Since the incident… I changed.
From the smiling girl I once was, to someone colorless ,quiet, expressionless, and friendless.
Middle school was the hardest. I was surrounded by people, but I felt like a ghost walking through empty halls. I couldn't look anyone in the eye. The world had lost its color the day my brother died.
Even now, four years later, at sixteen, I still haven't truly moved on.
Every morning, I tell myself:"Ha-rin, grow up. It's been four years. Keep going."
But words alone can't fix a broken heart.
The only thing that makes me feel alive is science.
It's the one thing that never lies
,the one world that always feels safe.
The first day of high school.
I told myself I'd try to be different , a little more open, a little braver.
It actually worked.
When I walked into class, a few heads turned. I felt their eyes on me ,quiet, curious.
I took a seat by the window, where sunlight spilled across the desk, and pulled out my notebook.
A girl sat down beside me, her short dark-brown hair catching the light.
"Hi! I'm Seo-yeon," she said brightly. "Nice to meet you."
Her voice was warm and full of life .
the complete opposite of mine.
"Hi… I'm Ha-rin," I replied softly, smiling back.
From that day on, something changed.
Little by little, she broke through my walls.
We discovered we both loved science, stayed after class to talk, shared snacks during study sessions.
She made me laugh again ,something I hadn't done in years.
Seo-yeon became my first real friend… and maybe, the sister I lost.
One year and two months later.
It was a cold morning, and the train was packed tighter than ever.
It was the fastest way to school, but every time I stepped inside, I regretted it.
We were crammed together like sardines in a can ,hot, noisy, and suffocating.
Then, I felt it.
A hand slow, deliberate, brushing against my skirt.
My heart dropped.
I turned my head slightly and saw him: a man, maybe in his fifties, pretending not to notice.
My breath froze. I couldn't move. Couldn't speak.
And then —
CRACK.
Someone grabbed his wrist and punched him Hard.
The entire train went silent.
The boy who hit him was tall ,dark hair, gray eyes that burned with anger.
"Shame on you, you pervert," he said, voice low and steady. "She could be your daughter."
He stood like a shield between me and the man, unshaken even as security arrived to take the stranger away.
When it was over, he turned to me. His voice softened.
"You okay? …Sorry you had to go through that."
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, eyes flicking away like he was embarrassed to even look at me.
"I'm okay," I said quietly. "Thanks to you."
I smiled, just a little.
He opened his mouth, like he wanted to ask something — maybe my name —
but the train stopped.
I stepped off, disappearing into the morning crowd.
At school, Seo-yeon was already waiting by the fountain bench.
"You're late!" she said, grinning. "What happened?"
I told her everything, from the crowded train to the boy who saved me.
Her eyes lit up. "A mystery hero? That sounds like something straight out of a drama!"
I laughed nervously. "It's not that big a deal."
We walked through the hallway, chatting.
Then suddenly ,I saw him.
The same boy from the train.
Our eyes met for a brief, electric moment.
Everything around me blurred,
the noise, the chatter, even Seo-yeon's voice.
It was him. There was no doubt.
"Ha-rin? Are you even listening?" Seo-yeon nudged me.
I blinked and looked away quickly.
"Y-yeah… sorry."
When class started, Seo-yeon and I got separated as usual.
The teacher entered, smiling.
"Class, we have a new transfer student today."
The door opened.
And there he was.
He walked in, calm and confident, hands in his pockets, scanning the room
until his gaze stopped on me.
"Meet Lee Joon-ho," the teacher said. "He came from America and recently returned to Korea. Please make him feel welcome."
The room filled with whispers and excitement.
But all I could hear was the pounding of my own heart.
"Joon-ho, sit next to Kim Ha-rin," the teacher said.
He sat down beside me, his shadow falling over my desk.
A small smirk curved his lips as he leaned slightly closer.
"Now," he said quietly, "I know your name."
To be continued