Destiny | KTH

Prologue

The air hung thick with the sweet scent of cotton candy and popcorn, a carnival of pre-graduation jitters thrumming beneath the florescent lights of the mall. Inside the cramped photo booth, Sohee, a whirlwind of nervous energy, shoved a sparkly white tiara onto my head. "Perfect!" she declared, her voice echoing off the mirrored walls. "Just like a princess... but cooler, because graduation!"

The tiara, perched precariously on top of my unruly curls, felt a touch ridiculous paired with the baby-pink dress Mom insisted I wear. It was a beautiful dress, light and airy like spun sugar, but perhaps a tad too... youthful for the occasion. Secretly, I admired Sohee's edgy black cat ears, a perfect contrast to her usual fiery red hair. We were a mismatched trio, a testament to the years spent forging an unlikely friendship amidst the chaos of high school.

"Alright, Y/N, your turn!" Minie squeezed in beside Sohee, the booth groaning under the weight of their combined enthusiasm. Minie, ever the pragmatist, had somehow managed to snag a mini tripod for the photo booth, resulting in a precarious balancing act with the camera. "Chin up, shoulders back, and remember – fierce graduation goddess, not blushing damsel!"

I, on the other hand, had a pathological aversion to cameras. The mere sight of a lens pointed my way sent me retreating faster than a startled rabbit. Graduation photos had been a battlefield negotiation with Mom, resulting in a shaky truce and a promise of "just a few pictures with your friends."

So there I sat, perched awkwardly on the plastic bench outside the booth, listening to the cacophony of clicks and shrieks emanating from within. A stray giggle escaped the confines, followed by a chorus of, "No, Sohee, that one is definitely a blinker!"

I sighed, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. Those two were impossible, a walking, talking hurricane of laughter and camaraderie. Maybe that's why I was drawn to them – a magnet to their infectious energy.

Suddenly, the photo booth door swung open, and Sohee emerged, a triumphant grin plastered across her face. "We got some epic ones, Y/N! You wouldn't believe the poses Minie came up with!"

Minie followed, hair askew and a satisfied glint in her eye. "We may not have gotten a single picture without someone making a goofy face," she conceded, "but hey, that's what makes them memories, right?"

Memories.

 The word echoed in my head. These pictures, with their potential for goofy grins and tiara-induced awkwardness, were more than just snapshots. They were a tangible reminder of the laughter-filled years, the late-night study sessions fueled by cold pizza, and the unwavering support that had seen us through.

Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders, the baby pink suddenly feeling a little less out of place. Maybe a touch of princess wasn't so bad after all, especially when you had your best friends by your side. "Alright, let's do this," I declared, a newfound determination in my voice. "Graduation goddesses, assemble!"

The mall doors whooshed shut behind Sohee and Minie, their laughter echoing faintly for a moment before fading into the general hubbub. I stood alone for a beat, the fluorescent lights suddenly harsh after the warm glow of their friendship. Glancing at my phone, I winced – 8:57 pm. Great. Another broken curfew. Just what I needed on graduation night.

A mental sigh escaped me as I trudged towards the mall exit. Mom had been adamant: be home by eight. No exceptions. Graduation or no graduation. It wasn't a harsh rule, but knowing my propensity for getting swept away in the current of Sohee and Minie's enthusiasm, I'd sworn to myself I'd be good. Obviously, that vow wasn't worth the paper it wasn't written on.

The familiar roar of a motorbike engine tore through the twilight as I reached the main gate. It was Ethan, my older brother, no doubt flaunting his brand new birthday gift – the monstrously loud superbike Dad had gotten him for his 19th. I quickened my pace, slipping inside the gate just as his helmet bobbed into view. A close call.

Mom was humming along to the radio in the kitchen as I tiptoed past the living room. The air smelled faintly of burnt onions, making my stomach grumble. Graduation day dinner, it seemed, wasn't going to be a celebratory feast. Just another regular Tuesday night dinner, with the added pressure of my transgression hanging in the air.

Reaching my room, I shed my baby pink dress in a flurry of tulle and sighs. Mom never shouted "for unnecessary reason," but she did have this way of making me feel like a disappointment through a series of pointed silences and disapproving looks. It wouldn't be a tantrum, just a quiet disappointment at breaking another rule.

Slipping into my favorite pair of ripped jeans and a cozy sweater, I crept back downstairs. The smell of burnt onions was stronger now, mixed with the faint scent of baking cookies. There, hunched over the stove, was Mom, a tired line etched between her brows. Maybe dinner wasn't so basic after all.

With a silent smile, I pulled out a chair and began setting the table. Tonight, words weren't needed. Just the quiet comfort of setting the table together, a small act of defiance against the unspoken tension.

Dinner that night was a quiet affair, the clinking of forks against plates the only sound punctuating the thick air. Mom, bless her heart, had salvaged the burnt onions into a passable stir-fry, adding a side of her signature chocolate chip cookies as a silent apology (or maybe a reward for my graduation?). Ethan, however, seemed determined to shatter the fragile peace.

"So, little Y/N, all graduated and ready to conquer the world, huh?" He speared a glistening onion with his fork, his voice dripping with a mockery I knew all too well.

"Just going to pursue my Masters in Daegu, Ethan," I mumbled, keeping my eyes downcast. Daegu, my hometown, a safe and predictable bubble I'd known all my life. Safe, predictable, and stifling.

"Daegu, huh? Sounds...exciting." He stretched the word out, sarcasm dripping like honey. "Not exactly London, is it?"

London. Ethan's ticket to freedom, a scholarship to a prestigious university a world away. A life I could only dream of. My parents, bless their hearts, believed I wasn't "cut out" for the big leagues. Daegu, a local university, a "sensible" choice for a young woman like me. They never said it outright, but the message was clear – my dreams of exploring the world were just that, dreams.

"Daegu is a great city," I mumbled, pushing the food around my plate with a newfound lack of appetite.

"Sure is," Ethan chortled. "Full of... what was it again, Mom? Opportunities?" He nudged her with his elbow, a cruel glint in his eyes.

Mom, bless her ever-loving soul, simply pursed her lips and shook her head, refusing to participate in his taunts. But the damage was done. The carefully constructed dam within me threatened to burst.

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I excused myself from the table and retreated to the safety of my room. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring the familiar sight of my posters and knick-knacks. This wasn't how graduation night was supposed to feel. This was supposed to be a celebration, a starting point, not a stark reminder of my limitations.

Just then, my phone buzzed on the nightstand. A text. My heart skipped a beat. It was him.

"Congratulations for being graduated, sweetheart!" The message read, followed by a string of heart emojis. Taehyung. My Taehyung. We'd met online in a study group two years ago, a chance encounter that blossomed into something more. He was my confidante, my escape, the one person who truly understood me. No one else knew about him, not even my closest friends. He was my secret happiness, a world away from the suffocating expectations of my small town.

A smile bloomed on my face, chasing away the lingering tears. "Thank you," I typed back, adding a kiss emoji.

His reply came almost instantly, a melting face emoji followed by a simple line: "So proud of you."

It wasn't much, but in that moment, it was everything. In the virtual world of Taehyung's texts, I found a freedom my reality denied. Maybe Daegu wasn't London, but for now, it was a step forward. And with Taehyung by my side, even virtually, the world felt a little less daunting. Maybe, just maybe, someday I'd get my chance to explore too. Until then, I had him, and that, for now, was enough.