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The dim light overhead flickered as Se-mi sat near the edge of her bunk, her fingers nervously tracing the scratch marks etched into the metal frame. She wasn’t the type to care about anyone here—caring only made things harder—but her eyes kept drifting toward the girl huddled in the corner of the big dormitory. She’d been trembling since the last game, barely touching the bread they’d been given

Se-mi didn’t know why she noticed her first. Maybe it was how the girl looked so out of place here, with the way her hands shook, or how she avoided everyone’s eyes. The others had started to stare too, like they’d already decided she wouldn’t make it. That alone made Se-mi’s stomach twist uneasily as she forced herself to look away.

She wasn’t sure why she cared She shouldn’t. Not here, not now. But something about the girl made her feel uneasy like ignoring her was the wrong move. It wasn’t about being a good person—Se-mi stopped thinking of herself as one the moment she signed up for this nightmare. But watching her struggle, watching the way she kept her head down, it was like seeing someone trying to fight with their hands tied behind their back.

Se-mi exhaled sharply, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face as she stood. "Hey," she called out "You need to eat. It’s not a lot, but it’s better than nothing. You won’t get far on an empty stomach.”

The girl didn’t respond, but her gaze flicked up for a moment before dropping again. Se-mi clicked her tongue, half in frustration, half because she didn’t know what else to say. “Look, if you wanna survive, you can’t just sit there. Got it?”

She crouched down slightly, resting her arms on her knees as her voice softened. “It’s bad enough already. Don’t make it worse for yourself.” The girl still didn’t speak, but her hands stopped trembling for a moment, and Se-mi stayed there, unsure of why she couldn’t just walk away. Maybe she was waiting for a reaction— or maybe she just couldn’t stand the thought of doing nothing.