Feeling Brew

~1~

Taeil pushed past the crowd, trying to simply make it to class on time. He could hear whispering as more people shoved past him to see what was going on. Taeil knew if he concerned himself, he'd only get in trouble, but he caught a glimpse of a girl's golden locks. Unbothered, he wormed into his classroom and snagged his usual seat by the window where he could lose himself in his daydreams.

Professor Song strolled in and smiled warmly. "Settle down everyone. We have a new student. Go ahead and introduce yourself."

A girl with dirty blonde hair and a spray of freckles across her cheeks walked in. Her piercing green eyes glimpsed over the students in the room before she folded her body in half into a perfect bow.

"Hello, I'm third year music major Isla Giovanni. I moved here from Canada, but I'm really excited to be attending Neo Culture Technology University."

Even though she was a foreigner, her Korean was nearly perfect. Her pronunciation was better than some of theirs.

"There's an empty spot next to Taeil. You can sit there," Professor Song pointed to the seat, and Isla quickly made her way over to the guy she guessed was Taeil.

He had dark coffee-colored hair that looked fluffier than cotton candy. His features were sharp, but he had a kind face. Isla noticed other girls in the class scowling at her, and she sat down, trying hard not to roll her eyes. What? Was it her fault she was sitting next to this handsome guy? She was just doing as she was told. Professor Song wasted no time in jumping into the day's lesson, and Isla smiled as she scribbled down notes. She liked a good challenge.

After class, the students left in their cliques... all except for Taeil, that was. He put a pair of earbuds in, and his fluffy hair bobbed along with his head to the beat. Isla smiled before shouldering her duffel bag and heading to her next class.

The day breezed by pretty fast, and before she knew it, she had finished. The girl stepped outside and inhaled the fresh autumn air. It reminded her of home where the trees changed colors, and the crisp air blew all her worries away. Around this time of the year, her parents would go apple picking and come home to make all sorts of treats. Her favorite was her mother's apple pie with handmade ice cream.

"Isla, right?" she heard a voice, and she spun around.

Standing before her was a literal goddess. Her cocoa-colored ringlets fell at her sides as if they had taken hours to style. Her makeup was perfectly done, and the most beautiful smile graced her lips.

"I'm Bae Mi Ran," she introduced herself. "We're in the same songwriting class."

Isla nodded. "Oh, yes, I do think I spotted you earlier!"

Mi Ran laughed, and it sounded like angels playing their lyres. Everything about her was simply divine. Isla couldn't believe someone like her had approached her, but she was thankful at the same time.

"You're the first person who has talked to me today," Isla smiled widely. "Thank you for that. Also, do you know where I can find the indoor pool? I wanted to swim some laps before leaving."

Mi Ran nodded. "Are you a swimmer? I'm actually the leader of the NCTU women's swim team. You should consider joining! Tryouts are coming up in a few weeks. We'd love to see you there. The pool is in the Aquatic Complex next to the gym."

Isla's eyes lit up in excitement. "That'd be incredible. Thank you so much!"

Mi Ran nodded before the foreigner headed towards the gym. She hadn't swum in at least a month. Back in Canada, she had been learning Korean and working a handful of part time jobs before leaving the country. There hadn't been much time for laps. Or at least that's what she had told herself after the incident. But here in Korea, she'd be able to get a fresh start.

The pool was relatively empty. The smell of chlorine made her smile, and she quickly changed into her old swimsuit. The water was cold, but it felt rejuvenating. Her arms and legs automatically kicked into high gear, and she barreled down the lane. This was exactly the fresh start she had had in mind.

~~~

Mi Ran waved to her friends from across the quad, and they made their way over to her. They, too, were dolled up with perfect hair, makeup, and matching accessories.

"You look like you have some tea to spill," one of them noted.

"Oh yes. So there's this new girl. Isla Giovanni. She's thinking of trying out for the swim team."

"And?" her friend asked, waiting for the interesting part.

"Someone like her will never make it. When you see her, you'll understand. Anyways, I'm hungry. Let's go grab something to eat."

Taeil stopped in his tracks. Someone like her? What was that supposed to mean? He hopped on his bike and slowly chewed on what Mi Ran had said. He wasn't the type of person to get involved in other people's business, but her "tea" troubled him.

Isla Giovanni... That'd be a name Taeil figured he should probably remember.

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A/N: Hey guys!  I'm so excited to finally be sharing Feeling Brew with you all!  Hope you enjoy :)

Question of the chapter: I'm getting weird vibes from Mi Ran.  What are your reactions towards NCTU's goddess?