Title: The Weight of Zero
I stared at the C minus.
It wasn't just a grade. It was the crushing feeling of failure. It was the reason my chest felt tight and my breathing was shallow. This grade was proof that I had ruined everything my father worked for.
I could hear the rustle of the bills—the borrowed money he struggled to pay back. Money meant for my bright future, now wasted on this bad result.
My future.
The small, cheap room in Seoul felt like a prison. I got up, avoiding the window. I didn't need to see my reflection. I knew I looked tired, pale, and completely out of place in this beautiful, expensive city. I knew I didn't look like the girl who was supposed to succeed.
Sometimes, when the depression was worst, I just wished I didn't exist. If I disappeared, maybe the financial problems would too.
My phone buzzed. Not the bank. It was my father.
"We are managing, my bright girl. Just focus on your books. Don't worry about us. You make your mother and me so proud."
The word proud hit me harder than any anger ever could. He was sacrificing everything, yet still believing I was his perfect eldest daughter. I needed to give my siblings the best life, and I needed to do it now.
But I couldn't study if I couldn't pay rent. The panic started to rise. I needed money—fast.
A second text popped up. It was from a contact who sometimes had strange, rich clients.
URGENT: Need fast delivery. Super discreet. To StarRise Agency. Must deliver to Manager only. Pay is massive.
StarRise. The biggest entertainment company in Korea. It sounded risky, maybe even illegal, but the words "Pay is massive" burned into my eyes. That money could cover the loan installment my father was stressing over. It could buy me time.
I took a shaky breath, shoving the bad grade under a pile of books. I couldn't fail now.
I replied: I can do it.
I grabbed the small, heavy package and hurried out the door. The real world was waiting, and I had a debt to pay.