Chapter 9: Their Eyes Are Up There

Wednesday | October 11th, 2023 | 6:55 AM

From underneath my blanket, I watched Nakyung get dressed at the foot of the bed. We had both fallen asleep after our little session, and we both woke up together in the early morning. Nakyung sat up and stood off the bed, fixing her shorts and tucking in her shirt.

"I think I'm gonna go," Nakyung mumbled, her voice still scratchy and deep from sleep.

"Yeah, it's almost 7AM. Seulgi might be waking up soon," I pointed out.

"Good call," Nakyung reached down and picked up her bag, slipping her phone into her pocket. "Text me later, okay?"

"Will do," I smiled. Nakyung smiled and turned, leaving my room. As she left, I got out of bed and walked over to the window. The sun was barely beginning to rise behind the scarce clouds in the sky. I could tell the outside must've been pretty chilly when I touched the cold glass of my window. I looked down and saw Nakyung leaving the dormitory and walking back towards her dorm building.

With a sigh, I looked away and fell back onto my bed, lying on my back and staring at the ceiling. I thought back to our small talk last night, and I wondered how she was feeling about the whole situation. You know, about everything.

"I mean, the fact that you've never gotten caught is insane."

Nakyung had said that, and she was right, now that I thought about it. It must've been sheer luck that I didn't get caught. Imagine if Joohyun had doubled back into the laundry room and found me holding her underwear, or if Seulgi walked into her room while I was sifting through her dirty laundry, or even if anyone who was standing outside of Joy's house saw me scaling her roof and breaking into her room.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I could've been caught any of those times, and now the reality was setting in. I wondered what would happen if I did get caught. If they knew, or found out, what would they say? What would they think? It would obviously be humiliating, but would they be angry at me? Would they report me to the school and get me kicked out, or would they go straight to the police and press charges?

The idea of it made me shudder. My life would actually be ruined, and for what, so I can rub my dick in between fabric that I could just buy from the supermarket? Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something on the ground, right next to my bed. I leaned over to see my open shoebox, the panties scattered across my floor.

Nakyung and I didn't get a chance to clean up, so they were all out on display. My breath caught itself in the back of my throat, knowing the shoebox was out in the open all night. I silently prayed Seulgi didn't wander into my room in the middle of the night and happened to stumble upon it while we were sleeping.

I sighed and bent over, picking up all the pieces and throwing them into the box. As I grabbed each pair, my mind replayed the memory of each pair, remembering where and how I got them. I recalled every moment of it, and how I felt afterwards.

It's like Nakyung said, the excitement of it is part of the thrill. The act of stealing a girl's precious and private possession was thrilling. Knowing I was committing a crime, and risking everything just to get a piece of clothing made my blood pump and my heart race. And that wasn't all, the rush was there even when I got them home, and when I did something with them.

Just the mere thought of it made me excited, and made me feel horny. Knowing the panties had been worn before, knowing I was jacking off with their underwear, knowing that the girl's juices and scent had been soaking in the material. Those were the panties I would risk my future for so I can rub my dick between them.

I slapped my hand over my mouth and pinched my face, trying to keep myself together. My dick was slowly rising up in my pants, and the temptation was too strong. There was this vision forming itself in my head, a shoebox filled to the brim with dozens upon dozens of girls' underwear. All the girls that I've met, everyone from classmates, professors, my coworkers, everyone, they'd all be a part of the collection.

I wanted it all. I wanted every girl's panties, I didn't care how long it would take or how far I'd have to go, I'd do anything for that collection. Just the thought of being able to sit on my bed and admire the mountain of underwear, and the memories attached to them, it was just so perfect.

How far was I willing to push myself for this? Would I risk everything for this fantasy, this perverted fantasy that had consumed my mind and soul? Was I really ready to sacrifice my life, my future, for a box of women's underwear? I looked down at the open box, filled with all of my prizes, and the answer became obvious.

I closed the shoebox and kicked it back underneath my bed. Falling back onto my bed, I took a few minutes to calm myself while staring up at the ceiling. But while I fantasized about my collection, a nagging thought lingered in the back of my head, and it was asking a very simple question.

What's wrong with you?

It was one of the thoughts that was hovering throughout my head since last night, and it kept bouncing around in there. Even if I was this sick pervert, some part of me still felt resistance to it. I know how wrong this is, and yet, I'm going through with it anyways. Does knowing I'm a bad person make it any better, or does it make me worse for not being able to stop myself?

