As a college town, Moran had been empty during the summer. But this day, the town began to come to life again as the college students made their way back to their colleges.

An orange Kia Borrego drove to one of the oldest and grandest university in Moran, Camaraderie University. It stopped right in front of the gate. The door opened and a girl with beige trench coat and holding a comic book came out. The wind blew her dark brown hair as she squinted, viewing the magnificent Victorian building where she was going to study and stay for the rest of four years.

“Hmmh…” she grunted. It didn’t look like anything in her comic books, which means this university was nothing like in her mind.

“Amazing, huh?” a young man came out of the front door and smiled. “That’s the first thing that came to my mind when I saw it for the first time. I was so curious of what I will experience in a university like this. And now, I can’t imagine what my life would be if I’d never been in here.”

She stood in silence, ignoring her brother’s words. She just kept staring the building, hoping she wasn’t really there.  

“Joongki,” their mother called from inside the car. “Help your sister take out her baggage.”

“Okay, Mom,” he stepped to the trunk and opened it. “Yeojin, come here.”

She whirled around and helped her brother take out a suitcase. “So when will go take off to Sweden?”

“Thursday,” Joongki answered. “Why?”

“Can you stop by and see me before you leave?”

“Yeojin…”

“I’m going to miss you.”

Joongki stopped. He tilted his head to his sister who kept busy taking out her bags. “Listen,” he said softly. “I’m going to miss you too, okay? But this won’t be that hard. I know, I know, the first weeks will be hard. But trust me, you’ll enjoy it sooner than you think. You’ll like Mr. Park Jungsu, the dining room, the cafeteria, the bar, the library, and so much more. Oh, yes, you may go outside Camaraderie if you don’t have any class. So you can go to Latte Bloomers, the book shop, restaurant, movies, mall… your life in here will be as same as your life at home.”

“Joongki,” Yeojin interrupted his speech. “I already feel so lonely right now.”

“You’ll meet some new friends who can be more fun in here. I met my best friends in Camaraderie. We still keep in touch until now. And after all that we’ve been through, I swear I will never forget them. I hope you’ll find yours too.”

“But…”

“Just try.”

Yeojin could only sigh.

A woman came out of the car. “Are you done?” she asked. “Let’s go. Your dad is going to park the car. He’ll meet us in your room.”

Joongki closed the trunk and pulled two suitcases to the main court where the other freshmen passing by with their family. Yeojin and her mother followed him while carrying her other bags.

Camaraderie University in autumn was such a gorgeous view. But Yeojin wasn’t touched at all. She even kept looking at the ground, refused to pay attention to the beauty around her.

Yes, it wasn’t her choice to be there, it was her family, especially her brother. Joongki believed that what he achieved right now was because he had entered Camaraderie University. He wanted Yeojin to be as successful as he was, so he pushed her to enter his alma mater.

They went to the Porter’s Lodge where they should take the room key. That place was full of students who were busy asking for their keys to get into their rooms. There were five guys who were talking and laughing so loud, a girl who was complaining about something, a guy who kept yelling about his bicycle, and a lot more people who made the porter’s small realm so noisy and crowded.

“Let me do it,” Joongki moved closer to the reception table where three porters looked busy serving the students. “Mr. Kwon Sein! Good afternoon!”

The man with the glasses who stood behind the reception table quickly turned around when he heard someone called his name. “Ah, Joongki!” he smiled seeing the young man who used to come and go just to ask and return his key to him. “It’s been a long time I haven’t seen you. What a surprise. What brings you here?”

“I came here to drop off my sister,” answered Joongki. He pulled Yeojin and introduced her to Sein. “This is Yeojin. Yeojin, this is Sein, my favorite porter. I hope you won’t bother him while you’re here.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Yeojin forced a smile. Being introduced to such a lovely man shouldn’t be that hard.

“Welcome to Camaraderie University,” said Sein. “I’ll be your porter who’s responsible to guard the entrance and every other job that deals with security. I’m sure she doesn’t like gambling and betting like you, right, Joongki?”

“Oh, cut it out,” Joongki chuckled. “It’s just a past. And no, she’s not like that. She’s quiet, likes to read books, completely different than me. You’ll like her better.”

“Can I get my key now?” asked Yeojin straight to the point.

“Oh, yes, your key,” Sein took it between the other keys which were hung on a cork board behind him. “This is your key, and this is your university card. Your room is in West Court, second floor, number 61. Your brother knows where it is, no problem.”

“Okay, thank you, Mr. Kwon,” Yeojin turned back and left the Porter’s Lodge. After saying good bye, Joongki quickly followed Yeojin.

“Sein is a genuinely good man,” Joongki frowned, looking disappointed at what his sister just did to his old friend. “Don’t make him think that you don’t like him.”

