Before Seo Minjae learned how to solve equations, before he became the top student everyone admired, he learned something else first.

People leave.

At five years old, Minjae sat quietly on the living room floor, hugging a stuffed rabbit his mother had given him. His parents were arguing again.

Their voices came from the kitchen.

Loud.

Sharp.

Tired.

He didn't understand the words.

Only the feeling.

The feeling that something was breaking.

A week later, his mother packed her things and left.

His father told him she would come visit.

She never did.

At first, Minjae waited.

Every evening he sat by the window, looking at the road outside.

Every time a car stopped nearby, his small heart jumped.

Maybe Mom was back.

Maybe she had come to get him.

Maybe she missed him too.

But the road always stayed empty.

Then one rainy afternoon, his father came home early.

His face looked strange.

Pale.

Exhausted.

The adults talked in hushed voices while Minjae sat quietly in the corner.

That was the day he learned his mother had died.

A car accident.

The words meant little to a five-year-old.

But he understood one thing.

She wasn't coming back.

Ever.

Something inside him became silent after that.

Months passed.

Then years.

The cheerful little boy who once laughed at cartoons disappeared.

His teachers called him mature.

The neighbors called him quiet.

The truth was simpler.

He just didn't care much anymore.

At seven, his father remarried.

Her name was Park Sunhee.

She brought along her daughter, a girl two years younger than Minjae.

Park Areum.

She had bright eyes and endless energy.

Unlike Minjae.

The little girl followed him everywhere.

"Brother!"

"Brother, look at this!"

"Brother, play with me!"

"Brother!"

But he never encouraged her either.

He simply existed beside her.

Calm.

Polite.

Distant.

As years passed, that distance never disappeared.

His father was busy with work.

His stepmother focused on Areum.

Nobody was cruel to him.

Nobody mistreated him.

Yet nobody truly understood him either.

Minjae became a shadow moving through the house.

A good student.

A quiet son.

A reliable older brother.

Nothing more.

By the time he turned eleven, silence had become his comfort.

His routine never changed.

School.

Homework.

Dinner.

Sleep.

Repeat.

Then one Saturday morning, everything changed.

Minjae was sitting on the porch reading a science book when he heard a loud crash from next door.

Followed by shouting.

Then laughter.

Lots of laughter.

He frowned.

The house next door had been empty for months.

Apparently not anymore.

A moving truck stood outside.

Several boxes were stacked in the driveway.

An energetic woman laughed as a man struggled to carry furniture.

"Careful!"

"I'm being careful!"

"You're dropping it!"

"No, I'm not!"

The box immediately fell.

The woman burst into laughter.

The man groaned dramatically.

Minjae blinked.

Strange.

Nobody in his house laughed that loudly.

Then another voice joined in.

A girl.

Bright and cheerful.

"Dad dropped another one!"

"Traitor!" the man shouted.

The girl laughed harder.

A moment later, the front door burst open.

A boy ran out.

About Minjae's age.

Messy black hair.

Bright eyes.

A grin too large for his face.

He sprinted across the driveway carrying a soccer ball.

"Mom! Where's my room?"

"Upstairs!"

"I call the bigger one!"

"You don't get to choose!"

"I absolutely do!"

"You absolutely don't!"

The entire family started arguing.

Nobody sounded angry.

They sounded happy.

The kind of happy Minjae only saw in television dramas.

The boy suddenly noticed him.

For a moment, they stared at each other.

Minjae remained seated on the porch.

Expressionless.

Silent.

The boy tilted his head.

Then smiled.

Not a polite smile.

Not a nervous smile.

A genuine one.

Bright enough to rival the sun.

Before Minjae could react, the boy ran straight toward him.

"Hi!"

Minjae stared.

The boy grinned.

"I'm Kang Jiho."

Silence.

"You're my neighbor, right?"

Silence.

The boy didn't seem bothered.

Instead, he extended a hand.

"My mom says neighbors should be friends."

Minjae looked down at the offered hand.

Nobody had tried to be his friend in a very long time.

Not because they disliked him.

But because he always kept everyone away.

For a second, he considered ignoring it.

Returning to his book.

Returning to his quiet life.

Then a breeze passed between them.

