"You're almost there." Emi internally monologues to herself as she pushes herself to finish her final lap. Her sun-kissed skin gleams with sweat from the humid and dreadfully scorching heat despite it being early in the morning. Her shoes barely sticking between the white lines one the track as she sprints around the course. Other students observe her along with her coach who times her with her stopwatch. While morning jogs usually offer a peace of mind to Emi, she's anything but clear of mind. She has to make a good impression for her track team considering she's a freshman in this University. Emi is certainly no stranger to being competitive or athletic. She does wonder if she'll accomplish anything from all this when she should be focused on her studies. Then again, it weren't for her athletic abilities from her high school years being in the track club, she wouldn't have that scholarship she desperately needed. She couldn't just wing it with academics like her precious friend Chiara.
"Well done Emi!" Her coach noted as she stopped her timer once she had completely the lap. Emi was resting on her knees, sweating and panting from her run. "Your third time was definitely faster than your other two. You might have what it takes to be on the track team But you still have three more trials to go. Train harder for the next two and you might just make it. You're done for now Emi." Emi nods, still panting as she gets up from the ground, she heads off to the sidelines to get a sip of water from her jug. She pours a bit on her towel which she uses to cool off her face and hair which is fluffy and messy. As she cools off, she can hear some of the other track girls not to far off from the bleachers where they are sitting. She can't make out what they are talking about but it seems or less to be gossip. She can't stand that sort of thing. Although she's not insecure about herself and has no issue speaking to others like her friend, Emi is no keen on talking to most girls. She just finds their materialism and drama to be too much for someone as humble as her. She wonders about her friend Chiara and how she might be doing in her classes. It's a shame they didn't get the same dormitory together. But she knows she can find her around lunch time and catch up together. She doesn't like the idea of seeing Chiara by herself like she usually was back in high school.
Until then, Emi has to get herself cleaned up. She grabs her sport bag and water jug and leaves the track field, straight towards her dormitory. This university is rather spacious and homes plenty of classrooms, facilities, and dormitories, yet despite housing thousands of other students, it's awfully lonely and quiet this morning considering it's the first week of the semester. As early as it might seem, the sun barely peaking over the horizon, it seems some classes are already in session. From what Emi has experienced so far, she's a bit disappointed by how college really is. But deep down, she hopes she finds her purpose and meaning to all this, maybe in track and field, or maybe in her Psychology major. "Could I be a good person to others just as I am with Chiara?" She ponders to herself that question since she doesn't really have a high tolerance for other people's bullshit. Everyone Emi has come across so far in college aren’t exactly inspiring to Emi. Not even her fellow classmates in her psychology courses. "If all of these classmates are here for selfish reasons, to make a career out of helping others just to profit from it, humanity is going to be completely screwed." To be fair, Emi’s not sure why she’s even majoring in Psychology. She had to go to college and major in something to please her parents and inspire her little brother at the very least.
Within a crowded lecture hall sits a petite, pale looking girl with innocence in her deep blue eyes. She sits a bit far back in the auditorium seating, a laptop sitting on her rather small desk that barely gives her space between the students sitting next to her. Her light reddish hair, normally kept straight and free flowing is tied into a simple ponytail for her own comfort though she wishes she could cover her face with her bangs and hair. She's already feeling a lot of discomfort being around so many classmates in such a claustrophobic setting. Eventually the professor, an older man of Indian descent enters the classroom, five minutes later than what was scheduled. He puts his jacket on his chair in front of the lecture hall, prepares his microphone and projector before starting his lesson. "Good morning everyone, and welcome to Music Theory 101. I'll be your professor for this course." As the professor goes through his power point going over the semester plan, assignments, exams, and his contact hours and email in his presentation, Chiara can't seem to understand his accent very well and appears lost. Normally, she's quite a good listener but this is the first time in her life that she struggles to follow through what the professor is saying. She start to feel a tightness in her stomach, a feeling of uncertainly about being able to follow the lectures.
