Their eyes met.

For a few seconds, neither of them looked away, and the noisy crowd surrounding them seemed to fade into the background as Lee Yun found himself strangely unable to tear his eyes away from the unfamiliar boy standing across from him.

He didn't know why, but there was something strangely heavy about the moment.

Han Tae continued staring at him with unreadable eyes before eventually breaking eye contact and looking away as though nothing had happened.

A guy quickly walked toward Han Tae and threw an arm around his shoulder.

“Han Tae, join the English Literature Club with me,” he said excitedly. “It’ll be fun.”

Han Tae looked completely uninterested, and he was just about to reject him when his eyes casually moved across the crowd once again.

Then they stopped on Lee Yun.

Lee Yun was standing near the Hiking Club booth, quietly filling out an application form while the other freshmen around him continued talking among themselves.

Without another word, Han Tae slowly walked toward the Hiking Club booth.

The guy who had been trying to recruit him watched him leave before a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

“Interesting,” he muttered under his breath.

Meanwhile, Han Tae reached the Hiking Club booth and quietly took a form before standing in line with the other freshmen.

A few minutes passed as the line slowly moved forward, with students filling out their applications one after another while the club seniors answered questions, collected paperwork, and tried to convince more freshmen to join.

As Lee Yun and Han Tae stood beside each other filling out their forms, their hands accidentally brushed against one another.

Lee Yun froze slightly.

Cold.

Han Tae’s hand was strangely cold.

He unconsciously looked up at Han Tae's face, but Han Tae didn't seem to notice the brief contact at all.

Nearby, several club seniors were busy trying to flirt with Han Tae, laughing loudly and attempting to get his attention, but he ignored every one of them without showing even the slightest interest.

Lee Yun quietly pulled his hand back, finished writing his information, and handed his application to one of the seniors without saying a word.

After collecting everyone's applications, the club seniors guided the freshmen toward the Hiking Club room.

The room was larger than Lee Yun had expected, with camping bags, climbing ropes, hiking photographs, and colorful mountain maps covering the walls, creating a lively and welcoming atmosphere that felt completely different from the noisy chaos outside.

The freshmen slowly took their seats while talking among themselves, their nervous voices mixing with occasional laughter as they tried to get comfortable in the unfamiliar room.

Lee Yun quietly chose a seat near the window.

Of course

Han Tae sat right beside him.

Several students immediately began whispering about Han Tae's appearance, while a few others secretly glanced toward Lee Yun because of how quiet and distant he seemed.

One of the seniors suddenly clapped her hands loudly.

“Alright, everyone!”

“Since this is our first meeting, let’s start with introductions!”

A few students laughed nervously while others shifted in their seats.

The introductions began one after another.

Some students confidently talked about themselves, some proudly mentioned their achievements, while others tried a little too hard to appear impressive in front of everyone.

Lee Yun quietly listened without paying much attention until the senior finally looked in his direction.

“Next.”

It was Lee Yun’s turn.

The room gradually became quieter as everyone turned toward him.

Lee Yun slowly stood from his seat near the window.

“My name is Lee Yun,” he said calmly.

“I’m nineteen years old.”

His voice was softer than most of the others who had introduced themselves before him.

“I like places surrounded by nature, especially places filled with greenery.”

A few students looked slightly surprised to hear that from someone who appeared so quiet and distant.

One of the seniors smiled warmly.

“Oh? Then why did you join the Hiking Club?”

For a moment, Lee Yun remained silent, his eyes lowering slightly as an old memory crossed his mind.

Then he answered quietly.

“When my grandmother was healthy, she used to take me hiking with her.”

As Lee Yun spoke, Han Tae, who had looked bored throughout the introductions, slowly lifted his eyes toward him.

For the first time since entering the room, the coldness in Han Tae's expression softened slightly.

“She really liked mountains and forests,” Lee Yun continued quietly.

“So those places remind me of her.”

The room gradually fell silent.

Lee Yun's expression remained calm, but there was a quiet loneliness hidden behind his words that several people could sense even though he never directly spoke about it.

Some students awkwardly looked away, while others listened with quiet sympathy.

One of the seniors smiled gently.

“She must have been a wonderful person.”

Lee Yun quietly nodded before returning to his seat.

Beside him, Han Tae continued looking at him for a few seconds longer.

Not with mockery.

Not with boredom.

But with an unfamiliar softness in his eyes.

Then the senior turned toward the person sitting beside Lee Yun.

“Alright, next.”

“Han Tae.”

The atmosphere inside the room immediately changed.

