The morning sunlight didn't wake Sera so much as gently coax her out of sleep — warm, quiet, unhurried. It touched her eyelids softly, spreading across her pillow like liquid gold, and for the first time in a long, aching stretch of days, she didn't feel the familiar weight in her chest when she opened her eyes.
Her first breath was steady.
Her second was clearer.
She lay there for a long moment, staring at the pale light on her ceiling, wondering why the ache didn't return today. She had expected it. She had braced for it. And yet… all she felt was a strange, almost sacred calm.
Her last day as Sera Kim.
Not the girl with a secret lineage.
Not the daughter of Vale.
Not the heart that loved someone quietly.
Not the woman holding herself together by threads.
Just Sera.
Just a girl with her notebooks, her morning routines, her shy smiles, her friendships, her laughter.
Just herself.
She sat up slowly, feeling the softness of her sheets, the familiar weight of her favorite blanket, the quiet stillness of her room. Everything looked exactly the same as it always had — the small potted plant on her window sill, the stack of worn textbooks, the half-folded clothes from last night.
Except for one thing.
Her suitcase at the edge of her bed.
Half-packed.
Half-empty.
Half-her.
Half-leaving.
It waited for her like a quiet truth in the shadows.
But not for today.
Today, she chose herself.
⸻
She got ready slowly, carefully — not to impress anyone, not to hide anything, but to feel beautiful in her own skin. She tied her hair in a soft ribbon, dabbed a faint tint on her lips, chose a cream blouse and a flowy skirt that always made her feel… light.
She looked at her reflection.
She looked like Sera.
Not someone pretending. Not someone holding her heart in discomfort. Not someone fighting to stay composed.
Just… her.
A girl who wanted one more day of peace.
She stepped outside. The morning air was crisp and cold, nipping gently at her cheeks. The sky was a soft watercolor blue, streaked with early sunlight. The campus gates shimmered faintly in the gold wash of dawn.
The world looked clean.
New.
Kind, even.
She took a slow breath.
It came out steady.
Her feet carried her forward.
⸻
Haerin and Minji spotted her before she even reached them.
"Seraaa!" Minji practically screeched, waving a pastry bag over her head like a victory flag. "I brought your favorite — the chocolate croissant with the dramatic curls!"
Haerin swatted Minji's arm. "She means we. I actually paid."
Sera laughed — a soft, bright laugh that made both girls pause.
Haerin tilted her head. "Someone's glowing today."
Sera shrugged lightly. "Maybe."
Minji narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Did you win the lottery? Did your landlord finally fix the tap? Did you eat chocolate before breakfast?"
"No," Sera giggled. "I just… wanted a good day."
Minji slung an arm around her instantly. "Then today you get THE BEST DAY. We planned a whole itinerary while you slept."
"I did not plan anything," Haerin said flatly.
"You're right," Minji said. "I planned everything. Because I'm the brain. You're the muscle."
"What about Sera?" Haerin asked.
"Sera is the heart," Minji declared dramatically.
Sera's smile faltered for half a heartbeat at the word — heart — but she caught herself.
Today was not for pain.
Today was for joy.
⸻
The café was their spot — always had been, always would be. Minji grabbed the corner booth with the triumphant flourish of someone claiming ancient territory. Haerin ordered iced Americanos with military precision. Sera took her usual seat beside the window.
Sunlight streamed across their table, catching the steam from their drinks, making the pastries look like glowing offerings.
Eunwoo joined them late, practically wheezing.
"I heard there's a gathering without me. Betrayal."
"You weren't invited," Haerin said.
"I'm insulted," he said dramatically. Then he looked at Sera. "You look… peaceful today."
Sera blinked. "Do I?"
Eunwoo nodded slowly, quietly. "Yeah… you do."
Something in his tone warmed her chest.
She didn't correct him.
⸻
They spent the next hour talking about things that didn't matter — exams, bad cafeteria food, Minji's questionable taste in fashion, Haerin's obsession with crime documentaries, Eunwoo's plan to adopt twelve cats.
