There were three things every student at Saville High School for Boys knew.

First, the school's reputation was untouchable.

Second, failure was not tolerated.

And third—

Jun Seo and Jay Kang would never stop trying to kill each other.

The sound of a fist colliding with flesh echoed across the courtyard.

A crowd instantly erupted into cheers.

"Get him, Jun!"

"Jay, don't hold back!"

More than twenty students surrounded the two boys standing in the center.

Saville High wasn't a place where fights were common.

But when the fight involved Jun Seo and Jay Kang, nobody dared miss it.

Jun wiped blood from his split lip and laughed.

"Still standing?"

Across from him, Jay adjusted the cuff of his uniform.

His expression didn't change.

Not even a little.

As always.

The sight irritated Jun immediately.

"You know," Jun said, cracking his neck, "one day I'll finally make you look human."

Jay looked at him.

Blankly.

Then he replied,

"You've been saying that since freshman year."

The crowd burst into laughter.

Jun's eye twitched.

"You're really asking for another punch."

Without warning, he lunged forward.

The students screamed excitedly.

Jay dodged effortlessly.

Jun's fist missed by inches.

A second later, Jay's shoulder slammed into him.

Jun stumbled back.

The two immediately separated again.

Neither willing to admit defeat.

Neither willing to surrender.

Just like always.

At Saville High, they competed in everything.

Sports.

Grades.

Leadership positions.

Even who got to class first.

If Jun scored ninety-nine, Jay somehow scored one hundred.

If Jay won the basketball championship, Jun won the track competition.

It was ridiculous.

And everybody loved watching it.

The bell suddenly rang.

The crowd scattered instantly.

Teachers.

The natural enemy of every student.

Jun clicked his tongue.

"Saved by the bell."

Jay shrugged.

"Maybe."

Then he turned and walked away.

No celebration.

No insults.

No satisfaction.

Nothing.

Jun stared after him.

How could someone be so annoying?

Class 3-A.

The strongest students in Saville High.

The loudest class in the entire school.

Won Park was asleep before the lesson even started.

Nikki Yoon was arguing with Jessi Kim.

Seuin Choi was secretly eating snacks.

Evy Han sat quietly near the window reading.

Normal.

At least for them.

Then the teacher entered carrying exam papers.

The classroom immediately fell silent.

Every student straightened.

Including Jun.

This month's rankings mattered.

A lot.

The teacher smiled.

"The results were impressive."

The class relaxed.

Then he added,

"For some of you."

Groans filled the room.

The teacher began reading.

"Third place. Evy Han."

Applause.

"Second place. Jun Seo."

Jun froze.

Second?

Again?

His gaze immediately snapped toward the front row.

The teacher continued.

"First place. Jay Kang."

The room exploded.

"No way!"

"Again?!"

"That's six months straight!"

Jun gritted his teeth.

One point.

He had lost by one point.

Again.

What annoyed him most wasn't losing.

It was Jay's reaction.

Or lack of one.

Everyone else was excited.

Proud.

Jealous.

Something.

Jay simply sat there.

Expressionless.

As though none of it mattered.

As though winning felt exactly the same as losing.

Jun frowned.

For a brief moment, a strange thought crossed his mind.

Was Jay always like this?

Rain poured over Seoul that evening.

Most students had already left.

The school grounds were nearly empty.

Jun was halfway to the gate when he noticed a light inside the old gymnasium.

Curious, he approached.

The door was slightly open.

Inside sat a single figure.

Jay.

Alone.

No teammates.

No friends.

No phone.

Nothing.

Just sitting there.

Staring ahead.

Motionless.

For a second—

He looked lonely.

Jun immediately frowned.

Lonely?

Jay Kang?

Impossible.

As if sensing his presence, Jay turned.

Their eyes met.

The strange feeling disappeared instantly.

"What do you want?" Jay asked.

Jun crossed his arms.

"Can't I be here?"

"You were leaving."

"Maybe I changed my mind."

Jay sighed.

A small sigh.

Almost invisible.

Yet somehow it felt heavier than anything Jun had ever heard.

The silence between them stretched.