"Once the professor starts off with his first presentation and subject for the course, Chiara finds it hard to keep track as she types what is presented on the power point. Her little fingers type desperately to keep up as the professor speaks quickly and breezes through the power point within seconds. "Everyone got that? Moving on..." Chiara really wants to speak up but finds it difficult to raise her hand and ask so she continues to try to keep following along. Eventually, she just gives up with a sigh as she instead tries a new approach by not typing notes at all, desperately giving her absolute attention to the professor as he speaks but she can barely follow what he is saying. At the end of the class, she puts away her laptop and waits for everyone to start leaving before she takes a breath and approaches the professor. "Um....excuse me but..." "Ah, you must be Miss Lorenz yes? Is there something I can help you with?" He says with a heavy accent. "Do you have the power point for today's lecture?" She asks in a soft and nervous voice. "Ah of course, why didn't you tell me earlier? I'll make sure to post them on the class blackboard online later today." "Oh good...thanks." Chiara sighs in relief as she thanks the professor and heads out of the lecture hall. She kind of feels like an idiot for trying to take down notes from the power point.
As she leaves the lecture hall, she feels even more awkward as she notices all the classmates socializing and laughing. They seem to be having a good time. She wonders why she feels so alone in her struggles. Well at least she has Emi to hang out with at lunch. This first week of college has been rather upsetting for Chiara. Chiara was a model student for all of her life, being a highly regarded student among her instructors in the classroom and in Orchestra as a pianist. At the same time, she loathed school and all of her classmates who either bullied her for her shyness and awkwardness or outright ignored her to the point where she felt like a ghost sometimes. While she has not run into any bullies so far in her first week as a freshman in college, she feels somehow more lonely than she's ever felt in her life. Everyone seems to already made connections within her classroom and yet she can't name as single guy or girl she can talk to other than Emi who isn't even in the same major or dormitory as her.
Chiara wishes that she could just return to her dorm and take a breather but she has another fine arts class to attend to real soon. “History of Popular Music.” Not exactly something she considered ever taking but it was required for her degree plan. All she can at this point, is soldier on through her lectures and count the hours until lunch break where she can finally get some time to relax with Emi.
Meanwhile, in a dorm room not far from where Chiara would be staying at, two other girls are staying in. One of them is a short blonde girl with messy hair. She's napping on the floor of the dorm room, engineering books laying close by along with her used budget laptop which is connected to a headset device. Her t-shirt is far too over sized for her stature and she wears jogging pants despite having any athletic aspirations what so ever. The other girl, sitting at the desk nearby across from the beds in the dorm room is a Japanese girl, elegant in her appearance and dress, wearing named brand blouse and skirt. Her slick black hair is well kept with twin ponytails and she has elegant ear piercings and make up. She sits on her chair which she spiced up with a velvet pillow for comfort, her leg nudging the short blonde girl sleeping on the floor.
"Come on Mai, don't knock out on me like this! You haven't helped me on this damn math problem!"
Mai grumbles in her half asleep state as she speaks. "Mm....ah...why don't you study on your own or hire some tutor to help you? You have the money for a good tutor."
The Japanese girl shakes her head. "Because you've helped me out all the time we went to high school together, so you might as well help me out now. Come on, you know math isn't my strongest subject."
Mai rolls and sighs as she tries to keep herself awake. "Then perhaps you should have gone for a different major Hikari. Who gives a shit what your parents want you to do?"
Hikari, clearly offended by Mai's remarks scoffs at her."Ugh, I do! They are paying my tuition for me to be here. What else am I supposed to do. I either get this medical degree or I go home a loser."
Mai finally opens her eyes, her eyes looking up at Hikari who looks down at her like a owner upset at her pet for making a mess. "You're really spoiled you know that? Whatever..." She lets out a cute little yawn before getting up. "Alright alright I'll help you out but you have to promise me when we're finished with our assignments for this week, you'll play some Mil-Sim story with me. Come on, it'll be fun." Hikari looks disgusted by this offer.
"As if I would play that dorky game with you. What kind of guy would find a girl who plays those sort of games attractive anyways?"
Mai smirks. "At least I have guys to talk to. You think that being a Japanese exchange student from a wealthy family background would do you favors but somehow you prove me wrong." She chuckles at Hikari's expense.