From my side, I heard the sound of my phone vibrating on the nightstand I put it on. Grabbing it and turning it on, I checked to see who had texted me. My heart jumped and my eyes widened, seeing that the message was from Haerin:

Haerin

lol yeah

sorry i fell asleep right after studying

I found myself smiling at Haerin's reply. It was short and sweet, but I just felt so good getting any kind of text from her. My thumbs began moving as I typed out my response:

its all good haha

surprised youre up this early thoughh

A few minutes passed, and before I began to think she was dodging me, she finally responded:

Haerin

i got a 8am to get ready for

but you're up this early too?

what about you

"Caught red-handed," I muttered to myself, smirking. I decided to be a bit more playful, hopefully she'll warm up and be more casual:

your msg woke me up and now im talking to you :\

Haerin

sorry about that lol

I couldn't help but grimace at her response, she might've taken me seriously:

its all good hah

now that im awake i should be like you and use this time to study

Haerin

i wish i had more time to study, i feel like a day doesnt have enough hours

tell me abt it, days are going by so fast

It felt like I was on a roll, there was no delay between messages, and the conversation seemed to flow seemlessly:

Haerin

ikrr ive been spending these past couple nights just studying

im so tired :(

jeez how long do you study for?

Haerin

i study at school, then at home

and i usually get tired around 3 or 4

so maybe 10 hrs a day?

My jaw dropped in surprise, I had to admire her work ethic, I could never find myself focusing on studying for even 15 minutes before trying to procrastinate.

you pretty much stay up all night then

Haerin

yup :\ these upcoming exams arent gonna be fun

aww that sucks

i know youre gonna pass all of them tho!

Haerin

well thanks for the vote of confidence lol

but im going to get ready for class now

it was nice talking to you

yeah same, have fun in class

With that, the conversation ended. I dropped my phone on the bed and lied down, staring at the ceiling again. While our conversation was short and not all that interesting, I still felt satisfied from it. I got to learn a lot about the type of girl she was, and it made me even more curious. She seemed a bit standoffish, and she was very introverted. It's not like I couldn't blame her, she's trying to make it through college, and I know that's what matters most to her.

And the fact that she studies all night long, it was pretty impressive, and admirable. It showed how determined she was, and how serious she took her education. Although, as admirable as that is, it still left a hole in her life.

If she spends her whole life studying, is she living? Is she taking care of herself? Does she know how to relax, or have fun? Maybe that's where I come in, maybe I can show her how to live and balance her life. I pulled my blanket back over my body and curled up, fantasizing to myself about a future with her.

My eyes began to close, and just as I was about to drift off, the door opened, and a pair of footsteps walked into the room.

"Oh shit," Seulgi muttered. "Did I wake you?" She asked. She was wearing a large sweatshirt with black leggings, and her hair was tied up into a messy bun. She was wearing her glasses in place of her usual contacts.

"Nah, you're good. I was already awake," I waved my hand dismissively, sitting up and stretching my arms.

"Well, Minhyuk just came over. He brought us breakfast," Seulgi announced. The mention of Seulgi's boyfriend always hit a sore spot considering my history with Seulgi but I try to ignore it, even if it irks me to talk to him.

"Ah, cool." I nodded, "I'll be out in a bit."

"No problem, he's outside." Seulgi said, "By the way, when did Nakyung leave?"

"An hour or so ago?"

Seulgi's smirk grew on her face, "Oh? So she spent the night with you?"

"Nothing happened, we just chilled. Calm your tits," I shut down, lying through my lips.

"Whatever you say, dude. We're going to be in the kitchen," Seulgi rolled her eyes and left, leaving the door wide open.

"Fuck," I sighed and rubbed my face with my hand, trying to rub the tiredness away.

I swung my legs off the side of the bed and stood up. I dressed myself and slipped into some clean underwear and athletic shorts. I walked out of the room and headed towards the kitchen, where Seulgi and Minhyuk were seated at the counter with plates of food.

Minhyuk turned his attention away from Seulgi, looking up and waving at me, "Hey dude!" I swallowed my pride and smiled back, "What's up, dude."

I sat down at the end of the counter, across from the two of them.

"Nothing much, just bought some breakfast for y'all. For you, I got a breakfast sandwich with some sausages," He said while sliding a black tin with the food inside.

"Thank you, man. I appreciate that," I smiled and opened the box, taking out the sandwich and biting into it immediately.

"And Seulgi, I got you some chicken and waffles. You've been talking about them for the past few days, so I figured why not."

"Wow, you're so sweet," Seulgi leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek. A tinge of jealousy flew through me but I ignored it and looked down at the food in front of me instead.

"It's no problem, I'd do anything for my girl," he said proudly. Seulgi blushed and looked down, embarrassed. "Anyways, how was that party at Joy's house? I heard you went, me and my boys were supposed to be there but we ended up having to do something last minute."

