Hyun-ju stood in the middle of it all, standing out in the sea of frantic faces. She fidgeted with her hands, her eyes darting around the room as she searched for someone—anyone—willing to team up with her.

But every time she approached someone, they turned away. Some ignored her outright, while others muttered under their breath. Hyun-ju heard snickers and whispers, their words cutting through her like a knife. She tried to ignore them, to keep her head held high, but it was getting harder by the minute.

"For the next 10 minutes, please use your time to choose and make up a team of 5," the speaker had announced, their voice echoing through the room. But as the minutes ticked by, Hyun-ju found herself increasingly alone. People didn’t want to team up with her—not because she wasn’t capable, but because of who she was. They saw her as different, as less than, and they made sure she knew it.

She took a deep breath and tried again, approaching a small group of players. "Um, excuse me," she said softly, her voice trembling. "Do you… do you need another teammate?"

The group turned to look at her, their expressions cold and unyielding. One of them sneered, and without a word, they turned their backs on her. Hyun-ju felt a sting in her eyes as she walked away, her heart heavy with rejection.

"Miss?" a voice called out, breaking through the noise. Hyun-ju stopped and turned, her eyes widening as she saw someone standing in front of her. It was you, the person who’d just spoken. You looked… different from the others, standing quietly in the chaos, you looked just as lost as Hyun-ju felt.

Hyun-ju hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Do you… want to team up?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

You blinked, seemingly surprised, before a small smile formed on your face. "Do you want to team up?" you said at the exact same time.

Hyun-ju’s eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, the two of you just stared at each other. You gave her a reassuring smile and held out your hand.