe you can increase the drops from enemies and in turn, those drops can be used for levelling up your character
 

- You should re-code some parts because there’s a glitch in saving and there’s a slight graphics glitch when you speak to Frodo after the third boss fight (I have also screenshotted the graphics glitch and saved it onto the computer)
 

- When fighting the third boss, it would be good to increase the level of difficulty by having less reaction time for the player but keep a slight repetitive fighting sequence from the boss. That way the player can still defeat the boss, but they won’t be able to move onto the next level as quickly. You can also choose to expand the map and include items in other areas, so that it can help you with the boss fight.

  

What else can I write or suggest…

 

After contemplating for a little while, you decided to be kind and do something way out of character. 

 

- Thanks for letting us beta your game. I had fun and it took my mind off my own project for a little while.  

 

Looking at what you’ve written, you were satisfied. You were about to stand up and leave, but it slipped your mind that having Choi Yena as your best friend meant she would be curious about what you had written.

‘Hey, what did you write?’ asked Yena as you saw the tell-tale signs of her wanting to take the paper off you. It was almost in slow motion. In an attempt to cover it from her, you grabbed the paper’s top corner and moved yourself back to avoid her. 

 

And it worked great until you forgot about the blob of wet ink near the username - causing you to smudge it a bit. 

 

‘It’s all your fault Yen!’ you rolled your eyes. You weren’t actually angry or anything but it’d be fun to tease Yena anyway.

 

‘Geez I’m sorry. I didn’t know your pen hated you and decided to throw up a blob of ink?’ 

 

You looked at her as the duck pouted and looked away guilty. Stupid you and your soft heart. You couldn’t keep the act up so you just sighed and brushed it off. 

 

‘I just hope the computer science student who made the game didn’t think that the in-game username is very important or something.’

 

‘Probably not? I mean Yuqi knows who’s who anyway so you don’t have to worry about the extra credits thing!’

 

‘You think so?’

 

‘Yup!’ said Yena, popping the ‘p’ obnoxiously loudly. 

 

The two of you made your way back to the art department in a comfortable silence. You spared a glance at the garden, admiring it a little as you have never really been to this side of the campus before. The silence was broken when Yena asked you a question. 

 

‘Why don’t you take computing? You’re so good at that stuff anyway,’ asked Yena as she walked a little ahead of you with her arms tucked behind her head. 

 

Hell no. Choi Yena will never catch you admitting that she was one of the reasons why you chose to do electronic art as your major. 

 

‘I’m stupid - I like playing them, not making them.’

 

‘Really? Honestly though, you’re really good. You probably gave them the best feedback and heck you might be able to give them a hand on how to resolve some of their issues too!’

 

‘You think?’ you asked with a raised eyebrow. 

 

‘I usually don't. But to answer you, I know so!’

 

***

 

It was fruitless to say the least. You still haven’t found a partner for the stupid project and the deadline that you swore was still a month and half away was suddenly a mere four weeks away. Coupled with your other close friends bothering you almost everyday, you’re not sure how long you would last. You’ve always been known to be ‘cold’, ‘indifferent’ and ‘patient’. But you’re honestly not quite so sure about the patient part now.

 

‘Hye, did you find a partner yet?’ 

 

‘No. How about you ducky?’ 

 

‘I was thinking of asking someone but I’m not sure if she would want to…’ 

 

Looking up from your sketches, you eyed your friend. Hoping she would understand that you want her to stop playing around from the look you had on your face, you raised a single eyebrow. You watched as she shuffled a little awkwardly on her seat before looking away guilty. 

 

‘Fine. I wanted to ask Jo Yuri. Happy?’

 

‘Yeah - that wasn’t so hard now was it? I don’t see why you’re so concerned about saying who the person was when you and I had both known Yul since middle school.’  

 

‘I keep forgetting that you both know each other okay?!’

 

‘That’s a lame excuse, Yen. Lame excuse, even by my standards.’ 

 

‘Hey, what’s that supposed to mean!?’ Yena protested loudly next to you. 

 

Silence fell on the two of you again as you went back to your sketches. You were aimlessly trying to sketch something, hoping some sort of brilliant idea would come to you soon. You need to pass this stupid project. While you may not look like it, you’re actually pretty determined to keep those straight A grades going.   

