Hello hello~ 

Trying a new fanfic! Even though I have no idea how my other one will end! But please enjoy~ ^o^ derp derp.

“And are you sure about this?” The school advisor stared at me through her glasses, waiting for my response.

“Yes. I’m sure.” I nodded.

“Ok…… Well, here you go,” she responded as she handed me the papers that confirmed my wish. I took the documents that finalized my long-term decision.

I had finally changed my major.

 “Thank you so much!” I bowed down to her as I stood up.

“Haha, you’re welcome. I hope you find what you’re looking for,” the advisor chuckled. I nodded, and said bye to her again before leaving her office.

Yes! Finally! No more focusing on hard, stressful, and boring research labs! No more experimenting with CAM photosynthesis and denaturing proteins! No more staying until midnight trying to get the perfect results from failed experiments! I was free!!!

My first year at Seoul National University had been a difficult one. I reluctantly agreed to major in biology, because my parents said that was the first step in becoming a doctor and getting a stable job. My parents had plenty of experience with unstable jobs, and they didn’t want me to worry about my basic necessities like they had. I understood their wishes, but I didn’t agree with them. After enduring a year of science-focused classes, I couldn’t take it anymore, so I switched majors.

As I walked out of my school advisor’s room that day, however, I failed to realize that I had made a big mistake. A few weeks later, I was slapped across my face by reality.

“WHAT?!?!?” I shouted, my hands trembling as I tried to process the information.

“Sorry honey, but your scholarship has been revoked. It only applies to honors students who have research-based majors. Your first major qualified, but your new major fails to meet the restrictions. I’m sorry,” the university advisor said as she tried to give me a smile.

“What……. No……. that can’t be……” I said, my voice trailing off.

I forgot to mention earlier, but I’m not one of those rich girls like the many other students here in SNU. They were accepted because of family ties and whatnot with the prestigious university, but I got here with blood and tears. I worked my off during high school, graduated with the number one ranking in my school, and was accepted into this high-class university because of my grades. The only reason I was able to attend SNU was because of their scholarship, which covered nearly 90% of the tuition. I wasn’t poor, but I couldn’t afford to pay all of my tuition, plus all the other fees of living by myself, without the scholarship!

“But there is one solution, honey,” the advisor said. I looked up, with new hope surging into my eyes. “You could change back your major to biology, and you would still qualify for the scholarship, because since it’s summer break, classes for the fall semester haven’t been finalized yet, neither have the schedules.”

I instantly looked down again, sulking. I vowed to myself that I would never force myself to go back to the lab again… I guess for every good thing, something bad has to happen to equal out the benefits.

“No… It’s fine… I’ll find another way to pay my tuition. Thank you though.” I smiled and left the room, closing the door behind me. I then turned around, my back leaning against the door, and slowly slid down to the floor. I sighed deeply, and just stared into space.

What are you gonna do, Song Eunbi. You really screwed up this time… Aish and things were going so well…..

I decided that sulking about it wasn’t going to help, so I stood up, dusted the dirt off of my outfit, and began to make my way back to my dorm.

“Yo, where have you been?” Dara asked. She was eating a cup of ramen, with a can of soda next to her. It always amazed me how she ate so much food but managed to stay stick skinny. Genes…..

Dara was my roommate, and even though she was a senior at SNU, she looked like a freshman. She was cute, skinny, and a bundle of fun. She came to SNU for the drama and theatre, because she wanted to become an actress. I admit that she could become a great actress, because she reacted so dramatically to everything. Plus, she was really pretty and had perfect skin. It was flawless; her nightly face mask routine helps I bet.

“Unnie!!” I shouted. Dara jolted up, almost knocking over her ramen. “What do I do…..?!?!?” I explained to her what had happened, and she listened intently, slurping some ramen here and there.

“I know your solution.” Dara stared at me intently.

“What is it?”

“It’s simple: get a job. No- more like MANY jobs.”

“But I have to go to sch-“

“Part time jobs, you dummy. Aigoo aigoo, I had to work so many part time jobs back when I lived in the Philippines,” Dara began. I let her tell her story once again, on how she pursued her dreams and made it to SNU.

