Destiny | KTH

Chapter 1

The professor droned on about the hero's journey in the Odyssey, my mind a million miles away. My fingers traced the worn leather of my notebook, the inscription on the first page a silent comfort: "To Y/N, may your journey be filled with adventure." It was a gift from Taehyung, a tangible reminder of the world that existed beyond the stifling walls of Daegu and my parents' expectations.

Earlier that morning, his message had ignited a spark of rebellion within me. "Don't let anyone tell you your dreams are too big, Y/N," it read. "You deserve the world." Simple words, yet they held a power that resonated deep within my soul.

The conversation, however, had taken a sharp turn when I mentioned it to Dad. "People you meet online are fake, Y/N," he'd declared, his voice laced with a suspicion that had always simmered beneath the surface. "They can be anyone they want to be. They can manipulate you."

Two years. Two years of late-night conversations, shared dreams, and unwavering support. Two years that Dad dismissed as a mere fabrication in the digital realm. It felt like a betrayal, a blow to the fragile trust I'd built with Taehyung, the one person who truly saw me.

Mom wasn't much better. Her disapproval of Sohee and Minie, my best friends, stemmed from the same place – a fear of anything that might distract me from the "sensible" path they'd laid out for me. They didn't understand that Sohee and Minie were my anchors, the ones who kept me grounded even as I dreamt of soaring.

My gaze drifted towards the window. The new classroom, with its high ceilings and arched windows, cast long shadows across the worn desks. The pale sunlight streaming through filtered in, bathing the room in a golden glow that felt strangely... Greek. Like a scene straight out of the Odyssey.

A mischievous smile tugged at my lips. Inspiration struck. Grabbing my phone, I snapped a picture of the classroom, the sunlight highlighting the architectural details. "New classroom giving serious Greek literature vibes," I captioned it, a silent message to Taehyung, a shared secret in our digital world.

Hitting send, I waited with a nervous flutter in my stomach. The dreaded "offline" notification popped up. Disappointment threatened to engulf me, but I pushed it down. He was probably busy, living his life in a world where dreams weren't scoffed at, where friendships weren't questioned.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to focus on the lecture. The professor's voice, once a monotonous drone, now held a new meaning. The hero's journey wasn't just about Odysseus sailing the seas; it was about overcoming obstacles, both internal and external. It was about defying expectations and carving your own path.

Professor Kim closed his lecture with a flourish, his vintage brown coat swirling around him like a scholar's robe. The bold black glasses perched on his fair skin somehow added to his air of quiet intelligence. You could practically smell the well-worn pages of countless books clinging to him. As he smiled, a deep dimple formed on his right cheek, softening his features momentarily. It was a detail that had not gone unnoticed by the gaggle of girls in the front row whose whispers carried the weight of a teenage crush.

You, however, were captivated by something else entirely. It wasn't his looks, though admittedly, the name "Professor Namjoon" did roll off the tongue rather poetically. It was the way he taught. Every sentence he uttered, every anecdote he shared, felt like a wave crashing over you, pulling you deeper into the vast ocean of literature. This wasn't just a class; it was an exploration, an adventure where words were the map and Professor Namjoon the seasoned navigator.