 

‘By the way, I found something super interesting the other day. You should totally come with me to explore. Chae doesn’t have time so…’

 

‘Am I your backup, Choi?’ you asked - voice as levelled and indifferent as you could manage. You were a little tired with the way she keeps playing around while distracting you from procrastinating on your work, so you decided to give her a taste of her own medicine - distract her as best as you could. 

 

‘W-what- of course not!’ stuttered Yena, her eyes widened in surprise. Though you should’ve known. Her dramatic self didn’t take even a second to recover from the shock before she threw herself to the floor next to your table - stupidly maintining eye contact the whole way through. 

 

‘How can you think of me that way?!’ she exclaimed, wiping her ‘tears’ (but really, it was just air) as she dramatically sniffled. You were wondering if someone can get a nosebleed from excessively TRYING to sniffle.   

 

‘Well, it seems like it.’ you said - still trying to sketch the nth prototype of what you could potentially do for your project. 

 

‘No! Anyways, it’s fun - I promise. You had fun at the Beta Trial Club some weeks ago and I know you don’t regret having fun AND getting those extra credits.’ 

 

You could only stay mum as you know she knew she was right. 

 

‘Well this one isn’t really related to grades or partners…BUT I found a really cool pop up gacha place!’ 

 

‘Gacha?’ you asked incredulously. 

 

‘...Yeah?’

 

‘You mean those clear egg shaped containers that have stuff inside them and you put coins in to twist a knob and get a random prize - those kinds of gachas?’

 

‘Uh, yeah? I mean what else could it be inside right?’

 

‘I don’t think I need any more collectables on my desk at the dorms though.’

 

‘Just come with me and try it, please?’

 

‘...Fine. I’m procrastinating anyway…’

 

***

 

And that’s how you found yourself standing in front of an odd looking gacha…store? It was essentially a hole in a wall between the back of two shops (the old shoe store and the second hand shop, if you could recall correctly), so you weren’t too sure if you could even consider it to be a store. Inside, there were rows and rows of different gachas and you couldn’t help but feel enchanted by the way they were displayed. You quickly walked up to a random one and upon seeing one of the collectables that you don’t have displayed as part of the prizes, you were suddenly quite…keen on trying to get one yourself. 

 

You didn’t even notice Yena wasn’t by your side, until she had called for you from wherever she was.  

 

‘KANG HYEWON! COME HERE! THIS LOOKS PRETTY INTERESTING!’ 

 

Now what can be more interesting than a mini DIY gacha machine as one of the prizes you can get? 

 

Walking over to Yena, you stopped next to her - about to give her a piece of your mind when she abruptly turned to look at you. Her eyes were shining and an excited smile stretched across her face. She quickly grabbed your arm in a tight enough grip for you to know you won’t be able to get out of it. And you would’ve been quite concerned if it wasn’t for the fact that you know this was just another thing Yena did when she was excited. After all, you were no stranger to this behaviour. 

 

‘Read it!’

 

Deciding to humour her, you heaved a sigh and bent down to read the label displayed. 

 

‘A Hint to Your Forever - a truly magical experience that can change your life.’ you read out loud eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Turning to face your duck-like friend, you asked her. ‘What has this got to do with me? And how is this more interesting than the collectable-’

 

‘Doesn’t that sound mysterious?’

 

‘Sounds like something someone would say to kidnap-’

 

‘Shhh, just don’t sweat the details. It only costs what…’ you watched as Yena bent down to read  the sign on the machine. ‘...2 tokens anyway! That’s literally less than the amount you’d use to buy your snacks in the cafeteria.’

 

‘And what does that have to do with this?’

 

‘It means you should go for it! Don’t be a coward - I’ll do it with you!’

 

You’ve got to stop sighing so much around her. Eunbi has been telling you that you’d get older faster if you keep doing that. But how could you not? You’ve been hanging out with her since middle school and you have a feeling she’s almost like a sticker who’s going to be stuck with you for quite a while.

 

Without a word, you bent down to put a token in. You twisted the silver knob twice before feeling the machine locking itself in place again. Putting a second token in, you repeated your previous actions. 

