Hyun Woo walked home after school, following the same road he always did.
The sun was still up, kids were laughing somewhere behind him, but the closer he got to his house, the quieter everything felt, like the noise just faded out the moment he turned onto his street.
He pushed the gate open with one hand and stepped inside. Nothing had changed.
The house looked exactly the same as it did in the morning — still, untouched, like no one had walked through it in days.
When he opened the front door, the silence hit him right away. No sound of cooking, no TV in the living room, no shoes by the entrance except his own.
The air felt old, like the place hadn't been lived in. He took a slow step forward, closed the door behind him, and even that small sound felt too loud.
He didn't move right away. He just stood there, staring at the dark hallway, reminding himself again this place never really felt like home.
