11

"Here." Kath offered me a bottle of water.

Our reporting just finished. Yet I'm still nervous though the professor praised me.

"Thanks." I gulped the water.

My phone vibrated, stealing my attention. Yuri's name appeared.

I smiled unconsciously.

"Ouch." I rubbed my arm as Kath hit me.

"You look like an idiot." I glared at her but she just stuck her tongue out at me.

I immediately replied to Yuri's text.

It has been a week since I last saw her. Her schedule started to be packed since she's working with Nayoon-unni and SMC. Both of the artists wanted to work with her.

"Why don't you call her?" Kath asked.

"She's busy." I answered and slipped my phone at the inside pocket of my coat. We were asked to dress formally when we did the report.

We're here at the university park and a lot of students kept glancing at me.

"You attract both boys and girls." Kath whispered to me.

"Hmm?" I asked her, confused.

"They kept checking you out." She pointed at the students at my back. I didn't dare to glance at them and just looked down at my laptop.

"Let them." I replied and started typing again. I'll fix my name on the report since our professor asked for a hard copy.

After fixing it, I turned it off and placed it inside my laptop bag.

"It's almost lunch, let's eat." I stood and held the bag. I pushed my hair back as the wind blew it, making it go messy.

"Sure." She fixed her pants and stood too.

Both of us walked to the cafeteria. I felt my phone vibrated so I immediately fished for it.

"Hello?"

"He—why is it so noisy?" It's Yuri.

"Huh?" I looked around and saw some students waving while shouting.

"I don't know what's happening to them." I spoke.

"Where are you?"

"Heading to the cafeteria with Kath."

"Hmm'kay, eat well. Nayoon-unni's here."

"Sure, enjoy. Love you."

"Will do, love you too."

With that, the call ended.

"Hey, you two!" CL's voice appeared.

The two of us around at the same time, seeing CL waving.

"Where are you two going?" She asked as she draped her arms around our shoulders.

"To the place where you don't exist." Kath rolled her eyes and left the two of us.

I was taken aback with Kath's reaction. I faced CL and she just smiled at me.

"Y—You two should go." She said and walked away.

Okay? What's wrong with them? Did CL do something awful for Kath to act like that? But still, it was too rude of her to say those things.

I need to talk to Kath. I walked faster and reached the cafeteria in no time. I saw Kath sitting at one of the tables, staring at nothing.

"Let's talk." I said and pulled her to the university's auditorium. No one enters this place at this time.

"What was that?" I asked her immediately.

"What? She deserves it!" Kath rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Why? Did she do something to you?" Her expression became a mixture of anger and disgust.

"You don't know anything, Vin." She responded.

I ran my fingers at my hair.

"Tell me, then." I spoke and eyed her seriously.

"She's an awful person, Vin. She's heartless. She's disgusting. She's—"

"That's too much." I cut her words.

"Then go to CL!" I exhaled heavily before looking at her again.

"Tell me what happened!" My voice echoed at the auditorium.

A moment of silence happened. Only our breathing were heard.

I heard Kath sigh before she started speaking.

"It's not my story to tell, Vin. It will never be but believe me." She spoke before leaving me inside the place.

I sighed before following her outside.

Kath was nowhere to be found when I went out. What is happening?

I made my way to the university park, maybe I'll see Kath there but instead I saw CL with Jay. The two of them were talking while laughing.

"Hey…" I approached them. Jay smiled at me. CL, on the other hand, nodded at me.

"Where's Yuri?" Jay asked me.

"Busy with the artists." I answered and flopped down with them.

I watched them act sweet towards each other. CL casually playing with Jay's hands while the latter just stared at her.

Nothing unusual.

"You wanna come with us?" Jay asked me as the two of them stood.

I shook my head and shoo-ed them away. I sat there in silence as I watch them walk.

I heaved a sigh before leaning my cheek on my hand. I looked at the fully varnished table.

"Hi!"

I didn't dare to glance, it's a guy's voice.

"Hello!"

I continued ignoring him. I don't want to be involved with anyone except my squad.

"Yuhoo!"

Why is he so noisy?

"I'm Beomgyu." A hand was offered to me.

I just looked at it before looking back at the varnished table.

"What the—" He pulled the hand under my cheek and shook it.

"Nice to meet you too." He smiled and sat in front of me.

What is his problem?

I rolled my eyes and stood, bringing my bag with me.

I didn't looked back and walked faster to the parking area. That guy is annoying.

Why would he even insist to introduce himself to me?

I immediately hopped inside my car as soon as I reached the area and quickly started the engine to drive away.

I'll probably just stay at home and print the report. The sun is almost setting when I reached the house. As usual, silent as ever.

When my cousins and I stepped into college, our houses became silent. No more wasting of time after every class dismissal. No more parties every Saturday. No more feasts every Sunday.

We were the ones who made our whole compound jolly but since our teenage years were done, we learned how to be serious in every aspect of life. It made us realize that we aren't kids anymore and we won't get younger anymore.

As we grow old, we start to see how life works. When I was a Senior High School student, we undergone immersion. We chose to do it as our research method in one of our subjects. Since I took the business strand, we immersed to have a research about the citizens who were paid below the standard wage and how they manage the money.

With that, I saw how important education and responsibility are. Not all people are privileged enough to support their studies, and not all parents are responsible with their children's rights. Most of the underpaid workers only finished elementary. Since they didn't finish any further education, people think lowly of them and I think that needs to change.

Even if some people are not educated enough in terms of knowledge, they're the ones who have the kindest and purest hearts. They know the importance of many things and they know contentment.

If all people knows how to value mindset, personality, and time above money, power, and fame, the world will be in peace. No wars, no arguments, no disagreement.

Only peace will surface but humans will be humans, and most humans are way too hungry for fame and power that they forgot the importance of one's intentions.