Chapter: 10 –
Morning sunlight filtered through the classroom windows as Anna stepped inside, clutching her bag tightly against her shoulder. The room fell quiet for a moment—then came the whispers.
"She's here… Yo Chan's girl," one voice hissed near the back.
"Look at her, she's blushing already," another added, followed by muffled giggles.
Anna frowned, pretending not to hear. She moved to her seat quietly, her chin held high, though the faint flush on her ears betrayed her. She tried to focus on her books, but every quiet chuckle made her heart beat faster.
Yo Chan's girl? The thought itself felt absurd—yet the sound of it left a strange flutter in her chest she couldn't explain.
---
In another classroom across the hall, Yo Chan stood by the teacher's desk, his usual grin replaced by something serious. Joon and Joungki watched from behind him, half-curious, half-amused.
"I want to… change my section," Yo Chan said.
The teacher looked up, surprised. "Change? Why? You're doing fine here."
Yo Chan hesitated, gaze lowering. "I just… feel like it."
The teacher studied him for a moment, sensing there was more he wasn't saying. With a sigh, he nodded. "I'll think about it."
As Yo Chan walked back to his seat, Joungki whispered, "You really gonna run away just because she's close by?"
Yo Chan gave him a side glance. "Shut up." But the tips of his ears reddened.
---
Meanwhile, in Minjun's classroom, the air was still except for the droning voice of the teacher. Minjun stared blankly at his notebook, his pencil hovering above the page but unmoving.
In his mind, the same memory replayed again and again—the hushed voices of Anna and their father from that night.
Your mother was murdered.
He gripped his pencil tightly until it nearly snapped.
At the back of the room, two boys whispered. "Can't touch him anymore," one muttered. "He's Captain's brother."
They both smirked but didn't dare approach.
Minjun didn't even notice. He just stared at the corner of his desk, the world around him fading into a distant hum.
---
Lunch break came like a small relief. Anna sat with Seirin and a few other girls in the cafeteria. Trays clattered, laughter filled the air, and for once, the tension seemed lighter.
Until the teasing began.
"Anna, why are you smiling like that?" one girl giggled.
"She's blushing again, look!" another chimed in.
"Yah, stop it," Anna snapped lightly, though her face was already pink. "I'm not—"
She froze when a familiar hand reached past her tray.
Yo Chan set a small juice box beside her food without a word, then walked away coolly, hands in his pockets.
The table erupted instantly.
"Wooooo~!" her friends sang in unison, laughter echoing through the cafeteria.
Anna's eyes widened, her whole body stiff. She grabbed her bag in embarrassment.
"…I'm done eating," she muttered and rushed out as her friends broke into louder laughter.
Yo Chan didn't turn back, but a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
---
That afternoon, two men walked down opposite sides of a quiet city street.
Anna's father. Yo Chan's father.
Their steps slowed as their eyes met in passing—recognition flickering like lightning. The world seemed to hush around them, the sound of the wind growing sharper.
For a brief moment, the years between them dissolved.
What remained was the shadow of something bitter… something unfinished.
Neither spoke. But both walked away with the same cold tension twisting in their chest.
---
Evening settled softly over the city. Inside a cozy restaurant, Anna sat alone by the window, stirring her glass of water.
Her phone buzzed.
> Seirin: Sorry Anna, not feeling well today. Can't come.
Anna: Rest well, okay?
Anna sighed and locked her screen. The chair opposite her stayed empty.
Kyeo, the cheerful young owner, appeared with his usual grin. "Oh, Anna? You came. What do you want today?"
"Nothing," she said quietly, standing. "I'm leaving."
Kyeo crossed his arms, feigning offense. "I never let people leave my restaurant hungry. At least have a drink."
After a long pause, Anna sat back down. "…Fine. Just a drink."
They ordered cold drinks, and soon, the conversation turned unexpectedly soft.
"Sometimes," Anna said, eyes lowering to her glass, "I just feel like everything around me is too heavy."
Kyeo didn't interrupt. He only listened—nodding, smiling gently when needed. It wasn't pity in his eyes, but understanding.
For the first time in a long while, Anna felt like she could breathe.
Then the bell above the restaurant door chimed.
Yo Chan stepped in with Joon and Joungki, laughing about something. But the laughter died the moment his eyes landed on Anna—sitting with Kyeo, smiling faintly at him.
His heart clenched.
He looked away quickly, pretending to joke with his friends, but his jaw tightened. A strange, heavy feeling simmered inside him—one he couldn't name but couldn't ignore either.
---
Night fell.
In his room, Minjun sat on his bed, the dim light falling softly over the photo of their mother in his hands.
"Umma," he whispered. "What really happened to you?"
His voice cracked, swallowed by the silence.
---
Across town, Yo Chan lay sprawled on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Joon tossed a chip at him. "What's wrong, jealous because Anna was with someone else?"
Joungki laughed. "You should've joined her instead of sulking, Romeo."
Yo Chan grabbed a pillow and hurled it at them, scowling—but didn't deny it.
---
In her own room, Anna sat by the window, chin resting on her arms. The city lights glittered below like broken stars.
She turned the photo of her mother over in her hands, her reflection faintly visible on the surface.
"Umma…" she whispered. "I'll find the truth."
Her eyes were steady, even as the night deepened around her.
The shadows of the past loomed closer.
---
End of chapter- 10