Sung Mi sat in the corner of the private hospital room, listening to the steady breathing of her mother in the bed across the room. She stared out at the dark streets of the city, well aware that she wouldn’t be able to make it back to the dorms at Sevit High School at this late hour. She matched her breathing to that of her mother, wondering how many more nights she would have with her. She desperately wanted to hold onto her mother’s hand but she feared the pain and sorrow she would feel from her mother. 
Ever since Sung Mi was 8 years old, she had the ability to sense the memories and emotions of others through touch. It was referred to as Psychometry. When she discovered this about herself, she was able to help her friends and those around her, which she loved.However, when things went bad, she found herself drained of energy for days, unable to come out of bed. From the first bad encounter at age 11, she refrained from touching others and avoided large crowds, fearing that people would brush past her and their energies would cause her to sense something. 
Now, looking at her ailing mother, she scolded herself for what she deemed a personal fault. Her mother was diagnosed with terminal Pancreatic cancer 4 months ago, just when Sung Mi came home for Summer Break. She found out on the first day she returned home and spent almost every day in the hospital after that, looking after her mother. In a sense, Sung Mi was glad that her mother was going to leave this world sooner than expected, as it meant that she would be able to escape the abusive clutches of her husband, Sung Mi’s father. He rarely showed up at the hospital and when he did, he could be found flirting with the nurses on duty near the elevators. Sung Mi avoided her father as much as she could, as every time she saw him, memories of her abusive childhood flooded her mind. 

After a few hours, when the sun was dawning, Sung Mi collected her belongings and left the hospital, telling the nurses goodbye for the day. By the time she arrived at Sevit High’s front gates, Teacher Yang was there to welcome her. The two of them had gotten close over the Summer break as his mother was also in the hospital for Cancer. 
He walked with her, side by side, till they neared the entrance to the Girls’ Dorms. He left her, saying he would see her in class later that morning. Sung Mi checked her phone and saw she had an hour till classes started. As she ascended the stairs, she saw her dorm neighbor, Kang Yeon Doo, walking towards her, happily. 
“Sung Mi-ah!” 
“Oh, hey, Yeon Doo. Where are you going so early?”
“To see Dong Jae. I promised to have breakfast with him this morning.”
Sung Mi knew Dong Jae and Yeon Doo were childhood friends and that he had a phobia of physical touch. That was the main reason why he and Sung Mi were friends. 
Sung Mi said good bye to Yeon Doo and headed into her room. 

Once Sung Mi had bathed and changed into a fresh uniform, she headed downstairs, with 20 minuted to spare. On her walk, she wondered what the day had in store for her. Ever since the new semester began, the beginning of their senior year, there was always drama between Yeon Doo, Yeol, Soo Ah and Ha Joon. Sung Mi rarely got involved unless one of the boys begged her to touch something or someone to get some information. Being on the sidelines sometimes had it perks; she realized who told the truth and who constantly lied and she noticed how her first love, Ha Joon, was slowly falling for Yeon Doo.
As she entered the classroom, no one took notice of her exhausted expression and her tired eyes. She saw Ha Joon and Yeol in their usual spots at the back of the class, but didn’t look at them. Just then, she saw Ha Joon approach her from the corner of her eye. 
“Sung Mi-ah, have you seen Yeon Doo?” he asked, curiously.
Whatever hopes she had about his approach immediately washed away. Her frown increased as she shook her head. He nodded and returned to his seat. 
Sung Mi couldn’t help but think back to the previous year, where if she were to show up to class looking deflated, he would have been the first to ask if she was okay. 
A moment later, Yeon Doo entered and took her seat to the right of Sung Mi. In an instant, Yeol and Ha Joon flocked to her desk, placing their backs to Sung Mi. When Teacher Yang entered, everyone returned to their seats and Yeon Doo passed Sung Mi a note, asking if she was okay.
Sung Mi nodded towards her and opened her books for the lesson. It wasn’t as though Sung Mi disliked Yeon Doo. In fact, it was the exact opposite. The two of them got along well and had the same set of morals and values. 
Sung Mi was very aware of the constant glances that Teacher Yang kept throwing her way, trying to gauge is she was alright after her night in the hospital.