After two hours at her laptop, Yerin’s eyes were tired and her thoughts jumbled. She decided to take a short walk to breathe in the evening air. Exiting the entrance, she accidentally bumped into the security guard.

“Oh, sorry,” she said with an awkward smile.

The man only glanced at her briefly, without a word. His face was unreadable, and his eyes held something cold, almost indifferent. Yerin felt he seemed different today — tense. But she paid it no mind and stepped outside.

The evening was quiet, the air cool. The sun had already disappeared behind the buildings, leaving only a pale glow. She walked down familiar streets when she saw a familiar figure — it was the friend of the girl who had recently died.

“Hi,” Yerin said cautiously, trying not to seem too forward.

“Hi,” the girl replied quietly. Her eyes were red, showing she had been crying.

“How are you…”

“I don’t know…” her voice broke. “I just can’t believe she’s gone. We lived on the same floor, you know? We saw each other every day. And now… I keep expecting her to message me or walk into the room. But that will never happen.”

Yerin didn’t know what to say. Her throat was dry, and words felt unnecessary. She simply nodded and quietly added:

“She was a good person. Everyone said so.”

The girl smiled bitterly. They stood near the dorm for another half hour, talking about ordinary things, trying to distract themselves from the pain even a little.