Uncomfortable.

Different.

Then Jun's phone vibrated.

A message.

From Won.

Emergency. Warehouse District. Come now.

Jun's expression darkened.

Something had happened.

Without another word, he turned and ran.

Behind him, Jay watched silently.

Neither of them knew that before sunrise...

A student from Saville High would disappear.

And the last person seen with him—

Was Jay Kang.....

By the time Jun Seo arrived at Saville High the next morning, the school was already in chaos.

Rumors spread faster than wildfire.

Every corridor buzzed with whispers.

Every classroom had become a discussion room.

And every discussion revolved around one name.

Kim Bomjun.

A second-year student.

Missing.

Jun pushed through a crowd gathered near the notice board.

"What happened?" he asked.

Won Park looked up from his phone.

His usual carefree expression was gone.

"Nobody knows."

"What do you mean nobody knows?"

"Nikki's cousin is in second year. Bomjun never got home yesterday."

Jun frowned.

That didn't make sense.

Students skipped classes.

Students got into trouble.

Students lied to their parents.

But disappearing overnight?

That wasn't normal.

Not even for Saville High.

Then another voice cut through the crowd.

"They found footage."

Everyone turned.

A group of students stood huddled around a phone.

Jun's stomach tightened.

"What footage?"

"The security camera near the old gym."

The old gym.

The same gym where Jun had seen Jay yesterday evening.

The same gym where Bomjun had apparently been seen.

The students replayed the video.

The footage was grainy.

Dark.

Recorded shortly after sunset.

A boy appeared near the gym entrance.

Bomjun.

Several seconds later another figure entered the frame.

Tall.

Broad shoulders.

Dark hair.

The crowd instantly erupted.

"That's Jay!"

"No way!"

"What was he doing with Bomjun?"

"I knew he was weird."

Jun stared at the screen.

The figure was unmistakable.

Jay Kang.

And suddenly everyone had a suspect.

The atmosphere inside Class 3-A was suffocating.

Nobody was studying.

Nobody was listening.

Every conversation led back to the same topic.

Jay Kang.

Jun glanced toward the front row.

Jay sat in his usual seat.

His tie was perfectly straight.

His posture flawless.

His expression calm.

Not cold.

Not arrogant.

Just calm.

As if the entire school wasn't whispering about him.

Jun frowned.

That was what irritated people.

Jay never reacted the way they expected him to.

Someone insulted him?

No reaction.

Someone praised him?

No reaction.

Someone challenged him?

Barely a reaction.

Most students assumed he thought he was better than everyone else.

Jun used to think the same.

But lately...

He wasn't so sure.

The classroom door opened.

Two police officers stepped inside.

Silence instantly fell over the room.

One of them looked around before speaking.

"Jay Kang?"

Jay stood.

"Yes."

"We'd like to ask you a few questions."

The officer's tone was polite.

Professional.

Still, every student watched as Jay picked up his blazer.

Not one whisper could be heard.

Jun found himself staring.

Waiting.

Expecting.

Something.

Fear.

Anger.

Worry.

Anything.

But Jay simply nodded.

"Okay."

And followed them out.

The door closed behind him.

The classroom exploded.

"No way."

"He definitely knows something."

"Why would Bomjun meet him?"

"What if they fought?"

Jun rubbed his forehead.

The noise was giving him a headache.

"You're awfully quiet," Won observed.

Jun shot him a look.

"So?"

"You don't think he did it."

Jun scoffed.

"I never said that."

"But you're thinking it."

Jun opened his mouth.

Then stopped.

The truth was...

He didn't know what to think.

Jay returned three hours later.

The classroom instantly fell silent again.

He walked back to his desk and sat down.

Nothing more.

As though he'd simply returned from lunch.

Jun couldn't take it anymore.

When class ended, he followed Jay onto the rooftop.

The rooftop was empty.

Only the wind accompanied them.

Jay stood near the fence, looking over the city skyline.

He didn't seem surprised when Jun appeared.

"You followed me."

It wasn't a question.

Jun shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Did you do it?"

Straight to the point.

Jay turned.

His dark eyes met Jun's.

