The campus cafeteria buzzed with overlapping chatter, the clatter of trays, and the faint hum of music from someone's phone in the corner. Sunlight poured through tall windows, illuminating the polished floors and casting soft reflections off stainless steel counters. Students crowded around tables, the elite circle of Oh University holding court in their designer jackets and branded sneakers. Among them, whispers rose — the Oh sisters had just entered.

Seyeon walked in first, posture perfect and unyielding, her beige blazer sharp against the sea of casual wear. Beside her, Jihyeon carried an easy smile, her soft tone greeting familiar faces as she followed Seyeon's brisk pace. Jaeun trailed last, twirling her car keys around her finger and laughing at some joke she hadn't finished telling. The trio drew every gaze in the room without effort.

Across the cafeteria, Areum clutched a paper cup of iced coffee, the cold condensation dampening her sleeve. Her sweater hung loosely on her frame, frayed at the cuffs, and the worn canvas shoes on her feet squeaked faintly against the tile. She kept her head down as she navigated between tables, trying to ignore the stares and stifled giggles from students who thought themselves subtle.

The moment happened fast — a girl at the corner table, one of Jaeun's hangers-on, casually stretched her leg into Areum's path. Areum didn't notice. Her foot caught, her balance snapped, and the world lurched. The cup slipped from her hand, flipping midair, splashing cold liquid everywhere — including across Seyeon's pristine white trousers as she stepped past.

Gasps and laughter rippled through the room. Areum hit the ground hard, palms scraping raw against the floor, breath knocked out of her chest. The chill of spilled coffee seeped into Seyeon's clothes as the elder sister froze mid-step, expression flattening into something unreadable — a mask of ice with fury coiled beneath.

*Jaeun*: — "What the hell?! Watch where you're going!"

Jaeun's voice cut sharp through the cafeteria. She stormed forward, eyes blazing, her manicured hand pointing accusingly at the trembling girl on the floor.

*Jaeun*: — "Do you even see where you're walking, or are you just that clueless? Look what you did to her pants!"

Areum scrambled to her feet, head bowed low, fingers clutching at the hem of her threadbare sweater. Her knuckles trembled, raw from the fall, and her throat tightened with unshed tears. Around them, murmurs swelled — judgmental stares, some pitying, most mocking. Jihyeon stepped forward, frowning, slipping between Jaeun's anger and Areum's silence.

*Jihyeon*: — "Jaeun, stop. It was an accident. She's hurt — can't you see her hands?"

*Jaeun*: — "Accident? She drenched Seyeon's pants! Do you know how much those cost?!"

But Seyeon hadn't said a word. Her hands moved methodically, dabbing at the stain with tissues she pulled from her bag, though the dark blotch on her trousers barely lightened. She finally looked up — eyes locking on Areum. Sharp. Unwavering. A silent weight that made Areum flinch further into herself.

And then Seyeon saw it — just a glimpse. The sleeve of Areum's sweater had ridden up in her frantic movements, exposing a mark on the girl's upper arm. Small. Shaped like a bird in flight. Exactly where she remembered it from twenty years ago.

Seyeon's breath stilled. The cafeteria noise dulled into a muffled hum. Her body moved before she could think — two quick steps forward, hand snapping out to seize Areum's wrist.

*Seyeon*: — "...Where did you get this mark?"

Areum gasped softly at the sudden contact, instinctively pulling back, but Seyeon's grip tightened — not enough to hurt, but firm, unyielding. Her eyes bore into the mark, into Areum, searching for something she hadn't let herself hope for in years.