---
The early morning sun spilled across the pristine corridors of Hwayang High School, casting golden slants over rows of lockers. Outside, cherry blossoms fluttered like confetti, their petals dancing in the breeze, whispering secrets of spring.
Yoon Hae-rin walked quietly with her sketchbook pressed tightly to her chest. Her eyes scanned the familiar walls she’d passed a thousand times, yet her heart pounded as if it were her first day.
She had a secret.
A secret she kept between the pages of graphite and paper.
A boy.
Lee Jun-seo.
The name itself sounded like the strum of a melancholic guitar chord—smooth, intense, unforgettable. He was the school's top student—smart, athletic, dangerously handsome. But what drew Hae-rin in wasn’t his looks or grades.
It was the loneliness in his eyes.
He always sat by the window, headphones in, staring into the distance as if waiting for someone who’d never return. Hae-rin had watched him for months—never with the courage to speak. Instead, she drew. Page after page. His expressions. His silhouette. His eyes.
“Earth to Hae-rin,” her best friend Jung Mi-soo chirped beside her, waving a sandwich. “You’re staring again.”
Hae-rin flushed, quickly looking down. “No, I wasn’t.”
“You literally tripped on air. You're in deep.”
Mi-soo smirked knowingly and nudged her shoulder.
They turned the corner toward their classroom. That’s when they saw him.
Jun-seo.
Leaning against the window frame, hands in his blazer pockets, eyes half-closed as sunlight kissed his sharp features.
Hae-rin’s heart skipped a beat.
He turned. Their eyes met.
⏳ One second.
⏳ Two seconds.
Hae-rin quickly looked away, clutching her sketchbook.
Mi-soo whispered, “That was intense. Like a K-drama scene. I swear I heard the OST playing.”
“Stop it,” Hae-rin muttered, face beet red.
But even as the teacher entered and began the lesson, her mind was stuck on that glance. Did he recognize her? Did he notice how often she watched him?
She flipped open her sketchbook. A fresh page. Pencil in hand.
She began to draw his eyes—haunting and deep, the kind that made you feel seen and invisible all at once.
---
The day passed in a blur of lectures and whispers. When the final bell rang, Hae-rin slipped away to her secret place—the rooftop.
It was quiet, the kind of quiet that let your thoughts breathe. She loved drawing here. The sky above, the city below. A canvas of emotion.
As she sketched, the door behind her creaked open.
She turned, startled—
and dropped her pencil.
It was him.
Lee Jun-seo.
He looked surprised too, but not annoyed. Curious. He walked over, slow and casual, as if this meeting was destiny, not accident.
“What are you drawing?” he asked, his voice deeper than she expected. Calm, like the sea at dawn.
Hae-rin froze. “Um… nothing important.”
He looked down at the sketchpad on her lap. His eyes widened slightly.
It was him. The drawing was unmistakable.
Her heart sank. Stupid, stupid.
“I—I can explain…” she stammered.
But he didn’t laugh. He didn’t mock her. He sat beside her instead.
“You draw really well.”
Hae-rin blinked. “You’re not… mad?”
He shook his head, a ghost of a smile appearing. “No. It’s kind of flattering. But also strange.”
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice small. “You always looked like you had something to say. But no one to say it to.”
He looked at her then—not just glanced, but looked, like he saw through the armor she wore.
“You’re not wrong.”
For a few minutes, silence stretched between them. Not awkward, but comforting. Like the quiet before rain.
Then he said something unexpected.
“People think I have everything, but they don’t see the rot under the surface.”
Hae-rin turned to him. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you looked like you’d understand.”
Their eyes locked again.
Thump. Thump.
Her heart was no longer hers.
---
The next few days changed everything.
Jun-seo started sitting closer in class. He’d nod when they passed in the hallway. Once, he even offered her half of his tangerine.
To others, it meant nothing. But to her, it was the beginning of something beautiful.
Mi-soo noticed too. “Is it happening? Are you two, like… having a moment?”
Hae-rin smiled softly. “I think we’re becoming friends.”
But good things never lasted long at Hwayang High.
---
One rainy morning, everything changed.