 

WIth a loud clink of metal and some other ‘mechanics’ you assume, the two of you could hear the sound of a rounded plastic object hitting the shoot before rolling out and stopping by the flap. Opening it up, you pulled out a coral red capsule before making space for Yena to take her turn. Looking at the capsule, you couldn’t really tell why in the world it was considered ‘interesting’ in Yena’s eyes. To be fair, it was anything BUT interesting. 

 

In fact, you almost felt scammed. 

 

Looking into the clear side of the capsule, you could make out a piece of…paper? It wasn’t even coloured or anything - just a neatly folded piece of paper in a square, placed neatly inside the capsule. And…was that a piece of plastic around the piece of paper? 

 

Just…how bothered are these people in thinking that a piece of paper and some scam-like words can be worth a whole snack from the cafeteria? 

  

‘Let’s open them together! I’m so curious. Also, look how cute this one is!’ Yena said as she showed you a yellow capsule. 

 

‘Nice. You even got your favorite color.’ you answered half heartedly, already trying to see if there was tape around the opening. You were curious about what this thing is and was also kind of determined to prove to your overly enthusiastic friend that this whole thing was a scam. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even manage to walk out of here with a free snack in between classes. 

 

Upon getting to the middle of the capsule, you carefully took the piece of paper out - hoping you won’t drop the rest of the rubbish onto the ground. Normally, you’d expect to see a piece of paper tucked neatly onto the side with a list of things you could have won in the gacha. But when you opened yours to take a peak it was just as you thought. There was literally nothing but a piece of white paper. Not even a printed thing to tell you what potential prizes you could’ve won. 

 

How the heck was this a ‘magical experience’?! Unless of course, they meant magical experience in the sense that you’ve been scammed of a potential bread you could have bought.

 

When you looked at the piece of paper - that was when the real confusion started. Your eyes were met with a neatly printed pattern of lines with a square in the middle and you honestly didn’t really know what to make of it. Maybe you won’t be as confused if someone had printed ‘You have been SCAMMED’ in bold, bright red letters instead. 

 

‘What did you get?’

 

 Damn. You must have been so confused that you totally forgot about Yena’s existence. 

 

‘Uh…I don’t really know what to make of it.’ you answered honestly. Maybe Yena can use her imagination and give you some sort of explanation.

 

‘Huh? Let me see!’ Yena said as she reached out to grab the piece of paper from you. Letting her do as she pleased, you took your attention off the piece of paper and had a quick look around the gacha shop. If it was new, the whole college and the highschoolers would’ve been talking about it by now. Yet, no one you knew except Yena had mentioned it to you. Which really implied that it had been here for god knows how long right? So the real question is, how come you’ve never noticed this place before?  

 

‘What the- what is this?’

 

‘That’s what I’d like to know too, ducky.’

 

You watched as Yena put the piece of paper to the light - tongue sticking out a little past her top lip and trying to look concentrated on decoding what the thing on your paper was. Amused, you let her do her thing. Knowing her, she won’t take too long anyway.  

 

‘...Yeah I don’t know dude. Good luck I guess?’

 

‘...What did you get, then? Did you figure it out?’

 

‘Mine was waaaayyyy easier!’ said Yena happily, dragging out the ‘way’ longer than necessary. ‘Mine only had the word uh…‘Men-del..-shon’? ‘Men-del…-sun’? On it!’

 

Peering over at Yena’s paper, you couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at the way she had tried to pronounce the word. ‘You mean, Mendelssohn?’

 

‘To-mah-to, To-mae-to, same thing.’

 

‘Uh…yeah whatever you say. Just pray that the poor man won’t come for you in your sleep.’

 

‘Oh? Mendelssohn’s a person?’

 

‘...Did you not pay attention in music classes, back in high school?’

 

‘...Music history was boring. I’d rather play on an instrument than listen to boring old Mr Han go off about dead people,’ shrugged Yena as she turned to walk out of the gacha shop.  

 

‘Ducky, wait for me!’ you said as you ran after her. 

 

What you didn’t know was that if you hadn’t been busy trying to chase after your friend, you would’ve noticed the way that things seemed so oddly strange. Maybe then you’d notice Rudi, the shoe shop owner’s dog who stood there watching the entire exchange in confusion. Poor little Rudi didn’t even bark as she was confused as to why there were two humans who were strangely crouching in the gap between the two stores. 

