He walked through the thick fog.
Every step felt heavy. The ground beneath his feet seemed to hold him back, as if something invisible were trying to keep him in place.
He kept walking without knowing where he was going.
There was no path, no sound only white fog shrouding everything around him. Until a shadow slowly emerged from behind the fog.
A man was sitting in a small pavilion.
A long black robe hung down to his ankles. The fabric moved gently in the breeze, revealing a faint floral pattern that was occasionally visible when caught in the light. His long black hair fell past his shoulders, slightly wavy and neatly styled.
The man didn't notice her.
His hand continued to move across the canvas.
Swoosh...
swoosh...
The sound of the brush scraping against the canvas rang out clearly in the silence. She stopped a few steps from the pavilion and looked at the painting in front of the man.
Someone was being painted there.
The face wasn't entirely clear yet. Only a faint smile was visible, while the eyes remained hidden by brushstrokes.
For some reason, this scene felt familiar to him.
But there was something else that bothered him more.
The longer he stood there, the heavier his chest felt. The aura emanating from the man's body was so strong it made it a little hard to breathe.
Strangely, he didn't feel afraid.
Instead, there was a sense of calm that was hard to explain.
The man finally stopped painting.
For a moment, their gazes met.
The man's eyes were sharp, but they held no hostility. There was only silence and such deep sadness behind them.
He didn't know why, but that gaze felt familiar.
"This dream… again."
Every time he fell asleep, he always encountered the same man.
Sometimes the man would write.
Sometimes he just sat staring at the sky.
Occasionally, he played a musical instrument he'd never recognized.
But his gaze was always the same.
Empty and sad.
He was just about to approach when a faint voice came from behind the fog.
"Raven..."
His steps halted.
"Raven..."
The voice grew clearer.
The pavilion in front of him began to fade. So did the figure of the man in the black cloak, slowly disappearing, swallowed by the fog.
He tried to reach out.
But it was already too late.
"Hey!"
Another voice suddenly echoed.
"I've been calling you for a while now!"
Raven blinked.
The sunlight streaming through the bus window immediately blinded him. He squinted as he rubbed his face, then looked out the window. The trees along the roadside were rushing by, while the sound of tires screeching against the asphalt mingled with the buzz of conversation from the people around him.
"Are we there yet?" he muttered half-awake.
"Not yet!"
A hand tapped his shoulder again.
"Geez, isn't this the perfect time to enjoy our youth? We're on a study tour, bro! Don't just sleep the whole way."
Raven shot him a lazy glance.
"Kyle, if enjoying our youth means having to listen to your rambling the whole trip, I'd rather just sleep."
Kyle was silent for a few seconds.
"So does that mean I'll keep rambling on every trip?"
Raven glared at him.
"Ugh… this guy really doesn't want to listen to anyone around him."
Before Raven could answer, Kyle was already grinning widely again.
"So get ready, buddy! Let's enjoy our youth!"
His loud voice made several students around them turn their heads.
Raven could only sigh. She leaned her head back against the seat, as if she'd given up and accepted her friend's behavior.
Kyle really could never keep quiet. His dark brown hair was cut in a subtle undercut style, while his golden-brown eyes always looked full of energy. Even on a long trip like this, he still looked like someone with enough energy to disrupt the entire bus.
That day, he was wearing an oversized white hoodie featuring an anime character, paired with light blue jeans and white sneakers. His look was casual, but his overly enthusiastic demeanor made him stand out.
Kyle nudged Raven's arm again.
"We've still got plenty of time before we get there. So, I've got some classic games in my backpack. We can play."
Raven lifted her head slightly.
"Ugh… can't you just let me sleep for a little while?"
"What do you mean, 'a little while'? You've been sleeping since the start of the trip."
From the seat in front of them, a soft voice spoke up.
"Kyle, let Raven sleep."
A girl turned her head, closing the light novel she'd been reading. Her gaze then shifted to Raven, who still looked sleepy.
"She looks like she's still tired."
"Ah… sorry, Hana. Did my voice bother you?" Kyle asked, scratching his head even though it wasn't itchy.
"It's okay. I really wasn't bothered." Hana gave a small smile. "I mean, Raven's been sleeping this whole time. Maybe she really does need some rest."
Hana always spoke softly. Her long black hair fell past her shoulders, while her simple features gave her a calm appearance. The thin gray cardigan she wore covered a white blouse, paired with a black pleated skirt and flat shoes.
