Jo had been crying about her thesis for days. Their printer kept feeding the papers right before the last softcopy deadline she had to submit on or before 11:59 p.m. Min knew everything about Jo's thesis that at this point, she could defend it with her.

Min was staring at her laptop screen, tapping her fingers on their dining table in thought. She was indirectly ignoring Jo who was stomping around her room and yanking out her bits of scattered laundry clothes. She threw it all on the basket before reaching the apartment's door.

"Feed Henry, will you?" Jo slammed the door shut making Min jolt herself back from her trance. She looked back at the door only to see the orange cat, standing in front of it with his tail up.

"Guess she's still mad at me, huh?" Min gave a worrying smile. Henry looked back at her and sat in front of the door.

"Yeah, it is submission day." Min agreed and looked back at her screen. It was pictures of different university crests in separate tabs. Master's Degree. Graduate School. All the places were far away.

Min couldn't imagine her life far from this place and Jo. The two growing up together since elementary isn't always easy to let go of. Min remembered swearing to each other that they'd be taking on the world -- fights or none.

She minimized all the tabs and found herself looking up Jo's university. Min practically probed the entire website. She almost felt like a predator while looking at the freshmen's happy faces. Min was just becoming more invested in the website's About Us section when something popped up on her screen.

Ben: Are you still at Jo's?

Her heart jumped at the sight. She didn't dare to close the pop-up. She wasn't going to open that inbox either, therefore, it might stay on her screen for life.

Ben: Have you started uni?

She closed her laptop and looked at the furry cat, already sleeping by the door.

"That's it, feeding time!" Min stood up at the kitchen table and opened the cupboards. One last stash of cat food left for her to take. Henry immediately woke up from the sound, and she ended up feeding him in front of the door instead of his usual place. The usual place is only when Jo's home. Min always found this pretty sweet for a cat.

"Gotta buy you some food, buddy. I'll be back."

Min went to her room and grabbed her wallet and noticed that her keys were gone from her desk. She hesitated once she knew where it was.

As soon as she opened Jo's room, she was corrected: A complete mess. It's like the room had a mental breakdown itself.

Min took a few moments before she saw the keys, and so was one paper under it. She pulled it out thinking it was an apology note from Jo.

Her eyes widen. She looked around the place. The black ring binder Jo always carried around for her thesis was nowhere.

"Submission day!" Min instinctively grabbed Jo's nearest jacket and bolted out of the door. Henry was still finishing the food.

Min ran fast. Her adrenaline's bursting at the seams. She found herself at the elevator of the apartment building. Next, she was in a cab, telling the driver the complete address of the university with one breath. It was a whole blackout to her.

She took out her phone and called Jo. The ring was immediately cut short.

"That's how you want to play it?" She said through closed teeth as she quickly tapped on the screen.

Min: Page 135 of your Chapter 6

But you're too proud to even answer my call.

She shoved her phone into her sling bag, forcefully pulling the zipper to close. For Min, it was the shortest trip of her life.

"Study hard, ma'am." The cab driver spoke.

Min stepped out and looked at the huge silver-shining building. It could almost pass as a skyscraper. For a moment, the anger was gone.

"Huh?" She looked back at the cab that was already driving away.

Min turned at the building, and back at the brown envelope in her hands, she realized she was gripping it a little too hard.

She stomped to the gate as security blocked her.

"I'm looking for Josephine Beren. Junior. I need to give her something for her thesis?"

"You won't get away from that the next time." The security pointed at Min's neck, where an I.D. was supposed to be.

"I have one in my wallet." She clasped her purse and was about to pull the zipper. The security put his hand up to stop her.

"This is just the first offense." The security sounded impatient. "Just wear it around you next time. It's not that heavy." Min thought this was a little strange. Why would she have her license around her neck?

"Sure thing..." Min squinted her eyes at the guard's name tag. "Henry!" She gave a smile and proceeded inside. The security guard eyed her tracks before shaking his head away in disappointment.

The buildings inside had glass windows and some were half-covered. She could see the student's sleek and shiny uniforms as they passed on every floor. There was a right amount of greenery and not too many buildings either. At least they hide that better. The students looked like absolute prodigies.

It somehow calmed Min's senses.

"Meow," Min said in awe. She looked back at the envelope she was holding just when the phone rang. Her face fell right back into a frown.

Min answered the phone without speaking.

"Room eight on the third floor. The main building. Please, please, hurry!"

She ended the call and continued to walk inside the building. "Wherever that is."

As she was inside, the clacking of shoes has now started to overstimulate her. The grayness of their uniform was starting to dull her out as if she was turning gray herself. The place was kind of dim, and somehow it grew darker by the moment she looked around for a way up.

