The first snow of the year drifted silently over Seoul.
White flakes swirled against the dark sky, soft and fragile, as if the heavens were whispering a secret.
Han Soo-min pulled her worn scarf tighter around her neck, her breath clouding in the cold air. Today was her first day at Prestige High School—a place she had only heard about in whispers. A school for the rich, the powerful, and the untouchable heirs of chaebols. And now… her school too, thanks to the scholarship she had fought so hard to win.
Her heart pounded as she stepped through the towering iron gates. Students in perfectly pressed uniforms walked in groups, laughing softly, their bags branded, their shoes spotless. Soo-min glanced down at her scuffed sneakers and secondhand bag.
Don't stand out. Don't get noticed, she reminded herself.
Yet fate rarely listened.
As she turned a corner near the courtyard, the world seemed to slow. Someone stepped into her path—a tall figure in the same dark uniform, his presence commanding even in silence. His hair, black as midnight, caught flecks of snow. His eyes, cold and unreadable, locked onto hers for the briefest second.
The impact came too fast. Her books slipped from her arms, scattering across the snowy ground. She gasped, bowing quickly.
"I—I'm so sorry!"
The boy did not bend down to help. He simply stood there, looking at her as though she were a puzzle he had no interest in solving. Around them, whispers rose.
"That's Kang Ha-joon…"
"The chaebol heir."
"Is she crazy, bumping into him?"
Soo-min froze at the name. Kang Ha-joon. She had heard it already in hushed tones—the untouchable top student, the heir to Kang Group, the one rumored to be cursed.
Ha-joon's voice was low, almost bored.
"Watch where you're going."
Her cheeks flushed hot despite the cold. She bent down, hurriedly gathering her books. But as she reached for the last one, a shadow fell over her hand. She looked up—only to find his hand there first, holding out the book.
For the first time, their fingers brushed.
A strange warmth sparked through her, so sudden and sharp that she nearly pulled away. Her eyes widened. He, too, hesitated—just a flicker—but his expression quickly returned to ice as he let the book drop into her grasp.
Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving only the trail of his footsteps in the snow.
Soo-min stood there, heart racing, the first flakes melting against her lashes. Something about that touch lingered—something familiar, though she couldn't explain why.
Above them, the snow kept falling, silent and endless.
And far away, unseen by both, a faint shimmer glowed in the air between them… a bond reawakening after centuries of sleep.