"...and so, when we apply Newton's second law to this system, we find that the net force is directly proportional to the acceleration of the mass. The greater the force applied, the greater the…"
Professor Kang's eyes drifted to the clock on the wall.
Thud.
He slammed the textbook shut.
"That's all for today."
Before he could even finish the sentence, students were already flooding toward the door, the sound of chairs scraping and bags zipping filling the room. Within moments, the classroom was empty.
Kang sighed.
He took his time packing his things. Books into the bag. Laptop into its sleeve. No rush. There never was.
He walked out of the classroom and made his way toward the stairs, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. Step by step, the same path he always took.
Then he paused.
"Hmm. That's strange."
The door to the rooftop was cracked open. No one was supposed to be up there. It was always locked.
He scratched his head. "These kids..."
He climbed the stairs and pushed the door fully open, stepping onto the rooftop.
His eyes widened instantly.
A girl stood by the edge. On the wrong side of the guard rails.
"You... what are you doing?"
He quickened his pace without thinking.
"Hurry, get down from there. That's dangerous."
His voice cut through the silence. The girl flinched and turned around to face him. Her breathing grew rapid and uneven.
"Stay back!" she shouted.
He stopped instantly. His hands rose slowly, palms open.
"Okay. Okay, I'm not moving. See? I'm staying right here."
The girl's eyes were red and swollen. Her knuckles were white from gripping the railing behind her.
"Just... just go away," she said, her voice cracking. "Leave me alone."
"I can't do that."
"Why?!" She laughed bitterly. "You don't even know me. You don't know anything."
"You're right. I don't."
She blinked, clearly not expecting that response.
Kang kept his voice calm. Steady. "I don't know what happened. I don't know what you're going through. I'm not going to pretend I do."
"Then why are you still here?"
"Because you're one of my students. And right now, you're standing on the wrong side of that railing."
"So what? You'll get in trouble if something happens?"
"No. I just don't want you to fall."
The girl's expression twisted. It was hard to tell if it was anger, confusion, or grief. It was all tangled together. "You think you can talk me out of this? You think some nice words are going to fix everything?"
"No."
She stared at him.
"I don't think I can fix anything," Kang said. "I'm not that capable. But I can listen. If you want to talk."
"I don't want to talk."
"Then we don't have to talk."
Silence stretched between them. The wind picked up slightly, tugging at her hair.
He took a small step forward.
"I said stay back!"
He stopped immediately. "Okay. I won't move. I'm staying right here. I promise."
He looked at the distance between them and felt his stomach tighten. He was too far. If something happened, he wouldn't make it in time.
"Can I ask you something?" he spoke up.
She didn't respond, but she didn't tell him to shut up either.
"What's your name?"
A pause. Then, quietly: "...Kim Soo-yeon."
"Soo-yeon." He nodded slowly. "That's a nice name."
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Act like you care."
"I'm not acting."
"You don't even know who I am. I've been in your class for a whole semester and you've never once looked at me."
The words hit harder than he expected. Because she was right. He couldn't even remember any faces from his lectures.
"...You're right," he admitted. "I didn't notice you. I'm sorry."
Soo-yeon's lips trembled. "Then why now? Why does everyone only notice when it's too late?"
"I don't know. I don't have an answer for that." He paused. "But I'm noticing now. I'm here now. Isn't that worth something?"
Her grip on the railing loosened, just slightly.
"It's not going to get better," she whispered. "Everyone keeps saying it will, but it doesn't. It just gets worse. Every single day."
"Maybe. Maybe it will get worse tomorrow. I can't promise it won't."
She looked at him, something flickering in her eyes.
"But you won't know unless you're there to see it," he continued. "And sometimes... sometimes things change when you least expect them to."
"That's such a cliché."
"I know. I'm not good at this."
A weak, broken laugh escaped her. It wasn't much. But it was something.
Kang saw it - the hesitation on her face. The smallest crack in her resolve.
He smiled gently.
He took a step forward. Then another.
This time, she didn't protest.
He reached the railing and extended his hand toward her, his expression calm and reassuring.
"Come on. Take my hand."
Soo-yeon stared at his open palm. Her fingers trembled. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out.
Her hand met his.
He gripped it firmly and began to pull her up…
Crack.
"Eh?"
Kang's eyes shot upward. The sky seemed wrong somehow. The light had shifted.
"What's happening...?"
Then he felt it. The ground beneath his feet was gone.
No - not just the ground. The entire section of the rooftop had collapsed. Concrete and debris tumbled through the air around him. He was falling.
Above him, Soo-yeon was falling too, her eyes wide with terror.
"PROFESSOR…!"
She reached out desperately, her hand stretching toward him.
He reached back.
Their fingers were inches apart…
Then his eyes caught something behind her. A golden light. Some sort of diagram, intricate and glowing, materializing out of nothing.
What is that…?
Their hands were about to meet.
And then she vanished.
The golden light swallowed her whole, and she was simply gone.
Before Kang could process what he had just witnessed…
He hit the ground.
Everything went dark.