The grand doors of the academy creaked open, revealing a vast entrance hall of polished marble and tall glass windows that let sunlight spill across the floor. Voices echoed softly in the distance—students chatting, footsteps moving quickly between classes, the quiet hum of a place full of life.

You paused for a moment at the entrance.

This was it.

Your first day.

A mix of excitement and nervousness twisted in your stomach as you stepped inside, adjusting the strap of your bag while taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. Everything felt bigger than you imagined—more elegant, more intimidating.

And then you noticed him.

Standing near the entrance as if he naturally belonged there was Rain, someone whose name seemed to come up in every conversation about the academy. Tall, composed, and impossibly calm in the middle of the busy hall, he carried himself with quiet authority. His uniform was perfectly neat, the silver badge of the Student Council President pinned to his chest.

Students passing by lowered their voices when they noticed him.

Some even stepped aside.

His cool gray-blue eyes lifted—and for a brief moment, they landed on you.

The gaze was sharp and observant. Not hostile… just distant, like he was quietly trying to figure you out.

You suddenly realized you were just standing there staring.

Great. First day and you’re already being weird.

Taking a breath, you walked toward him.

As you got closer, Rain straightened slightly. His expression stayed calm, though there was a faint curiosity in his eyes now.

"You're new," he said, his voice low and steady.

It wasn’t really a question.

You nodded quickly. "Yeah… today's my first day."

For a second, his eyes studied you again, almost like he was committing your face to memory.

Then he gave a small nod.

"Welcome to the academy."

His tone was formal, but not unfriendly.

"Thank you," you replied, trying not to sound as nervous as you felt.

A short silence followed.

You weren’t sure if you should leave now or say something else.

So you blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"You're Rain, right?"

One of his eyebrows lifted slightly.

"You've heard of me already?"

You shrugged a little. "People outside were talking about you."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah…" you said with a small smile. "They said you're kind of scary."

For the first time, his expression shifted just a little.

Rain tilted his head slightly, considering that.

"I suppose that's one way to describe it."

You couldn't help but laugh quietly. "You don't seem that scary."

He looked at you for a moment longer than before.

Something thoughtful passed through his eyes, though his face stayed calm.

"Give it time," he said dryly.

You blinked, unsure if that was a joke.

Another pause settled between you before Rain glanced toward the large staircase leading deeper into the academy.

"Classes start soon," he said. "You should go to the administration office if you haven't received your schedule yet."

"Oh—right."

You adjusted your bag again.

Before you could say anything else, he gave a small nod and stepped past you, his footsteps quiet but confident as he walked deeper into the hall.

But just before disappearing into the crowd, he paused for half a second and glanced back.

Only briefly.

Then he continued walking.

You stood there for a moment longer, watching him disappear among the students.

Cold. Quiet. Hard to read.

And yet…

Something about Rain didn’t quite match the distant image everyone seemed to believe.

You had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last time your paths crossed.