The morning felt heavier than it should.
Aran adjusted the strap of his bag, standing just outside the airport entrance, but his feet refused to move forward. Everything around him was loud, cars passing, announcements echoing, but all he could really hear was his mother's voice.
"You have everything, right?"
She had asked that same question at least five times already.
Aran smiled softly. "Yes, Mum. Passport, documents… everything is here."
Still, she reached out, adjusting his shirt like he was still a child about to leave for his first day of school.
Beside her, his younger sister sniffed quietly, trying and failing to hide her tears.
"You better not forget us when you become a big international student," she said, her voice shaking.
Aran chuckled, pulling her into a hug. "That's impossible. You're too annoying to forget."
"Mum!" she protested, hitting his arm lightly.
But she hugged him tighter.
His mother stepped closer, placing her hand gently on his cheek. Her eyes were glossy now, though she tried to stay strong.
"Take care of yourself," she said softly. "It's not home over there."
Aran nodded.
"I know." But deep down, he didn't.
The flight felt too long, or maybe it was just his thoughts.
By the time Aran finally stepped out of the airport in South Korea, everything felt… different. The air, the language,the people.
He stood still for a moment, holding his suitcase, eyes scanning the unfamiliar signs around him, He couldn't understand most of them.
A small breath escaped his lips. "Okay…" he muttered to himself. "You wanted this." Still, his heart beat a little faster.
Getting to the university wasn't easy.
Aran had to ask for directions more than once, his accent thick, his words slightly unsure. Some people helped. Some didn't understand him at all.
By the time he finally stood in front of the administration building, he let out a tired sigh.
"I made it." Inside, things were slightly easier.
Documents were checked. His admission was confirmed. A dormitory key was handed to him along with a few instructions he only half understood.
But it was enough. He was officially a student here.
A small smile formed on his lips as he stepped out of the office, clutching the key in his hand. Maybe… this wouldn't be so bad.
Thud, everything happened too fast, One second, he was walking.
The next, He was on the ground.
Pain shot lightly through his arm as his bag slipped from his shoulder.
"What" Before he could finish, a hand reached down toward him.
Aran looked up. The boy standing in front of him looked… sharp, neat black hair, cold eyes. Expression is unreadable.
"Get up," the boy said shortly.
Aran hesitated for a second, then took his hand. The grip was firm as he was pulled back to his feet.
"You're a foreigner, right?" the boy added, his tone flat. "Then watch where you're going."
Aran blinked, still processing what just happened.
"Excuse me?" he started, his brows pulling together. "You're the one who..."
But the boy had already let go.
Already turned, already walking away, just like that.
Aran stood there, stunned, watching his retreating figure disappear into the crowd.
"…Seriously?" He scoffed under his breath, brushing dust off his clothes.
"Rude."
He bent down to pick up his bag, shaking his head slightly.
Of all the people he could meet on his first day, It had to be someone like that.
Aran exhaled, tightening his grip on his things before walking in the opposite direction.
The walk to the dormitory felt longer than it should have. Maybe it was the unfamiliar paths, or maybe it was the lingering annoyance from that rude stranger.
Aran adjusted his grip on his bag, checking the room number written on the small paper again. "Room… 3-12," he murmured.
After a few wrong turns and quiet hesitation in the hallway, he finally stood in front of the door.
This was it, His space, His new beginning.
For a second, he just stood there, staring at the door like it might disappear if he blinked.
Then slowly, he slid the key into the lock, Click, The door opened.
Aran stepped in and froze, It wasn't big, It wasn't luxurious.
A soft laugh escaped his lips as he dropped his bag near the entrance.
"I made it…" The words came out quieter than he expected.
Then suddenly, He ran forward, a wide smile breaking across his face, his earlier stress melting away.
He spun once, taking in the room, then threw himself onto the bed.
The mattress dipped under his weight as he stretched out, staring up at the ceiling.
For a moment, everything felt still, He inhaled deeply, and the air smelled different, new, unfamiliar.
But not bad, just different, just like everything else, His smile softened.
Then, slowly, his expression changed, His eyes drifted to the side, unfocused.
And just like that, the noise of the airport, His mother's voice, His sister's teasing It all came rushing back.
Aran swallowed lightly. "…Mum."
The word came out as a whisper, He sat up, resting his elbows on his knees, staring down at his hands, They felt emptier now.
Quieter. For the first time since he arrived, He felt it, the distance.
reality. He was really alone here.
