It was a beautiful morning at Handul High School. The sun cast a golden glow over the campus, and a soft breeze carried the sounds of students laughing and chattering as they filled the school grounds.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.
A young guy—dazzling, graceful, and strikingly pretty—strode confidently through the school gates. He wasn't just handsome; he was captivating, almost ethereal. Heads turned. Whispers trailed him like perfume. Girls nudged each other, eyes wide with curiosity and admiration.
He walked with a calm elegance, his uniform crisp, his dark hair tousled just enough to look effortlessly perfect.
From a distance, Linda stood with her best friends, Sophia and Alex, near the front steps of the school building.
"Wow," Alex whispered, blinking in awe. "That guy is seriously handsome."
Sophia clasped her hands together dramatically. "Oh my God! He's cute. Is he new here?"
Linda narrowed her eyes slightly, studying the boy as he walked. "Maybe. I've never seen him before."
As if on cue, a group of three girls from the senior class strutted up to him, brimming with confidence and curiosity.
"Hey there," one of them said sweetly, flipping her hair.
The boy didn't even glance at them at first. Then, after a brief pause, he looked at them with an unreadable expression and simply replied, "Hi."
The boldest of the three smiled and said, "I'm Jisoo. And this is Minji and Hyejin."
The boy gave a slight nod, expression still distant.
"Are you new here?" Minji asked, batting her lashes.
He stared at her for a moment, almost as if insulted by the question. "Have you ever seen me before?" he asked flatly.
"No…" she replied, puzzled.
"Then why are you asking such a dumb question?" he said, his voice sharp with irritation.
The girls giggled nervously, taken aback by his bluntness.
"Um… we could show you to the registration office," Hyejin offered, trying to smooth things over.
"No need," he said curtly. "I already know where it is."
With that, he walked past them without another word. The three girls stood frozen, watching him disappear into the building—stunned, intrigued, and a little embarrassed.
Back across the courtyard, Linda was still watching. Something about the boy seemed… different. Not just his looks—but the way he carried himself. Calm, calculated and cool also.
When the boy stepped into the registration office, the room seemed to pause for a moment. The principal, seated behind a sleek wooden desk, looked up—and for a brief second, her eyes widened in surprise.
He really was that striking.
The secretary blinked twice, then quickly shuffled her papers and stood up. "Um, welcome! You must be the new transfer student."
He nodded silently, offering a faint, polite smile.
They got to work. Forms were signed, documents were verified, and within minutes, he was handed his official student I.D. card. The glossy tag had his name, grade level, and a photo that barely did justice to his real-life appearance.
As he stepped out of the office into the sunlight, he paused just outside the doorway. He pulled the I.D. from his pocket, studying it for a moment. Then, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Raising his head, his sharp eyes scanned the school grounds like a hunter looking for a mark. They flicked from face to face with calm precision—until they landed on two girls standing at a distance.
Linda and Sophia.
They hadn't noticed him yet. Alex was nowhere to be seen—he'd excused himself earlier to find the restroom, leaving the girls alone.
Suddenly, Sophia gasped. "That's him!" she said excitedly, grabbing Linda's wrist.
Before Linda could say anything, Sophia was already pulling her forward, dragging her toward the boy with a nervous smile blooming on her face.
"Hello," Sophia said softly when they reached him. "I'm Sophia, and this is Linda."
She extended her hand. The boy hesitated for just a moment before slipping his hand out of his pocket and giving her a light shake, his touch cool and controlled.
Then he turned to Linda, and for the first time, his smile grew warm. "Hi," he said. "Nice to meet you."
Linda, slightly caught off guard by how gentle his tone was, smiled back. "Nice to meet you too…"
"What's your name?" Sophia asked curiously.
He glanced at her, then answered, "I'm Jae-min."
"Nice to meet you, Jae-min," Linda repeated, her voice calm but curious.
Sophia, always the enthusiastic one, clapped her hands once. "Why don't we show you around the school? It's really big—and honestly, kind of confusing for newcomers."
Jae-min gave a half smile. "That would be nice."
So they walked together—Sophia leading the way, chatting non-stop, while Linda occasionally offered a quiet comment. Jae-min remained composed, his eyes subtly observing everything they showed him: the science lab, the music room, the library, the cafeteria, and the large school garden.
He nodded politely, thanked them at each stop, and asked the occasional question. He was nice and jentle.
The three had just stepped out of the music room, the echo of piano keys still lingering in the air, when someone came barreling around the corner.
"Whoa—!"
Alex crashed right into Jae-min and stumbled backward, landing hard on the floor.
Linda gasped. "Alex!"
Before anyone else could react, Jae-min stepped forward and offered his hand, his expression calm. "I'm sorry. May I help you up?"
Alex looked up, momentarily dazed. His eyes landed on the boy's face and blinked. "Uh… sure."
He reached out, and Jae-min grasped his hand firmly, pulling him up with ease.
Sophia laughed lightly, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Alex, this is—wait, what's his name again?"
Linda smirked. "Jae-min."
"Right!" Sophia nodded quickly. "Alex, this is Jae-min. He's new here. And Jae-min, this is Alex—he's our friend."
Jae-min turned to Alex and extended a hand again, this time for a proper greeting. "Nice to meet you, Alex."
Alex took it, slightly wary but polite. "Yeah… nice to meet you too, man."
Then Alex looked at Sophia and Linda, brows raised. "By the way, have you guys forgotten? It's already time for class."
Sophia gasped. "Oh no, you're right!"
Linda glanced at her watch. "We should hurry."
As they began walking, Linda turned to Jae-min. "Wait—what grade are you in?"
"Grade 11," he replied simply.
"Same as us!" Sophia beamed. "Perfect! You're in our class, then."
"Looks like it," he said, with a faint smile.
And just like that, the four of them—Linda, Sophia, Alex, and Jae-min—headed toward the classroom building together. The hallways buzzed with students, but somehow, the group felt like its own little world.
Jae-min kept pace quietly, listening more than speaking, his eyes discreetly studying each of them. Indeed, he was a very smart guy.