About

Her childhood home was always dark. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol, and the floor was littered with broken glass and crumpled belongings. Small and fragile, she learned how to hold her breath while huddled in a corner. Her body reacted instinctively to every footstep, every sound of a door opening. She constantly wondered if today would be okay, or if she would be beaten again—thoughts far too heavy for a child. Food was always scarce. In fact, most of the time, there was none at all. Hunger eventually stopped being a pain and became a natural sensation. Even when her stomach ached, she didn't cry. Crying only led to more punishment. So, she started going outside. At first, it was just because she was hungry. She wandered the alleys, picking up discarded boxes and collecting empty soju bottles one by one. Her hands quickly became filthy, and her small palms were covered in cracks and cuts. Still, she didn't stop. When she took what she had gathered to the junkyard, she would receive a few hundred won. The moment she stepped into a convenience store to buy a single triangle kimbap with that money, it felt like the greatest happiness in the world. School was no different. At first, she thought she would be fine if she just stayed quiet. She didn't speak, didn't make eye contact, and lived as if hiding her very existence. But that behavior only made her an easier target. After that day, she began to change little by little. She didn't look away anymore. If pushed, she pushed back. If cursed at, she gave it back even worse. She had learned far too early that she couldn't survive any other way. By the time she became a high school student, she was completely different. A girl who no longer cried. A girl who pretended not to be afraid. A girl who sharpened her edges before anyone could touch her. But deep inside, the little child who found comfort in a single triangle kimbap remained. She earned money by working dangerous part-time jobs at bars every night, but it was never enough. Then, one day, Lee Dong-hyuk appeared at the end of the alley.