Recovery

Chapter Five: Familiar Faces

A/N: I haven't explicitly said this before, but when inserting your name, if you do, feel free to add the appropriate: "ah" or "ya" honorific if it helps with your immersion. "Ah" is used if the name ends with a consonant, and "Ya" is used if the name ends with a vowel.

I didn't think about mentioning it before, but KafuMilkTea  advised I put it out there just in case.
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Y/n left off a small puff of air through his nose as he stepped closer to the campus' entrance. He turned to Chaewon with determination, "If you're going to refer to me formally, do it when people aren't around."

Chaewon placed her hands on her hips, "I'll call you whatever the hell I want!"

Y/n's eyes rolled with his steps, "Whatever. Meet me at the cafeteria during your break."

"Yes, sir." Chaewon bowed, earning a groan from the older. She giggled before setting off for her first class.

Upon stepping into the classroom, a small hint of disappointment hit the radish. She expected her classrooms to be large lecture halls where dozens of students sat in boredom; not an ordinary classroom.

Rows of tables faced the front where a fabric screen hung, and the teacher's desk sat off to the side, housing a man clacking on a keyboard.

Alas, she sat herself at an empty table. As she unpacked, a pair of students set beside her. She glanced toward the two with a slight squint.

The entire room is empty... Why sit next to me?

"You look tired, Daeun ah. Did you sleep at all last night?" the male student questioned.

"I did."

Chaewon's ears perked up at the touch of the soft-spoken, gentle feminine voice. The woman's voice carried a natural grace that washed over those who heard it. Like a warm embrace in the dead of night, her voice put Chaewon at ease. Chaewon glanced once more toward the girl sitting next to her, shrieking internally at her stature.

She's so small!!!!

A few glances later, Chaewon deduced the student's size to be that of a middle schooler. She questioned if her classmate truly belonged in the room. Maybe she was a younger sibling, or even a cousin of the man.

Her skin, flawless and smooth, possessed a beautiful porcelain-like quality--untouched by any imperfections. A delicate rosy blush spread across her dumpling cheeks, matching the glossy touch on her lips. Of the noticeable makeup on her face, small strokes of eyeliner rounded her doe eyes, creating a trio of casualness Chaewon wished she could achieve.

Her lips, soft and rosy, formed a gentle curve, lending a touch of sweetness to her allure. They held the promise of youth and vitality, embodying the untamed spirit of a girl on the cusp of adulthood, yet still entwined with the innocence of childhood.

Beneath her left eye, a single beauty mark kissed her skin, adding an alluring sense of wonder to Chaewon. Her nose, petite and perfectly portioned, added to her youthful appearance. It drew Chaewon's eyes to the rest of her features before calling the radish's eyes back like an enchanting anchor point.

A skip in Chaewon's heart brought her back as she and Daeun connected gazes. Panic settled in the radish's eyes; they darted toward the male student before rushing to her belongings. Had it not been for the question of the student's age lingering, Chaewon would have felt a slight pull toward the mysterious girl.

Opposed to the small student, the male beside her appeared to check every box on the average check list. Chaewon questioned how a guy like Kwangsun managed to come to such close terms with a girl like Daeun. She stole a couple more glances from Daeun, hoping the student wouldn't catch her looking.

I'm not gay. I'm not gay. I'm not gay...

"Don't go slacking in your gen-ed classes," Kwangsun scolded.

Daeun hummed as she unpacked her backpack. Much like Chaewon, the small student placed a stationery pouch next to her open notebook. She uncapped a blue gel-pen, etching the class' subject with an elegant calligraphy, something Chaewon herself was about to do.

Y/n dropped into his chair with a sigh. He scanned the room of new faces with a slight smile. Most of these people came from around the country to enter this university, and the chances of someone he knew being here were incredibly slim.

Suddenly, three simple taps on Y/n's shoulder pulled his gaze to the other side of his body.

"Long time no see," Gaeul smiled.

"Gaeul ssi??" Y/n's eyes widened, "What are you doing here?"

Gaeul giggled as she slid into the seat next to Y/n, "I could ask you the same: What are you doing here? Where is your maid—Chaewon?"

Y/n pulled his finger to his lips with furrowed eyebrows, "Shh! I don't want people around here knowing that. She's in another classroom..."

"You aren't taking the same classes anymore?" Gaeul set her MacBook on the table, "I'm surprised."

The snide grin on the student's face irked Y/n, but he brushed it away with a soft sigh. "She's pursuing a degree in business. I'm just here because my father wants me to 'live the college life."

Curiosity pulled Gaeul's eyebrow upward. She glanced toward Y/n with a perplexed squint before opening her mouth with a nod. "Right... Your family's rich. You'll probably inherit your family's business."

Y/n nodded. He slouched down, crossing his arms as the instructor walked into the room.

"Hey, Y/n ssi," Gaeul whispered.

"You can drop the 'ssi," Y/n interrupted.

"Okay..." Gaeul unlocked her laptop before tilting her chin toward her classmate, "Do you want to grab some lunch after this?"

"Argh!!" Y/n groaned, "There's no way I can put up with a semester of that!"

The pair strolled along the cement pathway. Large fields of sectioned grass filled their view. Groups of students, all but distant figures, scattered along the scenery, painting the picture Y/n expected from a college campus.

"I didn't think it was that bad," Gaeul commented. She combed her hair back with her hand, causing her long black locks to sway in the gentle breeze.

Y/n ran his hand over his head, "That teacher sounded like he only teaches because that's all he can do now after his wife divorced him!!"

"Oddly... specific..." Gaeul mumbled.

The two stepped into the student union, revealing a vast multi-story building. Fast food chains of varying colors lined the perimeter as if looking over the numerous tables. Square tiles of multiple colors patched a checkered path into the varied lines for each food stand.

Vending machines, and even a small convenience store, sat at the back where large glass panes opened into the outdoor space. Unlike the vibrant verdant hue behind them, and array of colors inside, a monotone gray motif recurred from the concrete floor to the tables, to the metal decorative poles that attached to the student union.

"Do you want to wait to eat until Chaewon arrives?" Y/n proposed. "That's when I plan on getting my food."

"Sure," Gaeul shrugged.

The pair sat idly for the duration of what Gaeul measured to be a class period. From the rush of students, Chaewon, along with two other students, sat down next to Y/n.

"How were your classes, Mister- er... Y/n?" Chaewon smiled.

Y/n sighed, "Boring..." He glanced toward Daeun and Kwangsun with a raised eyebrow, "How did you meet these two?"

"Oh!" Kwangsun pointed with a smile, "You're the guy from the grocery store!"

"They're my classmates. You already know them?" Chaewon asked.

"He helped Daeun ah grab a box of cereal," Kwangsun answered.

Chaewon shifted her gaze toward Gaeul, "I'm glad to see you weren't a loner on your first day either, Y/n."

Gaeul waved with a soft smile before standing from her seat. "Let's grab some food. I'm starving."