Episode 1 – Sleepless Nights

The night was quiet, but the city never truly slept. In her small room, Mira sat cross-legged on the floor, notebooks and textbooks scattered like fallen leaves. Her pen scratched furiously across the page, the dim lamp casting shadows that danced with her exhaustion.

Her eyes burned, her fingers ached, yet she pressed on.

“I have to top this. I have to…” she whispered to herself, voice cracking under the weight of desperation.

Later that night, when the clock struck two, Mira leaned back against the wall. The room was silent except for the ticking of the clock and the faint hum of a distant train. She closed her eyes for a moment, whispering into the darkness:

“If I can become a doctor, I won’t let people die helpless like I watched before… I’ll save them. No matter what it takes.”

Across town, Jae Min hunched over his own pile of books, eyes bloodshot but determined. The lamp by his desk flickered as if fighting to stay awake alongside him. His fingers traced the edge of a notebook, mind racing with equations and the heavy weight of his own promise.

“One day… I’ll protect people. I’ll never fail anyone. Not like this. I’ll be someone who can stand between danger and the innocent.”

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling where faint cracks branched like maps. He imagined himself in uniform, standing tall, earning the respect of people he vowed to protect. And then, uninvited, Mira’s face drifted into his mind. Her focused eyes, her stubborn determination.

“She’s the only one who studies harder than me… Why do I keep thinking of her?”

The next morning, the classroom was heavy with tension. Mira and Jae Min sat at opposite ends of the room, yet something invisible seemed to pull them together. Every glance was brief, every small sigh a shared secret.

During lunch, Mira stared out the window, watching birds dart between trees. Jae Min approached cautiously from behind.

Jae Min jumped from behind and said, “You didn’t sleep again, did you?”

Mira startled “I… I can’t. Too much to do.”

Jae Min half-smiling, exhausted “Same here. You know… sometimes, I wonder if all this studying is worth it or not.”

Mira said softly, “I wonder if I can be a doctor or not. I saw too many people die just because they didn’t get the proper treatment. I want to serve them… at any cost.”

Jae Min said to her, “So both of us want to save people at any cost. Right?”

Mira looked away, uncomfortable with how closely their thoughts aligned. She muttered under her breath, “Why does he follow me everywhere?”

Jae Min grinning, calling out “I can hear you, Mira-ya.”

Flustered, Mira ran back to her seat, burying herself in the safety of textbooks and revision. Jae Min watched her retreating figure, his eyes lingering with a softness he didn’t dare show.

“No wonder she avoids me every single time… She’s carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. I just wish she can achieve her dream, like she said.” He sighed, gathering his books before heading back to class.

And as the day passed, both Mira and Jae Min carried the same silent truth in their hearts the sleepless nights weren’t just for their dreams anymore… but for the strange, undeniable pull between them.

Episode 2 – Dreams and Pressure

Mira barely slept. Her nights were swallowed by endless Biology and Chemistry problems, her pencil scratching tirelessly across pages as if it could write her dreams into reality. She imagined herself wearing a crisp white coat, walking through crowded hospital corridors, serving patients who had no one else to care for them, giving them hope and life.

“I hope I can achieve this… I want to serve, not just sit at home, raising children and watching life pass me by,” she whispered to herself, spinning her pencil absently between her fingers. Her eyes, bloodshot and weary, reflected both exhaustion and determination, a quiet fire that refused to die.

From the back of the classroom, Jae Min watched her. The way she twisted the pencil, the way her brow furrowed in concentration—it captivated him. She seemed impervious to the chaos around her, oblivious to the constant noise, the chatter, the scribbles of other students.

“Is she even human? How can she concentrate this much? It’s like she’s in her own world,” he thought, a mix of awe and envy stirring inside him. Feeling a little ignored by her obliviousness, he retreated to his own desk, closing his eyes for a moment.

In the darkness behind his eyelids, he imagined himself in uniform, holding a gun with steady hands, protecting the people he had always promised himself he would. He allowed himself a faint smile. Guns had fascinated him since childhood—not for destruction, but for the responsibility and the power to protect. Yet he had never actually held a real one. The daydream brought a fleeting warmth, a sense of purpose he cherished even in the midst of exams.

A sudden thud of chalk hitting his forehead yanked him back to reality. He blinked rapidly, mumbling apologies, his mind still halfway in his imagined world.

Meanwhile, Mira stepped out of the classroom, needing to stretch, needing air. Her feet carried her instinctively, as if drawn by something unseen, and her eyes flicked toward Jae Min without her permission. She resisted the thought—she didn’t want to be thinking about him—but her gaze betrayed her.

Finding an empty bench, she settled down, legs crossed, headphones in, replaying class recordings to catch anything she might have missed. The world softened around her, the hum of students fading into a distant murmur.