"Whatever Mai...I'll play your stupid game...alright. Just please...help me out with this question alright. I want to finish this assignment before lunch."
Mai smiles. "Heh. That's more like it. Trust me, we're going to have so much fun playing Mil-Sim Story. You might even run into some guys online when we play."
"Whatever...you disgusting little redneck." Hikari mutters under her breath before taking back her own words. "You know...forget that I said that...just help me out here please. You're good at this stuff."
Lunch hour is packed with students all over campus. It's one of the busiest hours, especially on a Friday as everyone is either going to the cafeteria, going to the parking lot to drive somewhere off campus, or heading off to have lunch in private at their dorm. For Chiara, she's looking for her friend just outside of her dormitory, waiting for her to arrive. Chiara was lucky to be staying at the Honor’s Hall in her university. Only those with the best resumes and grade are allowed to stay in these dorms. They have the nicest student spaces, housekeeping, and personal parking spaces, none of which Chiara really has any use for. She carries two bags with some canned ice tea and some sandwiches she made in her dorm room just for her and for Emi. She's not hard to miss when she spot her in the crowd. She waves at Emi who spots her and smiles back as she approaches Chiara.
"Hey Chiara! Thanks for waiting for me."
"Ah...it's no biggie. I made some sandwiches. I hope they'll be okay."
Emi gently pats Chiara's shoulder. "They'll be more than okay. You know that. Come on, let's go to the patio."
Chiara and Emi head inside the dormitory and up a flight of stairs towards a patio, overlooking most of the campus. Chiara's dorm is one of the farthest dorms compared to most of the buildings on campus and is seated slightly uphill giving it a vantage point over most the campus. The patio is located just by the stair case and has open windows letting the fresh air from outside in while providing plenty of shade from the sun. Despite being a popular hang out and study spot for the dorm, Chiara and Emi are the only ones having lunch there.
"How was class today, Chiara? Still stressful as before?" Emi asks, settling into one of the patio chairs. Chiara sighs, her shoulders slumping a bit as she takes out the sandwiches she prepared.
"Y...Yeah. One of my professors has a thick accent that's hard to follow. All the other professors are okay I guess." Emi nods as she listens. To be honest..." Chiara mutters. "I just don't if I can even manage this semester with the way things are so far. I never felt so lost in my life. I don't know how everyone can seem so...so fine."
"Chiara, you're one of the smartest and most talented girls I'd ever known." Emi interjects after taking a bite of her sandwich. "Besides, you don't know how everyone else if feeling unless you ask them. Most people are good at hiding their frustrations you know. It's just that the two of us are usually upfront about how we feel, at least with each other. You know that Chiara. I'm having my own doubts too. Track is... fine, I guess, but I don't know if it's what I want to do anymore. College isn't turning out to be what I expected either. Everything feels...so overwhelming"
"Yeah, overwhelming. I feel the same way Emi. Maybe we'll get over it. We should have known things were going to be different in college."
"Well thank God it's Friday." Emi remarks. "We got tonight and the weekend to relax a little. We both deserve a good break don't you think? Especially after our first week of college."
"Mm. You're right Emi. Especially with how chaotic it was to move in and get adjusted. Although it doesn't seem like there's anything interesting to do around campus."
"How about some VR gaming? We haven't done that in a while."
"True." Chiara murmurs. "I'm just a bit scared of being addicted or distracted by my studies if I get back into VR gaming."
"Not if we keep it in moderation. Just treat it like drinking responsibility or something like that."
"We're both too young to be drinking."
"Obviously" Emi chuckles. "But we're both old enough to play any online VR game out there. So we don't have to worry about not finding something to play. But if you're not in the mood for gaming, maybe I can get you to do some jogging with me in the morning. I know you don't really like intense exercises but a casual jog will do wonders for your mental health."
"Thanks Emi. I'll consider the offer. Are you done for today Emi?"
"Yep. I don't have any classes after this. Why?"
"Bring your laptop and your headset to my dorm room. There's a fairly new game I want to try."