“Some people enter your life with a conversation.
Others enter it with silence.”
The last lesson of the day felt longer than usual.
The teacher filled the blackboard with mathematics.
Half the class stared at it.
The other half pretended to.
Jeheon was doing both.
He looked at the question.
Then looked at it again.
“…I think the numbers are making fun of me.”
A quiet laugh came from beside him.
Heosok.
“They make fun of everyone.”
“Even you?”
“I’m the captain.”
Jeheon smiled.
The teacher turned around.
“Heosok.”
“Would you like to solve the next question?”
Heosok immediately pointed at Jeheon.
“He’s the new student.”
The teacher nodded.
“Excellent idea.”
Heosok froze.
“…Wait.”
The whole class looked toward Jeheon.
He slowly stood.
Walked to the board.
Picked up the chalk.
He stared at the equation for almost ten seconds.
Then…
He wrote one number.
Stopped.
Looked back at the class.
“…I’m just checking if anyone else knows.”
The room exploded with laughter.
Even the teacher laughed.
“I appreciate your honesty.”
Jeheon scratched the back of his neck.
“I tried.”
“I know.”
“Go sit down.”
As Jeheon returned to his seat…
He whispered to Heosok,
“I’m taking you down with me next time.”
“I deserve that.”
The final bell rang.
Students rushed out of the classroom.
Jiwoo stretched dramatically.
“My brain officially resigns after math.”
“It resigned years ago.”
Jisoo replied.
“My brain left because it couldn’t live with you.”
Heosok laughed.
“I think it packed its bags.”
Jiwoo pointed at both of them.
“I hope your pillows are warm tonight.”
“That’s evil.”
Heosok said.
“I know.”
She smiled proudly.
Behind them…
Yongi quietly closed his book.
Jiwoo noticed.
“Wait.”
Everyone stopped.
She looked at Yongi suspiciously.
“…How many books have you read this month?”
Yongi thought for a second.
“…Twenty-three.”
Silence.
Heosok blinked.
“I’ve read…”
He counted on his fingers.
“…The back of a cereal box.”
Jiwoo covered her mouth to stop herself laughing.
Yongi looked confused.
“Is that funny?”
“No.”
Jiwoo laughed.
“It’s just very…
you.”
Yongi tilted his head.
“…Is that a compliment?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
For the first time…
Yongi laughed.
Not loudly.
Just enough for everyone to notice.
Heosok stopped walking.
“…Did he just laugh?”
Jisoo gasped dramatically.
“Write down today’s date.”
Jiwoo smiled.
“See?”
“You look much better when you’re smiling.”
Yongi looked away, slightly embarrassed.
“…Thank you.”
He wasn’t used to people noticing little things about him.
Jeheon watched the conversation quietly.
He didn’t say anything.
He simply smiled.
It was strange.
Only two days ago…
He had been eating lunch alone.
Now…
He was walking home beside people who somehow made ordinary afternoons feel lighter.
As the six students reached the school gate…
None of them noticed the black car parked across the street.
Its driver watched silently.
Then picked up a phone.
“They’re together now.”
A pause.
The voice on the other end answered.
“…Good.”
The call ended.
The car drove away.
The five teenagers kept walking…
Still laughing.
Still unaware…
That someone else had already started writing the next chapter of their lives.