Aran exhaled slowly, then shook his head.
"No," he muttered under his breath.
He straightened up, determination flickering in his eyes.
"I didn't come all this way to feel like this."
He looked around the small room again, this time with purpose.
"I'll make you proud," he said softly. Like a promise he fully intended to keep.
Outside, life continued as normal.
Students walked past. Voices filled the hallways.
Aran had just finished settling into his small dormitory, the soft hum of the city outside the window filling the room. He was still lost in thought, thinking about his mum and sister, when knock knock knock came a light but steady sound at the door. He straightened, slightly startled.
"Who could that be?" he muttered to himself.
He walked over and opened the door.
Standing there was a boy with a wide, cheerful smile, his eyes bright and welcoming.
"Hello! Is this room 312?" the boy asked. "I'm your roommate. My name's Taehyun."
Aran blinked for a moment, then smiled back. "Yes, this is it… I'm Aran. Welcome."
Taehyun stepped in easily, his backpack slung casually over one shoulder. "I'm so glad to finally meet you!"
Aran laughed softly, feeling a little more at ease. "I'm from Bangkok," he said, glancing at the neat dorm setup. "I came here on a scholarship."
Taehyun's eyes lit up, a spark of excitement crossing his face. "No way! That's amazing! You must be really smart."
Aran shrugged, a little embarrassed. "I just… worked hard, I guess."
"Don't be modest!" Taehyun grinned. "Let's get along, okay? I'll show you around Korea soon. There's so much you need to see food, shops, everything!"
Aran nodded, his nerves melting away under Taehyun's friendly energy. "I'd like that. I… really don't know much yet."
"Perfect!" Taehyun said with a playful tone. "But first…" He looked around at the small piles of Aran's luggage. "…help me unpack? I promise it won't take long."
Aran chuckled softly. "Sure, let's do it together."
As they began unpacking their things side by side, the dorm room suddenly felt less lonely. Aran could feel the tension of the day easing from his shoulders. He realized this year in Korea might be full of surprises, and not all of them are bad. And with a roommate like Taehyun, maybe it could even feel like home.
MINJAE'S POV:
Minjae was used to attention, It followed him everywhere, whispered in hallways, lingering stares, quiet recognition, not because he wanted it.
But because of who he was.
"The son of that actress… isn't that him?" He had heard it so many times that it no longer meant anything. To them, he was just a name.
A face tied to someone else's fame.
He adjusted his sleeves slightly as he walked across campus, expression calm, unreadable as always. People moved around him, but no one got too close.
They never did. Minjae preferred it that way.
Then, Something caught his attention, From a distance, he spotted him.
A boy standing awkwardly near the administration building, holding a file too tightly, eyes scanning everything like he didn't quite belong.
Foreigner...Minjae could tell immediately.
The hesitation. The confusion. The way he looked like he was trying so hard to stay composed, Minjae tilted his head slightly, observing.
"…Interesting." There was something about him.
Not just the fact that he was new. But the way his expressions shifted so honestly like he didn't know how to hide what he felt.
That kind of person…Minjae looked away briefly, then back again.
"…might be fun to mess with." He started walking, not toward him just… in that direction. At least, that's what he told himself.
The distance closed quickly, The boy stepped forward at the same time... Thud.
The collision was light, but enough, Minjae barely lost his balance, The other boy wasn't as lucky, He fell. Minjae looked down at him, eyes calm, almost indifferent, but there was a flicker of something else beneath it, Curiosity.
He extended his hand. "Get up."
The boy hesitated, then took it.
Minjae pulled him up easily, his gaze briefly locking onto his face.
Up close, even clearer.
Soft features. Slightly flustered expression. Eyes that showed everything.
Yeah…It's definitely interesting.
"You're a foreigner, right?" Minjae said, his tone flat but deliberate. "Then watch where you're going."
He saw it instantly, that spark of irritation... The boy was about to talk back.
Minjae didn't wait. He let go.
Behind him, he could almost feel the other boy's stare. Confused and annoyed.
Maybe even a little offended.
Minjae slipped his hands into his pockets, a faint, almost invisible smirk touching his lips.
"…Aran," he murmured under his breath. He had seen the name earlier.
On the list. Scholarship student from Thailand.
His voice was quiet, almost thoughtful now for someone he had just met. He had already made an impression.
Minjae didn't look back again, but for the first time in a while, Campus suddenly felt a little less boring...