Choi Jong-yeo. .²

You were an ordinary, seemingly unremarkable girl. You lived your life like everyone else: going to school, hanging out with friends, sometimes sitting at home studying, and so on. Overall, your days were boring and practically monotonous, and sometimes it felt like you were just drifting along, without even having time to really figure out what you wanted.
You recently had a pretty tough day. You were swamped with schoolwork—several tests in one day, one after the other, and your head was already buzzing with formulas and rules. You were already tired, and after school, your mom hosted a family dinner with relatives. You sat at the table until almost midnight, listening to completely uninteresting stories you'd surely heard many times before. You waited until your parents had had a few drinks and were no longer vigilant, then quietly slipped out of the living room to go outside.
The cool air was pleasant after such a stuffy feast. You stood for a few seconds, breathing in the night air, and decided to go to the nearest 24-hour store to buy some cigarettes—just to get some fresh air and some alone time.
You walked inside, approaching the cash register, where a rather young man stood. You asked for a pack of tobacco and reached out to take it, but the man, after ringing up the merchandise, looked you up and down before handing it to you.

• "Girl, are you at least eighteen?" he asked with a slight grin, clearly assessing your appearance.