"Student with the highest GPA for the class of 2016 is….." The announcer stops for a second in order to create a suspenseful atmosphere for the attendee. Even though all of the people in front of him doesn't even care about it and only wished for the ceremony to end as fast as possible. Well, to be honest, my heart slightly races while waiting for the name to be called.
"Carolina Akai!" The announcer clapped his hands as soon as he called the name.
I and the crowd clapped our hands a beat later. No matter how much we hate this ceremony, the announcer is our dean. We have to follow his example.
I glanced to the side of the row and looked at the girl with short hair, her name is Vera. She's also looking at me with a face full of annoyance.
Ah, thinking about it, she's also aiming for the top GPA seat. Maybe that's the reason why she didn't like me. But, whatever, I don't care.
"We wouldn't announce the name of the highest GPA achiever for the class of 2015. I sincerely wish that all of you would finish your study as soon as possible and start to plan your thesis.
"You could get your result card straight from your academic counselor. And for the next semester, the class will be starting on the 11th while all the administration work could be done starting from the 4th. So, you only got 2 weeks for your holiday. Hahahaha, See you next month~." The end-of-semester ceremony ends as the middle-aged man finishes his long speech.
"Hey, Carol let's go. Seems like Mr. David will be in the next room," said Andrew who sat next to me. He's a friend from the same class year as well as a fellow student under the same Academic counselor.
"Okay," I replied.
We left the room and followed Mr. David to the other classroom.
As soon as we arrived, I picked a seat on the third row. I feel it was the safest place compared to the other row. Andrew who always follows me everywhere I go chooses a seat right next to me right away.
Gradually, the once empty classroom was filled as other students came and sat on the available seat.
After a while Mr. David starts to speak "Ehem looks like almost everyone is already here. I'll start then. When your name was called, please come forward to take your report card. We'll also do some counseling for your plan for the upcoming semester."
Mr. David started to call his student's names one by one.
"Hey, what's your plan for vacation?" Andrew suddenly whispered to me.
"Hmm.. Probably just laze around in my room? The vacation period is just too short. How about you?" I said without looking at him because I was busy reading the newest chapter of my favorite manga on my phone.
Before Andrew could answer my question, Mr. David called my name.
What terrible timing, I'm on the best scene of the chapter right now!
"Hello Carolina, How are you?" Mr. David greets me as I sit down on the chair across from him.
What empty talk! Let's just finish this as soon as possible so I can read the manga again!
"I'm fine sir," I replied shortly as I smiled.
"Let's see your report card… Hm… A.. A.. A.. A.. C.. Oh! Even you have a C on their Report card. What happened? Do you want to retake the subject to fix your grade?" Mr. David asked.
Holy moly! That subject was sooo hard! Even C was the highest grade amongst all the students.
"I think it's happened because I was too focused to get an A mark on the other subject, sir. So, I could only get a C on that subject, and I'm not going to retake the subject, because I want to have an internship in the upcoming semester." I replied with a little hint of sarcasm. Wait, did it count as sarcasm? Ah, whatever!
"Oh yeah. You were eligible to take an internship, right? Do you have any place in mind for your internship?"
"About that… Can I get an internship in my hometown, sir?"
In this city, I don't know many people. Thus, my 'Connection' was insufficient to let me easily get an internship offer. So, I think it would be easier to do it in my hometown.
"Of course, you can do that. But i think it would be better for you to do it here. In case you are being called to the campus when you are on your internship." Mr. David sincerely advised me.
What should I do?
"If you are worried about looking for a company. I can give you a recommendation. But before that let me ask you something. Can you do some coding?" asked Mr. David.
Ah! I forgot to tell you guys, I'm a student of an informatics department Major.
"I can do it a little, sir," I said humbly. Well, I've done many assignment projects in the past. So if it's only coding, Of course, I can do it.
"Great! Write your CV as soon as possible. I'll send the recommendation letter and the HR contact details to your email, tonight," said Mr. David.
"Can you tell me the company name, sir?" I enquired curiously.
"Do you know NamTech?" He asked.
