“Some meetings don’t feel important when they happen.
They become important because of everything that follows.”
Monday mornings always felt louder than the rest of the week.
Students filled the front gate of Hanyoung Middle School.
Some hurried to class.
Some complained about homework.
Some were still half asleep.
Jiwoo stretched as she walked through the gate.
“I already want to go home.”
Jisoo looked at her.
“You’ve been here for six seconds.”
“I’ve had enough.”
“You say that every Monday.”
“And every Monday, I’m right.”
Ahead of them…
Heosok was trying to balance his backpack on one shoulder while eating bread.
Jisoo frowned.
“You’re going to drop that.”
“I won’t.”
Two seconds later…
The bread slipped onto the ground.
Jiwoo looked at it.
“…That was inspiring.”
Heosok sighed.
“I had faith.”
Jisoo folded her arms.
“The bread didn’t.”
Jiwoo laughed so hard she had to hold onto Jisoo’s shoulder.
“You two argue like you’ve known each other forever.”
“We don’t argue.”
Heosok replied.
“She just enjoys being wrong.”
Jisoo smiled sweetly.
“Keep telling yourself that.”
Meanwhile…
Yongi sat in the classroom.
As usual…
He was reading before the lesson began.
The room buzzed with conversations.
He barely noticed.
Until…
The classroom door opened.
Their homeroom teacher stepped inside.
Behind him…
Stood a boy wearing a brand-new school uniform.
He held his school bag tightly.
His eyes quietly scanned the room.
Not nervously.
Carefully.
The teacher smiled.
“Everyone…”
“We have a transfer student today.”
The conversations stopped.
“I’d like you all to welcome…”
He glanced at the paper in his hand.
“…Jeheon.”
Jeheon bowed politely.
“Nice to meet you.”
Silence.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Then…
A whisper.
“…Doesn’t he look familiar?”
Another student leaned forward.
“Wait…”
Someone turned toward Yongi.
Then back toward Jeheon.
“No way…”
“They look…”
“…Exactly the same.”
The room filled with quiet murmurs.
Even students who never paid attention looked between the two boys.
Yongi slowly lifted his eyes from his book.
For the first time that morning…
He wasn’t reading.
He looked at the new student.
Jeheon looked back.
Neither of them spoke.
Neither of them smiled.
Neither of them understood why the room had suddenly become so quiet.
The teacher blinked several times.
He looked at Yongi.
Then at Jeheon again.
“…Well…”
He scratched the back of his head.
“This certainly makes attendance more interesting.”
The classroom burst into laughter.
Even Jeheon smiled a little.
Yongi gave a small, confused smile of his own.
The teacher pointed toward the empty seat beside Heosok.
“Jeheon.”
“You’ll be sitting there.”
As Jeheon walked down the aisle…
Every student secretly glanced at him.
Not because he was the new kid.
Because somewhere in the classroom…
Someone already had his face.
Outside…
The morning breeze gently moved the classroom curtains.
Far away…
A black car stopped across the street.
Its engine fell silent.
Someone inside watched the classroom windows for a long moment…
Before quietly driving away once again.