Morning light slipped quietly through the curtains and into the hallway near the front door.
Two school bags rested against the wall.
Ha Min Jae crouched near the step tying his shoelaces quickly, chewing the last corner of a toasted bread slice that hung from his mouth.
Beside him, Ha Eun Gyeol sat on the wooden doorstep, staring at the unfamiliar pair of black school shoes on his feet.
He tightened the laces slowly.
It was a simple action.
Yet somehow it felt strange—like he was preparing to step into someone else's life.
Behind them, the kitchen table still had two unfinished plates.
Scrambled eggs.
Half a slice of toast.
A glass of milk that neither of them had finished.
Min Jae swallowed the last bite and stood up, grabbing his bag.
"You ready?"
Eun Gyeol looked down at his shoes again before answering.
"…As ready as someone with no memories can be."
Min Jae snorted.
"Fair enough."
He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.
"Alright listen, because you're probably going to ask me these questions again later."
Eun Gyeol raised an eyebrow.
"I probably will."
Min Jae held up a finger.
"First. Your classroom."
"Second year. Class 2-3. Third floor."
Eun Gyeol repeated it quietly.
"Second year… class 2-3."
Min Jae pointed at himself next.
"I'm first year. Class 1-5."
"First floor science hallway."
"If anything feels weird, come find me during break."
"…Weird like what?"
Min Jae shrugged.
"Headaches. Panic. People asking too many questions. You forgetting where you are."
"…That sounds likely."
Min Jae nodded seriously.
"Exactly."
Eun Gyeol tried to memorize everything.
Then Min Jae suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Oh right. Your friends."
Eun Gyeol looked up.
"…Friends?"
"Yeah."
Min Jae held up two fingers.
"One guy. One girl."
"The guy has been your friend since the start of high school."
"And the girl…"
He paused for a moment.
"She's been your best friend since middle school."
Eun Gyeol tilted his head slightly.
"…That's a long time."
"Yeah."
Min Jae grinned.
"She'll probably yell at you for forgetting her."
Eun Gyeol chuckled softly.
"…That sounds fair."
He stood up, adjusting the strap of his school bag.
Then he asked quietly,
"…Was I popular?"
Min Jae immediately shook his head.
"No."
"Not really."
"You weren't some famous guy or anything."
He shrugged.
"But people knew you."
"You talked with students from other classes sometimes."
"So… you weren't invisible either."
Eun Gyeol nodded slowly.
"…That's good."
Min Jae opened the front door.
"Come on."
"Let's go see your mysterious past."
On the way students in identical uniforms filled the streets.
Some walked in groups.
Some checked their phones.
Others complained loudly about homework.
Eun Gyeol walked beside Min Jae quietly.
His eyes moved from building to building.
Convenience stores.
Bus stops.
Street signs.
Everything looked ordinary.
Yet none of it felt familiar.
"…Still nothing?"
Min Jae asked.
Eun Gyeol shook his head.
"No."
"It feels like I should recognize something."
"But I don't."
Min Jae shoved his hands into his pockets.
"The doctor said that might happen."
"Or it might not."
They turned the corner.
The school appeared ahead.
Tall buildings.
Large metal gates.
Students pouring inside.
Eun Gyeol stopped walking.
"…So this is it."
Min Jae glanced back.
"Yep."
Eun Gyeol studied the campus quietly.
"…I spent two years here?"
"Pretty much every weekday."
"…Strange."
Min Jae nudged him forward.
"Come on"
They walked their way to the Teacher's Office.
The homeroom teacher was already waiting.
A woman in her early thirties stood beside her desk when they entered.
"Good to see you again, Ha Eun Gyeol."
For a moment Eun Gyeol hesitated, then bowed slightly.
"Nice to meet you, ma'am."
The teacher's smile softened a little at the response.
"I'm Ms. Park, your homeroom teacher.
Eun Gyeol shook her hand politely.
Min Jae spoke quickly.
"Our uncle said he contacted the school."
The teacher nodded.
"Yes. I spoke with him yesterday evening."
She gestured to the chairs.
"Please sit."
They sat down across from her desk.
Ms. Park folded her hands together.
"I've informed the class about your situation."
Eun Gyeol blinked.
"You have?"
"Yes."
"I explained that you're suffering from memory loss."
"And that no one should pressure you."
Min Jae visibly relaxed.
"That's good."
Ms. Park nodded.
"For now, the goal is simply helping you readjust."
She stood up.
"Let's introduce you to the class."
Eun Gyeol went to the classroom with the homeroom teacher after saying bye to Min Jae.
