L.I.A: Two worlds apart

CHAPTER 1 Dayo POV The day i left for Seoul, my mother cried her eyes out, not the funny type it was somewhere in between sad and happy She tried to hide it by adjusting my jacket for the fifth time, but i saw it in the way her shoulders shook “You’ll miss your flight if you keep standing here,” she said I clicked my tongue. “And whose fault is that?” I laughed quietly. I looked around the apartment once more, my suitcase stood near the door looking strangely out of place compared to everything else in the room, because it meant i was actually leaving “You have your documents?” she asked again. “Yes.” “Passport?” “Yes.” “Scholarship papers?” “I said yes already.” “And stop saying it like you’re irritated. I’m your mother.” I smiled despite myself. “Sorry.” She adjusted my jacket one last time before finally sighing and stepping back. “Do you know how many people prayed for an opportunity like this?” There it was, that pressure not cruel, just real Lakeside International Academy wasn’t a normal school. Even back home people talked about it like it existed in another world entirely. Rich families. International students. Future politicians. CEOs’ children. And now somehow me, a scholarship student from a two-bedroom apartment where the kitchen light flickered every other night. “You’ll do well there,” my mother said quietly, like she was trying to convince herself too. “I know.” “Don’t fight people.” “I wasn’t planning to.” “Good. Because rich people don’t fight, they destroy.” That almost made me choke laughing. “Mum.” “I’m serious.” “I know.” She looked at me for another second before pulling me into a quick hug. “Just come back successful,” she murmured softly. And somehow that sentence scared me more than leaving did. “I’m gonna be okay, Mom.” I said before leaving for the airport. Dayo pov Seoul felt cold in a completely different way from home. The airport alone was bigger than anything I’d ever seen in person, filled with polished floors, bright screens, and people walking around like they already knew exactly where they were going By the time I got into a taxi, my head already hurt, the driver barely spoke during the ride. I kept checking my phone even though there was nothing new on it. One unread message from my mom. “Don’t forget to call me when you arrive xoxo.” By the time I reached the hotel, my body felt completely drained. The hotel itself was smaller than I expected. The receptionist handed me my keycard with a polite smile and directions. I thanked her and dragged my suitcase toward the elevator. The room was neat, with a desk near the window, gray curtains pulled halfway open to reveal the city outside. Seoul looked different at night. The buildings glowed against the dark sky while headlights moved endlessly below like the city itself never stopped breathing. I stood there for a moment just staring. Then my phone rang. “Mum” flashed across the screen. I answered immediately. “You arrived?” “Yes.” “Did you eat?” I dropped my suitcase beside the bed. “Hello to you too.” “I’m serious, Dayo.” I laughed quietly and sat down. “Not yet.” A loud sigh came from the other side of the call. “You better not start skipping meals because of stress.” “I just got here.” For a few minutes she kept talking asking about the flight, the hotel, whether the people were nice, whether Seoul looked like the K-dramas she watched Hearing her voice made the room feel less empty. But eventually the conversation slowed. “You’re nervous,” she said suddenly. I looked toward the window again. “A little.” “A little?” “Okay, maybe more than a little.” She hummed softly. “Listen to me carefully,” she said. “You worked hard for this opportunity. Don’t let anybody there make you feel smaller than you are.” “I know,” I said quietly. “No matter how rich they are, no matter how polished they act, they’re still students like you.” I leaned back slowly against the bed. “I’ll be fine.” “You better be.” I could practically hear the warning look on her face through the phone. After the call ended, I reached into my bag and pulled out the acceptance folder from L.I.A. The silver academy crest reflected against the room light. Underneath it: Lakeside International Academy
 Excellence Above All. I stared at the words for a long moment before letting out a slow breath. Tomorrow would be my first day there. I should’ve been sleeping. Instead, I sat at the small desk near the window with the academy folder open in front of me, rereading information I already knew. Uniform regulations. Academic requirements. Campus rules. Outside, Seoul was still awake. Cars moved below the hotel building in endless streams of white and red lights while distant sounds drifted through the glass faintly enough to feel unreal. I leaned back in the chair and rubbed a hand over my face slowly. Maybe this was a mistake. The thought came suddenly enough to annoy me. L.I.A wasn’t built for people like me. You could tell just from the tuition alone. The kind of students who attended schools like that usually came from families with old money, private tutors, and parents who already knew important people. Meanwhile, my mother still argued with electricity bills every month. A quiet knock interrupted my thoughts. I frowned slightly before getting up and opening the door. A hotel staff member stood outside holding a small paper bag. “Delivery for you,” she said politely. I blinked once. “I didn’t order anything.” She checked the room number again. “Room 708?” “That’s me.” She handed it over anyway before leaving. Still confused, I closed the door and looked inside the bag. I carried the box back inside and placed it carefully on the bed. The silver crest on top immediately caught my attention. L.I.A. My stomach tightened slightly. I opened it slowly. Inside was the academy uniform. Everything about it looked expensive. The black blazer was neatly folded beside a white dress shirt, dark trousers, and a silver academy pin placed carefully in a small velvet case. Underneath them sat an ID card with my name printed across it. Dayo Adeyemi. I picked up the blazer carefully, running my fingers over the material. Even the fabric felt different from anything I owned back home. A smaller envelope slipped from underneath the uniform. Tomorrow’s class schedule. Dorm assignment. Campus map. At the bottom of the page, bold black letters stood out. Excellence Above All. I stared at the words for a long moment before setting the paper down. Then, slowly, I looked toward the mirror across the room. I changed into the uniform carefully, adjusting the blazer awkwardly before finally looking up. I exhaled slowly and turned away from the mirror, grabbing the ID card from the bed again. Dayo Adeyemi. L.I.A. Excellence Above All. I let out a quiet breath through my nose. “Excellence,” I repeated under my breath. I picked up my phone again. No new messages. Of course. I should probably go to bed. I leaned back slowly, one hand still holding my phone loosely. My thumb hovered over my mother’s chat for a second. Then I didn’t type anything. What was I supposed to say? I’m scared? I’m fine? Both sounded wrong. Instead, I locked the screen and dropped the phone beside me. Eventually, I stood up and pulled the blazer off, folding it carefully and placing it back on the chair like it mattered how I treated it. Then I lay down, Eyes open, ceiling staring back at me. And when I finally drifted off, the last thing on my mind wasn’t my hotel room. It was the gates I hadn’t walked through yet.