LORRRD THIS IS SO ASS PLS YOU DONT HAHE TO READ IT IF YOU DONT WANT TO IM SORRU
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Park Jihyo stood at the edge of the ice rink, the chill seeping into her bones as she watched her teammates practice. The crisp sound of skates cutting through ice echoed around her, a symphony of determination that matched the rhythm of her heart.
As the captain of Seoul University's hockey team, or better known as The Falcons, Jihyo felt the weight of her responsibilities. She thrived on competition, her fiery spirit pushing her to excel in every aspect of her life. Yet, beneath her warm and caring exterior lay a growing anxiety that had started to gnaw at her.
It was February, and with midterms looming, the captain had been stretching herself thin, juggling her scholarship obligations, training sessions, the myriad extracurriculars that filled her calendar, along side two jobs to keep herself steady. But it wasn't until she was summoned to the dean's office that the reality of her situation hit her like a slap in the face.
"You're failing two core courses, Jihyo," The dean said, his voice a mixture of concern and authority. "If you don't raise your grades, you won't be able to continue to your final year."
Panic surged through her, icy and relentless.
She could hardly breathe as she left the office, her mind racing. How could she fix this? Hockey was her lifeline, but academics were just as crucial. Her mother's words echoed in her mind, a nagging reminder that perhaps she was doing too much. The thought of losing her scholarship terrified her.
After a long, sleepless night, Jihyo sought solace from her coach, Coach Kim, a figure who had become a parental guide since she'd arrived at university.
Over steaming mugs of coffee, she poured out her fears, her voice trembling with frustration. "I can't let this happen. I've worked too hard for this scholarship!"
Coach Kim listened intently, then leaned forward, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "There's a tutoring program at the university, you should know that though. You could be paired with someone who can help you catch up."
The idea seemed daunting. Jihyo was fiercely independent, but the thought of failing pushed her toward this unfamiliar territory.
She took a deep breath and signed up for the program, fully aware that it would mean sacrificing some of her time on the ice—time she cherished.
Days later, Jihyo finally received the notification about her assigned tutor: Sato Yuka. The name hit her like a ton of bricks, dredging up memories she had tried to bury.
Yuka was her best friend from childhood, the one person who had understood her like no one else. But their friendship had soured in high school, a bitter fallout that had left a scar deep within Jihyo's heart.
The first tutoring session arrived, and Jihyo approached it with a mix of dread and determination.
She had entered the small, quiet study room in the library, her heart pounding in her chest. The scent of old books and polished wood filled the air, an atmosphere conducive to learning, yet all she felt was the weight of her past with Yuka.