Before she could pull out her phone, there was an empty elevator that opened behind her. Min stepped inside and looked at the dozen number of buttons. It was like a spaceship inside. It took her almost a minute before finding the button 3.

As soon as it was slowly closing, a man fast-walked in her direction. He was casually waving at her to keep it open. Min reached out to the close button and spammed it, hoping it would close faster.

The man started to run towards her. The guy was coming in closer and was able to squeeze inside.

"It's not one of those elevators, I'm afraid." The light German accent came out of the man's mouth.

Min was frozen to the bone. He definitely saw her trying to close him off. All she could embarrassingly mumble was, "I'm in a hurry." right after the elevator fully closed. When she thought of it, the way it closed was annoyingly slow.

"What was that?" His tone sounded like he was making fun of her.

"I am in a hurry." She repeated louder and more articulated. She looked at him through her peripheral. Very tall for sure. Min could feel him looming behind her.

"Classes don't start yet in twenty minutes."

Min mentally slapped herself back to her senses. She's here for Jo.

"Do you happen to know where Room Eight is?" She turned her head to face him. Scruffy hair, a chiseled face, the finishing touch would have been glasses.

"Go down the hallway once the elevator opens." Their eyes met for a moment. He was really tall. She practically had to look up to see him give a polite smile down at her.

There was a silence from Min. A silence from the growing urge to justify what she'd done. "By the way, I was trying to save someone's life... academic life. So, thank me later."

"I guess you can say I'm doing the same thing," He pressed another button before turning back to her. "You could have at least wanted to give me a ride." His eyes looked straight back as if he was probing her mind, but that might have been his resting face.

Min looked away. "Not for this one. I want her to leave this corporate-looking place ASAP."

There was a moment of silence in the air. The man's smile turned into a smirk.

"Define 'corporate'."

"Bland. The students even look like future candidates for corporate slavery." Min started to get comfortable.

"What about the designs of the inside?" His deep voice sounded eager for another answer. Min felt like he could answer all of his questions if it kept going.

"Looks like a simulation of the backrooms. I bet it's super creepy when it's night." Min wondered if Jo had been here at night. She was late at once but never told her any creepy stories. Anything would so really: ghosts, creepy janitors, burglars. Min was secretly s sucker for those. Of course, it's bad that it's happening but at least it's not happening to her. Sometimes, Min missed her campus life.

Min heard a suppressed laugh before the elevator dinged open.

"After you," He was smiling widely, he was definitely laughing at her. Also, he just had to be a little cute about it. The embarrassment resurfaced and took over Min.

"See you never," Min muttered on her way out of the elevator. She could feel the man looming behind her. Tingles on her back didn't stop until she went down the hallway and finally saw Room 8.

Min saw Jo with red, glassy eyes. In an empty classroom. Her heart raced as she looked around. Jo melted onto the floor on her knees with a ring binder on a random armchair close by.

Min raised the brown envelope to get Jo's attention. "Calm down, granny. I have it."

She clumsily stood up and spread out her arms for a hug, putting all her weight on Min. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"

"I'm sorry too, Jo," She hugged Jo tighter, also helping her balance. Nothing is more traumatizing than a junior in college with her mock thesis. Min has been there. The least she could do is be a bit more understanding.

"Your period is starting too, isn't it?" Min sympathetically added.

"Yes!" Her voice cracked as she started to whimper at a higher pitch. "Coming in at the wrong time!"

"It always does." Min held Jo's face, she noticed that her under eyes were puffy. "You're amazing, Jo. I mean you made the digital storybook for three days straight! I am so proud of you."

"Thank you, Min." She let go of the hug and sniffled again. "Maybe I need a tissue."

Jo led the way to the bathroom as they passed back to the dinged elevator.

"By the way, it suits you."

"What suits me?"

"The uniform! You super look the part. Though I think it's skirt day for the girlies today."

Min's eyes widen again. Her hands started to reach for the jacket she currently wore. It now certainly didn't feel like a cotton jacket she grabbed from Jo's room. She saw the bathroom and immediately ran past her to find the closest mirror. She was wearing the gray blazer with the crest logo, and a white shirt under that could pass as the official blouse Jo was wearing. Min looked back at her and realized they practically looked the same.

Back when Min was browsing the university's website, she perused the section on the student by-laws, one was a link to a downloadable PDF file of the student handbook. One of the rules mentioned was to not let any outsider come in without a gate pass sponsored by another student or faculty member in the institution. Any sort of way in without the gate pass, the person gets in trouble.

The way she practically got in? Let's say Min could have a first-time record.