Mid-semester.

I transferred to Class 2-5 at Cheongun International High School.

The classroom was already a complete world of its own.

Even among the children of chaebol families, invisible lines existed, and students naturally divided themselves into groups.

A few glances turned toward me briefly before scattering. One transfer student wasn't exactly a special event.

I headed toward the empty seat at the very back.

In the seat next to it, a black-haired boy was slumped over his desk.

Wearing AirPods.

Like someone completely disconnected from his surroundings.

Even when the bell rang for the start of class, he didn't move.

After a moment of hesitation, I carefully tapped his shoulder.

Tap.

No response.

Tap tap.

At that moment, his low, steady breathing stopped.

Silence.

Slowly, he lifted his head.

His dark eyes fixed on me.

He didn't look like someone who had just woken up; he looked like someone checking who dared to touch him.

I held up my textbook.

"Class started, so..."

Silence.

He just stared at me without a word.

A few seconds passed.

The gaze lasted longer than expected.

Eventually, one AirPod came out.

"..."

He said nothing.

I pushed the textbook slightly toward him.

"Don't you have a book? Want to share?"

His gaze dropped to the textbook and then returned to me.

Then, briefly.

"Yeah."

That was all.

But the atmosphere in the back of the classroom had shifted slightly.

A few students were glancing over as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Kang Yoon didn't seem to care about those looks at all.

He rested his chin on his hand and looked out the window, then at some point, he looked back at me.

Once.

And then again.

Our eyes met strangely often for it to be a coincidence.

After a few minutes had passed...

Kang Yoon spoke without averting his gaze.

"...Your name."

A low, short voice.

Just one word.

The back of the classroom went momentarily silent.

Kang Yoon continued to look at me, seemingly indifferent to the reaction around him.