 

***

 

It had been a whole week since that scam. And damn it, you still haven’t found a project partner. Maybe you should speak to Mrs Jeon about it and give up trying to find a partner. At this point, you only have a mere two weeks left to do everything IF you find a project partner within this week. The more you think about it, the more you want to just tug at your hair with how frustrating everything is. Daehwi wasn’t helpful at all because despite knowing a lot of people, that man just didn’t seem to have any friends who were in the computing science class. And those who were in the electrical science classes? Let’s just say the limited number of people he was friends with, all had a project partner.   

 

Sighing, you stood up to make your way to Mrs Jeon’s office. While the lady can be sweet and encouraging, she was still strict in everything related to her student’s work. It was understandable though seeing as she was one of the best art teachers in your city.  

 

‘Hey, I know you’re free tomorrow night so I signed you up for it already!’ shouted Yena enthusiastically, as soon as you walked out of Mrs Jeon’s office. 

 

How the heck did Yena find you - that you don’t know. As far as you’re concerned, you’re pretty sure you didn’t tell anyone about going to Mrs Jeon’s office. But her loudness really pulled you out of your damp mood. It took your mind a moment to register what she was trying to say to you and when you did, you couldn’t help but widen your eyes in surprise. 

 

‘Wait. What did you sign me up for? If it was one of those ‘volunteering to be a booth person at the amusement park’ like last time, I swear to god I’ll-’  

 

‘NO! No way! After Chaewon and you held Ducky Junior at brush point, I swear I won’t do it again. I simply signed you up for a free meal - I swear, nothing else.’

 

‘Free meal?’

 

‘Yeah! It’s a thank you meal from the creator of the game we tried at the Beta Trial Club. I think they named it the ‘Thank you Beta Trial User’ dinner. They didn’t have to but I guess creator BloomingBlossom must be either super rich or super thankful to do this.’

 

‘Oh…’

 

‘By the way, the dress code is casual - so no need to stress about what to wear! I’ll see you tomorrow night!’

 

It was only after Yena had happily skipped away from you that you had just realized a very important piece of information that you should’ve probably asked before. 

 

‘TOMORROW NIGHT?!’

 

***

 

Tomorrow night came way faster than you thought. While you ARE quite easy going and can talk to people relatively easily, you’re still shy around people you didn’t know. Yena, on the other hand, was definitely someone you’d describe as ‘the life of the party’. It didn’t matter who it was - whether she met them before or on the day. But by the end of the party or gathering, she would be walking out with a bunch of people’s social media AND a bunch of new ‘besties’ as she calls all her friends. 

 

And you can tell that this night won’t be any different. 

 

Walking into the Korean barbeque shop, you awkwardly walked a little behind Yena in an attempt to shield yourself from the onslaught of strangers who will probably all be friends with Yena by the end of the night. 

 

‘Yuqi!’ Yena called out into the crowd and a head of blonde hair turned to face the two of you. You could hear a faint ‘I knew that would work’ from Yena before she made her way towards the puppy-like girl. Being the good friend you are, you followed. As soon as the two of you were close enough, Yuqi stood up and stuck her hand out to Yena. You watched on in equal parts amusement and wonder at the two’s complicated handshake ritual. After the two were done, the bright smile on Yuqi’s face was directed at you. 

 

‘Hey there! I remember seeing you with Yena at the trial club, but I don’t think we formally met. My name’s Song Yuqi - a second year Computer Science and Dance major!’ 

 

‘Nice to formally meet you. I’m Kang Hyewon - second year Art Major, specializing in Electronic Art. I’m assuming you probably met the loud duck during dance classes?’ 

 

‘Yeah! Can you believe that I thought she was cool? At first, I thought to myself that I want to be just like her! First saw her when her group had to show their dance in front of the class. But then when they were done and she exaggerated the whole ‘ending fairy’ thing? I realized she was just like me!’

 

Chuckling, you couldn’t help but answer the friendly girl in front of you. ‘That sounds like Choi Yena alright.’

 

‘Anyways, how rude of me! Take a seat! Yena’s already made herself comfortable. We can talk over dinner!’ 

