~ drap... drap... drap...
The sound of footsteps chased along the hallway of Haneul Academy. Students from various classes scattered, fighting for the best spot in front of the door of classroom 1-A. Enthusiastic faces peeked out from behind the small glass of the door, while curious whispers began to fill the air.
"Why do we have to run?" complained a male student while patting his chest that was rising and falling from fatigue.
"They said… he was chosen to participate in the biggest science olympiad in Korea!" replied his friend with round eyes, as if he couldn't believe someone their age could be that great.
"And they said again…" whispered another female student while leaning her body towards them, "...he was transferred directly from class 2-B to 1-A. They said Teacher Gyeongseok asked for it himself. Very special, huh?"
The whispers of admiration turned into waves of admiration.
"Wow, that's him, huh?"
"Oh my God, she's so beautiful..."
"She's beautiful, and smart too. Like the main character in a school drama!"
"Fix, she'll be a tough rival for the girls in the same school..."
The classroom door slowly opened.
The morning sunlight streamed in, illuminating the wooden floor and curious faces.
The silhouette slowly emerged. Her golden brown hair fell beautifully, swaying gently following her footsteps. Her school uniform looked neat, her tie was tied perfectly, and under her long, calm eyes, there was a soft, unpretentious smile.
~ thump... thump... thump...
Whether it was footsteps or heartbeats. No one knew for sure. What was clear was that time seemed to slow down as the girl stood in front of the class.
"Hi, my name is Han Jieun," she said softly, accompanied by a small wave of her hand and a smile that was like spring.
The whole class suddenly froze.
The gazes were fixated on her figure. Even the sound of breathing was barely audible.
~ wow... beautiful!! So beautiful!!
~ what an angel!
~ I think she'll be liked by the popular kid, right?
Han Jieun. A name that was already known before her face appeared. The girl who always filled the bulletin board with perfect scores. The winner of various science, debate, and art competitions. The most shining student at Haneul Academy.
Now, she stood in the middle of them.
~ click... click... click...
The flash of the cellphone camera started to flash. Several students dared to take pictures secretly from the back bench.
"BEAUTIFUL!!!" shouted one student from outside the classroom window. His voice echoed, greeted by laughter and applause from his friends.
But Han Jieun remained calm. She put her bag on the empty chair at the front and stood up while turning the page of her book.
"Let's study this chapter first, okay?" she said while pointing to the board.
Her voice was light, but authoritative. And for some reason, everyone immediately fell silent. Focus.
Someone in the back corner whispered loudly:
"HAN JIEUN IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!"
Laughter erupted. Some students laughed shyly. But it was undeniable, that day… Han Jieun had stolen everyone's attention.
But what they didn't know was that it wasn't just her intelligence or beauty that would be the talk of the town… but the story hidden behind her smile—and the past that would soon follow from behind the other door.
---
That day, the atmosphere in class 1-A changed completely. Usually, only the students' lazy sighs could be heard when class started, but now everyone sat up straight, their eyes fixed on the same direction: Han Jieun.
Meanwhile, Han-j remained calm. He opened his book, jotted something down in the corner of the page, then took out his favorite pen—a gold pen with a small engraving of the initials "HJ."
Behind him, some students started whispering again.
"Crazy… she writes so fast…"
"Look at that! Her handwriting is so neat, like a printout."
"I don't know why, but I immediately want to study too."
Even Teacher Gyeongseok, who came in a few minutes later, paused for a moment in the doorway. His gaze was fixed on Han Jieun, who had already written two complete paragraphs before he wrote a single sentence on the board.
"Good morning. Let's start with a review of last week's material," Teacher Gyeongseok said.
No one said a word. Everyone waited, staring silently at the girl who was now sitting in the front seat.
Suddenly, a student from the middle of the class—Sooyeon, the class gossip queen—raised her hand.
"Teacher… eh, I just want to ask… Why did Han Jieun transfer to this class? I mean… she's from class two?" Her tone was half sarcastic, half curious. But her eyes were clearly jealous.
Teacher Gyeongseok only smiled slightly. "Because she deserves it. And coincidentally, there's an empty seat here."
Han Jieun turned her head. Her eyes were sharp, but not angry. A small smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
"I just want a new challenge," she said briefly. "And they say that class 1-A is where the most attractive students are."
Several students cheered softly.
"Wuhuuu~!"
"That's a really cool answer!"
"She'll definitely be the class president."
Sooyeon snorted softly. But before she could reply, a click was heard from the door.
The classroom door opened briefly, then closed again. No one noticed who passed by.
But Han Jieun had time to look back. There was a tall silhouette of a man with a black backpack on his shoulder—not clearly visible, just a fleeting shadow. But somehow, those steps... felt familiar.
She turned her gaze back to the book.k
But on the very back blank page, for some reason her hand had drawn something—a small sketch of a man standing in the rain, with a black umbrella covering part of his face.