And then, as if summoned by fate—or by some playful universe—banana milk appeared in front of her. Jae Min, leaning casually against the bench, wore a smirk that made her heart skip a beat.

“Drink me, or many people will die,” he said, mock-serious, and she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. Thirst won over pride, and she took it, sipping gratefully.

“Where were you?” she asked softly, the question more for herself than for him.

“In your heart,” he said, his voice light, teasing, yet somehow carrying a strange sincerity. “I’d stay in your head too, but it’s full—overflowing with formulas and notes. So I’m in your heart instead.”

Mira shook her head, a small, amused smile tugging at her lips. He never stops, does he?

“You never miss a chance to flirt,” she murmured, but there was warmth in her voice.

He shrugged, grinning like it was the most natural thing in the world. “I pop up every hour. Can’t help it.”

Finishing the milk, Mira gathered her books and rose, the tension of studying temporarily eased. She walked away, and Jae Min watched her retreating figure, a soft smile lingering on his face, wondering if she even realized the small impact she had on him.

Even amidst the pressure of exams, the weight of family expectations, and the chaos of student life, these little moments—her quiet determination, his playful presence—had begun weaving a fragile, invisible thread between them. A thread that neither fully understood, but both would quietly follow, even in the midst of sleepless nights.

Episode 3 – The Results

Finally, the day of the examination had arrived. Students filled the halls, each one brimming with anxiety and determination. Mira walked in, heart pounding, carrying the weight of sleepless nights and endless preparation. She was nervous but confident—she had convinced herself she could ace the exam.

Across town, Jae Min was giving his exam in a different department, his own set of papers and challenges. Though they were in separate rooms, the invisible connection between them seemed to hum in the air.

Mira’s hand shook slightly as she began writing. The questions blurred before her eyes, her vision swimming as fatigue and stress took over. A sudden wave of weakness swept through her, and before she could comprehend it, she collapsed onto the bench.

“Miss! Are you okay?!” a student shouted, and she felt herself being lifted and carried to the nurse’s room.

The nurse administered an injection, but Mira remained unconscious for hours. When she finally opened her eyes, the classroom was empty, the exam over. Panic gripped her chest as she realized what had happened.

“No… this cannot be happening! I spent sleepless nights to ace this exam!” she screamed, her voice breaking.

Jae Min appeared suddenly, his face etched with concern. He took her trembling hands in his.

“Mira… what happened? Why did you collapse in the middle of the exam?” he asked gently.

The nurse stepped forward. “She pushed herself too hard and neglected her health. That’s why she fainted.”

Mira wiped her tears, determination flaring anew. She ran to the principal’s office, her voice shaking but fierce. “Please… let me finish my exam! I worked so hard, I cannot let it go like this!”

But the principal shook his head, cruel and immovable. He had his own motives—he didn’t want his son to lose the chance at first place.

The night stretched endlessly. Mira remained in the school, pleading, pacing, her hope waning. Jae Min stayed by her side, silently guarding her, offering what comfort he could.

“We should go home, Mira,” he said softly, worry in his eyes.

“What will I tell my parents?” Mira sobbed. “That their daughter couldn’t even finish the exam because she got sick?”

He handed her a napkin, wiping her tears, and offered a piece of bread. “You can give the exam next year again, Mira. But waiting here won’t help now.”

“I… I cannot lose my parents’ pride. I don’t have the right to break their trust, Jae Min-a. I don’t have the right!” she screamed, her body trembling from exhaustion.

Seeing her weaken again, Jae Min called a taxi in the dead of night. He took her home, explaining everything to her parents.

“Thank you so much, Jae Min,” her mother said, voice heavy with relief.

“I just hope she passes,” her father added, squeezing her hand. “I don’t want to lose my daughter over numbers alone… I’ve seen how hard she works.”

Jae Min nodded. “Take care of her,” he said softly before leaving.

Days later, the results were announced. Mira sat in an air-conditioned room, hands clammy, her breath shallow. Summoning all her courage, she opened the mark sheet. Her heart sank—she had failed.

She called her parents to tell them. Though disappointed, they tried to comfort her, buying sweets and offering words of encouragement.

“It’s okay, dear. Take another year if you need. We’ll wait for you,” they said, smiles trembling but eyes full of love.

But fate was cruel. On their way to visit Mira, a truck lost control and crashed into their car. Mira’s parents died instantly. Her world shattered, grief consuming her every thought.

Meanwhile, Jae Min’s results came in—he had topped his department. His friends and family celebrated his achievement.

“I can finally join the police academy… I can finally serve the people,” he whispered to himself, pride and purpose swelling in his chest.

But the moment he heard about Mira from a friend, his heart pounded with urgency. He rushed to find her, only to discover she had moved away.

He searched everywhere, asking, pleading, but Mira had vanished into the shadows of the city. The girl he cared for, the one whose dreams had once intertwined with his, was now gone—but he refused to stop looking.