Episode 1: A Morning of Her Own

Eunji woke to the soft light of early morning spilling through the curtains, a peaceful quiet that was almost sacred in its stillness. The world outside was still asleep, and she was allowed a moment to simply be. It was 6:30 AM. The day had not yet begun in earnest, and for a fleeting second, the weight of assignments and deadlines, of exams looming on the horizon, seemed a distant thought.

She stretched beneath her blanket, the coolness of the morning making her shiver slightly. She let herself linger in the bed for a few moments longer, enjoying the brief respite before the rhythm of the day called her. Then, with a sigh, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her feet meeting the cold wooden floor.

The first thing she did was reach for her sketchbook, as she always did. It was her way of grounding herself before everything else began—before the rush of campus, the noise of lectures, and the chaos of group projects. She opened the well-worn leather cover, the pages filled with half-finished ideas and sketches of things she had seen on her walks around campus. A few quick strokes, a few moments of stillness, and she closed it with a soft sigh.

In the bathroom, she washed her face with cool water, letting it wake her up fully. The soft splash of water against her skin felt refreshing, like a simple reset for her thoughts. She ran a towel over her face, looking at herself in the mirror. There were dark circles beneath her eyes from late nights studying, but they didn’t bother her today. Today, she was focused on the small rituals that gave her peace before the day rushed in.

She brushed her teeth, the motion as automatic as breathing, and began to move through the rest of her routine. Her hair—usually unruly—was tamed with a few quick strokes of the brush. It fell in waves, still damp from the night’s sleep, but it would dry in time. Her fingers worked quickly, getting ready without much thought.

She didn’t mind the repetition. The morning was a small world she could control in the midst of everything else. After pulling on her favorite oversized sweater—soft with age and slightly faded from too many washes—she walked to the kitchen. The smell of fresh coffee was already in the air, the quiet hum of the coffee maker and the only sound in the otherwise still apartment.

Eunji poured herself a cup, black as always, and leaned against the counter, staring out the window. It was a small view of the city—the rooftops, the distant trees—and she had always found comfort in the small details of it. The world was still waking up. The streets were mostly empty, save for a few joggers and the occasional early commuter. The air was cool, carrying the scent of rain from the night before.

She checked her phone briefly, glancing over any messages or reminders, but nothing urgent called for her attention. Just a few texts from her friends, asking about assignments or plans for the weekend. Eunji felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips—her friends had always been a constant, in the way they checked in with each other, in the small moments of shared life.

After finishing her coffee, she moved to gather her things for the day. A notebook for her literature class, her laptop, and the essentials—keys, pens, and a pair of headphones. She had an early class that morning, one she always enjoyed because of the discussions. But there was also the pressure of upcoming exams, group projects, and papers waiting to be written. Still, she felt ready. The quiet of the morning had settled something in her.

As she grabbed her bag and prepared to leave, she looked back at her small apartment, the familiar sight of books stacked on the coffee table, and the art supplies scattered across the desk. This was her space, her world. For now, she was content with it.

The door clicked softly behind her as she stepped into the hallway, the stillness of the morning accompanying her as she made her way to campus. The first light of dawn was stretching over the city now, the air warmer as the day began to take shape. Eunji moved with the flow of other students, but for a moment, she felt detached from it all—the rush, the noise, the pressure. She had her own rhythm, her own quiet world in the midst of it.

And as the campus appeared before her, she was ready to face the day, the world, with that stillness inside her. It was a small victory—one that she would carry through the hours ahead.

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