"Oh yeah, it was fun," I spoke. "Nothing crazy happened. Just a chill party."

"Really? I heard your boy Haechan was shitfaced."

"Yeah, he was pretty out of it," I laughed. Word must get around fast in the friend groups.

"Man, I love that kid. Always looking to have a good time," Minhyuk smiled. I picked at a piece of sausage hanging from the sandwich before biting it off. Minhyuk shifted in his seat before lacing his fingers together and laying them on the counter. "Do you think you could do me a favor, Minjae?"

"Sure, what is it?" I asked, chewing slower and paying extra attention to the table.

"My family's going on a family trip in like two weeks to the countryside to visit some family, and I'm bringing Seul to come along to meet my other family members. I just need someone who could house-sit for us, and just do stuff like take care of our dog while we're gone."

I let the offer simmer in my head. Since he brought me food, I felt obligated to help him out. I looked up at Seulgi, who was giving me a soft look. And with a nod, I said "Of course, man. It's no problem."

"Thanks, dude. You're the best. My boys were a bit too busy and I didn't want to ask anyone outside of my friends," he explained.

"Yeah, no problem."

"You sure? 'Cause this means you'll have to drive to my place and feed my dog every morning and evening."

"I got you, man. It's no big deal."

"Alright, I'm gonna hold you to that," he joked, pointing at me with a fork full of food.

"Well, now that's settled," Seulgi interjected, "I'm going to get ready and we'll head out to class." Seulgi sweetly cleaned up for us, bringing all the dirty dishes and utensils to the sink to wash. Although it was still pretty early, I stood up and started getting ready for another day of school.

Wednesday | October 11th, 2023 | 1:47 PM

I pushed my Airpods deeper into my ears while I leaned back into my chair, letting the music play and blocking out the sounds of the lecture hall. As slow R&B played, I found myself fixated on my professor as she paced in front of the giant whiteboard, rambling off her lecture.

Professor Kim Taeyeon, despite being in her mid-thirties, looked just about young enough to pass as an older student. She was short, petite, and her face was perfectly smooth, without a wrinkle to be seen. Her long black hair was tied up in a messy bun with some strands dangling over her forehead. She wore a loose, long-sleeve collared shirt tucked into a black skirt that hung just above her knees, and her small feet were adorned with simple heels. Her voice was soft, and her tone was always kind, and gentle.

Her beauty was a topic that many of the male students have touched upon, some of the lewder conversations I've heard included her in their teacher-student fantasies, or her name popping up as one of the hottest professors around campus. There was no doubt about it, she was beautiful. But unlike these men who were all talk, and no bark when it comes to her, I was going to take action.

As she paced back and forth in front of the whiteboard, writing down points, I couldn't help but imagine what type of panties she had on. Was it a cute and colorful thong, or something simple like a black pair of cheekies? Or perhaps, she avoided wearing something so risque, and decided to go with a boring pair of underwear.

Just thinking about it got me hard, and I was glad that no one was sitting near to see the tent that was forming in my pants. Usually Joy would be here, but I guess she was skipping class yet again. I bit my lip and adjusted myself in my seat, trying to make it less obvious. My mind began to wander, and a blur of a plan tried to form itself in my head. Trying to get a pair of Professor Kim's panties would be next to impossible. There's no way I could steal it right from her, and there's no chance I'll find them lying around somewhere.

The only thing that I could think of was that the only way to get a pair of her panties would be to ask for them. How would I even ask for something like that, though? "Hey, I know you're my professor, but could you please give me a pair of your underwear?" or something as equally creepy as that.

As soon as I came up with the idea, I instantly discarded it, realizing just how ridiculous the idea was. Even if I was willing to take such a risk, and she didn't call the police for sexual harassment, the chances of her just giving me a pair were slim. Hmm, the thought of having my professor's underwear added to my collection was just so enticing, I just couldn't shake the idea away.

I reached into my pocket and threw my phone onto my desk, opening it up to my Notes app and began to write. I had begun to list out the various girls whose panties were sitting in a box underneath my bed.

1. Bae Joohyun - Lavender Panties | 9/15/23

2. Kang Seulgi - Yellow Panties | 9/21/23

3. Lee Nakyung - Pink Panties | 9/25/23

4. Jang Yeeun - Gray Thong, Navy Briefs | 9/25/23

5. Park Joy - Black Thong | 10/7/23

I wrote down each pair of underwear I had stolen, and the date on which they were taken. Seeing the dates next to each other really put into perspective my progress. About a month since I started this panty obsession, and I already had 6 pairs in my collection. It was a nice start, and I had a good variety from each of them. But my ultimate goal was to have more, and more. The bigger my collection got, the better.

