Chapter 1

The alarm rang.

Min-jae didn’t move.

It kept ringing, vibrating slightly against the wooden table beside his bed, filling the room with a sharp, repetitive sound that felt louder than it actually was.

After a few seconds, he reached out blindly and turned it off.

Silence returned.

Not calm silence. Just… empty.

He stared at the ceiling again.

Same cracks. Same dull color. Same faint sound of the fan spinning unevenly.

Everything in his room felt still, like it had been paused a long time ago and never resumed.

He rubbed his eyes, forcing himself to sit up.

Another day.

“Min-jae.”

His mother’s voice came from outside.

“You’re late.”

“I’m coming.”

He didn’t sound tired. He didn’t sound annoyed either.

He just sounded… flat.

Breakfast was quiet.

It always was.

His father sat across from him, already dressed, scrolling through his phone. His mother moved around the kitchen, placing food down, picking things up, doing everything except sitting.

Min-jae ate without tasting anything.

“Your test results came?” his father asked.

“…yeah.”

“And?”

“Seventy-eight.”

A small pause.

His father didn’t react much.

“You can do better.”

That was it.

Not harsh. Not angry.

Just… expectation.

His mother added from the side, “You’re not focused these days.”

Min-jae nodded slightly.

“I’ll improve.”

The words came automatically.

They always did.

The sky outside was grey.

Not raining. Not clear.

Just… stuck in between.

Min-jae walked to school with his earphones in, even though nothing was playing. The noise of the outside world felt easier to handle when it was slightly muted.

Students passed by him in small groups.

Talking. Laughing.

He walked past them like he wasn’t really part of the same space.

By the time he reached class, the room was already half full.

He took his usual seat near the window.

Not because he liked the view.

Because no one chose that seat unless they had to.

The teacher started explaining something at the board.

Min-jae opened his notebook.

The page stayed blank.

His pen rested between his fingers, unmoving.

His eyes followed the board, but nothing really stayed.

It was like listening to something from far away.

You hear it.

But you don’t process it.

“Min-jae, are you writing or just staring?”

The teacher’s voice cut through.

A few students turned.

Min-jae blinked, straightening slightly.

“I’m writing.”

He wasn’t.

The teacher didn’t push further.

She just continued.

That made it worse somehow.

Lunch break came with noise.

Chairs scraping, students rushing out, conversations filling the air instantly.

Min-jae stayed seated.

He waited.

He always waited until the room emptied.

It was easier that way.

When he finally stood up, he didn’t go to the canteen.

He rarely did.

Instead, he walked through the corridor without really thinking.

Not towards any specific place.

Just away from people.

He stopped near an empty classroom on the second floor.

The door was slightly open.

He pushed it gently.

No one inside.

Good.

The room smelled faintly of chalk and dust.

Sunlight fell across a few desks, leaving the rest in soft shadow.

Min-jae walked to the last bench.

Dropped his bag.

Sat down.

For a moment, he just stared at the desk in front of him.

Then slowly, he leaned forward, resting his head on his arms.

His eyes closed.

It wasn’t proper sleep.

Just… shutting everything off.

No voices.

No expectations.

No “you should do better.”

Just quiet.

Time passed.

The door opened at some point.

He didn’t notice.

Footsteps entered the room.

A pause.

Then—

“—oh!”

Warm liquid spread across his sleeve.

Min-jae jerked up instantly.

“What—”

His eyes adjusted quickly.

A girl stood beside his desk, holding a paper cup, now tilted slightly.

Coffee.

Spilled.

“I’m so sorry!” she said quickly. “I didn’t see you, I thought—”

Min-jae looked at his sleeve.

The stain was spreading slowly.

Warm. Sticky.

Annoying.

He clicked his tongue lightly under his breath.

“Seriously…?”

The words slipped out before he could stop them.

She froze for a second.

Then quickly pulled out tissues from her bag.

“Wait—here—”

“I said it’s fine,” he cut in, a little sharper this time.

It wasn’t fine.

But he didn’t want a whole situation out of it.

She paused.

Then instead of insisting, she quietly placed the tissues on his desk.

“In case,” she said softly.

That caught him off guard for a second.

Most people would’ve kept apologizing.

Explaining.

Trying to fix it.

She didn’t.

She just… left the option there.

There was a short silence.

Min-jae wiped his sleeve once, not really caring if it helped.

“You should be more careful,” he muttered.

It wasn’t loud.

But she heard it.

Instead of reacting, she nodded slightly.

“I will.”

Simple.

No attitude.

No argument.

For a moment, he looked at her properly.

She didn’t look uncomfortable.

Didn’t look scared either.

Just… calm.

Like this wasn’t a big deal.

Like he wasn’t a big deal either.

That was new.

“I’ll get another one,” she said, glancing at the half-empty cup.

Then she added, quieter, “Sorry.”

Again.

But not in a dramatic way.

Just… honest.

She turned and walked out.

No rushing.

No looking back.

The door closed softly behind her.

Min-jae stared at it for a second longer than necessary.

Then he looked down at the tissues.

Then at his sleeve.

“…great,” he muttered.

But his voice didn’t sound as annoyed anymore.

The room felt different now.

Still quiet.

But not the same kind of quiet.

He leaned back slightly, exhaling.

For the first time that day—

something had interrupted the routine.

Even if it was just coffee on his sleeve.

Later, when he returned to class, the noise felt the same again.

Students talking.

Laughing.

Living their lives like normal.

That’s when he noticed her again.

She was sitting two rows ahead, near the window on the opposite side.

Not alone.

Three girls sat around her.

Talking.

Laughing.

One of them nudged her lightly, saying something that made her smile.

Not loud.

Not attention-seeking.

Just… natural.

“She’s in your class?” someone whispered behind him.

“I think she transferred last month.”

“Her name is Hae-in, right?”

“Yeah.”

Hae-in.

The name settled somewhere in his mind.

Not important.

Just… noted.

She didn’t look back.

Didn’t glance at him.

Didn’t act like anything had happened earlier.

That… bothered him slightly.

More than it should have.

By the end of the day, the sky had darkened a little.

Min-jae walked home the same way he always did.

Hands in pockets.

Earphones in.

Mind somewhere else.

At dinner, the conversation was predictable.

“Study properly.”

“Don’t waste time.”

“Focus on your future.”

He nodded at the right moments.

Answered when needed.

Stayed quiet otherwise.

Later that night, he lay in bed again.

Same ceiling.

Same faint clicking sound from the fan.

But his mind wasn’t completely blank this time.

It lingered somewhere.

On a small, random moment.

A girl.

A cup of coffee.

A calm “I know.”

He turned to his side, pulling the blanket slightly.

“…Hae-in,” he murmured quietly.

He didn’t know why he remembered her name.

Or why the moment stayed.

He just knew one thing—

He didn’t like her.

Not really.

Too casual.

Too comfortable.

Too… unbothered.

And people like that—

never made sense to him.

Outside, the sky remained grey.

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