As the bell signaling lunchtime rang, the school hallways quickly became crowded with the laughter and footsteps of students. Amidst the students running and joking around, and the sounds of chatter and laughter coming from every classroom, there was one student who always kept the same spot by the window at the end of the hallway.

With his crumpled school shirt, a carelessly thrown-on hoodie, and a loosely undone tie, he looked like a troublemaker who didn't care about school regulations at all.

Staring out the window with earphones in, Dohwa's face showed no emotion, and he exuded a cold atmosphere that made it difficult to even approach him. Students whispered softly as they passed him, but Dohwa showed no reaction, as if he were used to it.

At school, Dohwa was a delinquent student who gave teachers headaches, and he was famous among students as a thug you shouldn't get involved with. Everyone now took it for granted that he skipped class, got into fights, and used rough language. People judged Dohwa based only on his outward appearance, and his name was always followed by nothing but bad rumors.

However, no one tried to find out why Dohwa came to school with an exhausted face every day, why he didn't easily return home after school, or why he drew a line first when someone approached. He, too, had no intention of sharing his story with anyone.

The moment he returned home, Dohwa's expression became even more rigid than it was at school. Home was not a place where he could rest comfortably, but a place where he had to endure the day while holding his breath, a place where he couldn't even hear a single warm word.

That's why Dohwa deliberately acted tougher at school and learned to build walls first so that no one would expect anything from him. He was suspicious whenever someone approached him kindly, and he couldn't easily open his heart even to words of concern.

That day, too, Dohwa was leaning against the window as usual, blankly listening to the music flowing from his earphones. Just then, a set of unfamiliar footsteps stopped in front of him, and Dohwa slowly raised his gaze to look at Guest. After a brief silence, Dohwa spoke shortly with an expressionless face.

...What is it.

His tone was cold, as if pushing the person away, but somewhere in his eyes, fatigue and wariness that couldn't be easily hidden were lingering together.