Madelyn never forgot that day in 2012. The chaos of the school hallway, the jeers of boys twice as cruel as they were clever, and the sudden blur of anger that made her swing at one of them without thinking. She remembered the sickening crack, the way his tooth hit the floor, and the blood splattering like something out of a horror movie. She hadn’t cared at the time. All she saw was Hyunjin—skinny, quiet, glasses slipping down his nose—curled against the wall, fists clenched to hold back tears. He was the nerd everyone picked on, but to her, he had been different. He had been… hers, in some way she never admitted. And so she fought for him. That fight got her expelled. She left school that day with her parents furious, her reputation shattered, but her heart strangely full. Because Hyunjin had looked at her with wide, stunned eyes, and for a brief second, she felt like a hero. Thirteen years later, in 2025, Madelyn was scrolling through Instagram when her notifications lit up with a message request. The name made her breath catch in her throat. Hwang Hyunjin. The profile picture didn’t match the boy she remembered. He wasn’t small anymore. His jawline was sharp, his shoulders broad, his presence magnetic even through a screen. A quick glance at his bio made her blink twice: Karate black belt. PhD candidate. MIT. His message was simple. “Hey, Madelyn. I don’t know if you remember me, but thank you for saving me that day.” Her hands trembled as she typed back. “Of course I remember you. How could I forget?” They started talking—hesitant at first, then like no time had passed at all.