By Monday, a strange quiet had settled over the photography club. People still gathered after school, but the atmosphere felt strained, like everyone was waiting for something to break. 

The weekend's photo outing at the Han River had gone smoothly on the surface, but the undercurrent between Ji-hun and Ho-jin had not gone unnoticed. Even the more carefree members cast sidelong glances when the two were in the same room.

As the week stretched on, rumors began to drift through the halls like drifting autumn leaves. 

Whispers about Ho-jin being pulled into the teachers' office spread from class to class, growing wilder with every retelling. Some students said he had been caught fighting, others insisted he'd bullied a girl so badly she'd been too scared to come to school. 

Ji-hun kept his head down as people talked around him. He heard the rumors and knew what was true, but he did not want anyone to find out that he was the one who had told the teachers.

—

Hae-sol caught up with him by the vending machines that afternoon, breathless after running down two flights of stairs. 

"Ya, did you hear? They're saying Ho-jin sunbae might get suspended." His eyes were wide, his voice a mixture of fear and fascination.

Ji-hun's heart twisted painfully. 

"I don't know anything about that," he lied immediately. He forced himself to focus on the hiss of the vending machine spitting out a can of soda instead of the guilt clawing at his heart.

All week passed with tension and rumors at school. Ho-jin was not around much. At least, Ji-hun did not run into him at all. Still, the rumors kept spreading. Even when Ho-jin was not there, Ji-hun kept seeing Choi Da-eun crying. It happened again and again.

As the days went by, Ji-hun felt more uneasy. He started to wonder if he had missed something or understood things the wrong way.

—

By Friday evening, the photography club meeting was quieter than usual. The students sat in their chairs and did not talk much. 

Ho-jin stood at the front of the room and went through a folder of printed photos. He focused on the pages and kept his voice even when he spoke. Ji-hun watched him and felt uneasy, like something was off, but he could not tell what it was.

When the meeting finally ended, students hurried out, whispering amongst themselves. Ji-hun stayed behind for a moment instead of leaving right away. He packed his things slowly and did not rush like the others. He put his notebook into his bag and then picked up his camera. He checked it, wiped the lens with his sleeve, and placed it carefully inside. The room was almost empty by then, and most of the chairs were pushed in.

Before he zipped his bag, he looked up once. Ho-jin was still standing by the window. The glass reflected the room, and Ji-hun could see Ho-jin and his own shape at the same time. Ho-jin did not turn around. Ji-hun looked away and finished packing, but the image stayed with him as he headed for the door.

A narrow strip of light from the yard lamps reached the window and fell across Ho-jin's face, making the tired lines under his eyes stand out.

Ji-hun wanted to say something. Maybe a simple "good evening," maybe a comment about the photos. He knew any small line would have been enough. Still, the words did not come out. Ho-jin looked tense and unhappy, and the thought that he might be the reason for that stayed with Ji-hun. He did not like this sunbae, not really, but seeing him like this unsettled him more than he expected. The discomfort sat there and would not leave.

He finally turned, slinging his camera bag over his shoulder, and slipped out into the hallway.

But he didn't get far. Halfway to the stairwell, footsteps echoed behind him, growing louder until a hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him into an empty alcove between two lockers.

"Ji-hun, did you tell the teachers I was bullying a girl?" 

Ho-jin spoke in a harsh voice. He sounded angry and hurt at the same time. He looked at Ji-hun like he wanted an answer, and it made Ji-hun feel uneasy.

His mind scrambled for something to say. 

"Every time you go into my class, she ends up crying and—"

Ho-jin's face changed. He looked upset and tired.

"Choi Da-eun is my best friend's little sister," he said. "She's been getting bullied by a group of girls since school started. Every time something happens, she comes to me or her brother for help. We go and talk to the girls one by one and tell them to stop. That's all we do. I have never touched her, or anyone else."

The weight of Ho-jin's words sank into Ji-hun's chest like a stone dropped in a deep well. His mouth opened and closed, but his thoughts tangled. 

"I'm… I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I should've—"

Ho-jin stepped back, his hands shaking slightly at his sides. 

"Your apology doesn't fix what you did," he said. "Because of your report, I was called into the teachers' office and accused of something I never did. My mom was contacted, and she works so much that she barely has time to come to school at all. I spent hours trying to convince everyone that it was all a misunderstanding."

He paused for a moment.

"Why would you do that, Ji-hun?" he said. "What did I ever do to you?"

Ji-hun stood close to the lockers and kept his eyes down. His face was red, and his eyes burned.

"I thought I was protecting someone," he said. "I didn't know I was wrong."

Ho-jin ran a hand through his hair and stood there for a moment. He looked exhausted, like the weight of the world had been dropped on his shoulders.

"Since the first day I met you, you've looked at me like I'm some kind of monster. I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I'm done. I don't have the energy to fight you anymore."

He leaned in and spoke in a low voice, like he was finished with the conversation.

"Stay away from me, Moon Ji-hun. I don't care what you think of me. Just stay out of my life!"

He turned and walked away. The hallway was empty, and the sound of his steps carried down it. Ji-hun stayed where he was and watched him go. He could not move for a moment.

He slumped down to sit on the cold floor, pulling his knees to his chest. His camera bag was right there next to him. He looked at it for a long time. This was the only thing he still had in common with Shin Ho-jin, but now he felt like he shouldn't even touch it. He didn't have the right to take photos or look through a lens when he had been so wrong about everything.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but by the time he stood again, the hallway was dark and empty, the faint sound of distant laughter drifting from outside as students left for the evening.

On the walk home, every step felt heavier than the last. The sky had clouded over, turning the world into a muted wash of gray. His mind kept replaying Ho-jin's words, each one carving deeper into the hollow ache in his chest.

That night, he couldn't focus on his homework. His eyes blurred as he stared at his textbooks, memories of Ho-jin's hurt face refusing to leave his mind. 

Eventually, he gave up, closing his books and pulling his blanket over his head, hoping sleep would come. But even in the quiet of his room, his heart kept pounding, refusing to let him forget the damage he had done.