Classroom Tension
The days stretch longer, but the air inside the classroom remains heavy.
Min-Soo no longer shouts. He twitches, stares at nothing, scribbles furiously in the corners of his notebook.
Min-Jae pretends nothing's changed. He laughs louder, brags more, commands the room. But it feels forced — like a prince ruling over a crumbling kingdom.
Min-Ho says less than ever.
Ji-Woo sits in the back, quiet, watching them unravel.
He doesn't smile. There's no satisfaction.
Just distance.
---
Discovery
One morning, Ji-Woo finds something in his locker.
A photo, folded. From last year.
Him — curled up in the music room, face half-bruised.
On the back: "Still think you're winning?"
He doesn't react outwardly.
But later, in the quiet of the library, his fingers shake as he turns a page.
---
The Breakdown
Min-Soo explodes during club hours.
Another student bumps into him, barely touches him — and he lashes out violently.
Chairs fly. A fist connects. Someone screams.
Ji-Woo watches from across the room.
He doesn't move.
But Min-Ho does.
Min-Ho drags Min-Soo off the other student, voice shaking:
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Min-Soo doesn't answer. He's panting, eyes wild, like a cornered animal.
The teacher gives them both detention.
Whispers grow louder. Fear shifts from Ji-Woo… to Min-Soo.
Min-Ho's Conflict
That night, Min-Ho stays late in the art room, sketching.
He doesn't usually draw anymore. He stopped after last year.
But now, lines emerge — a hallway, a face, a boy with tired eyes.
He doesn't notice Ji-Woo enter.
Ji-Woo:
"That supposed to be me?"
Min-Ho jumps slightly. Guilty.
He tries to close the sketchbook. Ji-Woo stops him.
Ji-Woo:
"Why draw me at all?"
Min-Ho:
"Because I never really looked at you. Not until it was too late."
Ji-Woo studies him for a moment.
Ji-Woo:
"You don't get to feel bad and be the good guy."
Min-Ho:
"I'm not. I know I'm not."
A pause.
Min-Ho:
"But I can still choose who I want to be now."
Ji-Woo doesn't respond. He walks away again.
But this time, he stops at the door.
And for the first time… he looks back.