An announcement shook the entire school:
“Mr. Kim, the physics teacher, has been found dead under suspicious circumstances.”
Gasps echoed in the hallway. Whispers followed like shadows.
But what shocked Hae-rin most…
Jun-seo was gone.
No one had seen him. His seat remained empty. His name was quietly removed from the attendance register.
Rumors spread like wildfire.
“He was the last one to see Mr. Kim.”
“They say he hacked into the school system.”
“I heard he was in some secret group.”
But Hae-rin didn’t believe any of it. Not him. Not her Jun-seo.
Still, days turned to weeks.
Weeks turned to months.
And then, the school year ended.
---
Five Years Later...
The rain fell hard on the neon-lit streets of Seoul. Hae-rin, now 23, walked home with her umbrella tilted against the wind. She’d just finished a meeting with her webtoon editor—another romance piece, another fantasy.
But her thoughts weren’t in the clouds. They were five years in the past.
She still carried that sketchbook.
Still drew his face when the nights got lonely.
Jun-seo.
Where did you go? Why did you leave me?
Suddenly, she heard footsteps—rushed, heavy.
A man stumbled into the alley ahead of her, collapsing.
Her eyes widened. “Are you okay?”
She stepped closer—then froze.
Blood.
His shirt was soaked in it.
He looked up slowly.
Those eyes.
“...Hae-rin?” he whispered.
Her breath caught in her throat.
It was him.
Jun-seo.
Only now, he wasn’t the boy she once knew.
He was a man with scars. With secrets.
And behind him, in the shadows…
Someone was watching.
---
---
The rain blurred her vision as thunder echoed through the narrow alley.
Hae-rin stood frozen, her heart beating wildly.
There he was.
Lee Jun-seo.
Alive. Bloodied.
And saying her name like it was the only word he remembered.
“...Hae-rin?”
Her lips trembled. “It’s… really you.”
He tried to stand, but faltered, groaning in pain.
Without thinking, she dropped her umbrella and rushed forward.
“Don’t move! You’re hurt!”
She crouched beside him, her fingers brushing over the soaked fabric of his shirt, now crimson with blood.
“W-What happened to you?” she whispered, panic rising in her throat.
Jun-seo winced. “I didn’t know… where else to go.”
BOOM!
A distant thunderclap roared, and for a split second, a shadow flickered at the edge of the alley.
Hae-rin looked up sharply.
She wasn’t alone.
Someone was watching.
Her instincts screamed. She grabbed Jun-seo’s arm.
“Come on! We need to move—now!”
He stumbled, but leaned into her, and together they half-ran, half-dragged through the back alleys of Gangnam.
---
Twenty minutes later…
Her tiny apartment was dimly lit, warm, and filled with the soft scent of lavender. She eased him onto the couch, breathing heavily.
Jun-seo’s face was pale, his lips tight in pain.
“Take off your shirt,” she ordered, rushing to grab her first-aid kit.
He smirked faintly despite the pain. “We haven’t seen each other in five years and you’re already bossing me around?”
“Don’t joke now!” she snapped. “You’re bleeding!”
He winced again, then slowly peeled off his soaked shirt. Hae-rin gasped.
His body was riddled with bruises, old scars, and a fresh stab wound just under his rib.
“God…” she whispered, biting her lip. “What happened to you, Jun-seo?”
He didn’t answer. His gaze was fixed on her—on the way her hands trembled while dabbing the wound, on the way her eyes glistened with worry.
“Still an artist,” he murmured.
She blinked. “What?”
“Your hands… they move like they’re sketching, even when you’re healing.”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“You disappeared. No goodbye. No explanation. They said horrible things about you. I waited… I searched…”
“I know.” His voice was barely a whisper. “I’m sorry.”
She looked into his eyes—those same haunting eyes—but now they were darker.
Haunted.
“Tell me everything,” she said. “Why did you leave? What happened at school?”
Jun-seo leaned back, exhaling slowly. The storm outside seemed to quiet as he spoke.
---
Flashback – Five Years Ago
“There’s something you never knew about Hwayang High,” Jun-seo began. “It’s not just a school. It’s a front.”
“A front?”
