My name is Lian, a third-year student living between the pages of books and strict university deadlines. My life is nothing more than a rigid schedule, stretching from crowded lecture halls to my small library corner in my room, where I spend my nights desperately trying to organize my scattered future. My major, "Methods of Teaching English," demands that I be organized, calm, and constantly in pursuit of perfection, but my reality screamed otherwise; tuition fees chased me like a shadow that never leaves, and my father exhausted himself to provide what I needed, which made me feel the weight of responsibility in every step I took on campus.
I thought my routine would remain the same, until that moment when a message arrived on my father's phone. It was a message from "Lady Winston"—my aunt whom I had never met, living in the world of the wealthy in the heart of Paris—turning my life upside down and opening a door I never imagined: an offer to work with her organizing elite parties in exchange for covering my university fees. In that moment, I stopped being just a struggling student in her library, and my journey into the unknown began.
I couldn't wait any longer. My hands were trembling as I searched my contacts for "Casey." She was the only one who knew how much I struggled to pay this semester's tuition. The moment I pressed call, her usual lively voice came through, tightening my heart.
"Casey… I'm really sorry, I won't be spending this summer with you as planned," I said in one breath before I lost my courage.
A short silence fell on the other end. I could feel her disappointment as she said softly, "Really? Lian… I had planned so much. I was waiting for summer so we could escape the pressure of studying and spend a lot of time together… what happened?"
I took a deep breath and tried to organize my words. "Something unbelievable happened. My aunt who lives in Paris sent a request… she wants me there to organize her parties in exchange for paying all my university debts. Casey, it's the only way out I've been waiting for, but I didn't want to lose our summer." The words left me with bitter honesty. I knew this decision would change everything—not only my academic future, but also the relationships I deeply cherished.
After a long emotional conversation, I ended the call and found myself sitting on the edge of my bed, staring at my reflection in the mirror. The room was filled with stacks of colorful papers and study notes, each one reminding me of the exhaustion I had been running from. Was I really going to leave all this behind? Leave my notebooks and simple dreams to face the mysterious world of Lady Winston in the streets of Paris?
I looked at the small map of Paris hanging on my wall, and it suddenly felt like the distance between me and the city had shrunk. Paris was no longer just a destination in my imagination—it had become a commitment, a burden, and a hope all at once. As my father gently knocked on my door to ask what I had decided, I felt that this was the moment to say "yes."
I pulled my old suitcase from under the bed; dust covered it, just like my life had been covered in endless routine. I began emptying my closet, realizing I wasn't just packing clothes—I was packing my fears and expectations. In that moment, I understood that the streets I had always dreamed of walking were now waiting for me, and that the first chapter of my story had not yet begun… it was waiting for me at the first turn in Paris.