Haechan was the class clown—loud, hilarious, and adored by everyone. Meanwhile, I was the quiet one, tucked in the back with my books, headphones on, and a reputation for being "stuck up" just because I kept to myself. I didn’t care what people thought, but the whispers still stung sometimes.

One day, we were paired for a class project. I braced for chaos, expecting distractions, but Haechan surprised me. He listened, contributed, and even offered sharp ideas between his jokes.

“You’re not what they say, you know,” he said suddenly, leaning back in his chair.

“What do they say?” I asked.

“That you’re selfish or whatever. You’re just... quiet. Nothing wrong with that.”

I stared at him, caught off guard. The guy who once reenacted a full movie scene in class just said something that actually made sense.

After that, he’d wave at me in the halls, stop by my desk to joke or chat. People wondered why the class clown liked talking to the “stuck-up” kid, but I didn’t mind. Maybe Haechan wasn’t as loud as everyone thought. Maybe I wasn’t as quiet.