“For a private society. A group of influential families. They used students like us to groom successors—to manipulate, spy, and even destroy reputations. Mr. Kim found out… and he tried to expose them.”
Hae-rin’s eyes widened.
“Are you saying… his death wasn’t an accident?”
Jun-seo nodded. “He recorded everything. And he gave it to me before he died.”
“Why you?”
“Because my family is part of that society. But I wasn’t like them.”
Her breath hitched.
“So… they tried to silence you?”
“Yes. They framed me. I had to run.”
He looked away, jaw clenched.
“For five years, I’ve been hiding… searching for the rest of Mr. Kim’s files. They’re still out there. Hidden. And now, someone’s trying to finish what they started.”
---
A silence fell between them, thick with secrets and fear.
“I shouldn’t have come to you,” he murmured. “I’ve put you in danger.”
Hae-rin stood, heart pounding.
“Don’t say that. If you’re in danger, then so am I. And I’m not running away.”
Jun-seo looked up at her, a flicker of something soft in his eyes.
“You haven’t changed,” he said.
“You have,” she whispered. “You’re stronger… but sadder.”
He reached out, fingers brushing hers.
“I never forgot you, Hae-rin.”
Her breath caught.
Every emotion she buried for five years came rushing back—
the stolen glances,
the shared silence on the rooftop,
the heartbreak of his disappearance.
She closed her eyes.
“Neither did I.”
---
Suddenly—
BANG!
The front door rattled.
Both of them froze.
Another bang.
Someone was trying to break in.
Hae-rin gasped. “They found you…”
Jun-seo struggled to stand, grabbing the kitchen knife.
“No matter what happens, stay behind me,” he said. “Don’t open the door.”
But before either could react, a voice shouted from outside—
“Police! Open up!”
Police?!
Jun-seo’s expression changed.
“This could be a trap. They could be fake.”
Hae-rin’s mind raced.
She looked through the peephole—two men in suits, not uniforms. No badge visible.
Jun-seo whispered, “We need to leave. Now.”
---
They escaped through the fire escape, racing down into the night. The rain had stopped, but the air was thick with tension.
They ducked into an old bookstore where Hae-rin’s uncle worked the night shift. He gave her a spare key years ago.
Inside, among dusty shelves and forgotten stories, they finally caught their breath.
Jun-seo sat against the wall, exhausted.
“I need to find that flash drive,” he said. “It’s the only proof left.”
Hae-rin sat beside him, hugging her knees.
“Then we’ll find it. Together.”
He turned to her, his expression unreadable.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I want to.”
She paused, then added softly:
“I lost you once, Jun-seo. I’m not losing you again.”
---
Outside, the sky began to lighten.
Morning was coming.
But for them, the real story was just beginning.
Somewhere in the city, shadows moved.
And secrets waited to be uncovered.
But now, they weren’t alone.
They had each other.
---
---
The rain blurred her vision as thunder echoed through the narrow alley.
Hae-rin stood frozen, her heart beating wildly.
There he was.
Lee Jun-seo.
Alive. Bloodied.
And saying her name like it was the only word he remembered.
“...Hae-rin?”
Her lips trembled. “It’s… really you.”
He tried to stand, but faltered, groaning in pain.
Without thinking, she dropped her umbrella and rushed forward.
“Don’t move! You’re hurt!”
She crouched beside him, her fingers brushing over the soaked fabric of his shirt, now crimson with blood.
“W-What happened to you?” she whispered, panic rising in her throat.
Jun-seo winced. “I didn’t know… where else to go.”
BOOM!
A distant thunderclap roared, and for a split second, a shadow flickered at the edge of the alley.
Hae-rin looked up sharply.
She wasn’t alone.
Someone was watching.
Her instincts screamed. She grabbed Jun-seo’s arm.
“Come on! We need to move—now!”
He stumbled, but leaned into her, and together they half-ran, half-dragged through the back alleys of Gangnam.
---
Twenty minutes later…
Her tiny apartment was dimly lit, warm, and filled with the soft scent of lavender. She eased him onto the couch, breathing heavily.
Jun-seo’s face was pale, his lips tight in pain.
