EPISODE ONE.
take the crown, shut it down, 'bout to steal the show
2227 words.

Welcome Seniors!

Seulgi stares at the banner hanging above the stage. The banner was supposed to be welcoming but it came off as a form of mockery on her part. It was mid-august, an indication that Seulgi is finally on her final year. Sure, it sounds great but the incoming deadlines, a heavy load of pressure weighing on her shoulders and what she’s dreading the most – thesis, is making her even more anxious – negative thoughts already filling up her head. Being under a scholarship program is difficult especially when she has been balancing her academics and part time job since freshman year. She never had a time for herself. Her two friends (and only friends), Jaehyun and Doyoung, always points that out – Seulgi rarely takes care of herself and it has been worrying on their part.

Drifting her attention away from her messy thoughts, she observes the whole auditorium that was starting to fill up with seniors from all the social classes. The elite house was seated at the very front of the auditorium, followed by the second rates house and lastly, at the far back was her and her peers from the scholar’s house. The unfair treatment and nonexistent justice have started 50 years ago. It has been an established rule that all social classes should be divided – a rule proposed by the elder elites that was continued to be passed down generation to generation. The division felt like high school all over again, and it was appalling.

Seulgi’s only motivation for senior year is, at least, she can at long last leave this college controlled by progressive systems and fulfill her dream to spread inspiration through her paintings.

Wendy keeps looking around from her seat. She was perturbed as the seat that she saved next to her was still empty. Johnny is running late. The auditorium is almost full, and they only have 5 minutes remaining before the orientation put up for seniors, begin. During the entirety of summer break, they never had the chance to hang out. Johnny was busy helping his father’s landscaping business while Wendy and her brother, Mark, took care of their grandmother in Busan.

2 minutes.

2 minutes left and finally, a tall and familiar figure comes running down the aisle. Wendy waves her hand frantically, ignoring the stares she’s getting – she’s used to getting stared at, anyways. Her best friend spots her, a grin immediately creeping up to his lips. Wendy regards him with a warm look as he takes the seat next to her.

Johnny huffs. “Hey Son”

“Seo, you were almost late!” Wendy says in almost a motherly tone. “Where have you been?”

Johnny rolls his eyes in response, a small laugh escaping from his throat. “And I missed you too, Wanda”

The auditorium lights dimmed, and Wendy was glad that it darkened before Johnny notices the blush starting to form on Wendy’s cheeks. “Shut up. Why are you late? I almost gave away your seat, you know”

“Sorry about that. I..” Johnny stops for a while, and beams. “ran into someone…”

Wendy stops breathing for a second. Wendy knows that tone Johnny was using, and she was positively sure who he was talking about. She looks away from Johnny and focused on the stage. “and that someone is Irene, am I right?” She fake guesses while her attention was still on the stage, watching as the president of the school board walks up to the podium.

“Yup, and she’s still breathtaking. Man, you really are my best friend for guessing it immediately” Johnny laughs and casually puts his arm around Wendy, pulling her close to him and using his free hand to ruffle Wendy’s hair. Wendy softly whines and lightly pushes Johnny away from her.

She laughs, a laugh that doesn’t even reach her eyes. “Of course, I’m good at my job, aren’t I?”

Johnny nods, smiling, and gives her a thumbs up before putting his attention back to the podium.

Wendy is good in a lot of things – in academics, music, cooking and baking, being a responsible older sister to his younger brother, but most of all – she has mastered the art of masking the bitterness and wounded feelings for her best friend since freshman year.

In fact, it wasn’t a talent – it was a curse.

Running into your ex has less probability considering how huge the university campus is, considering how the elite house is far back in a private area of the college town, considering how social division exists. But, it doesn’t work like that for Irene. Especially when she shares the same major and year with her ex-boyfriend, Johnny. It all started during the junior year. The three social classes are only allowed to interact when needed to for a school project but once the classes are over, they go back to their own orbits. That exception brought her and Johnny together during an Economic Research class, as they were assigned to do a term project together. The class restriction, however, did not stop them from meeting each other as both are dedicated to aim the highest grade for the class. The two agreed to meet secretly for the pro