Chapter 1: Snowfall aur Secret Letter

Seoul ke elite high school mein naye saal ki pehli snowfall ho rahi thi. White flakes sky se aise gir rahe the jaise kisi ne pura sheher ek fairytale mein badal diya ho.

Minji ne apne haath coat ki pockets mein ghusaye, aur slowly apne locker ki taraf badhi. Har subah jaise routine thi — but aaj kuch different feel ho raha tha. Jab usne apna locker khola, toh ek sky blue envelope neatly tucked in pada tha. Koi naam nahi, sirf ek letter — handwriting unbelievably clean aur classy thi.

Usne dheere se letter khola:

> "Main har roz tumhe library ke corner se dekhta hoon... jab tum apni sketchbook mein kuch banati ho, mujhe lagta hai duniya ruk jaati hai.

Par paas aane ki himmat kabhi nahi hoti..."

Minji ka dil zor se dhadka. Koi tha... jo usse dekh raha tha. Roz. Chup chaap.

Wahi din tha jab class teacher ne announce kiya —

"Bench reshuffling ho rahi hai, naye partners ki list notice board pe hai."

Minji ka naya bench partner tha… Jihoon.

Class ka topper, hamesha first rank par, ekdum silent… uski aankhon mein ek thand si thi. Wo kisi se baat nahi karta tha, sirf dekhta tha — kabhi books, kabhi window ke baahar ke clouds. Ek aisa ladka jiska presence hi heavy lagta tha.

Minji ne hesitant hokar poocha,

"Yeh letter… tumne likha?"

Jihoon ne ek second tak uski aankhon mein dekha, phir slowly kaha:

> “Main kabhi jhooth nahi bolta… par har baat sabko batata bhi nahi.”

Uske baad Minji confuse ho gayi.

Kya matlab? Kiya ya nahi?

Kuch keh bhi raha hai… aur nahi bhi.

Lekin phir, wo har din Jihoon ki chhoti-chhoti gestures ko notice karne lagi —

Uska uski dropped pencil uthana bina kuch kahe,

Uska sketchbook ke upar ek sticky note chhodna,

Aur uska rare cold smile… sirf uske liye.

Minji uss letter ko lekar emotional ho gayi thi.

Wo slowly Jihoon ke close aane lagi thi — ya kam se kam usse samajhne lagi thi.

Lekin phir story twist leti hai.

Ek naya student aata hai school mein — Yoon Taehyun.

Charming, fun-loving aur full confident. Wo sabse easily baat karta hai, teachers tak usse impress ho jaate hain. Aur sirf ek din baad hi, Taehyun directly Minji ke paas aake kehta hai:

> “Tumhe library ke window side waale corner pe sketch karte hue dekhna… meri routine thi.”

Minji freeze ho jaati hai.

Toh… kya pehla letter Taehyun ne likha tha?

Aur Jihoon ka cryptic reply sirf ek illusion tha?

Ab Minji ke samne do ladke the —

Jihoon, jo sab kuch chhupata hai,

Aur Taehyun, jo har baat seedhe keh deta hai.

Lekin Minji ke dil mein dono ka kuch alag connection ban raha tha.

Jihoon ke saath ek emotional depth… aur Taehyun ke saath comfort aur ease.

Aur ek aur shock usse tab milta hai…

Jab ek dusra anonymous letter aata hai…

Aur uski handwriting na Jihoon ki hai, na Taehyun ki.Minji ka dil ab sirf pyaar nahi... ek raaz ke chakravyuh mein phas chuka tha.