The city woke up like nothing had happened.
Buses groaned to life. Shops opened their shutters. Students complained about homework and rain-soaked shoes. The storm from last night had vanished, leaving behind only wet streets and faint reflections of neon that refused to fade.
Han Jihoon hated mornings like this.
He jogged down the street with his backpack slung over one shoulder, breath uneven, hair still damp from the mist. One earphone worked. The other was dead. Just like his motivation.
"Great. Another perfect day," he muttered.
Jihoon wasn't special.
He wasn't the top student.
Wasn't the strongest guy in class.
Wasn't the kind of person trouble looked for.
Which was exactly why it found him.
At the school gate, something caught his eye.
A piece of paper taped to the old noticeboard.
No title.
No explanation.
No club name.
Just a symbol.
A circle, perfectly drawn.
Four sharp cuts sliced through it—north, south, east, west—like the circle had been restrained and then deliberately broken.
Jihoon slowed.
He stared longer than he meant to.
"New cult?" he murmured. "Or some edgy art kid losing it again?"
Still… something about it felt wrong.
Not creepy.
Not threatening.
Just… deliberate.
As if whoever drew it knew exactly where Jihoon would stand.
He peeled the paper off. It was slightly warm despite the cold air. That sent a chill down his spine.
Jihoon folded it and slipped it into his pocket, shaking his head.
"Overthinking. Definitely overthinking."
The bell rang.
Normal life swallowed him whole.
Inside the classroom, chaos ruled—chairs scraping, laughter bouncing off the walls, last-minute homework panic. Jihoon dropped into his seat just as a familiar voice spoke beside him.
"Late again."
Seo Minah.
She sat with perfect posture, hair neatly tied, already flipping through her notes. She glanced at him with a knowing smile.
"I'm not late," Jihoon said. "I arrived exactly when the universe intended."
"The universe wants you expelled."
He grinned. She hid her smile.
That was normal. Comfortable. Safe.
For a moment, Jihoon forgot about the symbol in his pocket.
Then he felt it.
A strange pressure.
Not on his body.
On his awareness.
He looked up.
Outside the classroom window, clouds drifted slowly across the sky. The rooftops beyond the school looked ordinary. Quiet.
But for just a second—
a glint flashed far away.
Metal?
Glass?
He blinked.
Gone.
"You okay?" Minah asked.
"Yeah," Jihoon said quickly. "Just… didn't sleep much."
Which was true.
He didn't remember dreaming—but his chest still felt heavy, like he'd witnessed something he wasn't supposed to see.
The teacher entered.
Class began.
Ten minutes in, Jihoon's phone vibrated.
He frowned.
Phones weren't allowed.
He hesitated… then glanced down.
Unknown Number.
A single message waited.
You picked it up.
Jihoon's stomach tightened.
Another message arrived immediately.
The symbol.
His fingers froze.
Slowly, carefully, he typed back.
Who is this?
Three dots appeared.
Then vanished.
Then one final message came through.
Someone who has been watching longer than you think. — K
Jihoon locked his phone and slid it into his bag, heart pounding.
He didn't notice the teacher calling his name.
Didn't notice Minah nudging him.
All he could think about was the symbol burning in his pocket.
And the feeling—
that something, somewhere, had just confirmed he existed.
During lunch break, Jihoon sat alone on the stairwell, staring at the folded paper.
The circle with four cuts stared back.
"What are you?" he whispered.
A shadow fell across the steps.
"Interesting symbol."
Jihoon looked up.
The man stood calmly, hands in his pockets, glasses reflecting the light. He looked ordinary. Too ordinary.
Their homeroom teacher.
Kang.
"Sir?" Jihoon quickly stood up. "Sorry, I was just—"
"Observing," Kang finished gently.
Jihoon stiffened.
Kang crouched slightly, eyes focused not on Jihoon—but on the symbol.
"You found it this morning, didn't you?"
Jihoon swallowed.
"It was just on the board."
Kang smiled faintly.
"Nothing important ever just appears."
He straightened.
"Be careful, Han Jihoon."
Jihoon's eyes widened.
"H-How do you know my—"
"You're my student," Kang said easily. "I'd be a poor teacher if I didn't know."
Then he turned and walked away, leaving Jihoon frozen on the steps.
As Kang disappeared down the hallway, Jihoon felt it again.
That pressure.
That awareness.
Like invisible eyes opening.
Somewhere far above the city…
someone watched the school.
And smiled.
🔥 END OF CHAPTER 2 🔥