Between The Lines

CHAPTER 1 : THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW SEMESTER.

SETTING : Kiet's apartment.

Kiet's Morning ~

The shill beeping of Kiet's alarm clock sliced through the fog of his sleep, dragging him from a dream that was already fading into the ether. With a groan, he reached out from beneath the covers , fumbling to silence the relentless noise. His fingers brushed against the snooze button, but before he could give in to the temptation of a few more precious minutes of sleep , he forced himself to get up from the bed. "Alright, Kiet ... time to get up"...he muttered to himself, rubbing the sleep from his eyes..."First day of the new semester. Let's do this."

The room was still dim, the first light of dawn just beginning to slip through the curtains. Kiet glanced at the clock- 7:30 AM. He had planned to wake up at 7:00 AM to give himself a few minutes before the day starts , to build up the courage to be a part of the evolving restless society, once again...but as usual, his body had other plans. With a sigh, he swung his legs out of the bed and stumbled to his feet, stretching the stiffness from his muscles.

His apartment was small but tidy, a single-bedroom unit that he had rented close to the university. It wasn't much, but it was home, at least for now. Living alone in Bangkok had its challenges, even though he misses his family at times...it also gave him the freedom to focus entirely on his studies without any distractions, which is a must for him.

Kiet shuffled into the bathroom, flicking on the light. The reflection that greeted him in the mirror was not particularly encouraging- dark circles under his eyes, hair sticking out of the odd angles, and a general look of exhaustion that had become all too familiar. He splashed cold water on his face, hoping to shock himself into wakefulness, then reached for his toothbrush. As he brushed his teeth, his mind began to churn with the day's agenda. It was the first day of the new semester and although he didn't have any morning classes, he needed to pick up his schedule, buy textbooks and get himself organized. Most importantly, he wanted to make a good impression on his professors and exceptionally his peers. This was his chance to start fresh, to set the tone for the semester.

After a quick shower, Kiet dressed in his usual attire- a pair of dark blue jeans, a plain maroon colour t-shirt and his favourite black hoodie. "Nothing is matching, They seriously gonna think I have no fashion sense,.....but comfort is the key, especially on a day like this, when things are already falling apart."... He grabbed his backpack, making sure he had all the essentials- laptop, notebooks, pens, and of course his phone.

A glance at the clock told him it was now 8:00 AM..."Great, just great", he muttered to himself and realized that he had no time to make breakfast. His stomach rumbled in protest, reminding him that he had skipped dinner the previous night in favor of cramming up for his upcoming research proposal. "Looks like it's the cafeteria for breakfast...I miss mom even more now."...he said with a sigh. Living alone meant that, even though he never enjoyed cooking, he was responsible for all his meals but time is definitely not on his side this morning.