Just wanna have a taste of life.

A Few Months Earlier…

There are moments when I long to be free. Not just in the usual sense, but truly free—like the birds, soaring high above, exploring the vastness of the world. Because the truth is, I'm tired… so tired of being caged.

"Lara!"

"Lara!"

Her thoughts shattered like glass, Lara snapped back to reality. Mr. Han, the math teacher, was glaring at her from the front of the classroom.

"Yes, sir?" she stammered, still disoriented.

"What was the last thing I said?" he demanded, eyes narrowing.

She hesitated, the fog of daydreams still lingering. "I… I don't know," she admitted quietly.

Mr. Han's face darkened with displeasure. "How would you know when you don't even pay attention while I'm teaching?"

Everyone knew Mr. Han was the dullest teacher in the entire school. Unfortunately for the 11th-grade students, they were stuck with him for math. Luckily for Lara, the bell rang just then, signaling the end of the period. She smirked as she caught Mr. Han's glare, watching him gather his things and exit the classroom.

Lara slumped back into her seat, a sigh of relief escaping her. Crisis averted.

"Wow, Lara," Hyerim said, her eyes wide with admiration. "You just saved us all from another one of his dreaded assignments. We owe you!"

Lara grinned. The truth was, the whole class was a bit lazy when it came to Mr. Han's lessons. "There's karaoke after school today. You in?" Hyerim asked, hopeful.

"No thanks, I've got other plans," Lara replied, packing up her belongings.

Hyerim raised an eyebrow as they walked out of the classroom. "You're never not busy."

Lara shrugged, a small smile tugging at her lips. "That's the life of a high school student."

Hyerim sighed and rejoined the others as Lara headed toward the bus stop. Despite her busy schedule, she couldn't ignore the flutter of excitement in her chest when her phone buzzed. Minji was calling.

Minji and Lara had been inseparable until Minji's family moved to Seoul. Everyone in the neighborhood used to call them sisters. The video call connected, and Minji's familiar grin filled the screen.

"I just got home from school," Lara said, flopping onto her bed.

"Finally! I thought you'd forgotten about me," Minji teased.

Lara smiled, ignoring the playful jab. "How was school today?"

Lara had always dreamed of moving to Seoul and attending school with Minji. From the way Minji talked about it, Seoul sounded like a different world, far more exciting than the mundane life Lara was stuck in. And most importantly, no Mr. Han.

"LARA!"

Her mother's voice pierced through her dream, and the sound of the door slamming jolted Lara awake. She groggily climbed out of bed and opened the door.

"Are you pregnant?" her mother demanded, her voice sharp.

Lara rolled her eyes. It wasn't the first time she'd been asked that. She tended to oversleep after school, and her mom's usual response was this strange question. She glanced at the wall clock—7:00 p.m. I guess I did oversleep.

"Do you need help in the kitchen?" Lara offered, trying to change the subject.

"I already made dinner," her mom replied.

"Then why did you call me?" Lara asked as she trudged to the living room.

"Mr. Han called," her mom said, her tone serious.

Lara froze. How on earth did he get her number? Did he go through the class register?

"What did he say?" she asked, trying to sound casual, though her heart pounded in her chest.

Her mom joined her on the couch, her expression stern. "He said you weren't paying attention in his class."

"What?!" Lara blurted out, her thoughts spilling into words before she could stop herself.

Her mom's eyes narrowed. Lara knew she was in trouble. "I mean… everyone knows his class is boring. It's not like I'm failing math."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't focus," her mom chided. She could talk all night about the importance of paying attention, and Lara wasn't about to let that happen.

"How was your day at work today?" Lara quickly changed the topic.

Her mom's mood shifted instantly, a smile lighting up her face. Lara couldn't help but marvel at how easily her emotions changed. Her dad must have really been in love to marry someone with such quicksilver moods.

"Work was fantastic!" her mom gushed, her excitement contagious.

"Oh, really?" Lara replied, intrigued by her mother's sudden cheerfulness.

Her mom beamed and reached into her bag, pulling out a brown envelope. She handed it to Lara, her eyes twinkling with anticipation.

"Open it," she urged.

Lara tore open the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. Her initial excitement faded into confusion. Just a piece of paper? She frowned, glancing at her mother, who looked overjoyed.

"Read it," her mom insisted, barely containing her excitement.

Lara scanned the paper quickly, her eyes widening as she reached the word she'd been dreaming of… SEOUL.

"We're moving to Seoul?" she asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.

"Yes!" her mom exclaimed, and Lara felt her heart leap with joy.

Without thinking, she threw her arms around her mom, hugging her tightly. Finally, they were moving to Seoul—the city of her dreams, where Minji was waiting for her.

Her mother explained that her boss had recommended she work for someone in Seoul, which was why they were relocating. But to Lara, it didn't matter why. All that mattered was that she was finally going to taste the life she'd always wanted.