Who was next? Who was my next target? I kept asking myself, despite already having some names at the top of my head. From there, I started adding the rest of my unfinished hitlist.

6. Chou Tzuyu -

7. Sana Minatozaki -

8. Hwang Yeji -

9. Professor Kim Taeyeon -

10.

I paused at the number 10. Was ten the final number? Or did it only mark the beginning of the rest of the women who would end up being in my collection? Either way, the list was a nice starting point for my future plans. As I looked up, Professor Kim's lecture was coming to a close. She looked to be finishing up her lecture notes, and her speech had slowed down, showing she was wrapping up her material.

I pulled the Airpods out of my ears, luckily catching the last things she was saying to the class, "Please pick up your quizzes from the front! It'd be good to look over any mistakes you may have made in order to be prepared for the exam!" She shuffled over to her desk and pulled out a stack of papers from a drawer, and began handing them out as a line began to form in front of her desk.

I threw my backpack around my shoulder and followed the crowd of students to the front of the class. As I walked past the rows of desks, my eyes locked onto Professor Kim. She was seated in her chair, her eyes darting back and forth towards the line as the stacks of quizzes she searched through for the ones her students have yet to take. Her legs were crossed underneath the desk, her right leg over her left. She was wearing black pantyhose, which didn't do much to conceal the outline of her shapely thighs.

My mouth grew dry, and a surge of blood flowed down to my groin, causing me to have a slight bulge. Luckily, the people around me were too caught up in their own business to notice. At the same time, I must've been too focused on checking her out, because I accidentally bumped into a pair of girls who were shuffling out of the row of desks.

"Ah, sorry," I quickly apologized, bowing slightly. I gestured my hand to let them cut in front of me as a small apology, and they thanked me with a bow. They turned and walked in front of me, their conversation continuing. I sighed to myself, and unknowingly started eavesdropping on their conversation.

"I hope we did good Minji, I've been so nervous," One of them said.

"I already saw my grade online, I did pretty good. If I did good, you should too," The other one, apparently named Minji, responded.

"Ah, seriously? Well, if you think I did good, then that means I did good."

"You're so dumb," Minji laughed.

I kept trailing behind them as they shuffled forward in th​​​​​e line. As we inched closer and closer to the desk, my eyes dropped to inspect my shoes and the floor, trying to find something to keep my mind occupied until I got to the desk. My eyes moved on their own as they noticed the enticing view in front of me, and they locked onto the two asses of the girls in front of me.

The one named Minji had her back arched slightly, her ass perked outwards, almost like she was offering it up to me. Her tight jeans hugged her curves tightly, and it accentuated her ass even further. Her friend, on the other hand, had an ass that was larger and rounder. She wore a cropped white hoodie and black biker shorts, which also hugged her ass and thighs nicely.

I brought my head back up before anyone caught me staring but my eyes drifted downwards for seconds. Geez, how did I not notice these girls in my class. I cursed myself for always being distracted and not paying attention during class as the line approached closer to Professor Kim's desk.

"Here are your quizzes," Professor Kim greeted with a smile as she handed the papers to the girls in front of me. Minji hummed and took her quiz happily. As the exchange happened, I spotted "Kim Minji" written over the top of the quiz.

"Thank you so much!" The other girl took her quiz and started rifling through it. I took advantage of my height, and even stretched my tiptoes to peer over her shoulder. Written on the top was "Kazuha Nakamura", another Japanese student by the sound of it. Kazuha moved out of my way and I was face to face with Kim Taeyeon, or Professor Kim as I would say professionally.

"Hello, Mister Hwang" She greeted me warmly, sliding my quiz onto the table. "There you go."

"Thanks," I smiled back, grabbing the paper and slipping it into my folder. She looked up at me and softly smiled, bowing her head elegantly.

"Have a nice day, Minjae," She nodded.

I walked away, taking one last peek at her. I felt a tinge of happiness when she greeted me, calling me by my first name. She was really pretty, and seeing her up close only made me crave her even more. I could've stood there forever and just stared at her, but there was still a line behind me so I shuffled towards the exit. As I walked out into the hallway, I shook my neck left and right, spotting Minji and Kazuha down the hallway walking together.

I nodded to myself and walked the opposite way, towards the exit of the building. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, and tapped onto the notes app, adding some more entries to this hitlist I was building.

10. Kazuha Nakamura -

11. Kim Minji -

I slipped my phone into my pocket, and the next thing I knew, I was outside the building, heading towards the library hoping some of my friends were there already so I could waste some time while I waited for my next class. By coincidence, I spotted a pair of people, a boy and a girl, up ahead leaving another building together.

