Episode 2: The Unexpected Day

I woke up to the sound of my mom’s voice calling me from the kitchen. It was the same thing every morning—like a script they had memorized perfectly.

“Honey, study hard. Concentrate on what your teacher is saying today, okay?”

“And don’t get too much into friends. Focus on your future,” my dad added from somewhere nearby.

I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head. Please, I thought, can’t they just skip this part for once?

I rushed through my morning routine, grabbed my bag, and hurried out of the house before they could say anything else.

When I reached school, I was already late. The corridor was empty, my hurried footsteps echoing off the walls. As I turned a corner, I bumped into someone—hard.

“Oof!” I stumbled back, clutching my books to keep them from falling.

The guy I had run into didn’t move an inch. He was tall, steady, and there was something about him that made me pause—a quiet strength, maybe. His dark eyes glanced at me, not lingering for long, but just enough to make me aware of his presence.

“Sorry,” I muttered quickly, forcing a small smile.

He didn’t say anything, just nodded faintly. I had no time to think about it—I was late, after all. I hurried down the hallway and into my class.

When I finally walked into the classroom, I spotted Somi and Sara waving at me from the middle row. They were practically glowing, their energy infectious as always.

“Here! We saved you a seat,” Somi said as I slid into the chair beside them.

“Late again?” Sara teased.

“Don’t ask,” I replied, dropping my head onto the desk.

The first lecture—Finance—felt like it dragged on for eternity, though I didn’t mind entirely. I loved accounts. Numbers, ledgers, balances—it all made sense in a way that nothing else did. There was something satisfying about getting the balance right, the precision of it all.

Of course, today wasn’t the day I could focus. The teacher’s voice blurred into background noise, and I spent the entire class scribbling random numbers in my notebook.

When the bell finally rang, I barely had a moment to gather my thoughts before a group of seniors flooded the classroom.

“Join our dance society!”

“Drama club auditions tomorrow!”

“Debate society recruiting!”

The noise was overwhelming—flyers being handed out, voices overlapping, excitement buzzing through the air.

I didn’t pay much attention until one voice caught my ear.

“Finesa, the finance society, is recruiting this week!”

I looked up, my eyes landing on the senior holding a neat flyer. Finesa. My heart skipped a beat.

Finance. My first love.

Of all the chaos around me, that one word made everything else fade. I imagined myself being part of the society, surrounded by people who shared the same passion for accounts and numbers. Maybe I could finally belong somewhere, I thought.

I was holding the flyer in my hand, feeling that flicker of hope, when another voice rang out.

“And don’t forget Apex, the Sports Society! Volleyball, football, basketball—we’re looking for students ready to compete and have fun. Tryouts start Friday!”

My head turned instinctively toward the voice. The word “volleyball” tugged at me like an old friend calling my name. A senior stood at the front of the class, holding a bright flyer with “APEX SPORTS SOCIETY” written in bold letters.

Volleyball.

For a split second, I could see myself on the court again—playing, laughing, feeling alive. But just as quickly, the image disappeared.

Somi leaned closer, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Are you seriously thinking about joining one of these societies?”

“Huh?” I blinked, caught off guard.

“Don’t even bother,” Sara chimed in, rolling her eyes. “They’ll drown you in work. You’ll barely have time to breathe.”

“Yeah,” Somi agreed. “Who needs all that stress when we can just chill?”

I looked down at the two flyers in my hand—Finesa and Apex. Finance or volleyball. Two things I had once dreamed about, right there in front of me.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I said quietly, tucking both flyers into my bag. But I wasn’t sure if I believed myself.

After lunch with Sara and Somi, I slipped away to my usual escape: the volleyball court.

The sound of shoes squeaking on the court and the rhythmic thud of the ball hitting the ground felt so familiar, so safe. I sat on the bleachers, watching the players move with energy and focus.

I used to be like them. I used to play, to feel the rush of the game, the thrill of competition. But my parents had always stopped me. “Focus on your studies,” they’d say. “Sports won’t get you anywhere.”

Now, I just watched. It was easier that way.

I stayed there for two hours, watching, letting my thoughts drift. When the sky turned a soft shade of orange, I finally forced myself to leave.

When I walked through the front door, I braced myself for the usual—lectures, comparisons, the weight of their expectations. But tonight was different.

“Get ready,” my mom said with a smile. “We’re going out for dinner.”

I froze, surprised. “Dinner? Why?”

“No reason,” my dad replied, his voice unusually light. “We just thought it’d be nice.”

Dinner was surprisingly pleasant. My parents were talking and smiling as if we were one of those happy families in movies.

At dinner, they talked to me—nothing about school, nothing about my sister or my future. They asked simple things, like how my day was and what I ate for lunch.

I didn’t know what to make of it. Part of me wanted to believe they were trying, that things could be better. But another part of me knew this was temporary—like a calm before the storm.

As I sat at the dinner table, quietly listening to them, I thought about the flyers still in my bag..

Finesa.

Apex.

Maybe this time, I wouldn’t let the chance slip away. Maybe this time, I’d do something for myself.

“So… uh, at school today, some societies came to promote their clubs,” I said, trying to sound casual.

My mom looked up from her plate. “Oh? What kind of societies?”

“There’s one called Finesa—a finance society—and another called Apex, the sports society. I was thinking of joining one of them… or maybe both.”

I braced myself for their usual disapproval. I expected a lecture about studies, time management, and how joining societies was “a distraction” or “not worth it.”

But to my surprise, my dad nodded. “Why not both? If you can manage your time well, it’ll be good for you.”

“What?” I blurted out, not hiding my shock.

“You’ve always been good at accounts,” my mom added with a smile. “And sports… well, if you like volleyball, you should give it a try. It’s better than wasting time doing nothing.”

I sat there, stunned. I didn’t know what to say. My parents, the same ones who always compared me to my sister and crushed my dreams before I could even voice them, were encouraging me? It was unexpected—too unexpected.

But a spark lit up inside me. For the first time in a long time, I felt… hope. Maybe I can do it. Maybe I can prove to them that I’m not “less” than her.

We finished dinner, and I let the feeling settle as we drove back home. I replayed their words over and over again in my head. It was like holding onto a small flame I didn’t want to blow out.

Back in my room, I stared at the ceiling, the faint sound of my sister laughing drifting through the walls. A strange determination filled me. I had the chance now—a chance to prove myself, to not let my sister’s shadow cover me completely.

With that thought, I drifted into a lighter sleep than usual.

Sometime in the middle of the night, the vibration of my phone woke me up. Groggily, I reached over to my nightstand and grabbed it. The screen lit up.

New Message.

It was from an unknown number. I squinted at the screen, feeling the sleep slip away.

Hey.

I blinked at the message, my heart skipping for no reason. Who could be texting me this late?

I stared at the word for a moment longer before placing my phone back on the table.

Tomorrow. I’ll think about it tomorrow.

I closed my eyes again, the faint glow of the phone fading into darkness, and let myself drift off once more.

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