 

You gave Yena a glance - a little betrayed by the way your friend had left you alone and had already started eating. You sat at the only available seat next to her; the seat at the head of the table. Taking your jacket off and making yourself comfortable, you took some food onto your plate and began eating. It was only when you were part way through eating your second bowl of meat that you decided to actually take a look at your surroundings. 

 

With chopsticks in your mouth, you surveyed the long table of occupants. You could recognize some familiar faces - Chuu and Jooee from Theatre, Xiaoting and Shuhua from Dance, Chan and Yuta from Sport Science and even Arin and Naeun from Acting. By the time you moved your gaze towards the right side of the table, you couldn’t help but notice the girl sitting right beside you. She was busy talking to someone and was facing away from you. You couldn’t really see the girl and you’re sure she wasn’t really someone you know. But why do you feel a sense of familiarity?

 

Yuqi must have seen the way you have paused. That would be the only explanation as to the well-timed introduction she had very helpfully provided.

 

‘Oh yeah, Hyewon - this is Sakura, a Japanese exchange student!’ 

 

Hearing her name, the girl next to you looked over to your direction. And it was only after she looked at you that you remember why she looked familiar without you knowing her. 

 

She was the pretty girl you had bumped into at the cafeteria some time ago. The same girl who was in the back of your mind since that day you’ve seen her. Even though you were busy, you’d find yourself trying to look for her in the crowd whenever you were having lunch in the cafeteria. 

 

You didn’t really attempt to socialize much, seeing as you were still worried about the project. But that didn’t mean you didn’t talk at all. You managed to have some needed catchup with those you were familiar with and make friends with some of the ones you didn’t know. You even managed to strike up a conversation with Sakura. You’re so glad it was a Wednesday night and thank god you’d only have art class with Mrs Jeon on Friday afternoons. That’s one more day for you to wallow in your problems before your teacher does something to help you out. 

 

As the night went on, Yena seemed to keep disappearing from your left with Yuqi to go around and mingle with the other students on the other side of the table. While you? You focused on eating and learning a little more about the pretty girl you were sitting next to. Not only was she smart, but she also seemed to like the same kind of games as you did! Who would’ve thought you’d find a new gaming buddy in a place like this?

 

The only real problem you’ve had during the night, was when some seniors had crashed the thank you dinner and pressured everyone into drinking. A lot. They seem to think that it was already a weekend or something. 

 

Thank god for your high tolerance, or else you probably wouldn’t have been able to make it back to the dorms by yourself. But also, unfortunately the girl next to you didn’t seem to hold up as well as you were. She slumped over the table and her ears were red from the amount of alcohol that she consumed. The seniors themselves must have realized they screwed up because the next thing you remember was the string of apologies they gave and their decency to call taxis for everyone to get back home safe. 

 

Did you mention that you also somehow lost the duck in the mess? Damn it - your friend really likes to make you worry about her huh. But when you received a text message from Yuri saying that she’ll take Yena back to her dorms, you knew you could relax a little and maybe help out the ones who don't seem as okay as you were.  

 

‘Hey junior? We’ll deal with this. You’re friends with the girl who’s slumped on the table right?’ a burly senior called you out as he gave a pointed look at the figure of a passed out Sakura. Not knowing how to respond, you nodded unsurely. Seeing you nod back, he told you that a taxi was available outside and that you could bring her back to where she stayed.  

 

Nodding, you followed your senior’s instructions. It was only in the taxi that you realized you didn't actually know where Sakura was staying. It was late and you know you shouldn’t be staying out on the streets any longer - especially when you are holding a drunk girl by the waist. So you prayed nothing would go wrong when you told the taxi driver to drop the two of you back to your own dorms. 

 

You’ve never really had the experience of trying to bring a drunk person back. But damn - do all drunk people weigh a tonne even if they look like a stick? Or are you just a little weaker than usual because you drank a bit?

 

Once you reached your door and managed to single handedly open it. You were so proud of yourself (and relieved) that you nearly cheered and dropped Sakura. Quickly scrambling to prevent the girl from falling (and giving yourself more work because god knows if you can carry her in if she’s on the floor), you practically dragged her to your bedroom. You didn’t want her to wake up and find bruises and scratches on her and wonder what had happened. Telling her, ‘Oh yeah I was so happy I managed to open the door that I dropped you and couldn’t pick you up again and dragged you in. You may have gotten all those from bumping into all the furniture I have here!’ didn’t really sound like a very good way to start a conversation after speaking with her properly for the first time the night before.  

