Working three part-time jobs and a full scholarship might be beyond others' limits. But, Shui had been doing this for two years now.  After his father's death, he only had himself as support. He never knew his mother. His late father refused to talk about her so Shui never learned the real story.

He threw his black-leather backpack on his bed, the one near the windows. It's 1:00 AM and he'd just gotten home from his part-time job, at a twenty-four-hour coffee shop fifteen minutes away from here by bus. He has a tutoring job, too, nearby. All of his jobs were located far outside this district. So him getting caught by his peers would be less possible. In a different district, thirty minutes away from here, there's a printing shop located within the central belt of a commercial complex where he works in the morning as an all-around man. He's tasked to do everything the shop offers; printing, photocopying, typing, editing. He even makes coffee for the superiors.

He was glad his class schedule didn't interfere with his work hours. If not, he wouldn't be able to work for this job and he'd be wearing thrift clothes instead of the branded ones he always wore. Just for this, almost a hundred-thousand won Calvin Klein faded blue jeans, he had to work a total of fourteen hours as a waiter.

After removing his brown Timberlands, he rested on his bed for a few minutes. Sung Chulmoo, his pain-in-the-ass roommate, was probably out drinking until who knows when. It's nice that he's always out like this every night so that Shui can relax and study in peace. Speaking of studying, he got up, took three medium sized books out of his bag, sat at his desk and started flipping through the pages. His scholarship was something he had to work hard for. It wouldn't just stay with him just because he was chosen.

Five minutes into studying, his phone rang. Sung Chulmoo! That bastard. Shui growled. No. I'm not answering.

The last time Chulmoo called in the middle of the night, Shui promised to never answer his calls ever again. He turned his phone onto silent mode, threw it on his bed, and continued scribbling.

Clunk.

Shui awoke to a thud on the wooden floor. Only having four hours of sleep, he massaged his throbbing temples a bit before looking for the source of the noise. He groaned after finding out that Chulmoo was lying on the floor. After a bit of a struggle, he arose, took his roommate's pillow and threw it on his face. He didn't have time to take care of this jackass of a roommate, he had to go to work.

After taking a hot shower, he slid on his black jogging pants and hoodie, hid his brown coat inside his backpack and dashed off while acting like he was on a morning walk. With winter growing nearer and nearer, the soothing morning breeze just got colder and colder. He hated it. But not quite. More like he didn't want to love it. He didn't want to embrace it.

But out of his own control, his body loved it. He would've loved to have slept-in, covered with thick blankets. Or even going for walks while wearing thick layers of clothing. His mind would just go blank at the sight of snow. Problem free, he could go for miles and miles just roaming around. But of course, there's no such thing as problem free. He had to go to work. He had to study. That's why he hated it. He hated the cold. No. Scratch that. He despised how he can't even enjoy the beauty that this world has to offer.

Waiting at the bus stop, twelve minutes away from the one close to their university, he just couldn't help but think of that girl, Nabi, with that sloppily tied black hair. Her eyes, hollow and somber, tried to hide under her messy fringe. That pale complexion contrasted with the dark circles around her eyes and the band-aid right under it. That wound at the corner of her pale and chapped lips. The sight of her petite frame at the other end of the crossing. For Shui, looking at her was like looking at black and white. But it's not like he's a lot more colorful than she was.

She's just like winter. Shui realized. And he's like autumn. Not as beautiful as spring, and also not as bright as summer, but not as colorless as winter. His attention got caught by the autumn leaf whisking its way down onto the pavement in slow motion.

Would I be like that, too? Slowly swaying my way to downfall? He shrugged. The bleak November morning was making him think of such depressing thoughts.

Just a minute before the board is flipped from close to open, Shui was already done cleaning the shop. Inventory work was his co-worker, Im Hyein's, specialty so he flipped the board to OPEN and just sat in his spot, waiting for customers. A while after, a few students had already come in. Some wanted to get their photocopy work done. Others wanted to print something. Because Hyein was still checking the inventory, Shui had to multitask.

