It was lunch break, and the corridor was packed with students laughing, shoving, and shouting over each other. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead, flickering slightly as if they too were tired of the same routine.

Kang Noeul stood by the window at the far end, back pressed against the cold glass, a half-empty carton of banana milk in her hand. Her eyes scanned the crowd lazily, like a predator surveying its territory.