 

Thank god I left the door open 

 

You left her on your bed and knelt down to take her sneakers off. Latest dunks huh? Shaking your head a little, you went to grab a towel to help wipe her face and cool off. Would she be uncomfortable when she woke up because a stranger was doing all this? There wasn’t much time to ponder any longer on this matter because you can feel yourself growing more and more tired by the second. You tucked Sakura in bed and moved to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. You couldn’t help but admire how pretty she is, even though she was drunk and still pink from the alcohol. Just as you were about to make your way to the bathroom to change, you were held in place by a pair of warm arms wrapping themselves around your neck. You tried to pull yourself free but one should not underestimate the strength a drunk person has. The more you pulled away, the harder you were dragged down. 

 

And the next thing you know, soft lips were on yours.

 

Never in your twenty years of living have you ever imagined that this was the way your first kiss would be taken. Maybe a shy kiss with the person you like after a date or something cute like that. Not someone drunk kissing you like…like this?! And while maybe the girl is quite cute and you do know you’ve been quite…taken by the girl underneath you, you didn’t want her to feel bad and avoid you for the rest of your days in this university. You’d still love to get to know her better and play some rounds of Pubg together as the both of you agreed to during dinner. 

 

But there was also a part of you that told you she wouldn’t even remember it anyway and to kiss her back. Following your heart,  you closed your eyes and did just that. You blame it on the drinks you had for being so out of character. You were so lost in kissing those soft lips that you forgot breathing was something essential to keep you alive. So when you pulled away slightly to take a breath and felt her chase after you, you opened your eyes to look at the girl. 

 

Only to sober up immediately - almost as if a bucket of cold water was doused onto you. 

 

Pushing her away roughly, you immediately scrambled back. Tripping over her shoes, you sat on the floor and took a moment to process what the heck just happened. You could still taste the faint bitterness of the alcohol but it was also way sweeter than anything you’ve had. Not even your favorite food could compare and you just want to taste those lips again. 

 

Kang Hyewon, what the heck?!

 

It’s bad. You know you’d be addicted in no time. Shaking your head in a futile attempt to get rid of those thoughts, you tried to focus on something else. But you could feel the way your face was heating up and you know for a fact that it wasn’t because of the alcohol you had consumed. 

 

Wake up Kang Hyewon! What would Yena, Chaeyeon and Chaewon say about you if they knew? How are you going to be the cool older sister figure to Yujin?!

 

Slapping yourself in the cheeks, you decided to brush it off. 

 

It only happened because she was drunk. She won’t remember it and you should forget about it. This was not going to affect you in any way, nor will you think about it. You’ve got too many things to worry about anyway.

 

Emerging from the bathroom in an oversized black t-shirt and shorts, you grabbed a pillow and your extra blankets to sleep on the couch. 

 

The next day was hell. 

 

Waking up at 9am on the dot by a loud scream, on a day without classes (after getting home at 3am) was definitely NOT how you envisioned your Thursday morning to be like. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you made your way to the kitchen - ready to equip yourself with a knife for self defence purposes. But then your mind seemed to wake up a little more when a loud crash in your room and a faint ‘OH MY GOD’ could be heard. 

 

Looks like your guest has woken up and is probably running around like a headless chicken. You don’t blame her though, seeing as the poor girl would’ve had no recollections of anything after she passed out on the table and somehow found herself in a strangers dorm. Taking this time to let the other girl find her bearings, you decided to be helpful and poured a glass of water. You also found some aspirin for her headache that she no doubt will have. Waiting for the occupant of your room to come out, you took a moment to yawn and get rid of the sleep in your system. You didn’t have to wait long as Sakura rushed out of your room, seemingly in some sort of panic and quickly made a beeline for the exit. 

 

Perhaps it was because you still weren’t fully awake and were intending to sleep after the commotion had passed, but you were bolder than you thought you would be. 

 

‘Hey Sakura? Take this - you probably have a massive headache and this aspirin might help.’