I quickly sped up my pace to catch up, "Yo, Haechan!" He whipped his head around and waved at me, leaving the girl behind as he met in the middle with me. If memory serves me right, she was Lee Saerom, Haechan's classmate that I was introduced to at Joy's party

"Yo, dude," he said, clapping my hands. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, just about to hit the library," I shrugged.

"Alright, I was heading that way too, so we can go together." We both walked back to Saerom, who was patiently standing in the middle of the walkway for us.

"You remember Minjae, right Saerom?" Haechan asked.

"Yeah, you were the... comp sci major right?" Saerom answered, though a bit unsure.

"Yeah, that's me," I laughed.

"Sorry, I'm bad with names and faces," Saerom giggled.

"Don't worry about it," I brushed off, "So both of y'all just got outta class?"

"Yeah, I have a few hours free and Haechan said he'd buy me coffee, since he's been hogging my notes," Saerom pouted, turning to face Haechan.

"Oh shit, that's what's up," I replied, impressed by Haechan's newfound smoothness. He gave me a stern side-eye as a silent way to tell me to shut the hell up. I chuckled and turned back to Saerom. Now that we were finally talking outside of a partying and loud setting, I found it pretty easy to talk to Saerom. She seemed friendly enough, and had a nice personality.

And now that I had a more clear look at her, she was definitely pretty. She had a cute and round face, her cheeks were plump, and her eyes were big and cute. I looked down and saw she was wearing a tight, white crop top with a matching pair of tight blue jeans. It was a simple outfit, but the way she wore it was undeniably sexy. The white fabric was tight around her breasts, pushing them up, and it showed off a bit of her cleavage. It was short, but long enough to cover the top part of her stomach. It was a simple shirt, but she made it look so fucking sexy. Her jeans were tight around her legs, but her ass looked amazing in them.

It looked good and juicy. She wasn't huge, but her ass was perfectly rounded. Not too big and not too small. It looked soft and bouncy. I didn't think Saerom had such a nice booty, especially with her slim and petite body, but she was just a complete package. A part of me did feel a bit guilty lusting over my friend's current crush, even while he was right next to me. But panties were panties, and a hot girl was a hot girl.

Slipping my phone out, I added a new entry.

12. Lee Saerom -

As the library came into view, we walked in silence, our shoes scuffing the pavement below. Thinking about the party again reminded me of the other girls that I found myself around, even if I wasn't too close to them like that. As I glanced over my list, I noticed there were quite a few names that could make their way into my collection. I had a handful of friends that were hot and had nice bodies. And then there were a couple girls who weren't exactly my friends, but I knew who they were, and could probably strike up a conversation if I had to.

13. Shen Xiaoting -

14. Kim Jennie -

Just thinking about it made my heart race and my palms sweat. Jennie and Xiaoting, being public influencers, made their panties higher value than the others and that thought alone was enough to make me shiver with excitement. It was like stealing from an actual celebrity at that point, and I could feel my dick twitch just at the idea of it.

I had to keep my mouth from drooling as I kept looking down at the list, and it wasn't until I looked up and saw that we had arrived at the library. We walked in and decided to split up, leaving the two of them to walk towards the cafe while I walked into the common area, searching for my other friends who were also in a gap period. I spotted Wooyoung and Sana sitting in a small section, both with their heads buried into their phones.

"Sup guys," I greeted, pulling out a chair. Wooyoung looked up and broke out into a grin, throwing his hand out for a fistbump.

"What's up dude," he greeted, tapping my fist, "How was class?"

"Sat through it, learned nothing," I shrugged.

"Sounds like a typical morning, then," Wooyoung chuckled. I leaned back and looked over at Sana, who was still playing on her phone. Her fingers tapped the screen in a rhythmic motion, her eyebrows scrunched up and her lips pursed in concentration. I took her lack of a greeting as her being too immersed into whatever game she was playing.

"Sup, Sana," I called out, waving a hand over the phone. She groaned and slapped my hand away, "Alright, alright, hey Minjae." I laughed at her annoyance and left her to her games. Sitting idly for a bit, I pulled my phone out and started scrolling through it, not really interested in doing any work.

"Are y'all going to be practicing later today? I'm finally free after my last class so I can play a little bit of volleyball with you guys," Wooyoung asked, breaking the silence.

"Nah, the others said they had midterms to study for," I explained, "Shit, unlucky, the one time you're free too."

"I know right, it's fine, I'm still down to watch your games during intramurals. Do you know when your first game is?"

