Chapter 5: First day
1110 Words
The next morning, sunlight streamed into Carrie’s room, illuminating the chaos that had become her first week at TerraNova. Leo, ever the early riser, crept into her room and gently tugged the blanket from her face.
“I know you’re awake,” he said in a sing-song voice.
“Leo! I was trying to go back to bed,” Carrie grumbled, turning her face into the pillow.
Leo laughed. “Ava and I have early classes today. Make sure you grab breakfast before heading out—TerraNova can be a battlefield.”
“Thanks. Now hurry, or you’ll be late,” Carrie shot back with a soft smile.
Leo paused, momentarily charmed by her effortless cuteness, before heading out. As soon as the door closed, Carrie buried herself back under the blanket.
“Beauty sleep, here I come,” she murmured excitedly.
Meanwhile, Leo and Ava made their way down the corridor. Their conversation trailed off as Leo caught sight of Jae-wook in the kitchen, moving with the precision of a Michelin-star chef. The smell of sizzling butter and toasted bread filled the air.
“Morning, Alex,” Leo greeted cheerfully.
“Morning. Early lectures?” Jae-wook asked without looking up.
“Unfortunately,” Leo sighed.
“Help yourselves to sandwiches, you might just die out there” Jae-wook said, gesturing to a platter on the counter.
Ava snatched one immediately. “Anyone watching you two would swear you’re married,” she teased, earning a glare from Leo.
“By the way, Carrie’s in your department. Since it’s her first day, can you guide her around?” Leo asked, sliding a sandwich onto a napkin.
Jae-wook shrugged. “I can’t promise, but I’ll try.”
“He’s not doing it,” Ava concluded, taking a bite. “Oh my gosh, this is amazing. Why don’t you cook more often?”
“Because I don’t want freeloaders,” Jae-wook deadpanned, though a smirk tugged at his lips.
Leo glanced at his watch. “We’re late. Alex, please try your best. No attitude.”
“The slightest sass, and I’m out,” Jae-wook muttered, grabbing his coffee and heading to his mini-library.
He took a deep breath, savoring the scent of books and caffeine. “Nothing beats having breakfast in a room filled with the scent of old books" Jae-wook said with his eyes closed.
Later, Jae-wook knocked on Carrie’s door. To his surprise, it opened immediately. Carrie stood there, dressed in a black-and-white printed gown with her hair in a messy bun.
“Leo asked me to—” he began, but Carrie cut him off.
“I can handle myself, thank you. Besides, I don’t want to be further involved with you.” Her tone was sharp but calm.
“That astonishing to hear. Good luck finding a taxi, Ms. Evans,” Jae-wook replied with a knowing smirk before walking away.
Undeterred, Carrie opened her Uber app, only to find there were no rides available. Panic started to bubble. The memory of yesterday’s mishap was still fresh, but she had no choice. Skipping class wasn’t an option for a scholarship student.
“I might just choke on my pride,” she muttered, grabbing her bag and heading out.
Outside, she spotted Jae-wook’s car still parked near the gate. She hesitated, the temptation to ask for help gnawing at her ego. Before she could decide, Mr. Jin, Jae-wook's friendly driver, approached her.
“Good morning, Ms. Evans,” he greeted warmly.
“Oh! Morning, Mr…?”
“Jin. Just call me Jin,” he said with a kind smile.
“Noted,” Carrie said, then paused. “By the way, I wanted to apologize for yesterday. My attitude was…a bit much. I was just caught in the moment.”
Jin waved it off. “It’s all water under the bridge. By the way, are you joining us? There are no taxis available this morning.”
Carrie frowned. “No taxis? That’s a bummer. It’s a walkable distance, right?”
“It is,” Jin replied, “but it’ll take about twenty minutes on foot. You’ve got eighteen minutes left.”
Carrie let out a frustrated laugh. “Great. Guess I’d better start walking then. Thanks, Jin!”
Jin watched as she walked away, shaking his head.
Inside the car, Jae-wook glanced at Carrie’s retreating figure. “Drive past her. I can’t afford to be late.”
“What would you like to listen to, sir?” Jin asked as they pulled away.
“Old-school jazz,” Jae-wook replied, leaning back in his seat.
A Few moments later..
By the time Carrie reached campus, her feet were sore, and her mood was even worse. She hurried into the lecture hall just as the professor began the roll call. The room was massive, filled with students who all seemed to know each other.
Spotting an empty seat, she made her way over, only to realize it was beside Jae-wook. He glanced up as she sat down, raising an eyebrow.
“You survived?” he whispered.
“Barely” she hissed back, pulling out her notebook.
The professor launched into the lecture, speaking at a pace that made Carrie’s head spin. She scribbled notes furiously, but they quickly turned into an indecipherable mess. Beside her, Jae-wook’s handwriting was calm and methodical.
After a few moments, he slid his notebook toward her.
“What’s this?” Carrie whispered, glancing at him.
“My notes. Obviously, don't get me wrong I'm just trying to fulfil a friends wish.” he replied, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Carrie hesitated before taking them. “Thanks,” she muttered.
After class, Carrie packed her things quickly, eager to escape the awkwardness. But before she could leave, a tall, confident girl approached Jae-wook.
“Hey, Alex,” the girl purred, leaning casually on his desk. “Long time no see.”
"You should wear your glasses more often" Jae-wook replied with a Cold expression.
Carrie rolled her eyes and turned to leave, but the girl’s voice followed her.
“Who’s this?” she asked, eyeing Carrie like a predator sizing up its prey.
“No one you need to know,” Jae-wook said flatly.
Carrie bristled but didn’t look back as she exited the lecture hall. Outside, Leo and Ava were waiting for her.
“How was it?” Leo asked, grinning.
“Survived,” Carrie said.
“Did Alex behave?” Ava teased.
“Define ‘behave,’” Carrie replied, earning a laugh from Leo.
As they walked toward the cafeteria, Carrie couldn’t shake the feeling that her first day was only the beginning of a long, unpredictable journey.
- Writer
