The blaring alarm yanked me from my dreams. 8:00 AM.
I shot up in bed, my heart dropping. "Crap, crap, crap!" I was so late.
Scrambling, I grabbed the first stylish outfit I could find. If I was going to be late, I might as well be fashionably late.
I bolted out of my dorm, practically sprinting across campus. Seoul National University was massive, and my already terrible sense of direction wasn't doing me any favors. My first day, and I was about to get lost.
As I rushed through the hallway, disaster struck—I slammed into someone. Hard. Our books scattered to the floor.
"Sorry," I mumbled, barely looking up.
I scooped up my books and hurried off, ignoring the hushed whispers and giggles from nearby students. I didn't have time to be curious—I needed to find that lecture hall. Fast.
Unfortunately, "fast" wasn't happening. I kept barging into the wrong rooms, getting increasingly frustrated. Just when I was about to give up, I bumped into a boy who looked just as late as I was. The difference? He didn't seem worried about it at all.
"Lost?" he asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.
I sighed. "Painfully."
He chuckled but didn't hesitate to help, and thanks to him, I finally made it to the lecture hall—where orientation had already begun.
I slid into a seat next to my best friend, Jessica.
Jessie and I met a year ago at language school, both of us scholarship students. She had this effortless beauty and a bubbly personality that made socializing seem like second nature. Social anxiety feared her.
She shot me a "You're late" look.
I grinned sheepishly. Busted.
Orientation was long and painfully boring. The moment it ended, Jessie and I made our way to the cafeteria.
To my surprise, the food was actually good—way better than what I was used to back home. We sat in the middle of the bustling cafeteria, chatting excitedly about our majors. Jessie was in Food Science, while I was in Sports Science.
Our conversation was interrupted by sudden squeals and hushed whispers. Curious, I turned toward the commotion.
At the center of it all stood the boy who had helped me earlier. But he wasn't alone.
Beside him was another guy—and hear me out—he looked like a K-drama lead. Unrealistically good-looking, the kind of face that made you do a double-take.
Without thinking, I muttered, "Wow... he's prettier than my whole existence."
Jessie snorted. "I know, right? That's Kim Hyunjin, and the other one is Lee Minho. They're the most popular duo on campus."
I raised a brow. "What, like a boy band?"
"Not quite." Jessie leaned in. "You know how social hierarchies matter here, right? Well, Hyunjin is the heir to JB Holdings Group. His mother is the Kim Yeji."
My eyes widened. "Wait—THE Kim Yeji? As in the famous actress?"
Jessie nodded dramatically. "And Minho? His family owns one of the biggest fashion brands—Eclipse Designs."
I let out a low whistle. "Okay, that explains the K-drama energy."
Jessie grinned. "Told you."
After breakfast, I checked my schedule. "I have to report to my Sports Science professor ," I told Jessie.
She waved me off. "The department's in the left-wing building. Try not to get lost."
"I make no promises."
As I walked past the table where the duo sat, I accidentally locked eyes with one of the boys. Not the boy who helped me earlier—the other one.
For a split second, neither of us looked away. His eyes were perfect. Dark, intense, and unreadable.
I quickly looked down and kept walking.
After checking in with my lecturers, I was told to check the notice board later for project assignments. Apparently, we were being given a beginner's project to test our capabilities. On day one.
And it had to be done in pairs.
God knows who I'd be paired with. What a drag.
Later that evening, I went to check the list. By then, most students had already seen it, so I easily scanned for my name.
My heart stopped.
Wendy Richards & Kim Hyunjin.
...Wait.
Kim Hyunjin?
Why did that name sound so familiar? I stepped back, lost in thought—and immediately bumped into someone.
I looked up. It was him.
Up close, he was even more breathtaking. Tall, sharp features, and a presence that demanded attention.
He smirked slightly, looking down at me. "Are you always this clumsy?"
Wait—was he talking to me?
My brain short-circuited. Before I could respond, he moved past me to check the notice board. I watched as his eyes scanned the list, then heard him mutter his partner's name.
"Wendy Richards."
Without thinking, I answered, "Yeah?"
He turned, one brow raised in amusement. Then it clicked.
He was my partner?!
Hyunjin walked back over, hands in his pockets. "Wendy, right?"
I nodded, still processing.
He smiled—a warm, unsettlingly charming smile. "Guess that makes you my project partner. Nice to meet you."
I nodded again. Say something, idiot!
Just then, I noticed how the few remaining students were staring. Not at me—at him. And by extension, at us.
I suddenly wished the ground would swallow me whole.
Then, from across the hall, Jessie's voice rang out.
"WENDY!"
I had never been so relieved to hear my name. I turned back to Hyunjin. "Uhh—I gotta go. See you... um... when I see you?"
He chuckled and held out his phone.
I blinked. "What?"
"We'll need to keep in touch for the project. Might as well exchange contacts now, right?"
"Oh. Right."
I quickly saved his number and practically bolted toward Jessie.
She grabbed my arm. "Was that—Hyunjin?"
I nodded.
"Talking to you?"
I nodded again.
"What?! What did I miss?"
I filled her in. She squealed.
"Girl, that's a flex. But hear me out—remember how I said Hyunjin and Minho were the most popular duo?"
"Yeah?"
"I meant trio. There's a third person. And it's a girl."
I frowned. "Okay... and?"
Jessie sighed dramatically. "It's not just a trio. It's a love triangle."
I blinked. "What?"
"Minho likes this girl. But this girl? She's obsessed with Hyunjin. Has been since childhood."
I groaned. "And why do I need to know this?"
"Because, bestie—you're now in her way. And she won't like that."
I rubbed my temples. "Great. More drama."
Jessie patted my back. "Good luck with that one."
Yeah. I was going to need it.