 

You watched as she paused just a step away from the door and turned to look at you. Her already wide eyes widened even more. A loud yelp could be heard ringing throughout the dorm before she opened the door and disappeared through it - closing the door with a loud slam.  

 

You weren’t really in the mood to deal with it all so you decided to brush it off and keep sleeping until your body screams at you, telling you that you’ve had enough rest.

  

*** 

 

When Friday rolled around, you weren’t really too sure what to expect. Perhaps Mrs Jeon calling you out in front of the class for not having a partner? Or maybe you were going to get some sort of special consideration of working alone on the project? While you are easy going and didn’t mind making friends, you definitely did not want everyone’s attention on you in the middle of class. So when Mrs Jeon called for you to talk outside of class before the lesson began, you were beyond relieved. 

 

Standing outside with Mrs Jeon, she closed the door behind her to give the two of you some privacy. 

 

‘Hyewon, while I do like the idea you have proposed for this project, it IS a requirement to have a partner for it. I understand that you’ve come to me to seek help - which is great. But next time, if you’d want some help in finding a project partner, you should come to me earlier.’

 

You looked down - guilty at the words that Mrs Jeon had said. You felt bad for putting your teacher in this situation. 

 

‘Anyways, I’ve found you a project partner and hopefully that can help you. She’s a Computer Science student and- oh! Here she is.’

 

Looking up, you turned around to face the person Mrs Jeon was talking about. You hope this Computer Science student knows enough about electronics and programming to help you pull off your assignment. But when your eyes met with a familiar head of short blonde hair, you couldn’t stop yourself from pausing. 

 

What is she doing here…? 

 

‘Sakura, this is Hyewon - the person you’ll be helping out for this project. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or Ms Im about anything.’

 

You watched as Sakura bowed in respect and waited stiffly for Mrs Jeon to return to the classroom before she gave you a quick glance. 

 

‘S-Sakura, you’re a Computer Science student? I thought you said you were a Design student?’ 

 

‘I uh may have missed a minor detail…I do both?’

 

‘…’

 

‘A-anyways, let’s…start on your project so that you can finish it on time. I’ve heard about what you wanted to do and I think we will be able to do it.’ stuttered Sakura as she didn’t dare to meet your eyes. She made her way inside the classroom and you followed just behind her. 

 

‘My seat is the one next to the window, second row from the back.’ you muttered to let her know where you were going to sit. You couldn’t help but smile a little when you see her make a bee-line for the seat next to yours.  

 

Before the two of you could even settle in your seats Mrs Jeon’s voice could be heard ringing throughout the room. ‘Today will be a lesson dedicated to working on your projects. As everyone knows, it is still due on Friday in two weeks time. So please start doing them if you haven’t already started!’

 

This is definitely going to be interesting.

 

***

 

Working on the project went surprisingly smooth - heck it was even smoother than Yena working with you and that’s saying something. Perhaps it was because it was your project and she was only helping you out? That’s the only explanation you can come up with as to why she hadn’t tried to counter you with any of her opinions. As far as you know, artists can be quite stubborn and adamant about their opinions - and by default, you assumed it’s the same for designers too. Luckily there weren't many differing opinions and Sakura’s inputs had actually helped enhance your project. 

 

Lost in smooth workflow, the two of you met up regularly to complete the project. The two of you became closer with each meetup - learning things about each other and even going as far as calling each other by nicknames. Almost complete with the project, you find yourselves in the art studios on a Wednesday afternoon - the week the project is due. There was only some minor soldering that needed to be done. After that, all that’s left is some final touches and Sakura’s programming to bring your work to life. Once everything is finished, you will be done with this project. The next thing you need to do after that? Take a break because you really need one after all the stress you’ve done.  

 

‘Kura, can you please pass me the soldering iron?’ you asked her, putting your palm up to your left so she could place the soldering iron directly in your hand. 

 

When you didn’t feel anything being placed, you looked up from your work to see what was going on. You could see the blonde girl next to you frowning at her laptop in concentration. It was honestly quite cute and you didn’t have the heart to break whatever she was doing. So with a smile on your face (that you swear you couldn’t control it), you quietly reached out to grab the soldering iron and continued to work on the project. By the time you had finished with all the parts that needed soldering, the sun was already beginning to set. You took a moment to sit there and relax. Not long after, Sakura also let out a huge sigh and closed her laptop, before slumping back into the chair. You watched as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back, taking a moment to relax, just like you. 

