The sun had already begun to set, casting a warm orange glow across the campus.
One by one, students packed their things and left the classrooms, their voices gradually fading into the distance. Some headed home, eager to escape the long day, while others returned to their dorms to rest.
Lee Hyun-woo was one of the latter.
He always stayed in the dorms.
He never went home.
No one really knew why.
—
Hyun-woo stood by the classroom door, his hand resting on the handle for a moment before he pushed it closed with a soft click.
He was the last one to leave.
Of course he was.
Punishment.
Cleaning duty for an entire month—and on top of that, an apology letter he still hadn't finished writing.
He let out a quiet sigh, shoving his hands into his pockets before pulling out his dorm key. As he walked down the hallway, he tossed it lightly into the air, catching it again with practiced ease.
Up. Catch. Up. Catch.
The corridor was nearly empty now, the usual noise replaced by a calm, almost lonely silence.
Then—
he passed by the student council office.
The door was slightly open.
Hyun-woo slowed his steps.
Curious.
He leaned just enough to peek inside—
And there he was.
Kang Jae-min.
Still seated at his desk, surrounded by neatly arranged papers, completely absorbed in his work. The fading sunlight filtered through the windows, casting soft shadows across his face, making his already serious expression look even colder.
Hyun-woo watched him for a moment.
Quietly.
"…Still working, huh," he murmured under his breath.
No reaction, of course.
Jae-min didn't even notice.
Hyun-woo straightened, slipping his hands back into his pockets.
Then, just like that—
he walked away.
As if nothing had happened.
—
By the time he reached the dorm building, the sky had dimmed into a soft shade of blue.
He stopped in front of his door, staring at it for a second longer than necessary before letting out a small breath.
Then he unlocked it.
The moment the door opened—
he froze.
"…Oh."
His room was a mess.
Clothes scattered across the floor, empty wrappers on the table, papers piled up in places they definitely shouldn't be.
"Oh… right."
He scratched the back of his head, nudging a piece of trash aside with his foot.
"I forgot to clean."
Not that it was surprising.
With everything that happened, it was the last thing on his mind.
He tossed his bag onto the couch without much care and walked straight to the bathroom.
The light flicked on.
Hyun-woo stepped inside and leaned slightly over the sink, gripping its edge as he stared at his reflection.
There it was.
The split on his lip.
A faint bruise forming along his cheek.
"…Wow."
He tilted his head, inspecting it.
"Looks great."
His tone was dry—almost mocking.
"Really great."
He shook his head lightly before turning on the tap. The sound of running water filled the small space as he cupped his hands, splashing his face once.
The sting came immediately.
He winced.
"…Tsk."
Carefully, he reached for a clean cloth, dampening it before pressing it gently against the cut.
For once—
he was quiet.
No jokes.
No grin.
Just silence.
His reflection stared back at him, unfamiliar in the stillness.
"…You went a little too far today," he muttered.
Another pause.
Then, softer—
"…But he deserved it."
The words lingered in the air.
Hyun-woo let out a breath and pulled the cloth away, watching as a small line of red stained the fabric.
Annoying.
Everything about today was annoying.
The fight.
The punishment.
Jae-min.
He clicked his tongue, turning off the tap.
"…That guy seriously doesn't know how to relax."
He grabbed a towel and wiped his face, exhaling slowly.
For a brief moment—
his thoughts drifted back.
To the student council office.
To that quiet room.
To Kang Jae-min, still working as if nothing else mattered.
Hyun-woo frowned slightly.
"…What's the point of working that hard?"
No answer.
Of course.
He tossed the towel aside and leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling.
Then, after a second—
he laughed softly.
"…Whatever."
Pushing himself off, he stepped out of the bathroom, glancing at the mess in his room again.
"…Yeah. I'm definitely not cleaning this tonight."
He dropped onto the couch, one arm resting
over his eyes.
The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
"…Tsk. This is boring."
He clicked his tongue and turned his head slightly, staring at nothing in particular.
For someone who loved noise—
silence felt strangely heavy.
Hyun-woo let out a quiet breath, shifting slightly on the couch.
The ceiling above him was plain. Uninteresting.
Just like the silence.
He draped his arm over his eyes, blocking out the dim light filtering through the window. The room felt unusually still, the kind of quiet that didn't suit him at all.
"…Tsk."
He clicked his tongue again, but this time, there was no energy behind it.
No joke followed. No grin.
Just a tired exhale.
His body ached faintly from the fight earlier, the dull sting of his bruises settling in now that everything had calmed down. The exhaustion he had been ignoring all day slowly crept in, heavy and unavoidable.
"Just for a bit…" he muttered under his breath.
He shifted, getting more comfortable on the couch.
Minutes passed.
The silence stretched.
And without realizing it—
Lee Hyun-woo fell asleep.
—
The night passed quietly.
No noise. No interruptions.
