Dressed in the usual outfit that I often liked to wear, I was wondering about a question in my mind. Should I wear make-up? I asked myself, staring at the mirror.
"Or should I be ugly myself today" I didn't want my orientation day to be the worst experience of my life, but wouldn't it be strange if a guy wore make-up?
I took the cosmetics brush in my hand and said to myself, "Just this once." I made an effort to remember how that artist had charmed me that day.
"Alright, It doesn't look that good" I uttered subconsciously, " But It will do"
"Nire, How will yo-" Basker entered my room while shouting my name, but he stood still with widened eyes without completing the sentence
He walked closer to me and with a surprising gesture he uttered, "Who are you? And What did you do to Nire?"
"It's me, Nire" am I that hard to be recognized, I asked in the back of my mind
"When did you get your plastic surgery done?" he exclaimed
"It's make-up"
"Oh, You look stunning, " he said, "but I don't think you need make-up. You are good-looking just the way you are" and exited the room.
After finishing breakfast, we stroll to the campus.
I breathed in and let all my worries go as I stood at the entrance.
The University was exactly as beautiful as the one I used to see in the Korean drama.
"Let's take a snap of this moment" Basker held me by my neck and took out his phone ready to capture this moment of ours entering college.
"Sure," I remarked and passed for the selfie.
"See you later"
By entering college, I had started a new chapter in my life. Far away from Puneet, far away from home, with great responsibility on my shoulder.
I walked in and searched for the booth with the name of my major. Since Basker was from a different major, we spread ways a while ago.
I looked through the booths and found my major. Actually, I would have found it sooner if I had taken Korean language lessons seriously. As a result, I was having a hard time reading Korean writing.
"Anihasiyo" I greeted the seniors as I approach them "I am Nire" I introduced myself
"Anishasiyo," The senior with blond hair scribed my name on a blank card and gave it to me. "This year's freshmen are all good-looking" as I took the card, she muttered.
I smiled and walked away. I put on the jacket that the senior gave me. It was a plain yellow jacket, which was our major's color.
Suddenly I felt a strong grip around my waist, I turned to look at the person in surprise.
"I am sorry," When my eyes met with the person, she immediately released me and said, "I thought you were someone else whom I knew"
"Muna" Yes, the young lady who was apologizing was my best friend Muna.
"You know my name?" She didn't recognize me. I looked around and pulled her to the maple tree where no one was there.
"Hey, I let go of my hand" Muna jerked her hands, with a face of revenge. This revenge full face was the scariest thing after spiders for me.
"Muna, it's me Nire"
It took her a few minutes to realize that it was me.
"Oh, my my my Nire" She looked all around me and said, "When did you get your nose work done?"
"It's makeup," I said with an eye roll
"Wow Nire, This is awesome" she exclaimed "Seoul did a wonderful job."
"Well, it was the requirement of the place where I work"
"Where do you work?"
"Yours and Mine cafe. By the way, why are you doing it here?"
"What do you think?" showing her uniform she said"I have enrolled in this university."
It wasn't a big surprise for me. I remembered she used to say that after completing high school she would move to Korea in order to stay with her dad.
"Awesome, now we are in the same major," I said out of joy. She smiled and took a selfie, and asked me to pose for a picture. At that moment I was happy. In an unknown place, I had a known friend.
The orientation ceremony began with the speech of our head of the faculty. He was a former student of this university who got into a well-known company and teaches in this university to support the system with experience.
"I have a surprise for you," Muna whispered in my ear as I turned and showed her the phone.
"Can You Believe It? He was very serious about our relationship," she said with a laugh in her voice. her eyes sparkled as she showed me that picture of Punnet. It had a caption [Nothing hurts more than getting dumped].
"Aren't you happy?" she asked me as she got no response from me, neither a smile nor a node
"I was trying to forget him"
" Oh, I am so sorry Nire"
"I understand and thank you that you took my revenge"
After a while when the speech was over, and we were given something to carry, I walked towards the hall booked by our seniors to welcome us, freshmen.
"It's damn heavy" I looked at Muna "Can you please help me?"
"No, I already have one"
I stared at her as she walked, I sighed.
"Let me help you." A huge figure appeared in front of me, a prominent nose and round-face muscular guy.
"Thank you" And I forgot what his name was. I was having a hard time remembering Korean names.
"SamSuk, "He said with a smile and left.
In the center of the activity room, one of the seniors was acting, and we were guessing the name of the drama he was referring to. We were playing a guessing game.
"Yesterday was beautiful" I whispered the title of a drama in Muna's ear
She raised her hand and screamed that title
"That's correct"
Time was flying with those exciting games and cheerfully seniors, they didn't let us feel bored.
"You two are from Nepal, right?" Third-year senior Ka Joon-Ho asked.
"Umm"
"What are you guys doing?" he exclaimed looking at my glass" Freshers aren't allowed to drink water" He picked up a bottle of Soju, and pours it into a plastic glass, and said "Freshers are only allowed to have Soju"
"Can I be an exception? I don't drink" I refused
"Why not? You are legally allowed to drink," he said.
"Are you going to ask him only?" Muna took the glass of soju from the senior and drank it all.
People around her including me and the senior remained in surprise as she took another bottle and one by one all the boxes containing Soju were empty.
"Stop drinking if you don't want to wake up with a hangover" I whispered in her ear.
"Nire made me experience a hangover," she said, ready to grab another bottle.
"Muna what's wrong?"I said pulling her way out "The Muna I had known doesn't drink alcohol this wild"
"Nothing is wrong" "I just wanna drink until I am drunk"
"Muna, tell me the truth," I said staring into her eyes I crossed my arms across my chest making a serious gesture
"Fine" she rolls her eyes "My dad wants me to work on his farm" she made a sad face.
"You don't want to work there?"
"No, the workplace is damn nice and the people are as awesome as the place but"
"But?"
"I fell in love with a guy"
"So falling in love is the problem?"
"No," She screamed at my face," I asked him out but got rejected" and she began to shed tears, My poor friend. It looked like the Law of Karma worked on her. She dumped Punnet and got rejected by this guy.
"Ooo my poor friend you should have waited"
"I wish I had"
"What was his reason?"
"He said he has some he admires and wants to date him"
"So the guy you had a crush on has a crush on another guy"
"Ummmm"
"Don't cry Muna, there are plenty of fish in the sea"
"..." she continued to cry, people passing by us stared at us as if I was the one who caused pain to her
"Okay, Muna, hold your tears. He said he likes another guy."
"Umm"
"Which means he hasn't asked him out yet. You still have a chance"
"There is none, that guy likes guys. I can't go through a gender transformation. "
"Muna, that guy can be bi."
"Yeah," she stopped shedding tears, wiped off the marks, and smiled
"Keep on trying" suddenly my eyes fell on the wall clock. Oh shit! It was already time for my shift.
"Sorry Muna, I can't console you now" I stuffed my belongings in my bag and was about to raise my hand to call for a taxi "come along," I said to the girl who was standing behind me.