The morning was bright and deceptively peaceful.
A school bell rang faintly in the distance.
"WAIT—WAIT—WAIT—"
A boy with messy black hair came sprinting down the street, his school uniform wrinkled like it had lost a fight, tie crooked, bag slapping painfully against his side.
His breaths were uneven, legs burning, but he didn't slow down.
Park Joon-Seo ran like his life depended on it.
"I should've skipped breakfast—why did I eat—" he panted.
The school gate appeared ahead of him.
Closed.
He skidded to a stop, hands on his knees, chest heaving.
"…Damn it," he muttered. "Then why did I even run?"
He straightened, glaring at the gate like it had personally betrayed him. With a defeated sigh, he turned around—
"Joon-Seo!"
He froze.
That voice.
He turned to see another boy jogging toward him, brown hair tousled just as badly, uniform equally wrinkled, though his expression was far calmer.
"Were you late too?" the boy asked, slightly amused.
Joon-Seo blinked. "Hyun-Woo?"
Hyun-Woo nodded. "Yeah. Alarm didn't ring."
Joon-Seo scoffed. "Mine rang. I just… ignored it."
They stood there for a moment, staring at the locked gate like criminals denied entry.
Then Joon-Seo's eyes slid to the side.
The wall.
A slow, dangerous grin spread across his face."…Hey."
Hyun-Woo followed his gaze. "No."
"We could climb it."
"I said no."
Joon-Seo grabbed his wrist. "Come on. Just once."
"Joon-Seo, that's a terrible idea."
"Great ideas always sound terrible at first."
Before Hyun-Woo could protest again, he was already being dragged toward the wall.
Up close, it was way taller than it looked.
Hyun-Woo swallowed. "So… what's the plan?"
Joon-Seo rolled up his sleeves dramatically. "I climb first. You boost me."
"Why do I boost you?"
"Because I'm lighter."
"You ate three bowls of rice yesterday."
"That was emotional."
Hyun-Woo sighed but crouched anyway. "If I die, tell my mom I loved her."
Joon-Seo stepped on his hands.
"WHY ARE YOUR SHOES SO HARD?!" Hyun-Woo yelped.
"Stop moving!"
"I'm not moving—you're crushing my fingers!"
Joon-Seo wobbled, arms flailing like a malfunctioning windmill. "If I fall, it's your fault!"
"If you fall, we both fall!"
Somehow—through chaos, poor coordination, and sheer desperation—Joon-Seo managed to grab the top of the wall.
"I DID IT!" he whispered loudly. "Okay, your turn!"
Hyun-Woo stared up. "…How?"
"Climb!"
"That's not instructions!"
Joon-Seo leaned down and grabbed Hyun-Woo's arm. Hyun-Woo jumped, missed, jumped again, accidentally kicked Joon-Seo in the shin.
"OW—WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING ME?!"
"I PANICKED!"
After a series of undignified grunts and one very suspicious squeak from Hyun-Woo, they finally rolled over the wall—
—and landed.
Right.
In.
Front.
Of.
Her.
The principal stood there, arms crossed, glasses slightly lowered, expression carved from pure exhaustion.
Silence.
Joon-Seo slowly lifted his head.
Hyun-Woo froze mid-crouch.
The principal inhaled deeply.
"PARK. JOON. SEO!!!!!!!!!!"
The shout echoed across the courtyard. Birds scattered. A window rattled.
Joon-Seo flinched so hard he nearly bowed."Y-Yes, ma'am!"
She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Every single week," she said, voice trembling with frustration. "Is the gate invisible to you?!"
Hyun-Woo raised a hand weakly. "…Good morning, ma'am."
She turned slowly.
"And YOU," she snapped, pointing, "are you his accomplice or his victim?"
Hyun-Woo glanced at Joon-Seo, then back at her."…Yes?"
Joon-Seo swallowed.
This was it.
Detention.Humiliation.Possibly public execution.
And all because he'd been late—again.
They were marched down the hallway in total silence.
Well—almost silence.
Joon-Seo tried to whisper, "I think she's angrier than usual today."
Hyun-Woo whispered back, "You say that every time."
The principal stopped so suddenly they nearly ran into her back.
"Whispering?" she asked sweetly.
Both boys straightened instantly.
"No, ma'am."
"Good."
She opened the office door and pointed inside. "Sit."
They sat.
The door closed with a very final click.
The principal took her seat, folded her hands on the desk, and looked at them the way one looks at two extremely disappointing statistics.
"Park Joon-Seo," she began.
Joon-Seo gulped. "Yes, ma'am."
"This is your fourth time this term."
"Yes, ma'am."
"And your excuse today?"
"…Teamwork?"
She stared at him.
Hyun-Woo slowly scooted his chair a centimeter away from Joon-Seo.
The principal sighed and turned to Hyun-Woo. "And you. First offense?"
"Yes, ma'am," Hyun-Woo said quickly. "I swear I usually come early."
She nodded. "I can tell. You look guilty. He looks experienced."
Joon-Seo winced.
Then her gaze sharpened again. "Park Joon-Seo. Call your sister."
Joon-Seo blinked. "My… sister?"
"Yes."
He hesitated. "Which one?"
Principal Kim Eun-Sook stood up, heels sharp against the floor, expression already tired—like she'd dealt with this exact nonsense before breakfast.
"Ji-Ah," she said.
The room went silent.
Joon-Seo's shoulders sagged. "Of course."
The principal took her seat again, folding her hands neatly.
"Park Ji-Ah," she repeated, almost fondly.
"Now that was a student."
Hyun-Woo's eyes widened.
"She was intelligent," Principal Kim continued. "Top of her class. Disciplined. Always prepared."
Joon-Seo muttered, "That's propaganda."
She glanced at him. "She was also a menace."
Joon-Seo looked up. "—See?"
"She questioned rules, debated teachers, and once rewrote a group assignment because she 'didn't trust the system,'" the principal went on calmly.
Hyun-Woo bit his lip to keep from laughing.
"But," she added, tapping the desk, "she was smart enough to back it up."
Joon-Seo frowned. "That's not fair."
The principal raised an eyebrow. "You sound exactly like your sister."
Hyun-Woo lost it. He turned away, shoulders shaking.
Joon-Seo groaned. "I refuse to accept that."
Principal Kim stood. "Unfortunately, refusal will not change your punishment."
Both boys straightened instantly.
"Park Joon-Seo. Han Hyun-Woo," she said crisply."One month of cleaning duty."
Hyun-Woo's smile vanished. "A… month?"
"All staircases. Hallways. Equipment rooms," she continued. "After school."
Joon-Seo stared. "…Every day?"
She smiled—just a little. "Think of it as character building."
She turned to leave, then paused at the door.
"Oh—and Park Joon-Seo?"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Tell your sister I said hello."
The door closed.
Silence.
Hyun-Woo finally spoke."…Your sister is terrifying."
Joon-Seo sighed deeply."Yeah."
Then quieter:
"And she's going to enjoy this way too much."