The morning bell echoed through the grand corridors of Prestige High School, bouncing off marble floors and polished glass. Students walked with easy confidence, their laughter ringing like it belonged to another world.
Han Soo-min tightened her grip on her books as she stepped inside. The school was breathtaking, more like a palace than a campus—glittering chandeliers in the lobby, towering windows that caught the weak winter sun, hallways lined with polished wood. She had dreamed of this place for years, but now, standing here, it felt less like a dream and more like a test.
As she moved past clusters of students, she could feel their eyes on her. Their whispers weren't subtle.
"Who is she?"
"Not from around here, look at her bag."
"A scholarship kid, maybe?"
Her steps faltered for a moment, but she forced herself forward, trying to ignore them. Don't listen. Just blend in. That's all.
But fate, again, refused to let her.
When she entered her new classroom, the room fell into a hush. The teacher gestured toward her with a polite smile.
"This is Han Soo-min, our new transfer student. She earned the Kang Foundation scholarship. Please treat her kindly."
Soo-min bowed quickly, murmuring, "Nice to meet you," before hurrying to an empty seat by the window. She could feel the stares prickling against her skin.
A girl with perfect waves of black hair and a designer watch leaned toward her friends, her voice deliberately loud.
"So that's her? The charity case?"
Soft laughter followed. Soo-min pretended not to hear.
It wasn't until she turned her head that her breath caught.
Across the classroom, seated near the back, was Kang Ha-joon. His posture was effortless, his gaze focused on the window, as though the world beyond it mattered more than anyone inside. The moment their eyes met—even briefly—her chest tightened.
The memory of their encounter in the snow replayed, the way his fingers had brushed hers. She quickly looked away, cheeks warm.
The teacher began the lesson, but Soo-min's mind wandered. Why had that touch felt so strange? Almost… familiar.
The day crawled forward. At lunch, she found herself sitting alone in the corner of the cafeteria, pushing rice around her tray. The room buzzed with chatter, but her world felt muted.
Until someone suddenly slid into the seat across from her.
"Hey! You're the new kid, right?"
She blinked. The boy had a bright grin, his hair dyed a playful shade of brown, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"I'm Lee Yeon-woo. Don't worry, I'm harmless. You looked like you needed a friend."
Soo-min's lips curved into the first genuine smile of the day. "Thanks. I'm Han Soo-min."
Yeon-woo winked. "Don't mind those rich kids. Half of them think breathing is a competition."
Soo-min laughed softly, the heaviness in her chest easing. For a moment, she forgot the whispers.
But then, across the cafeteria, she noticed Ha-joon again. Sitting at a table surrounded by students, yet completely alone, his expression unreadable. He glanced her way—just for an instant—before turning back to his untouched food.
Something stirred inside her again. A quiet pull, fragile but undeniable.
Outside, the snow continued to fall against the glass windows. And somewhere deep within, the Celestial Bond stirred, unseen, weaving their fates tighter with every passing moment.