Episode 1
The weather was clear. Sunlight poured in through the wide-open window, dazzlingly bright. Maybe it was the drowsy afternoon heat, but most of the students had their heads down. He was no exception.
Today, his hairstyle had changed. Just trimming his slightly shaggy hair was enough to reveal a long neck and a smooth jawline that now stood out prominently. It caused quite a stir from the morning.
Junyoung found herself staring at his flawless skin. Her seat was diagonally behind him—just enough to sneak a glance at his side profile without being too obvious. His shirt was always crisply ironed, and it looked so clean she imagined it might even smell fresh and cool.
Even during this season, when everyone was beginning to reek of sweat.
When his nodding head finally dropped, he seemed startled and quickly lifted it again. The sunlight split his face into light and shadow.
He had a handsome face. Pale like porcelain, with well-balanced features—eyes, nose, lips—and a smile that crept in as if embarrassed. He was picture-perfect.
From the start, he didn’t fit in with this backwater rural town. But any awkwardness faded, thanks to that calm and gentle expression of his.
Despite transferring in at an awkward time, he had effortlessly won over everyone at school—the “Prince.”
“Anyone want to solve this one on the board?”
The teacher’s voice tapped against the chalkboard.
Junyoung turned her head lazily, chin in her hand. She’d spent the entire class sneaking glances at the prince, but even that was enough to figure out the answer on the board.
“Na Seungwoon, looks like you’ve had plenty of rest. Come solve this.”
Among the students doing their best to avoid eye contact, the honor went to Seungwoon. He jolted in surprise and stood awkwardly. Glancing over the question, he gave a sheepish smile.
“Um… this one’s kinda hard, sir.”
“What’s hard about it? You said in Seoul you already covered the next chapter.”
“I haven’t seen this specific problem before… and I just woke up, so I’m still out of it…”
He mumbled playfully, drawing a burst of laughter from the class. Even the teacher, exasperated, softened his stern eyes.
Junyoung twirled her pen between her fingers, already expecting the teacher’s gaze to land on her next.
“Junyoung.”
“Yes.”
As she stood, Seungwoon turned to look at her. She kept her gaze fixed forward and walked calmly to the front of the class.
Her long hair fluttered in the breeze from the rattling fan. She briefly regretted not tying it up—it must look messy.
“You looked spaced out, but you’re still our top student.”
Top in the whole school—though that wasn’t saying much in this tiny, backwoods place.
Junyoung muttered silently to herself and gave a quick bow before returning to her seat. Amid the scattered students, Seungwoon’s pale face stood out. With his new haircut exposing his neat forehead, he smiled radiantly.
She sat down, tightening her lips to suppress a sigh. Just as he seemed ready to say something, the teacher’s voice rang out again.
“Na Seungwoon, don’t get lazy just because you’re in the countryside now. Doesn’t it hurt your pride losing to a girl?”
‘A girl, a girl…’ The teacher always used that word like a tick, but it still made Junyoung frown as her grip on the pen tightened. Seeing her expression, Seungwoon quickly tried to speak.
“Teacher, Junyoung is—”
“Sir.”
Thud.
A loud sound interrupted, and heads turned at once.
“Class is over.”
The rough voice didn’t hesitate. The teacher pointed, annoyed.
“Hey, Kwon Beomjin. Only the teacher decides when—”
“I really gotta piss, sir. I already unbuckled my belt, see?”
Girls screamed at the sight of the belt dangling from Beomjin’s hand. Junyoung was the only one who didn’t turn to look. Flustered, the teacher hurriedly gathered his materials.
“Fine, go. Class dismissed.”
“Thank you, sir.”
As the teacher exited, the class exploded into motion and chatter. Junyoung, closing her book, looked up at the shadow cast over her.
“Sorry. You had to solve that problem because of me.”
Seungwoon scratched his neck, sheepish. He was tall, and his shadow stretched long. His rolled-up sleeves revealed pale arms lined with blue veins, like branching tree roots.
He smelled faintly of soap—clean and comforting.
“Move.”
“Huh?”
“Move. I’m going to the bathroom. You’re in the way.”
A flush crept up Seungwoon’s ears as he stepped aside. Junyoung walked past, her back straight. Behind her, she could hear the whispers trailing after her like echoing ripples.
