Eun Jae rubbed her eyes tiredly, squinting at the bright glare coming from her window. She didn't realise how late-or early-it was, losing another night's sleep to studying. She thumbed through the notes she finished, nodding to herself in satisfaction.

It was worth it, she thought, One more hour then I can sleep the whole day.

She yawned, stretching her arms overhead. She decided to buy some more tea before she starts again. Collecting her keys and wallet, she left her dorm room to find the vending machine.

"Hey, you're awake! Good timing." Seulgi called out to her cheerfully.

"You're early." Eun Jae greeted her friend, "you know it's a Sunday, right?"

Seulgi puts her hands on her hips, "I do, and you know you promised to run with me, right?"

Eun Jae gulped, "Um...uh, really? Did I?" she stammered

Seulgi shook her head and pushed her back towards her room, "You are not getting away again this week, Cha Eun Jae," she scolded, "Go and get dressed. You have five minutes!"

"But-"

"Five minutes, okay?" Seulgi cut her and firmly closed the door, "Hurry up!"

Eun Jae groaned loudly.

Soon, the two girls made their way to the university's track field. Seulgi seemed happy to run alongside Eun Jae, who was dragging her feet in a snail's pace. "You are so out of shape, Eun Jae," Seulgi remarked, "We've only run a kilometer and you are wheezing like an old lady. Raise your knees."

"You sound just like my mother." Eun Jae grumbled, but she forced herself to keep up.

"So much better." Seulgi said, grinning, "It's a nice day, and I promise you'd feel better afterwards."

"I can't seem to imagine that right now."

"I'll treat you breakfast."

"You better." Eun Jae said, elbowing her friend.

They ran comfortably along the track. It was a cool, autumn morning. Despite the early hour, there were quite a few students doing laps alongside them. Eun Jae noticed a familiar tall figure running ahead, the hood of his black jumper covering his hair. A group of girls followed him a couple of steps behind, whispering and indiscreetly eyeing him as he ran.

"Is that Woo Jin?" she asked

Seulgi squinted her eyes, "Hmm, I can't tell from here. Why?"

Eun Jae pointed to the girls behind him, eyebrows raised questioningly. Seulgi nodded, "I'm guessing they're members of his fan club."

"He has a fan club?" Eun Jae repeated, surprised.

"He's shockingly popular," Seulgi explained, "I mean, he has the brains and the cool attitude."

Eun Jae rolled her eyes, "You mean he's arrogant and bossy, right?"

Seulgi shrugged, "He's athletic too...and I think he looks hot."

Eun Jae glanced at her friend, "Are you serious?"

Seulgi laughed, "I'm not interested, but I can appreciate a good looking man. Don't you think so?"

"Mmm," Eun Jae said thoughtfully, watching his back, "I guess I never really looked at him that way."

"Right. Too busy arguing with each other to notice." Seulgi agreed.

As if he could hear them, Woo Jin turned around and caught them watching him. Eun Jae's eyes widened and she tripped on her shoes, luckily catching herself before she fell. When she looked up, she saw Woo Jin smirking at her before disappearing off the field.

"Did he just laugh at me?" Eun Jae said hotly, her cheeks on fire, "Kyaah, he's really asking for it!"

Seulgi shook her head, "Forget him, let's go! Three more laps and then breakfast."

Eun Jae groaned and followed Seulgi, shaking off the impression of his grin from her mind's eye.

***

"Next week, you will be performing your first dissection of a human cadaver." Their anatomy professor announced at the end of their class.

The room burst into a mix of excited and anxious chatter. Woo Jin made a note on his calendar, resting his head on one hand and looking around the room. Seulgi and Hyorin were talking animatedly to Jinho and Kibum, while Eun Jae nodded along and concentrated on scribbling in her book.

"We will group you into six members per table," the professor continued amidst the chaos he created, "For our first session, we will be looking at the lower extremities. You will study and memorize the thigh and leg muscles, along with their blood and nerve supplies. We will be locating each muscle group in the lab, so be prepared and study well."

"Yes, professor." they all replied

"I will announce your groups now so you can study amongst yourselves."

Woo Jin was barely listening. He needed to go to the bank before his shift tonight, and he only has an hour to do it. He tapped his foot restlessly on the floor, checking his watch every five minutes as the professor called their names.

"Seo Woo Jin, group E."

