I walked out of the café, tired from the day’s classes and shifts, and struggling to stay awake. I had studied endlessly and worked with no complaints for the past month, successfully avoiding any one of BTS. I sighed, too tired to think. Shifts ended at nine, and I did not want to go back to the dorm, where Eun Ji and her friends were probably were probably hanging out in. Her friends hate me, and I had no intention of going back while they were there. I turned the corner, going down to the mall where I usually study and eat. I barely had time to bring extra clothes after going to the café, so I was stuck in the school uniform. I held my backpack straps tightly as I walked, my legs going numb from the cold. The entrance of the mall was bright, and I stumbled towards it. I reached for the door, and it felt like slow motion as I took a step forwards.

      Suddenly, I heard commotion behind me. It basically sounded like a herd of donkeys, saying ‘oppa’ over and over again in a supposedly cute voice. I cringed, not even bothering to look back at the poor guy who was probably getting trampled by a load of girls. I scoffed and opened the door to the mall, going inside to the warmth. The mall was almost deserted, with staff roaming about and the smell of ramen filling the air. My stomach grumbled, and I realized I hadn’t had dinner yet. A few of the workers greeted me as I walked past, as I was a regular here. I smiled at them tiredly; stopping at the phone kiosk to talk to Ah Jin, a girl I had became friends with during the two weeks of coming here after working at the café to study. She was fun to hang out with, and I was glad to at least have one friend I could talk to. We would go get bowls of ramen and iced tea, and studied at the ramen shop together. She was at the booth, going on her phone and munching on a pack of chips.

      “Life is so hard.” I fake cry and put my head on the counter. Ah Jin laughs, taking a chip and dropping it in .   

      “Oh my God Soo Min. You do not have to endure several hours of staring at people from your school come here and buy items that I can’t even afford, even if I work nonstop for a whole year.” Ah Jin sighed. She was in the same grade as me, but she went to a different school in town. We were both not as wealthy as many of the people in our schools, so having a friend who didn’t talk about what she got every week from her parents was a relief.

      “Can we go? I just want to go to the dorm as early as I can today.” I yawn and Ah Jin nods.

      “Okay, but ramen is on you!” She chirps. I roll my eyes. During the past two weeks of deciding who was going to pay, we made a schedule of who buys the meal each day of the week. Today it’s me. It’s a good way to save money, and the ramen that the lady makes at her shop is delicious and only 2500 won; which includes a soft drink to go with it. I’m daydreaming about the food that I don’t even notice that Ah Jin has packed up the store already. She grabs her bag and hops over the counter, her phone in her hands. She is on that thing 24/7. It’s like her baby or something.

      “Okay, I was doing that chem. test and you were totally right abo—” I was interrupted by a bunch of loud people entering the mall. We both looked back, and my eyes widened as I saw a bunch of girls chase after this guy. And what was even more surprising was how he