I ran my hand through my hair, fixing it up a bit. "Yeah, actually, it's two weeks from today. On the 18th."

"Damn, that's close," Wooyoung whistled.

"Yeah, that just means we got to take practice a bit more seriously," I looked over at Sana, reaching over to slap her on her arm, "You hear that, we gotta practice more."

She jumped in surprise and looked at me, glaring slightly. "Ow! I know, I know, jeez." She rubbed her arm, pretending it hurt more than it did.

"Good," I sat back. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Haechan and Saerom walking into the common area. They were holding their own cups of coffee as they approached us.

"Hey, losers," Haechan greeted. He gestured towards Saerom, "This is Lee Saerom. You've already met Sana, but Wooyoung, I don't think you guys met yet, you kind of went MIA at Joy's party."

Wooyoung raised his eyebrow. "No shit, dude? I went kind of crazy at the party, but anyways, my name's Jung Wooyoung." He held his hand out for a shake.

Saerom smiled, and reached her hand out to grab his. "Nice to meet you," she replied, shaking his hand. As the two got acquainted and settled at the table, my eyes started drifting around and by pure luck, noticed someone peeking into the common area, before immediately stepping back.

Was that Kang Haerin? Why was I asking, it had to be her, her pretty face was unmistakable. I stood up from the table, ignoring the curious looks from everyone else, not even knowing why I was standing up myself.

"I'm going to walk around, get some fresh air, stretch my legs a little, don't wait up," I quickly blurted, shuffling past them, almost tripping over the leg of the table. Wooyoung awkwardly moved his bag aside to give me room, "Watch your step, bro."

"Thanks, sorry." As I turned around and walked towards the entrance of the common area, leaving my friends behind, I tried not to act like a suspicious idiot and kept my gaze straight, acting casual and walking naturally. What was I doing? Just a moment ago, I was just minding my own business, sitting there talking to my friends, and suddenly I was getting up and following after this random girl.

Younger me wouldn't have acted so straightforward and impulsive. I probably would've admired her from afar, too afraid to do anything, and lose out on my chance. I felt a tinge of regret as I remembered my past love lives, how I completely shied away from being any bit intimate with Nakyung back in high school. As well as remembering not taking my chance with Seulgi before she eventually got taken by Minhyuk.

As well for... her, well, she was the one who approached me. I would've never had the confidence or balls to even talk to her. I definitely was blessed with luck but never mind that, as I shook the seeping thoughts from my head, and refocused back on Haerin. I turned the corner of the common area entrance, but I didn't see her anywhere, not in the main area or the cafe.

There were floors to the library, where the higher the floor was, the more silence was to be expected for studying. I assumed she must've been looking for a place to study but decided to head to somewhere more quiet. That sounds like her, right? I found the stairs nearby and went up, climbing up to the second floor. The atmosphere was a lot more silent. It did feel a bit darker and dimmer, although having bright lights hanging from the ceiling. The entire floor had some wide open spaces with tables all separated by rows of bookshelves as some source of privacy.

I quietly stepped into the second floor, craning my head around for Haerin. There was a small space for tables, a few chairs, and couches, and there was a small line of bookshelves along the back wall, as well as rows going down the center of the floor. There were a couple students on their own computers or reading books.

I slowly and quietly walked past the tables, keeping an eye out. As I approached the couches and the bookshelves, I peeked through some shelves, and was relieved when I finally spotted her. She was settling down at a table by herself in a far corner of the room. I watched her as she slipped off her bag, set her notes on the table, and then sat down in the chair. Her legs were crossed underneath the table, but her foot was slightly bouncing. Her face looked distressed and upset.

I paused in place, wondering whether or not I should approach her. She still hasn't noticed me staring at her from across the room. Would I be bothering her if I tried talking to her? She might be extremely stressed out right now, it'd be best if I left her to her studies. On the other hand, maybe she would like it if she had a study buddy? I heard from somewhere that study buddies were the best, it boosted morale and increased productivity.

Yeah, yeah, right, I'm going to study with her and hopefully make us both smarter! That's reason enough to walk over, right? Fuck, why was I so nervous? I could never understand why, but I just was. With a deep breath, I began making my way over. Her eyes were glued to the textbook and notes in front of her, not even noticing my approaching presence.

"Haerin?"

The initial look on her face was clearly shocked before it got masked with a smile.

"Oh, Minjae!" Haerin greeted, her face lighting up. I let out a chuckle and put my hands into my pockets. "I was trying to get your attention but you just seemed to ignore me as you went upstairs," I laughed as I lied through my teeth.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you," Haerin apologized, frowning.

"No! Don't worry about it, what are you up to?" I asked. She pushed the book in her hand forward. "I'm trying to study for an upcoming exam."

