Love Across Universe

Everything Is Complete, But I feel Empty

Soojin

"What? You want to be a scientist?" Sooah's brows furrowed with confusion as she looked at me.

We were on our flight back to the USA after a month-long stay in Korea.

"Yeah, why not?" I replied, gazing out of the window.

"I didn't mean to doubt you, Soojin. I know you can achieve anything you set your mind to. But you do realize that the path of science is not an easy one, right?" Sooah's concern was evident in her voice.

"I know it's challenging, but I'm ready to tackle it. And I'll make sure my grades rise from A+ to Outstanding," I assured her with determination.

"I believe in you. But may I ask, what's the reason behind your sudden interest in science?" Sooah inquired.

"Unnie... to find someone," I confessed, my voice faltering slightly as I spoke, and Sooah nodded in understanding. She knew exactly who that 'someone' was.

The following day:

"Ah, ttal, you're up early today," eomma said as she prepared my breakfast.

"I was studying, so I woke up early," I replied with a serious tone.

"Seems like the atmosphere in Korea has had a positive effect on you. I'm glad to see that," eomma smiled warmly.

"Mommy, I'm serious... I have a big dream to pursue," I declared, grabbing my bag and toast before heading to school.

Lost in thought, I found myself walking past Alain's house, a sense of longing hitting me as I realized he was still missing.

Walking to school alone was boring. Sooah was a great company, but I needed to focus on extra studying at the library, which was why I arrived early.

Should I walk with Mrs. Brown's son? He was known to be a gossip, so I had to be cautious about our conversations. But aside from that, he was a good guy. Hmm, maybe not the best idea.

"Looks like Miss Mint is early today," Elisha's irritating voice greeted me as she approached me. "Where's your boyfriend Alain?"

Ignoring her, I headed straight to the library. I managed to finish two chapters of an encyclopedia and began making notes on a third. Thank God! I didn't get into a pointless argument with Elisha. She never learnt her lesson; perhaps I should have ditched her somewhere after getting her drunk.

I picked up an encyclopedia and opened  the chapter on 'Evolution of Human Beings.'

Busy in my reading, I lost track of time until it was time for my first class - astrophysics, a subject that fascinated me to no end.

"Good morning, class. Today, we'll be discussing the basics of satellite construction and functions. Keep your minds here, as this will be an important lesson," the professor greeted us, and the class responded with enthusiasm.

As the professor lectured, a question popped into my mind, and I eagerly raised my hand.

"Don't interrupt the lecture, Miss Mint," Elisha sneered.

"It's alright. A question that is from the topic is always welcome," the professor reassured me, allowing me to continue.

"Sir, is it possible for satellites to locate real people who are missing?" I inquired.

"The person being located would need to keep their phone on for satellite tracking to be effective."

"And if the person's phone is off, can the satellite still track them?"

"In that case, the task falls to drones, but it's a complex process. There are areas where the drones can't reach, and signal issues can arise. Currently, satellites lack this capability, but who knows what the future holds," the professor explained.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class. I silently thanked whoever might one day create such a satellite.

As I packed up for my next class, Elisha's annoying voice interrupted my thoughts once more.

"Looks like Baby Mint is desperate to find her boyfriend. Can't you invent a satellite for that purpose?" she taunted.

"Elisha, please, just leave me alone. I'm not in the mood to deal with you," I replied with a grumpy expression before heading to my next class.

Alain, school isn't the same without you. Come back already. Stop playing games. My eyes welled up, and a hand landed on my shoulder.

"Are you okay, Soojin?" Sooah's voice was filled with concern as she looked at me.

"Yeah, sorry about today... I need to change," I muttered, avoiding her gaze as I hurried into my classroom.

I wasn't fine.

"All the students are required to submit their final partner lists for the upcoming Math project. Remember, you can only have one partner," the professor announced, passing around a form for us to fill out.

Sitting at the back of the class, I waited as the form made its rounds. When it finally reached me, I hesitated before picking up my pen, scanning the filled columns to see if anyone had chosen me as their partner.

As expected, my name was nowhere to be found. But that wasn't surprising; it wasn't their fault. However, as I scanned the page, I noticed a blank space next to Lucas Archer's name. Without a second thought, I wrote my name there.

Passing the form back to the professor, I listened as he read out the pairs of chosen partners.

"Anna and Alice, Elisha and Maxwell, and lastly, Lucas and Soojin."

I watched as Lucas's face lit up with surprise, but I simply flashed him a smile in response.

After the class, Lucas approached me. "Miss Min, I believe there might be a misunderstanding. We can rectify-"

"No misunderstanding, Lucas. I chose you," I interrupted with a playful wink before walking away.

"You're gonna regret it."

"I am ready to play with fire, baby!" I blew him a kiss.