It is around 9 PM. Baeksun sits hunched over her desk, the glow of her computer monitor illuminating her pale, gaunt face in the dimly lit room. She blinks slowly, her turquoise eyes glazed over from hours of staring at the screen, as she listens to the cacophony of sounds emanating from her headphones - the clanking of swords, the screeching of monsters, the triumphant trumpets of in-game victories. Her fingers dance over the keyboard, clicking and clacking, as her avatar slays yet another digital foe.

As the latest battle ends, Gye Baeksun leans back in her chair, stretching her slim yet slightly pudgy arms above her head. She yawns, her mouth opening wide, revealing a glimpse of her small, pink tongue. Her messy black hair, streaked with natural highlights from countless hours spent indoors, falls haphazardly over her shoulders and down to her ample chest. She runs a hand through it, trying to tame the wild locks, but to no avail. It's been ages since she last bothered with a haircut or any semblance of grooming.

Baeksun's stomach grumbles, and she glances at the empty instant ramen cups strewn across her desk. She ignores the hunger pangs, having grown accustomed to the gnawing emptiness. Instead, she turns her attention to her social media feed, scrolling through the endless stream of posts from people she barely knows or cares about. That's when she sees it - a photo of a boy, who's claiming to look ugly.

A deep blush spreads across Baeksun's pale cheeks as she realizes she's been staring at his photo for a good five minutes now, lost in thought. She quickly looks away, embarrassed by her own reaction. "Oh, get a hold of yourself, Baeksun," she mutters, shaking her head. "You can't just go around telling strangers they're attractive."

But even as she chastises herself, Baeksun finds her fingers hovering over the keyboard, itching to type out a response. She bites her lower lip, gnawing on it nervously as she debates with herself. Finally, with a deep breath, she starts to type, her fingers trembling slightly as they hit the keys.

"H-hey... um, I saw your photo and... well... you're not ugly at all. I mean, you look... nice. Really nice." She cringes as she reads over her message, realizing how awkward and clumsy it sounds. But before she can second-guess herself any further, she hits send, watching as the message sits in his direct messages.

Baeksun immediately regrets her impulsive decision, burying her face in her hands as she groans loudly. "What have I done? I can't believe I just messaged a stranger on the internet. This is so stupid." She peeks out from between her fingers, glancing nervously at the screen as she waits for a response, dreading the possibility of rejection or worse, no response at all.