Woo Jin glanced at the table his professor pointed to. Interesting, he thought, noticing Eun Jae sitting with the rest of his group. He walked to them and raised his hand in greeting.

One of their members shook his head in amazement, "Whoah, daebak. Seo Woo Jin and Cha Eun Jae are both in my group?" he said, grinning at the person beside him slyly, "This is going to be a breeze."

"Do you think I'll do all the work for you, Sungjin?" Eun Jae said, raising one eyebrow.

Sungjin put his hands out, laughing, "Of course not, I didn't mean it like that"

The other member, Daehwi, rolled his eyes, "Yes you did. However, Cha Eun Jae chooses her allies carefully. You're far from her level."

Sungjin's face fell, whilst Eun Jae narrowed his eyes at Daehwi, which he ignored, leaning in closer to her, "I know we've always been fighting head to head for the top," he said slowly, "but maybe we'll benefit more if we help each other out from here on. "

Eun Jae smiled at him, "Pardon me but I never really considered you my competition." she said sweetly.

Daewhi's eyes darkened, and he glared at her, which she returned just as coldly. The other members of their table shifted nervously.

Before the situation could de-escalate further, Woo Jin cut in, "I think we should make an outline first, start from the hip muscles and work our way down. Anybody good at drawing?"

Sungjin nodded, "I can draw."

Woo Jin elbowed Eun Jae to get her attention, nodding towards her book pile, "Is that an anatomy atlas you have?"

Despite the basilisk stares Eun Jae and Daehwi kept giving each other, Woo Jin thought their group worked well enough. They managed to cover most of the new material before the class ended.

"Shall we meet up tomorrow afternoon? One of us can save a room in the library, and we can begin studying tomorrow." Woo Jin suggested, "Bring your anatomy atlas, it's much easier to imagine what we're going to do in the lab with it as reference."

"Who made you our leader, Seo Woo Jin?" Daehwi retorted

"Someone had to, since you're too busy yapping." Woo Jin said matter of factly, "Right, I'm off. See you all tomorrow."

Woo Jin grabbed his books and left, taking his phone out to type a message. He made it outside the classroom when he heard someone calling his name.

He stopped walking so Eun Jae could catch up, "He just annoys the hell out of me."

"Then why stoop to his level? Just ignore it." he pointed out

"I couldn't just let him talk like he's better than me."

Woo Jin sighed, "He was provoking you on purpose to see how far he can push you, and you fell right into his trap."

Eun Jae gaped at him, "Even so..." she began, flustered, "I won't sit there doing nothing."

Woo Jin studied her face, "Was there something else you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh...yeah," she said distractedly, her anger suddenly evaporating, "I'm not sure...really...do you have a minute?"

He checked his watch, grimacing slightly, "Actually, I have an errand to run."

Eun Jae shook her head, "That's okay then, you go ahead. It's not important."

"You sure?" he pressed her

Eun Jae nodded, "Yeah of course, it's just school work. I'll catch you tomorrow."

Woo Jin watched her stroll away, wondering what that was about.

***

"Eun Jae ya, are you going to eat that?"

Eun Jae broke out of her reverie, looking down at the bowl of salad in front of her. "Hmm?"

"You've been playing with it for at least five minutes," Hyorin told her, "Is something bothering you?"

Eun Jae smiled reassuringly at her friend, "I'm fine. I'm just not hungry."

Hyorin frowned, "You've been skipping meals recently, you need to eat more."

She sliced the chicken on her plate and placed some over Eun Jae's salad, "Protein will help your brain recharge."

"Thanks Hyorin, but really, don't worry."

Hyorin exchanged glances with Seulgi, who put her own fork down, "Did your mother tell you to go on a diet again?"

Eun Jae laughed, "No she didn't. Why would you think that?"

"Because she's done it before and you starved yourself for days after." Seulgi pointed out worriedly

"Honestly, I'm just not hungry. Maybe I had a big breakfast." Eun Jae said, forcing herself to eat to pacify her friends.

"What is it then? You don't seem like yourself today." Hyorin pressed her.

Eun Jae sighed, "I guess I'm just nervous about anatomy class."

"Ah," Hyorin replied with a shiver, "Me too. I've never seen a dead body up close before."

"I'm more worried about cutting it the wrong way and making a mess of the inside." Seulgi grumbled.

