Meteor

One

Yu Jin's first few weeks in Seoul turned out to be a whirlwind of activities. Juggling university applications and a search for part-time work kept him constantly on the move. Knowing that the savings he brought with him could not be relied on for too long, the urgency of finding a job sustained himself loomed large.

Despite his packed schedule, Yu Jin couldn't resist the allure of a unique opportunity. He decided to attend an astronomy conference where he delivered a presentation on the potential for life on other planets. To his surprise, his speech on astrobiology garnered attention and praise from the attendees.

Before he left the conference, a young girl suddenly approached him. Her vibrant enthusiasm contrasted with his reserved demeanour.

"Hi, your presentation today was great. I liked it really much, you know?" The girl said and grinned. She was wearing a staff jacket and a lanyard with a card saying "MR Team."

Yu Jin blinked in astonishment, momentarily unable to process the unexpected encounter. "You're talking to me, right?" He queried, turning his gaze towards her.

Her round babyface and her funny-looking fringe seemed like a great match with her confident demeanour. She looked just as cherubic as a secondary school student. However, by the fact that she was nearly as tall as him, as well as she was working at an event like this, Yu Jin knew that she could not be that young.

"Yes, speaker Han, who do else you think I am talking to?" She snickered.

His cheeks slightly flushed, and he managed a shy smile. "Ah...thank you very much, I appreciate that."

"The topic you chose was really unique. Your speech was really thorough too. Are you studying astronomy or astrobiology in uni?" She curiously inquired.

"No, I am not in uni yet. And I am not studying any of those fields either."

"Wait, are you still in high school?"

"I have just graduated. I am applying for uni now."

"Oh, so you are the same age as me. I am also applying for SNU, you know? For astronomy," she excitedly shared with a widening smile, "By the way which high school did speaker Han go to, mine was Hansung High."

"I'm from Busan, so you probably wouldn't know my school. Oh, and please, call me Yu Jin. Being too formal makes me uncomfortable."

"Sure thing, Yu Jin. I'm Eun Chae, Hong Eun Chae. 'Eun' for kindness and 'Chae' for gather," she cheerfully explained, extending her hand for a handshake, "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you," Yu Jin said, his awkward smile transformed into a genuine one as they shook hands.

Coincidentally, they both boarded the same bus to return home. Eun Chae's house was only a stone's throw away from the alley where Yu Jin's rented house was located. Amidst their conversation, Yu Jin discovered that Eun Chae was his complete opposite, a lively extrovert with an enthusiasm for life. She was friendly, talkative and out-going. Meanwhile, he was an introvert who preferred to live in his own world. Of course, that did not mean that he never socialised, it was just that he would rather not talk to others, but he would not mind if there was someone starting off a conversation with him.

With her dynamic personality, Eun Chae proposed an idea of group studying as a way to improve the chances of both Yu Jin and her being accepted by their favourite universities. At first he felt a tinge of reluctance as he had never really studied with another person before. But there was no harm in studying with her after all, so he took that offer.