When I entered the classroom, something felt different.
Everyone was whispering.
Some students looked at me and quickly turned away.
Others stared openly.
I slowed down.
A strange feeling settled in my chest as I walked toward my seat.
Then I saw him.
Sihoon.
He was sitting quietly, his expression serious.
In that moment—
I understood.
Something had happened.
"Wow… the main character finally arrived."
A voice came from behind me.
I turned.
Sora was leaning against her desk, a mocking smile on her lips.
"What do you mean?" I asked quietly.
She laughed softly.
"Oh, don't act like you don't know."
She looked around the classroom, making sure everyone was listening.
"Everyone already knows your little secret."
My chest tightened.
"Stop," I said softly.
But she didn't stop.
"You pretend to be strong," she said loudly.
"But you don't even have parents, do you?"
The classroom fell silent.
"You grew up in an orphanage."
The words hung in the air—
heavy and sharp.
Then—
a loud sound broke the silence.
Sihoon pushed his chair back and stood up.
"That's enough."
His voice was calm—
but cold.
Sora smirked.
"Why? Did I say something wrong?"
Sihoon walked forward and stopped beside me.
The entire classroom was watching.
"You don't know anything about her," he said quietly.
I looked up at him in surprise.
For the first time—
I wondered how much he really knew.
Sora laughed again.
"You're defending her?"
Then she pointed at me.
"Do you even know why her parents left her?"
I froze.
"Right after she was born, their business went bankrupt."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Some people say she was a bad omen."
Silence filled the room.
My vision blurred.
Before anyone could say anything—
I stood up.
And walked out.
"Why are you angry?" Sora said behind me.
"I just told the truth."
Sihoon's voice turned colder.
"Blaming someone for something they were born into is ridiculous."
Then—
he noticed.
I was gone.
He looked toward the door.
"Where did she go?"
Without another word—
he ran out of the classroom.
He searched everywhere.
The hallway.
The library.
Even the school gate.
But I was nowhere.
The next morning—
my seat was empty.
Sihoon stared at it for a long time.
Yian leaned closer and whispered,
"She didn't come today."
After school, Sihoon went to the café.
The warm smell of coffee filled the air.
Mr. Park looked surprised to see him.
"Are you looking for Jia?" he asked.
Sihoon nodded.
Mr. Park shook his head.
"She didn't come today."
Sihoon stepped back outside.
The street felt unusually quiet.
His thoughts were full of me.
"Sihoon!"
He turned.
Yian was running toward him.
"I was looking for you," Yian said, slightly out of breath.
"What happened?" Sihoon asked.
Yian hesitated.
"Can I tell you something strange?"
Sihoon frowned.
"What is it?"
Yian looked at him carefully.
"Did you find Jia?"
Sihoon shook his head.
"No."
"I went to the café… but she wasn't there."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The streetlights flickered on, one by one.
"Yesterday was really bad," Yian said quietly.
Sihoon nodded.
"Yeah."
"Sora went too far."
"She shouldn't have said those things," Sihoon replied.
Yian hesitated again.
"There's something else…"
Sihoon looked at him.
"What?"
Yian lowered his voice slightly.
"When Sora was standing close to Jia yesterday… did you notice something?"
Sihoon frowned.
"Notice what?"
Yian thought for a moment.
"Their faces."
Sihoon blinked.
"What about them?"
"I don't know how to explain it, but… they looked kind of similar."
Sihoon didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
a memory surfaced.
Sora standing close to Jia.
The same eyes.
The same shape of their faces.
A strange feeling settled in his chest.
"You noticed it too… didn't you?" Yian asked quietly.
Sihoon finally nodded.
"…Yeah."
Yian let out a small breath.
"So I'm not crazy."
Sihoon shook his head.
"No… you're not."
Yian crossed his arms.
"But if they look that similar…"
He paused.
"Do you think they might be related somehow?"
Sihoon looked ahead.
His expression grew serious.
"I'm going to find out the truth."
Yian looked surprised.
"You mean about Jia?"
Sihoon nodded firmly.
"Sora knows something."
He looked up at the dark sky.
"No matter what the truth is…"
His voice was quiet—
but steady.
"I won't let Jia face it alone."