Kyle glanced at Raven.
"Does she really look that tired?"
Raven, sitting next to him, simply lifted her gaze toward Hana. She blinked once, giving a subtle signal for Hana to keep trying to persuade Kyle.
Hana fell silent for a moment.
Their eyes met for a few seconds.
Her cheeks slowly turned red.
"Yeah…" She quickly looked away. "If she's still sleepy, maybe it's better to let her sleep."
"Why do you seem more worried than he is?"
The voice came from beside Hana.
Hana turned her head.
"Karin, don't start."
Karin just smiled.
"I'm just surprised. You usually never get involved when Kyle is bothering people."
"Because Raven really does look tired."
"Is that so?"
"Is that so?"
Karin glanced at Raven briefly, then looked back at Hana.
"So you've been watching Raven this whole time?"
Hana fell silent.
"I was just..."
"Come on, Karin," Hana interrupted softly. "Don't make things up."
Karin chuckled.
"I didn't say anything, really."
She gently nudged Hana's shoulder.
"But I'm still curious why you're the one who cares the most."
Hana's face flushed again.
"Karin..."
"What?"
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Karin gave a little laugh.
"A little."
Hana just sighed and opened her novel again. But instead of reading, her gaze lingered on the same page.
Karin watched her with a small smile.
Meanwhile, Raven, who had overheard their conversation, just glanced their way briefly.
"Why are they whispering?"
Kyle turned his head too.
"No idea. But it looks interesting."
"Don't butt in."
"But I'm curious."
Raven sighed and leaned her head back against the chair.
Before Kyle could say anything else, a sharp voice rang out from a few seats behind them.
"Hey, Kyle. Can you be quiet for a second?"
Kyle turned around.
"What's up, Lisa?"
"Seriously, you've been chattering nonstop. I can't even read in peace."
Kyle grinned.
"Oh, so even Miss Bookworm is finally annoyed?"
Lisa gently closed her book.
"Kyle."
"What?"
"Don't call me that."
"Well, then what should I call you?"
Lisa stared at him for a few seconds.
"Whatever. That's not the point."
Kyle chuckled.
"All right, Miss Bookworm."
"Kyle!"
Lisa's face immediately flushed. She snorted in annoyance as she pushed her glasses back up, which had slipped down slightly.
Karin, who saw this, struggled to hold back a laugh.
"If I'm being honest, those two seem really close, don't they?" Karin whispered, nudging Hana's shoulder.
Hana glanced at her.
"Karin…"
"What? I'm just saying."
Karin glanced back at Kyle and Lisa, who were still bickering.
"If only the person next to me were as bold as Kyle, maybe he could be that close with someone, too."
Karin deliberately directed her gaze at Raven.
Hana's face immediately flushed. She quickly looked down and pretended to read, even though her eyes weren't following the text on the page at all.
Before Karin could tease her again, a deep yet calm voice came from the seat in front.
"If you guys could just behave a little better, this trip would definitely be more comfortable. Don't you think?"
Several heads turned immediately.
"Kevin, don't act like you're in charge."
Kyle leaned back in his seat and snorted.
"This is a public bus, not a private one. If you don't like it, why didn't you just take a private vehicle from the start?"
A few students around them chuckled.
Kevin just gave a faint smile.
He was indeed easy to spot among the other students. He had a handsome face with a chiseled jawline and dark gray eyes that always looked calm. His black hair was neatly styled, while his white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows gave him a simple yet neat appearance.
Kevin came from a family whose name was quite well-known in the business world. His father owned one of the long-established major companies, ensuring that Kevin had never wanted for anything since childhood. Even so, he never particularly liked to flaunt his family's wealth. Instead, his calm demeanor and consistently confident attitude were what naturally earned him the nickname "Young Master."
"I'm just asking for a little peace and quiet. Is that so wrong?" Kevin glanced at Kyle. "Besides, this is a faculty study tour. No matter what, we all have to participate."
"Come on, Young Master." Kyle shook his head. "Chill out a bit—I was just joking about the bus."
"Yeah, I know." Kevin chuckled softly. "But at least don't make the whole bus have to listen to your rambling from start to finish."
Kyle immediately put on a look of indignation.
"Am I really that loud?"
Kevin stared at him for a moment.
"Do you really want me to answer that?"
A few students laughed again.
Kyle snorted.
"Okay, okay. You win this one, Mr. Young Master."
Kevin just shrugged, then leaned back again.