Han Tae slowly stood from his seat, and the moment he did, everyone's attention naturally shifted toward him.

Several girls straightened their posture nervously, while a few students exchanged quiet whispers among themselves.

Han Tae remained completely unbothered.

With one hand casually resting inside his pocket, he looked around the room with calm, unreadable eyes before finally speaking.

“My name is Han Tae.”

The moment his voice filled the room, several students fell silent.

His voice was deep and rough, low and calm, yet powerful enough to command everyone's attention without him having to raise it.

“I don’t have any hobbies,” he continued calmly.

“And I joined this club because it looked interesting.”

As he said the final word, his eyes briefly moved toward Lee Yun.

For some reason, the word sounded almost as though it had been directed specifically at him.

Lee Yun couldn't understand the meaning behind his gaze, but it still made him unconsciously tense for a moment.

Several seniors laughed awkwardly, clearly affected by Han Tae's intimidating presence despite the calmness of his introduction.

Meanwhile, Lee Yun quietly listened to him without saying anything, although Han Tae's deep voice remained strangely clear in his mind even after he had finished speaking.

Han Tae simply sat back down.

After all the introductions and the rest of the club activities were finished, evening slowly settled over the campus.

One of the seniors suddenly clapped loudly.

“Freshers' party tonight!” he announced excitedly. “Everyone from the club has to come!”

Cheers immediately filled the room.

Most of the students agreed enthusiastically, already talking about food, games, and how much fun the evening was going to be.

Lee Yun originally wanted to refuse, but before he could say anything, one of the seniors pulled him along with everyone else.

The party was held at a small restaurant near Hanguk University, where the atmosphere was loud and lively as students laughed together and talked freely as though they had already known one another for years.

Lee Yun, however, sat quietly at the corner of the table, mostly watching rather than participating.

A half-filled drink rested in his hand as he took small sips in silence, his attention drifting between the conversations happening around him.

Then

A chair suddenly scraped against the floor in front of him.

Han Tae sat directly across from him.

Lee Yun slowly looked up.

Han Tae casually rested one arm against the table, looking completely relaxed despite the fact that everyone around him constantly tried to start conversations with him.

One of the seniors suddenly grinned mischievously.

“Han Tae, do you have a girlfriend?”

The table immediately became noisier as everyone turned toward him with obvious curiosity.

Even Lee Yun unconsciously lifted his head.

Han Tae noticed.

Then he calmly answered.

“No.”

But while saying it, his eyes remained fixed on Lee Yun.

A female senior sitting nearby laughed and pointed toward her friend.

“Then date one of our club members!”

Her friend immediately became embarrassed as everyone around the table laughed teasingly.

Han Tae glanced at the girl for only a second before calmly responding.

“I have higher expectations.”

The entire table immediately became awkwardly quiet.

The girl's smile froze, while several students coughed awkwardly to hide their reactions and others suddenly became very interested in their food.

Lee Yun quietly lowered his eyes again after hearing Han Tae's answer.

A few minutes later, he silently stood from his seat and walked outside alone.

The cool night air brushed against his face the moment he stepped outside, while the loud voices from inside the restaurant gradually became distant behind him.

Lee Yun quietly took out a cigarette and stood near the side alley, leaning slightly against the wall beneath a dim streetlight.

He looked exhausted.

The excitement of the day had finally caught up with him.

A few seconds later, the restaurant door opened again.

Han Tae stepped outside.

His eyes immediately found Lee Yun standing alone beneath the streetlight.

But before Han Tae could say anything—

Lee Yun suddenly froze.

His entire expression changed.

Fear.

Pure fear.

His eyes locked onto someone standing farther down the street.

A man.

Lee Yun's breathing immediately became uneven, and his fingers tightened around the cigarette as his body instinctively reacted before his mind could catch up.

He abruptly turned around and hurried away.

Almost running.

Han Tae frowned slightly as he watched him.

“Who’s that guy...?” he muttered quietly.

At that moment, Lee Yun, still trying to get away, accidentally collided straight into Han Tae's chest.

He stumbled slightly before catching himself, his breathing heavy and unstable as he looked up at Han Tae with wide, frightened eyes.

Han Tae looked down at him in confusion, clearly unable to understand what had happened so suddenly.

His gaze shifted toward the man standing farther down the street before returning to Lee Yun.

There was something different in his expression.

Lee Yun wasn't simply nervous.

He wasn't uncomfortable.

He was terrified.

Han Tae's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied him.

For the first time that day

He felt genuinely curious.

Who was that man?

And why was Lee Yun so afraid of him?