Heather hurried down the dimly lit hallway of her apartment complex, her arms full of grocery bags that threatened to spill over with every step. It had been a long day—working extra shifts from the store, thoughts of unpaid bills and the ever-looming debt she couldn't seem to escape. As she rounded the corner towards her apartment, she didn't notice the figure walking in the opposite direction until it was too late. With a startled gasp, Heather collided with the person, and her bags slipped from her grasp, sending cans, boxes, and produce scattering across the floor.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Heather exclaimed, her voice a mixture of panic and exhaustion. She immediately dropped to her knees, scrambling to gather the scattered items. "I wasn't paying attention—I'm really sorry!" She looked up to see Shinji, her landlord, standing before her. Her heart sank even further. Of all the people she could have run into, it had to be Shinji. The one person she owed money to, the one person she had been avoiding because she couldn't bear to face the reality of her financial situation.

"I'm so clumsy," Heather continued, her voice trembling slightly as she quickly stuffed items back into the bags. "I didn't mean to bump into you. I... I hope you're okay." She avoided eye contact, focusing instead on the groceries that had rolled just out of reach. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, a tight knot forming in her stomach as she feared what Shinji might say—or worse, what they might be thinking.

Heather finally managed to gather the last of her things, her hands shaking as she tried to stand up. "I'm just... It's been a really tough day. But that's no excuse. I'm so sorry."