“Take off your shirt,” she ordered, rushing to grab her first-aid kit.
He smirked faintly despite the pain. “We haven’t seen each other in five years and you’re already bossing me around?”
“Don’t joke now!” she snapped. “You’re bleeding!”
He winced again, then slowly peeled off his soaked shirt. Hae-rin gasped.
His body was riddled with bruises, old scars, and a fresh stab wound just under his rib.
“God…” she whispered, biting her lip. “What happened to you, Jun-seo?”
He didn’t answer. His gaze was fixed on her—on the way her hands trembled while dabbing the wound, on the way her eyes glistened with worry.
“Still an artist,” he murmured.
She blinked. “What?”
“Your hands… they move like they’re sketching, even when you’re healing.”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“You disappeared. No goodbye. No explanation. They said horrible things about you. I waited… I searched…”
“I know.” His voice was barely a whisper. “I’m sorry.”
She looked into his eyes—those same haunting eyes—but now they were darker.
Haunted.
“Tell me everything,” she said. “Why did you leave? What happened at school?”
Jun-seo leaned back, exhaling slowly. The storm outside seemed to quiet as he spoke.
---
Flashback – Five Years Ago
“There’s something you never knew about Hwayang High,” Jun-seo began. “It’s not just a school. It’s a front.”
“A front?”
“For a private society. A group of influential families. They used students like us to groom successors—to manipulate, spy, and even destroy reputations. Mr. Kim found out… and he tried to expose them.”
Hae-rin’s eyes widened.
“Are you saying… his death wasn’t an accident?”
Jun-seo nodded. “He recorded everything. And he gave it to me before he died.”
“Why you?”
“Because my family is part of that society. But I wasn’t like them.”
Her breath hitched.
“So… they tried to silence you?”
“Yes. They framed me. I had to run.”
He looked away, jaw clenched.
“For five years, I’ve been hiding… searching for the rest of Mr. Kim’s files. They’re still out there. Hidden. And now, someone’s trying to finish what they started.”
---
A silence fell between them, thick with secrets and fear.
“I shouldn’t have come to you,” he murmured. “I’ve put you in danger.”
Hae-rin stood, heart pounding.
“Don’t say that. If you’re in danger, then so am I. And I’m not running away.”
Jun-seo looked up at her, a flicker of something soft in his eyes.
“You haven’t changed,” he said.
“You have,” she whispered. “You’re stronger… but sadder.”
He reached out, fingers brushing hers.
“I never forgot you, Hae-rin.”
Her breath caught.
Every emotion she buried for five years came rushing back—
the stolen glances,
the shared silence on the rooftop,
the heartbreak of his disappearance.
She closed her eyes.
“Neither did I.”
---
Suddenly—
BANG!
The front door rattled.
Both of them froze.
Another bang.
Someone was trying to break in.
Hae-rin gasped. “They found you…”
Jun-seo struggled to stand, grabbing the kitchen knife.
“No matter what happens, stay behind me,” he said. “Don’t open the door.”
But before either could react, a voice shouted from outside—
“Police! Open up!”
Police?!
Jun-seo’s expression changed.
“This could be a trap. They could be fake.”
Hae-rin’s mind raced.
She looked through the peephole—two men in suits, not uniforms. No badge visible.
Jun-seo whispered, “We need to leave. Now.”
---
They escaped through the fire escape, racing down into the night. The rain had stopped, but the air was thick with tension.
They ducked into an old bookstore where Hae-rin’s uncle worked the night shift. He gave her a spare key years ago.
Inside, among dusty shelves and forgotten stories, they finally caught their breath.
Jun-seo sat against the wall, exhausted.
“I need to find that flash drive,” he said. “It’s the only proof left.”
Hae-rin sat beside him, hugging her knees.
“Then we’ll find it. Together.”
He turned to her, his expression unreadable.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I want to.”
She paused, then added softly:
“I lost you once, Jun-seo. I’m not losing you again.”
---
Outside, the sky began to lighten.
Morning was coming.
But for them, the real story was just beginning.
Somewhere in the city, shadows moved.
And secrets waited to be uncovered.
But now, they weren’t alone.
They had each other.
---
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