The bell rang loudly.
~ Teng... Teng... Teng...
The sound of the bell seemed to signal freedom for all Haneul Academy students. The atmosphere in the school building, which was originally filled with the sound of footsteps and flipping pages, suddenly changed to being noisy. The students came out of their respective classes, some ran to the canteen, some to the upper floor, some to the music room, and some chose to be alone in the library.
"Come on, hurry up! If not, the line will be long!" A student's voice was heard hurriedly from the end of the hallway.
"I want to eat tteokbokki! Who's coming?" Another said while chuckling.
In the midst of the crowd, a bright pink-haired girl who always looked cheerful, Dahyeon, jogged over to Han Jieun who was still sitting on her bench, tidying up her books.
"Jieun!!" she called enthusiastically, waving her hand.
Jieun turned her head, smiling slightly at Dahyeon who was as enthusiastic as usual.
"Let's go to the canteen together!" Dahyeon asked while pulling Jieun's arm gently. "I happen to be happy, I'll treat you!"
Jieun shook her head gently, her lips smiling politely. "Thank you, but I brought pocket money. It'll just be a bother to you."
Dahyeon giggled, then hugged Jieun's arm in a familiar manner. "Ah, never mind, once in a while is okay. Just think of this as a gift because you're officially a class 1-A student. Besides... honestly, I didn't expect the smartest student in all of Haneul Academy to finally transfer to my class."
Jieun smiled faintly. "I didn't expect it either, actually. I thought the atmosphere in this class would be... different."
"Different how?" Dahyeon tilted her head curiously.
Jieun sighed softly, her eyes glancing at the atmosphere outside the window that was starting to fill with students passing by. "I don't know. More serious, maybe. But it turns out, the atmosphere is also warm. I'm so happy to be able to be good friends with other students in the class."
Dahyeon smiled broadly. "I told you Class 1-A is actually fun, it just looks ambitious. Come on, come on, before it fills up."
**
In the cafeteria, the atmosphere was much more lively. The long tables were already filled with students from various classes, the sound of chatting was echoing, the aroma of typical school cafeteria food was tempting — from warm ramen, sweet and spicy tteokbokki, to steaming odeng.
They took a tray and joined the queue.
"What do you want to eat, Jieun?" Dahyeon asked while peeking at the menu written on the board.
"Tteokbokki looks delicious," Jieun answered softly.
"Wow, we have the same taste!" Dahyeon laughed. "I'll order two. I'll really treat you, don't refuse."
Jieun chuckled. "Okay, I'll take it. Thank you, Dahyeon."
After ordering, they looked for a seat in a rather quiet corner of the cafeteria. Dahyeon put the tray on the table.
"By the way, Jieun… I'm really curious, why do you always get perfect grades in all your subjects? How do you study?" Dahyeon asked while scooping tteokbokki.
Jieun smiled while stirring the odeng in her bowl. "I just like studying. That's all. I often study the easiest things and then move on to the harder ones. It helps me a lot in studying"
"What?! That's so cool. If I study for just five minutes, I'll get sleepy, to the point where my mom nags me because I fall asleep carelessly" Dahyeon complained while crooking her face cutely.
They both laughed .Several other classmates started to approach.
"Wow, this is the new student who's making a fuss," said a tall boy, named Minho. "Hey, can I join you?"
"Go ahead," Jieun answered politely.
Minho sat across from them, followed by Sooyeon — the class gossip queen who had been watching Jieun from a distance.
Sooyeon grinned slightly. "So… Han Jieun huh? I thought you'd be arrogant like the rumors I've heard."
Dahyeon immediately rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Oh my god Sooyeon…"
But Jieun just smiled calmly. "Sooyeon huh? Nice to meet you."
Minho chuckled. "You're so friendly, Jieun. No wonder so many people want to be friends with you."
Their conversation started to flow more casually. About difficult lessons, favorite teachers, even about the best places to eat around the school.
"If you have time later, come to the rooftop," Minho said. "Usually kids gather there if they want to get some fresh air and play guitar."
"I've heard about that rooftop," Jieun said. "They say it's fun,"
"Of course. It would be really fun if you joined us." Dahyeon exclaimed in awe.
Jieun just nodded slightly.
In the midst of the warm chat, Jieun's eyes occasionally turned towards the outside of the canteen. In the distance, she saw a male student walking slowly, carrying a thick book and wearing earphones. His figure looked alone, not joining the crowd.
There it is again…
Lee Seunghoo..
Jieun watched silently.
And again, for some reason, her heart felt a little strange. Like a vague memory — one that she couldn't fully remember yet.
The sun was so bright that afternoon. But in Han Jieun's heart, a vague shadow that she couldn't understand slowly began to grow.
Perhaps… The real story was just about to begin.