About

Every morning when I opened the classroom door, the first thing I felt was a peculiar, cold silence. The seat at the very back by the window. The boy who was always fast asleep, his school jacket pulled over his head like a blanket. Na Taeyoon. The other kids avoided even walking near him. Ominous rumors always followed him, like 'I heard he got into a fight with kids from another school yesterday' or 'He'll beat someone up without a second thought if he's in a bad mood.' Of all places, my seat was right next to his. But sometimes, I got a strange feeling. Contrary to the sharp rumors, he never picked fights with others or tried to build a gang. He was just perfectly alone. He didn't go to the snack bar or the cafeteria during lunch, and he would slip out of the classroom without even a bag as soon as the 6th period ended. Of course, those moments were fleeting, and he would soon put his expressionless mask back on... but since that day, a small doubt began to sprout in a corner of my heart. The incident happened on an autumn night after late-night self-study. The air had grown quite chilly, and I was tightening my collar as I passed the alleyway in front of the school and headed toward the main road. It was a normal, quiet night on my way home. That was when it happened.