"The exam you would stay up all night for?" I questioned, recalling our morning text conversation.

"Yeah," Haerin answered, smiling.

"Well, would you mind if I studied with you as well? I also have midterms I need to study for," I asked, spraying another white lie. I wasn't planning on studying, since my upcoming exams were simple enough but whatever gets me at the table.

Her mouth hung open as she looked around the table and pushed her stuff together, "Um, yeah, sure."

"Okay, great, thanks," I said as I sat down across from her, putting my bag onto the floor. I began by pulling my laptop out of my bag and opening it up. In place of "studying", I was just browsing YouTube or scrolling through Reddit, while Haerin focused her full attention on her studies. Sneaking glances, Haerin's face was serious, her eyebrows furrowing, and bottom lip pouting.

It was cute.

Somewhat absorbed in the video I was watching, I was surprised when I heard Haerin murmur out loud, "I think I'm going to fail this."

I looked up and saw her head balancing on her arm as she gazed at her notes. Her eyes looked sad and a bit dejected, and she had a frown on her face. I stared at her quietly, letting the words linger in the air for a bit while I thought about what the right thing to say next was.

"You definitely seemed stressed enough when I first met you, same class?" I asked, trying to ease the tense feeling she was emitting.

"Nope, different class, but it's a required one for my major, so I can't avoid it," she breathed out, dropping her pencil on the table and leaning back in her chair, "I've been doing terrible on these recent quizzes and my grades are suffering because of it."

"What class is this for?"

"Calculus 1," Haerin replied, looking up.

"Gross," I grimaced. She hummed and nodded in agreement.

"Do you want me to help tutor you?" I offered.

"I wouldn't want to burden you, you're already busy and have midterms coming up, too," she sighed, resting her chin on the palm of her hand.

"I wouldn't offer it if it wasn't okay, and besides, it's fine, really, we're all good," I insisted, smiling, "And I don't want to brag, but I think I'm pretty good at math, too." Her lips moved into a small smile, "Fine."

I peeked at the time on my laptop before I closed it, it was almost time for my last class of the day. Hmm, I can skip it, although this was more important, after all. I stood up and walked around the table, looking down at her notes and trying to remember my own knowledge about calculus.

"Let's get started."

It wasn't much. Haerin definitely knew how to do math, but she was simply struggling with the concepts of calculus. I didn't blame her, it was a complicated and theoretical subject even for me, but we made some progress together. It wasn't exactly easy, but I managed to walk us from the beginning to her midterm, trying my best to go over the main concepts.

As she seemed to understand and internalize what was taught, the stress from her shoulders and her face disappeared, replaced with a relaxed expression. She smiled more as well, which was definitely a plus. Even after I finished teaching her, we stayed back together in the library just studying, well, she was studying, I was doing everything but.

We had fallen into a comfortable silence. Every once in a while, she would ask me a question or ask for help, but for the most part, she was absorbed in her notes. Usually, I would be bored if I don't talk for a while but being in Haerin's presence didn't bother me at all. There was nothing awkward or uncomfortable about the moment.

At some point, I glanced at the time and realized it was somehow already 9:34 PM. I looked up from my laptop, stretching my arms out and yawning. Haerin was still looking down at her notes, writing things down, and erasing other parts. She glanced at the time on her phone, and then back at me, "Sorry, I usually zone out when I'm studying." She finished that off with a shy laugh.

"Don't apologize," I laughed, closing my laptop.

"You didn't have to stay with me, I think I understand Calc now," Haerin said, giving me a grateful smile.

"I didn't mind, I got a little done too," I shrugged. She looked away and started packing up, so I followed her lead and started putting my laptop away.

"But really, thanks again," she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder, "I'm going to have to go over it again, just so I can burn it into my head but I feel bad because I can't exactly repay you for helping me."

"Ah, no worries, no worries. Anything to help," I waved off, standing up with my bag. Together we left the second floor study hall and walked down the stairs and towards the entrance. Before we left, I had to do something, anything, just one last push to let her know I wanted her.

"Hey! Um, are you hungry? Maybe, we can go grab something to eat," I asked, pausing before exiting. Haerin stared up at me with those feline eyes, clearly thinking about the offer.

"Uh, wow. Um, sorry, I can't. I have to head home and I'm pretty tired," She looked a little embarrassed, her eyes turning down to the ground. I tried not to let the rejection get to me, it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Oh, yeah, no worries. Don't worry about it, I'm also pretty busy," I assured, not wanting to sound disappointed or upset.