“Geez, she’s got a nasty personality. Don’t bother talking to her, Seungwoon. It’ll only piss you off.”
“I wasn’t trying to—”
“Aren’t you just so sleepy these days? The weather’s too nice to be stuck here. I wanna go somewhere. What are you doing this weekend?”
Junyoung left the classroom to the clingy voices of her classmates. As she walked down the hallway, she looked down at her shirt sleeve. The fraying edge practically screamed it was secondhand.
Everything about her felt shabby. Nothing she owned was worth anything—worn, hand-me-downs, or worse.
Most people here weren’t that different from her. Except for Na Seungwoon.
Of course, even among the low, she counted herself among the lowest.
“…So damn annoying.”
She muttered under her breath, then straightened her shoulders and walked on. Her mind was full of the awkward smile Seungwoon had worn as he stepped aside.
When the sun sets, the mountains quickly darken.
Junyoung wasn’t heading home.
Her house wasn’t a place you could call suitable for studying. For one, she didn’t even have a desk.
She could’ve stayed at school, but that wasn’t an option either. Few students there even aimed for college, and the rare ones who did usually left for cram schools instead of staying behind.
Of course, Junyoung couldn’t afford a cram school. But more than that, she didn’t want to study in a classroom where people looked at you like you were ruining their fun just by trying.
Then, by chance, she found a place.
Through a little-known hole in the school fence and up a short trail into the mountain was a small, old house. It looked like a shed but had two stories. On the first floor was a desk by a window and some space to sit. Upstairs was a single bed.
Someone had clearly lived there until recently. The desk, books, even the fireplace and bed weren’t that worn. It had working water and even a makeshift toilet outside.
Why it was abandoned didn’t matter.
What mattered was that it was empty.
The house was silent, nestled deep in the mountain like a temple. And in the early summer evenings, it was cool—sometimes even chilly. But that only made it a perfect place to study.
As Junyoung adjusted her backpack, her brow furrowed.
There was light in the house.
With a quiet sigh, she put the key she’d pulled from her pocket back in. It was for the simple padlock on the door. She stepped closer and yanked open the door.
Warm air rushed out to greet her.
“You’re here.”
A voice, low and rough with sleep, drifted down with the rustling sound of movement from upstairs. Clicking her tongue, Junyoung dropped her bag on the desk and looked up.
There he was—Kwon Beomjin, tousling his hair and yawning wide, just waking up.
“You didn’t come in the usual way. Did you sleep here this whole time?”
“Yeah. And I’m planning to sleep more.”
Despite his words, Beomjin trudged downstairs, still half-asleep. Their school didn’t require uniforms, but he always wore a black T-shirt like it was one. Just as Junyoung always wore her white one.
Beomjin was tall. Maybe not much taller than Seungwoon, but unlike Seungwoon’s lithe, celebrity-like frame, Beomjin had broad shoulders and an athlete’s body that made him seem more imposing.
It wasn’t just his build, though—his sharp features contributed too. Tanned skin, intense eyes, a jawline like a blade, and a straight nose gave him a look that hovered somewhere between handsome and intimidating.
His unruly black hair half-covered his eyes, but his gaze was still piercing. Add to that his natural air of defiance, and people usually saw him as scary rather than good-looking.
“Want ramen?”
The moment he started down the stairs, Junyoung took her usual spot at the desk, the tiny room feeling even smaller with him in it. She answered shortly while opening her bag.
“Got sick of it.”
“Egg or no egg?”
“Egg. And don’t overbeat it like last time.”
Beomjin snorted and turned on the water. He’d brought the pot, bowls, and a couple of utensils here. He’d also put the padlock on the door.
Junyoung had only started talking to Beomjin after they became classmates in their second year. Before that, they’d never exchanged a word. Both weren’t the type to initiate conversation, and they hadn’t even been in the same class.
But she knew of him.
He’d lost his parents young and bounced around relatives’ homes before ending up here in his third year of middle school. There were rumors—about a violent incident at his previous school, and how even teachers tread lightly around him.
Even after being placed in the same class, they hadn’t talked. Junyoung assumed they’d graduate that way.
Until one day, about a week after she discovered this place, she found him sleeping upstairs in the very bed she thought was hers.
To be Continued…
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