Nam Daeun observed her surrounding, just to get the taste of the unfamiliar place as she played with her fingernails which painted with nail polish. Lots of seats, which each seated by one freshman. The lights were dim, stating the main show hadn’t started yet. She felt comfortable under the dim light, hoping people just wouldn’t notice her. The moment she had the thought, she shook her head as if she wanted to get rid of something from her head and let out a long, calming sigh. It was time to put on her mask.

Daeun lifted her head high, her eyes were twinkling with fake enthusiasm. For now, she observed other freshmen more openly, not hiding behind the shadows and dim light. She casted a glance at the girl who sat next to her, animatedly chatting with her friends near her. The guy in front of her wasn’t much different—he was laughing at something his friend told him. Daeun secretly heard the girl behind her had a reunion with her long-time friend. Not that Daeun wanted to eavesdrop, but those girls behind her speaking loud enough for Daeun to catch that they separated after a fight and never had the chance to apologize to each other because one of them had to move to Canada. Those girls shared an enthusiastic hug covered with squeals and tears. Daeun rolled her eyes. Oh, what a dramatic, tearful reunion.

Korea University’s main hall was packed by freshmen, who were clearly excited of becoming college students. Independent young adults, who got to choose what to study deeper for the next four years. Daeun smirked in content. She didn’t have to deal with Math ever again. Math.

The welcoming ceremony for the freshmen hadn’t started yet. Though it was almost 8 in the morning, the Dean hadn’t make his appearance. The hall filled with freshmen chattering to each other, making new friends, and meeting to old friends. Daeun glanced at her right. Clearly, the girl next to her was too excited chatting to her friends and completely ignored Daeun. Daeun faced forward again, trying not to care. She wouldn’t admit she was feeling a bit out-casted because nobody talked to her yet. Yet.

“Is this seat taken?”

Daeun shot up her head, staring squarely at the girl who pointed the other seat next to her. She was the girl in white cardigan whom she helped before—she was skinny, her bang covered her forehead, and her long hair was topped with a cute hairpin. Before answering, Daeun glanced at the seat which the girl pointed out. The other seat next to Daeun was empty ever since she took her seat, so she shook her head. “Nope,” she answered lightly.

The girl plopped down on the seat beside Daeun and stretched out her hand, “Hi, I’m Choi Yuju.”

Daeun took her hand and shook it briefly, “Nam Daeun.”

“Nice nail polish,” Yuju commented as she stared at Daeun’s nails which were painted with marsala colored nail polish. “You do it by yourself?”

Daeun nodded, “Yeah, I have this dedication that at least my nails should look pretty.”

“Can you do my nails sometime?” Yuju beamed, clasped her hands together and looked at Daeun with hopeful eyes.

“Sure,” Daeun replied lightly, although she wasn’t sure if she would paint this girl’s nails.

“By the way, thank you for earlier,” Yuju said, slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t thank you enough earlier. It was because I was baffled that someone was actually helping me.”

“No problem at all,” Daeun easily replied, smiled a bit. She could notice that Yuju’s expression was relaxed after seeing the smile.

“Daeun-ah, which department are you from? I’m from School of Media and Communication,” Yuju said, her smile widened.

Daeun raised her eyebrows. “I happen to be a student from School of Media and Communication, too.”

“I’m excited to be a student here,” Yuju continued enthusiastically. “I can’t believe I got accepted in Korea University. My mother couldn’t believe her ears when I called her, telling her that I got enrolled in one of the SKY universities.” Then Yuju snorted into laughter, remembering how funny her mother’s reaction.

Daeun smiled thinly. “Why were you so surprised that you got in?” Daeun asked. “Clearly, you had the guts to join the entrance exam. You must had your calculation in your head, and believed that you had the chance to get in.”

Yuju snorted in un-lady-like way. “Nah, I got accepted by pure luck,” she admitted.

This time, Daeun snorted. “There is no pure luck, young lady.” She shook her head lightly, couldn’t believe this girl beside her was so naïve.

“There is!” Yuju denied, “I didn’t even study that hard to take the entrance exam. Actually, at that time, I already got myself a job. There were days when I contemplated, should I keep this job? Or should I try my luck on the exam?”

Daeun lifted her eyebrow. “A job? Now tell me, Yuju my friend, what is the name of this workplace that accept a high school graduate?”

Yuju grew silent for a while. She stared at Daeun and looked like she was calculating inside her head. It was obvious that she was torn between telling Daeun and not telling Daeun. After not so much consideration, Yuju spoke in a low hush, “Well, you can’t tell anybody about this information I will tell you. Do you copy?”

“Why, yes of course,” Daeun said, slightly amused. This girl is so weird. Daeun thought Yuju was a shy type of girl, but once Yuju started to actually open , Daeun knew she was wrong.

Yuju looked frustrated. “No! Oh, come on! You’re supposed to say ‘Copy, Sir’. Have you not played secret agents when you were young?” she whined loudly.

Now, Daeun stared at Yuju in bewilderment. “Copy, Sir,” she said as she held her laughter. She couldn’t believe she just followed Yuju’s instruction. Can’t let that happen too often, Daeun reminded herself.

Yuju bent down her head closer to Daeun and said in the same low hush, “My family owns a seafood restaurant.”

“A seafood restaurant?”

“Now, shhh!” Yuju shushed Daeun in a rush by pushing her index finger on Daeun’s lips and looked around to check if anybody happened to hear. “What the? Don’t say it out loud, for Heaven’s sake!”

“I was not!” Daeun defended herself. “And what’s so surprising that your family owns a seafood restaurant?”

Pink blush tinted the short girl’s cheeks. “I think it’s kind of embarrassing?” she confessed slowly. Daeun furrowed her eyebrows.

“Why is that embarrassing?” Daeun inquired curiously.

Yuju rolled her eyes. “Okay, maybe it’s not that embarrassing, but I don’t want people to find out about it. I love my family and—God, I love my mother’s spicy seafood stew—but, no, I don’t think I want people to know that my father and mother were not even graduated from college and they opened a now barely running seafood restaurant. No, not a chance.”