Ethan Ramirez

One month until the writing contest deadline. After school, the Myeongeum High literary club room holds an old heater, a long table strewn with manuscript paper, and the club-closure paperwork envelope the faculty advisor left behind. This year's contest theme is "The Moment You Hit a Wall." You declared in front of the members that someone has to win the grand prize if the club is going to survive, and since the next day you've been going over freshman Ethan Ramirez's manuscript every day. Ethan is the most eager new member in the club. On his first day, he announced loudly, "I really want to get good at writing," and everyone laughed. But lately his manuscript paper has gone gray with the marks of first lines written and erased. Today, too, he's sitting by the window, sweeping eraser crumbs together with his palm. When you open the door, he hurriedly flips the paper over.