"Oh, Of course, I know NamTech," I said. It was a company that I 'Worked on' not too long ago.
"Is there anything else you want to discuss with me?" asked Mr. David as he wrote something on the paper in front of him.
"Nothing, Sir."
"Okay then, Please sign this paper. And this is your report card. Don't forget to make a copy and bring it to the faculty."
"Okay, Sir." I signed on the paper as I replied to him. And then I took my report card and walked out of the classroom.
***
"Hey, Andrew! Here, Here!" Shouted a long-haired man. His shout was directed to a man who just arrived at the campus cafeteria.
As soon as he saw the long-haired man. He walks towards his table and sits on the vacant seat that looks like it has been prepared for him.
"You guys aren't eating anything?" asked Andrew as soon as he sat down. There are five other people besides him on the table but only 1 person had a meal in front of her.
"I ate some breakfast this morning, so I'm not hungry," said Vera.
"I'm not hungry either. Probably, going to eat at lunchtime," said a girl who was busy fiddling with her phone.
"Well, I've already eaten," said the long-haired man.
"For me, I'm waiting for you to buy me some. Hehehehe," said a man with a hat on.
"Are you serious?" Replied Andrew to the hat wearing man.
"Come on dude, you are filthy rich!" He said once again.
Without answering the other man. Andrew looked at Carolina who seemed to enjoy her brunch and said "Where did you buy your food, Carol?"
(Brunch: Breakfast Lunch)
"There," Carolina pointed her finger towards a particular food stall. She didn't even look at Andrew as she did it.
"Oh, Okay. Let's go Di, I'll buy for you," said Andrew to the hat-wearing man.
The man called 'Di' smiled brightly and followed Andrew to the food stall.
"AHHHH. IT BROKE PAST 15%! 15%" Suddenly, the bob-haired girl screamed.
"What the hell Ra? You are embarrassing," said Vera who sat next to her.
"Look at this, I'm so happy," said Clara enthusiastically as she pushed her phone towards Vera.
Vera looked at Clara's phone with an eye full of curiosity. On the screen, a site which has the rating information for the drama 'My wife's man.' was opened.
The thing that made Clara scream loudly was the fact that the 4th episode of that drama amassed a viewership rating of 13,986% Nationwide and 15,794% in the Seoul area.
"Is it that good?" asked Vera as she returned Clara's phone.
"It's soooo good! You have to watch it. It was Ethan Oppa's drama! Please watch it Ve," said Clara without losing any enthusiasm.
"And who is that? Your new Bias*?" asked Vera. Even though she's not as fanatical as Clara, she knows about some jargon in the K-pop scene.
(Bias: Someone's most favorite member of an idol group.)
"Yup! So, Ethan oppa used to be a member for a now disbanded group 'Colors', And after 4 years without any news, last year he got his first drama, and this year he starred on another drama too. You guys must watch his drama, Okay?" Said Clara.
"Carol! You must watch it too!" Clara shifts her preaching toward Carolina.
"Ah.. I'm….."
"Ra, don't you know Carol prefers Japanese thingy rather than Korean thingy? I'll watch it for you, so just ignore her," Chided Vera.
"Ah, I forgot! You like things like anime, right? Can't be helped I guess-" Clara shrugged before turning towards Vera once again. "Don't forget Ve! Ask your friends to watch it too! Ethan's oppa drama this time is soooo goooddd."
Well, Carolina doesn't really care though. She was aware that Vera doesn't like her and always acts like that toward her. But it really doesn't matter because Carolina preferred to be alone.
"What are you guys talking about?" Andrew and the one called 'Di' return to their seat with a tray full of food in their hands.
"The same as usual. Clara was boasting about his plastic Oppa," said the long-haired man as he played with his phone.
"You are the plastic one! My Ethan oppa's face was a natural beauty since birth!" said Clara angrily.
"Why in the world I should be envious? I'm clearly more handsome than him." He said as he flaunted his long hair as if he was an advertisement model of a shampoo product.
"Both of you are always fighting like cats and dogs. I guess you guys fall in love with each other soon enough," said Didi, the man who wore a hat.
