The entrance gates of Taeyang High, one of the top martial arts academies in Seoul, creaked open under the morning sun. Students wearing black and silver uniforms buzzed around the courtyard, some chatting, some sparring, others watching the bulletin board where today's rankings were posted.
A hush fell over a group near the front gate.
A figure stepped through the entrance.
Slender, pale, with emotionless eyes hidden behind messy hair and a clean uniform.
Jang Hamin—the mysterious transfer student.
Rumors had already spread: he aced the entrance exam, passed the combat trial without lifting a finger, and refused an interview with the principal.
He walked past the crowd without a word. Cold. Silent. Untouchable.
From the second-floor window, Han Areum, now a second-year, narrowed her eyes. She recognized that figure.
> "He's here..."
In the main hallway, two students collided—one of them being Lee Daehyun, now taller, more confident but still hot-headed. He scowled, then paused.
> "Wait... You're that kid from... elementary school?!"
Hamin didn't stop walking. Didn't answer.
Instead, he slid into Class 2-1.
A tense silence greeted him.
Among the students:
Kang Hojin, son of a known gang boss, leaned back with his feet on the desk.
Nam Kyungho, the cocky martial arts club captain, cracked his knuckles.
Ryu Taesung, distant and observant, took note.
And in the back, Areum sat near the window, lips slightly curled into a smirk.
The teacher entered.
> "We have a new transfer. Jang Hamin. Sit wherever you want."
Hamin sat next to Areum. She didn't speak.
But under the desk, her fingers tapped rhythmically—a signal only Hamin could recognize.
She remembered.
So did he.