Morning came like any other day.
But for Kang Min-Jae—
there was no such thing as a normal morning anymore.
He woke up quietly.
Too quietly.
Careful not to make noise.
Careful not to wake anyone.
Careful…
not to exist too loudly.
The house was silent.
But not peaceful.
Silence here didn't mean calm.
It meant—
anything could happen next.
Min-Jae slowly got ready for school.
Wore his uniform.
Buttoned it wrong once—
fixed it quickly.
His hands trembled a little.
From the other room—
he could hear movement.
His body froze instantly.
Footsteps.
His heartbeat rose.
Faster.
Faster.
Then—
nothing.
No shouting.
No breaking sounds.
Just silence again.
He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
Walking on Thin Air
The walk to school used to be his favorite part of the day.
Running with friends.
Laughing.
Talking about nothing.
Now—
he walked alone.
Even when his friends were nearby—
he felt distant.
"Min-Jae! Come fast!"
Park Min-Kyu shouted, waving at him.
Min-Jae tried to smile.
But it felt… forced.
"Yeah… coming."
His voice was softer now.
Inside the Classroom
The classroom was noisy.
Students talking.
Chairs moving.
Laughter everywhere.
For others—
it was normal.
For Min-Jae—
it was overwhelming.
Every sound felt louder.
Every movement felt sharper.
He sat down quietly.
Eyes on the desk.
Hands still.
Trying not to draw attention.
The First Trigger
The teacher walked in.
Mr. Kim.
Strict.
Loud.
"Everyone, sit down!"
The class went silent.
Min-Jae's body stiffened.
The tone.
The volume.
It felt too familiar.
"Who didn't complete the homework?"
A boy stood up slowly.
"I… I forgot—"
"Forgot?!"
The teacher's voice exploded.
Min-Jae flinched.
His fingers tightened around his pen.
His breathing became uneven.
The classroom faded.
And suddenly—
he wasn't there anymore.
Not the Classroom… But Home
The voice changed.
But the feeling didn't.
"Why are you like this?!"
"Do you think money grows on trees?!"
The teacher's voice…
became his father's voice.
The classroom noise…
became breaking glass.
Min-Jae's vision blurred.
His heart pounded loudly in his ears.
Too loud.
Too fast.
He couldn't hear anything clearly anymore.
Only fear.
Pure fear.
Frozen
"Min-Jae."
No response.
"Min-Jae!"
He snapped back.
Everyone was looking at him.
"Answer the question."
His mouth opened.
But no words came out.
Nothing.
His mind was blank.
"I… I…"
Silence.
Some students giggled.
"Sit down."
The teacher's voice was cold now.
Min-Jae slowly sat.
His hands were shaking.
He looked down—
so no one would see his face.
The Change No One Saw
From that day—
school wasn't safe anymore.
It wasn't just about studies.
It became something else.
A place where—
any loud voice could break him.
He started avoiding eye contact.
Avoiding attention.
Avoiding everything.
Even his friends noticed.
"Why are you so quiet these days?"
Choi Ji-Hoon asked.
"Nothing."
"Are you okay?"
Lee Dae-Hyun added.
"Yeah… I'm fine."
He lied.
Not because he wanted to.
But because he didn't know how to tell the truth.
A Mind That Learned Fear
Min-Jae didn't realize it.
But his brain was changing.
Every shout became danger.
Every sudden sound became a threat.
Every mistake felt like punishment was coming.
Even when nothing was wrong—
he felt like something bad was about to happen.
Always.
Alone in a Crowd
Lunch time.
Students laughed.
Shared food.
Talked loudly.
Min-Jae sat with them.
But he wasn't really there.
He listened.
Nodded.
Smiled sometimes.
But inside—
he felt far away.
Like he was watching his own life…
from a distance.
End Line
"He didn't just become a quiet boy…
he became someone who was always waiting for something bad to happen."