Nothing was going my way.

I stared at the numbers on my phone screen for what felt like the hundredth time that night, hoping they would somehow change if I looked long enough.

They didn't.

A quiet sigh escaped my lips as I leaned against the counter of the convenience store.

The fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting a pale glow over the neatly stocked shelves. Outside, the streets were almost empty. Every now and then, a passing car disturbed the silence before disappearing into the darkness again.

It was already half past midnight.

Most people my age were probably asleep.

Some would be out with friends, celebrating after graduation.

Others were preparing for interviews or their first full-time jobs.

Meanwhile...

I was calculating how much longer my family could stay afloat.

I unlocked my phone again and opened the banking app.

Even though I already knew what it would say.

Tuition payment due in 5 days: ₩3,200,000

Current savings: ₩1,480,000

Amount remaining: ₩1,720,000

I stared at the final number until it blurred.

₩1,720,000.

To some people, it was just another number.

To me...

It was a wall I couldn't climb.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to push away the exhaustion that had settled into my bones long ago.

No matter how many extra shifts I picked up, the math never changed.

I was still short.

Always short.

My phone vibrated softly.

A message from Mom.

Mom: Did you eat dinner?

Despite everything, I couldn't help smiling.

She always asked me that first.

Not whether work was busy.

Not whether I was tired.

Just...

Whether I had eaten.

I quickly typed a reply.

Me: Yeah. Don't worry. How was work?

The reply came almost instantly.

Mom: Same as always. Come home safely.

My smile faded.

She had no idea I still hadn't found the money for my sister's tuition.

I hadn't told her.

There was no point adding another weight to the shoulders she was already struggling to carry.

Two years ago, she finally divorced my father.

Even now, it still felt strange saying those words.

For years, our home had been filled with shouting.

Broken dishes.

Threats.

Bruises that were easier to hide than explain.

My mother endured it all for us.

So did we.

When she finally gathered the courage to leave, I thought life would become easier.

Instead...

The fear disappeared.

The bills arrived.

Rent.

Utilities.

Groceries.

University tuition.

Every month became a battle between what we needed and what we could actually afford.

So far...

We had somehow managed to survive.

But surviving was becoming harder.

I looked up at the clock hanging above the refrigerator.

2:37 A.M.

Another two hours before my shift ended.

Another two hours before I could go home, sleep for a little while, then wake up and rush to my next part-time job.

A bitter laugh escaped me.

"When does it get easier...?"

The empty store didn't answer.

Only the refrigerator compressors continued their endless humming.

I locked my phone and slipped it into my pocket.

Enough.

If I kept staring at those numbers, they wouldn't magically disappear.

Maybe music would help.

I reached into my jacket, untangled my earphones, and opened my playlist.

The familiar album cover instantly appeared.

ECLIPSE.

Without realizing it, I smiled.

The first notes of their latest title track filled my ears, and the tension in my shoulders eased just a little.

ECLIPSE was everywhere these days.

Seven members.

Millions of albums sold.

World tours.

Award after award.

Every comeback broke another record.

The entire country seemed to know their songs.

But that wasn't why they meant so much to me.

Fame didn't inspire me.

Success didn't comfort me.

Their perseverance did.

I had watched old trainee videos where they practiced until sunrise.

Read interviews where they admitted they wanted to quit countless times.

Listened to stories about years of rejection before finally debuting.

Whenever I felt like giving up...

I listened to them.

Their songs.

Their speeches.

Their silly variety shows.

Somehow...

They always reminded me that surviving one more day was enough.

Just one more day.

Then another.

I unlocked my phone again, this time opening the wallpaper.

The seven members stood beneath brilliant stage lights, smiling at thousands of fans.

My eyes naturally found one face.

Han Yujin.

ECLIPSE's lead vocalist.

My bias.

I smiled faintly.

"I'll probably never meet you."

The words came out quieter than I expected.

Concert tickets cost more than I could justify.

Fan meetings were even harder to get into.

Right now, paying next month's rent mattered a lot more than chasing impossible dreams.

Still...

It was nice to imagine.

Some of my university classmates had already attended fan sign events.

One of them had even been hired by Nova Entertainment after graduation.

Meanwhile...

I was spending another night under fluorescent lights, wondering how to pay someone else's tuition before my own dreams disappeared completely.

"Kang Seo-yun."

I nearly dropped my phone.

My manager stood near the storage room, arms crossed.

"If you're done daydreaming, those drinks aren't going to restock themselves."

Heat rushed to my face.

"S-Sorry!"

I hurriedly pulled out my earphones.

He shook his head with an amused sigh.

"You young people..."

Before I could apologize again, he disappeared into the back room.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

Then I grabbed the restocking cart and wheeled several boxes toward the refrigerators.

Cold air rushed over my face as I opened the glass door.

One bottle after another.

Water.

Coffee.

Sports drinks.

Juice.

My hands moved automatically after doing this hundreds of times.

The music continued playing softly through one earbud.

For those few quiet minutes...

The bills.

The tuition.

The exhaustion.

They all felt a little farther away.

Just for a while.

And somehow...

That was enough to keep me going.