People come and go. That's just how the world works. There's no point in growing close or attempting to form a bond between yourself and a stranger.

   These were the thoughts always circling in Kim Sojung's head. Call it depressing but that's the only thing she had ever been used to. Sure, she had a family but what was family other than just a word used to define who you were related to. It wasn't like her family cared anyways unless it had something to do with her future. 

  Sojung sighed, trying to shake the thoughts out of her brain in an attempt to focus back on what her professor was rambling on about. Something about the man's dull tone always bored her and allowed her mind to wander. Business always was a tiresome subject. If it had been up to her, she would have switched majors long ago. Or she would have quit school to do something else, like art or music. 

   She let out another sigh, this one more of frustration than boredom. The pressure of being the daughter of a CEO was taxing and a family that didn't care if she moved out or not didn't help. The silence at her personal home was nice though. Better than having to listen to another lecture from her father about not letting the family name down. So here she was, three years into college, focusing on being the "perfect daughter". Straight A's, honor student. No time for friends. That would only get in the way of her goals.

Her goals? Was this even what she wanted to spend her whole life doing?

   No. I shouldn't think about things like that. Sojung told herself as she started to place her books and things into her bag, the lecture finally winding down. She made a quick note about what she was supposed to study on an app on her phone before pocketing it and heading towards the exit along with the other students. Thankfully, it was the weekend so the workload wasn't as heavy as it tended to be. Though that didn't mean she should lose her focus. 

  Sojung gently pushed her blonde hair behind her ears, secretly glancing around at the other students as she walked. The sound of friends chatting about weekend plans echoed into her ears, causing her chest to ache slightly. Everyone seemed to be so happy, smiling at each other as they excitedly talked about the newest music on the radio. Clutching her designer bag tighter, Sojung increased her walking pace in order to reach the school exit sooner.

The energetic after school atmosphere was suffocating. It was distracting. She couldn't let silly things like friendship and news about the latest idol or idol group distract her. 

Sojung twitched slightly at that thought. She really was starting to sound like her father, wasn't she? Great.

   Her apartment was a good few miles away but not too far from the university. She could easily be back in a few minutes, but Sojung found the walk home refreshing since it passed through a park and several small business shops. It was the only thing that seemed to be stable in her life, so she savored every moment of it. In those moments, it was as if the world would stop, the only sound being the chirping of birds and the sound of adults taking a break from work to have a picnic with their familles. 

     Her chest ached again but thankfully, the sight of her apartment complex was coming into view. It wasn't a two story mansion but the apartments were still large in size, both in the interior and exterior. It bordered the line between apartment and condo, with an electronically locked gate for security.

Quickly punching in her code at the electronic keypad to open the gate, Sojung made her way down the middle of the buildings before reaching her door. The inside lights flickered on as she unlocked the door, placing her bag on the couch while allowing herself to slump down next to it. It was as if a heavy weight was pressing down on her head and shoulders, exhaustion settling in that she had been trying to ignore for the past few weeks.

She had a tendency to overwork herself. A habit that had been passed down from her busy parents that had barely glanced her way when she had been a kid, and even a teenager for that matter. 

    Sojung lazily dug out her phone from her cardigan pocket in order to see if there was any notifications. A call. A text from her parents to say that they missed her. Anything. But the phone screen remained blank, the only thing staring back at her being the default image of a starry bridge that disappeared into a lake as the lock screen. Figures. Her parents were probably still at work, caring more about the possibility of earning an extra profit instead of their own daughter.

Sojung let out what seemed to be the hundredth sigh today before finally working up the energy to get up and make her way to the fridge, staring at her options for dinner. There were some frozen meals scattered here and there, a few leftovers from when she decided to get creative and make herself an actual meal she found on the internet a week ago.

    It was all so bland. Lacking the color and warmth of an actual meal made with affection like the colorful meals that she would see students eating, most likely made by a mother who actually bothered to care about their wellbeing. To Sojung, food was a means of survival. Something to get her through the day and night. But tonight, she wanted to make the effort to actually try to enjoy it. Even if it was something small. 

    Closing the door to the fridge, Sojung unlocked her phone and scrolled through the nearest restaurants and coffee shops. She glanced at a few locations, read a few reviews before settling on a fairly new location that w