Seok Jin had never packed a suitcase so fast in his life.
His father, the pastor, had prayed over every shirt he folded. His mother, the lawyer, had ironed each one like she was preparing evidence for a trial. His three little siblings—triplets—had stuffed candy and sticky notes between his clothes, just in case he "forgot" them while living free in the city.
"Remember, Seok Jin," his father said, pressing a heavy hand to his shoulder, "college is not a place to lose your way."
"Stay away from parties," his mother added sharply. "And girls. And anything that smells like girls."
The triplets, on the other hand, were bawling so loud the neighbors peeked over the fence. "Oppa, don't leave! Who will eat the burnt pancakes we make?"
Seok Jin, who had already burned through one failed entrance exam last year, was just happy they weren't lecturing him about that. All he wanted was to step foot into Haneul International University and finally live a life that wasn't scheduled down to his toothbrush.
"Don't worry," he said, ruffling the triplets' hair. "I'll come back every holiday."
"You better," his mother sniffed, dabbing her eyes. "Or I'll drag you back myself."
And then came the train station. His family waved and cried like he was enlisting in the military instead of heading to campus. By the time the train doors closed, Seok Jin felt a strange mix of guilt and freedom buzzing in his chest.
For the first time in his life, no one would shout if he stayed out late. No one would check if he skipped prayers. No one would ask him to babysit triplets who thought pouring orange juice into ramen was "creative cooking."
This was it. College life. His second chance. His escape.
---
The university gates loomed ahead like the entrance to another world. The sign above read Haneul International University in bold letters. Students dragged suitcases, chattered in Korean, English, Mandarin, and languages Seok Jin couldn't place. The place didn't feel like Korea—it felt like the entire globe had decided to study here.
"Yah, Seok Jin!"
The voice was loud, familiar, and impossible to mistake.
Before he could turn, a heavy arm locked around his shoulders. Seok Jin stumbled under the weight as laughter boomed in his ear.
"Kai?"
"Who else?"
It was him. Kai, childhood best friend, chaos incarnate, and the boy who had left him behind a year ago after acing the entrance exam on his first try. His hair was bleached black now, his grin cocky, and he smelled faintly of cologne that screamed I definitely sprayed this three times too much.
"You look the same," Kai said, squinting at him. "Still boring. Still pastor's son vibes. I was hoping college would fix you."
"I literally just arrived," Seok Jin muttered, though a smile tugged at his lips.
Kai slung his arm tighter. "Don't worry, hyung. Lucky for you, I've been here a year already. I know everything. Who to avoid, who to copy notes from, where to get free food. Stick with me and you'll survive."
Seok Jin raised a brow. "You? Survive? You barely survived middle school without detention."
"Exactly!" Kai grinned. "That's experience."
And just like that, Seok Jin realized his freedom came with a catch: Kai was going to drag him into trouble whether he liked it or not.
"First stop," Kai announced, dragging Seok Jin by the wrist like a tour guide hopped up on sugar. "The place where angels cry and demons thrive—the student council hall."
"Why does that sound terrifying?" Seok Jin muttered, but it was too late.
The hall was buzzing with students, papers, and the sound of someone bossing everyone around. At the front stood a black girl who looked like she had walked straight out of a luxury magazine. Her blazer was perfectly tailored, her heels clicked against the floor like they owned it, and her voice carried authority without even trying.
"That's Amanda Jackson," Kai whispered, nudging him. "International student. Rich. Gorgeous. Smart. Basically, she's Thanos, but prettier."
Seok Jin froze. Amanda turned slightly, sunlight from the window catching in her hair like some kind of drama scene, and he forgot how to breathe.
"She's… wow."
Kai snorted. "Hyung, put your jaw back in place. Half the freshmen are already in love with her. You'll just be a statistic."
Before Seok Jin could glare, another voice cut in.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Kai and his new pet project."