"No."

No hesitation.

No defensiveness.

Just certainty.

Jun studied him carefully.

For years he had competed against this guy.

Fought him.

Argued with him.

Hated him.

And yet...

Something about that answer felt genuine.

"Then why were you with Bomjun?"

For the first time, Jay looked away.

Not uncomfortable.

Not guilty.

Just thinking.

"He wanted to talk."

Jun blinked.

"About what?"

Silence.

The wind howled around them.

Then Jay answered.

"Personal things."

Jun frowned.

Personal things?

Jay and personal conversations felt like two completely different worlds.

"What kind of personal things?"

Jay's gaze shifted back to the city.

"He liked me."

Jun froze.

For several seconds, he genuinely thought he'd misheard.

"What?"

Jay remained calm.

"He liked me."

The words sounded strangely ordinary coming from him.

As though he were discussing homework.

Jun stared.

"You mean..."

"Yes."

Jun's mind short-circuited.

Of all the answers he'd expected—

That wasn't one of them.

"What did you say?"

Jay shrugged.

"Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?"

"There wasn't anything to say."

Jun opened his mouth.

Closed it.

Then opened it again.

"That's your response?"

"What response was I supposed to give?"

The question sounded sincere.

And somehow that made it worse.

Jun sighed heavily.

"Forget it."

Jay didn't stop him.

Didn't explain further.

Just remained standing there.

Watching the city.

Watching the clouds drift across the sky.

Jun left more confused than ever.

That night, rain tapped softly against the windows of the Kang Estate.

The mansion was enormous.

Quiet.

Almost painfully so.

Jay entered his room and closed the door behind him.

The police had asked dozens of questions.

He had answered all of them truthfully.

Yet somehow it felt as though nobody believed him.

His gaze drifted toward his desk.

Toward the bottom drawer.

Slowly, he opened it.

Inside sat a simple black box.

Nothing special.

Nothing expensive.

Just a box.

Jay lifted the lid.

Letters.

Dozens of them.

Neatly folded.

Carefully preserved.

Every single one written by the same person.

Kim Bomjun.

Jay picked up the first letter.

Then another.

Then another.

The handwriting changed slightly over time.

Growing neater.

More confident.

The words becoming longer.

More personal.

Most of them talked about school.

About exams.

About basketball games.

About random observations.

Eventually they began talking about Jay.

Not the Jay everyone else saw.

The one Bomjun thought he saw.

Jay unfolded one letter.

His eyes moved across familiar words.

You don't smile much.

Everyone thinks you're cold.

I don't think that's true.

Jay stared at the sentence.

Then continued reading.

I think you're just lonely.

The room remained silent.

Jay folded the paper carefully.

Placed it back into the box.

He didn't know why he'd kept them.

He never replied.

Never encouraged Bomjun.

Never returned his feelings.

Yet every letter remained.

Untouched.

Protected.

A knock sounded at his door.

Jay looked up.

"Come in."

The door opened.

A servant stepped inside.

"Young Master, your father has returned."

Jay nodded once.

The servant left.

The room fell silent again.

Jay looked down at the box.

At the dozens of letters inside.

Then his eyes landed on one envelope.

The final letter.

The only one he had never opened.

For the first time all day...

Something felt strange.

Not painful.

Not frightening.

Just strange.

As though opening that envelope might change something.

Outside, thunder rolled across the night sky.

And in his hands—

The unopened letter waited...

Rain continued to fall long after midnight.

The Kang Estate remained silent.

Too silent.

Jay sat alone at his desk, staring at the unopened envelope in his hands.

The final letter.

The last one Kim Bomjun had ever written.

For several moments, he simply looked at it.

Then, without hesitation, he tore it open.

The paper unfolded neatly.

Bomjun's familiar handwriting greeted him.

Jay,

You'll probably ignore this one too.

Honestly, I'd be surprised if you didn't.

Jay's eyes moved down the page.

I know you don't like me.

Don't worry.

I'm not writing this because I expect anything.

For some reason, Jay stopped reading.

Not because the words upset him.

Because they were true.

Bomjun had liked him.

