School feels normal the next morning, so I know something is wrong.

The hallway is loud, people talking over each other like nothing important has ever happened in this building. Ha-Yoon walks beside me, rambling about something I’m only half listening to.

“…and then she said the assignment was due today, which makes no sense because she definitely said Friday yesterday.”

“That does sound like her,” I say.

Ha-Yoon laughs.

“You’re not even listening.”

“I am.”

“Barely.”

She bumps my shoulder playfully as we stop near the windows.

For a moment everything feels simple again.

Then someone across the hallway whispers something.

A few people laugh.

I don’t look.

Looking only encourages them.

Ha-Yoon doesn’t notice. She’s still talking about homework.

Lucky her.

A shadow falls across us.

“Hey.”

I look up.

Ju-Won stands there, hands in his pockets, looking like he just wandered over by accident.

Ha-Yoon tilts her head.

“Oh! You’re—”

“Ju-Won,” he says quickly.

Right.

This part.

“Ha-Yoon,” I say, “you remember Ju-Won from the first day? He’s in my project group.”

“Right!” she says, smiling. “I remember”

Ju-Won’s smile widens.

“Yeah. Nari’s really knows her music”

Ha-Yoon brightens.

“Oh! What kind of music are you using for the presentation?”

I hesitate. I look over at Ju-Won but he’s still smiling.

“I was thinking something modern that still has cultural influence,” I say slowly. “Something people recognise but don’t really analyse.”

“As I said, Nari knows her stuff” Ju-Won says. He sounds bored. 

Ha-Yoon nods enthusiastically, she doesn’t seem to have noticed his change in tone.

“You should use something emotional. Music always hits harder that way.”

Ju-Won nods like every word she says is fascinating.

His thoughts don’t need to drift through my mind, I can clearly tell what he’s thinking.

I look away.

This is working.

A bell rings somewhere down the hallway.

Students start moving again.

Ha-Yoon laughs again at something he says.

I straighten up.

“I have to go,” I say. “Music class.”

Ha-Yoon waves. “See you later!”

Ju-Won lifts a hand in goodbye, but it’s a lazy action and his attention is already back on Ha-Yoon.

Mission success I guess.

✩ ♬ ₊˚.𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

My locker feels lighter than usual.

It takes me a moment to realise why.

My music notebook is gone.

I stare at the empty space between my textbooks.

That’s strange.

I definitely put it here yesterday.

I check the shelf again.

Nothing.

Maybe I left it in the music room.

Or the cafeteria.

Or somewhere equally inconvenient. I close the locker, It’ll turn up eventually.

Probably.

Music class ends early that afternoon. Most of the students leave immediately, instruments packed away in a hurry.

I stay behind to organise my sheet music. The room grows quiet once the door closes. For a few minutes it’s peaceful. Then the door opens again.

My teacher steps back inside.

“Nari,” she says, flipping through a folder. “Why didn’t you attend the practice meeting yesterday?”

I look up.

“The what?”

“The rehearsal meeting,” she repeats. “I sent the message in the class group chat.”

I frown.

“I didn’t see anything.”

She pauses, clearly unsure whether to believe me.

“Well… it was sent,” she says after a moment. “Just make sure you check your messages.”

“I will.”

“And make sure you finish your assignment by next Thursday”

She nods and leaves again.

I check my phone. No messages from her.

Just the usual class chat.

Maybe I missed it somehow. Or maybe the notification didn’t appear.

That happens sometimes.

Probably.

✩ ♬ ₊˚.𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

The hallway outside is almost empty.

Afternoon classes are still running, so the building feels quieter than usual.

I pass a group of students near the staircase.

Five of them.

Three girls, two boys.

They’re standing close together like they belong there more than anyone else.

One of the girls looks up as I pass.

Her eyes flick over me briefly before she says something to the others.

The boy beside her laughs.

Another girl is scrolling through her phone, barely paying attention. Her shoulder bumps into mine, and she scoffs at me, but makes no attempt to do anything else and walks off, eyes glued back on her phone. 

The third one smiles brightly at someone across the hall.

For a second I think she’s smiling at me.

Then she turns away.

Their conversation drops into whispers behind me.

I keep walking.

By the time I’, ready to leave school, the sky has started to darken again. I grab my bag from my desk and adjust my it on my shoulder, as I start toward the door.

Something catches my eye. My music notebook.

It’s sitting behind the lockers near the entrance.

Right on the floor. I walk over and pick it up.

No damage. No notes inside.

Just my handwriting exactly where I left it yesterday.

Weird.

I flip it closed again. Maybe I dropped it on my way out yesterday.

That makes sense.

Probably.

Still…

I glance back toward the school courtyard. The windows reflect the evening sky, empty and quiet. For a moment it feels like someone might be watching.

But when I look closer, there’s nothing there.

Just glass.

And my own reflection.

I turn and start walking home.