Warm and gentle.

And for the first time in years, something shifted.

Just a little.

Minjae slowly reached out.

Their hands met.

Neither of them knew it then.

But that simple handshake would become the beginning of fourteen years.

Fourteen years of friendship.

Fourteen years of memories.

And eventually—

The purest love story of their lives.

Minjae regretted shaking Kang Jiho's hand.

Not immediately.

But after the third day of being followed around by him.

"Minjae!"

Silence.

"Minjae!"

Silence.

"Minjae!"

A sigh.

Minjae finally looked up from his book.

Jiho beamed.

"What?"

"You answered."

"I didn't."

"You looked at me."

Minjae returned to his book.

Jiho laughed as if that was a victory.

For some reason, he never seemed offended by Minjae's coldness.

Most children gave up after a few failed conversations.

Jiho treated every rejection as a challenge.

Every afternoon he appeared somewhere nearby.

If Minjae sat on the porch reading, Jiho appeared with a soccer ball.

If Minjae walked to the convenience store, Jiho somehow ended up there too.

If Minjae visited the small park nearby, Jiho was already playing with the other children.

The annoying part?

Everyone liked him.

Within two weeks, Jiho had somehow become friends with nearly every child in the neighborhood.

Minjae didn't understand how.

The boy was loud.

Extremely loud.

Yet people laughed whenever he spoke.

Even adults.

Especially adults.

One afternoon Minjae returned home from the library to find Jiho sitting on the living room floor.

Beside Areum.

His stepsister looked delighted.

"Brother!"

Minjae stopped.

Jiho waved enthusiastically.

"Hi!"

Minjae looked at Areum.

Then Jiho.

Then Areum again.

"What is he doing here?"

Areum gasped dramatically.

"He has a name."

Jiho pointed at her.

"See? Areum understands me."

Minjae considered leaving.

Areum quickly stood up.

"Jiho came to play."

"He talks too much."

"He says you don't talk enough."

Jiho nodded seriously.

"We balance each other."

Minjae stared at him.

The boy actually looked proud of that statement.

Somehow, Jiho and Areum had become friends.

Which wasn't surprising.

Both possessed endless energy.

Both talked enough for ten people.

And both seemed completely immune to Minjae's attempts at creating distance.

Over the next month, the friendship only grew.

Sometimes Minjae would return from school and find Jiho teaching Areum how to kick a soccer ball.

Sometimes they built blanket forts.

Sometimes they sat in the garden drawing pictures.

Jiho had become a regular part of the house.

Just like that.

As if he had always belonged there.

It was strange.

Very strange.

One Sunday afternoon, Minjae came downstairs to find his father arranging dishes on the dining table.

His stepmother was smiling.

The house smelled of food.

Guests.

Minjae immediately knew.

"Minjae," Sunhee called. "The Kang family is coming for lunch."

Of course they were.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.

Chaos entered the house.

Kang Donghyun, Jiho's father, greeted everyone loudly.

His wife laughed at everything he said.

Their daughter, Kang Jiwon, politely handed over a box of fruit.

And Jiho...

Jiho immediately sat beside Minjae.

Unfortunately.

The adults talked while lunch was served.

Minjae quietly ate his food.

Jiho quietly did not.

"Minjae."

No response.

"Minjae."

"What?"

Jiho grinned.

"You spoke again."

Minjae regretted it instantly.

Across the table, Jiho's mother laughed.

"He's cute."

"No, he's annoying," Minjae replied.

The entire table went silent.

Everyone stared.

Jiho blinked.

Then burst into laughter.

"You called me annoying!"

Minjae frowned.

"Is that funny?"

"That's the longest sentence you've said to me."

The adults laughed.

Even Minjae's father looked amused.

Minjae returned to eating.

People were strange.

After lunch, the adults moved to the living room for tea.

The children remained nearby.

Jiho and Areum were arguing over a board game.

Jiwon watched them with the patience of a saint.

Minjae sat on the sofa reading.

Then he overheard a conversation.

"We need school recommendations," Jiho's mother said.

"Oh?" Sunhee asked.

"We moved during vacation. Jiho and Jiwon need a school."

Minjae's father nodded.