The classroom was loud when the door opened.
Students were talking, laughing, moving around.
But when Ms. Park stepped inside—
The room slowly went quiet.
Every student turned to look.
Ms. Park placed her books on the desk.
"Everyone."
"As you know, Ha Eun Gyeol has returned today."
She glanced at him.
"Due to the accident, he has lost his memories."
A wave of whispers spread across the classroom.
"Seriously?"
"He forgot everything?"
"That's crazy…"
Ms. Park raised her hand.
"Quiet."
The room settled.
"Please treat him normally."
"But don't overwhelm him with questions."
She nodded toward Eun Gyeol.
"You can introduce yourself."
He stepped forward.
All eyes were on him.
"…Hello."
"My name is Ha Eun Gyeol."
He paused briefly.
"I've been told this is my class."
A few students chuckled.
"I don't remember anyone here."
"But I hope we can get along."
Someone from the back called out,
"Of course."
Another student said,
"Take it easy."
Ms. Park pointed to a desk near the window.
"That's your seat."
As soon as Eun Gyeol sat down, two students approached.
A tall boy leaned against the desk.
"…You seriously forgot me?"
Eun Gyeol looked up calmly.
"…Should I know you?"
The boy laughed loudly.
"Ouch."
He extended his hand.
"I'm Kim Ji-Hoon."
"Your friend since first year."
Eun Gyeol shook it.
"Nice to meet you."
Then a girl stepped forward.
She had long dark hair and sharp eyes.
She stared at him carefully.
"…You don't remember anything?"
"No."
She sighed.
"I'm Lee So-Yeon."
"Your best friend since middle school."
Eun Gyeol blinked.
"…That long?"
She crossed her arms.
"Yeah."
"So try not to forget me again."
Ji-Hoon grinned.
"She's been bossing you around for years."
So-Yeon rolled her eyes.
"Shut up."
Eun Gyeol smiled slightly.
For the first time that morning—
The atmosphere felt almost normal.
While having conversation with the people in class his eyes wandered towards the clock.
The classroom clock ticked quietly.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Eun Gyeol glanced at it.
The second hand moved again.
Tick.
Tick.
Then—
It stopped.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Then it started moving again.
Eun Gyeol frowned.
"…Did the clock stop?"
Ji-Hoon looked up.
"No?"
So-Yeon tilted her head.
"Why?"
"…Nothing."
But something felt wrong.
Like the room had held its breath for a moment.
Three streets away, a black surveillance van was parked quietly.
Inside, monitors covered the walls.
Camera feeds.
Thermal scans.
Energy fluctuation graphs.
Seated in the center chair was Seo Ara, spinning a pen lazily.
Across from her stood Kang Dae-Hoon, watching the anomaly graph.
A voice came through the comms.
"Observation unit three. Report."
Ara tapped her headset.
"Target has entered the classroom."
"Behavior normal."
The graph flickered.
A small spike appeared.
Dae-Hoon narrowed his eyes.
"There."
Ara leaned forward.
"…Minor distortion."
Another voice joined the channel.
Calm.
Authoritative.
"Contractors."
Both of them straightened slightly.
"Subject classification remains Unconfirmed Reality Deviation."
Dae-Hoon spoke.
"Orders?"
"Observe."
Ara sighed.
"I figured."
The voice continued.
"If distortion levels increase…"
A red warning line appeared on the screen.
"…you are authorized to neutralize the subject."
Ara stopped spinning her pen.
"…Meaning kill him."
"Correct."
Silence filled the van.
Ara leaned back.
"Well."
"Let's hope the kid behaves."
At the same time far beyond the world—
A woman watched through fractures in existence.
Her golden eyes glowed softly.
She smiled.
"So the Contractors are already watching you…"
"…Defiant One."
Her voice echoed across dimensions.
"You defied fate once."
"And then again."
The threads of destiny trembled around her fingers.
"Reality itself tried to correct the mistake."
"And yet…"
"You remain."
She leaned forward slightly.
"Tell me, Defiant One."
"When the hunt begins…"
"Will you still fight to live?"
Her smile widened slowly.
"I look forward to testing you."
Back in the Classroom
Eun Gyeol suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
He turned toward the window.
For a brief moment—
He thought he saw someone standing on the rooftop across the street.
Watching him.
But when he blinked—
It was gone.
Ji-Hoon waved a hand in front of him.
"Hey."
"You spacing out again?"
Eun Gyeol shook his head.
"…No."
But deep inside—
Something whispered.
You are not supposed to exist.
And somewhere far beyond reality—
A voice repeated softly.
"DefiantOne…"