Episode 1

People always say that your high school years become the memories you never forget.

I used to think that was a lie.

Every morning felt exactly the same.

Wake up.

Wear the same uniform.

Take the same train.

Sit in the same classroom.

Listen to the same teachers.

And then go home pretending that tomorrow would be different.

It never was.

My name is Lee Seo-jin.

I'm seventeen years old, and if there is one thing I hate more than exams, it's arrogant people.

Unfortunately, my school is full of them.

But none of them are worse than Kang Do-hyun.

Even if you don't know his name, you've probably heard the rumors.

"The smartest student."

"The captain of the student council."

"The richest family."

"The coldest personality."

Everyone admires him.

Everyone talks about him.

Everyone wants to be close to him.

I don't.

Because the first time we met, he embarrassed me in front of the entire hallway.

---

It happened on a rainy Monday morning.

I was carrying a pile of books that the librarian asked me to return to Class 3-A.

Just as I turned the corner, someone walked toward me.

Crash.

The books fell across the floor.

Students immediately stopped to watch.

I looked up.

Standing in front of me was a tall boy with black hair and an expression so calm that it almost looked emotionless.

Kang Do-hyun.

For one second, I expected him to apologize.

Instead, he looked at the scattered books and quietly said,

"You should pay more attention."

Then he walked away.

Just like that.

The hallway exploded with whispers.

"What was that?"

"So cold..."

"I feel bad for Seo-jin."

My face burned with embarrassment.

I clenched my fists.

"What a jerk."

That was the first thing I ever said about him.

And I meant every word.

---

The following days only made my opinion worse.

He never smiled.

He never joined conversations.

Even teachers treated him differently.

When he answered questions, the classroom became silent.

When he walked by, people moved aside.

It was as if everyone accepted that he belonged to another world.

Meanwhile, I lived an ordinary life.

I had ordinary grades.

Ordinary friends.

Ordinary dreams.

There was absolutely no reason for our paths to cross again.

Or so I believed.

---

One afternoon, heavy rain covered the city.

The school grounds emptied within minutes.

I stayed behind to finish cleaning the classroom because it was my turn.

By the time I left, the sky had already turned dark.

I searched my bag.

"...No way."

My umbrella wasn't there.

I had forgotten it at home.

The bus stop was nearly ten minutes away.

I sighed and started running through the rain.

Water soaked my shoes almost instantly.

The traffic lights changed.

I stepped toward the road.

Suddenly—

Someone grabbed my wrist.

"Stop."

I turned around angrily.

It was Kang Do-hyun.

"What are you doing?"

Before he answered, a motorcycle sped through the intersection, splashing water everywhere.

If I had taken one more step...

It would have hit me.

For several seconds, neither of us spoke.

The rain continued to fall.

He slowly let go of my wrist.

"You don't pay attention."

His voice was calm.

I wanted to argue.

To tell him to mind his own business.

But the words wouldn't come out.

Instead, he took off his black umbrella and held it toward me.

"Take it."

"What about you?"

"I'll walk."

"You'll get soaked."

"I know."

"I don't want your help."

He looked at me for a moment.

Then he placed the umbrella in my hand anyway.

Without waiting for an answer, he turned around and walked into the rain.

Alone.

No complaints.

No explanation.

I watched until his figure disappeared into the gray streets.

Only then did I notice a small silver tag attached to the umbrella.

It simply read:

Kang Do-hyun

I stared at those words for a long time.

The person everyone called cold...

had just protected me.

And from the second floor of the school building, hidden behind a classroom window,

someone had been watching the entire scene.

A phone was slowly lowered.

A quiet voice whispered,

"So... it begins."

To Be Continued...

Episode 2

The Umbrella He Left Behind

Rain continued to fall long after Kang Do-hyun disappeared.

I stood there holding the black umbrella, unable to understand what had just happened.

The person I hated...

had just saved me.

"What's wrong with him?"

I whispered to myself.

Most people help others because they want something in return.

A favor.

A thank you.

A good reputation.

But Do-hyun simply walked away without even looking back.

It made no sense.

---

The next morning, the rain had stopped.

The sky was clear, and the campus was filled with students chatting before class.

I was carrying the umbrella he had given me.

I planned to return it immediately.

The sooner, the better.

As I entered the classroom, my friend Min-jae noticed it.

"Hey, that's not yours."

"It isn't."

"Then whose is it?"

"...Someone's."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Don't tell me you stole it."

I rolled my eyes.

"You're an idiot."

Before he could ask another question, the classroom suddenly became quiet.

Someone had entered.

Kang Do-hyun.

Just like always, he walked straight to his seat without greeting anyone.

Girls whispered.

Some boys moved aside.

He didn't react.

I took a deep breath.

Then stood up.

"What are you doing?" Min-jae asked.

"I have to return something."

He looked confused.

Then his eyes widened.

"No way..."

Ignoring him, I walked across the classroom.

Every step felt longer than the last.

Students began watching.

When I finally reached his desk, he slowly looked up from his book.

His expression didn't change.

I placed the umbrella on the table.

"You forgot this."

He glanced at it.

Then at me.

"You kept it."

"You told me to."

"I didn't think you would."

I frowned.

"What does that mean?"

For a second, he seemed about to answer.

Instead, he simply took the umbrella and said,

"Thanks."

That was it.

One word.

I turned around, slightly annoyed.

The entire class stared at me as I returned to my seat.

Within seconds, whispers spread across the room.

"Did you see that?"

"They talked."

"I've never seen Do-hyun thank anyone."

"What happened yesterday?"

I pretended not to hear them.

But rumors travel faster than truth.

By lunchtime, half the school seemed to know that I had spoken with Kang Do-hyun.

---

After classes ended, I headed toward the library.

It was the quietest place in the school.

Or at least, it usually was.

As I searched for a novel on the top shelf, another hand reached for the same book.

I pulled back immediately.

"So, you like mystery novels too?"

I looked up.

It was Do-hyun.

For the first time, there was no crowd around him.

No whispers.

No distance.

Just the two of us.

"I saw you borrowing this author last week," he said.

"You noticed?"

He nodded.

"I notice more than people think."

He handed me the book.

"You can take it."

"What about you?"

"I've already read it."

I accepted it awkwardly.

"Thanks."

He gave a small nod and started walking away.

Then he suddenly stopped.

Without turning around, he quietly said,

"Don't believe everything people say about me."

Before I could ask what he meant,

he disappeared between the shelves.

I stood there holding the book.

Something slipped from inside and landed on the floor.

It wasn't a bookmark.

It was a folded photograph.

I picked it up.

The picture showed a younger Kang Do-hyun standing beside another boy.

The other boy's face had been carefully torn away.

On the back, written in faded ink, were four words:

"You promised you wouldn't leave."

To Be Continued...