Yoohyeon sat at the table, her heart lightly beating anxiously as her mother served breakfast.

Her mother placed a plate filled with pancakes in front of her. Her eyes widened and she looked up at her mother. "Pancakes? Why?" she questioned.

The older woman grinned. "Why not?" she retaliated. "They're your favorite, aren't they? So why shouldn't I make them for you on the most important day of your life?"

Yoohyeon lightly scoffed. "It's not that important," she slowly said.

She drew her hand back as her mother mockingly smacked it with her spatula. "Not important," the older woman echoed her daughter. "You're going to college, something that you worked very hard for. You should enjoy it thoroughly."

Yoohyeon stayed quiet, a smile adorning her face as she mindlessly picked at her pancakes. Even though her mother was right and she should eat, her nervousness had robbed her of her appetite. 

The elder stepped away from the table, looking up. "Where on earth is your sister?" she wondered. "Gahyeon! Get down here and have breakfast! You're going to be late!"

Her sister begrudgingly walked down the stairs in her school uniform. Dragging her feet, she zombied her way to the table and sat down beside her sister, rubbing her eyes.

Yoohyeon couldn't help but smile at that.

"Stayed up late again?" she asked.

Gahyeon nodded, only responding with a groan.

Their mother sighed. "Seriously, Gahyeon," she chastised the youngest. "You need to stop playing those games. They're taking away your sleep, and that'll take a toll on your grades!"

Gahyeon sighed. "I know, Mom. I'll quit soon."

Yoohyeon exchanged an exasperated yet bemused look with her mother. This had to be the hundredth time that Gahyeon said that she would quit gaming well into the night.

Well, addictions were addictive.

Their mother put a plate of pancakes in front of Gahyeon. "Eat up," she said. "And wish your sister. It's her first day at college today."

Gahyeon turned to her with wide eyes. "The term's starting today?" she asked.

Yoohyeon nodded. "Yeah," she agreed.

Gahyeon nodded. "Oh well, good luck on your first day," she said before digging into her breakfast.

Yoohyeon took a deep breath before finally eating her pancakes as well, even though the nervous churning of her stomach didn't really make her feel like it.

She paused as the giant University loomed up in front of her.

Even though she'd been here just a couple of months back applying, it made her sides chill with a nervous excitement.

Perhaps because now she had finally been accepted, into the place she never thought would accept her.

It all seemed new to her, even as she walked to her classroom and found a seat. In the haze she was in, she hadn't even noticed that someone had come up to her.

"Uh, hey."

She was shaken out of her trance by a masculine voice. Looking to her side, she found a guy about her age looking at her quizzically. "Are you alright?" he wondered.

She nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

He gestured to the space beside her. "May I sit here?" he asked.

She looked around for a moment. The lecture hall seemed to be pretty filled up, leaving the space beside her as one of the only remaining empty places.

She hummed lightly. "Yeah, sure."

Muttering a quick thank you, he slid into the seat beside her, placing his bag on the desk. She turned back to the board, hoping that the lecturer would come quick.

"So have you already decided on your major?" he asked her.

She nodded. "I've declared it too."

He pursed his lips in admiration. "Ah, a set path, huh?" he said. "I'm honestly jealous. I still don't know what I want to do with my life."

She shrugged. "Well, I guess with a few different classes here and there you'll know," she suggested.

He nodded. "That's what I'm hoping."

He then held out his hand. "I'm Ken," he said.

"Ken?" she asked. "Doesn't sound Korean."

"It's because I lived abroad for a long time," he offered. "I've just returned for college."

She considered the open hand for a moment before shaking it. "Yoohyeon," she said. "My name is Kim Yoohyeon."

He smiled at that. "That's a nice name."

They were interrupted by the lecturer entering the lecture hall. 

At once, all the students scrambled to their seats to avoid any chance of the lecturer catching them. Even if things were different in college, they were just newly graduated high school students, and in their minds, they didn't want to be caught before college had even begun.

The lecturer seemed like he didn't care as much, placing his books on the desk at the front of the classroom. He then walked out front and leaned on the desk, looking at the room full of eager faces carefully watching his every move.

"It honestly warms my heart to see such fresh faces here," he said, his deep voice reaching the very ends of the hall. "Whether you all remain this way or not, only time will tell." 

He stepped away from the desk. "The journey that you are all about to undertake, is a dangerous one, one that most people would avoid. Society and general common sense would tell you to steer clear of these people, but you all have decided to ignore that and follow this path."

He looked around the room, carefully examining every student. "This path will not be easy for you. You will be dealing with topics that will make the general public squirm in their seats. This path is not for the faint of heart, and this is only in the classroom," he warned, his eyes resting on a few students. "The field will be much more dangerous, much more challenging, and much more scary, but, it will be a challenge. And if you are someone who loves a challenge, you are in the right place."

He returned to his desk, leaning against it. "My name is Mr. Yang," he introduced himself.

"Welcome to your first day of Criminology."