Chapter Text
“This place really hasn’t changed,” her father remarked as he pulled into the loading zone. Glancing at him from the passenger seat, Maomao saw that his face betrayed some nostalgic sentiments from seeing his alma mater.
When Maomao had first opened the acceptance email from Ka’ou University, she had been in disbelief. It had been quite a reach for Maomao to apply to the elite school that was populated by the children of politicians and wealthy CEOs, but it boasted one of the best pharmaceutical programs - with her love for medicine, how could she not apply? She certainly hadn’t expected to get in with her barely-above-average test scores and grades. Although her marks in biology and chemistry certainly excelled, her disinterest in other subjects was beyond saving, bringing the overall score down by a significant margin. Maomao wondered if her college essays had been the determining factor, after all, there couldn’t be many aspiring students who had written about how mixing chemicals in their garage was their favorite pastime. Surely it was this testament to Maomao’s passion for the subject that must have made her stand out to the admission officers. Realizing that she was beginning to speculate again, she brushed the thoughts aside. Her father had always told her not to draw conclusions without any evidence, but it was a bad habit of hers.
Luomen had gotten out of the car and was starting to unload the trunk. Maomao hastened to get out of the car as he reached for her luggage. “It’s okay, I’ve got it dad,” Maomao protested, brushing his hand away from the suitcase and grasping the handle. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, he was starting to get old. Having a prosthetic leg was enough for him to deal with already, and she didn’t want him getting a bad back too. I hope he’ll be okay without me around, Maomao thought to herself. He might not be her biological father, but there was no one else she could consider her family but him. He had taken it upon himself to raise her since infancy, and it was thanks to his influence that she had developed such a profound interest in medicine. She was here to attend the same university where he had gotten his degree in pharmaceutical sciences, after all.
She was going to miss assisting him with work in the pharmacy as she had been working there since her teens. It was fall, and sickness became frequent at this time of year due to the change in weather. The pharmacy would be busy soon - she hoped that Luomen would be able to keep up with the demand for the next few months. I wish I could have trained someone to be his apprentice before I left. Regretful as she was, there was no one in her hometown that would have been willing to be trained by her in the first place. Her standoffish nature and blatant disinterest in anything other than medicine had not been very conducive to creating cordial relationships with her classmates. Furthermore, her reputation as a “mad scientist” preceded her. Okay, so maybe it hadn’t been the best idea to experiment with all the chemicals she was prohibited from touching while the science teacher wasn’t in the classroom. She had gotten carried away and ended up getting sent to the principal’s office. Luomen had to bail her out of that one. Following that incident, she was more careful to restrain herself. She had almost gotten suspended after all, and Luomen gave her a good scolding for what could have been a blemish on her future prospects. Though the reason why she had tried it out was because he had probably been too soft on her in the first place. She was more than used to experimenting with chemicals in the garage, so she hadn’t seen any reason why she couldn’t do the same at school. Thanks to that, Luomen had to drill into her an understanding of what was and wasn’t considered socially acceptable.
Maomao stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to her dormitory complex, holding her luggage. “Make sure not to cause any trouble.” Those were her father’s parting words to her.
“I know. I won’t dad,” Maomao responded, and reached out to embrace him in a hug. “Promise me that you’ll take care of yourself.”
“Take care.” Luomen smiled wistfully and waved to her before getting back into the car. Maomao watched as he drove off, before hauling her luggage up the steps. She looked up at the overcast sky and sighed. At least he wouldn’t be driving too far to get back. Her hometown in the suburbs was only about an hour and a half away.
Her stomach grumbled as she walked, the rolling of the wheels on her suitcase echoing on the pavement behind her. What I wouldn’t give for some grilled chicken right now. It was early in the afternoon, but she had forgone eating breakfast to pack her bags. Today was moving-in day, but with how slow things moved over the summer, it had completely slipped her mind, and they had to rush to get here in time for her to both unpack and attend her orientation. She realized that maybe she should have packed a lunch to eat in the car. Food can wait for now, she decided. At the present moment, settling into her new living space was more important. As she headed towards her dormitory, she took in the beautifully curated scenery and the tall, modern-style buildings that constituted the campus. The walkways were decorated with trees lining them on both sides, and the grounds were in pristine condition, boasting a healthy green hue. Maomao thought about exploring to see if there were any interesting plants around, but resolved to save that for another time. Maybe she could do that during orientation.
Approaching the entrance of the dormitory, she found that there were several groups of girls clustered around the front. As Maomao drew closer to get a look at what was going on, she caught a whiff of the cloying smell of makeup and perfume, much of which Maomao felt was entirely unnecessary for their age. Several of the girls paused their conversations to look at Maomao, and she was met with hostile stares and downturned mouths. She quickly remembered that they all came from rich backgrounds, while she herself was just a commoner from the suburbs. No doubt that her second rate style of dress was also being judged on the weighing scale of their minds.
Maomao’s family owned two local businesses in the same shopping center: her father’s pharmacy and the Verdigris Spa, which was located next door. As they were family businesses, she also visited the spa quite often for business reasons. It was operated by the Madam, a money-loving old woman, and quite lucrative too. Their business model relied on hiring beautiful and skilled masseuses, who showed off their skin while they did their job. It was all the rage amongst men for a good reason - who wouldn’t want to be serviced by a talented and sexy woman? The Madam had even tried to coerce Maomao into joining the business, to which she flatly refused. What that old wench wouldn’t do to make some dough. She shuddered at the thought. Maomao had a modest chest and skinny figure, but she had no intentions of selling her body. If anything, that was all the more reason why she wore baggy clothes to hide her figure.
Showing off your skin is all the rage in fashion right now though. The girls in front of her and herself couldn’t be any more different. She could spot a couple designer brands on their clothing too. Maomao may not have fit in, but she herself was indifferent to the fact. In fact, she was thankful to have received a relatively generous scholarship and financial aid, otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to afford being here. Making her way through the crowd of girls, she realized they were waiting for the elevator, so she turned back around and headed to the end of the line (or at least, where she thought it was).
“Excuse me, is this the back of the line?” Maomao asked the girl in front of her. As the girl turned around, she noticed she was particularly bright-eyed and dressed in more casual looking clothes. Is she also from the suburbs? Maomao wondered.
“Uhhh… I think it is?” It seems that she wasn’t quite sure herself. For someone who was unsure of whether or not she was in the right place, the degree of unease expressed by her body language seemed extreme in comparison. In addition, it seemed that she had no one to talk to, and was being excluded by her peers. Could it be that she feels uncomfortable here? Feeling pity for her, Maomao opened her mouth and introduced herself. “I’m Maomao,” she said.
The eyes of the girl in front of her began to widen, and a smile spread across her face. “Nice to meet you, Maomao. My name is Xiaolan!” she replied with a grin.
