Im Yoona, the beautiful nineteen years old, wakes up early today. Earlier than ever. Giddiness creeps on her spine as she brushes her teeth thoroughly. The cold bath water can't even dampen her mood. It's the day she has been waiting for. It's finally here. Her chance to change her life.

“Omo!” She claps her hands and squeals at the breakfast table. There are complete breakfast menu of Pollock fish pancake, fried eggs, kimchi, doenjang jigae, and pickles. For one who often eats simple and cheap breakfast, this is a total feast.

“Eat well.” YoonA feels her father pats her back. “You'll need all the extra energy today.”

With glassy eyes, YoonA stares at the old man. Of all the things she has in life, her father is one she treasures the most. She knows that it's not easy to provide the meals on the table. She knows it's not easy to take care of two kids without a wife.

“Eat with me appa.” She sits and starts scooping rice into a bowl.

“I'll wait for Jonghyun.”

Yoona throws a look at Jonghyun's room. The door is open, displaying a small bedroom where everything, from clothes to comic book, scatter. The bed is empty. The boy didn't came home again last night. YoonA says nothing about it though, afraid of hurting her father's feeling.

“I'm sorry I eat first, appa.” She whispers over the bowl of rice.

“Go. Eat. Here, I fried the fish pancake according to your grandma's recipe.” The man smiles. “Remember when you were a kid? You used to love her signature pancake so much.”

“I will eat well.” YoonA picks up her chopsticks, smiling albeit her heart aches a little at the thought of her late grandmother. “Thank you, appa.”

“Aigooo, they don't call you Him YoonA for nothing. Drop the boxes. Go!” The old woman standing behind cash register waves her hands at YoonA. “Isn't it your first day in college? Don't get late. Go!”

“It's okay, Grandma.” YoonA hauls the two boxes of fresh pears to the kitchen while glancing at the clock. “I still have time.”

“Geeez. This young girl.” The woman comes to the kitchen, opening the lid of the big pot where beef bones are boiled. “I'm happy you get accepted at a renowned Medical School but I still feel at lost of who will replace you in my kitchen.”

“I thought you already hire the two girls you interviewed last week, Grandma?”

“I do. But none of them will be as hardworking as you. None shares your level of manner too. Tsk.”

“Don't be grumpy, Grandma.” YoonA laughs. “The broth will be bitter. Aren't you the one who says grumpy people aren't allowed in the kitchen? That food absorbs the cook's feeling?”

“Your grandmother said that. Not me. I”m just her fool apprentice.”

“Her best apprentice.” YoonA nudges the old woman while starting to arrange bowls and cups on the shelves by the sink. “Don't worry so much, Grandma. I'll come to help in my spare time.”

“Spare time?” Scooping a little bit of the broth into a spoon, the woman gives it a taste. “You are studying to be a doctor. You'll be busier than a bee."

"I will not."

"Too salty, this broth. Give me sugar.”

“For you, I'll make the time.” YoonA hands a box of sugar, watching intently as the person she considers as her own grandma pour the sweetener without using any measuring cups. YoonA learns a lot juts by watching, she has been helping in the restaurant since she was a toddler. Her late grandmother used to own the small yet famous eatery until she had to sell it to her apprentice some ten years ago.

“Yeah. Yeah. Until you have boyfriend and forget about anything else in this world.”

YoonA just laughs. “Appa says no boy, Grandma. Study first.”

“Your stupid appa knows nothing about teenage life.”

YoonA laughs again.

YoonA gives the whole buildings complex a thorough look. Excited eyes scanning the perimeter and bask in the divine architecture that mingles so well with lush garden, huge parking lot and luxuriant trees. Sun shines so bright, too hot even, but YoonA feels the chill down her spine instead.

Of all the applicants, of all the riches and smarts, she makes the cut to be one of the freshman in Lee Medical School. A med school where the best doctors in the country got their M.Ds. YoonA breaths in, has to restraint herself from jumping in giddiness. The hardest part is over. Now all she needs to do is study hard and graduates as one of the bests too.

“You can tell when someone gets in with a scholarship.” A giggle, a sinister laugh, then a group of three girls come to YoonA's field of view. “Even looking at the buildings alone enthralls her.”

Yoona immediately bows down. The girls are obviously seniors, proudly wearing their white coats on top of seemingly expensive clothes.

“Why aren't you inside?” One of the girls, purple shades of hair with round diamond earrings that spark under the sun, scans YoonA from head to toe.

“I thought the orientation starts at 7:15, seniors.” Almost unconsciously, YoonA steps back a little. She has her best white shirt and her new black skirt on. But her flat shoes are almost two years old. In term of style and fashion, she can't be compared to the three girls in front of her.

“For the orientation to start at 7:15 doesn't necessarily mean you can be there exactly at 7:15.” Another girl, brown hair, well-manicured nails, and eyebrows shaped to kill, pouts at YoonA. “Go inside, mingle with other freshmen, greets your senior. That's how you behave around here if you don't want to lose that precious scholarship..”

“I'm sorry, Seniors. I just-”

“And you have to learn to say yes too.” The last girl, blonde, has her hands on her hips as she talks without even looking at YoonA. “Not every one around here wants to hear excuse.”

YoonA gulps, realizing nothing she can say will save her from this situation.

“YoonA!” A silver BMW screeching to a stop a few meters from her. From the luxurious car, dash out two girls. Both wears black and white outfits like YoonA too. Both looking classy and pretty.

“Senior Park. Senior Lee. Senior Gong.” Lee Soonkyu, YoonA's best friend who usually goes with Sunny, immediately bows at the three seniors. “We're sorry we're late.”

“We're really sorry.” Choi Sooyoung, bows as deep, holds YoonA's hand and makes her bows with them too.

The blonde girl throws a quick look at Sunny, then walks away ever so elegantly. “The orientation starts in five on the sixth floor of B building, Lee Soonkyu. Not even your family name can save you if you get inside a second late.”

“Yes, senior. Excuse us.“ Sunny bows again, before dashing for the building with Sooyoung and YoonA in tow.

“Are you guys crazy?” YoonA beats her friends to the elevator. “I thought we agreed to get here at 6:30!”

“Six thirty!” Sooyoung yelps as she tumbles into the elevator. “This spoiled princess here was still in dream land at six thirty!”

“Eyyy!” Sunny leans back to avoid Sooyoung's jab. “You can't blame me. You're the one who took me drinking last night!”

“Drinking!” YoonA gasps. Her feet tap at the floor impatiently as the lift goes up. “You guys went drinking? The night before orientation?”

Sooyoung just shrugs, using the shiny wall as mirror and fixes her shirt.

Sunny, on the other hand, grinning like she doesn't even care. “It's exciting, isn't it? Our first days as med student