As the night stretched on, Kim lay motionless in bed, the weight of the day’s events pressing down on him. His thoughts swirled, a storm of worries and uncertainties clouding his mind. The events at the university replayed over and over, each moment more vivid than the last. The subtle but harsh ways the wealthier students treated those like him, the way they looked down on his background—he couldn’t shake it. But it wasn’t just that. It was the looming reality of what awaited him. The campus was full of luxury, yes, but it was also a battleground. A battlefield where social status defined value, and where the rich got richer, and the poor stayed exactly where they were.

Kim’s mind drifted to the future—his future. The reality of it was daunting. He could already see the barriers forming around him. The discrimination he had witnessed, small at first, had the potential to grow into something far worse. How could he ever fit in? Would he ever be accepted by the elite? He knew that he would always be seen as an outsider, no matter how hard he tried. The thought of facing this day in and day out, of living with this constant reminder of his difference, filled him with a sense of dread.

He turned his head and stared at the dimly lit room. The house he had grown up in, where each corner was a reminder of their modest life. It was nothing like the grand homes he had seen on campus. But it was home. It was everything to him. And it was for them that he would endure. His mother, his father, his siblings—they had worked tirelessly to ensure he had this chance. They didn’t deserve to live in poverty anymore. They deserved better. And it was up to him to give it to them.

As Kim thought about his first day, his mind turned to Seo-joon, the friend he had made. Seo-joon was the only person who had spoken to him without any hidden agenda. They had clicked from the first moment, and Seo-joon had been a breath of fresh air in an otherwise cold, unfriendly environment. Kim didn’t know if the friendship would last, though. This world was treacherous. In a place where power and wealth determined everything, even the strongest alliances could easily crumble under pressure. Seo-joon’s kindness was something Kim valued, but he couldn’t allow himself to become too attached. In this world, people betrayed one another for much less.

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Still, Kim knew that he couldn’t face the future alone. He needed people he could trust, even if that trust was fragile. Seo-joon had shown him that there were still good people, despite the divide between the rich and the poor. If they could stick together, perhaps they would have a chance. But Kim also knew that alliances, even the strongest ones, were always subject to change. In the end, he would need to rely on his own strength. No one else could carry the burden he had to bear. The future of his family was on his shoulders, and he couldn’t afford to be weak.

Tomorrow, he would wake up and face another day of uncertainty. The university might be a place of opportunities, but it was also full of danger, especially for someone like him. He would need to keep his guard up, always. The friendships he made might be temporary, the promises made might be broken. But the one promise he would keep was to his family: he would rise above his circumstances, and he would do whatever it took to ensure they never had to struggle again. He couldn’t fail. Not now. Not ever.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Kim finally closed his eyes, knowing that the road ahead would be long and difficult. But he was ready. The future might be uncertain, but he would walk it with his head held high. For his family. For himself.