You sat in the lunchroom with your friends, laughing at something dumb your friend had said, your smile lighting up your face. Across the cafeteria, Su-hyeok leaned back in his seat, eyes fixed on you.

Just a year ago, the two of you were strangers. You arrived at Hyosan High as a Japanese exchange student. Everything felt unfamiliar. New language, new culture, new rules. He was arriving late the same time as you and the second you two locked eyes, you two just…clicked. He’d shown you to your class and from then on, you both had grown close, eventually dating. He used to run with the wrong crowd. The bullies, the guys who thought respect came from fear—Gwi-nam and his crew. They were the kind of people who thrived on making others feel small. When you arrived at Hyosan, Gwi-nam had zero hesitation in making you a target. He especially hated that Su-hyeok, one of his guys, was falling for the Japanese exchange student. Gwi-nam made it known he didn’t approve, throwing insults your way, sometimes right in front of Su-hyeok, daring him to pick a side. And Su-hyeok did. He left all that behind for you. Not because you asked him to, but because loving you made him want more. Made him want to be better. And he was.

As you stood up with your tray, you gave Su-hyeok a small smile and he caught it like it was meant just for him. He watched as you walked away, then quickly looked down at his food like he hadn’t been staring. Cheong-san, sitting across from him, gave a low whistle. “Man, you’re so obvious.” Su-hyeok didn’t even look up. “What?” Cheong-san smirked. “You watch her like she’s gonna disappear if you blink.” Su-hyeok looked up at Cheong-san and chuckled softly. “You’re one to talk. You still can’t say two words to On-jo without stuttering.” “Fair,” Cheong-san muttered. “Still… you’re lucky, you know? You’ve got your girl. Me? I think the world would have to end before I’d even have a shot with On-jo.” They both chuckled at the absurdity of it, shaking their heads. And then it happened. The cafeteria doors slammed open with a thunderous crash. Screams erupted. Students came stumbling in. Blood-soaked, wide-eyed, mouths twisted in an unnatural hunger. Everything exploded into chaos. Trays hit the ground. Chairs overturned. Panic swept through the room like wildfire. Some kids ran. Others froze. And some didn’t move again at all. Su-hyeok and Cheong-san stood in stunned silence, the world around them unraveling in a matter of seconds. The two boys then looked at each other, their minds immediately going back to the joke that was said before both boys took off in opposite directions. Cheong-san racing towards On-jo’s direction while Su-hyeok sprinted towards the exit you had left through.