The room was lit by morning light. She went to the window — the day had long since broken. Seeing the time on her alarm clock made her jump up: she had overslept.

The dream had stolen her peace, but not her sense of responsibility. She couldn’t be late — she was the class representative, and class representatives don’t allow themselves such weaknesses. She had never skipped a class, and today would be no exception.

Grabbing her keys, Yerin hurried out of the room without even looking back.

At the front desk, as always, sat a woman of about fifty. Her clothes were old and slightly worn, but she always remained friendly and kind. Beside her stood a security guard — a man around thirty-five to forty, tall and solidly built. He had worked in the dorm for a long time but rarely spoke to anyone, keeping to himself.

As a student leaving the dorm, Yerin had to sign the logbook — so that if anything happened, it would be clear she wasn’t in the building at that time.

“Good morning,” the front desk woman said with a friendly smile, holding out the logbook for her signature.

“Good morning,” Yerin replied quickly and signed.

She glanced at the guard — he stood silently, not even nodding.

She thought he was probably not in the mood and decided not to linger.

After a hurried goodbye, she ran out of the dormitory and headed to college.

After classes, Yerin returned to the dorm and met Sua in the kitchen.

“Oh, hi,” Sua said cheerfully, looking at her.

“Hi. Why are you here so early?” Yerin asked, surprised.

“Nothing special,” her friend shrugged. “It’s the director’s birthday today — he let us leave early.”

“Why have you never told me where you work?” Yerin asked.

“Oh, let’s not talk about work,” Sua dodged. “Have you heard the latest news?”

“What news?” Yerin leaned in.

“Sit down and listen. Another incident — and again a girl…” Sua lowered her voice, as if afraid someone in the dorm might overhear. “She was found dead. They say she was raped.”

“My God…” Yerin gasped. “Where did it happen?”

“In our dorm. She lived on the third floor, in the same entrance as us. A neighbor came home — and found her in her room.”

Yerin felt the air tighten around her. Just the thought that the victim had been so close made her uneasy.

“You need to be careful,” Sua said quietly. “At night, it’s better not to go out alone. Locking the doors is just the beginning: wedge a chair or something heavy under the handle so no one can just walk in.”

“Yes… I will,” Yerin replied, though a note of anxiety was already audible in her voice. “It’s frightening. I think we should tell everyone in the group so they’re careful too.”

Sua nodded. They sat silently in the kitchen for another minute, exchanging glances, then turned to their dinner — but the words about the neighbor from the third floor echoed in their minds long after the sizzling from the stove had stopped.