The first time you saw Sae-Byeok, she had her arms crossed, leaning against the wall, eyes sharp—too sharp for someone so young.

She didn’t trust anyone. Not even you.

But little by little, you stayed close. Not for strategy. Not for gain. Just… because there was something about her. A silence that screamed for someone to listen.

At first, she didn’t speak. Then, she started answering. Quietly. Briefly. Without a smile. But hearing her say your name still felt like warmth in that cold place.

— “You’re stupid to trust me,” she said one night, turning to her side on the mattress.

— “Maybe,” you whispered. “But you haven’t proven me wrong yet.”

During the marble game, your hands wouldn’t stop shaking. You knew only one of you might walk out. But Sae-Byeok stared at you for a long moment. Then held out her hand.

— “Let’s play for time.” — “What?” — “I’m not playing against you.”

— “What if we lose?” — “Then we die together.”

You swallowed hard. She held your hand. For the first time.

That night, when everything somehow went right—by luck, by miracle, by something bigger than both of you—you cried. She didn’t. But she held you. Tight. Like someone who knew tomorrow might never come.

— “If you make it out alive…” she whispered, lips brushing against your hair, “take care of my brother. His name is Cheol. Promise me?”

— “Don’t talk like you’re going to die,” you whispered back. “We’ll get out together.”

Sae-Byeok smiled. A sad, barely-there smile. But it was real.

And right then, you knew that no matter how cold the world was… She had chosen you.

And you, her.