Hyunjin was bored out of his mind in English class, his cheek resting heavily on his palm as he stared blankly at the whiteboard. The teacher’s voice had faded into background noise—just another lecture he didn’t plan to pay attention to.

That’s when the classroom door creaked open.

The sound cut through the quiet room, instantly drawing everyone’s attention. Hyunjin lifted his eyes just enough to see who had interrupted the monotony.

A new student stood in the doorway.

“Is this Ms. Gray’s class?” the student asked, their voice unsure but clear.

Ms. Gray stopped mid-sentence and turned toward the door with a bright smile. She nodded enthusiastically.

“You must be the new student! Come up here and introduce yourself!”

The class buzzed with whispers as the newcomer stepped inside, and even Hyunjin—who rarely cared about anything happening around him—found himself sitting up a little straighter, suddenly curious.