But that was before he arrived.

Before his quiet voice cut through the silence.

Before his soft eyes met mine - the kind of eyes that didn't judge, didn't expect anything, just... saw me.

I didn't believe in fate. Not until I met Kim Sunoo.

---

One Week Earlier

Rain tapped softly against the classroom window. Gray skies hung low, as if the world already knew today would be different.

The students laughed, whispered, passed notes. The usual. Until the door opened.

"Students, settle down," the teacher said, eyes scanning the room. "We have a new student."

He stepped aside.

And there he was.

A boy with trembling hands, clinging to the strap of a worn-out backpack. His uniform looked borrowed. His shoes - old and faded. But his posture was polite. Strong, in a quiet kind of way.

"H-hi... I'm... Kim Sunoo," he said softly.

He smiled kindly gently.....

The room fell into a strange silence, followed by hushed whispers.

"That's the scholarship guy, right?"

"Why does he look so... ordinary?"

"I bet he can't even afford lunch."

Sunoo's smile faltered for a second, but he bowed politely and walked to the empty seat by the window - the one no one ever wanted because it was too far from the front, too close to being invisible.

But he didn't seem to mind.

Click. The door opened again.

"Sorry I'm late," came a lazy voice, sharp and familiar.

Lee Heeseung strolled in, running a hand through his perfectly messy hair, his designer backpack hanging off one shoulder.

Every gaze shifted to him - the heir of Korea's richest family. The untouchable golden boy.

His eyes flicked over the room - then landed on Sunoo.

New kid? he thought, raising a brow. Ah... the charity case.

Heeseung walked past him without a second look, sliding into his seat.

But as he sat, he caught one last glimpse of that boy's eyes - and for some reason, it lingered. There was something different there. Something not fake.

Something... real.

---

That night, Heeseung lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

He had everything. Money. Power. Friends.

So why did his chest ache when he thought of a poor boy who barely said ten words?

__________________________________

"What's your name again?"

"Kim Sunoo," he answered, voice barely above a whisper.

It was quiet for only a second - just long enough for the whole class to judge him.

Then came the laughter.

The whispers.

The fake coughs followed by "scholarship boy."

He stood there, awkward, his hands tightening around the strap of his faded backpack. His second-hand shoes were soaked from the rain. His collar was a little loose. Nothing about him screamed "belonging."

And still - he didn't lower his head.

He walked to his desk quietly, ignoring the stares. The snickers. The cruel comments like:

"Can he even afford the school lunch?"

"Do they sell his kind at the thrift store?"

"He's gonna drag down the class average."

A crumpled paper hit his back.

He didn't turn around.

---

From the back of the classroom, Heeseung sat slouched in his chair, chin resting on his palm.

He hadn't said a word.

He didn't join in the bullying.

He didn't stop it either.

But he watched.

Not the way the others did - not with mockery or disgust.

Just... watched.

The boy's soft eyes. His stiff shoulders. The way he didn't flinch even when they pushed his books off the desk.

Heeseung didn't know why. He didn't care. He told himself that.

But his eyes stayed on him.

He only felt like looking at him - and nothing more.

---

Sunoo, on the other hand, had barely even looked at Heeseung.

Why would he?

Heeseung was always surrounded by those boys. The ones who laughed too loud. The ones who liked stepping on people just to feel taller. The ones who threw that paper at his back.

To Sunoo, Heeseung was just one of them - just another rich, heartless guy.

So he didn't notice the stare that lingered too long.

Didn't see the way Heeseung's hand twitched when that paper hit him.

Didn't hear the faint, whispered thought running through Heeseung's mind:

Why does it hurt to watch you?

_______________________________

It was lunch break, but Sunoo didn't eat.

He just sat quietly, alone, by the window.

Picking at the corner of his lunchbox. Listening to the others laugh around him.

The lunch he brought from home wasn't much - just rice, a boiled egg, and kimchi his grandmother made the night before.

Across the room, the same boys who bullied him earlier whispered and laughed again.

"I bet he doesn't even have a phone."

"He's seriously wearing those shoes again?"

"Did he pick those from the donation bin?"

Sunoo didn't respond. He just pulled his feet a little under his chair, hoping they'd stop looking.

