The Classroom of Youth

Prologue part 1: The Reality of 13

The school bell rang, and everyone burst out of the classroom to get to their home as fast as possible. However, Yuna didn't have the energy to do so like everyone else. She was tired from countless days of lacking sleep, and using her brain for school and homework. Her heavy bag wasn't helping either.

She dragged herself to the train station to head to her cram school, and bought a snack for her rumbling stomach at the tiny convenience store. A few hours of class drains out so much energy from her.

Once she sat in the train, she pulled out her headphones and played her favorite K-POP playlist, which was the only solution to her stress. The soothing voice of her idols put her to sleep immediately.

Yuna threw herself on her bed after another exhausting day. But she couldn't sleep yet, because of homework. She finally managed to bring herself to face her study desk.

Fighting with her heavy eyelids, she filled in all the answers in her worksheet. 23:44. She showered and slipped into her bed to wake up about 6 hours later.

And the same old day is repeated again.

Yuna never wanted this, but she knows she needs this. Her parents are only forcing her to do it because it should help her in the future, when she goes to university, and when she gets a decent job. Yuna kept on convincing herself that she should tolerate it to not become a failure. Every tests and every grades and points are serious. If she wastes time procrastinating for her tests, her grade will go down. She will be scolded by her parents.

She can't enjoy school purely like the other girls her age.

Everything in the world seems to be boring and gray for Yuna. Except for one thing.

K-POP.

It is the one ray of light that saved Yuna from sinking into the deep abyss of depression and never coming back. It was one autumn day in 6th grade. She was scrolling through Youtube to get a secret rest from studying for her exams. She met her favorite group of people in the world, and that was all she needed. K-pop was her happiness. Her only happiness.

~Yuna~

I often daydream about being a K-pop idol.

Just looking at my idols makes me feel happy too.

Also extremely hopeless at the same time.

But K-pop is the solution to basically everything.

K-pop is my only light.

It is joy itself.

With strict parents, mountains of homework constantly in my face and other outer school activities, it makes a girl miserable. It makes a girl wonder if she has an even slim chance of surviving, or even getting the opportunity to just enjoy everyday life.

"Freedom" is a dream.

I see no meaning in living.

I woke up, fighting the urge to dive back into the blanket and feeling the warmth again. I turned off my alarm clock.