Everyone knew that now.

But Jay had never returned those feelings.

Not once.

He had never encouraged him.

Never given him hope.

Never lied.

And yet Bomjun had continued writing.

Jay continued reading.

I think you're a good person.

Strange.

Annoying.

Impossible to understand.

But still a good person.

For the first time that night, something almost resembled amusement in Jay's eyes.

Almost.

Then the smile disappeared before it could exist.

His gaze moved lower.

The handwriting suddenly became rushed.

Messier.

Uneven.

There's actually another reason I'm writing this.

Something feels wrong lately.

Jay frowned.

I don't know if I'm imagining things.

Maybe I am.

But I think somebody has been following me.

The room fell silent.

The rain outside seemed louder.

Jay continued reading.

If nothing happens, you'll never need this letter.

And honestly, I'd prefer that.

But if something does happen...

Please be careful.

His grip tightened slightly.

Especially around people you trust.

The letter ended there.

No confession.

No goodbye.

No dramatic final words.

Just a warning.

Jay stared at the page for a long time.

Then carefully folded it again.

And placed it back inside the box.

The next morning, Saville High felt different.

The usual energy was gone.

No shouting.

No laughter.

No arguments.

Even the first-years seemed quieter.

Something was wrong.

Jun knew it before he even entered the building.

Then he saw the teachers.

Several stood gathered near the main office.

Their expressions were grim.

His stomach sank.

By the time homeroom started, everyone was already whispering.

When their teacher entered, the room immediately fell silent.

Nobody liked that expression.

The teacher looked exhausted.

As if she hadn't slept.

For several seconds, she said nothing.

Then—

"Kim Bomjun has been found."

The room froze.

Jun's heart dropped.

The teacher lowered her eyes.

"He passed away yesterday evening."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Even breathing seemed too loud.

A few students covered their mouths.

Others stared blankly at their desks.

Jun felt cold.

Unexpectedly cold.

Because suddenly the situation wasn't a rumor anymore.

It wasn't gossip.

It wasn't speculation.

A student was dead.

The rest of the day passed like a blur.

Classes continued.

Teachers taught.

Students pretended to listen.

But nobody was paying attention.

Not really.

Lunch was worse.

Every table discussed the same thing.

The same questions.

The same theories.

And eventually—

The same suspect.

Jay Kang.

Jun hated it.

He hated how quickly everyone had decided.

Without evidence.

Without proof.

Without thinking.

Still...

Even he couldn't completely ignore the questions.

So after school, he found himself climbing the stairs to the rooftop once again.

And unsurprisingly—

Jay was already there.

Standing near the fence.

Watching the city.

Jun approached.

Neither spoke for a while.

The wind carried the sounds of distant traffic.

Then Jun finally broke the silence.

"Bomjun is dead."

Jay nodded.

"I know."

That was it.

No visible reaction.

No change in expression.

Nothing.

Jun's frustration instantly returned.

"Do you ever react to anything?"

Jay looked at him.

Confused.

Genuinely confused.

"What reaction are you expecting?"

Jun opened his mouth.

Then stopped.

Because for some reason...

He didn't have an answer.

Jay wasn't pretending.

That much was obvious.

He wasn't hiding tears.

He wasn't acting strong.

He simply...

Processed things differently.

The realization annoyed Jun.

And intrigued him.

At the same time.

Then Jay suddenly spoke.

"He was a good person."

Jun blinked.

The words caught him off guard.

Jay looked away toward the skyline.

"He talked a lot."

Jun almost laughed.

That sounded exactly like Bomjun.

"He wrote letters too."

Jun froze.

Letters?

Jay immediately seemed to realize he'd said more than intended.

Silence followed.

But the damage was done.

Jun's curiosity had already awakened.

"Letters?"

Jay didn't answer.

Jun narrowed his eyes.

For the first time since this entire mess began...

He had discovered something.

Something nobody else knew.

Jay Kang knew far more about Kim Bomjun than he was admitting.

And somewhere deep inside—

A feeling Jun couldn't explain told him that whatever secret Jay was hiding...

It was connected to everything.

Including Bomjun's death...