Nothing deep.
Nothing heavy.
Just laughter.
Just warmth.
Just a life that felt painfully precious in its simplicity.
At one point, Minji leaned in. "Sera, what's with the smile today? It's too soft. Too pretty. It's making me emotional."
Haerin added, "You're suspicious. But in a nice way."
Sera sipped her tea calmly.
"I told myself I deserve a good day."
Minji placed a hand on her chest dramatically. "You deserve a good life."
Sera looked out the window, her breath catching just a little.
Yes.
Maybe she did.
⸻
They walked through campus after brunch, ducking into bookshops, poking fun at new dorm posters, teasing each other over embarrassing past moments.
Sera drank it all in like sunlight.
She lingered on everything — the way Minji's laughter echoed across the hall, the way Haerin adjusted her glasses every few minutes, the way Eunwoo switched sides of the sidewalk to walk closer to her when he thought she wasn't paying attention.
These moments were hers.
The last pieces of a life she had lived so earnestly.
The last pieces of Sera Kim.
Every memory felt like a soft ribbon tied around her heart.
⸻
When they reached the fountain, Eunwoo nudged her gently.
"You seem… nostalgic today."
"Maybe I am," she said.
He studied her for a long moment.
"You're not leaving, are you?"
Her heart froze.
"No," she lied with a soft smile.
"Not today."
His expression softened.
"Then that's enough," he murmured.
She almost cried at the tenderness of it.
⸻
But then — the moment she knew would eventually come —
Julian's lecture hall emptied in the distance.
Students spilled into the courtyard, talking loudly, stretching their arms. Some greeted Haerin, others gathered around Eunwoo.
Sera froze.
Minji noticed immediately.
"You want to go say hi to him?"
Sera shook her head. "No."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
Her voice wasn't cold — just sure.
Minji nodded.
Haerin gently touched her elbow. "Do you want to go the other way?"
"Yes."
They turned left.
Julian Lee's presence faded into the background.
For the first time, Sera didn't look back.
It didn't hurt.
It felt like acceptance.
Like breathing.
Like choosing herself.
⸻
They spent the rest of the afternoon under the tall oak tree — their sanctuary.
Minji spread out her bag like a picnic.
Haerin cleaned her glasses for the tenth time.
Eunwoo plopped down beside Sera, sighing dramatically.
She loved them.
Deeply.
Quietly.
More than she had ever said.
At one point, they all lay on the grass, staring up at the sky, clouds drifting lazily like slow-moving thoughts.
Minji pointed at a cloud.
"That one looks like a croissant."
Haerin replied instantly, "You're hungry again."
"Always," Minji said.
Sera closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face, the cool breeze brushing her hair, the soft rustle of leaves above them.
It felt like healing.
Like a slow exhale.
Like the world whispering:
It's okay.
You lived beautifully.
You loved deeply.
You'll carry this forever.
⸻
By evening, the shadows stretched longer and the sky glowed with warm orange. They walked to the main gate slowly, talking about nothing and everything.
This time, Sera memorized every step.
At the gate, they hugged her tightly.
"Tomorrow, brownies!" Minji insisted.
"Tomorrow," Sera murmured.
"Tomorrow," Haerin repeated.
Eunwoo smiled softly. "See you in the morning."
Sera smiled. "See you."
The three of them walked away.
And Sera watched them go with the softest ache in her chest.
Not grief.
Just love.
⸻
When they disappeared around the corner, she turned toward the sunset.
The sky was bleeding gold and red, beautiful and dramatic, like a final bow from the universe.
She whispered gently to the fading light:
"Thank you… for giving me this one last day."
Her heart felt full.
Her soul felt quiet.
Tomorrow, she would leave.
Tomorrow, she would say goodbye to everything.
But today—
Today she lived.
Today she loved.
And today she remembered what it felt like to be herself.
The girl named Sera Kim.