"You shouldn't be nervous," Gayoung told herself firmly, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in her shirt and lingering outside of the classroom door, not able to bring herself to go in just yet. "This isn't even your first year," she whispered, kind of begging herself. Nerves, stop. Please. 

It was her senior year of college. She should be used to it by now, the feeling of entering a new class, not knowing who or what to expect. 

But all the same, she was still nervous. 

"You're being ridiculous," she told herself with a sigh. "Just open the door." 

She told herself that and yet didn't. 

"I'm going in," she decided after another minute of stalling. Taking a deep breath, she touched her fingers to the handle and slowly opened the door. 

None of the students looked up when she came in, thank goodness. They were all consumed in their own affairs, happily greeting each other and excitedly giving out hugs. 

She didn't have any of that. 

Despite being a senior already, she didn't have any close friends. She didn't have the time nor the money to have a social life the way the rest of these students did. She knew most of them were rich. She wasn't. 

In fact, she needed to find herself another job. Her summer one had just ended. 

She sighed softly, pushing that worry to the back of her mind and scanning the classroom, trying to decide where she should sit. 

Her eyes met with a boy in the back of the classroom, the only student who seemed to be paying any sort of attention to her. He smiled brightly when she met his eyes, and despite the fact that they didn't know each other, he waved her over. 

When she hesitated, he pouted at her, giving her puppy dog eyes that she didn't think would work on her, but... he was adorable. 

Gayoung laughed, shaking her head playfully and heading on over. 

"Hi there," she greeted, sliding into the seat beside him and placing her bag on the floor. 

"You looked a little lost," he said, his face still in that happy smile of his. 

"Was it that obvious?" 

It was the boy's turn to laugh, and he shook his head. "I doubt it. I doubt anyone else was paying attention," he said, gesturing to the students around them. 

"Why were you? Why aren't you talking to any of them?" she asked him, wondering aloud. "You're cute... you look like you should be popular. Why aren't you?" 

He blinked at her, holding her gaze for a minute. Then he leaned slightly closer to her, cupping his face with one hand. "I'm cute? You think I'm cute?" he said, grinning at her. 

"You know that you're cute," she told him, playfully pushing him away. "I can tell that you know it. So? Why are you alone? Should I be scared of you?" 

He shrugged. "Maybe. If you want to. But I'd rather it if you call me cute, not scary." 

"Oh gosh," she said, laughing again. "You're terrible," she teased. "What even is your name?" 

"Jung Subin," he said, lowering his voice as the teacher came in. "And you?" 

"Shin Gayoung," she whispered back. "It's nice to meet you."