"Don't you feel...weird about opening up a person's body?" Eun Jae wanted to know, biting her lip, "Someone who used to be alive, just like us?"

Seulgi nodded, "In a way, yes, but...how do I explain it? It's different...I'm more curious about what I will find inside."

Hyorin shook her head repeatedly, "Maybe if I just keep the face covered, I can pretend it's a mannequin. I can't wait to be done with that class."

Seulgi snorted, "We're never going to be completely done with it, this just the beginning."

"What do you mean?" Eun Jae asked anxiously.

"Well, to be a doctor you have to examine bodies all the time," Seulgi explained as she ate, oblivious to her discomfort, "Some are healthy, most would have some form of illness, and some are dying. I'm sure this won't be the only dead person we will see in our lifetime...Its our reality, and its inevitable."

"I guess you're right," Hyorin said dejectedly, "It's so cold when you put it that way, Seulgi."

"We have to get over the fear somehow if we want to become a good doctor." Seulgi replied decisively, "It's not that I'm cold, it's just...realistic, I guess."

Eun Jae put her fork down, losing all interest in eating. Instead, she drank all of her tea in one long gulp. She saw Woo Jin having his lunch a few tables down, his eyes downcast and focused on his phone. He swept his dark hair off his forehead, standing up and taking his tray back to the dishes rack.

"Um, I'm gonna go ahead," Eun Jae said abruptly, grabbing her own bag and tray, "Meet you girls in the library later?"

"Are you finished?" Seulgi asked her, surprised

Eun Jae nodded, "I'll grab something else later. See you in a bit."

She dashed across the room, trying to keep Woo Jin in sight. She's been trying to corner him on several occasions, but he's either been missing or rushing off to go somewhere. Even during their group sessions, she couldn't bring herself to talk to him while studying, and whenever she tried to do it afterwards, he was already gone. Eun Jae wondered where he kept disappearing to, but she didn't want him to think she was invading his privacy.

"Woo Jin." she called after him

Woo Jin turned around, "Oh. Hey." he greeted her distractedly, "What's up?"

"Um, uh..." Eun Jae hesitated, unsure how to bring up the topic. I couldn't even tell Seulgi and Hyorin about my fear, she thought, How am I planning to tell him about this? It seemed so easy when she was planning it in her head, but now that he was standing in front of her, waiting, she found she was too tongue-tied to begin.

Woo Jin raised his eyebrows questioningly, "What is it?" he repeated, looking at his watch.

Eun Jae lost her nerve, "Just saying hello, you seemed busy these days." she said lamely.

"Not more than usual." he replied, just as his phone began to ring. "I gotta go."

Eun Jae nodded "S-sure. See you."

She watched him leave with a long sigh. She gathered herself and walked towards the direction of her dorm, feeling more miserable than ever.

***

Woo Jin rushed outside the university gate, scanning the area quickly. He continued walking until he rounded the corner, and stopped on his tracks. Two men in black suits stood casually, blocking the path. They turned at the same time when Woo Jin approached.

The smaller of the two moved forward until he was inside Woo Jin's personal space. He patted Woo Jin's shoulder in what was supposed to be a friendly manner, yet there was something threatening about his grip at the same time. Woo Jin squared his shoulders, refusing to show any fear.

"Woo Jin, my boy," the man said lazily, "Why do you make it difficult for us to meet you?"

"What are you doing here?" Woo Jin asked through gritted teeth, "My school is off limits."

The man shrugged, brushing invisible lint from Woo Jin's shirt, "We were worried you might have forgotten us, so we thought it's time to pay you a visit."

The other man, bigger and taller than Woo Jin, whistled, "You doing well in your studies, doctor?" he drawled.

Woo Jin eyed him silently, before finally replying stiffly, "Not too bad."

"Good, good." the smaller man said, nodding his head appreciatively, "It would be such a shame if this all goes to waste, isn't it? I just hope you don't forget your other responsibilities. I know how busy college can be."

Woo Jin frowned, "I sent the payment three days ago."

The man smiled at him, as if he was talking to a child, "Of course you did, and we are always grateful you pay on time. We just want to remind you that the interest for your payments has changed, just a measly 5% extra."

"What? You can't do that." Woo Jin protested, shaking the man's hand off him, "You have raised the interest last month and you said that was the last time."

