The first bell rang at 8:58 AM.
Students filled Classroom 2-3 at Seorin High in uneven waves. Chairs scraped against the floor. Bags dropped beside desks. Someone near the back complained loudly about a homework assignment they forgot to finish.
Kang Taehyun entered at 8:59.
He walked to his seat by the window, placed his bag down neatly, and took out a notebook. No rush. No greeting. Just routine.
"You almost missed it."
Kim Minjun, the boy who sat directly in front of him, spun around in his chair. Minjun talked fast, moved constantly, and treated every small moment like an event.
"I didn't," Taehyun replied.
"You were cutting it close."
"I wasn't."
Minjun leaned forward dramatically. "You say that every day."
Across the aisle, Lee Seojin, a girl from his class who always kept her notes color-coded and organized, closed her pencil case and turned slightly toward them.
"You were thirty seconds from the bell," Seojin said. "That counts."
"It doesn't," Taehyun answered calmly.
From the desk behind him, Han Ara, a quiet girl who rarely spoke unless she had something specific to say, tapped her pen once.
"Technically, it does," Ara said.
Minjun grinned. "See? Even Ara agrees."
"I said technically," Ara corrected.
Taehyun didn't argue further.
The classroom door opened, and Mr. Choi walked in carrying a stack of printed sheets.
The noise dropped gradually.
"We're starting the long-term presentation project today," Mr. Choi said as he placed the stack on his desk. "This will count for thirty percent of your final grade."
Several students sat up straighter.
"You'll work in groups of five."
The room immediately filled with reactions.
"Choose carefully," Mr. Choi added. "You'll be working together for a month."
Minjun spun around again so quickly his chair legs squeaked.
"We're grouping."
"I didn't agree," Taehyun said.
"You don't need to. It's obvious."
Seojin rotated her entire chair toward them. "We are grouping. I'm not risking my grade."
Ara closed her notebook but didn't object.
Two rows ahead, Choi Doyun turned in his seat. Doyun was known for consistently ranking near the top of the class and speaking only when necessary.
"If you're forming a group," Doyun said, "decide quickly. Spots will fill."
Minjun pointed at him. "You're joining."
Doyun blinked once. "That was sudden."
"We need someone responsible," Seojin said.
"Excuse me?" Minjun protested.
"You forgot your ID card three times this week."
"That's unrelated."
Before they could continue, the classroom door opened again.
Yoon Jisung stepped inside, holding a basketball under one arm. Jisung was taller than most students and played starting guard for the school team.
"Coach kept us late," Jisung said.
"Find a group," Mr. Choi replied.
Minjun waved immediately. "You're with us."
Jisung looked at Taehyun. "You doing slides?"
"Probably."
"Then I'm in."
Seojin counted under her breath. "Taehyun, Minjun, Ara, Doyun, Jisung. That's five."
Mr. Choi looked up. "Groups finalized?"
Taehyun nodded once. "Yes."
"Good. Your topic must relate to modern political structures. Submit a proposal next week."
Lunch was louder than usual.
They pushed two cafeteria tables together near the windows.
Minjun dropped his tray down harder than necessary. "Theme?"
"Post-war alliances," Doyun suggested while opening his laptop.
"Too predictable," Seojin replied.
"Cold War?" Jisung offered.
"Overused," Ara said calmly.
Minjun leaned back in his chair. "Then what? We need something that doesn't sound like everyone else."
They all looked at Taehyun.
He was eating quietly.
"What?" he asked.
"You haven't said anything," Seojin said.
Taehyun swallowed and wiped his hands with a napkin.
"Politics."
Minjun blinked. "That's it?"
"Yeah."
Seojin crossed her arms. "That's broad."
"We can narrow it," Doyun said thoughtfully. "Modern political systems. Comparative analysis."
Ara nodded once. "It gives us flexibility."
Minjun pointed at Taehyun. "You always say one word and then everyone acts like it's smart."
Taehyun shrugged. "It's just a topic."
Jisung nodded. "At least it's usable."
Seojin sighed. "Fine. Politics. We refine it later."
Decision made.
After school, they gathered in the library study section.
The area was quiet except for typing and low whispers.
Doyun opened a shared document immediately.
"Roles," he said.
Seojin didn't hesitate.
"Research leads: me and Doyun."
Minjun pointed at himself. "Creative direction."
"No," Seojin said flatly. "You're collecting sources."
"That is creative."
"It's research."
Jisung leaned back in his chair. "I'll handle visuals."
Ara closed her notebook and spoke calmly. "I'll structure the outline."
All eyes shifted to Taehyun.
"Slides," Seojin said.
Taehyun nodded. "Okay."
They worked steadily.
Minjun complained but typed.
Doyun checked sources carefully.
Seojin reorganized paragraphs and corrected wording.
Jisung searched for maps and clean timeline graphics.
Ara condensed information into simple bullet points.
Taehyun built the presentation template quietly.
After nearly two hours, Seojin leaned back in her chair.
"You don't talk much."
"I talk," Taehyun replied.
"When necessary," Minjun added.
Ara glanced at him briefly. "He listens."
"That better?" Minjun asked.
"Yes," Ara said.
Jisung stood and stretched. "Break. Five minutes."
They stepped outside into the late afternoon sunlight.
Students from other schools passed by in small groups. Traffic moved steadily along the main road.
Minjun turned to Taehyun. "You ever think about leaving this city?"
"Why?" Taehyun asked.
"Just asking."
"No reason to."
Seojin looked at him more carefully.
"You never talk about your family."
Taehyun didn't hesitate.
"They're not here."
Minjun blinked. "Oh."
No one pressed further.
Jisung cleared his throat. "Saturday again?"
"Same time," Seojin confirmed.
They split at the subway entrance.
Minjun and Jisung continued arguing about basketball rankings as they walked.
Doyun kept discussing research angles with Seojin.
Ara walked beside Taehyun for a few steps.
"You'll finish the slides early," Ara said.
"Probably."
"You always do."
"It's manageable."
She didn't ask anything else.
At the stairs, she stopped. "See you Monday."
"Yeah."
Taehyun descended into the station alone.
Commuters moved around him without urgency. Announcements echoed from overhead speakers. The train arrived on schedule.
[End Of Chapter 1]