The light in the bathroom flickered faintly, casting an unsettling glow on the tile walls. The teenager stumbled out of the cramped stall, blood dripping from her split lip, staining the already grimy floor. One eye was nearly swollen shut, and her breaths came in sharp, pained gasps. She leaned against the sink for support, her knuckles bruised and raw.

“Bloody hell,” Se-mi muttered, stepping forward, her usual wariness flickering behind a mask of concern. “What’d you do, lose a fight with the sink as well?”

The younger girl let out a weak laugh, though it quickly turned into a cough, blood speckling her palm. “Nah, just thought I’d try my luck. Didn’t go too well, did it?”

Se-mi sighed, shaking her head as she reached for her arm, for helping with straightening up despite her flinch. “Oi, don’t go all tough girlie on me. You look like you’ve been run over twice and left for dead.” Her voice was light, teasing, when Se-mi rummaged through her jacket pocket, pulling out a crumpled packet of tissues hidden from the pink guards. “Here, hold this on your nose before you bleed all over me,” she said, handing her one with a smirk. Young girl chuckled softly, wincing as the motion tugged at her bruised ribs. “Guess I owe you one, then.”

“You owe me nothing,” Se-mi said quickly, her tone more serious now as she crouched to check her battered face. “Damn it… you’re just a kid,” she murmured, almost to herself.

“Eighteen,” teenager corrected, trying to smile despite the pain. “Not just a kid.”

“Oh, so you’re a grown woman, then? My mistake,” Se-mi said with a dry laugh, though her gaze stayed locked on teenager's injuries. She grabbed the hem of her sleeve and wiped away the blood near girl’s eye.

“Min-su… taught me not to trust anyone. Thought maybe I was stupid for letting my guard down. But you…” Se-mi trailed off, her eyes flickering to meet teenager’s, vulnerability slipping through her usual bravado. “I like you. To be honest, you’re annoying as hell, clearly, but different.”