It's so high school at Hanil Foreign Language High School with a new addition in the middle of the semester. Baek Hyun Woo, a Year 3 transfer student in his final year of high school meets Hong Hae-in, a Year 2 student who is the future heiress of Q...
Hae-in usually prided herself on being one of the first students to arrive in class. But that particular morning, the familiar rhythm of the classroom was disrupted by a melody that drifted through the corridor before she even reached the door. It was a gentle, soulful tune emanating from a guitar, carefully plucked by expert hands, its sound naturally beckoning her in.
Curiosity piqued, Hae-in peeked into the classroom. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating a girl with long, dark hair pulled back in playful pigtails. The girl's back was turned to her, her posture focused as she sang with a gentle passion that resonated in the quiet room, her body swaying in rhythm with the music. Hae-in found herself drawn in, mesmerised by the raw emotion pouring out of the simple melody. Without realising it, she began to sway, her body instinctively responding to the music.
As Hae-in inched closer, the melody morphed into the lyrics of her all-time favourite song. Whoever this girl was, she certainly made her day.
As the final note faded, a round of applause erupted from Hae-in before she could even stop herself in pure appreciation for the girl's talent.
The girl whirled around, startled, a sheepish grin breaking out on her face. "Oh! You scared me there for a second," she said, her voice bubbly and friendly.
"That was beautiful. You're incredibly talented." Hae-in praised her as she walked closer to her.
Correction, she was walking towards her seat which happened to be behind the girl.
Huh, how odd. That seat has been empty since the start of the semester. Looks like she has a new seatmate now.
A blush crept up the girl's neck as she stammered out a response. "Oh...thank you." She bowed her head shyly, her gratitude evident. She squinted at Hae-in, her vision a little blurry without her glasses. "Jamsimanyo...you're Hong Hae-in," she squeaked, recognition dawning on her face.
"Ne," Hae-in confirmed with a nod. "What about it?"
The girl's cheeks turned a rosy pink. "A-aniyo, it's just..." she mumbled, trailing off before blurting out, "I've always wanted to be friends with you!"
Hae-in studied the girl across from her closely, taking in her delicate features for the first time. Large, round eyes sparkled back at her, framed by her youthful pigtails. A delicate nose sat above full pink lips, and her skin, even without makeup, looked clear and radiant.
It was strange; Hae-in could have sworn she had never interacted with this girl before. Yet, the girl clearly knew her from somewhere.
"I'm sorry," Hae-in finally admitted, a hint of confusion tinging her voice. "But...Nuguseyo?"
"Ah, my bad." The girl stood up and extended a hand for a handshake. "I'm Kim Pil-sook. It's nice to finally meet you properly."
Hold on a minute. Kim Pil-sook?
Hae-in's eyes widened in recognition of the name. Of course, she knew her! Kim Pil-sook had been her classmate since year one. But the girl standing before her seemed completely different.
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