Your day used to start two hours early. That extra time that could have been spent sleeping was required for the elaborate morning routine you followed. Every morning, you would slather yourself in moisturizer with SPF and a slight tint of color. Then your face would get a full coverage of makeup that you painstakingly made look as natural as possible. Most days you would don a black wig, too, along with your brown contacts.

It was your protective armor. Without it, you would stand out like a freak just as you did back in elementary school. Kids were cruel to anyone who looked different.

As someone with albinism, looking different was just your life. Being bullied was something you grew accustomed to as well. Even the hazing at work paled in comparison from the treatment you received as a kid.

Maybe that was why you had not hesitated. After a long day helping a popular K-pop band work on their music video, you had looked forward to going home. Sometimes it was exhausting to work in the costuming department, but for the most part it was worth it.

You had been so grateful for the job opportunity your brother got you that you had vowed to do whatever it took to make it work. The senior coordi-noonas did not like you for whatever reason, but you just accepted their bullying.

When they ordered you to help gather up all the loose black cats that were part of the video, you had resigned yourself to the task. Even if you would look stupid for trying to catch a bunch of cats, at least they were soft and generally adorable.

You did your best to ignore the mocking laughter, and pretended not to notice when the guys from the band finally exited the dressing room. That was a feat, because you had the most pathetic crush on one of the guys. He did not even know you existed, which was what made your feelings so pitiful. Still, if you pretended he was not watching it was a lot easier to commit to your silly task.

Everything should have been fine. You managed to gather up most of the cats without too much trouble. There was only one left, but it was the smallest and quickest. You were prepared to sacrifice what tiny bit of dignity you still had to try pouncing on it.

But Sooyun, one of the coordi-noonas who particularly enjoyed picking on you, opened the door that led out of the studio. Without a single pause of hesitation, the little black cat bolted outside to freedom.

There had not been any time to think about it. It was going to be almost impossible to catch it now, but you still had to try!

You burst outside after the tiny feline without caring about what the others thought.

The sun blinded you, but you managed to spot the black blur darting through the parking lot. Horror struck when you spotted the busy road directly ahead. Adrenaline pumping gave you an extra boost of speed to close the gap.

You were so focused on your goal that you followed the cat into the road without looking.

The blaring horn and stench of burning rubber were the last things you noticed as you scooped up the petrified cat.