You always thought college would be the turning point of your life. Coming from a small town, fighting against your parents’ will just to be here, you had imagined yourself working hard, getting good grades, making them proud. You thought, If I can just do well here, it will all be worth it.

But the reality… was nothing like the picture in your head.

The college, the people, the system—it was all foreign. Your classmates were smart, sharp, and privileged. They fit here like they were born for it. Even the teachers seemed to favor them. They belonged. You… didn’t.

Only your uniform matched theirs.

So, you became quiet. A shadow. You told yourself it was fine—you’d just focus on your studies. But that choice came with loneliness, a heavy kind. Some nights, you missed your parents so much you could barely breathe.

Whenever you called your parents, you’d smile through the phone, weaving pretty little lies. "Yeah, they’re friendly. I have lots of friends. The teachers like me."

Then came her.

Lily. She was the class president—cute, bubbly, adored by everyone. The kind of girl who could light up a room just by stepping in. It happened randomly—one day, she caught sight of your notebook and gasped.

"Holy!! Your notes are epic!"

And somehow… that was the start.

You were the ice, she was the warmth. She was the chatter, you were the silence. She hated math, you could drool over equations. And you clicked—like pieces of two different puzzles that somehow fit. She had a boyfriend, long distance, living in another city.

For six months, life was good. Better than you thought it could be. Everything was… perfect.

Then came the first mistake.

You opened a social media account. It was innocent enough—you only made it to join your college group chat. But there, you stumbled across him. A former senior from your college, Elias Kim. You started talking. He showed interest.

Once, when you got sick, he brought soup—waiting outside the gate of your dorm just to hand it over.

You told Lily about him, and she cheered you on. A few days later, you thought you should thank him properly. Maybe a little gift.

That was the second mistake.

You went to meet him… but you didn’t go alone. Lily came with you. And from the moment she stepped into the picture, his focus shifted.

At first, you brushed it off. Lily had a boyfriend. She’d never do that to you. And he loved you—or at least, that’s what his actions had said. But slowly… the cracks appeared.

His two-to-three-hour calls turned into short, distracted texts. Your meetings grew less and less.

You didn’t confront him—you weren’t that type. You were the type who walked away quietly, without a scene. And no, you didn’t end your friendship with Lily. She was your only friend. You couldn’t stand the thought of being alone again.

You almost moved on. Almost.

Then he came back. Acting as if nothing had happened. Saying he couldn’t go a single day without missing you. Saying you were special. And foolishly, you let him in again.

You decided to confess. You told Lily, and she swore nothing was going on between them. And you… trusted her.

You used your pocket money to buy him a gift. And you went to meet him again.

He arrived. The first thing out of his mouth wasn’t hello. "You came alone? Where’s Lily?"

Your heart sank.

"I came to tell you something…" you started, swallowing down the ache, "I have been liking you for a long time now. I—"

He didn’t even let you finish. His face twisted—shocked, annoyed, almost angry.

"Wtf is this? You’re young!! I see you just as my little sister!"

You stared, frozen. Heartbroken. The bag in your hand felt heavier, like it might slip. But you tightened your grip.

"Then… what is Lily to you? Tell me."

He went silent for a long moment. Then, finally:

"She's just there."

His eyes drifted somewhere far away.

"And somehow... she's become the place I want to go back to."