A girl with sharp eyeliner and sharper words sauntered over, phone in hand. Jennie Park. She didn't even look up from checking her reflection on her camera screen as she spoke.
"Don't call me that," Seok Jin said automatically.
Jennie finally looked at him. Her eyes swept him from head to toe. "Hm. Boring. Figures. You're friends with Kai."
Kai groaned. "Jennie, don't start."
"Oh relax, idiot. I'm not here to relive our tragic romance." She smirked, flipping her hair. "I'm just saying—if you stick with him," she jabbed a manicured finger at Kai, "you'll be in detention by midterms."
Seok Jin blinked. "Wait… you two—"
"Don't. Ask." Kai muttered, already pulling him away.
---
Their escape route led them straight into chaos: a puppy darting across the quad.
"COOKIE!" a girl shrieked, chasing after it. Her arms flailed, her books scattered everywhere, and somehow she tripped over absolutely nothing.
Seok Jin, in a heroic moment he didn't know he had in him, scooped up the puppy before it darted into the street.
"Oh my gosh! You saved him!" The girl bounced over, hugging the puppy to her chest. "I'm Ha Rin! And this is Cookie! You're new, right? Wanna come to the pet café with us later? Cookie loves meeting people!"
Seok Jin blinked at her rapid-fire words.
Kai leaned close, whispering, "Careful. She's sweet, but if you follow her around, you'll end up knitting dog sweaters at 3 a.m."
"I heard that!" Ha Rin pouted. Then immediately brightened again. "But he's not wrong."
---
By the time they reached the library, Seok Jin was ready to collapse. Unfortunately, the library came with its own boss level.
"Move."
A boy with neat ironed uniform and a death-glare stood over him. Prince Choi.
"Oh—sorry, I didn't know this was—"
"My seat," Prince said flatly, dropping a stack of books heavier than Seok Jin's entire suitcase. "Stay, don't stay, I don't care. Just don't breathe loudly."
Kai grinned, clearly enjoying Seok Jin's pain. "That's Prince. Student council president. Reads for fun. Hates people. Basically allergic to joy."
Prince didn't even glance up. "Correct. Now shut up."
Seok Jin slid his chair back an inch, terrified of inhaling too loudly.
---
The next introduction wasn't calmer.
A basketball smacked Seok Jin right in the shoulder.
"Three-pointer!" a voice yelled.
He staggered, clutching the ball as a tall, athletic girl jogged over. She looked like she had more energy than an entire cheer squad combined.
"Sorry! My bad! Hey, you're new, right?" She grinned, snatching the ball back. "I'm Mia Kim. Athlete. Vlogger. Future Olympic legend. You play?"
"Uh—"
"Too late!" She shoved the ball back into his hands. "Shoot!"
Seok Jin threw it. It bounced off the rim so hard it nearly hit Kai.
Mia gasped dramatically. "That was… tragic. Don't worry. I'll fix you. We'll train. You'll thank me later."
Kai muttered, "Or cry later."
---
Their final stop of the day was unexpected. A man lounged on the faculty steps, sipping coffee with his tie loose and his sleeves rolled up. He looked far too young to be a professor.
"Girls love him," Kai whispered. "That's Professor Tae Hyun. Technically a genius. Actually just lazy. He's the reason half the campus suddenly cares about philosophy."
As if on cue, two girls walked by, giggling. Tae Hyun raised his cup lazily in greeting, barely awake.
Seok Jin frowned. "He doesn't look like a professor."
"Exactly," Kai said proudly, like that explained everything.
---
By the end of the day, Seok Jin collapsed into his dorm bed, head spinning.
He had survived Amanda's elegance, Jennie's venom, Ha Rin's sugar rush, Prince's death glare, Mia's basketball assault, and Tae Hyun's mysterious aura.
But one image wouldn't leave his mind: Amanda at the podium, sunlight framing her like she'd stepped out of his wildest dreams.
Seok Jin was doomed