【 Our Summer | YeonBin 】

• Chapter One •

It was the last day of school, and all of the students of Westerburg High were in the middle of their last final exam of the school year. For most of the scholars, the year went by quick. Most of them only cared about doing the most to pass and graduate. However, Choi Yeonjun was the exact opposite.

Yeonjun was at the top of his class. He made amazing grades, and all of his teachers said he had a bright future ahead of him. He wanted to be a Video Game Designer and Developer. He spent years studying graphics, coding, etc. He took every graphic design, technology, art, and creative writing class he could in his four years of high school. He even taught himself how to speak English.

Eventually, Yeonjun transferred his studies to creating a playable game demo in which he called: "Beyond the Eyes." Playable demos are stripped down versions of the full game, restricting gameplay to some levels, only allowing access to some features, or limiting the amount of time playable.

Over time, the piece grew a lot of popularity and attention in the gaming community. People admired the boy's obvious passion, time and hard work that was shown. The word spread of Yeonjun's creation, and NyntenD, one of the biggest gaming companies, was quick to place their judgement, whether be good or bad.

The video game company grew intrigued and astonished by the uniqueness, creativity, and beauty of the game. It had been an idea nobody had seen or done before. After hosting a meeting, the corporation emailed the senior, offering him an internship to study as an apprentice in Tokyo, Japan for the summer.

Yeonjun was beyond ecstatic. He went home one night in April after school and immediately opened up his MacBook. His laptop notified him of the email. He ran to his parents, a smile that spread from ear to ear on his face. "Mom! Dad! One of the biggest video game companies in the world wants me to be their apprentice for the summer!" He had told them, practically jumping up and down.

His family was beyond thrilled by hearing the news their son had just told them. Suddenly the room was filled with praise and support. After his parents grew quiet, Yeonjun then continued to read the rest of the email.

"Choi Yeonjun, we have taken a great interest in your piece "Beyond the Eyes," and we would be honored if you joined us June 10th, 2019 through September 1st, 2019 for an "all-expenses paid" internship at NyntenD headquarters. You would be learning hands on with some of the best video game designers in the entire world. Please email us with your answer within one week. If you say yes, we will be expecting your arrival..." Yeonjun's mouth dropped as he read the next few words of the digital letter.

"in Tokyo, Japan..."

Everyone kept quiet. His father and mother looked at each other, both nodding without saying a word as if they had made a silent agreement.

"Son, your mother and I really need to think about this... As happy as we are for you to have the opportunity to follow your dreams, this is Tokyo, Japan... an entirely different, and unknown, country. However, please understand that it is not a strict yes or no." His father had told him, holding his hand out for the valedictorian of Westerburg High. Yeonjun gave his parents a weak, but hopeful smile, and nodded while taking his fathers hand in his own.

The Korean teenager left the room, a slight frown evident on his face. He made his way to his bedroom, and spent the entire night rereading the personalized message while listening to BTS' Spring Day until he fell asleep.

Waking up that morning, he went through the day as normal. He didn't want to tell anyone about the email unless he got a solid yes from his parents. However, that was still out in the open.

—

After giving the subject some deep thought, Yeonjun's parents finally agreed to letting their son go to Japan for the internship, "only because they're paying for everything." The young boy's eyes immediately lit up like the Fourth of July. He darted to his parents, jumping into his mothers arms before rushing to his room and emailing the corporation with his RSVP.