Even though he already worked in here for six months, he just couldn't get used to multitasking. He was the kind of person who couldn't eat or listen to music while studying. Not the kind of person who could easily divide his brain into focusing on simultaneous activities, very opposite to what he had to go through in this printing shop job or his waiter job. He had to photocopy while being asked to edit one customer's document first before printing. Why don't they just edit it before coming here? Those who asked him to edit first before printing are his least favorite. For Shui they're bothersome.

At least, Hyein was the one doing all the computing. His brain could no longer take it if he even had to act like a cashier.

Five hours after, he was done with his last customer for the day. Every day, he just felt bad leaving Hyein alone. She had to work for five more hours since she's full time. But of course, another part-timer would take on the afternoon shift since Shui couldn't; he has classes to attend.

He packed his things, getting ready to leave. "Hyein-ssi, see you tomorrow!"

"Shui-ssi," Hyein called out to him as he was about to open the sliding door. "It's my birthday today and I'm having a party at my house tonight. You should come!"

"I'm sorry," Shui smiled, hoping she wouldn't feel bad. He'd turned down her invitations a lot of times now.

"Ah." He could hear the ache in her voice. "I forgot that you have work tonight. How silly of me!"

Hyein laughed softly before giving out a warm smile. "You should go now."

Shui gave her a small bow before leaving. He'd always wondered when he'd finally be able to hang out with his friends or acquaintances. Just like other people. Erasing the thought of it, he ran to the bus stop.

"I saw you on the bus this morning," Miwoo interrupted his sweet time just staring at nowhere while listening to an audiobook. Busy, he didn't catch what she said.

"What?" Shui asked as he removed one of his earpieces.

"You were on the bus this morning. Where were you off to?" She smiled in an alluring way.

Park Miwoo had always been the type who would follow him around and acted like his girlfriend. She actually thought she was, just because Shui was extremely nice to her. At least that's what her head made her think. Shui had grown tired of pushing her away but when all the other girls had stopped clinging after a few turn downs, this girl had so much willpower, she didn't intend on giving up. He commended her for that though, but he just couldn't get why girls were attracted to him.

"Do I have to answer that?"

She took a seat beside him. "Are you seeing someone?"

His eyebrows met. Miwoo looked serious. After brushing her fingertips through her curly blonde-dyed hair, she stared at him with those green circle lenses and sighed deeply. "You know I'm serious about this Shui. This. Us."

Shui couldn't help but laugh. He was clear that he has no intentions of entering a relationship, especially one that is so one-sided like this. The girl raised her eyebrow, clearly insulted by Shui's reaction.

"Miwoo-ya, you know that I never said that I like you." Unintentionally, his voice was loud and clear enough for everyone in the campus study hall to hear. Faint oohs and boos echoed around them. Everyone looked at them like they were watching a movie's climax.

Sick of this conversation, he gathered his things and left. But just after a few steps, Miwoo blurted, "Is it Nabi? It is, isn't it? Yoon Nabi? That bitch?"

He wanted to laugh. Laugh out loud for everyone to hear just so Miwoo would realize how ridiculous her accusation is. But crazy people would never buy reality even if it's slapped right in their face. They'd rather believe in fantasies.

"Do I make you feel insecure?"

All eyes went alert and looked at the direction of that impassive voice. She stood by the archway, hands inside her coat pocket, wearing her worn out leather sling bag. Every mouth inside this hall went mute. Everyone thought of her as that weird girl who is too shy to speak. There was even a rumor of her being mute that's why she's like that (of course, Shui didn't buy that). But now, she blatantly called her out. A girl of a mere one hundred and fifty-two centimeters trying to stomp on someone whose a hundred and seventy centimeters tall like she wasn't afraid to even just one bit.

"A-are you joking?" Miwoo stammered as she got out of the mute trance.

Nabi rolled her eyes sideways. "Forget it, then."

Everyone's attention was on Nabi as she crossed the study hall through her tiny legs. Taking this as an opportunity, Shui quickly made his escape through the nearest archway. Though, he had to walk through a long hallway to arrive at the lobby. He ran as fast as he could to evade the chance of Miwoo catching up to him when he suddenly found himself lying down with his back on the floor. He didn't even realize he crashed into someone.

//

I dedicate this chapter to Cassie. I'm really hooked on her book,  'Eliuteria', and I just can't wait for the update!  Hope you'd check out her book, too!

Rie