Chapter 1: Where It All Begins

The soft echo of a guitar filled the room. No lyrics. No voice. Just a quiet, broken melody… almost like someone trying to remember how to cry.

Clint sat at the edge of his bed, fingers gliding lazily across the strings. Each note came out slow, hesitant — like he was reaching for a feeling that had long since disappeared. His eyes drifted toward the photo on his desk. His father. Framed, frozen in time.

And then, just like that, his mind slipped away.

****

FLASHBACK | Yesterday |Private Clinic

White walls. The low hum of an air conditioner buzzed above them. A young doctor sat across from him, flipping through a report, his voice calm — almost too calm.

"You have ALS, Clint," the doctor said.

Clint blinked. "...What?"

"It's a neurodegenerative disease," the doctor continued. "You'll lose muscle control. Slowly. Grip, limbs, speech eventually…"

He paused. "There's no cure. You've got time — maybe a year. 360 days, give or take."

Clint didn't respond. He just stared — still, pale, like the walls were folding in around him. The words didn't land. They echoed. Hollow. Distant.

---

BACK TO PRESENT

Zzzzz! Zzzzz!

The alarm buzzed violently.

Clint flinched, pulled back into the present. The guitar still rested on his lap, strings faintly vibrating under his touch. He glanced at the screen.

8:00 AM.

"Class," he muttered under his breath. He stood, but the weight in his chest didn't.

****

June 1, 2025 – Day 1

Haneul Academy, First Day

The courtyard buzzed with first-day energy — new uniforms, unfamiliar faces, familiar noise. Clint walked through the hallway, spine straight, hands tucked into his pockets. His face was blank, unreadable. He didn't speak. He didn't look around. He just walked — calm, like he'd been here before.

Girls whispered as he passed.

"Hey, is he new?" one asked.

"Yeah. Never seen him before," another said, eyes tracking him. "But… he's kinda—"

"Mysterious? Hot? I call dibs," a third girl whispered with a quiet laugh.

"He hasn't even looked at anyone. What's his deal?"

Clint walked past them without so much as a glance. No hesitation. Just a quiet rhythm in the middle of chaos. And yet stare — but today, she did.

Her eyes caught Clint moving below, unfazed, focused. Their eyes met.

One second.

Two.

Then he blinked, looked away, and kept walking — like she wasn't even there.

The girl frowned slightly, watching him pass.

"What the…?" she whispered under her breath.

No smile. No nod. Just silence.

"He didn't even stop. Who the hell is that guy?"

****

Haneul Academy, 3rd Floor Library (Afternoon)

The library was quiet — just the soft shuffle of pages, footsteps brushing across the tile, and the faint hum of air conditioning.

Clint stood between two shelves, eyes scanning spines. He wasn't looking for anything specific — just something to read. Or maybe… something to help him forget.

He pulled out a book and walked toward a window seat in the corner. Sat down. Opened the cover. Started reading.

Minutes passed.

Tap. Tap.

Two girls approached — smiling nervously. One held out a small note… and a bar of chocolate.

"Hi," one of them said.

Clint blinked. Surprised. Silent.

He took them wordlessly. Opened the note.

You're so cute.

He let out a quiet exhale.

No smile.

No comment.

He placed the note aside… and went back to reading.

Then —

A voice. Loud. Clear. Confident.

"Hai! I'm Janet! What's yours?"

Clint froze slightly. His eyes flicked back to the book — his usual escape.

"Hmm…" he muttered.

But she didn't leave.

She kept staring. Still. Waiting.

He cleared his throat — a little tense.

"…Clint."

She smiled. He looked back at the book.

Then side-eyed her again.

She was still staring.

Suddenly, Clint stood. Quick. Too quick. He walked back to the shelves, pretending to browse again.

Janet grinned, teasing.

"Why do you look so restless? What, do you have a crush on me or something?"

She laughed — bright and playful.

Clint froze.

His hand rested on a book he wasn't even reading. He stared at the floor. Said nothing.

Then turned — and walked off.

Fast. Too fast.

"Hoi! Clint!" she called out, arms crossed as she watched him disappear behind the shelves. "Why are you running away from me?!"

She smirked to herself.

"Suplado," she muttered.

[Chapter end]