“Are you sure you can manage on your own?”

“Yes, Umma,” she answered for the nth time; it was the same question since they left the hotel. A few minutes later, their car entered the grounds of Dongguk University.

“You know my number and your mom’s number,” reminds Taeyeon. “Call us if you need anything. And I mean, anything.”

Seohyun smiled and nodded her head before she gave her mother a kiss on the check. She stepped out of the car and was about to walk towards the nearest building when she heard Taeyeon call her again.

“Seohyun-ah!”

She turned around and saw Taeyeon smiling at her.

“Show them the genius you are, okay? But make it a bit discreet, I don’t want my daughter to be tagged as a freak.” And with a smile, Taeyeon drove away.

She can only laugh with Taeyeon’s antics. She entered the building and looked for the registrar’s office. Upon reaching the said office, she knocked and opened the door only to find two women kissing each other. She stifled her laughter, after all, it is not new to her to witness such scene – growing up in a foreign country can really change how one views things.

“Ahem…” she faked a cough to capture the women’s attention.

The two immediately separated from each other when they heard the sound; but they were not able to hide the blush from their faces. It was the short one who spoke first after several minutes of silence.

“What- what can we do for you, miss?”

“Hi, good morning…” greets Seohyun. “I’m a new student here and I was told when I called last week to just go directly to the registrar’s office to get my schedule.”

“Oh, yes,” answered the short woman. “May I know your name, please?”

“Kim Joohyun, Ma’am.”

The short woman turned to her companion, which by the way was way taller than her.

“Can you print Ms. Kim’s schedule, Ms. Choi?”   

The taller woman nodded her head and motioned Seohyun to follow her behind another table.

“Please sit down.”

Seohyun obliged and settled herself on one of the chairs facing the table. After a few minutes, she was given a paper containing the username and password for her personal account in the university, where she can see her schedule for the semester. She said her thanks and was about to leave the office when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Ummm, excuse me Ms. Kim…”

She turned around and saw the shorter woman retract her hand from her shoulder.

“Yes, Ma’am?” Seohyun asked.

“Well, about earlier…” started the woman, slightly fidgeting on her spot. “We don’t want you to think that – ”

“Oh no Ma’am,” she cut the woman’s rumbling short. “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to it.”

The woman gave her a puzzled look.

“I grew up in LA, Ma’am,” she explained.

“Oh!!! Th- thank you for understanding…”

Seohyun nodded her head and walked out of the door, but before she was able to shut the door close, she heard the women inside let out a big huff of air.

“I guess my stay here will be quite interesting…” she smiles to herself as she scans her schedule for the first time.

**********

“I’m really sorry, Taengoo,” apologized Yuri. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

The two ladies sitting across the bickering duo rolled their eyes upon hearing Yuri’s words.

“I’ll let you pass this time if you can find me a nice house for my family…” replied Taeyeon.

“Aha!!!” exclaimed Yuri. “In that case, I have the perfect house for you.”

Taeyeon raised her eyebrows.

“Well, it’s not exactly a house if you’re thinki