"Minjae's school is excellent."

Jiho's father's eyes lit up.

"The one nearby?"

"Yes."

"I heard admissions are difficult."

"They are."

The adults exchanged looks.

Then Minjae's father smiled.

"I know the principal."

Minjae looked up.

Jiho looked up too.

His grin widened.

Dangerously.

"No."

Everyone turned toward Minjae.

His expression remained calm.

"Don't."

Jiho immediately pointed at him.

"See? He wants me there."

"No, I don't."

"You do."

"I don't."

"You absolutely do."

Minjae closed his book.

This conversation was hopeless.

The adults continued discussing admission procedures.

Jiho continued smiling.

Minjae suddenly felt uneasy.

A few days later, the admissions were confirmed.

Jiho and Jiwon would be attending the same school.

Worse.

Jiho would be in Minjae's class.

The moment Jiho found out, he ran across the street.

Actually ran.

Straight to Minjae's house.

Straight to Minjae's room.

Straight to Minjae.

"We're classmates!"

Minjae stared.

Jiho looked like he had won the lottery.

"We're classmates!"

"I heard."

"We can sit together."

"No."

"We can eat lunch together."

"No."

"We can walk home together."

"No."

"We can be best friends."

"No."

Jiho paused.

Then smiled.

"Okay."

Minjae frowned.

That was easy.

Too easy.

Then Jiho added—

"We'll become best friends later."

And suddenly Minjae understood.

The problem wasn't that Jiho didn't listen.

The problem was that Jiho did not give up.

That evening, Minjae sat by his bedroom window.

Across the street, lights glowed inside the Kang house.

Laughter drifted through the summer air.

Jiho's father was saying something ridiculous.

His mother was laughing.

Jiwon was scolding someone.

Probably Jiho.

Minjae watched silently.

Then he looked away.

It felt strange.

Only a few months ago, he had never seen any of them.

Now Jiho was friends with Areum.

Friends with his parents.

Going to his school.

Joining his class.

Appearing in his house almost every day.

Entering every corner of his life.

Fast.

Far too fast.

Minjae didn't know whether he liked it.

Or hated it.

But for the first time in years, his quiet world wasn't so quiet anymore.

And somehow—

He couldn't stop noticing it...

Seo Minjae hated the first day of school.

Not because he disliked studying.

He actually enjoyed it.

What he hated were people.

The noise.

The introductions.

The forced conversations.

The unnecessary socializing.

Unfortunately, the new school year brought all of those things.

Especially this year.

Because Kang Jiho was coming.

Minjae already knew his life was about to become significantly louder.

The moment he entered the classroom, several students greeted him.

Not because they were friends.

Because they knew who he was.

Seo Minjae.

Top student.

Teacher's favorite.

Perfect grades.

Perfect manners.

Perfect appearance.

Most students either admired him or feared him.

Minjae cared for neither.

He quietly walked toward his usual seat near the window.

As always, nobody sat beside him.

The seat remained empty.

Not because nobody wanted it.

Because nobody dared.

The students had secretly given him a nickname years ago.

'The Cold Prince.'

Minjae found it ridiculous.

But apparently everyone else loved it.

"He looks handsome today."

"Doesn't he always?"

"Do you think he'll talk if I say hi?"

"No."

"He never talks."

"Still handsome though."

Minjae ignored the whispers.

As usual.

Then the classroom door burst open.

"GOOD MORNING!"

The entire class jumped.

Minjae closed his eyes.

Of course.

Jiho.

The boy entered with enough energy for twenty people.

His backpack was hanging from one shoulder.

His tie was crooked.

His smile was enormous.

Within five minutes, he had already introduced himself to half the classroom.

Within ten minutes, everyone knew his name.

Within fifteen minutes, he somehow knew everyone else's.

Minjae watched in disbelief.

How was that even possible?

A girl sitting nearby laughed at something Jiho said.

A boy immediately joined the conversation.

Another student followed.

The circle grew.

Like magic.

Meanwhile Minjae had spent years in this class and barely knew anyone's birthdays.

People were strange.

Especially Jiho.

"Good morning!"

Minjae looked up.

Jiho had appeared beside his desk.

Again.

"Why are you here?"

