“Seriously, what kind of professor actually holds a lecture during the first week?” Minji said, yawning as we walked out of the liberal arts building.

“The seonbaes did warn everyone about that professor,” I said.

(*Seonbae: an upperclassman)

“And we should’ve listened, Yura. I think I’m going to drop this class. What about you?”

“I’ll probably stay. I actually enjoyed the lecture today.”

Minji looked at me dumbfounded before shaking her head in disapproval.

I shrugged at her with a light chuckle. Noticing the early spring breeze and the slow revival of greenery around us, I pointed out, “Hey, it’s gotten a lot warmer now.”

Minji’s expression lightened up as well. “Yeah, I’m so glad winter break is over. I swear I would’ve gone crazy if I had to spend another week trapped at home with my mom.” She nearly gagged. “That woman just might become the death of me.”

“I see you two haven’t reconciled yet.”

“Reconcile? Oh, please. We were never all that close to begin with, which is why it pisses me off even more that she’s trying to act so strict on me now that I’m an adult. I mean, I’m an adult for fuck’s sake!”

As much as I wanted to fully stay on Minji’s side, I could also understand her mom’s perspective. From what I could make out over the years, Minji was nowhere near the wild and outspoken person she was with her friends when at home. She once told me she would go weeks without talking to either of her parents. At least back in high school, she had a curfew as a minor. But as soon as she hit nineteen, she probably spent more nights out in bars and clubs than at home. Unsurprisingly, she had her parents shocked, especially her mom, who had been keeping a close eye on her ever since.

“So, Yura, about your roommate…”

“Huh?” I was caught off guard by the sudden thought of Elsie. “What about my roommate?”

“You said she’s only staying until August, right? Do you think I can move in with you after she leaves?”

“Well, I guess my parents would be okay with it…” Actually, they would be more than okay with me not having to live alone, but that was at the cost of my absolute independence. It was friendship versus my personal desire…

“Nice!” Minji responded excitedly. “That’s a promise, then!”

“What? Hey, I can’t make any—”

She stopped listening, giving me a slap on the back and running on ahead without me. “Have fun at work!”

“Uh, yeah. Have fun in class…” I said with a slow wave of goodbye.

I walked off campus and headed for the subway station. Along the way, I thought about the day I would finally be rid of Elsie. Whether Minji would be moving in afterward or not didn’t matter as long as that British girl was out of my life. It had only been a short time since she started living here with me, but it already felt so long. Six more months of this torture. That was half of the year. A good year wasted it would seem…

. . .

“The entrance fee is seven thousand won per person. The first drink is free,” I explained for about the thirtieth time today.

I never realized how weird it must have been for café employees working the register, repeating the same few phrases over and over again. Customers only had to hear them once, and it was over. My repetitiveness probably wasn’t even a big deal to anyone. The awkward feeling was entirely in my head. I had to learn to overcome it. At the same time, it wasn’t only that. I felt so out of place doing just about anything in this comic book café. This was my first ever job, and it definitely showed.

My dad insisted I start doing some part-time work now that I wasn’t a little kid anymore. That was ironic given how I wasn’t even allowed to live on my own yet. Although I did dread the idea of working at first, I was learning to enjoy it. The fact that I didn’t have to be home with Elsie was a great plus.

“Welcome,” I said with the arrival of a new customer.

My eyes lingered a bit too long on his face. Undoubtedly on the handsome side, with wide puppy-dog eyes and wavy brown hair to match. He was just a little bit taller than me, which made me want to reach up and give him a pat on the head. The cute type. That was the kind of guy I liked—

What was I thinking? I was in the middle of my shift! I quickly looked down, trying to retain somewhat of an indifferent professional mindset. How did cashiers always manage to stay so calm and collected?

I could feel the male customer’s gaze on me. As the seconds ticked by, I became more desperate to say something, but I had forgotten my two simple lines. I couldn’t help being like every other girl out there. Attractive guys had an inconvenient effect on me. It was the kind of effect that turned an otherwise normal human being into a useless rock.

How much was the entrance fee again?

“Excuse me?” It might have been a relief that he wound up speaking before I could make a fool out of myself by saying the wrong thing. “By chance, are you Song Yura Seonbae?”

“Uh…”

I thought I lost my voice. And his cute smile certainly wasn’t helping with my fading confidence. In the end, I could only give him a slight nod.