"Cuih, Cuih, Cuih, don't jinx it. I'll consider it if you cut your hair," Clara spat.
"I'll consider it too if you call me Oppa." Replied Rico, The long-haired man.
"What are you saying….. Just dream when you are asleep!"
"By the way.," Andrew cut in. "What's everybody's plan for the holiday?"
"Looks like I'll go home," said Vera who rented a room near the campus.
"Nothing but staying in my room," said Clara and Rico.
"Me too, I'll be in my room, doing nothing," said Carolina.
"I'm going to travel! How about you?" Dion said to Andrew.
"Uh, So, next Saturday which is the 25th is my birthday. I want to invite you guys to the party," said Andrew as he looked at his friends. "My plan is to hold it in a resort or hotel in Bali for 2 days and 1 night. What do you guys think?"
"I think I'll pass, sorry," said Carolina swiftly.
'It's better to just relax in my room.' thought Carolina.
"I'll pass too then, I want to watch all of my Oppa music videos," said Clara.
"Please guys, I'll buy your ticket too. You just need to come because it will be our last time to have a nice vacation before we are busy with our own thesis." Plead Andrew with a pitiful look on his face.
"As expected from a gold spooner," said Dion as he ate his food.
"Let's go, both of you! As Andrew said, it would be our last time! Carol, you'll just lazing around in your room, right? And you! plastic lover, you could watch those videos anytime you want. We'll be there for only 2 days. So much for your so-called solidarity," said Rico in an attempt to persuade Carolina and Clara.
"Okay! Okay! I'm in," said Clara.
"Carol, you are going too, right?" asked Andrew once again.
With a sigh, Carolina nods her head.
"You are coming, right? Vera." Vera answered Andrew's question with a nod.
And then, silence descends once again to the table. They are back on their own device. Clara with her Oppa, Carolina with her manga, Dion with his food, as well as Vera and Rico fiddled with their phone.
"Plastic lover! You'll wear something like this in Bali, right?" Rico suddenly breaks the silence as he shows his phone to Clara.
Clara's face goes as red as a tomato as she sees what's on the screen.
"Pervert!" Said Clara. Her reddened face was justified because what Rico showed her was a super sexy two-piece white bikini.
"Hmph! Are you afraid? Moreover, don't you know wearing a bikini in Bali was a common thing?" Chided Rico.
"Who said I'm afraid? It's just, I don't have something like that!" said Clara.
"Tell me your size, and I'll buy it for you," said Rico as he glanced towards Clara's breasts.
Clara, who was aware of where Rico's sight landed, hurriedly turned her body.
"You are really a pervert!" She shouted.
While Rico and Clara were busy with their 'joke' Carolina stood up and said "I'm going first, See you next time."
"You are already going?" asked Andrew.
Carolina just nods without saying any more words.
"I'll take you home after I finish this," said Andrew who hastened his eating speed.
"It's okay ndrew, I can go home on my own," Carolina said.
Her room was only 15 minutes away from the campus. She mostly walked back home except when the weather was extremely hot.
"I insisted! I'll take you home," Andrew put as much food as he could to his mouth.
Carolina's eyes widened as she witnessed his antics. He was really someone who didn't have 'Give up.' words in his dictionary.
"Fine then. Let's go," Carolina could only say that after feeling his determination.
Thanks to all the food inside his mouth, Andrew can't talk. He only pointed his finger towards Carolina and then towards the others. It's as if he was saying 'I'll take her home first, I'll see you guys later.'
Dion was the only one who nod at Andrew's gesture. While vera still on her phone and the other duo was still talking about 'Size'.
***
"Carol!" Called Andrew when she was walking toward the building where her room was located.
"Yeah? What's up?" Said Carolina towards Andrew who sat on his motorbike.
"Yo-You really will come to my birthday party, right?" asked Andrew abashed. It was the first time he called her with a voice full of affection.
"Hm," Carolina simply nodded at his question.
"Okay then. I'll go home now. I'll send you a text later," Andrew smiled brightly.
If Carolina knew that her life would be completely changed after attending Andrew's birthday party. Maybe she wouldn't even come.