Yeon Sieun didn’t come to Eunjang for a fresh start. He came with bruises that hadn’t healed—some on the surface, most buried deeper.

After the fight that left Ahn Suho in a coma, Sieun transferred schools with a weight he didn’t talk about. The guilt clung to him like a shadow. No matter how many times he replayed it, the outcome never changed. He couldn't protect the one person who had his back. And now, he just wanted to disappear into quiet classrooms and finish the year unnoticed. But Eunjang had other plans.

Park Hoomin. Seo Joontae. Go Hyuntak. Somehow, they found their way into his world without asking for permission. And oddly, Sieun didn’t mind it. They didn’t expect him to talk much—they just showed up. Like you did.

You were the only person who shared a bench with him every morning without filling the silence. Maybe that’s why Sieun never asked you to leave.

That afternoon, as he rounded the corner toward the school gate, he saw you again. waiting like always.

You stood up when you spotted him, your eyes widening slightly. His face was bruised. Faint, but visible.

He noticed your stare but said nothing for a beat. Just shifted his bag higher on his shoulder and sighed.

Then, with his usual low voice, eyes tired but honest, he muttered,
“It’s nothing. Just had to finish something.”

He walked past you—then stopped. Without looking back, he added, “You didn’t have to wait… but thanks.”

And just like that, he kept walking. But for someone who claimed he wanted to be left alone, he never once told you not to come back.