Chapter 3: The Guide
Kitty is still hurt and confused after seeing Dae with Yuri. She spends her morning trying to figure out what's really going on. She can't believe Dae would betray her, but the sight of him holding Yuri's hand keeps replaying in her mind.
During lunch, she sits with Q and asks him if he knows anything about Dae and Yuri. Q seems unsure at first, but tells her that Yuri is from a very wealthy family — her mother is the head of the KISS school board. That makes Kitty even more suspicious. Why would someone like Yuri, who seems to have everything, be with someone like Dae, who isn't rich at all? Something doesn't feel right.
Determined to get answers, Kitty decides to confront Dae. She waits for him after class and finally gets a chance to talk to him alone. When she calls his name, Dae looks shocked to see her there.
"Kitty?" he says, almost whispering.
Kitty tries to smile but can't hide her disappointment. "So… you have a new girlfriend now?" she asks, her voice trembling slightly.
Dae hesitates, clearly nervous. "It's not what it looks like," he insists. But before he can explain, Yuri suddenly appears, interrupting them. She acts calm and confident, pretending that everything between her and Dae is normal. Kitty watches in disbelief as Yuri links her arm with Dae's and walks away.
Kitty feels completely lost. It's her first real heartbreak, and it hits hard. She came all the way from Portland for love — and now it feels like it's slipping away before it even began.
Later that evening, Kitty gets lost in the dorm hallways while exploring. That's when she meets Professor Alex Finnerty, one of the teachers at KISS. He's kind and helpful, and he offers to give her a tour of the campus. Kitty quickly learns that he's new to Korea too, which makes her feel a bit more comfortable. He becomes her "guide," not just around school, but also through the confusing emotions she's going through.
Meanwhile, Q tries to cheer Kitty up. He tells her that maybe she should focus less on Dae and more on discovering herself — new friends, new experiences, and her mom's past at KISS. Q becomes her biggest supporter, reminding her that she doesn't have to rush love.
Still, Kitty can't stop thinking about Dae. Something deep inside tells her that he's hiding the truth — that his "relationship" with Yuri isn't real. But if it's fake, then why is he going along with it?
That night, Kitty writes in her journal:
> "Love brought me here. But maybe love isn't as simple as I thought. Still… I'm not giving up."
As she looks out of her dorm window at the glittering lights of Seoul, Kitty makes a quiet promise to herself: she'll uncover the truth, no matter what it takes.