But then... he felt it.

That strange feeling again.

Like someone's eyes were stuck on him.

Slowly, hesitantly... he lifted his head.

And there he was.

Lee Heeseung. Sitting at the far table. Surrounded by his usual crowd - laughing, bragging, pretending to care about school - but he wasn't paying attention to any of it.

His eyes were on Sunoo.

Not mocking.

Not amused.

Just... staring.

Sunoo blinked in surprise, heart suddenly beating a little faster - not in a good way.

Is he laughing at me in his head too?

Is it my shoes? My lunch? My everything?

Sunoo quickly looked away, gripping his chopsticks tighter.

Heeseung didn't even flinch. He just kept looking.

And for some reason... he couldn't stop.

He didn't understand it himself. That boy - Kim Sunoo - he was nothing like anyone Heeseung had ever met. Not flashy. Not loud. Just quiet. Still. Almost like a secret the world hadn't noticed yet.

But Heeseung had.

And that terrified him.

________________________________

"Alright, class!" the teacher clapped, holding up a stack of printed papers. "For your upcoming project, you'll be working in pairs."

Groans and excited whispers echoed around the room.

Heeseung sighed, leaning back in his chair with that usual bored expression. He was already preparing to get paired with one of his friends, someone who'd let him slack while they did all the work.

But then the teacher said something that made the entire class freeze.

"Lee Heeseung... you'll be working with Kim Sunoo."

The room went completely silent.

Even Sunoo's pen stopped moving.

Heeseung sat up straighter, blinking slowly. Did he hear that right?

Sunoo turned to look at the teacher, then glanced at Heeseung... and quickly looked away.

The same boys who always surrounded Heeseung snorted and whispered behind their hands.

"The rich guy and the charity case?"

"That's gotta be the weirdest pair ever."

"Good luck, Heeseung. Try not to catch his poverty."

Sunoo shrunk a little in his seat but didn't say anything. He didn't argue. He never did.

Heeseung glanced at Sunoo, his lips slightly parted like he wanted to say something - but he didn't.

Not yet.

---

After class, Sunoo packed his books slowly, hoping Heeseung would leave first.

But instead, a quiet voice spoke beside him.

"We should meet at the library after school... to work on the project," Heeseung said.

Sunoo blinked, looking up for a second - and again, those eyes were on him.

Steady. Watching.

He nodded quickly. "O-okay."

Then he walked off, leaving Heeseung standing alone by his desk.

Heeseung watched him go, the sound of Sunoo's worn-out shoes echoing in his ears.

Something about this project felt different.

And he didn't know if it scared him... or excited him.

____________________________________

The sky was already turning gold by the time Sunoo reached the school library. He clutched his notebook tighter, walking quickly through the quiet halls. His heartbeat felt louder with every step.

He probably left already, Sunoo thought. Or maybe he didn't come at all.

He pushed open the heavy library doors with a soft creak.

Rows of shelves stretched into silence, only a few students scattered across the room. The scent of old pages hung in the air.

Sunoo's eyes scanned the reading area-

And there he was.

Heeseung.

Sitting alone at a corner table near the windows, one leg crossed over the other, twirling a pen lazily between his fingers. A notebook sat open in front of him - untouched.

Sunoo's steps slowed.

Heeseung didn't look up right away. But the second he did - his expression changed.

No frustration.

No sarcasm.

No teasing.

Just a small, easy smile.

He raised his hand and waved - casually, like it wasn't weird at all. Like waving to him in a library was the most natural thing in the world.

Sunoo paused, caught off guard.

He hesitated, then walked over, cheeks slightly warm. "Sorry I'm late..."

"It's fine," Heeseung said, voice low but relaxed. "I just got here too."

That was a lie.

He'd been there for twenty-three minutes.

But he didn't mind.

---

They opened their books. Awkward silence filled the space between them.

Sunoo focused on his notes, trying to ignore how close Heeseung was sitting - not too close, but not far either. Just enough to feel the space shift.

Heeseung leaned his chin into his palm and glanced sideways at him.

He's actually serious about the project, Sunoo thought, surprised.

Or maybe... not just the project.