The larger man moved closer, cracking his knuckles. Woo Jin's heart began to beat faster in his chest, but he tried to ignore it.

The smaller man chuckled and gripped Woo Jin's shoulder tightly, leaning close to his ear, "Seo Woo Jin, you forget yourself. You don't make the rules here," he hissed, "If we tell you to pay double, you pay us double. If we tell you to drop out of school, you will drop out."

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. They can't actually do that, can they?

"Of course, that's the last thing we want to do." the man continued gently. He released Woo Jin, who tried not to grimace from pain, "You have until the end of the month. If we don't receive it, we'll come and visit you again."

With a nod to his partner, they left and disappeared from sight, leaving Woo Jin behind, squeezing his fists tightly in anger.

***

Eun Jae closed her eyes, clutching her forceps and scissors tightly, as she and the rest of her class sent a silent prayer of gratitude. It was the day of their first cadaver session, and in true Eun Jae fashion, she didn't sleep well last night, dreading the day to come. To help herself calm down, she read all the notes they made and studied all the drawings. She knew what the muscles look like, she can even imagine how to precisely form the incision to begin and identify each muscle of the thigh. Her brain had all the information ready, but still she was petrified of what they were about to do.

She looked around the room too see how everyone was doing. Seulgi was nodding along to their professor's words, while Hyorin was biting her lip, eyeing the white sheet with a panicked look. Jinho doesn't look fazed at all, while Kibum actually looks excited, lifting the blanket to take a peek at the body underneath. Hyorin caught him and slapped his hand until he dropped it guiltily.

Eun Jae returned her gaze back to the waist-high table in front of her, a white, opaque sheet covered the body from head to toe. Woo Jin stood on her right, Sungjin on her left. Their professor walked up and down the middle aisle, giving them last-minute instructions. Eun Jae's hands were sweaty inside her surgical gloves, and she forced herself to put them down on her sides.

"Okay, we will begin with the leg today," their professor announced, "Remove the sheet."

She took a deep breath and braced herself as Sungjin lifted the sheet off their cadaver. She wanted to turn her eyes away, but she was immediately paralysed by the sight before her.

They says a dead body looks like it's just sleeping, she thought, But they're wrong.

Nothing but death could make a body look unnatural and alien. The smell of formaldehyde was so strong, instantly choking her, yet despite this there was the undeniable odor of decay. Eun Jae couldn't take her eyes off the abnormally colored skin and the cracked, dried nails of the toes. She coughed into her face mask repeatedly, trying to gain her senses and focus back, but it was close to impossible.

Woo Jin reached across her to turn their book to the correct page. He read silently, his scalpel poised over the skin below the pelvis, and he pressed it down without hesitation. Eun Jae felt like everything was moving too fast around her, her eyes frozen as Woo Jin's scalpel slide over the skin easily, like a sharp knife on butter. She shuddered as she imagined the blood pooling and spilling out of the wound, spreading all over the table.

Woo Jin held both sides of the cut he made and pulled it apart, exposing the inside of the leg with a loud cracking sound. Eun Jae stepped back in horror, her stomach flipping over as she turned away. She caught sight of the table next to them, two of her classmates eagerly slicing the skin off and putting their hands inside the hole they made. One of the tables had pulled the whole sheet off the body and she caught sight of the cadaver's face.

I'm surrounded by death, she realized, horrified.

She tried to take deep breaths, but the rotten smell filled her nostrils and her lungs. The world was beginning to spin wildly, her stomach squeezing into a tight knot. There was no escape.

I can't breathe, she thought, trembling, I need to get out of here.

She bumped into someone behind her and she quickly turned around, the sudden movement causing her self control to finally give and she lurched forward, throwing up on her classmate's shoulder.

There were loud gasps of horror. Despite her dizziness, she squinted to focus her eyes, catching Woo Jin's shocked expression as he stared at her in alarm.

"I'm sorry." she tried to tell him before the world around her grew dark.

***

The room erupted into chaos.

"Eun Jae? Eun Jae!" Hyorin was shouting, shaking Eun Jae's shoulder forcibly. There was no response. Hyorin repeated it again but with the same result. She looked around the room, "Someone send for help!" she cried.

Woo Jin's shock wore off, and he sprung into action. With their classmates help, he lifted Eun Jae off the ground and onto his back. As soon as she secure, he ran out of the room without a second thought.