To say being a university student was tedious, was an understatement. Yes, the thought of being in one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea brought joy and pride to her family. But to her, it was a constant pressure weighing down on her. Assignment deadlines are back to back with practically no space for a breather. On top of that, semestral exams are coming up. With the amount of work she has to complete, she was one step closer to losing her mind. Hye Eun let out a quiet sigh as she turned away from her neatly written notes to her phone that tinged every so often with notifications.  She picked it up and scrolled through her social media mindlessly while humming to a familiar tune softly, distracted from the endless raindrops pouring down from the grey sky.

The doorbell chimes as the door open to welcome another customer into the café. She distractedly her bracelet on her left wrist, which she had received for her 20th birthday while liking posts on Instagram. Strangely, when she was feeling distressed or anxious, touching the cool metal surface of her bracelet helped her feel better. It was as though her bracelet was a protective charm. The $34,400 Cartier rose gold love bracelet accentuated by diamonds attracted the attention of many of her female friends, resulting in them complimenting her bracelet, saying things like, ‘It's so pretty!’ or ‘Wow, I want one too.’ However, the origin of her bracelet was an unusual one.

It was a stormy evening. Everyone was rushing to seek shelter from the relentless raindrops pounding on them. Hye Eun wrapped her scarf tighter, in hopes of staying warm. Thankfully, it didn't take long for her to reach her apartment. Once she made it into her building safely, her shoulders dropped in relief. A mysterious white box secure with a golden ribbon sat on her doorstep greeted her when she stepped out of the elevator. Curious, Hye Eun bent down to pick up the box gingerly, cautious of its content. Inside, a smaller expensive-looking box sat snuggly. There was no letter or whatsoever addressed to her. Bewildered, she opened it up to a diamond rose gold bracelet she had set her eyes on a while back. Placing the box down, she examined the red velvet box to double-check if she had missed out anything. To her surprise, she had missed a small note with a neat, cursive 'Happy Birthday, love' written on it. She wondered who could have gifted it her eyes drifted off to the elegant-looking bracelet.

The shrill ringtone of a stranger's phone snapped her out of her daze. Seeing the stacks of neatly written notes, Hye Eun smiled satisfactorily, placing her phone down and stretched her sore arms. After releasing the pent up tension trapped in her body, she packed up slowly. She secured her worksheets into her folder, and she reached for the hairband on her wrist to gather her long waves into a messy ponytail. It was no surprise that she had garnered quite the attention from just tying her hair. Her alluring aura had caught the attention of guys as well as girls in the café from the moment she stepped in. A total of brave five guys mustered up their courage to ask her out, only to be politely rejected by her.

Truth to be told, Hye Eun dislikes guys. Her distaste for men started when her father left her behind with her mother when she was at the tender age of six. Growing up, she had no parental support and half of the time; her mother was busy working so she could provide a living for them both. Hye Eun used to be envious of kids when their parents came down to support them during year-end concerts. She knew that was impossible for her. Since then, she threw aside her yearning for a fatherly figure and took it upon herself to be independent and take care of herself. She promised herself not to ever mix with any guys. Back in high school, half of the school population fawned over her untouchable beauty and confessed their love to her all the time. The guys especially would always create a ruckus to try and catch her attention. Not once did she bat an eyelash at their childish antics. Even now in university, loads of freshmen still try their luck with her, despite being rejected. Adding fire to the fuel, older men would stare creepily at her; some even going as far to brush her shoulders. Because of that, Hye Eun has developed a paranoia towards older men.

Picking up her tote bag, she took her unfinished iced tea with her and left. Hye Eun loved the vibe and sensation of the late afternoon sunray hitting her. Glancing at her phone, she realised she had loads of time to walk around town. Smiling, she nestled tightly into her coat. The walk to the subway station was relatively relaxing. Now was the transitional period from Winter to Spring; hence, the weather was a little chilly. Hye Eun found the cold air to be refreshing and embraced the gentle caress of the breeze. She could see the raindrops pelting down around her as she stood under her transparent parasol. Couples around her huddled together closer, conversing as they proceeded on with their day. Office workers brushed past Hye Eun, seemingly in a race against time. Before she knew it, she arrived at the metro station. The city was only two stops away, but the thought of walking all the way there under the rain doesn't seem like the best idea. Hye Eun opted for the easier way there.

Her sensitive nose picked up the smell of metal combined with freshly brewed coffee drifting in the air. Taking a small sip from her drink, she shut her eyes, letting them get the well-deserved rest after reading a hundred pages long report. Graduation and life after uni had been on her mind ever since she started her final year. Coupled with the intense workload, it was a surprise that Hye Eun was still going strong. Many of her classmates had either given up or were turning into soulless robots churning out reports after reports. And with every passing moment, her sanity seemed to be slipping further away from her. The pressure was no joke and parents underestimate it all the time. Hye Eun's thoughts were cut short by the sound of the train driving into the station. Thankfully, it was pretty empty. Taking a seat next to the window, she put in her air pods before tuning out the noisy world with music – her only source of escape. As of now, she can only dream of the future – one where she is free.

The rain from yesterday worsened, and it was storming at nine in the morning. A particularly loud rumble of thunder shocked Hye Eun, causing her to bolt wide awake. She woke up 30 minutes earlier but decided to get ready since she was unable to fall back asleep. Opening her wardrobe, Hye Eun scanned through her clothes, trying to find a preppy outfit to wear to brighten up the gloomy atmosphere. After much consideration, she picked out a white oversized dress shirt and a black skirt with a slit up the middle and two pockets at the side. Hye Eun casually reached into a drawer and pulled a belt, complete her look. Once she got everything, she sauntered into the bathroom to start her day. Since she only had a three-hour lecture today, she decided to carry her Chanel handbag that she bought with her own hard-earned money. After checking to make sure she had everything she needed, Hye Eun slid on her laced-up ankle boots and put on a trench coat before leaving. She muttered a soft 'hwaiting' as she braced herself for the unfriendly weather. By the time she reached the university station, the storm had stopped. The ground was wet from the unforgiving rain, but the skies had cleared up, and it was warmer.

"Hey! Where are you?"

Hye Eun beamed as she answered into the phone. "Behind you?"

Hye Eun let out a hearty chuckle as she spotted Sooyoung whipping her head around like a deer caught in headlights. Her narrowed eyes glanced around in an attempt to find Hye Eun. Once she located her friend, the blonde girl broke out into a broad smile and ran towards her as fast as her longs could carry her. Sooyoung gathered Hye Eun in her arms for a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, how I missed you." 

"Haha, you can let go of me now. I'm about to suffocate." Hye Eun patted the arm of the taller girl. "What's with the heels? You're already tall enough!"

"Am I?" Sooyoung let go of her and twirled one round, showing off her outfit for the day - a red blouse with a ribbon around the collar paired with a black high-waisted skirt and strapped heels. "I have a date after class so I'd thought it'd be cute if I dressed up."

"How's your re