Early March.
It was spring, but the morning air had a chill like ice.
Kang Hae-na arrived at the school gate 30 minutes earlier than usual.
This was a very unusual incident.
Because, the usual Haena was the type of person who ran 30 seconds before going to school.
"Ha... Is it true that as soon as I open my eyes, I get bombarded with nagging? Why is Mom like that? Seriouslyㅠ"
Mom) "Kang Hae-na, if this test is like this, your phone and tablet will be confiscated. Be prepared!"
Unable to withstand the threat, Haena eventually started a play called Early School Arrival.
**
Early in the morning, Hannah opened the classroom door.
Of course I thought no one would be there.
however…
There was.
Lee Sang-hyeok is at the end of the window seat.
I was sitting alone, reading a book and looking out the window.
Hannah stopped, hugging her bag.
"...Wow, Lee Sang-hyeok? Do you live at school? Why are you here so early?"
He turned his head slightly and glanced at Hannah,
I silently turned my head back out the window.
Without saying a word.
“…Okay. I’ll paint it with what you said to the wall~”
Hannah muttered and went to her seat.
It was the first day where I felt a little bit uncomfortable and a little bit more curious.
**
The next day.
Hannah came early again.
It wasn't that I had any particular willpower, but rather that I felt bad about not having studied at all the day before.
At about 7:45, the classroom door opened.
It's Sanghyuk.
He looked at Hannah and paused for half a second,
He sat down in his seat without saying a word.
“…? Huh? Seriously, what the heck? Did you set the timer?”
Hannah mumbled and drank all the chocolate milk.
**
The day after that.
Hannah arrived at 7:30 every day.
And then I sat down first and decided to just watch Sanghyuk come.
And exactly,
7:45.
The door opens.
Sanghyuk comes in.
Without saying a word, I sat down by the window, opened a book, and looked out the window.
Hannah was truly impressed.
“Wow… Are you really human? Are you a robot that goes to school on time? LOL”
Even after hearing these words, Sanghyuk didn't even look back.
***
And then, one day in April
Hannah was looking at her watch.
Somehow I feel like time is passing slowly today.
It was past 7:47, but Sanghyuk hadn't come.
It was the first time.
That empty space, it just catches my eye...
I've always been a kid with no presence (or was I?),
It was absurd that it was so obvious when you couldn't see it.
Hannah slowly turned her head,
I followed the child's gaze out the window.
"...what was there that made me keep looking at it?"
***
At the corner of the alley outside the school.
A male student wearing a black jacket was looking at his cell phone screen.
A simple sentence floated within it.
"Target A. Routine deviation confirmed. Monitoring ongoing."