Chapter 1: The Girl Who Arrived with Winter
The cold hit Seoul harder than Han Seo-yeon expected. The wind sliced through the tall buildings, carrying with it the first snow of the season — soft, pale flakes that melted almost immediately on her coat. She tugged her scarf tighter around her neck, wishing she could make herself invisible. Moving from Busan to Seoul in the middle of the school year wasn't exactly her idea of fun, but circumstances had forced her hand.
Her suitcase, heavy with books and clothes, dragged behind her across the polished stone of the school courtyard. The students were everywhere — laughing, shouting, hurrying to class. Seoul's prestigious Seonghwa High was known for its academic rigor and elite students, but for Seo-yeon, it was just another battlefield.
She took a deep breath and tried to memorize the schedule pinned outside the main building. First period: Literature. Room 3B. She swallowed her nerves.
"You must be the new transfer student."
Seo-yeon turned sharply and froze. A tall boy in a perfectly tailored blazer was standing there, his dark eyes unreadable but piercing. His hair was neatly combed, falling just over his forehead, and there was something about his posture — calm, controlled, yet aware of everything around him.
"I… uh, yes," she stammered, adjusting her scarf.
"I'm Kang Ji-hoon. You'll be sitting next to me in class."
Seo-yeon blinked. She had expected a teacher, a guidance counselor, maybe a classmate with a fake smile. But not this. Not someone who exuded quiet authority as if he owned the place.
"Nice to meet you," she murmured, unsure what else to say.
Ji-hoon simply nodded, his gaze drifting toward the building entrance as if nothing had happened. Seo-yeon hesitated a moment before following him inside.
The hallway was a blur of uniforms and lockers, the walls echoing with chatter. She felt the familiar pang of being an outsider — something she had learned to carry like a shield. But as she walked beside Ji-hoon, she couldn't help noticing the way other students glanced at him with a mix of fear and admiration.
"Is he… scary?" whispered a girl passing by, clutching her books.
Seo-yeon shook her head. "I don't know yet."
Ji-hoon didn't answer; he never did more than necessary. She noticed it immediately: he had a reputation, and he lived up to it perfectly. No one dared to be casual with him. Yet, strangely, he wasn't intimidating in person. Just… cold. Reserved. A mystery waiting to be unraveled.
By the time they reached Room 3B, the classroom was already half-full. Students were talking in low voices, some sneaking glances at Seo-yeon, whispering among themselves. Ji-hoon opened the door silently, and all conversations seemed to pause for a heartbeat.
He led her to a desk near the window, the view overlooking the sprawling city. Snowflakes danced in the wind, tiny white specks against the distant skyscrapers.
"You can sit here," he said simply. His tone wasn't rude, but it wasn't welcoming either.
"Thanks," Seo-yeon replied softly, setting down her bag. She tried to appear calm, but her fingers fidgeted with the zipper of her coat.
As she unpacked her notebooks, she felt a presence behind her. Ji-hoon was standing there, looking at the blackboard.
"You're quiet," he said, almost to himself. Then he glanced at her briefly. "Good. I like quiet students."
Seo-yeon blinked. She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or insulted.
The teacher arrived, and the class began, but her mind kept wandering. The boy beside her — Kang Ji-hoon — was nothing like anyone she had met before. He wasn't openly cruel or arrogant; he simply existed with a confidence she didn't understand. And, in a way, that made him more intimidating than anyone else.
At lunch, she tried to sit with a group of girls she recognized from the hallway. But as soon as she introduced herself, the conversation shifted. Whispers followed her like shadows. Rumors, she assumed. It didn't matter — she had learned not to care.
Ji-hoon, of course, didn't eat lunch with anyone. He remained seated at his usual table near the library entrance, books stacked neatly in front of him. Students approached him occasionally, asking for help with assignments or advice, but he responded only when necessary. No warmth, no friendliness.
Seo-yeon found herself watching him from across the room more than once. There was something magnetic about him — not just his looks or his intellect, but the way he carried himself. It was as if he had been through something, something that had forced him to build a wall around his heart.
As the final bell rang and students poured out of the classroom, Seo-yeon zipped up her coat and prepared for the walk home. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Ji-hoon standing there, his expression unreadable.
"You're walking the same way?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied.
He didn't offer an explanation, just fell into step beside her. They walked in silence, the snow crunching under their shoes. Seoul in winter was beautiful, but cold, and for the first time since she arrived, Seo-yeon felt… not alone.
"You're from Busan?" he asked finally, glancing at her.
"Yeah," she admitted. "How did you know?"
"I pay attention," he said simply.
His words were casual, but Seo-yeon felt a flutter she hadn't expected. Perhaps it was the softness of the falling snow, the quiet warmth in his voice, or the fact that for the first time in months, she didn't feel invisible.
"Why do you care?" she asked, half teasing, half serious.
Ji-hoon didn't answer. Instead, he slowed his pace and let her pass slightly ahead. When she looked back, he gave her a small, almost imperceptible nod.
Seo-yeon didn't know what to make of it. She had survived moving schools before, learned to keep her guard up. But something about him — about this boy who seemed untouchable, yet somehow… fragile — made her heart beat faster.
As they reached the corner where their paths diverged, she hesitated. "See you tomorrow?" she asked, almost hoping he'd say yes.
He nodded once. "Tomorrow."
And just like that, Seo-yeon realized that winter had brought more than cold winds and snow to Seoul. It had brought Kang Ji-hoon — and with him, a storm she couldn't ignore.
For the first time in a long while, she didn't want to hide.