Gyeonggi Province, Suwon City — 7:10 a.m.
As Nau Rin slipped on her shoes at the doorway, her parents stood quietly nearby, watching her every movement. She turned to them with a bright, carefree smile.
Nau Rin asked,
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
They exchanged a glance. After a brief pause, her father spoke softly.
Her father said,
"Nothing… we just felt like looking at you."
Nau Rin smiled gently.
"I'm running late. I'm heading out," she said.
Seeing her off, her parents spoke in unison.
"Be careful. Have a good day."
Nau Rin nodded.
"I'll be back," she replied, and stepped out the door.
The house had reddish-brown brick walls, and its triangular roof sloped gently to both sides, covered in gray tiles. Each window was framed in clean white, and the well-tended yard looked neat and orderly. A wooden walkway led away from the house, giving it a more natural, welcoming feel.
As Nau Rin stepped outside, a cold wind cut through her, making her shiver despite herself. She took a long breath and relaxed her body, and the chill slowly faded. She closed the gate and paused for a moment. Across the street, she spotted her friends walking toward her.
They had their hands tucked into their jacket pockets, their faces slightly scrunched against the cold as they walked. Their homes were close by, spaced only one or two houses apart.
Even though spring had arrived, the beginning of March remained cold — a damp chill that clung to the air. Nau Rin wore large-framed glasses and a bucket hat. Over her school uniform, she had on a black peacoat and a gray scarf. Her gray skirt sat slightly above the knees, paired with black tights and black loafers.
Unlike Minho, the rest of her friends wore the school-issued jackets over their uniforms, along with simple, dark-colored sneakers.
Unable to hold it in any longer, Nau Rin called out,
"Hurry up, we're going to be late… Kim Minho!"
Her friends showed no sense of urgency, continuing toward her at an easy, unhurried pace.
Minho knit his brows.
"There are three of us walking here. I'm the only one you see?"
Nau Rin nodded as they headed together toward the bus stop.
"I don't see anyone but you. And anyway, who told you to wear such a flashy jacket?"
Minho replied casually,
"What's so flashy about it? It's just a gray jacket."
Lee Taehyun looked at Nau Rin and shook his head.
"I keep telling him. He just never listens."
Song Seohun, without taking his eyes off the road, said,
"Maybe he'll get lucky and get away with it."
Taehyun raised an eyebrow and turned to Minho.
"Of all days, it's the first day of the semester. Discipline checks are strict. I bet you'll get caught and end up cleaning the bathrooms."
He nodded toward the other two.
Seohun immediately added,
"Fifty rounds of bunny squats."
Nau Rin chimed in,
"Getting hit with a wooden stick."
Minho raised his hand.
"Hey, hey! I'm right here, you know. And don't think I didn't calculate the risk. Listen carefully. One meter before the school gate, I take off the jacket and stuff it into my bag. The discipline teacher won't notice a thing. It's that simple."
He finished with a smug laugh.
The others stared at him, their expressions full of disbelief.
When they reached the bus stop, other students from different schools were also waiting. Soon enough, the green number 2 bus arrived, and everyone began moving toward it at the same time.
It was the height of rush hour, and the bus was almost full. The air inside felt heavy, a mix of people's breaths, faint scents, and the cold air spilling in from the doors, creating an uneasy feeling.
Taehyun and Nau Rin held onto the handrails near the doors. Meanwhile, Minho smoothly persuaded a girl to give up her spot, securing back-row seats for himself and Seohun and settling in comfortably.
Nau Rin's school was two stops away, while the others' schools were three stops away. When Nau Rin got off first, Taehyun and Seohun glanced at her through the window, wishing her luck, while Minho merely nodded.
From the bus stop, Nau Rin walked about three hundred meters and arrived at the entrance of "Sae Bom Girls' Middle School". At the gates, the discipline teacher watched the students as they slowly filed inside.
As soon as Nau Rin entered, her homeroom teacher greeted her and led her to the gym, where the opening ceremony was beginning. Inside, all the grades were lined up. The front row was filled with first-year students, newly enrolled, while the second- and third-year students stood in rows behind them.
The teacher positioned Nau Rin at the back of the stage.
"Step onto the stage when your name is called," she instructed.
Before walking away, she added softly,
"Take off your hat."
