Dreams & Pressure

Episode 2 – Dreams and Pressure

Mira barely slept. Her nights were swallowed by endless Biology and Chemistry problems, her pencil scratching tirelessly across pages as if it could write her dreams into reality. She imagined herself wearing a crisp white coat, walking through crowded hospital corridors, serving patients who had no one else to care for them, giving them hope and life.

“I hope I can achieve this… I want to serve, not just sit at home, raising children and watching life pass me by,” she whispered to herself, spinning her pencil absently between her fingers. Her eyes, bloodshot and weary, reflected both exhaustion and determination, a quiet fire that refused to die.

From the back of the classroom, Jae Min watched her. The way she twisted the pencil, the way her brow furrowed in concentration—it captivated him. She seemed impervious to the chaos around her, oblivious to the constant noise, the chatter, the scribbles of other students.

“Is she even human? How can she concentrate this much? It’s like she’s in her own world,” he thought, a mix of awe and envy stirring inside him. Feeling a little ignored by her obliviousness, he retreated to his own desk, closing his eyes for a moment.

In the darkness behind his eyelids, he imagined himself in uniform, holding a gun with steady hands, protecting the people he had always promised himself he would. He allowed himself a faint smile. Guns had fascinated him since childhood—not for destruction, but for the responsibility and the power to protect. Yet he had never actually held a real one. The daydream brought a fleeting warmth, a sense of purpose he cherished even in the midst of exams.

A sudden thud of chalk hitting his forehead yanked him back to reality. He blinked rapidly, mumbling apologies, his mind still halfway in his imagined world.

Meanwhile, Mira stepped out of the classroom, needing to stretch, needing air. Her feet carried her instinctively, as if drawn by something unseen, and her eyes flicked toward Jae Min without her permission. She resisted the thought—she didn’t want to be thinking about him—but her gaze betrayed her.

Finding an empty bench, she settled down, legs crossed, headphones in, replaying class recordings to catch anything she might have missed. The world softened around her, the hum of students fading into a distant murmur.

And then, as if summoned by fate—or by some playful universe—banana milk appeared in front of her. Jae Min, leaning casually against the bench, wore a smirk that made her heart skip a beat.

“Drink me, or many people will die,” he said, mock-serious, and she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. Thirst won over pride, and she took it, sipping gratefully.

“Where were you?” she asked softly, the question more for herself than for him.

“In your heart,” he said, his voice light, teasing, yet somehow carrying a strange sincerity. “I’d stay in your head too, but it’s full—overflowing with formulas and notes. So I’m in your heart instead.”

Mira shook her head, a small, amused smile tugging at her lips. He never stops, does he?

“You never miss a chance to flirt,” she murmured, but there was warmth in her voice.

He shrugged, grinning like it was the most natural thing in the world. “I pop up every hour. Can’t help it.”

Finishing the milk, Mira gathered her books and rose, the tension of studying temporarily eased. She walked away, and Jae Min watched her retreating figure, a soft smile lingering on his face, wondering if she even realized the small impact she had on him.

Even amidst the pressure of exams, the weight of family expectations, and the chaos of student life, these little moments—her quiet determination, his playful presence—had begun weaving a fragile, invisible thread between them. A thread that neither fully understood, but both would quietly follow, even in the midst of sleepless nights.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***