Chapitre 1

Buses. Stupid buses are always late making me take the taxi. Fuck, I’m not going to make it to the stupid orientation today. Just why would we need to attend this yearly? We’re fourth-year seniors, we don’t need this, in fact, what we need is a rest. From the university, from the activities, tasks, and, of course, we need to get a life. I could feel the glance of the driver at me, maybe because I have been rolling my eyes non-stop while typing away on my phone.

No, Jamie Lia Choi, all you have to do is add more patience. I took a huge breath, and just in time the taxi stops in front of my university where students are already entering. I paid and flew away inside the campus. I was greeted by familiar and new faces. They must’ve missed each other by the way they hugged and smiled at each other. Oh, how touching. Not really, my block almost met every day so we probably don’t miss each other, rather than missing, I’d say that we are getting done with every one of us.

But that aside, I saw Ciara and James bickering, block mates and research partners of mine, standing among the huge crowd. I roll my eyes and smile, “what’s the debate all about this time?” I greeted them with a tap on their backs, pulling them to walk with me to the café located inside the campus.

“Well, some stupid creature here has been telling me that there are alterations about our schedule, even though ‘I’ didn’t get an e-mail about it” Ciara crosses her arms across her chest, scoffing at James, who looked so done at her. “Maybe you aren’t as much of a special student as you claim yourself to be then, Kim” James spats out, both of them following me inside the café. “I didn’t get one as well, are you sure it’s for all of us?” I frown at him, taking a glance at the exhausted James.

“Yes, obviously since the message mentioned the whole block” James explained, standing in between me and Ciara. “Oh, fuck them, always adding unnecessary subjects, not even connected to our course” Ciara curses while pulling out her phone, probably to make another note about it. “The others are already complaining about it, and they said we are supposed to get the new syllabus to Mr. Lee, the ‘Mr. Lee’, Lia” James added, and I turned to him with my eyes wide.

“What? Why him?” I asked before ordering our usual orders and turning back to him. “Apparently, he was appointed as a new department chief in the Anthropology course, which, unfortunate for us, is our course” Ciara cuts in James, looking up from her phone. Her exhausted features scream so much frustration, that, I found it amusing.

“And we have a new professor for the newly added subject” James added, all of us taking the orders. Almost past twelve, no one went to the orientation, instead, we sat at one of the tables of the café, one at the very end of the shop, to get a more secluded area for us to gossip about things, and to start our research as well.

“I’m getting the syllabus later, you coming?” I blurt out while finishing another drink. “Nope, I’d rather wait outside and for you to take ours” Ciara smiles, her dimples showing while typing on her device. I rolled my eyes at both of them, James agreeing with Ciara.

More and more paperwork wore me out. Hours of work for a research proposal and thousands of letters are typed into my document to complete my part of the proposal. “Remember that we need to go to the site to gather more information this weekend,” I tell them, taking a bite of the food. “Oh, about that, my mom insists on going to this newly opened museum, so I might not be able to go with you” James stretches his arms and neck with a huge sigh. I look at Ciara, and she grins, “sorry I kinda have a date” she peeps, and I let out a chuckle, “Fine, but I’m not doing the paperwork but the documentation only, and you’ll have to do the documents with the notes I’ll be taking down after I visit the site” I cross my arms across my chest.

James and Ciara went to go first while I was left here, in front of the faculty of our department. So much for waiting for me outside the office.  Anthropology was one of the specialized courses that the university, there are barely any students in the course that’s why the students memorized by the professor. I knocked once, and twice, before placing my ear on the door to see if there are still people inside.

“I see that you’re here for the syllabus, Ms. Choi” a voice, baritone, startled me. A gasp left me before turning to see Mr. Lee. Clean, slicked-back hair with round specs hanging perfectly on his nose bridge. Mr. Lee isn’t an old man who complains about everything and gives hard and multiple tasks to be passed as soon as possible. In fact, he is young.

The slicked-back hair and the round specs, tall figure, and proportioned physique. He looked as if he was also a college student like us, maybe one of the many reasons that many students like him. “Sir, yes” I smiled politely. Mr. Lee had his lips in a tight smile before holding the knob and opening the door to his office.

Just a clean office room. No design or interiors to make the room more, lively. In front of his huge table was his name imprinted on a marble. Xian Brie Lee. He sits at his table, shuffling around his papers to get my syllabus. He pulls on the paper and gives it to me with a smile. I took a step to take it before slightly bowing, remembering that I will get James and Ciara’s syllabus as well.

“Sir? Would it be fine if I can get James and Ciara’s as well? They won’t be able to get it by today, so they asked if I can get it” I told him, holding the paper in my hands, fiddling with a rough surface. He looks at me, placing his chin on his knuckles. “And why can’t they? I made sure to say that you all should take the new syllabus, personally” he raised both his brows at me. “Well, since we are working early on our proposal, they volunteered to do it, and I get tasked with the documentation and taking their new syllabus” I smiled at him, mentally cursing the other two in my head.

“Is that so? Hmm, then I want your proposal next week since you’re starting this early” he smiled fully at me and pulled out James and Ciara’s syllabus, and handed it to me.