The next morning, sunlight streamed through Carrie's curtains, casting a golden glow across the disheveled room—a perfect reflection of her chaotic first week at TerraNova. The door creaked open as Leo tiptoed in, balancing the fine line between annoying and caring older brother energy. With a swift move, he tugged the blanket off her face.
"I know you're awake," he teased, his tone a mix of singsong and mischief.
"Leo!" Carrie groaned, burying her face into the pillow. "I was trying to go back to bed."
Leo smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Ava and I have early classes today, but you'd better grab breakfast before heading out. TerraNova's not just a university—it's a battlefield."
"Thanks for the pep talk, Captain Obvious. Now hurry, or you'll be late," Carrie shot back, a soft smile tugging at her lips despite her irritation.
Leo lingered a moment, charmed by her sleepy innocence, before heading out. The door clicked shut, and Carrie immediately dove back under the covers.
"Beauty sleep, here I come," she murmured triumphantly.
Down the hall, Leo and Ava paused, their noses leading them to the unmistakable scent of gourmet cooking. In the kitchen, Jae-wook stood at the stove, moving with the precision of a Michelin-starred chef. He flipped pancakes like it was an art form, his sharp features framed by a casual apron.
"Morning, Alex," Leo greeted brightly.
"Morning," Jae-wook replied, not looking up. "Early lectures?"
"Unfortunately," Leo sighed.
"pancakes are on the counter," Jae-wook offered, gesturing casually with the spatula.
Ava wasted no time, grabbing one and taking a big bite. "Anyone watching you two would swear you're an old married couple," she teased with a cheeky grin.
"Hard pass," Jae-wook deadpanned, though a smirk threatened to surface.
"By the way, Carrie's in your department. Can you keep an eye on her? First day and all," Leo asked, helping himself to a pancake.
Jae-wook raised an eyebrow. "I'll try."
"He's lying," Ava chimed in, munching happily. "This is amazing, by the way. Why don't you cook more often?"
"Because freeloaders like you exist," Jae-wook retorted, finally letting the smirk break through.
Leo glanced at his watch. "We're late. Alex, just... try, okay? No attitude."
"The slightest sass, and I'm out," Jae-wook muttered, grabbing his coffee and disappearing into his mini-library.
Later, a reluctant Jae-wook knocked on Carrie's door. To his surprise, it swung open instantly. Carrie stood there, already dressed in a black-and-white printed gown, her hair neatly piled into a bun.
"Leo asked me to—" he began, but Carrie cut him off with a sharp look.
"I can handle myself, thank you very much. I don't need your help, and frankly, I don't want it." Her words were cool, her tone dripping with finality.
Jae-wook's lips curled into a smirk. "Good luck finding a taxi, Ms. Evans," he said, his voice light with mockery, before walking off.
Once alone, Carrie opened her Uber app, only to find zero available rides. Her chest tightened as panic threatened to bubble over. Memories of yesterday's disaster came rushing back, but staying home wasn't an option. Her scholarship depended on perfect attendance.
"Might as well swallow my pride and die choking on it," she muttered, grabbing her bag and heading out.
Outside, she spotted Jae-wook's sleek black car still parked near the gate. The temptation to ask for a ride danced at the edge of her resolve, but her ego stomped it down. Before she could decide, Mr. Jin, Jae-wook's friendly driver, approached her with a warm smile.
"Good morning, Ms. Evans," he said.
"Morning, Mr…?"
"Jin," he replied. "No need for formalities."
"Noted," Carrie said, then paused. "By the way, I'm sorry about yesterday. My attitude was... not great."
Jin chuckled. "It's forgotten. But if you're planning to walk, it's a twenty-minute hike, and you've got eighteen minutes left."
Carrie's stomach dropped. "Fantastic. Well, thanks for the heads-up, Jin!" she said, forcing a smile before stomping off.
In his car, Jae-wook watched her retreating figure. "Drive past her," he ordered Jin. "We can't be late."
"What music would you like, sir?" Jin asked.
"Jazz. Old-school," Jae-wook replied, settling into the leather seat with a satisfied smirk.
Carrie arrived at the lecture hall with seconds to spare, her heart pounding and her shoes pinching her feet. She slid into the first empty seat she saw, which, of course, happened to be next to Jae-wook.
"Made it, I see," he whispered, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Barely," she snapped, pulling out her notebook.
The professor launched into a rapid-fire lecture, leaving Carrie scrambling to keep up. Her notes quickly devolved into messy scribbles. Beside her, Jae-wook's notes were meticulous, his pen gliding effortlessly across the page.
Without a word, he slid his notebook toward her.
"What's this?" she whispered, glancing at him suspiciously.
"My notes. You clearly need them," he replied, his voice low but teasing.
Carrie hesitated before taking the notebook. "Thanks," she muttered begrudgingly.
"Don't get me wrong, you still clearly irritate me. I'm only doing this for Leo " he said, turning back to his other notebook.
"well that's uncalled for" Carrie muttered under her breath.
After class, Carrie packed up quickly, eager to escape the tension. Just as she reached the door, a tall, confident girl intercepted Jae-wook at his desk.
"Alex," the girl purred, her voice dripping with familiarity. "It's been a while."
Carrie rolled her eyes and moved to leave, but the girl's sharp gaze stopped her.
"Who's this?" she asked, eyeing Carrie like a rival.
"No one important," Jae-wook said dismissively, not even glancing at the girl that stood before him.
Her jaw tightened, but she walked away without a word. Outside, she found Leo and Ava waiting for her, both grinning like Cheshire cats.
"How was it?" Leo asked, his tone overly casual.
"Survived," Carrie muttered.
"Did Alex behave?" Ava teased.
"Define 'behave,'" Carrie replied dryly, earning a burst of laughter from both of them.
As they walked toward the cafeteria, Carrie couldn't shake the feeling that her first day was just the start of a long, unpredictable journey.