"We're classmates."

"That doesn't answer the question."

"It answers every question."

Minjae sighed.

Jiho immediately sat down.

In the empty seat beside him.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Too late."

Minjae looked around.

Several students were openly staring.

Some looked shocked.

Others looked jealous.

One girl looked like she might faint.

Minjae didn't understand.

Then he overheard someone whisper.

"Kang Jiho sat beside him."

"Voluntarily."

"Is he insane?"

"Definitely."

Minjae almost agreed.

A few minutes later, the teacher entered.

The class settled down.

Attendance began.

Then introductions.

Since Jiho was new, he was asked to introduce himself.

He confidently walked to the front.

"My name is Kang Jiho."

Pause.

"I like soccer, food, sleeping, food again, and avoiding homework."

The class laughed.

The teacher looked concerned.

Jiho continued.

"I also plan to become best friends with Seo Minjae."

The entire classroom turned toward Minjae.

Minjae wished the floor would swallow him.

Immediately.

Right now.

Jiho pointed directly at him.

"He just doesn't know it yet."

Laughter erupted.

Minjae considered transferring schools.

The teacher quickly moved on.

Unfortunately, the damage was done.

By lunch break, everyone knew.

The new student was obsessed with Seo Minjae.

And somehow found that entertaining.

Meanwhile Jiho was already making friends.

Three people in particular seemed drawn toward him.

The first was a tall boy named Lee Hyunwoo.

A troublemaker with a permanent smirk.

If Jiho was chaos, Hyunwoo was chaos with planning.

The second was Yoon Seungmin.

A calm and friendly boy who often acted older than everyone else.

He had already stopped Jiho from doing something stupid twice before lunch.

The third was a girl named Choi Haneul.

Smart.

Funny.

Sharp-tongued.

Completely fearless.

By the end of the day, the four of them were already laughing together.

Minjae watched from afar.

Not intentionally.

They were simply impossible to ignore.

Especially Jiho.

The boy's laugh somehow echoed across entire hallways.

"Minjae!"

There it was again.

Jiho approached carrying two cartons of milk.

He placed one on Minjae's desk.

Minjae stared.

"What is this?"

"Milk."

"I can see that."

"It's for you."

"Why?"

Jiho blinked.

Then answered honestly.

"Because I bought one for myself."

Minjae stared.

What kind of logic was that?

"Take it."

"No."

"Take it."

"No."

Jiho pushed it closer.

Minjae pushed it back.

Jiho pushed it again.

Minjae pushed it again.

Across the room, Hyunwoo was laughing so hard he nearly fell off his chair.

"You're fighting over milk."

"We are not," Minjae replied.

"See?" Jiho said proudly. "He talked."

"That's not a victory."

"It is for me."

The entire group laughed.

Minjae immediately regretted speaking.

Again.

School continued.

Days became weeks.

Weeks became a month.

And Jiho remained exactly the same.

Loud.

Friendly.

Persistent.

Annoyingly impossible to avoid.

The strange thing was that Jiho had plenty of friends now.

Hyunwoo.

Seungmin.

Haneul.

Half the class.

Most of the school.

Yet somehow he still spent most of his time chasing Minjae.

Lunch.

Walks home.

Group projects.

Library visits.

Jiho always appeared.

Sometimes Minjae wondered if the boy secretly possessed tracking abilities.

Because there was no other explanation.

One afternoon, Minjae escaped to the library.

Finally.

Peace.

Silence.

No Jiho.

No noise.

No interruptions.

Perfect.

He opened his book.

Relaxed.

And heard a familiar voice.

"Found you."

Minjae slowly looked up.

Jiho stood there.

Grinning.

Holding two drinks.

Again.

For the first time in his eleven-year-old life, Seo Minjae felt genuine defeat.

How?

How did this keep happening?

Jiho sat down.

Completely uninvited.

Completely comfortable.

As if he belonged there.

As if he belonged everywhere.

Including beside him.

Minjae stared at the open book in front of him.

Then at Jiho.

Then back at the book.

A strange realization settled into his mind.

No matter how hard he tried—

He couldn't seem to avoid Kang Jiho.

And somehow, Kang Jiho didn't seem to want to leave.