The sky was beginning to brighten when my shift finally ended.

I stepped out of the convenience store and stretched my aching shoulders.

The cool morning air brushed against my face, carrying the faint scent of rain from somewhere far away.

Another night was over.

Another day was about to begin.

For everyone else, it was the start of a new morning.

For me...

It was simply the next shift.

The bus ride home was quiet.

Most of the passengers were office workers just beginning their day while I was desperately trying not to fall asleep in my seat.

By the time I reached our apartment, my eyelids felt unbearably heavy.

It wasn't much.

Just a small two-bedroom apartment tucked away in an old neighborhood.

The wallpaper had begun peeling near the ceiling.

The hallway lights flickered every few days.

The elevator had been broken for months.

But compared to the house I had grown up in...

This place felt like home.

I quietly unlocked the front door.

The apartment was silent.

Mom had already left for work.

My younger brother and sister were still asleep.

Good.

At least they could rest a little longer.

I slipped into my room, set my alarm for two hours later, and collapsed onto the bed without even changing my clothes.

The moment my head touched the pillow...

Everything disappeared.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The alarm dragged me back to reality.

I reached for my phone with half-open eyes.

6:04 A.M.

"...I'm late."

My body protested as I forced myself upright.

Every muscle ached.

It felt as though I had only closed my eyes for a few minutes.

Maybe I had.

After washing my face and throwing on a clean shirt, I rushed toward the kitchen.

Mom stood by the stove, flipping eggs in a frying pan.

The familiar smell of toasted bread filled the room.

She turned around the moment she heard my footsteps.

"You're awake."

"I overslept."

I grabbed my backpack from the chair.

"I have to go."

"At least eat first."

She placed a plate on the table.

Toast.

A fried egg.

A few slices of tomato.

It wasn't much.

But she still woke up early enough to make breakfast.

"I'll grab something later."

"You said that yesterday too."

"I know."

"Seo-yun."

Her voice softened.

"You've been working too much."

I avoided her eyes as I shoved my phone into my pocket.

"I'm fine."

"You look exhausted."

"I'm okay."

She walked over and brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

That simple gesture almost made me stop.

Almost.

"You don't always have to carry everything by yourself," she whispered.

I smiled.

A practiced smile.

The kind that convinced other people I was doing better than I actually was.

"I know."

It was a lie.

Because someone had to carry it.

And if that someone wasn't me...

Then it would be her.

Or my younger siblings.

I couldn't let that happen.

Mom sighed.

Then she grabbed a slice of bread, wrapped it in a napkin, and gently pushed it into my hands.

"If you won't eat here..."

"...eat on the way."

I looked at the bread for a moment before slipping it into my bag.

"...Thanks."

"Come home safely."

"I will."

As I stepped outside, I heard the apartment door close behind me.

For a brief moment...

I wished I had stayed long enough to eat breakfast with her.

The café was already busy by the time I arrived.

Morning commuters lined up at the counter, each one ordering coffee before rushing off to work.

The rich aroma of freshly ground beans filled the air.

Normally, I liked it.

Today...

It only made me more tired.

"Morning, Seo-yun."

One of my coworkers smiled as she tied on her apron.

"Morning."

"You look like you haven't slept."

"I slept."

"...For how long?"

I hesitated.

"...Two hours."

She stared at me.

"You're kidding."

"I wish."

She sighed.

"One day you're going to collapse."

I laughed quietly.

"Not today."

At least...

I hoped not.

The lunch rush finally slowed around one in the afternoon.

I was wiping down one of the empty tables when my phone vibrated inside my apron pocket.

One new email.

The sender made my heart stop.

The university.

For a moment...

Everything around me disappeared.

This was it.

The final result.

Months of studying.

Endless applications.

Recommendation letters.

Interviews.

Documents.

Waiting.

Every sacrifice.

Everything had led to this one email.

I wiped my hands on my apron before opening it.

My fingers trembled slightly.

Congratulations...

No.

That wasn't the first word.

I frowned.

Then I read it again.

The word stood out immediately.

Regret.

Further down...

We regret to inform you...

My breathing stopped.

No.

I kept reading.

Maybe I misunderstood.

Maybe—

...your application has been unsuccessful.

The phone slipped slightly in my hands.

Rejected.

I blinked once.

Twice.

The words refused to change.

It felt strangely quiet.

As though someone had muted the entire world.

"Seo-yun?"

A voice reached me from somewhere far away.

"...Seo-yun?"

Something warm rolled down my cheek.

Then another.

I hadn't even realized I was crying.

Customers turned to look.

One of my coworkers hurried over.

"What happened?"

I couldn't answer.

I simply handed her the phone.

She read the email.

Her expression immediately fell.

"...Oh."

A few moments later, the café manager walked over.

He looked from me...

To the phone...

Then back again.

His shoulders softened.

"You've been waiting for this scholarship for months, haven't you?"

I nodded.

Unable to speak.

He was quiet for a moment.

Then he gently took the cleaning cloth from my hands.

"Go home."

"...Manager, I can still work."

"No."

"I'll be okay."

"No, you won't."

His voice wasn't stern.

It was kind.

"Take the rest of the day off."

"..."

"Sometimes people need time to fall apart."

That sentence broke whatever strength I had left.

I covered my mouth, trying to stop the sob that escaped anyway.

"I'm sorry..."

"You don't have anything to apologize for."

I hurried toward the staff changing room before anyone could see me cry any harder.

The moment the door closed behind me...

My legs gave out.

I slid down against the wall.

The email was still open on my phone.

Rejected.

Just one word.

One word that erased the future I had spent years imagining.

That scholarship wasn't just a master's degree.

It was full tuition.

Housing.

A monthly stipend.

A chance to give my mother a break.

A chance to pay my siblings' tuition without calculating every won.

A chance to finally stop surviving...

And start living.

Now...

Even that was gone.

"What am I supposed to do now...?"

No one answered.

Only the sound of my own quiet sobs filled the tiny room.