just between us (ib twinkling watermelon)

1

prologue

"i am not mentally ready for college," jino said, whining, "i can't hear this anymore. i already told you, nothing will happen. you used to be so extroverted and social, why are you so scared? everyone is gonna like you." tam, her best friend, tried to comfort her and give her strength. tam reassured jino that she had all the qualities needed to make new friends and succeed in college. "you're smart, kind, and fun to be around. just be yourself, and everything will be fine," tam said with a supportive smile. "I wish you could come with me," jino expressed with a hint of longing in her voice. tam, understanding the sentiment, replied, "I know it's a big step, but you don't need me physically by your side to succeed. you've got everything what a likeable person needs" jino sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. "I know, but having you there just makes everything seem easier." they both smiled and hugged each other.

at college

jino glanced around, feeling a bit uneasy amid the crowd of people. the university campus was vast and confusing, making it hard for her to locate the lecture hall. to seek assistance, she approached a fellow student and politely asked, "excuse me, could you help me find this hall? I'm new here."

the girl she approached kindly responded, "certainly! just go straight, take a left, and you'll find it."

"thank you so much! Have a nice day," jino said with a grateful nod, then followed the directions given.

the hall was pretty quiet even though there were many students. she looked around and found a seat — the middle left of the hall.

her bench partner was probably sleeping, but he, a boy, seemed to have arrived earlier since his books were open and took notes before the lecture. she made an effort to sit quietly, not wanting to waking him up.

but then he woke up, looked at her, and bowed his head. "hello," he greeted, and she replied in kind. she noticed that he had been looking at her for a couple of minutes. "Is there anything wrong?" she asked. he stuttered, shook his head, and said, "no, I'm sorry. I just had a daydream," laughing awkwardly.

"my name is ha yichan, what is your name?" he asked, trying not to look into her eyes. "i am kim jino," she replied. after that, silence filled the air. he simply nodded, choosing not to say anything more.

after the lecture

when the lecture ended, she once again noticed that he was looking at her, but she tried to ignore it. packing her books into her bag, she attempted to leave the hall. however, she heard her name being called, "jino, wait!!!" It was the boy. she stopped and turned around. "I know you're going to eat alone, so let me eat with you because I am alone too," he said with a slightly awkward smile.

"i am sorry, but I'm not hungry because I just ate. however, I can join you so you don't have to eat alone," she said formally. she waited for him to leave the hall before following him, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the situation.

they arrived in the cafeteria, and he grabbed his food. "you can go if you want, because you're not eating anyway, so it might be a little weird for you just to watch me eat," he said with a gentle smile, waiting for her response. "no, don't worry. I don't want to be alone, so it's okay," she replied, smiling back.

"so, why did you choose to study law?" he tried to start a small talk, she leaned in, a thoughtful expression on her face, and replied, "because i couldn't see myself doing anything else. i've always been interested in social science. what about you?"

he took a deep breath and said, "my dad wanted me to study it." she looked at him. none of them said anything. he just looked at his food.

her phone began to ring, and she picked it up. "tam!! what happened?" he looked at her because her tone sounded like something happened. "where are you? i thought you'd come home earlier," tam asked.

"oh right, I forgot. I'll come home now," she stood up and bowed to him. "I am sorry, I have to go home. I forgot about something." He nodded and waved at her.

she looks so pretty, he thought.

at home

"tell me everything, tell me everything," she asked a couple of times. "okay, okay, calm down. I'll tell you everything," both sat on the couch. "It was okay for the first day. my professor is nice, and he likes me already." they both laughed.

"did you find friends?" tam asked. jino thought about it, "actually no, but I had a small conversation with someone." she elaborated on her day, sharing the details of her experiences and the small interactions she had on the first day of college.