“So, like I said, it’s simple. If you work hard enough, you can get enough money to pay off your tuition, bills, and extra stuff. Plus, you have the advantage of going to SNU, one of the top schools in the country, and you know how crazy some moms can get about their kids’ futures,” Dara explained.

“Unnie! That’s it!” I exclaimed as I hugged Dara.

“W-what do you mean…”

“I know how I’m going to earn all my money!” I ran towards the computer, and went to the online bulletin board for our school that was open to the public. I quickly wrote my résumé, and posted it on the website. Instantly, I received many replies and requests.

My solution was to start my tutoring career. Might as well take advantage of the fact that I go to an elite university, eh?

Many of the replies were for personal tutors, but I decided to accept the job offer for a tutoring job at a nearby academy for prospective university students. The kids I would be tutoring would mostly consist of unlucky high school students who needed help with school subjects as well as entrance exams. I figured that this way, I could get more experience with various types of students.

“Hmmmmm…… Sunshine Academy…. Sounds somewhat friendly,” I talked to myself as I scrolled through the offers. I exchanged emails with the owner of the academy, which happened to be located within the area of the university. I told him that I could start as soon as next week, and we settled on a starting pay of 50,000 won an hour. I would get a raise every few months, depending on my work effort and the improvements of my students. It didn’t sound too bad, because I could walk to the place and still get home in time to do my homework.

I have to admit, going to SNU did have some of its perks. My hard work in high school had paid off: as a student of SNU, we were considered one of the country’s top university students. Eager to help their own children succeed, many high school moms hire university student tutors for their children with the hopes that their own children will make it big and get accepted into a prestigious college. In Korea, especially where I lived, status was everything. One must appear poised, elegant, and classy at all times, even though it was only university classes. In order to not stick out like a sore thumb, I spent most of my money on clothes and makeup. No- in order to look somewhat presentable to society, I had to do this. Some people may criticize me for being fake, but hey, don’t hate for wanting to look good for yourself. Of course, there were tons of pretty girls on campus who were experts with the whole makeup and fashion thing, so I didn’t really turn anybody’s eyes anyways.

I felt proud of my achievements, and decided to reward myself to a little treat. Although I had felt terrible just a couple of hours ago, finding a solution this quick made me a bit more confident in myself.

“Hey Dara Unnie, do you wanna go get some bread with me?” I asked.

“Nah not today.. Thanks though!”

I changed into a pair of shorts and a white shirt and a grey cardigan, and wore a pair of sneakers. See, I’m normally a very comfy and casual person. I also believe that everyone should wear sneakers when going out alone in the slim chance that their life would be endangered and running would be crucial to survival. Very slim, yet very possible.

I left the dorm with my purse, phone, bag, and a big smile on my face. As I was walking, I was thinking about how I would manage to earn enough money to continue paying for my food and other necessities for the first few months of the school year. Sure, my part time tutoring job would certainly help, but it would be dramatically lower than my scholarship help.

I entered my favorite bakery, Jolie Bakery, and drooled as I saw all my favorite breads and pastries. I loved food, especially bread, and despite all the carbs, I still ate it because it was that good. As I ogled at the wide variety of breads, I decided to get my usual korokke and red bean paste bread. Yummy. While I was waiting for the cashier to calculate my items, I noticed the sign near the register.

Help Needed

“Excuse me, but are you guys accepting applications?” I asked.

“Oh, actually we are. I bet you noticed the sign,” she said as she pointed to the help needed placard. I stared at her nails, which were adorned with beautiful gemstones and nail art. “My name is Park Bom, and I’m the owner of this bakery. Nice to meet you,” she said as she shook hands with mine. “Would you like to work here?”

“Yes! I come here all the time, and I’ve always wanted to work at a bakery,” I said, getting excited. Working at my favorite bakery?!? I’d be in heaven!

“Haha, I’m glad you’re excited. Please, fill out this application and prepare for an interview,” Park Bom said, handing me the papers. “Oh, and here’s your bread. Enjoy!”

I kindly accepted both items, and exited the bakery feeling happier than ever. My day had just improved tremendously after earlier today. Score! Possibly another job; at my favorite place in the world!

I began walking back to the dorm, but couldn’t hold my hunger any longer, and decided to munch on a korokke as I was walking. It tasted amazing, and I fell in love with the scent and texture. I was so immersed in my little food world when I accidentally bumped into another person, causing me to lose my balance and drop my precious bread.

