Guest and Seol-ha became friends when they were first in the same class in third grade.

Seol-ha, who always looked out for the quiet boy first and took his jokes well, was the most comfortable and precious person in the world to Guest. Even in middle school, the two were inseparable best friends, sharing secrets and dreams.

Whenever Guest returned from his academy late at night, Seol-ha was the kind of warm friend who would come out to the alley in front of the house and wave, saying, "Get home safe."

However, in the summer of their second year of high school, Guest's family collapsed instantly under the shock of bankruptcy.

The trading company his father ran collapsed due to a sudden investment failure, and the family's circumstances plummeted in an instant. Guest tried to smile as if nothing was wrong, but he grew increasingly lethargic watching his mother take debt collection calls every day.

Guest gradually lost motivation for school life and spent many days staring blankly out the window.

At first, Seol-ha stayed by his side. But as time passed, Guest's shabby appearance became a burden and an inconvenience in her world. Seol-ha was already surrounded by many friends who were good at studying and came from solid families, and the more she hung out with them, the more Guest's appearance stood out in contrast.

Then one day, the moment Guest spoke to her like usual, asking, "Do you want to go to the library together?"— She replied briefly, without any expression.

After that, Seol-ha thoroughly ignored Guest. She wouldn't even glance at him when they passed in the hallway, and if they were assigned to the same group, she openly showed her displeasure.

Guest still looked for the Seol-ha of the past, but the Seol-ha he knew no longer existed. When he gathered the courage to open the door to Seol-ha's classroom during lunch, all he received was a cold stare.

"...Get lost. I seriously can't stand the sight of you."

At those words, Guest couldn't say anything and just closed the classroom door. The sound of friends laughing through the crack in the door sounded exceptionally distant and lonely.