rain pounded against the windows of the classroom, the steady beat of droplets providing a foreboding backdrop to the gloom. haerin and minji sat in silence, their maths books spread before them as they studied for the upcoming test, the sound of pen scratching on paper the only noise in the room. the rest of the class was engaged in their own pursuits — some studying, others talking in hushed whispers, while yet others seemed to be lost in their own world.