“NOOOOO” I exclaimed as I saw my bread fall to the ground, spilling everywhere. I looked over at the person who had bumped into me, glaring. “Yah, watch where you’re goi-“ I stopped when I realized the person was much taller than me. I wasn’t that short, but compared to this male, I felt like a mouse.

“Excuse me miss, are you ok?” the person asked, in a very intimidating and deep voice. His brows were furrowed; I didn’t know if he was worried or angry… probably the latter.

ake mushrooms… I shouldn’t have yelled at him…

“O-oh yes! I’m fine, thank you!” I exclaimed as I turned around to continue my journey back home when I felt someone grab my collar, dragging me back, my arms flailing trying to pull myself free.

“Oi, where do you think you’re going,” the man said, turning me around. I froze, and glanced up at him. I smiled meekly.

“What do you mean?” I asked. I prepared for the worst when…

“I haven’t apologized yet!” The man said. He then let go of me, faced me, and did a 90 degree bow, with a very serious face. He then smiled widely, a bit too widely. It was kinda creepy actually. At least his teeth were perfect. I chuckled at the sudden change of facial expression.

“Hello! My name is Chanyeol, and I’m sorry for bumping into you!” He was sort of goofy, and actually cute, despite his intimidating appearance. As long as he wasn’t frowning, I felt at ease.

I noticed he had on a uniform, which was weird since most colleges were in summer vacation. I knew high school students hadn’t started their summer break yet, because my younger siblings were still suffering at school. Then I recognized the school lapel on his polo shirt.

“Hey you….. Aren’t you a high school student?” I asked, pointing at his uniform.

“Oh yeah! Yes I am!”

“Then why are you…… yah! Are you skipping classes?!” I shouted, causing people to stare. I was a strict rule follower, and hated when kids skipped school.

“Aish……… Bye!!” Chanyeol grinned a goofy smile as he dashed off into the street.

“Yah!! It’s dangerous!!” I shouted as he kept on running. It was a miracle how he didn’t run into anyone. Before disappearing, he turned around and ran backwards, waving to me frantically. I waved back, chuckling, despite the fact that he was a skipper. “Kids these days,” I turned around and began walking to my dorm.

“Hey, what took you so long?” Dara asked. I just groaned.

“I bumped into this high school kid who was skipping classes, but he ran away before I could catch him,” I explained. “He almost ran into a granny too!! I can’t believe how they manage to survive like that.”

“Haha, don’t worry about him. He chose his own path and decided to skip. It’s none of your business,” Dara said, trying to calm me down.

I began munching on my remaining red bean paste bread while checking my mail and playing games. Normally, I would be plagued with piles and piles of homework if this were the fall or spring semester, but since it was summer, I had the whole day to rest and recover from my traumatic experiences.

For the rest of the day, I went online shopping. Even though I wasn’t rich and talented, I had to keep such an image in order to survive in this school. I only spent my allowance on clothes and bread, but now that my scholarship was gone, I would have to cut down on both of them. I decided to just save the navy blazer, summer dress, and skater skirt in the cart. Once I began to earn some money, I would purchase it then.

Right before I was about to go to bed, my phone beeped. I checked my phone, only to see that it was a message that I didn’t want to read.

“Who’s it from?” Dara asked, not taking her eyes off of the computer.

I sighed, jumped on my bed, and looked at my bare white ceiling. “You know who it is,” I said.

“Eunbi-yah, if things aren’t working out, then I suggest you guys end it right there,” Dara advised. “You’re free to do whatever you want. Don’t feel so bounded to anything.”

“I know unnie… It’s just that….” I trailed off, staring into nothing.

Suddenly, I heard a knocking on the door. Who could it be at such a late time? I looked at Dara, who was a bit surprised as well, before I climbed out of my bed and went over to the door. I opened the door cautiously, and froze when I saw the person waiting outside. He was taller than me, but not as tall as the high school student I had met earlier on the streets.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“L-Luhan……….!?!?!?”

Hehe I'm trying really hard to not make this as cliche as possible... T^T And don't worry, I'm just trying to introduce all the characters... Kai will come soon~ It's just that I love all the members so much... >_<

I hope you guys liked chapter 1!!