They didn't speak.
They didn't move.
Joon and Hana stood side by side, frozen, eyes locked on the figure emerging between the trees.
For a moment, the forest was dead silent — as if holding its breath with them.
Then, the figure stepped forward.
He wasn't a ghost.
Not a creature.
Just a boy — barefoot, dressed in the same pale, hospital-like clothes. His hair was damp, sticking slightly to his forehead. His eyes were distant, almost glazed, like he was still waking from something he hadn't yet escaped.
But there was something off.
Not dangerous — just… off.
They watched as the boy staggered slightly, leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree. He looked as disoriented as they had felt when they first woke — maybe even more.
"Hey," Joon called, cautious but calm. "You okay?"
The boy didn't answer. He blinked slowly, breathing heavy and uneven. His gaze flicked from the moss to the sky to them, then back again.
No recognition. No fear.
Just… confusion.
Hana took a tentative step forward. "It's alright. We don't know what's going on either."
Still nothing.
Joon crossed his arms. "Okay, is everyone who wakes up here on mute for the first ten minutes?"
Hana gave him a quick look. "You were silent too."
"Yeah, but I was being mysterious. This guy's giving me blank-slate energy."
The boy slowly slid down the tree, sitting at its base, hands resting on his knees. He didn't look at them again.
Not exactly unfriendly — just lost. Distant. As if his mind wasn't entirely here.
Hana hesitated, then crouched a few feet away. "You're not hurt, right?"
The boy didn't respond.
Joon stayed standing, watching from a few paces back. "Alright. So we've got one overly talkative girl, one talented idol, and one silent forest ghost. We're off to a great start."
Hana looked back at him. "He's not a ghost. He's scared."
"Yeah," Joon murmured, eyes narrowing slightly. "But of what?"
The boy didn't react.
But in his mind — something was unraveling.
Somewhere in his memory…
It was loud.
Music. Laughter. Bottles clinking. The club pulsed with bass and blurred lights, but he wasn't really there for the party.
He was there because he didn't want to go home.
He leaned against the bar, blinking slowly as one of the guys handed him another drink.
"Come on, Xuan," they had laughed. "Just one more. You're rich — act like it."
They laughed because they didn't care. And maybe he didn't either.
Not anymore.
He'd been quiet all night. Floating. A shell in designer clothes. No one noticed the hollow under his eyes or the way his hands trembled when he thought too much.
His phone buzzed. A message from his father. Again.
He didn't open it.
He just downed the shot and walked outside. The noise followed him, echoing down the alley. He stumbled slightly, the streetlight flickering above him. His chest felt tight.
The last thing he remembered was the cold sidewalk. And the distant sound of someone calling his name as his vision went dark.
Back in the forest…
The boy's eyes flicked toward Joon — just a second, barely noticeable.
Joon noticed anyway. "There. That's progress."
"Maybe he just likes your sarcasm," Hana said, trying to lighten the moment.
Joon smirked. "Then we're going to get along just fine."
But he didn't smile. He only blinked slowly, his breathing steadier now. Still silent.
And somewhere, deep in his chest, a part of him was starting to wake up — the part that had given up. The part that remembered what it felt like to fall.
He still didn't know where he was.
Joon stood, brushing off his pants. "Well. If mystery boy's gonna keep ignoring us, we should at least start looking for water."
Hana nodded slowly, glancing at the boy. "Do we bring him?"
Before Joon could answer, the boy shifted.
"I can walk," he said quietly, surprising both of them.
Hana blinked. "You… sure?"
He gave the smallest nod, pushing himself upright against the tree. "I don't want to stay here alone."
Joon tilted his head. "Wow. The ghost speaks."
The boy glanced at him, unimpressed. "Barely."
That pulled a short laugh from Hana.
"Alright then," Joon said, stepping aside. "Join the club. Membership is free. Sanity not included."
The boy didn't smile, but something in his eyes softened.
Hana offered him a hand, but he gently shook his head, steadying himself.
They began walking, this time with three sets of footsteps pressing softly into the moss-covered ground.
A few minutes passed in silence — the good kind, soft and leafy. Then Hana peeked over her shoulder.
"So… are we just going to call you 'mystery boy' forever, or do you have a name?"
The boy hesitated, then said quietly, "Wang Xuan."
Joon's step faltered slightly. Just a flicker — barely noticeable. His gaze flicked sideways at the boy, brows furrowed for half a second.
But he said nothing.
"Xuan," Hana repeated, smiling. "Ooh, cool. Sounds like someone who knows martial arts and owns a private jet."
Xuan blinked. "I don't think I do either of those things."
"Give it time," Joon muttered.
Hana grinned. "You don't sound surprised."
Joon shrugged, eyes forward. "I mean, look at him. He's got 'mysterious heir to a family fortune' written all over him."
Xuan glanced between them, a little amused. "You two don't seem like strangers."
That made Joon snort.
Hana raised a brow. "What, because I insult him every three minutes?"
"You flirt through bullying," Joon said.
"I do not flirt."
"You're blushing."
"I'm sun-kissed!"
Xuan shook his head, the smallest smile tugging at his lips. "Still doesn't seem like strangers."
Hana threw her hands up. "Okay, fine. Maybe I feel slightly responsible for dragging your unconscious body out of your moss bed."
"I walked out of the moss bed, thank you very much."
"You groaned and blinked. I did the emotional labor."
Joon glanced at Xuan. "See what I've been dealing with?"
Xuan's smile faded just slightly. "Honestly? I think you're lucky."
That quieted them for a second.
But then Hana gave Joon a nudge. "Look at that — two people in a row who think you're lucky. You should start a fan club."
Joon sighed. "If I wake up to custom merch, I'm walking into the nearest ravine."
"You'd probably land in more moss," Hana grinned. "This forest is built for your drama."
Xuan gave a quiet chuckle behind them.
And for a moment — brief but real — it felt almost normal.
Three strangers, laughing in a place that made no sense, walking deeper into the unknown… together.