✧ min ho;

i don't know if letting yuri convince me to enroll in university was a good idea. this is so weird and overstimulating.

it's not like i don't want to be here. film is the one thing i actually care about—one of the few things i think i might be good at. but there's too much pressure. too many expectations. i'm new to having classmates and other professors besides my teacher i've had since i was a kid.

plus, i already know half the people in this class have heard of my parents and even if they haven't, they'll find out eventually. young moon, korea's top talent agent, actor, and director. don't forget my mom, one of the most famous actresses in korea.

so i do what i always do—slouch back in my seat, keep my expression neutral, and act like none of this matters.

i feel a nudge to my side, "you okay?" yuri asks me. i nod my head and give a fake smile.

yuri's my cousin who convinced my parents and i to try and give university a chance. i've only really known her, jin, and dae most of my life. she thought it would be best to work on my people and social skills.

so far, i think im doing bad.

the professor walks in, way too excited for a morning class. he's young, which is rare for professors, but i can already tell he knows his stuff.

"alright, everyone, welcome to film 121," he says, clasping his hands together. "i'm professor alex, and yes, you can call me that. no 'mr. finnerty' or 'sir,' makes me feel old."

there's a light chuckle around the room, and i can already tell he loves his job.

"this class is about one thing: movie making," he continues, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. "by the end of the semester, you'll be staring, directing, producing, and editing your own short films. but before we get to that, we're going to start with the basics."

he grabs a stack of papers and starts passing them down. "syllabus is pretty straightforward—attendance, participation, deadlines, the usual. but let's skip to what really matters.

"your first assignment," he says, leaning against his desk, "is to write a twenty-page script with a partner. you'll have until the end of the month."

there's some groaning, but on the other side of dae, kitty sits up a little straighter, her eyes lighting up.

i stare at her for half a second before looking away.

she's excited. actually excited about writing. i don't know why that surprises me. most people just take this class because they think film is easy, but she actually cares.

my fingers tighten around my pen.

i care too but im just shy to be honest.

professor alex starts reading out partner names, and i don't really pay attention—until i hear:

"katherine song covey and min ho moon."

seriously?

this is so typical.

i glance over at her at the same time she turns toward me. her expression shifts from neutral to irritated in about two seconds. i smirk before i can stop myself.

"looks like we're stuck together, covey," i whisper as i lean over dae's desk so she can hear me.

she blinks. "what did you just call me?"

"covey," i say again, like it's obvious. "fits, doesn't it?"

she narrows her eyes, and i can tell she's trying to figure out if she should argue with me or just let it go.

i hope she argues. it's kind of fun watching her get worked up.

but before she can say anything, i notice dae's expression shift.

his shoulders are tense, his fingers gripping his pen a little too tightly. his expression is neutral, but not neutral enough.

interesting.

i lean back, stretching my arms behind my head. "try to keep up, covey," i tease as i earn a scoff from kitty.

-

as soon as class is over, kitty grabs her bag and heads for the door, already deep in conversation with dae and her friends. i take my time packing up, but once they step into the hallway, i speed up to follow them.

i don't have a real plan—i just know that if we're going to be partners, i need her number or something. and, okay, maybe i also want to annoy her a little.

i catch up just as they turn a corner, tapping her shoulder.

she spins around, brows raised. "what do you want?"

"your instagram," i say, shoving my hands into my pockets.

she scoffs. "wow. that's original."

"it's for the assignment, covey. i need to be able to reach you." i pause before adding, "not everything is about you, by the way. i'm not interested."

her eyes narrow, like she's trying to decide whether or not to believe me. "good. because i'm definitely not interested in you either."

before i can respond, dae lets out a loud sigh, rubbing his temples like he already has a headache.

"can you two please not do this every time you talk?" he mutters. "if we're all gonna be friends, just try and be cordial."

"who said we're friends?" i ask. "we're just partners for one assignment."

"yeah, exactly," kitty says, crossing her arms, "i can barely tolerate him already."

i smirk. "likewise."

kitty's friend exhales, shaking his head. "this is exhausting to witness." before anyone can add to the chaos, yuri and jin finally catch up to us.

"what's going on?" yuri asks, glancing between me and kitty.

"these two are just arguing like a married couple," her friend answers again.

"sorry, what's your name again?" i ask and stick out my hand for him to shake.

"Q," he answers as he takes my hand. he points at the girl next to him, "this is juliana."

"min ho," i say. i point at my cousin and jin, "this is my cousin, yuri, and my annoying friend jin."

"you just wanna piss everyone off today, huh?" jin spats and gives me a fake smile.

dae shakes his head, "come on guys! first day of school... can we all just get along?"

"it's literally just min ho," kitty inserts. i roll my eyes and pull out my phone.

"your instagram, covey?" i hand my phone to her and she finally takes it."

kitty sighs, "fine. but only for the assignment." she quickly types in her username and hands it back to me.

i smirk. "see? that wasn't so hard."

she huffs before turning to her friends. "can we go now?"

kitty, juliana, and Q all take off while dae stays behind and eyes me, "min ho, please."

"what??" i ask, "i'm not doing anything."

"the teasing and the bantering," dae points out, "please just try and be cool! kitty is like my best friend."

"it's all jokes, dae," i reassure him, "i promise."

he glances at yuri and jin behind me before nodding his head, "alright, i'll text you later."

and with that, he takes off after kitty.

"you're off to a bad start with your people skills right now," yuri says.

"i don't know... i think she was kinda into that," jin chimes in, making me smirk. he nudges me, "don't even think about it though. i can tell dae is into her."

"dae has never mentioned liking kitty in his life. i would know."

"maybe dae is just shy about it," yuri says. she places her hand on my back and nods her head forward, "come on! let's get lunch!