After introducing the teachers one by one and announcing the class assignments, the principal finally stepped onto the stage and addressed the students.
The principal said,
"Respected teachers and dear students,
As you all know, our school has strict rules regarding dress code and behavior. These rules are essential to ensure a fair and orderly learning environment for everyone.
Now, I would like to invite Go Nau Rin, a new student enrolling in the third grade this year, onto the stage."
Standing at the back of the stage, Nau Rin felt a surge of nervousness when the principal called her name. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and walked onto the stage with resolve.
As she stood beside the principal, the students all stared at her in surprise. Some gasped, others whispered to each other, pointing with their fingers, wondering what the principal would say next.
Even though Nau Rin felt slightly anxious, she was calmer and more composed than when she first started elementary school. The students' reactions did not startle her. She stood tall, her face expressionless, eyes meeting the crowd with steady determination.
The principal cleared his throat and raised his hand slightly, signaling the students to remain silent. He prepared to continue speaking.
He said,
"The school administration council has discussed this matter in detail and has deemed this case to be exceptional, granting special permission.
For Go Nau Rin, this is not a violation of any rules. She is attending our school with official approval. I want to emphasize once again that this does not grant other students the opportunity to break the rules.
Therefore, I ask all of you — accept your new classmate without discrimination, uphold the principles and honor of our school, and respect this exceptional case.
Go Nau Rin, welcome. As for the other students, remember that any unauthorized changes or exceptions to the rules remain strictly prohibited."
The ceremony ended, and for a fleeting moment, the gymnasium seemed to breathe with life. The roar of the crowd ebbed, and one by one, the students began to drift out. Nau Rin merged quietly into the flow, her footsteps soft as she made her way toward her classroom.
With every step down the corridor, those around her instinctively gave her space, as if an invisible wall surrounded her. The whispered words reached her ears as clearly as a sighing breeze.
"Looks terrifying…"
"Has hair like an old woman…"
"Ugly face…"
The stares that followed her felt like icy daggers, and the words that trailed behind them were heavy, like cold iron. Her heart, long hardened by pain, bore it all; enduring had become as natural as breathing. Her expression remained unreadable.
Unseen by anyone, she had already fallen a thousand times and risen a thousand times within.
Nau Rin walked down the corridor until she reached the classroom door labeled "3-1." Pushing it open, she stepped inside to find most of the seats already claimed, leaving only a handful of empty spots.
Quietly, she chose a seat in the front row and sat down, her movements deliberate and composed.
The door opened again, and the sharp click of the homeroom teacher's heels echoed through the room.
"Everyone, take your bags and come stand in front of the board," the teacher instructed.
One hesitant voice broke the silence.
"Teacher, why?"
"Seats will be assigned," came the firm reply.
A ripple of discontent ran through the classroom.
"Teacher, can't we just sit where we like?" some muttered in protest.
The teacher ignored their complaints, her voice rising.
"If you're serious about learning, stay silent," she warned.
She opened the class register.
"Seats will be assigned according to grades," she announced.
The room erupted again.
"This is unfair!"
"Not fair at all!"
A sudden crack rang out as the wooden pointer struck the desk. Silence fell like a heavy curtain.
"If you think it's so unfair, how about focusing on your studies?" the teacher's tone was sharp. "From now on, seats will be rearranged after each term exam. Those with the best grades will get to choose their preferred seats. Understood?"
"Yes…" came the quiet, almost simultaneous response from the students.
The teacher scanned the list.
"Then, the first student to choose a seat is… Go Nau Rin," she declared.
Without a word, Nau Rin rose and walked to the farthest seat by the window. Gray light from the sky filtered through the glass, casting a muted reflection of her figure onto the floor. She sat down, calm and unreadable, as though nothing in the room could disturb her.
The teacher continued to call out the remaining names.
With the seating assigned and textbooks distributed, soon it was time for lunch. The students drifted out of the classroom one by one.
As Nau Rin organized her notebooks, a girl approached, her fingers clenching her sleeves in visible anxiety.
"Some kids from the other class want to meet you," she whispered, gesturing toward the door before slipping away.
Nau Rin shifted her gaze toward the doorway. A few students stood waiting; as soon as they caught her eye, they nodded and gestured for her to come.
She rose silently and walked toward the door, her movements measured, her expression unchanged, a quiet resolve evident in every step.