Yuri

"Are you gonna enter or not?"

I turned around and nearly bumped into a girl standing right behind me.

Whoa. She's seriously pretty.

"Ah, yeah! I was just about to," I replied with a sheepish smile, quickly turning back and stepping into the dorm. The scent of vanilla greeted me instantly, light and sweet.

I already love this place.

The hallway stretched before me with doors on either side, each marked with nameplates. I spotted mine and couldn’t help the small grin that tugged at my lips.

Opening the door, I gasped quietly, “Oh my gosh…”

It was beautiful.
Minimalist, clean, with soft neutral tones and simple decors — exactly the kind of space that calmed me. It felt like peace in a room.

"You like it?"

I jumped slightly at the voice — the same girl from earlier had followed me in.

I nodded, still smiling. “Yeah… I really do.”

Before we could say anything else, we both turned at the sound of another door opening down the hall.

Maya, I thought instinctively — and right on cue, she came rushing in.

“YURIII!” she squealed, launching herself into a hug like we hadn’t just been in the same class an hour ago.

I hugged her back anyway, laughing softly.

Maya turned to the girl beside me, arms ready for a second round of hugs, but the other girl stepped back and waved her away.

“Aw, come on!”

“I can’t with your clinginess. Haysttt.”

I laughed as Maya pouted. They were cute. A thought clicked in my head.

Oh… so she must be Rin.

“Yuri, I see you’ve met Rin!” Maya chirped. “I hope she didn’t say anything rude — she can be a little moody sometimes.” She whispered the last part like a secret, playfully eyeing the violet-haired girl beside me.

Rin rolled her eyes but finally looked at me directly. “Hey, Yuri. I heard you're the new student? Welcome to Roseclair. I'm Hanayo Rin. I'm an exchange student from Japan.”

My eyes lit up. Wait—that’s so cool! I’d always been interested in learning Japanese.

“Nice to meet you, Rin! I’m Han Yuri,” I said, shaking the hand she offered.

She smiled slightly, and before we could get another word in, Maya squeezed herself between us, hooking her arms through ours dramatically.

“So guys!! Since we’re all still free, let’s plan a hangout!”

I chuckled. She was so full of energy. Rin, on the other hand, looked… unconvinced.

“It’ll be like a... get-to-know-each-other hangout! How's that?”

Well… I wasn’t busy. It sounded kinda nice, actually.

But Rin sighed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Maya, I can’t. I’m already helping with club matters. Speaking of which, I need to head to the Calligraphy Club — Sunghoon needs me.”

Maya’s mood instantly dimmed. “Aw… but I don’t want Rin to feel left out.”

I admired that. She was sweet.

“Maybe just the two of us then?” I offered, watching Rin slip out of the room.

Maya sighed. “I guess…”

A random thought popped into my head. “How do I get into a club, by the way?”

“Oh! You have to apply through an Event Committee member!”

I tilted my head. “How do I find one?”

“They’re super busy right now prepping for the upcoming event week… but I know someone who might have time!” she said brightly — then immediately grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the dorm.

———

We ended up at the library.

It was bigger than I expected, the sunlight streaming through high windows, casting soft shadows across the rows of books. Students were scattered around in small groups, chatting quietly or working.

I scanned the room — and froze when I spotted someone familiar.

Jungwon.

He met my gaze almost immediately, giving me a calm smile and a small wave.

I waved back before Maya nudged my arm to keep walking. We weaved through the tables and stopped in front of a boy with soft pink cheeks, fluffy black hair, and the brightest smile I’d ever seen.

“Maya?” he said, pulling her into a hug before turning to me. “And you must be Yuri!”

…How did he already know me?

“Jungwon mentioned you earlier!” he grinned. “I’m guessing you’re here for club stuff?”

I smiled back. Definitely the friendly, nosy type. “Yeah, I was thinking something writing-related?”

He lit up. “Perfect! The Literature Club is where you can write and share stories. If you’re into more factual writing, the Journalism Club’s great too! I'm Sunoo by the way.”

He handed me a short form. Surprisingly, it wasn’t complicated. I scanned the room, looking for a seat — but all the tables were full.

Then someone called out, “Hey!”

I turned. Jungwon.

He gestured to the seat next to him. The only one open.

My feet moved before I could think. I sat beside him, heart pounding.

It’s fine. It’s okay. Calm down, Yuri.
But my heart didn’t listen.

I focused on filling out the form.

“What club are you joining?” he asked after a few quiet seconds.

“Literature Club!” I said a little too excitedly. I turned to face him—only to realize how close we were.

Our faces were just inches apart.
My breath caught.

His eyes scanned mine, then briefly flicked down to my lips.

I pulled back in panic. “I’m sorry—”

“I’m sorry,” he said at the same time.

We looked at each other, then burst into quiet laughter.

“Good luck in the Literature Club,” he said, still smiling. “I’m in the Performing Arts Club, by the way.”

I nodded, unable to look him in the eyes again. My cheeks were definitely flaming.

“You too…” I mumbled.

He stood, straightening his chair and packing up his things. As he turned to leave, he glanced at me one last time.

“See you around more, angel.”

He patted my head gently before walking away.

No no no… please not this again…

———

Hanayo Rin.

Violet silk ribbons fluttered under a cherry blossom tree.

She was younger then — maybe thirteen — gripping a pen with trembling fingers, trying to copy each kanji stroke from her mother’s calligraphy scrolls.

“You must be precise, Rin. Beauty begins with discipline.”

Her mother’s voice, soft but strict, echoed in the wind.

And Rin tried. Day after day.
Because to be anything less than perfect wasn’t allowed.

Later that year, when her mother got sick, Rin’s world narrowed into silence. The cherry blossoms fell, one by one, and she stopped writing altogether.

It wasn’t until she transferred to Roseclair that she touched a brush again.

Sunghoon had found her in the club room, sitting in front of a blank sheet.

“You don’t have to make it perfect,” he’d said gently. “Just start.”

And so she did.

With trembling fingers and a new kind of ink — one that wasn’t for her mother, but for herself.

────୨ৎ────

Word count : 1149.
SOTD : Helium by Enhypen. (Is this your favorite song from d:u?)
QOTD : Randomy just curious which branch in Science is your favorite? (Biology, Earth Sci, Chemistry or Physics)

-I love Chemistry the most but I think I have a knack for Physics too !!