(The chapter begins one week after a minor argument in the cafeteria. LEE JIN-WOO and KIM SO-YUN, a couple whose fights have always been small and frequent, stand on the school rooftop. The calm atmosphere failed to soothe the rage building between them.)
So-Yun took a hard breath, her voice cutting through the midday quiet.
"You didn't even show up for Min-Ho's birthday preparation. You just said you were 'busy.' \text{What exactly are you busy with, Jin-Woo?} Tell me something real."
Jin-Woo sighed, rubbing his forehead. This felt like the hundredth argument this month, but the weight of it was heavier now.
"I was studying. The midterms are coming up. Why does every little thing have to be a major confrontation with you, So-Yun?"
"It's not the little thing! It's the consistency! You always prioritize everything else over us. Over me. \text{Look at us! This isn't a relationship, it's a schedule I'm constantly trying to squeeze myself into.}"
He knew she was right, but couldn't admit it. He just felt exhausted.
"That's unfair. I'm doing my best to keep my grades up! Why are you always pushing me?"
"Because I'm tired of being the only one who fights! You just accept everything, even when it's wrong. \text{You don't fight for us, you don't fight for yourself... you just exist.}"
Jin-Woo's eyes fixed on the horizon, his voice becoming dangerously low.
"Okay. So what do you want me to do? Tell me clearly. \text{What do you want, So-Yun?}"
So-Yun's gaze was cold, reflecting a finality that hit Jin-Woo hard.
"I want you to wake up. But I realize you never will. \text{I can't do this anymore. I'm done.}"
"What does 'done' mean?"
"It means I'm leaving. \text{I'm done with you, and I'm done with this school.} I'm transferring. Goodbye, Jin-Woo."
(So-Yun walked away, not granting him a single backward glance. Jin-Woo remained still, unable to move, letting the reality of her words sink in.)
(A few hours later, the grief became suffocating. Park Min-Ho found Jin-Woo in a secluded stairwell. Jin-Woo was physically distressed, clutching a broken piece of glass, his hand already stained dark.)
Min-Ho approached cautiously, his voice soft with worry.
"Jin-Woo... Are you okay? \text{What are you doing?}"
Jin-Woo looked up, his eyes vacant.
"She's right. I'm just so tired of fighting everything. \text{I wish I could just disappear.}"
"Don't talk like that! Come on, we need to get you to the nurse. \text{We can get through this.}"
Jin-Woo stood up suddenly, his movement erratic and terrifying. He shoved Min-Ho away.
"\text{Just leave me alone, Min-Ho!} \text{I need...} I need to stop."
(Min-Ho watched in horror as Jin-Woo fled. An hour later, the student was found and rushed to the hospital with severe injuries. The school board, police, and parents moved quickly, the details of the self-harm attempt buried beneath layers of official secrecy.)
(One month passed. The school's surface returned to normal, though whispers about Lee Jin-Woo persisted. Class Teacher Choi Ji-Soo stood before the class.)
TEACHER
"Settle down, everyone. We have a new student joining us today. Please make her feel welcome. Come in, please."
(The door opened. LEE JIN-WEE walked in, radiating a quiet, unsettling confidence. She bowed.)
JIN-WEE
"\text{Hello, everyone. My name is Lee Jin-Wee.} Please take care of me."
(A collective gasp, immediately muffled, swept through the room. Min-Ho stared, his heart hammering against his ribs. The name, \text{Lee Jin-Wee}, was almost perfectly identical to the boy in the hospital, \text{Lee Jin-Woo}. Same surname. Same syllables. The reason was undisclosed, but the striking similarity immediately signaled that the school's secret was about to be challenged.).