 

She looks so much like a cat

 

‘You did amazing, Kura. Thank you so much for helping me with the project. I really appreciate it.’ you said gently, a hand reaching out to pat the girl on her head. 

 

‘N-no! It’s quite alright. I’m glad I can help you with your project. After all, you helped me a lot too.’ She stuttered, eyes wide as she abruptly sat upright when she felt your hand on her head. 

 

Huh?

 

‘Me? What did I do…? As far as I remember, I’ve only accidentally ran into you once at the Cafeteria some time ago…’

 

You watched as Sakura took a deep breath, seemingly getting ready to say whatever she needed to say. Was it something that was really important? Why in the world is the girl in front of you so nervous? 

 

‘Uh…you gave me some really good suggestions and methods to do things for my project.’

 

‘What project are you talking about?’

 

She looked at you with a slight frown on her face - clearly confused with what you were talking about. But who could blame you? You don’t even remember what you ate for yesterday’s lunch with how much you were stressing about the project. 

 

‘Hye, I thought you would’ve noticed by now.’ 

 

Noticed what? Kura, you gotta tell me what I need to notice so that we are on the same page?

 

‘Computer Science student? Sakura?’

 

‘Uh…?’
 

‘BloomingBlossom? Beta Trial Club?’

 

‘OH!’ 

 

So that was what it was! 

 

‘I actually tried to find out who you were after I got the feedback forms from Yuqi. I remember you were the one who I played with in the trial too. And seeing the suggestions you gave back just made me want to find you even more…So here.’ 

 

Suddenly a medium sized box was pushed into your line of vision. The box was beautiful and was roughly the size of a regular tissue box. Light beige in color and matte, the box definitely looked like it could complement the things in your room.  

 

‘Hm? What’s this?’ you voiced out your confusion. A pink cheeked Sakura was shyly looking at anything but you. Your initial confusion was melting away just from a glance at the girl. 

 

‘J-just…o-open it!’

 

Following instructions, you proceeded to slide the lid out. Or at least, what you thought the lid was. 

 

‘Wait, you’re opening the wrong end-’

 

A circuit board and a battery slot stares back at you as you look on in confusion. 

 

Wait a second, why does this pattern look so familiar? Where have you seen this before…?

 

‘You should uh, put the bottom bit back on…’

 

You followed her instructions and proceeded to flip the box over. While your mind was still fairly hung up about the pattern that just doesn’t seem to want to leave you, you couldn’t help but gasp at the view in front of you. 

 

No way…

 

Inside the box was shallow. It contained a slot to put your phone on with a cable sticking up to indicate where it should be placed on top of. Next to it was a little touch screen and on the right side of the box was a little slot. 

 

It looked an awful lot like those instant photo printers you’ve seen advertisements about. 

 

‘D-do you like it? I’ve heard from Chaeyeon, who happens to be friends with your friend Yena, that you really liked photography. I wanted to thank you so I modified this box. You can put more printing paper in from the left side if you slide it out.’  

 

‘Are you kidding me?! Kura, I love this! You really didn’t have to but thank you so much. I’ll treasure this forever!’ you told her excitedly as you continued to examine the box. 

 

‘I, uh, also have another question.’

 

‘Ask away?’ you answered her, your focus all on her. 

 

‘It’s a bit fast but can we uh go and grab dinner sometime…? I’d like to get to…know you better…’ Sakura asked shyly, pink dusted her cheeks as she was unable to hold your gaze. You couldn’t help but melt a little at the sight of the girl in front of you. Seeing her fiddle with a small piece of paper was what triggered something in your mind and everything seemed to click. 

 

The pattern from before. It wasn’t just a pattern. 

 

It was a drawing of a circuit board - one that almost looks identical to the one you accidentally saw when you opened the wrong side of the box.  

 

‘Tell me when and where. I’ll make sure I’ll get ready in time for you.’ you answered confidently. 

 

Let’s see where this goes, gachapon. If she really is the one - then maybe my life will start to get a little more interesting.