Sam sat at his desk, staring out of the window of his small London apartment. The hustle and bustle of the city seemed so foreign to him, the endless crowds of people rushing from one place to another. He had been here for weeks now, but the loneliness hadn't faded—it had only grown stronger.
Every day felt heavier than the last, and though he tried to focus on his studies, his mind always wandered back to Lily. He could still see her teary eyes the day he left, hear her voice telling him to look at the watch she'd given him whenever he felt alone.
The alarm on his phone buzzed, reminding him that it was time to head to class. With a deep sigh, he packed up his books and left the apartment.
The campus was alive with chatter and movement as students hurried to their next lectures. Sam walked silently through the crowd, his mind racing. Inside the lecture hall, he sat with his classmates, trying to keep his focus on the professor's words.
"Hey, Sam!" A voice broke through his thoughts.
It was one of his classmates, Ethan, a cheerful guy with a contagious smile.
"We're grabbing lunch after class, you should come."
Sam hesitated for a moment. He hadn't really gotten close to anyone here yet, and the idea of sitting through another solitary lunch was less appealing than usual.
"Sure, I'll join," he replied with a small nod.
After class, Sam found himself at a café with Ethan and a few other students, all laughing and chatting about their courses and lives back home.
But while they joked around, Sam couldn't shake the unease that had settled deep in his chest.
"So, Sam," another student, Sara, asked with a friendly smile, "how're you finding London so far?"
"It's… different," Sam answered cautiously.
"I miss home, my sister. It's hard being away."
"That's rough," Ethan said, nodding in understanding.
"You'll get used to it, though. We all do, eventually."
Sam forced a smile, but the hollow feeling inside him remained. The conversation continued, but Sam stayed quiet, only half listening.
As Sam sat at the corner table in the bustling cafeteria, his tray untouched in front of him as his classmates talked animatedly around him. The sounds of laughter and clinking dishes filled the air, but Sam felt distant, His thoughts kept pulling him back to Lily—was she doing okay without him? Is she or mom doing okay without him?
As he absentmindedly stirred his drink, he noticed someone staring at him from across the room.
A girl, sitting a few tables away, her gaze fixed on him, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she quickly looked down whenever their eyes met. She was a junior, someone he had seen around campus with Sara but had never spoken to.
She was Korean, just like Sam, and something about her eyes carried a familiarity that tugged at him. She seemed to be talking to herself, her lips moving in hushed whispers as if she was gathering the courage to approach him. Her gaze would flicker back to Sam every few seconds, as though drawn to him despite her shyness.
Sam noticed the subtle way she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes wide with curiosity and something else—something softer. Attraction.
He could feel it in the way she looked at him, almost as if she recognized the loneliness he was trying to hide, or maybe she saw something in him that reminded her of home. But Sam wasn't in the mood to engage, his heart still too wrapped up in the distance that separated him from his sister and mother. He shifted in his seat, looking away.
As Sam drove back to his apartment after a long day of classes, his phone buzzed through the car's Bluetooth system. Ethan's voice came through the speakers, casual but laced with the usual edge of stress.
"Hey, man, did you finish the assignment for tomorrow's economics class?"
Ethan asked, a little exasperation in his tone.
Sam sighed, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Barely. It took forever to figure out the last question. I swear these professors are trying to bury us in work."
"Tell me about it," Ethan groaned.
"I've got like two other projects due this week. I honestly don't know how I'm going to get through it."
"Yeah, it's tough," Sam replied, his thoughts drifting as he navigated the streets, his mind on the conversation.
"But we've got to get through it. No other choice."
Ethan chuckled dryly.
"No kidding. Anyway, I'll catch you tomorrow. Good luck, man."
"Thanks, you too," Sam said before the call ended, leaving him in the hum of the car's engine and his own wandering thoughts.
As he was on his way to the apartment , Sam slowed the car, preparing to tak U-turn. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a familiar figure—
Sara, his classmate, standing at the curb with another girl, the junior who had been staring at him earlier in the cafeteria.
They were both waiting, their eyes scanning the street as if expecting someone to pick them up.
Sam almost drove past, but Sara waved, stepping forward.
"Sam!" she called out, her voice carrying through the quiet evening.
"Hey, could you do us a favor? Our ride bailed, and we're kind of stuck. Could you drop us off at our dorm? It's just on the way."
Sam hesitated for a second but nodded.
"Sure, hop in," he said, trying to sound casual as he pulled over to the side of the road.
Sara flashed a grateful smile as she opened the door, climbing into the backseat, followed by her roommate, who sat next to her, still shy but offering a quiet "thank you."
"Thanks for this, Sam. This is Hana, by the way," Sara said, gesturing to the girl beside her.
"We're roommates."
Sam glanced at them in the rearview mirror, offering a brief nod to Hana.
"No problem. Glad I could help."
Hana gave a small, almost imperceptible smile, her eyes darting to meet Sam's in the mirror before quickly looking away again.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice soft.
As he drove, the car filled with light conversation, mostly between Sara and Hana.
Sam remained quiet, his mind still clouded by the weight of his own thoughts. But as they neared the dorm, he could feel the tension in Hana's voice ease, and even though he wasn't in the mood for much socializing, something about the brief encounter stayed with him.
"Here we are," Sam said, pulling up to their building.
"Thanks again, Sam," Sara said as she and Hana climbed out of the car. "You're a lifesaver."
"Anytime," Sam replied, watching them head into the dorm before pulling away, his mind already drifting back to the pressure of college and, most of all, the ache of being so far from home.
Later that evening, after a long day of classes and forced socializing, Sam returned to his apartment. As he sat down to study, his phone buzzed with a video message. His heart leapt when he saw the names—Lily and Mom.
He pressed play, and there they were, smiling into the camera. His mother spoke first, her voice soft and comforting.
"Hi, sweetheart. We miss you so much. It's been quiet without you here." She paused, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Lily's been doing well in school, but we wish you were here to see how much she's grown."
Lily's face appeared next, her eyes wide and full of warmth.
"Hi, Sam! I miss you so much. The house isn't the same without you. And guess what? I got an A on my science project!"
Her voice wavered a bit as she continued, "I just wish you were here to celebrate with me. I miss having you around all the time."
Sam's chest tightened, a lump forming in his throat. Seeing them, hearing their voices—it filled him with both joy and sorrow.
He smiled weakly at the screen, but deep inside, he felt like he was drifting further away from them with each passing day.
His mother came back into view, her expression more serious now.
"Sam, I know this is hard. I know being so far away isn't easy, but remember, we're always with you. Whenever you need us, just reach out. We're here."
The video ended, and Sam sat there, staring at his phone. He wanted to call them back, to tell them how much he missed them, but he couldn't find the words.
Instead, he sank back into his chair, his mind swirling with thoughts of home. Was he making the right decision, staying here? Was it worth it if it meant being away from the people he cared about most?
The weight of his father's expectations and the promise he had made to protect Lily pulled him in opposite directions. He knew he had to succeed, for his future and for Lily's sake, but the burden was becoming unbearable.
Later that night, Sam lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. His classmates' laughter echoed in his mind, but it felt so far removed from the reality he was living.
He pulled out the watch Lily had given him, running his fingers over its smooth surface. A small smile tugged at his lips as he remembered her words:
*"Whenever you feel lonely, just look at this, and remember all the good times."*
But the truth was, no matter how hard he tried, no matter how many times he looked at that watch, he couldn't escape the growing sense that he was slowly losing himself to the life his father had chosen for him. And worse, he feared he was losing Lily too.
Torn between the life he was supposed to build and the family he longed to protect, Sam felt like he was living in two different worlds. And neither one felt like home anymore.