"Sorry, again," Haerin apologized, turning away and leaving the library. I followed her outside and was hit with a cold wind, causing me to wrap my arms around my body. Haerin did the same and hugged herself.

"So, I'm assuming you live off campus? Or do you live in the university dorms?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Off campus. I live with my parents since our house isn't too far from here," she explained, "What about you?"

"I live in the co-ed dorms with a roommate, her name is Kang Seulgi," I answered. "So, um, where'd you park?"

"Oh, uh, over here." Haerin pointed her thumb behind her down a walking path, leading to a student parking lot from what I recall.

"Let me walk you to your car," I offered, starting our trip to the parking lot. Haerin didn't seem bothered and started walking beside me, following the walkway. It was dark outside, and the lights lining the path were dim and barely lit. The moon wasn't even shining brightly tonight.

"So, Calculus and Chemistry, I'm assuming you're some sort of science major?" I asked, filling up the silence with small talk.

"Biology Pre-Med, actually." Haerin turned her head to look at me and smiled, "I guess you're also a science major? Since you know so much about Calculus and Chemistry as well."

"Computer science," I said, and her eyes widened in interest. "So, are you planning on becoming a doctor or something?"

"A pediatrician, actually. That's my plan, after school and medical school," Haerin shrugged.

"Ah, I see, sounds like a nice goal," I complimented.

"Thank you, it's been my dream since I was young," she replied, smiling again. I felt a tinge of joy, seeing her smiling so much. "What about you, why computer science?"

"To be honest, I didn't exactly know. It just sounded cool, and I've always enjoyed playing with computers," I explained, shrugging, "Plus, I liked the idea of software engineers, they seem to make major money and some of them get to stay at home." She laughed and nodded, agreeing with my response.

"Yeah, it's not bad at all," Haerin chuckled, "That's cool, though, I admire that you know what you want."

"I could say the same to you," I replied. The conversation had died off, leaving us both in silence. Haerin seemed a bit distant, her face looking up ahead of her, and her body leaning forward as she walked.

The student parking lot wasn't too far from the library. After a short walk, we arrived. Haerin pointed towards a black Honda Accord, "That one's mine." We both paused as Haerin looked up at me, giving me a soft smile, "Thanks again for helping me with Calculus, and walking me here."

"Mhm, no worries," I grinned. I watched Haerin walk towards her car as I stood on the edge of the parking lot, waiting for her to leave. She opened the driver door and tossed her bag inside, then she looked back at me, "Goodnight!"

"Night!" I called out, waving. Haerin got into her car, closed the door, and started the engine. Soon enough, she drove off, leaving the parking lot and disappearing into the darkness. With a sigh, I started my trip back to the dorms, which was the opposite direction of the parking lot.

It was chilly, but the wind was no longer as harsh as it was when I first left the library. The campus was mostly empty, and there was no one else walking around, which was expected. It was late, after all. I walked along the pavement, kicking stray pebbles and rocks every now and then.

I was really into her, huh? I've never experienced it like this before. My thoughts were racing as my brain replayed her every movement, her every action. Everything she did, everything she said, her voice, her laugh, her smile. Everything was replaying and it was driving me insane. I just wanted to spend more time with her. I couldn't understand why I was so attached, but the more time I spent with her, the more I realized how much I wanted her.

I remember feeling like this when I had that crush on Seulgi. But that was different. With Seulgi, it was a lot more innocent, a lot more child-like. She was someone who was kind and was easy to get along with. But Haerin, there was just something different. Something deeper, and a lot more real. I had never felt such a strong pull and desire to be with someone.

I didn't understand what it was about her that I was drawn to, and maybe that was the beauty of it all.

Maybe this is what falling in love feels like.

Yeesh, I have a pretty wack uploading schedule, but I'm sorry! I have other projects that I'm working on and I have an issue with trying to do too much all at once because I get too excited to just forget about it! I really hope you liked this chapter, more or less another slice of life chapter with more introductions into the story.

I feel like I have to keep in mind that in my endgame for this story, I do want what Minjae is actively pursuing, a collection filled to the brim with the rewards of his risky behavior, and from a story standpoint, I'll have to consistently come up with new ways and as most people say, "There's no where to go but up!" In this case, I feel as if the only way to go is from simple to extreme! This should be the point in the story in which Minjae's methods of completing his goal dips into the more "criminal" aspects, so there's my first and foremost warning for that! Hmm, I should probably throw a DISCLAIMER. Yeah, I'll do that!

DISCLAIMER: EXPECT SOME MORE "UNCONVENTIONAL" AND "CRIMINAL" PLOT POINTS TO COME IN WITHIN THE NEXT CHAPTERS/ARC OF THIS STORY!