"Well, at least I can still enjoy the ride. Unlike your friend, who does nothing but sleep."
He glanced at Raven out of the corner of his eye.
Raven opened one eye.
"I can hear you, Kevin."
Kevin smiled smugly.
"Good. That means your hearing still works."
Raven just snorted and closed her eyes again.
Kevin spoke again.
"In that case, you should be a little more observant, too."
Raven opened one eye.
"What?"
"You're sitting next to Hana. She's tried to talk to you a few times, but you've been sleeping this whole time."
Raven fell silent for a moment.
He glanced at Hana, who immediately looked down.
"So what?"
Kevin gave a faint smile.
"If someone's trying to talk to you, at least respond. Don't just sleep like you have nothing better to do."
Raven sighed.
"I'm just sleepy."
"Yeah, that's the problem."
Karin, who had been listening the whole time, finally sighed.
"Hey, Kevin. If you're just trying to make Hana uncomfortable, you should stop."
A few students who heard this immediately exchanged glances.
Kevin turned his head casually.
"I was just joking."
"Don't pretend you don't know."
Karin glared at him.
"You've been rejected by Hana yourself, but you're still looking for excuses to get close to her."
The atmosphere around them changed instantly.
Everyone knew about it.
Kevin had once confessed his feelings to Hana and been rejected. The gossip had even become the talk of nearly the entire campus.
Kevin's smile faded for a moment, but only briefly.
He leaned back calmly.
"As long as she hasn't found the right person yet, I think there's still a reason to keep trying."
Karin narrowed her eyes.
"And what do you think that person should be like?"
Kevin didn't answer right away.
Instead, his gaze shifted to Raven, who still had her eyes closed.
"I don't know."
A faint smile reappeared on his face.
"But if Hana really has high standards, she must be looking for someone she thinks is worthy."
Karin's gaze grew even sharper.
She knew exactly who Kevin was referring to.
"You sly fox…"
Kevin just smiled, as if he hadn't heard the mutter.
Before their argument could continue, a loud voice from the front of the bus suddenly cut through the atmosphere.
"Hey! Everyone, please stay calm! Save your energy for tomorrow!"
The commotion on the bus gradually subsided.
Kyle gave a wry grin and leaned back into his seat. Lisa let out a sigh of relief and turned her gaze back out the window, while Hana opened her light novel again.
Their chaperone then walked past a few rows of seats before stopping near Raven.
"Raven, please keep an eye on your friend sitting next to you. This trip has been pretty noisy thanks to him."
He glanced at Kyle briefly before smiling.
"So, I hope you can be a little firm with him."
Raven sighed softly, then gave a faint smile.
"Okay, sir."
She turned toward Kyle and gave him a sharp look—one that was actually quite common between them.
Kyle just chuckled softly as he scratched his head.
"Heh… what's wrong with being a little excited?"
Raven shook her head.
"Being excited and being loud are two different things."
Kyle chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah. I know."
Raven then leaned back in her chair. Her jet-black hair shimmered with a bluish tint as the sunlight streamed in through the window. Her dark eyes looked calm, almost cold, while her well-proportioned figure showed that she wasn't really as lazy as Kyle often claimed.
A plain black hoodie, a denim jacket, dark joggers, and gray sneakers gave her a simple look. There was nothing particularly striking about her, but for some reason, Raven always gave off an unapproachable vibe.
The bus kept moving, leaving the city streets farther and farther behind.
The atmosphere inside finally settled back into quiet. Only the sound of occasional small talk could be heard from a few seats.
Kyle finally fell completely silent. His head rested against the window as he busily fiddled with his phone.
Raven looked out the window again.
She closed her eyes, intending to go back to sleep.
But the image from her earlier dream was still too vivid to forget.
The man in the black cloak.
The small pavilion in the middle of the fog.
And the sound of a paintbrush slowly scraping across the surface of the canvas.
Raven frowned.
She could still remember the vague face depicted there. A faint smile, but for some reason, it felt so sad.
Raven's heart suddenly began to pound.
Her eyes flew open.
Raven stared at the ceiling of the bus for a few seconds before slowly exhaling.
"…What does all this mean?"
No one answered.
Only the constant hum of the bus's engine and the faint murmur of conversation from the seats behind her.
Raven looked out the window again.
In the distance, a thin fog began to settle and slowly enveloped the road they were traveling on.
No one on the bus noticed it.
The bus kept moving, carrying them toward a destination they never imagined would change everything.