Chapter 1
The morning was loud and busy as students walked through the school gate, talking and laughing. Ji-eun entered the campus like any other day, holding her bag and heading straight to her classroom. Inside Class 11-B, students were already seated and waiting for the teacher. Ji-eun sat at her usual desk and opened her notebook, thinking it would be another normal day.
That changed when a boy walked in late. He said a quick sorry to the teacher and hurried to the empty desk near the window. As he pulled his chair back, it hit Ji-eun’s desk. She turned around immediately, clearly annoyed, and asked him to be careful. The boy replied that he had already said sorry, then turned away. That was how Ji-eun first noticed Min-jae, and it was not a good start.
Min-jae was new to the school, and everyone knew it within a few days. He didn’t understand the rules properly, sometimes asked too many questions, and looked lost most of the time. Ji-eun did not like him much. During lunch break, Min-jae sat on the desk behind her and asked where the computer lab was. Ji-eun answered shortly and without turning around. Min-jae felt she was being rude, and Ji-eun felt he talked too much. Neither of them tried to fix the misunderstanding.
Things became worse when Min-jae came late to the class he accidentally picked up Ji-eun’s notebook from the teacher’s table. When the teacher asked for Ji-eun’s notebook, she stood up, confused. Min-jae then realized his mistake and handed it back, saying it was not done on purpose. Ji-eun took it and told him to be more careful. Min-jae didn’t argue, but the awkward feeling between them grew stronger.
A week later, the teacher made them sit together for a group activity. Both of them were unhappy, but they had no choice. At first, they worked silently, avoiding each other. When Ji-eun wrote an answer, Min-jae told her it was wrong and asked her to check again. She felt irritated but checked the book and saw that he was right. She didn’t thank him, and he didn’t say anything more, but the anger between them slowly reduced.
One evening after school, Ji-eun stayed back to finish her work. The classroom was almost empty, and Min-jae was still there too. They talked a little, not about anything important, but enough to feel less uncomfortable. When Ji-eun struggled with a question, Min-jae explained it slowly. She listened and thanked him. The silence after that felt calm instead of awkward.
It started raining suddenly when school ended. Ji-eun stood near the gate without an umbrella. Min-jae noticed and stopped, asking if she planned to stand there forever. He opened his umbrella and told her to walk quickly. They didn’t walk close, and they didn’t talk much, but he slowed down so she wouldn’t get wet. Ji-eun thanked him quietly. Min-jae replied lightly and kept walking.
Nothing special happened after that day. There was no love and no clear change, just small moments that made things feel different. Without realizing it, both of them started to see each other in a new way, and that was how everything slowly began.