“I like him,” answered Yeojin. “I just don’t like that place, way too crowded.”

When they were out, their mother followed them and they looked for Yeojin’s room. Right after they found out, Joongki twisted the key and opened the door. They were suddenly faced with a medium sized room with minimalist furniture. There was a single bed covered in white sheet, accompanied by two bed-side tables, the left one was equipped with a lamp. The wardrobe looked big enough to hide two adults in. Yeojin was quite happy with the big desk and wide bookshelf where she could store everything she possibly needed for her college. The two armchairs and coffee table looked outdated but what could Yeojin do about it? The hand basin was the only thing that made Yeojin raised her eyebrows. The room was painted plain cream and covered by brown carpet that looked clean.

Yeojin looked around her and instantly got bored. She much preferred her old room in her house. She sighed again before walked inside and put her stuffs there.

“You’ll get used to stay here,” said Joongki, brushing her head with witty smile. “Don’t give us that look. How are you going to find someone to replace NWH with that?”

Yeojin brushed off her brother’s hand when she heard the initial of someone whom she’d never met for so long. “Don’t mention that name,” she opened the curtain and let the sunshine busted in into her room. “I don’t have anything to do with him anymore.”

“Pass your suitcase, let me help you take your clothes out,” Mrs. Song approached Yeojin’s suitcase which was put beside her bed. She put it on top of the bed and started to take out everything inside it.

She did it slowly, taking a closer look at each item she took out from the suitcase. “Oh, Yeojin…” they could hear her voice lowered.

“Mom,” Joongki warned her mother softly.

“I can’t believe you won’t stay with me again,” instead of shut up, she continued.

“Mom, you promised you won’t say anything,” said Joongki, already knew this was coming. “We don’t want Yeojin feels even harder to let us leave her in here.”

“I know, I know,” his mother shed a drop of tear on her cheek. “I will wait for you every Christmas and every summer. You will come home. No big deal.”

“Oh, Mom,” Yeojin hugged her mother from her back.

During this sentimental moment, somebody came into the room. It’s Mr. Song.

“Hey, what are you doing?” he asked. “Oh, come off it, Yeojin can unpack her bags herself. Why don’t we go and sightseeing the campus? The view in Camaraderie can refresh me before I leave to the airport to pick up Mr. Kim this afternoon.”

“Yes, exactly,” Joongki clapped his hand. “Come on, let’s take a look around. There are so many things I’d love to show you.”

So they left Yeojin’s room and started walking around the campus. Enthusiastically Joongki showed every place he used to visit when he was the student in Camaraderie, starting from the library, stationary shop, cafeteria, bar, until the pond on the eastern garden which was inhabited by ducks.

But Yeojin was not interested at all, even in the ducks. The only thing that came out from her lips was, “Why does this campus have no theater?”

“Of course we do,” answered Joongki. “It’s right beside our soccer stadium. But the ones who always use it are only the music students. We don’t have any performing arts major other than music. In fact, we don’t have any art major other than music.”

“Hmm… ,” mumbled Yeojin.

Finally it’s time for her parents and brother to go. Again, Mrs. Song dropped tears but Yeojin thought it’s just too much and worried the other kids would see her embarrassing behavior.

“Take good care of Cheesecake, don’t let him eat the rubber mouse again, don’t let him starve, don’t let him play alone, if he’s sick just call me,” Yeojin hugged her parents.

“You’re more concerned of your cat than your parents?” her father laughed.

She smiled before shaking her head. “I’m sure you’ll be fine, just like when he left,” Yeojin nodded to Joongki who also smiled hearing that.

She came to her brother and hugged him tight, “You too! Sweden is the paradise of sweets. You can always send me chocolate, biscuits, or other sweets from there.”

“You don’t have to ask, I will,” Joongki let go of his sister. “But, you must enjoy every day of your life in here. Promise me.”

“Hmm… I don’t know,” Yeojin didn’t dare to promise.

“Study well, Sweetie,” that’s the advice from her father. “You must beat your brother’s record.”

“Don’t follow the lifestyle of wild students,” this one was from Joongki. “You will feel exiled or something, but that’s worth it. You can go and have fun sometimes, but not every night.”

“Okay, okay,” Yeojin could only nod. “Good bye, everyone.”

“Bye, Yeojin,” the three waved their hands.

“Take good care of yourself, don’t forget to eat, be careful with the boys, don’t get lost, listen to what your professors say…” Mrs. Song kept talking though she was pulled by her husband to the car. “And ANSWER MY PHONE CALL!”

“Mom!” hissed Yeojin, embarrassed when she heard a few girls giggling. “Bye, all!”

The car moved forward, leaving her alone in Camaraderie University.

After the car had gone, Yeojin rolled back to her campus. She tapped her cheeks loudly, “Oh, my God, this is not happening!”