Just the soft hum of the campus settling into sleep.
—
Morning came too quickly.
A faint beam of sunlight slipped through the curtains, landing directly across Hyun-woo's face.
He stirred.
Brows furrowing slightly, he turned his head away from the light, groaning softly.
"…Mmm."
Another few seconds passed before he finally blinked his eyes open.
Slowly.
"…What time is it…"
His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.
He pushed himself up slightly, squinting toward the window.
Bright.
Too bright.
That was his first clue.
"…Ah."
He ran a hand through his messy hair, letting out a long sigh.
"Morning already…"
He sat there for a moment, still half-asleep, before reality started catching up.
Classes.
Punishment.
Apology.
"…Right."
Hyun-woo dragged himself off the couch, stretching his arms lazily as he stood.
His body protested slightly.
"Yeah… that fight wasn't worth it," he muttered, rolling his shoulder.
He glanced around the room.
Still messy.
Still a disaster.
He stared at it for a few seconds.
"…I'll clean it later."
A pause.
"…Definitely later."
With that, he turned away, heading straight for the bathroom.
—
The cold water helped.
At least a little.
Hyun-woo splashed his face again, more awake this time. The sting from his cut was still there, though duller than last night.
He looked at his reflection.
The bruise had darkened slightly.
"…Nice."
He poked it lightly, wincing.
"Yeah, that's staying for a while."
He grabbed his toothbrush, going through the motions quietly. No music, no humming—just the sound of running water and small movements filling the space.
Unusual.
But he didn't seem to notice.
After washing up, he changed into his uniform, adjusting his tie loosely.
As always.
He stared at himself one last time in the mirror.
Same face.
Same expression.
The usual grin slowly returned.
"…There we go."
Like nothing ever happened.
—
By the time he stepped out of his dorm, the campus was already alive again.
Students filled the pathways, conversations overlapping, laughter echoing through the air.
Noise.
Familiar.
Comforting.
Hyun-woo slipped his hands into his pockets, walking at his usual pace.
Like always—
like nothing had changed.
—
Classes passed.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Hyun-woo barely paid attention, his chin resting on his hand as he stared out the window most of the time.
Occasionally, someone would whisper about the bruise on his face.
He ignored it.
Didn't bother denying anything.
Didn't bother explaining.
—
Before he knew it—
it was time.
—
The student council office.
Hyun-woo stood in front of the door, holding a folded piece of paper in his hand.
The apology letter.
He stared at it for a second.
Then—
he pushed the door open.
Inside, the atmosphere was as expected—quiet, organized, serious.
A few officers looked up.
Then—
him.
"…Oh."
"…It's him."
Whispers.
Hyun-woo ignored them.
His gaze moved across the room—
and landed on Kang Jae-min.
Of course he was there.
Sitting at his desk.
Working.
As usual.
Hyun-woo walked in casually, stopping a few steps away.
"Morning, President."
No response.
Not immediately.
Jae-min finished writing something first before finally looking up.
His eyes were as cold and composed as ever.
"You're early."
Hyun-woo raised a brow. "Wow. That sounded like a compliment."
"It wasn't."
"Yeah, figured."
A brief silence passed.
Jae-min's gaze dropped to the paper in his hand.
"The letter?"
Hyun-woo held it up slightly. "Yep."
"Submit it."
"Direct and simple. I like it."
Jae-min didn't react.
Hyun-woo stepped forward and placed the letter neatly on the desk.
For once—
without making a mess.
Jae-min glanced at it briefly before setting it aside.
"You'll deliver the verbal apology again later," he said.
Hyun-woo sighed lightly. "Again?"
"Yes."
"…You're really serious about this."
"Yes."
A pause.
Hyun-woo stared at him for a moment.
Then—
"Do you ever get tired?"
The question slipped out casually.
But it lingered.
Jae-min's expression didn't change.
"That's irrelevant."
"Hmm."
Hyun-woo leaned slightly, hands in his pockets again.
"You work too much."
"That's none of your concern."
"There it is."
A faint grin.
Jae-min's gaze sharpened slightly.
"If you're done, leave."
"Already?"
"You've completed your task."
"Harsh."
Hyun-woo straightened, stretching his arms lightly.
Then he turned—
but paused.
"…Hey."
Jae-min didn't respond.
But he didn't stop him either.
Hyun-woo glanced back over his shoulder.
For a brief second, his usual expression softened—just a little.
Then it was gone.
"Try not to overwork yourself, President."
Silence.
Then—
"Mind your own responsibilities."
Flat.
Cold.
Expected.
Hyun-woo chuckled softly.
"Yeah, yeah."
And just like that—
he walked out.
—
The door closed behind him.
The room returned to silence.
Jae-min sat still for a moment, his gaze resting briefly on the folded letter on his desk.
Then—
he picked it up.
—
Unfortunately,
this was far from over.