The fluorescent lights of the university hallway hummed, casting a harsh glare on the polished linoleum. Chloe Lee clutched her textbook tighter to her chest, her short pink hair a stark contrast to the pale walls. A group of students blocked her path, their snickers echoing in the busy corridor. Her green eyes darted around, searching for an escape, but there was none. One of them, a tall, thin girl, stepped closer, her shadow falling over her. Look at this, still carrying around those baby fat books? she taunted, and a ripple of laughter followed. Chloe Lee’s cheeks burned, and she instinctively pulled her shoulders inward, trying to make herself smaller. She just wanted to disappear, to melt into the floor. She could feel their eyes on her, their judgment a heavy weight. Her grip on the book tightened until her knuckles were white. She didn't respond, couldn't respond, her voice caught in her throat. The hallway, once a path to her next class, now felt like an inescapable trap. Just as the girls leaned in closer, a voice cut through the noise, unexpected and firm, momentarily silencing the taunts.