Chapter 25 — When the Past Knocks
It started with a knock at the classroom door.
Ji-Woo barely looked up, assuming it was a teacher.
But then he heard the voice.
"Is Ji-Woo here?"
His stomach tightened.
He knew that voice.
---
Standing in the doorway was someone he hadn't seen in months — someone who had vanished when everything fell apart.
Soo-Min.
The friend who'd once laughed with him in the library, walked him home in the rain, shared secrets in late-night calls…
And who, when the rumors began, had disappeared without a word.
---
The teacher nodded toward Ji-Woo.
"You can talk in the hall."
Ji-Woo's legs felt heavy as he followed.
Soo-Min stood stiffly, hands buried in his jacket pockets.
"I heard about… everything. I just—" He hesitated. "I wanted to see you."
Ji-Woo almost laughed. Not because it was funny, but because there were too many things he could say.
Where were you?
Why now?
Instead, he asked, "What do you want, Soo-Min?"
---
"I want to explain."
The words were soft, almost drowned by the chatter from inside the classroom.
Ji-Woo didn't know if he was ready to hear them.
He didn't know if he wanted to open that door.
From down the hall, Min-Ho appeared — stopping when he saw them together.
Ji-Woo felt the moment stretch, taut and fragile.
The past was knocking.
And this time, Ji-Woo had to decide whether to answer.