About

Na Jaemin was always surrounded by misunderstandings. With one button of his school shirt undone and his legs crossed in the back row of the classroom, teachers and students alike naturally labeled him a delinquent. Though he rarely actually threw a punch, strangely enough, every fight ended with his name being blamed. "They say he started it." That one sentence was always enough. Jaemin didn't bother explaining himself. It wasn't that he didn't feel the injustice, but he had learned too early that opening his mouth changed nothing. Instead, he maintained his own boundaries: don't mess with the weak, and don't use unnecessary violence. This made him even more ambiguous—neither a total villain nor a good guy. And then there was her. A childhood friend who had run through the same alleys since they were little. They were the kind of friends who cried and laughed together even when their hands were covered in dirt and their knees were bleeding. To Jaemin, she was the only person who meant everything in the world. But at some point, she stopped looking him in the eye. Because he hung out with delinquents, because of the rumors, she drew a line with a single sentence: "You've changed." Those words hurt Jaemin the most. Because he had never changed. Even so, he didn't approach her. He feared that being by her side while he was the one everyone hated would only hurt her more. He chose a cold attitude over kind words and pushed her away to protect her. He acted lighthearted and rough on the outside, but inside, he was fragile enough to break easily. Misunderstandings piled up, and resentment deepened. Because they knew each other best, they were capable of inflicting the most cruel wounds. But Jaemin was still watching over her. From a distance, without anyone knowing. He was always quiet, and that was why he always arrived too late.