PART I

Chapter 2

“Please don’t ever become a stranger”

Winter’s POV

There she was. Eighteen and evergreen. She was tall for an average girl’s height. She was standing amid a group of freshmen who were equally befuddled. She was alone with her two grey luggage, while others were dropped off by their loved ones. When I first saw her, I was astonished by how small her face was. Her eyes twinkled like diamonds, but they were filled with worry.  

It was the week allotted for freshmen to settle into their assigned dormitories and prepare for the start of classes. I moved in two weeks before the official start of the moving-in week. My mother worked as a professor in the university's social science department. Before I became a college student there, I used to come to the campus and hang out. My mother informed me that I would be guiding the newcomers during move-in week for whatever reason. I didn’t know what came over her when she told the dean that I’d be interested in guiding the freshmen students around the campus. I was a freshman myself! But how could I say no when my mother said she was going to buy me a new scooter for my birthday?

“Welcome, freshmen! My name is Eric, and my fellow tour guides are beside me. Each of us will be in charge of ten students, so I'd like it if you could cooperate with us. Remember, we're here to help you settle in before embarking on the best and worst four years of our lives,” Eric announced.

Some freshmen wore smiles on their faces, while others wore worry on their forehead. After Eric handed each of us our list of students to oversee, I began calling out their names.When the tall girl I saw before approached me, I was on the last name. Before speaking, she cleared . 

“Uhh… Karina Yu. It’s me,” her words barely audible. I chuckled.

“Hello, I’m Winter Kim. Are you Korean by any chance?” I asked. She nodded. “Cool. I’m Korean, too.”

When I said it, her eyes widened. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

“Seriously?” she said in Korean. I couldn’t help but smile. Cute.

“Seriously,” I grinned.

“This is great! I was really nervous because my English isn’t good yet,” Karina admitted.

“Don’t worry. I’ll do what I can to help you,” I said. “For now, let’s get you settled in?”

She nodded excitedly.

We didn't realize it at the time, but that was the start of our journey together. 

≈

There we were. Twenty and dainty. One more year and we’d be out of there. Though I was excited to graduate, I was also worried about the future. 

Will I be able to handle the rigors of adulthood? Will I be able to find a job that pays well? Is this the right career path for me? What will the future look like for me and Karina? What if she decides to return to Korea instead? Will our re