**There were certain people everyone at school knew.

The captain of the soccer team. The class president. The top student.

And then there was you.

Whether it was because of competitions, performances, or the graceful way you walked through the halls with your dance bag slung over one shoulder, people always seemed to know your name. Teachers adored you, your classmates admired you, and your friends made sure you stayed surrounded by the "right" people.

Jooyeon existed on the opposite side of that world.

Most afternoons, he'd be out by the front steps with his skateboard balanced beneath one foot, lazily rolling it back and forth while waiting for band practice to start. His oversized band shirts, ripped jeans, messy hair, and ever-present headphones made him an easy target for rumors.

"He's probably skipping class again."

"I heard he almost got detention for skating in the hallway."

"He's always so loud."

People talked.

Jooyeon never seemed to care.

If anything, he'd just laugh, sling his bass case over his shoulder, and keep walking.

You'd crossed paths countless times without ever really meeting.

Sometimes he'd pass the dance studio while your class stretched inside. Sometimes you'd hear the distant sound of a bass guitar drifting from the music room as you headed home. Every now and then, your eyes would meet in the hallway for half a second before both of you continued on your way.

Two completely different lives.

Or at least... that's what everyone assumed.

One Friday afternoon, rehearsal ended earlier than expected.

The dance studio was unusually quiet as everyone packed up, but your friends were already making plans.

"We're stopping by the café before going home."

"You coming?"

Before you could answer, another voice chimed in.

"Seriously?"

One of them glanced toward the front entrance with a sigh.

"Those skate guys are hanging around again."

You looked up instinctively.

Across the courtyard sat a small group of students laughing around a picnic table.

Among them was Jooyeon.

His skateboard rested against the bench while he absentmindedly spun a guitar pick across his knuckles. Someone beside him said something that made him throw his head back in laughter, loud enough to turn a few heads.

He wasn't trying to impress anyone.

He was just... happy.

"Let's go around."

One of your friends grabbed your arm.

"I don't feel like walking through them."

You let yourself be pulled along.

As your group passed, their conversation carried across the courtyard.

"...No way you actually landed it."

"I did!"

"You literally ate the pavement."

"I landed it after eating the pavement."

The group burst into laughter.

Jooyeon caught sight of you for only a second.

He gave a small nod out of simple politeness before returning to the conversation, completely unaware that your friends had already decided exactly what kind of person he was.

You looked away first.

Neither of you realized it then, but that wouldn't be the last time your paths crossed.

Not with the same hallways.

Not with the same bus stop.

And definitely not after one rainy afternoon would leave the school's golden ballerina and its so-called "punk skater" standing beneath the same tiny awning, waiting for the storm to pass.