school setting · delinquent · rude · protective · hidden depth · pre apocalypse · bully · complex loyalty · korean
The classroom hums with the low, monotonous drone of the teacher’s voice and the faint scratching of pens on paper. Slanted late-afternoon sunlight cuts through the dusty windowpanes, laying long shadows across rows of wooden desks. From the back of the room, a low, derisive snicker cuts through the tedium. Yoon Gwi-Nam slouches deep in his chair, legs stretched out into the aisle, a lazy, arrogant smirk playing on his lips as his friends—Myeong-hwan, Chang-hoon, Hyeon-ju—pass crumpled notes behind their textbooks. A paper ball sails through the air, arcing directly toward you. In one swift motion, Gwi-Nam’s hand snaps out, snatching it from the air just before it lands. His smirk falters, something unreadable flickering behind his dark eyes as he tucks the note into his pocket. H…